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The Role Of Frame Selection And Bispectrum Phase Reconstruction For Speckle Imaging Through Atmospheric Turbulence, Elizabeth A. Harpold

Theses and Dissertations

Frame selection using quality sharpness metrics have been shown in previous AFIT theses, to be effective in improving the final product of images obtained using adaptive optics. This thesis extends this idea to noncompensated speckle image data. Speckle image reconstruction is simulated with and without frame selection. Speckle images require the processing of hundreds of data frames. Frame selection is a method of reducing the amount of data required to reconstruct the image. A collection of short exposure image data frames of a single object are sorted based on sharpness metrics. Only the highest quality frames are retained and processed …

Analysis And Interpretation Of Ion Data Associated With Neutral Gas Releases In The Earth's Ionosphere, Timothy M. Shadid

Theses and Dissertations

Barium and strontium release experiments were conducted throughout 1991 from the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) to study both natural and man-made disturbances in the earth's ionosphere. A mass spectrometer on the spacecraft counted the Ba and Sr ions as the cloud expanded. In this study, data from the G-1 (in sunlight) and G-11b (in darkness) releases were modeled to understand the source of the ion signals. The model reproduced the Ba⁺ sun data well assuming photoionization (τ = 28 s) was the primary ionization mechanism. However, it was not able to account for the remaining ion …

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 …

The Effect Of Meteorological Data Averaging Times On Plume Concentrations From Explosive Ordnance Disposal Open Burning Operations, Ida L. Widmann

Theses and Dissertations

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Open Burning (OB) operations are performed to treat and dispose of unserviceable munitions in the Department of Defense (DOD) inventory. Air pollution modeling of OB operations is an Environmental Protection Agency requirement for permit issuance at OB sites. Specific OB regulation is still in its infancy; therefore, establishment of OB modeling techniques is still in the early stages. This thesis effort sought to develop a computer model, based upon the Gaussian Puff Equation. The model varies from standard plume modeling practices by not making the assumption that the wind direction, wind speed and turbulence are uniform …

A Comparison Of Methods For Estimating Rms Error: A `Brute Force" Approach Versus A Mathematically-Elegant Approach, As Applied To The Calculation Of A Specific Retrieval Error For A Limb-Scanning Microwave Radiometer-Spectrometer, Larry L. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The Millimeter-wave Atmospheric Sounder (MAS) is a high resolution limb- scanning microwave radiometer-spectrometer which has been flown aboard the Space Shuttle. The instrument was designed to sense the microwave emission from several upper atmospheric constituents, including water vapor and ozone. The resonant frequencies of water vapor and ozone are extremely close (183 and 184 GHz, respectively), so that the high-frequency wing of the water vapor spectrum overlaps the low frequency wing of the ozone spectrum. Consequently, the measured ozone spectrum incorporates a slight water vapor contribution; therefore, the retrieved ozone profile is dependent on the true water vapor profile. The …

Characterization Of Atmospheric Turbulence Over Long Horizontal Paths Using Optical Slope Measurements, Eric E. Silbaugh

Theses and Dissertations

Atmospheric turbulence has long been recognized as one of the fundamental factors affecting optical systems operating through the atmosphere. Turbulence over vertical paths has been well characterized, both theoretically and experimentally. Much less is known about turbulence over long, horizontal paths. Perturbations of the wave front phase can be measured using a Hartmann wave front sensor (H-WFS). Theoretical expressions for the tilt removed structure function of the H-WFS slope measurements were derived and evaluated using quadrature. These slope structure functions are functions of the phase structure function. The Kolmogorov turbulence model was assumed. Simulated H-WFS slope measurements were generated using …

Copper Complexation Capacity And Copper Speciation In Freshwater Lakes (Lake Western Branch And Lake Prince), Rachide Ibrahimo Abdul Sultana

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

This research examines the copper complexation capacity, copper speciation and dissolved copper concentrations in Lake Western Branch (WB) and Lake Prince (LP) both located in Suffolk, Virginia. These lakes are drinking water reservoirs for the cities of Suffolk and Norfolk, and they experience blooms of algae which can deplete them of oxygen and affect treatment of their waters for drinking. Copper sulfate has regularly been added to control the algae, but the effectiveness of these additions is uncertain. For environmental management implications, knowledge of speciation (i.e., the concentrations of the various chemical forms) is important in studying the effects of …

The Effect Of Arctic River Hydrological Cycles On Arctic Ocean Circulation, Peter Becker

OES Theses and Dissertations

Understanding Arctic Ocean circulation may be critical to fully understanding the global oceanic salt and heat cycles and their response to climate variability. This thesis examines how one important aspect of Arctic Ocean circulation, the effect of freshwater inflow, may contribute to the variability of these cycles. The multiple roles that freshwater runoff performs in the Arctic Ocean include: (1) the formation of shelf and basin scale density currents; (2) maintenance of the strong density stratification; (3) control of the thickness and strength of the ice pack; and (4) control of deep convection. Sources and sinks of freshwater in the …

An Understanding Of Factors Controlling Isotopic Ratios Of Wine As A Potential Surrogate Of Past Precipitation, Eric Alan Caldwell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Precipitation, vapor water, ground water, soil water, grape berry and grape leaf water, grape must, and vintage wines were collected from northern California for stable isotopic analysis. An understanding of factors controlling isotopic ratios of wine allows evaluation of wine as a surrogate of past precipitation. Stable isotopic compositions of grape berry waters collected at Charles Krug Winery in Napa Valley. CA range from -31 to -17 per mil in 8D and +7.2 to +15.3 per mil in 8180, and plot along a transpiration line of slope 2. 7. Grape leaf waters range from -25 to +5 per mil in …

Molecular Evolution Of Numt, A Recent Transfer And Tandem Amplification Of Mitochondrial Dna Into The Nuclear Genome Of The Domestic Cat (Felis Catus), Jose V. Lopez

Oceanography Faculty Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are functional cytoplasmic chromosomes, tracing origins to a symbiotic infection of eukaryotic cells by bacterial progenitors. As prescribed by the Serial Endosymbiosis Theory, symbionts have gradually transferred their genes to the nuclear genome that enable functional interaction. In this dissertation, a 7.9 kb transposition of a typically 17.0 kb mitochondrial genome to a specific chromosomal position in the domestic cat is reported. The integrated mtDNA has amplified about 38-76 times and now occurs as a "macrosatellite"-like tandem repeat with multiple length alleles resolved by pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) segregating in cat populations. To examine the tempo …

Limiting Growth In Las Vegas - A Necessary Growth Strategy For The Twenty-First Century, Cheryl Ann Frassa

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Land development in the Las Vegas Valley continues at an unprecedented rate and future growth will no doubt be strongly advocated. Yet, water resources in this desert area are finite, and in the near future, supply will fall short of demand. Plans are underway to supplement the existing supply, and proposals to secure additional sources are under investigation. But there are no guarantees these ambitious endeavors will materialize. In light of the pending water crisis, the pervasive "growth at all cost" policies now dominant in the valley must be abandoned and more realistic land-use policies developed; ones based on the …

Dynamics Of Dipoles In The Middle Atlantic Bight, Bruce L. Lipphardt Jr.

OES Theses and Dissertations

Beginning with the observations made by the Warm-Core Rings program in the early 1980's, several Gulf Stream warm-core rings (WCR's) in the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) have been observed with one or more cyclones around their periphery. These ring systems are observed in the slope water between the Gulf Stream's western boundary and the shelf break. Observations of ring systems have motivated a reanalysis of existing satellite surface temperature imagery, which revealed that multipole structure is common for both warm and cold core rings. This suggests that rings are better characterized as one part of multipole systems rather than as …

Thermocline Circulation Driven At Surface Outcrops Of Isopycnal Surfaces, Gudavalli V. R. K. Vittal

OES Theses and Dissertations

Potential vorticity (PV) defined as: q = Δθ ^.(fk + Ω)

where θ is density anomaly, Ω (Δ x u) is relative vorticity, k is unit vertical vector and f the coriolis parameter, is used as a dynamical tracer to study the interior thermocline circulation. Using the generalized flux form of PV equation (Haynes and McIntyre, 1987), wind stress and buoyancy fluxes at surface outcrops of isopycnal surface are translated into PV fluxes. The PV flux condition so derived considers seasonal movement of the isopycnal outcrops and geostrophic turbulence.

A constant layer depth model, forced by the above flux …

A Feasibility Study Of Dynamical Assimilation Of Tide Gauge Data In The Chesapeake Bay, Yvette H. Spitz

OES Theses and Dissertations

The feasibility of dynamical assimilation of surface elevation from tide gauges is investigated to estimate the bottom drag coefficient and surface stress as a first step in improving modeled tidal and wind-driven circulation in the Chesapeake Bay. A two-dimensional shallow water model and an adjoint variational method with a limited memory quasi-Newton optimization algorithm are used to achieve this goal.

Assimilation of tide gauge observations from ten permanent stations in the Bay and use of a two-dimensional model adequately estimate the bottom drag coefficient, wind stress and surface elevation at the Bay mouth. Subsequent use of these estimates in the …

The New Certificates Of Financial Responsibility: Environmental Progress Or National Economic Disaster?, Paul R. Younes

Theses and Major Papers

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) is the first comprehensive oil spill legislation passed in the United States. Included in the law were new provisions governing the liability and financial responsibility of both the company responsible for the spill and the insurer. These provisions, while well-intentioned, have created a dangerous situation for both the environment and the economy of the United States. This paper will examine the financial responsibility and liability regime that was in place prior to the passage of OPA 90, and the provisions of OPA 90 that establish new requirements shipowners must meet to qualify …

Management Of The Omani Abalone Haliotis Mariae: An Integrated Policy, Kadhim M. Al-Bahrani

Theses and Major Papers

The Sultanate of Oman is a small coastal nation with a maritime history, regional trade and fisheries exploitation. Among those fishery industries is Oman's coastal abalone fishery, which command the highest prices per unit of weight among the other marine living resources. This study analyzes the fishery's biological aspects, structure, socioeconomic, policies, and management practices in an attempt to provide an understanding of the prime parameters, that in turn could be utilized for sound management purposes. it also provides a description of an integrated development and management policy for the abalone fishery. Finally, it is hoped that this research will …

The National Marine Sanctuary Designation Process And Its Impact On Naval Operations, Gregory E. Bolan

Theses and Major Papers

This paper addresses the basis of potential and real conflicts derived by the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) process, as identified within and between NOAA and the United States Navy. This conflict is often exacerbated due to either a lack of communication, coordination, or both. A recent proliferation of proposed and designated marine sanctuaries in traditional Naval operating areas has complicated or hindered Naval operations (or will) to a degree where EIS derived restrictions negatively impact the Naval operations, based on (1) response readiness, and (2) increased cost of operations. Two specific conflicts are examined in a case study approach …

Dispersants For Oil Spill Response: Issues, Policy, And Planning Considerations, Tina M. Burke

Theses and Major Papers

The purposes of this paper are four-fold. First, dispersant use as an oil spill response option and the issues surrounding dispersant use will be discussed. Second, the past dispersant use policy will be reviewed, as will the recent changes to the policy in terms of the attempt to make dispersants a viable response option in the United States. Third, the role of interest groups in oil spill response issues and the importance of including them in contingency planning efforts, specifically dispersant planning, will be discussed. Lastly, the results of the study to determine the involvement of interest groups in the …

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Management, Jeffrey C. Fisher

Theses and Major Papers

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and federal management under the U.S. National marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has certainly been contentious. Atlantic bluefin tuna have been managed at the international level by ICCAT for the past 25 years. NMFS is the organization responsible for implementing ICCAT recommended conservation and management measures in the United States. In an attempt to halt an apparent decline in the abundance of bluefin tuna in the western Atlantic, ICCAT has recommended strict management measures including catch quotas, minimum sizes, "no-sale" provisions, and spawning area protection since 1981. ICCAT had recommended in …

The Use Of Targeting In Port State Control, Mary E. Landry

Theses and Major Papers

This study will examine two separate, but related matters; (1) expansion of port State control through new treaties and international practice, and (2) the port State's use of targeting to focus its attention on substandard performance. It will also outline and clarify the practice of targeting which has been employed under several regional port State control agreements throughout the world. This study will examine targeting as an economic sanction; in essence, a coercive measure using financial disincentives to discourage substandard performance in the maritime community. Targeting was designed or developed as an economic sanction. Rather, it was marketed as a …

The National Estuary Program's Watershed Protection Approach: An Analysis Of Local Governments, Constituency Organizations And Watershed Residents In Addressing Nonpoint Source Pollution In The Buzzards Bay Project, Paula Renier Jewell

Theses and Major Papers

Reduction of coastal nonpoint source (NPS) pollution requires an innovative approach. Efforts must comprehensively address the cumulative effects of individual behaviors. Therefore, program objectives must apply to the entire contributing watershed, but emphasize local implementation. Local governments must be empowered to install regulatory and other mechanisms to reduce NPS pollution. Local citizen organizations such as watershed associations, must effectively educate watershed citizens about their ole in NPS pollution. Watershed citizens must change their behaviors which contribute to the problem. However, developing a vibrant constituency around NPS pollution itself remains a serious challenge to mitigation efforts. As a geographically defined, holistic …

Environmental Messages In Boating Magazines: A Content Analysis Of Recreational Power Boating Articles, Robert S. Holtzman

Theses and Major Papers

This paper presents the results of a study analyzing the editorial content of consumer power boating magazines for messages of environmental responsibility. It presents evidence of a cause and effect relationship between recreational power boating and damage to the marine environment, and cites arguments that power boating in its currently popular form, involving high speeds and heavy fuel consumption, is inherently "unfriendly" to the environment. The paper describes a "chain of influence" through which boat manufacturers, in their role as advertisers, influence the editorial content of consumer boating magazines through the tactics of marketing public relations. A hypothesis is developed …

An Assessment Of The Safety Of Navigation: The Malaysian Perspective In The Straits Of Malacca, Amir Bin Murad

Theses and Major Papers

The traffic movements in the Straits of Malacca (SOM) have been ever increasing over the past few years resulting in numerous marine casualties that have caused serious concern to the Government of Malaysia. Current characteristics of navigation in the SOM present a potential major catastrophe. The first hypothesis is that there is a positive relationship between traffic movement and the number of marine casualties. Thus, an increase in traffic movement will result in an increased risk of marine casualties. The second hypothesis is that the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) did not change the overall trend of marine casualties that occurred …

The Ocean Research Vessel Act Of 1965: An Inequitable Result Suggests Reevaluation, Philip Alan Sacks

Theses and Major Papers

In 1965 Congress passed the ocean Research Vessel Act (ORVA) with the purpose of encouraging the nation's efforts in oceanographic studies. Section 4 of the ORVA states that "scientific personnel on an oceanographic research vessel shall not be considered seamen under the provisions of title 53 of the Revised Statues...". As a result of a literal interpretation of this wording, the Courts have ruled that scientific personnel are excluded from the beneficial remedies afforded all other seamen under the Jones Act. Some courts have also denied an injured scientist "seaman status" under the general maritime law. This paper argues that …

Managine For Effectiveness And Efficiency In Oil Spill Response, Peter A. Tebeau

Theses and Major Papers

Responding to oil spills, even spills of moderate proportion, requires the commitment of substantial manpower and equipment on the part of the responsible party or the federal government. Throughout the response operation, successful spill management entails choosing the most effective and efficient countermeasures and cleanup techniques to remove or neutralize oil in the environment, minimize overall environmental damages from the spill, and insure that the objectives and expectations of government agencies, responsible parties, and the public are met. As the response progresses, effective and efficient management requires determining when response operations should be terminated. In making this decision, the On-Scene …

The Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council: Stewardship In Need Of Goals And Objectives, Robert Censabella

Theses and Major Papers

In the State of Rhode Island, marine fisheries are managed through the Marine Fisheries Council, a citizen-based regulatory body of nine members from either the commercial or recreational fishing industries or experienced with the conservation and management of fisheries resources. To ostensibly help this group make informed decisions, biological data and scientific advice are provided by the State Division of Fish and Wildlife. This thesis examines the decision-making process of this Council. More specifically, it provides a case study of how this body has attempted to manage the State's winter flounder stocks-an economically-valuable species which confines its life cycle mostly …

Community Participation In The Management Of Pulau Seribu National Marine Park, Indonesia, Darmawan

Theses and Major Papers

The purpose of this thesis is to examine an approach for improving management in Pulau Seribu National Marine Park based on better relations between managers, local government and communities. It includes: a description of the Pulau Seribu National Marine Park, a literature review on community participation, a description of the national governance of marine conservation in Indonesia, and a proposed mechanism for community participation in park management. In an effort to manage its marine resources, Indonesia has established a well-structured institutional framework and body of environmental legislation. However, this administrative structure does not as yet include a mechanism for accommodating …

International Management Of The Western Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fishery: Is There A Need For A Cites Listing?, Jennifer Elling-Dodge

Theses and Major Papers

In the last two decades, the Atlantic bluefin tuna has been increasingly targeted by fishermen throughout the world, primarily for sale in Japan. Commercial fishermen, attempting to survive in a world of declining commercial catches, increased controls on fishing effort, and increasing competition, view the U.S. $50.00 or more per kilogram that might be obtained from bluefin as a financial bonanza. yet, the population of breeding adult bluefin in the western Atlantic (the focus of bluefin fishing, since the largest bluefin consistently occur there) has declined by an estimated 77% to 90% since the 1970's. In addition, the eastern Atlantic …

Assessing The Impact Of Amendment 2 To The Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan: Implications Of State-By-State Quotas For Vessel Operators, Karen Ellis Greene

Theses and Major Papers

The state-by-state quota regulation contained in Amendment 2 to the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan became effective on January 1, 1993. The research sought to determine the implications that the state-by-state quotas have imposed on federal summer flounder permit holders. commercial fishermen were believed to have landed their summer flounder out-of-state to take advantage of more favorable possession limits in other states, and to have accrued higher costs as a result of their decisions to land out-of-state. A survey was administered to commercial fishermen in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and North Carolina, to ascertain behavioral changes, as a result of state-by-state …

Implementation Of Harbor Management Plans: The Next Generation Of Mooring Management Incorporates Gps And Gis, Tracy E. Lang

Theses and Major Papers

This paper describes the development of a spatial decision-support and management system to be used for improved coastal and harbor management. The design combines two separate systems, one is the use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and the other is the use of a Geographic Information (GIS) (ARCVIEW II). This pilot project specifically examined the use of GPS and GIS to identify, map, and monitor individual mooring buoys in one recreational harbor in Narragansett, Rhode Island. GPS was used for collection of positional information and was compared to one traditional marine positioning device, Loran-C, and the variations between each method …