Digital Commons Network^™

Arkansas Water Resources Center Annual Technical Report, 2016, Arkansas Water Resources Center

Arkansas Water Resources Center Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Hiv Diversity, Phylodynamics And Drug Resistance In Washington, Dc., Marcos Pérez-Losada, Amanda D Castel, Brittany Lewis, Michael Kharfen, Charles P Cartwright, Bruce Huang, Taylor Maxwell, Alan E Greenberg, Keith A Crandall

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Texas Aquifers Study: Groundwater Quantity, Quality, Flow, And Contributions To Surface Water, Bech Bruun, Kathleen Jackson, Peter Lake

KIP Articles

No abstract provided.

Lance Yarbrough Rejoins Um Geological Engineering Faculty, Edwin Smith

University of Mississippi News

New assistant professor combines expertise in private sector, experiences in academia

Mapping Neighborhood Scale Survey Responses With Uncertainty Metrics, Charles R. Ehlschlaeger, Yizhao Gao, James D. Westervelt, Robert C. Lozar, Marina V. Drigo, Jeffrey A. Burkhalter, Carey L. Baxter, Matthew D. Hiett, Natalie R. Myers, Ellen R. Hartman

Journal of Spatial Information Science

This paper presents a methodology of mapping population-centric social, infrastructural, and environmental metrics at neighborhood scale. This methodology extends traditional survey analysis methods to create cartographic products useful in agent-based modeling and geographic information analysis. It utilizes and synthesizes survey microdata, sub-upazila attributes, land use information, and ground truth locations of attributes to create neighborhood scale multi-attribute maps. Monte Carlo methods are employed to combine any number of survey responses to stochastically weight survey cases and to simulate survey cases' locations in a study area. Through such Monte Carlo methods, known errors from each of the input sources can be …

Provenance And Credibility In Spatial And Platial Data, Grant Mckenzie, Martin Raubal, Krzysztof Janowicz, Andrew Flanagin

Journal of Spatial Information Science

No abstract provided.

State Of R In Hydrological Modelling, J. A. Torres, E. Pebesma

Open Water Journal

Access to clean and safe water is a human right and to grant it under a sustainable development point of view is paramount for well being of the future generations. Therefore, it is important to understand the interaction between the mate- rial flows to coastal waters that are constrained by catchment boundaries and the human activi- ties therein, and those materials that are tied to trade and other trans-boundary processes (e.g. re- sidence time, transport and fate of physical, chemi- cal and microbiological water-quality determinants) and their global implications on preserving the qua- lity of the natural environment.

Development Of A Spatial Data Infrastructure For The Water Sector Of Benin, J. Van Der Kwast, D. Van Den Bergh, D. Mama, P. Hounkpe, J. De Schutter

Open Water Journal

Benin has adequate water resources for food production, drinking water and nature conservation. Nevertheless, unsustainable agricultural and other land-use practices and water use, combined with the anticipated effects of climate change and population growth threaten the water resources. As more West African countries, Benin is already confronted with large environmental problems such as seasonal water shortages, (urban) pollution, salinization and increasing damage due to flooding. For this reason Benin adopted Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) as the key policy to manage its large problems with water resources in a sustainable way.

The Use Of Google’S Earth Engine For Assessing Vegetation Cover In The Anger Valley, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Seleshi G. Yalew, Ann Van Griensven, Marloes M. Mul

Open Water Journal

Earth Engine is a platform designed to enable petabyte-scale, scientific analysis and visualization of geospatial datasets set to be released by Google. Currently under limited release for ‘trusted testers’ only, it is a platform that makes available nearly 40 years of the world’s satellite imagery with cloud computing resources and tools for scientists and researchers. The platform is set to provide computational power using Google’s parallel processing power and access to develop and/or run algorithms on the full Earth Engine data archive. Its applications include detecting deforestation, classifying land-cover and estimating forest biomass and carbon. In this study, we demonstrate …

Landfill Elevated Internal Temperature Detection And Landfill Fire Index Assessment For Fire Monitoring, Aurora Musilli

Theses and Dissertations

Landfill fires are becoming a real threat to both people and environment due to lack of predictions and control methods. Processing of the infrared band from level-1 satellite images was employed and decades worth of archived data from USGS Earth Explorer databases were analyzed to obtain surface temperature values of Atlantic Waste Landfill, Virginia and Bridgeton Landfill, Missouri. Multitemporal thermal maps and frequency of maxima analysis maps of these two landfills showed the hotspots spreading through the waste site. A Landfill Fire Index (LFI) was created by investigating eight factors that give information about the hazardousness of the landfill conditions …

A Reference Database With Transient River And Drain Boundary Conditions For Modflow, Foncke Koen, De Sutter Renaat, Bronders Jan, Hendrix Rik, Haest Pieter Jan, Johan Lermytte, Andy Louwyck

Open Water Journal

A modelling instrument was built that is able to semi-automatically set up a (steady-state or transient) groundwater model. With a given model area and modelling period, the instrument is able to select the appropriate hydrogeology data and boundary conditions, and to build a Modflow groundwater model. The river and drainage boundary conditions are selected from a PostgreSQL/PostGis database, which has been built with surface water data from various data sources using open source tools like the PostGis geoprocessing functions and the Python programming language.

The basic surface water data cover the area of the Flemish Groundwater Model, which covers Flanders …

A Town Wants Visitor Feedback? There’S An App For That, Sarah Schaier

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Open Source Development Of Exploration And Graphics For River Trends (Egret): An R-Package For The Analysis Of Long-Term Changes In Water Quality And Streamflow, Including The Water-Quality Method Weighted Regressions On Time, Discharge, And Season, Laura Decicco, Robert Hirsch

Open Water Journal

The development of an R package: Exploration and Graphics for River Trends (EGRET) is discussed. R is a free programming language developed for statistical computing and graphics. The development of this package was done using gitHub, allowing for easy collaboration between colleagues. The EGRET package includes 3 major features. The first is simplifying the methods for obtaining water quality, streamflow, and metadata. A large collection of United States river data is available through web services from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System (NWIS). Functions for importing data from the NWIS system were included in a supplement to …

Software Tools For Rapid Integrated Model Setup, Gennadii Donchyts, Bert Jagers

Open Water Journal

Impact assessments need to be carried out in more and more detail, both with respect to resolution and number of environmental processes included, and in an ever decreasing amount of time. For the researcher it is important to easily integrate increasing amounts of data from heterogeneous sources into multi-disciplinary models, while at the same time the overall model validity can still be guaranteed. It is important to develop tools that assist both the skilled modeller and beginning user, each at the right level.

Availability of a good quality data on a large geospatial extent is a crucial element of an …

Integrating Habitat Suitability Modeling And Radio Telemetry To Describe Habitat Use Of The Western Massasaugas, Sistrurus T. Tergeminus, In Texas, Mitchell R. Barazowski

Biology Theses

Habitat suitability modeling using the software package MaxEnt (Phillips, Anderson, & Schapire, 2006) is a popular method for describing the habitat of rare species. MaxEnt uses “presence only” data to develop models; however presence data are highly skewed towards areas of high detection probability and these areas may not represent the full range of habitat use. Thusly, predictions from models developed using only data from areas with high detection probability may not represent all suitable habitat. This study tested the ability of MaxEnt models developed using three different data sets to accurately describe Western Massasauga (Sistrurus t. tergeminus) habitat at …

Spatial Data Mining Analytical Environment For Large Scale Geospatial Data, Zhao Yang

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Nowadays, many applications are continuously generating large-scale geospatial data. Vehicle GPS tracking data, aerial surveillance drones, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), world-wide spatial networks, and high resolution optical or Synthetic Aperture Radar imagery data all generate a huge amount of geospatial data. However, as data collection increases our ability to process this large-scale geospatial data in a flexible fashion is still limited. We propose a framework for processing and analyzing large-scale geospatial and environmental data using a “Big Data” infrastructure. Existing Big Data solutions do not include a specific mechanism to analyze large-scale geospatial data. In this work, we extend …

Territoriality And Spatial Structure In The Green Anole, Anolis Carolinensis, William D. Weber Jr.

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Anolis carolinensis has been a model organism for ecology and evolutionary biology since the seventies, yet there are still understudied aspects of their ecology. A five-year study has provided microsatellite genotypes to be used in building a pedigree and assess relatedness, enabling us to evaluate the spatial distribution of an urban population of A. carolinensis. Results indicate no correlation between a male’s size and the distance others keep from it; however, males belonging in the heavyweight morph are dictating the spatial distribution in this population. In addition, juvenile dispersal of male offspring and partial philopatry of female offspring are …

Decolonial Interstice In Carnaval Montevideano: Murga As Hegemonic Dissent At The Tablado De Barrio, Paola García

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

Murga is a popular carnival genre in Montevideo, Uruguay. Carnival in Montevideo lasts 40 days in the summer months of January through March but is different from carnival celebrations in Argentina and Brazil. Carnival performances are competitive and occur in neighborhood stages (tablados de barrio) and private stages (tablados comerciales). A government body judges performances to determine a winning group from each of the five performance genres: Sociedad de Negros y Lubolos, Revista, Humorista, Parodista, and Murga. Murga is a musical and theatrical performance that utilizes satire to convey dissent towards quotidian occurrences of heteronormativity. Numerous communities outside of Montevideo …

Assessing Wetland Ecological Condition In The Cuyahoga River Watershed., Siobhan Fennessy, J. J. Mack, E. Deimeke, M. T. Sullivan, J. Bishop, M. Cohen, M. Micacchion, M. Knapp

Siobhan Fennessy

We used an assessment approach combining the USEPA EMAP probabilistic sampling design with existing Ohio wetland assessment tools, including the Ohio rapid assessment method (ORAM), the modified Penn State Stressor Checklist, the Vegetation IBI and the Amphibian IBI, along with a landscape analysis (the Landscape Development Intensity Index) to evaluate the ecological condition of wetlands in the 1,300 km2 Cuyahoga River watershed. Sample sites were selected using the Generalized Random Tesselation Stratified (GRTS) survey design, which provides a geospatially balanced, stratified random sample. The Ohio Wetland Inventory was used as the sample frame for the population of wetlands in the …

Assessing The Climate Change Vulnerability Of Ecosystem Types Of The Southwestern U.S., Francis J. Triepke, Esteban H. Muldavin, Maximillian M. Wahlberg, Timothy K. Lowrey, Donald A. Falk, Megan M. Friggens, Karen E. Bagne

Biology ETDs

Climate change is challenging scientists and decision-makers to understand the complexities of climate change and to predict the related effects at scales relevant to environmental policy and the management of ecosystem services. Extraordinary change in climate, and the ensuing impacts to ecosystem services, are widely anticipated for the southwestern United States. Predicting the vulnerability of Southwest ecosystems and their components has been a priority of natural resource organizations over the past decade. Supplementing vulnerability assessments in the region with geospatial inputs of high thematic and spatial detail has become vital for supporting local analyses, planning, and decisions. In this context …

Solar Urban Planning: Addressing Barriers And Conflicts Specific To Renewable Energy Policy And The Current Field And Practice Of Urban Planning Within The Context Of A Changing Climate, Toryl P. Hanna

Capstone Collection

The world is in a period of rapid urbanization while experiencing unprecedented rise in global temperature as a result of climate change. Questions have been raised as to how strategies for urbanization will be able to address the fetish for energy, while halting carbon emissions produced by traditional energy sources for urban inhabitants around the world. First, this paper seeks to look to cities, at the intersection of solar energy and the field of urban planning, looking into the opportunities and challenges that are currently surfacing. Conflicts and barriers in traditional urban land use patterns emerge as a topic of …

Data Assimilation For Spatial Temporal Simulations Using Localized Particle Filtering, Yuan Long

Computer Science Dissertations

As sensor data becomes more and more available, there is an increasing interest in assimilating real time sensor data into spatial temporal simulations to achieve more accurate simulation or prediction results. Particle Filters (PFs), also known as Sequential Monte Carlo methods, hold great promise in this area as they use Bayesian inference and stochastic sampling techniques to recursively estimate the states of dynamic systems from some given observations. However, PFs face major challenges to work effectively for complex spatial temporal simulations due to the high dimensional state space of the simulation models, which typically cover large areas and have a …

Predictive Modeling With The Soil And Water Assessment Tool (Swat2012) Prior To Design Development In Landscape Architecture: Learning From The Southwestern Medical District In Dallas, Texas, Layal Bitar Ghanem

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

Landscape Architecture has recently seen a significant rise in evaluative studies among the scientific and professional community, perhaps as a result of growing concerns related to rapid urbanization, climate change, and environmental degradation (LAF, 2016; Ozdil, 2014). Several methods adopted in evaluative landscape architecture research have typically focused on landscape performance in post implementation conditions, with a relatively superficial use of technology to address contemporary urban problems. However, with the advancement of computer technologies, opportunities to assess and predict environmental landscape performance prior to design development in the site planning process have emerged. The purpose of this research is to …

Predictive Modeling With The Soil And Water Assessment Tool (Swat2012) Prior To Design Development In Landscape Architecture: Learning From The Southwestern Medical District In Dallas, Texas, Layal Bitar Ghanem

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

Landscape Architecture has recently seen a significant rise in evaluative studies among the scientific and professional community, perhaps as a result of growing concerns related to rapid urbanization, climate change, and environmental degradation (LAF, 2016; Ozdil, 2014). Several methods adopted in evaluative landscape architecture research have typically focused on landscape performance in post implementation conditions, with a relatively superficial use of technology to address contemporary urban problems. However, with the advancement of computer technologies, opportunities to assess and predict environmental landscape performance prior to design development in the site planning process have emerged. The purpose of this research is to …

Factors Influencing Long Distance Movements Of Tiger Sharks, Galeocerdo Cuvier, Stacy A. Assael

Open Access Theses

The purpose of this project was to identify the effects of various environmental factors (sea surface temperature, salinity, sea surface currents, and Earth's magnetic field intensity) on tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) movements in the Atlantic Ocean, with a primary focus on the influence of Earth's magnetic field. Previous studies concluded that several species of sharks are capable of detecting small electromagnetic pulses under controlled experimental conditions, however evidence is lacking regarding sharks utilize the Earth's magnetic field to navigate the open ocean. To investigate this, four mature female tiger sharks were satellite tagged and tracked for a minimum …

An Evaluation Of Late Holocene Sea Level Rise And Anthropogenic Impacts; Jones Narrows Marsh, Chatham County, Georgia, Jessie Hughes

Geosciences Theses

A detailed record of the Late Holocene sea level rise and landscape evolution that has taken place on the Georgia coast is contained within the sedimentary stratigraphy of its salt marsh depositional basins. Global relative sea level (RSL) has risen during the Late Holocene, and the rate of rise has accelerated during the Anthropocene. Jones Narrows marsh stratigraphy and radiocarbon analysis indicate increasing rates of RSL rise for the late Holocene on the Northern Atlantic Coast of Georgia, while FPXRF analysis of the marsh sediments facilitates a chemostratigraphic study of Jones Narrows salt marsh deposition and landscape evolution. Sedimentation and …

Using Remote Data Collection To Identify Bridges And Culverts Susceptible To Blockage During Flooding Events, James Sullivan, Jarlath O'Neill-Dunne, Sean Mcfaden, Tayler Engel

University of Vermont Transportation Research Center

Debris blockages of transportation-related river and stream crossing structures such as bridges and culverts can cause flooding at lower flow volumes than predicted by floodplain delineations. These types of flooding events contribute to the damage that was observed during both Tropical Storm Irene and the heavy rainfall in the spring and summer of 2013. Flooding occurs (1) when rain falls over a prolonged period of time, (2) when intense rain falls over a short period of time, or (3) when an ice or debris jam reduces the capacity of a crossing structure and causes a river or stream to overflow …

Investigating Environmental Inequities In Terms Of Street Greenery Using Google Street View, Xiaojiang Li

Doctoral Dissertations

As an important component of the urban ecosystem, the urban greenery provides a series of benefits to urban residents and plays an important role in maintaining the urban sustainability. Unequal access to urban greenery represents environmental disparities when some urban residents are deprived of the benefits provided by urban greenery. As an important component of the urban greenery, the street greenery provides a series of benefits to urban residents, such as energy saving, provision of shade and aesthetic values. In addition, the street greenery is a kind of publicly financed amenity and the spatial distribution of the street greenery is …

Watershed Modeling And Sediment Yield Prediction Of The Los Olmos Creek Watershed In South Texas, Rockford Miller, Jungseok Ho, Chu-Lin Cheng

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Studying the sediment that accumulates in a stream is an important aspect in the study of water quality and resources. With respect to water quality, the main issue is the turbidity of the water. Increased losses of natural landscape increase the erosion process in turn raising the turbidity of the water and reducing the light that can penetrate to the water reducing the growth of aquatic life. With respect to water resources, sediment accumulates in the river ways, harbors, and in dams reducing the effectiveness of these resources. This study focused on determining the amount of sediment that is outputted …

Undergraduate Council Meeting : 2016 : 12 : 09, Undergraduate Council

USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Senate Council: Undergraduate

No abstract provided.