Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Climate. A Period Of Consequence: Environmental Literature Of 2006 (2006), Shaun O’Connell

New England Journal of Public Policy

The author talks about the consequences of not respecting the climate and understanding global warming will cause ecocide and our own extinction.

Reprinted from New England Journal of Public Policy 21, no. 2 (2007), article 5.

Enhancing Quality Assurance Using Virtual Design Engineering: Case Study Of Space Shuttle Challenger, Kouroush Jenab, Scot Paterson

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Virtual Design Engineering is an emerging method of increasing quality of systems. Including Virtual Design as a part of the traditional established Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis process greatly enhances hazard and risk analysis while reducing overall costs. In this study these enhancements are explored and expanded upon to discover how overall system quality could be increased and all stakeholders could more accurately understand the hazards involved. Stakeholder misunderstanding or misapplication of hazards is of great importance to complex systems. An illustrative example of how these factors could have changed the outcome of a real-world engineering failure is provided.

Using Future Benefits To Set Conservation Priorities For Wetlands, Samuel B. Merrill

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

In an era of rising sea levels, costal land managers including land trust representatives, municipal planners, and others contributing to decisions about whether to develop or protect coastal parcels do not have viable means of evaluating future values on wetlands that will be created when sea levels rise. This project develops and tests a software modeling approach to help address this issue, in combination with a novel, expert-opinion driven benefit-cost framework. The beta test used three parcels in Scarborough, Maine: Hampton Circle, Maine Audubon, and Pine Point. It used a group of experts to 1) allocate initial values to these …

Economic Valuation Of Marine And Coastal Ecosystems: Is It Currently Fit For Purpose?, Nick Hanley, Stephen Hynes, David Patterson, Niels Jobstvogt

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

In this paper, we consider whether the current “state of the art” of environmental valuation is suitable for producing policy-relevant estimates of the benefits or costs of changes in marine and coastal ecosystems. We review recent changes in European legislation which has meant an increasing demand for economic valuation from the policy and regulatory community. The next section considers, at a more conceptual level, whether the economic “toolbox” and scientific evidence is up to the task of meeting the demand for more evidence-based policy. Finally, three case studies are used to explore the nature of the valuation task and review …

Sea Level Rise In Virginia – Causes, Effects And Response, Tal Ezer, Larry P. Atkinson

Virginia Journal of Science

Sea level rise (SLR) along Virginia’s coasts and around the Chesapeake Bay as measured by tide gauges is analyzed and discussed. It is shown that the SLR rates vary between one location to another and in most locations the rates increase over time (i.e., SLR is accelerating). The latest science of SLR is reviewed and the causes of the high SLR rates in Virginia are discussed. The impacts of land subsidence and ocean currents (changes in the Gulf Stream in particular) on sea level are especially notable and important for predicting future SLR in Virginia. The consequences of SLR on …

Examining Unmanned Aerial System Threats & Defenses: A Conceptual Analysis, Ryan J. Wallace, Jon M. Loffi

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The integration of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into the already complex global aviation system presents new and unique hazards. While many studies have addressed the potential safety concerns of UAS integration, little research has been dedicated to the potential security implications. This study sought to identify potential uses and adaptations of civil UAS systems as weapons of terrorism or crime and potential UAS defenses. Researchers examined 68 academic studies, unclassified government reports, and news articles using Conceptual Analysis to systematically capture and categorize various threats. Using the collected data, researchers developed a UAS threat model for categorically evaluating potential threats. …

Aviation Bird Hazard In Nexrad Dual Polarization Weather Radar Confirmed By Visual Observations, Bradley M. Muller, Frederick R. Mosher, Christopher G. Herbster, Anthony T. Brickhouse

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Birds represent a significant hazard to flying aircraft as illustrated by the “Miracle on the Hudson” encounter in 2009 between U.S. Airways Flight 1549 and a flock of Canada Geese, forcing the flight to ditch in the river. Birds are common in the skies over Florida during the spring migration season, and often appear in the National Weather Service’s (NWS) NEXRAD weather radar imagery as an easily recognizable signature known as a “roost ring.” This paper presents a NEXRAD roost ring case in central Florida in a rare instance where the signatures were confirmed by visual observations of the birds. …

Global Optimized Isothermal And Nonlinear Models Of Earth’S Standard Atmosphere, Nihad E. Daidzic, Ph.D.,

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Both, a global isothermal temperature model and a nonlinear quadratic temperature model of the ISA was developed and presented here. Constrained optimization techniques in conjunction with the least-square-root approximations were used to design best-fit isothermal models for ISA pressure and density changes up to 47 geopotential km for NLPAM, and 86 orthometric km for ISOAM respectively. The mass of the dry atmosphere and the relevant fractional-mass scale heights have been computed utilizing the very accurate eight-point Gauss-Legendre numerical quadrature for both ISOAM and NLPAM. Both, the ISOAM and the NLPAM represent viable alternatives to ISA in many practical applications and …

Bio-Fuel Alternatives In South African Airways (Saa) Operations - Is It An Effective Response To Vulnerability Over Carbon Taxes And Penalty?, Daniel Kwasi Adjekum

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The paper did a comparative analysis of the carbon emission and European Union Emission Trading Surcharges (EU ETS) of South African Airways (SAA) current fleet that used aviation jet A1 fuel and the same fleet if it had used a 25% bio-fuel ‘drop in’ for the European routes within the first quarter of the 2014 flying year (FY 14). Operational data in terms of the flight scheduled, aircraft type, total time enroute, route stage length, passenger estimates were obtained through SAA’s flight operations website. An independent t–test was conducted to compare means of the emissions. The mean carbon dioxide …

A Review Of "Climate Justice: Vulnerability And Protection," By Henry Shue, Edwardo Rhodes

Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies

Henry Shue's Climate Justice: Vulnerability and Protection offers an extremely useful and readable guide to the key challenges, workable objectives, and possible responses to a major-if not the major-global problem faced today. For anyone interested or working in the area of international carbon emission control and remediation, this book places the subject in a combined philosophical and economic development framework while imposing an overarching principle of fairness.

Henry Shue presents an interesting and informative collection of essays and articles on climate change and the need for a method of global response to deal with the prickly issues of global warming. …

Notes On Contributors

The Catch

No abstract provided.

Ghostshipping, Margot A. Kelley

The Catch

No abstract provided.

Yesterday's Edges: Land, Sea, Sky, Ellen Goldsmith

The Catch

No abstract provided.

Editor's Note, Linda Buckmaster

The Catch

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Volume Iii

The Catch

No abstract provided.

Numerical Model Derived Altimeter Correction Maps For Non-Standard Atmospheric Temperature And Pressure, Thomas A. Guinn, Frederick R. Mosher

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Altimeter corrections for non-standard temperature pose a challenge because accurate calculations require detailed knowledge of the temperature structure of the atmosphere between the surface and the aircraft. By applying basic hypsometric formulae to high resolution numerical model temperature and moisture output, detailed maps of current and forecasted corrected D-values are created. Corrected D-values provide the altitude difference between the true altitude and the indicated altitude from a pressure altimeter. Unlike standard D-values, the corrected D-value corrects for non-standard pressure in addition to non-standard temperature and is therefore useful for flights below class A airspace. Maps of corrected D-value may help …

Signed Peer Reviews As A Means To Improve Scholarly Publishing, Linwood H. Pendleton

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

Peer review is a necessary process with a long history of complaints, including over-solicitation of a small number of reviewers, delays, inadequate numbers of reviewers, and a lack of incentives to provide strong reviews or avoid reviews with little helpful information for the author. In the era of Web-based distribution of research, through working paper or project reports, anonymous peer reviews are much less likely. The Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics will use signed peer reviews and an open communication process among authors, reviewers, and editors. This approach, to be developed over time, should lead to stronger communication of …

Efficient General Computational Method For Estimation Of Standard Atmosphere Parameters, Nihad E. Daidzic Ph.D., Sc.D.

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Knowledge of standard air temperature, pressure, density, speed of sound, and viscosity as a function of altitude is essential information in aircraft design, performance testing, pressure altimeter calibration, and several other aeronautical engineering and aviation science applications. A new efficient computational method for rapid calculations of standard atmospheric parameters up to 86 orthometric km is presented. Additionally, mass and weight of each standard atmospheric layer were calculated using a numerical integration method. The sum of all fractional masses and weights represents the total mass and weight of Earth’s atmosphere. The results obtained here agree well with measurements and models of …

Assessing The Economic Costs Of Water Pollution In The Yangtze River, China, Xiaoli Zhang

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

Water pollution of the Yangtze River basin is very serious. Studies have shown that from the upper to the lower river, the water volume decreases and development and pollution increase, especially in trans-boundary areas. The Yangtze Estuary is located at the intersection of Jiangsu Province and Shanghai where the waters flow directly into the East China Sea. The estuary provides drinking water to many people and serves multiple other functions, including agricultural irrigation, tourism, and aquaculture. It plays a pivotal role in the local social and economic development and in people’s general wellbeing. Directly or indirectly, the pollution of the …

Comparing Flow-Through And Static Ice Cave Models For Shoshone Ice Cave, Kaj E. Williams, Christopher Mckay

International Journal of Speleology

In this paper we suggest a new ice cave type: the “flow-through” ice cave. In a flow-through ice cave external winds blow into the cave and wet cave walls chill the incoming air to the wet-bulb temperature, thereby achieving extra cooling of the cave air. We have investigated an ice cave in Idaho, located in a lava tube that is reported to have airflow through porous wet end-walls and could therefore be a flow-through cave. We have instrumented the site and collected data for one year. In order to determine the actual ice cave type present at Shoshone, we have …

Changes To Climate Central’S Risk Finder Tool: A Usability Report, Justin Sikes

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

Students in the Fall English 231C Honors Climate Change and Crisis Communication course worked with instructor Megan McKittrick and Dr. Richards to conduct a usability test of Climate Central’s Risk Finder tool. Using the qualitative data, general trends that indicate potential areas of improvement for the website were identified. Students’ tasks were to find volunteers for the usability test through systematic sampling, conduct the test and analyze the audio recordings, and finally to code the data for themes to see if any trends became apparent. Several things became noticeable after looking at the responses of the four research participants, particularly …

Studying The Effect Of Sea-Level Rise On Infrastructure And Construction, Michelle Flanagan

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

Climate Central, a nonprofit research organization that aims to provide the public with relevant and reliable information on climate change, developed an interactive application called the Risk Finder tool that launched in October of 2013. This tool collects data from several federal agencies, including NOAA, FEMA, and the EPA, and allows users to research sea-level rise and climate change in their specific state. In an effort to provide a user-friendly platform, Dan Rizza at Climate Central tasked an introductory Technical and Scientific writing course at Old Dominion University with conducting usability testing on the Risk Finder tool. Usability testing is …

A Study Of The Effects Of Usability On Risk Perception And User Affinity Of Risk Finder, Erin Jacobson

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

In October 2013, Climate Central, a non-profit research organization, released Risk Finder, an online, interactive mapping tool that allows users to explore the effects of rising sea level in a specific geographic region. A research study for client Dan Rizza of Climate Central was conducted on the usability of the Risk Finder tool in an effort to identify potential system errors, improve user experience, and assess the future use of this tool based on user perception. Primary investigators Dr. Daniel Richards and Mrs. Megan McKittrick utilized an approach known as “productive usability,” which allows researchers to openly observe participants …

Overview Of Student Projects And Articles, Padideh Ghadiri, Madeline Brenner

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

All over the globe, the negative impacts of climate change and sea level rise have garnered the attention of prominent researchers and the press alike. Previous research on sea level rise and climate change in Hampton Roads has concluded that this region is one of the most vulnerable areas of land in the United States ("Initiative for Coastal Climate Change Research"). The geographical proximity of the numerous bodies of water found in and around Hampton Roads and the low elevation leads scientists to believe that this area will experience the repercussions of climate change and sea level rise first ("Initiative …

How Do Personal Connections Play A Role In Risk Perception Of Climate Change And Sea Level Rise?, Katelyn Sheeley

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

The threat of sea level rise is unknown to many coastal residents living in the United States, including Virginians. Climate Central, a nonprofit research-based organization, has created the Risk Finder tool to help inform the public about the potential dangers posed by sea level rise. Risk Finder is an interactive, online mapping tool intended to inform residents of useful data concerning sea level rise. Dr. Daniel Richards and Mrs. Megan Mckittrick from Old Dominion University acted as primary investigators for a study of the Risk Finder tool, serving client Dan Rizza of Climate Central. Students of ENGL 231C served as …

Climate Change And Infrastructural Damage, Macey Vansavage

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

With the assistance of ENGL 231C students at Old Dominion University, Dr. Daniel Richards and Mrs. Megan McKittrick led this study testing the usability of Climate Central’s Risk Finder tool. The study was conducted as a client-based, service learning project for a Technical and Scientific writing course, serving client Dan Rizza at Climate Central, a nonprofit research organization. The study serves as a way for local collegiate students to be able to gain knowledge about the execution of faculty-level research. The Risk Finder tool allows users to view the potential effects of sea level rise on their area. The tool …

Student Contributors -- Global Perspectives/Regional Solutions: A Public Journalism Project Curated, Peter Adams

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

[Editor note: This project is in the form of a Wordpress site containing interviews, articles and other materials by students in a public journalism course. The primary pages were saved as a pdf document for download. For the full text of student works, please see the full Wordpress site at: https://snaax123.wordpress.com/

from "About":
Welcome to a project of Public Journalism CRN 10745
Climate Change: Global Perspectives. Regional Solutions
Students have learned the fundamentals of journalism research and reporting. Students also examined issues surrounding climate change and sea-level rise globally and regionally in Hampton Roads.]

Habitat Assessment And Ecological Restoration Design For An Unnamed Tributary Of Stone Dam Creek, Conway, Arkansas, Paige E. Boyle, Mary C. Savin, James A. Mccarty, Marty D. Matlock

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Urbanization can lead to increased sedimentation, erosion, pollution, and runoff into streams. The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Rapid Bioassessment Protocols (RBPs) are sets of guidelines that can be used to assess a habitat’s sedimentology, hydrology, vegetation, and geomorphology to determine impairment. An unnamed tributary of Stone Dam Creek on the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) campus in Conway, Arkansas runs partially underground and through the urbanized UCA campus watershed. The stream was assessed using the USEPA’s RBPs to determine impairment of the stream, and received a RBP score of 71.2 out of 200 compared to 153.5 in a …