Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Energy Efficiency Programs At All Utilities: An Analysis Of The Factors That Lead Electric Utilities To Invest In Energy Efficiency, Christopher J. Pletcher

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

While the utilization of energy efficiency has grown in recent years, it has not been distributed evenly across the country. In some states, over 2% of a utility’s budget is spent on energy efficiency; in other states that number is 0. Much of the growth in energy efficiency has been due to state policies and the development utility-level energy efficiency programs. Yet, all utility programs are not created equal. Because they are often exempt from state regulation (and therefore state energy efficiency policy), publicly-owned utilities have traditionally lagged behind IOUs when it comes to EE programs.

This research quantifies energy …

Resin Volatiles Of Eastern Hemlock Induced By Its Non-Native Herbivores, Joshua D. Pezet

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is in decline because of infestation by the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae; ‘HWA’) and, to a lesser extent, the elongate hemlock scale (Fiorinia externa; ‘EHS’). Many conifers respond to insect herbivory by inducing oleoresin-based defenses, however it is unknown whether eastern hemlock is capable of this inducible response. We conducted a plantation setting study of artificially infested saplings to determine if feeding by HWA or EHS induces changes in the tree’s volatile chemistry. The induced changes in volatiles we found were unlike the terpenoid-based defenses of related conifers. Only HWA feeding …

An Integrated Study Of The South-Central Part Of The Springerville Volcanic Field; The Final Piece, Marissa Mnich

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

The Springerville Volcanic Field (SVF) is a monogenetic volcanic field located in east-central Arizona and is the southernmost of several late Pliocene to Holocene volcanic fields along the margin of the Colorado Plateau. It encompasses an area of over 3000 km² and consists of over 450 vents, most of which are cinder cones, which produced mainly basaltic flows, between 2.1 and 0.3 Ma. About 85% of the SVF was previously mapped in detail by Condit, Crumpler and Aubele (1999). In the summers of 2010 and 2011, mapping was completed in the remaining portion of the field known as the …

Habitat Heterogeneity Concentrates Predators In The Seascape: Linking Intermediate-Scale Estuarine Habitat To Striped Bass Distribution, Cristina Kennedy

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Predators are key components of aquatic ecosystems and innovative approaches to understanding their spatial distribution are imperative for research, effective management, and conservation. Discontinuities, created by abrupt changes between two unlike entities, are irregularly-distributed, intermediate-scale features that can have a disproportionate effect on organismal distribution within the seascape. Here I use the discontinuity concept to relate the distribution of a predator, striped bass (Morone saxatilis), to physical features within Plum Island Estuary (PIE), MA. I mapped the distribution of 50 acoustically-tagged striped bass during four monthly surveys at 40 sites to evaluate if heterogeneity in physical features concentrated …

Holocene Paleo-Environmental Variability Reconstructed From A Lake Sediment Record From Southeast Greenland, Gregory A. De Wet

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Arctic climate variability over the Holocene has been both extensive and, at times, abrupt. Current understanding of these changes is still quite limited with few high-resolution paleoclimate records available for this period. In order to place observed and predicted 21^st century climate change in perspective, reliable and highly resolved paleo-reconstructions of Arctic climate are essential. Using an 8.5 m sediment core from Nanerersarpik Lake, this project will characterize climate changes during the Holocene, including the deglacial transition, the rapid changes that are known to have occurred around 8,200 years ago, the transition from Holocene thermal maximum (HTM) to the …

7700 Years Of Holocene Climatic Variability In Sermilik Valley, Southeast Greenland Inferred From Lake Sediments, Samuel H. Davin

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

During the latter half of the 20^th century until present day there has been an unprecedented rise in global annual mean temperatures accompanied by rising sea levels and a decrease in Northern Hemisphere snow cover, which if it continues will lead to widespread disruption of climate patterns, ecosystems, and present-day landscapes. It is therefore of critical importance to establish an expanded network of paleoclimate records across the globe in order to better assesses how the global climate system has changed in the past, that we may create a metric by which to address modern change. Herein is presented a7,700 …

A Gcm Comparison Of Plio-Pleistocene Interglacial-Glacial Periods In Relation To Lake El’Gygytgyn, Ne Arctic Russia, Anthony J. Coletti

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Until now, the lack of time-continuous, terrestrial paleoenvironmental data from the Pleistocene Arctic has made model simulations of past interglacials difficult to assess. Here, we compare climate simulations of four warm interglacials at Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 1 (9ka), 5e (127 ka), 11c (409 ka), and 31 (1072 ka) with new proxy climate data recovered from Lake El’gygytgyn, NE Russia. Climate reconstructions of the Mean Temperature of the Warmest Month (MTWM) indicate conditions 2.1, 0.5 and 3.1 ºC warmer than today during MIS 5e, 11c, and 31 respectively. While the climate model captures much of the observed warming during each …

A Non-Linear Eigensolver-Based Alternative To Traditional Self-Consistent Electronic Structure Calculation Methods, Brendan E. Gavin

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

This thesis presents a means of enhancing the iterative calculation techniques used in electronic structure calculations, particularly Kohn-Sham DFT. Based on the subspace iteration method of the FEAST eigenvalue solving algorithm, this nonlinear FEAST algorithm (NLFEAST) improves the convergence rate of traditional iterative methods and dramatically improves their robustness. A description of the algorithm is given, along with the results of numerical experiments that demonstrate its effectiveness and offer insight into the factors that determine how well it performs.

The Sedimentological And Geomorphological Response Of A Glacially Conditioned Watershed To Event Induced Flooding: Insights From The Connecticut River And Hurricane Irene, Laura Kratz

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Tropical Storm Irene’s most extreme rainfall resulted in record-breaking sediment loads from upland tributaries to the Connecticut River. However, was the event exceptional with respect to resultant deposition downstream? Off-river waterbodies to the Lower Connecticut River, such as cut-off meanders and blocked valley lakes, are a particularly important floodplain environment, which have been shown to serve as a focal point for the trapping of sediment and associated contaminants. This study evaluates the relative role of extreme events like Tropical Storm Irene in infilling these off-river environments. To meet this objective we compare the magnitude and composition of resultant sedimentation from …

The Effect Of Leaves And Steel Support Cables On The Dynamic Properties Of Northern Red Oak (Quercus Rubra) With Co-Dominant Trunks, Mark Reiland

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Natural frequency and damping ratio were measured for ten forest grown northern red oak trees with co-dominant trunks. Steels support cables were installed in the canopies of five of the sample trees prior to measurement. Free vibration testing was performed during periods when leaves were and were not present. An accelerometer mounted at the base of the co-dominant union measured the acceleration time history during the free vibration testing. Natural frequency was determined from the acceleration time history using power spectral density analysis. Damping ratios were calculated from the power spectral density plots using the half power bandwidth method.

Trees …

Deciphering The Age And Significance Of The Cora Lake Shear Zone: Athabasca Granulite Terrane, Northern Saskatchewan, Sean P. Regan

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Interpreting the tectonic significance of high strain zones requires detailed knowledge of the P-T-t-D history of rocks on either side and of tectonized rocks within the shear zone. In-situ monazite geochronology is particularly useful because it generates a time-integrated framework of metamorphism and fabric development. This can be achieved by correlating monazite compositional domains with the growth and consumption of major phases. Furthermore, monazite can be a fabric forming mineral, and can be directly linked to structural fabrics and kinematics. The Cora Lake shear zone (CLsz) represents a major lithotectonic discontinuity within the deep crustal Athabasca Granulite terrain, and preserves …

From Indicators To Action: Evaluating The Usefulness Of Indicators To Move From Regional Climate Change Assessment To Local Adaptation Implementation, Sally Miller

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

As the effects of climate change become increasingly damaging and costly, a public and political consensus is building for planning that will protect private property and public infrastructure. Climate-related planning has primarily focused on mitigation, assessing vulnerability, and building adaptive capacity. Adaptation has not gained substantial ground in the area of implementation. The uncertainty associated with climate change projection and variability has emerged as a dominant barrier to adaptation. However, as knowledge accrues, the global and national science communities have been developing more detailed, fine-scale climate projections. Regional climate assessments are available for the sub-national climate regions in the U.S., …

Biomarker And Sedimentological Investigations Of Mis 8 Through Mis 12 From Lake El'gygytgyn, Ne Arctic Russia, Jeremy H. Wei

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Abstract

Multiple proxy analysis of lake sediment records are crucial for understanding changes in environmental and climate conditions over historical and geological time. Most recently, the use of biomarker proxies coupled with sedimentological investigations provides a new approach for gaining insight into the lake processes that capture information about past climate change. This approach is applied here to better understand the paleoclimate record from Lake El’gygytgyn in Western Beringia. Multiple organic geochemical compound concentrations were measure as proxies for both aquatic and terrestrial biological productivity. Measurements of n-alkane (plant leaf waxes) as well as concentrations of the compounds arborinol …