Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Environmental Sciences (92)
- Sustainability (70)
- Earth Sciences (7)
- Chemistry (4)
- Geology (4)
-
- Life Sciences (4)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (4)
- Environmental Chemistry (3)
- Anthropology (2)
- Marine Biology (2)
- Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (2)
- Other Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (2)
- Agriculture (1)
- Archaeological Anthropology (1)
- Architecture (1)
- Business (1)
- Civil and Environmental Engineering (1)
- Computer Sciences (1)
- Economics (1)
- Engineering (1)
- Environmental Health and Protection (1)
- Food Science (1)
- Geochemistry (1)
- Geography (1)
- Natural Resources Management and Policy (1)
- Physics (1)
- Urban, Community and Regional Planning (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 95
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Methane Discharge At High Northern Latitudes: Past And Present, Marta E. Torres
Methane Discharge At High Northern Latitudes: Past And Present, Marta E. Torres
Sustainability Seminar Series
Climate is intimately tied to Earth’s hydro- and cryo-spheres. To understand the consequences that predicted global warming can have on biogeochemical cycling and mass inventories in the Arctic Ocean, I will present results on two study sites: the Svalbard margin and the Chuchki sea, that provide information on present-day methane discharge and evidence for the likelihood that groundwater flow during the Early Holocene Thermal Maximum (EHTM). I will review how data collected in the water column and shallow sediment can be used to constrain sources, transport, transformation and timing of methane fluxes, including the potential role of gas hydrate dissociation. …
How Can Collaborative Engagement Improve Water Quality? An On-The-Ground Perspective From The Musconetcong River, Alan R. Hunt
How Can Collaborative Engagement Improve Water Quality? An On-The-Ground Perspective From The Musconetcong River, Alan R. Hunt
Sustainability Seminar Series
Partnerships are instrumental to improving water quality, especially difficult challenges like addressing non-point source pollution. Hear how over a thirty year timespan local residents worked to improve water quality, first through protecting the Musconetcong River as a National Wild and Scenic River, and then using that status to work collaboratively with federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and local land owners to reduce pollution from farms and remove abandoned dams.
Compound Extreme Events, Radley Horton
Compound Extreme Events, Radley Horton
Sustainability Seminar Series
There is a growing realization among scientists and decision makers that extreme events should not be considered in isolation. Compound events of three types will be described: 1) multivariate (e.g. heat plus humidity), 2) sequential (e.g. a heat wave after a tropical cyclone), and 3) concurrent (e.g. simultaneous temperature extremes in multiple regions). Research results will be presented for these compound extremes. More research is needed on correlations and physical mechanisms that can link seemingly independent extreme events. This research is especially urgent now, since climate change may shift the correlation structures of extreme events, and because compound extreme events …
The Potential Of Carbon Capture Through Mineral Weathering, Noah Planavsky
The Potential Of Carbon Capture Through Mineral Weathering, Noah Planavsky
Sustainability Seminar Series
Noah Planavsky is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. He joined the faculty in 2012 after doing graduate work at University of California, Riverside. He is an isotope geochemist that works on environmental change in Earth’s past, present, and future. His work combines field studies, analytical chemistry, and geochemical modeling. He has worked extensively on atmospheric evolution—with a particular focus on changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations. Current projects focus on changes in ocean oxygen levels and on the potential for carbon capture through enhanced mineral weathering in marine and terrestrial environments.
Coastal Change Hazards: Understanding What’S At Stake And Planning For The Future, Erika Lentz
Coastal Change Hazards: Understanding What’S At Stake And Planning For The Future, Erika Lentz
Sustainability Seminar Series
Coastal hazards affect both human and natural systems in ways that can be sudden, dramatic, and/or irreversible. Flooding, erosion, and landscape change, driven by storms, sea-level rise, and human disturbances present a variety of challenges for those living and working on the coast. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) delivers a variety of products and tools that support the mitigation of coastal hazards, including protecting life and property. Our Coastal Change Hazards (CCH) programmatic focus was born from a goal to better serve communities’ needs using the best science available to support effective coastal management and inform decision making from local …
Biometrics And The Public Realm: Urban Sustainability During The Covid Pandemic, Justin B. Hollander
Biometrics And The Public Realm: Urban Sustainability During The Covid Pandemic, Justin B. Hollander
Sustainability Seminar Series
Prof. Hollander will speak about the ways that sustainability scholars and professionals need to approach the design of the public realm differently today. These new requirements are due to social distancing requirements of the pandemic and in light of recent advances in psychology and neuroscience that help us understand better how people experience urban space. Professor Hollander will discuss some of the key findings from his forthcoming book on these topics, co-edited with Ann Sussman: Urban Experience and Design: Contemporary Perspectives on Improving the Public Realm (Routledge, 2021).
The Varying Effects Of Accessing High-Speed Rail System On China’S County Development: A Geographically Weighted Panel Regression Analysis, Danlin Yu
Sustainability Seminar Series
The construction of high-speed rail in China was initiated to answer increasing demand for fast and convenient transportation systems connecting large economic centers. It is commonly understood that access to HSR will have significant impact on economic development. It is, however, also quite possible that the benefits to economic development brought by HSR will have a diminishing marginal effect. With data of HSR stations distribution and a set of panel data of socioeconomic information at county-level from 2008 – 2015 in China, this study applies advanced spatiotemporal data analysis techniques to investigate the impact of HSR. Our results suggest that …
Elemental Hyper-Accumulation In Mushrooms With A Focus On Arsenic, Walter Goessler
Elemental Hyper-Accumulation In Mushrooms With A Focus On Arsenic, Walter Goessler
Sustainability Seminar Series
Mushrooms play an important role in the biogeochemical cycling of trace elements. They do neither belong to plants nor to animals but form their own kingdom. Some mushrooms live in symbiosis with plants or as parasites on other living organisms. Mushrooms are abundant worldwide. Although omnipresent, they only become noticeable when fruiting bodies are produced. Mushrooms are becoming a more important part of our diet and are used in various aspects of our life. They are used for antibiotics production, in the food industry(wine, cheese...) but also as biological pesticides. New applications cover plastics degradation and use as a leather …
Seeking Sustainability For Computing, Stefan A. Robila
Seeking Sustainability For Computing, Stefan A. Robila
Sustainability Seminar Series
The talk will provide two perspectives on how sustainability is considered in computing. First, the impact computing has on energy consumption and on the environment will be discussed through the prism of past and prior research projects. Computing currently drives advances in all areas of science and engineering, generates efficiencies in industries, and dominates the creation and delivery of entertainment. Computing is also a significant consumer of energy accounting for 3% of the global usage. Data centers account of a third of this consumption, yet also provide a case where efficiencies in system design have limited the energy use increase …
Primate Conservation & Endangered Species Hunting In Madagascar, Cortni Borgerson
Primate Conservation & Endangered Species Hunting In Madagascar, Cortni Borgerson
Sustainability Seminar Series
Ever wonder, “Who hunts endangered species and why?” Borgerson’s research demonstrates the importance of understanding human incentives when designing conservation action. Dr. Cortni Borgerson is excited to share with us her efforts working with local communities to better understand and improve food security in areas of high biodiversity, so that we may simultaneously support forests and the people who live within them.
What Can History Tell Us About The Future? Using Recent Observations And Paleoclimate Proxies To Constrain Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity, Kate Marvel
Sustainability Seminar Series
Despite improvements in computing power, climate modeling, and basic theoretical understanding, the Earth’s physical response to a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide remains uncertain. Can observations be useful in constraining this theoretical quantity? We have high-‐quality information on recent trends: greenhouse gas concentrations have increased since the industrial revolution, and the planet has warmed in response. But I will argue that this recent history provides only weak constraints on the eventual climate sensitivity: observations of a transient climate are poor predictors of a future equilibrium state. Reconstructions of past equilibria both colder (the Last Glacial Maximum) and warmer (the mid-‐Pliocene) …
Wetlands Now! What Are Wetlands And What Does Usepa Region 2 Do To Protect Them?, Marco Finocchiaro
Wetlands Now! What Are Wetlands And What Does Usepa Region 2 Do To Protect Them?, Marco Finocchiaro
Sustainability Seminar Series
Wetlands are important features in the landscape that provide numerous benefits for people and for fish and wildlife. Some of these benefits include protecting and improving water quality, providing fish and wildlife habitats, sustaining cultural uses, and storing floodwaters. In this presentation, Marco Finocchiaro will introduce us to how USEPA Region 2 accomplishes national wetland program goals, including increasing the quantity and quality of these valuable resources, through establishing standards for reviewing discharges that affect wetlands, conserving and restoring wetland acreage, and improving wetland condition in partnership with other federal agencies, as well as states, tribes, local governments.
Lean Six Sigma & Sustainability, Brion Hurley
Lean Six Sigma & Sustainability, Brion Hurley
Sustainability Seminar Series
Lean and Six Sigma are improvement methodologies that have helped organizations and businesses save money, improve delivery performance, reduce inventory and improve quality for decades. These techniques can also be used to help reduce negative impacts on the environment (energy, waste and landfill usage), and improve government agencies, education systems, nonprofits, healthcare, and more.
The Wonders Of The Galapagos Islands: Experiential Learning Is Deep Learning, Paul Ax Bologna
The Wonders Of The Galapagos Islands: Experiential Learning Is Deep Learning, Paul Ax Bologna
Sustainability Seminar Series
Experiential learning is one way of creating deep understanding of subject matter, as well as developing a passion for the field. I have been engaged in leading extended field experiences with students for almost 20 years to ‘immerse’ students in the natural world. In March 2020, Dr. Krumins and I led a group of graduate and undergraduate students to Ecuador to explore and learn about the incredible wildlife and the enduring legacy of revolutionary ideas that this region has generated. Our time in the Galapagos, while short, spanned centuries of scientific thought and millions of years of geologic history. The …
Climate Change And Ecosystem Transformation: Plant Wax Evidence From Indian Ocean Drilling, Sarah Feakins
Climate Change And Ecosystem Transformation: Plant Wax Evidence From Indian Ocean Drilling, Sarah Feakins
Sustainability Seminar Series
Plants – from lush rainforests to desert shrublands – map climatic differences on the landscape. The waxy molecules coating plant leaves are some of the most resilient biochemicals made by plants and they contribute to the sedimentary legacy of past environment, archived in deep sea sediments. The International Ocean Discovery Program has recently drilled the two largest submarine fans in the world, the Bengal Fan (Expedition 354) and Indus Fan (Expedition 355). These megafans yield thick deposits of dominantly terrestrial organic matter derived from the GangesBrahmaputra and Indus River systems respectively. In addition, legacy cores from the Gulf of Aden …
Modeling Biotic & Abiotic Drivers Affecting Biogeomorphic Coastal Foredunes, Bianca Charbonneau
Modeling Biotic & Abiotic Drivers Affecting Biogeomorphic Coastal Foredunes, Bianca Charbonneau
Sustainability Seminar Series
Coastal dunes are exceptionally dynamic terrestrial habitats that will only grow increasingly vulnerable with climate change. A structured approach to protect and restore these and other coastal biogeomorphic interface habitats is needed to maintain their invaluable ecosystem services. Vegetation in these habitats acts as ecosystem engineers such that, to achieve this, one must understand and accurately forecast vegetation dynamics at the nexus of shifting abiotic conditions and drivers of change. We developed a process-based model for coastal dune vegetation ecology, specifically, growth, density, and colonization as it affects and is affected by shifting habitat topography and storm event impact. The …
Declining Co2 Price Paths, Gernot Wagner
Declining Co2 Price Paths, Gernot Wagner
Sustainability Seminar Series
Pricing greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions involves making trade-offs between consumption today and unknown damages in the (distant) future. While decision making under risk and uncertainty is the forte of financial economics, important insights from pricing financial assets do not typically inform standard climate–economy models. Here, we introduce EZ-Climate, a simple recursive dynamic asset pricing model that allows for a calibration of the carbon dioxide (CO2) price path based on probabilistic assumptions around climate damages. Atmospheric CO2 is the “asset” with a negative expected return. The economic model focuses on society’s willingness to substitute consumption across time and across uncertain states of …
Applications Of Thermodynamic Modelling Techniques In Earth And Environmental Sciences, Jihua Hao
Applications Of Thermodynamic Modelling Techniques In Earth And Environmental Sciences, Jihua Hao
Sustainability Seminar Series
In nature, kinetic laws control how fast one reaction is, but thermodynamic laws determine whether one reaction can happen or not. In this talk, Dr. Hao will introduce some basic thermodynamic theories and explain how to determine affinity of reaction in natural environments. In addition, Dr. Hao will present several examples of using thermodynamics to understand cycles of elements on our Earth based on his own research outputs. Furthermore, this talk will cover some discussions on how to apply thermodynamic simulations to figure out potential ways to maintain sustainability in nature.
Improved Sustainability Of Bridges Through Better Diagnostics And Deeper Understanding Of Deterioration Processes, Nenad Gucunski
Improved Sustainability Of Bridges Through Better Diagnostics And Deeper Understanding Of Deterioration Processes, Nenad Gucunski
Sustainability Seminar Series
Effective and economic management of bridges depends on an accurate assessment of their current condition, and, in turn, prediction of their future performance. Deterioration processes in reinforced concrete, since they are a result of multiple inputs and actions, are inherently complex. To fully and accurately characterize various types of deterioration and gauge its severity, it requires using multiple nondestructive evaluation (NDE) tools in concert with other technologies. Among all the components, reinforced concrete decks deteriorate fastest, primarily due to their direct exposure to traffic and environmental loading, and maintenance actions. Therefore, the most significant advancements in NDE technologies’ efficacy for …
Creating Evidence For Resilience: A Case Of Monsoon Floods Affected Communities In South Asia, Alark Saxena
Creating Evidence For Resilience: A Case Of Monsoon Floods Affected Communities In South Asia, Alark Saxena
Sustainability Seminar Series
The concept of resilience has been rapidly accepted across multiple disciplines and applied work, but operationalizing resilience poses several methodological challenges. Taking the case of two monsoon flood affected transboundary communities situated in the Gangetic plains of South Asia, we provide a framework and methodology to create evidence and evaluate resilience. We present and test two propositions focusing on the variation in wellbeing and the coping capacity that need to be simultaneously satisfied for increased resilience. The two propositions and the methodology are robust to a wide range of shocks and social-ecological systems.
What Cities Can Learn From Trees: Lessons In Urban Ecomimicry, Nathan Phillips
What Cities Can Learn From Trees: Lessons In Urban Ecomimicry, Nathan Phillips
Sustainability Seminar Series
Tree physiologists use a vernacular that translates amazingly well as a lens for understanding the structure, function, and sustainability of cities. Concepts of tree architecture such as efficiency, safety, vulnerability and their tradeoffs find parallels in our urban water, energy and food networks. In this talk I will compare and contrast the world of trees with that of cities and explore how urban planners and policymakers can learn from trees how to build more resilient and sustainable cities.
Taking The Fingerprints Of Sea Level Changes, Jerry Mitrovica
Taking The Fingerprints Of Sea Level Changes, Jerry Mitrovica
Sustainability Seminar Series
The concept of eustasy, that is, the assumption that ice mass changes are accompanied by a globally uniform change in sea level, has -- until relatively recently -- been pervasive in the analysis of paleo and modern sea level records, and has stymied progress in both fields. I will demonstrate, using examples ranging from the last tens of millions of years to the modern world, that a variety of geophysical processes drive sea level changes with significant geographic variability. Modeling of these processes has improved estimates of global mean sea level change, but it has also motivated recent efforts to …
Systems Microbiology: From Genomes To Ecosystems, Jizhong Zhou
Systems Microbiology: From Genomes To Ecosystems, Jizhong Zhou
Sustainability Seminar Series
Twenty-first century microbiology faces several grand challenges, e.g., linking structure to functions, mechanisms controlling extremely high diversity, information scaling from genomes to ecosystems, modeling simulation and predictions. With the recent advances of omics technologies, microbiologists have begun to tackle some of these challenges. In this talk, I will report the most recently progresses in these areas at the Institute for Environmental Genomics, with respect to genomic technologies, global microbial diversity and biogeography of wastewater treatment plants, climate warming, community assembly and network tool development, and ecosystem modeling.
Application Of Net Zero Principles To The Army’S Industrial Base, Christos Christodoulatos
Application Of Net Zero Principles To The Army’S Industrial Base, Christos Christodoulatos
Sustainability Seminar Series
In January 2014, the Secretary of the Army distributed Army Directive 2014-02 "Net Zero Installations Policy". The Net Zero Policy requires installations to: (1) reduce overall energy use, maximize efficiency, implement energy recovery and cogeneration opportunities, and offset the remaining demand with the production of renewable energy from onsite sources and (2) reduce overall water use, regardless of the source; increase use of technology that uses water more efficiently; recycle and reuse water. The Army's industrial base and especially munitions manufacturing facilities generate waste streams with high nutrient and carbon content and therefore present unique opportunities for development and application …
Project Icebreaker: Offshore Wind Project In Lake Erie, Xiangwu (David) Zeng
Project Icebreaker: Offshore Wind Project In Lake Erie, Xiangwu (David) Zeng
Sustainability Seminar Series
Wind energy is one of the most promising renewable energy resources. The Great Lakes region in the US has huge potential for offshore wind energy development. However, ice loading in winter brings a unique challenge to the foundations for wind turbines. Model tests and numerical simulation have been conducted to investigate different types of foundations and techniques to reduce the ice loading. The ultimate goal is to design a safe and economical foundation for future large-scale wind farms in the Great Lakes.
Contrasting Storm Surge Barriers And Nature-Based Flood Mitigation For Port-Estuaries, Philip Orton
Contrasting Storm Surge Barriers And Nature-Based Flood Mitigation For Port-Estuaries, Philip Orton
Sustainability Seminar Series
Deepwater port-estuaries have virtually no accepted and effective nature-based solution for sea level rise, because there is typically too little space for wetlands and deep shipping channels provide relatively friction-free pathways for floodwaters to reach neighborhoods. The Corps of Engineers is evaluating flood risk reduction strategies for the Port of New York and New Jersey and its estuarine waterways, with initial results pointing to gated storm surge barriers as the optimal solution. Jamaica Bay is one relatively unused port sub-estuary where a surge barrier is proposed, and I will demonstrate with computational modeling how a gradual “sedimentary restoration” over several …
Energy Policy: Creating Connected Communities And A Clean Energy Future, Marisa Slaten
Energy Policy: Creating Connected Communities And A Clean Energy Future, Marisa Slaten
Sustainability Seminar Series
Marisa Slaten is the Director of Regulatory Strategy and Services for Pepco Holdings (PHI), an Exelon company. Marisa is responsible for leading the regulatory activity and stakeholder engagement for Delmarva Power & Light in Delaware and Atlantic City Electric Co. in New Jersey. In this role Marisa manages regulatory and compliance filings, testifies as a policy witness, and regularly meets with government officials and industry leaders to discuss energy policies and priority initiatives. Prior to joining PHI, Marisa was the Director of the Division of Clean Energy at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and practiced as an attorney …
Reconstructing Deep-Ocean Circulation During Cenozoic Climate Transitions From The Marine Sediment Record, Brian Romans
Reconstructing Deep-Ocean Circulation During Cenozoic Climate Transitions From The Marine Sediment Record, Brian Romans
Sustainability Seminar Series
Ocean circulation plays a critical role in the Earth’s climate system through the storage and transfer of heat and carbon dioxide. The North Atlantic and Southern Ocean are of particular interest because these are regions where deep-water components of global circulation develop. Dr. Romans uses the deep-sea sedimentary record to reconstruct past ocean circulation and its relationship to past climatic and tectonic conditions. He integrates information from a broad range of spatial and temporal scales, from seismic-reflection data that reveals regional sedimentation patterns to high resolution records based on quantitative grain-size analysis from cores. Dr. Romans will present research from …
The Lake Hopatcong Foundation: Fighting To Improve New Jersey’S Largest Lake, Marty Kane
The Lake Hopatcong Foundation: Fighting To Improve New Jersey’S Largest Lake, Marty Kane
Sustainability Seminar Series
Learn about the rationale and background to establish a non-profit organization to improve the Lake Hopatcong region through programs and initiatives centered on the environment, education, community and historical preservation, recreation, arts, and culture. How does an organization such as this work with Republican legislators in a Democratic state? What is the organization doing to confront and battle an algal bloom crises that nearly closed the lake and other bodies of water in the northeast? How do you gain consensus on a recreational body of water with 2,200 lakefront homeowners that feeds one of the state’s great watersheds? Learn of …
The Role Of Island-Marsh Couplings In The Long-Term Sustainability Barrier Islands In The Face Of Accelerated Sea-Level Rise, Christopher Hein
The Role Of Island-Marsh Couplings In The Long-Term Sustainability Barrier Islands In The Face Of Accelerated Sea-Level Rise, Christopher Hein
Sustainability Seminar Series
Barrier islands are one of the most ubiquitous features of the coast . . . at least here along the US East Coast, which accounts for >10% of the world’s barrier islands. Little more than large, partially vegetated, subaerial sand bars, barrier island provide for recreation, ecosystem services, and protection of mainland communities from storm impacts. They are also some of the most dynamic features on earth, constantly changing in the face of waves, tides, wind, and currents. With examples from northern Massachusetts and the Virginia Eastern Shore, this talk will focus on the long-term sustainability of barrier islands, and …