Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Geographic Information System Methodologies To Evaluate Relationships Between Land Use And Groundwater Quality In South Central Kentucky, Rhonda Pfaff

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The development of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology has provided techniques for a holistic approach to the study of karst groundwater contamination. While karst groundwaters supply water to a large percentage of the earth's population, its complex environments often have lacked the scientific examination and conservation measures typical of non-karst regions. In this study, GIS methodologies were explored to examine the relationships between land-use and water quality in karst watersheds. Eight watersheds throughout southern and western Kentucky were examined. The study areas included the Mammoth Cave Karst Aquifer, which is the watershed that drains the Mammoth Cave System, and seven …

The Progression Of Recycling In Bowling Green, Kentucky, Susan Marklin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Recycling is an important issue when dealing with solid waste. It keeps many tons of garbage out of our landfills and prolongs landfill life. Although many people in the Bowling Green area participate in the mandatory recycling program, there are still many who do not. The number of people who participate in the program has steadily grown over the past five years; however, there are still many people who need to get involved. This research argues that much effort has been put into recycling in recent years at the global, national, and local level. However, it also argues that even …

A Theoretical Study Of The Interactive Communication Process In Video Game Playing: A Symbolic Interactionist Approach, Nevsal Tiryakioglu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Video games have become the most popular leisure activity among children and adolescents. The increasing popularity of video games has urged researchers to determine the effects of video game playing on youngsters. Given the fact that most popular video games are violent in nature, much of the research has primarily focused on the correlation between playing video games with violent content and aggressive behavior in children. Most researchers have relied on previous media violence research, assuming similarities between television viewing and video game playing. However, video games are interactive media allowing the player to participate in the game scenario, which …

Park And Ride Feasibility Analysis For The Evansville, Indiana, Metropolitan Area, Brian Howard

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Congested roadways and declining air quality standards are major concerns for many communities faced with the challenges of suburban growth and city decay. How each community chooses to fight the problems created by urban sprawl depends greatly on individualized characteristics of the community. Analyzing and understanding unique values of each community provides a sound foundation for measures designed to promote sustainable growth initiatives. The Evansville, Indiana, region is experiencing many of the growing pains associated with increased residential, commercial, and industrial development. Many roadways are currently strained near capacity, and traffic problems are anticipated to increase over the next 20 …

A Model Of Precipitation Rates In Kentucky, 1965-1996, Kevin Cary

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Hourly precipitation data from thirty cooperative stations in Kentucky from 1965 to 1996 were used to determine the diurnal distribution of precipitation rates. Descriptive summaries for the diurnal distribution for each climate division in Kentucky and for Kentucky as a whole were calculated. In each case, the trends were similar. Precipitation rates increased into the afternoon and then decreased until sunrise. A stochastic model was developed to estimate mean seasonal precipitation rates in Kentucky by using regional and localized parameters. More than half of the variation (r2 = 0.57) in precipitation rates can be explained by the following variables: 1) …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Interstitial Fluid-Chemistry And Limestone Dissolution Rates Within The Clastic Sediment Of A Karst Aquifer Conduit, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, Kevin Vaughan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Many active stream conduits within karst aquifers transport and deposit non-carbonate, clastic sediment. However, little is known about how these sediments impact conduit development and enlargement rates. For example, can dissolution take place at the sediment/bedrock interface beneath a flowing stream? If not, cavern enlargement might be dominated by flood conditions when the bare rock of the walls and ceiling are in contact with the dissolving fluids. An approach using limestone tablet weight loss experiments, along with water sampling and geochemical modeling, has been undertaken to understand the nature of fluid movement and chemistry with the sediment beneath an active …

Seasonal Effects On The Geochemical Evolution Of The Logsdon River, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, Darlene Anthony

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The following research describes the collection and evaluation of geochemical data from the Logsdon River, an open-flow conduit that drains a portion of the Turnhole Spring drainage basin within the Mammoth Cave karst aquifer of south-central Kentucky. This spatial survey of nearly 10 km of continuous base-level conduit included seasonal sampling of carbon dioxide partial pressures (Pco2)> dissolved ions, and saturation indices for calcite (SIcal). The highest PC02 values are found at the upstream site, closest to the Sinkhole Plain recharge area, which creates under-saturated conditions. Rapid outgassing of C02 into the cave atmosphere creates oversaturated conditions for several thousand …

Measuring The Applicability Of The Seville Strategy To The Mammoth Cave Area Biosphere Reserve, Debra Kreitzer

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The dominant paradigms of the past decade involve the preservation of biodiversity through the use of landscape corridors and buffer zones, as well as the integration of economic growth through sustainable use. The International Biosphere Reserve (IBR) program, as defined in the Seville Strategy, encourages locations already involved in conservation to continue to protect biodiversity and foster harmonious relationships between humans and their environment through sustainable development. An excellent example of an IBR is the Mammoth Cave Area Biosphere Reserve (MCABR) in south-central Kentucky. In order to measure the significance of the implementation of the Seville Strategy in the MCABR, …

Measuring The Momentum Of Throughfall Drops And Raindrops, Paul Kimble

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The methods previously used to determine the momentum and kinetic energy of throughfall drops in the field do not account for the drop's shape at impact or for the variations of the drop's velocity caused by chaotic air currents. The drop's shape at impact is critical because it influences the drop's measurable momentum, kinetic energy, impact force, and the amount of soil that can be displaced by the falling water drop. Since the momentum and kinetic energy of raindrops and throughfall drops are used as indices of soil particle displacement the most accurate momentum and kinetic energydata would be required …

Ecology, Economy And Ecotourism: Sustaining People And The Environment, Richard Snow

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Tourism is the world's largest industry. The fastest growing segment of the travel and tourist trade is ecotourism. The concept of sustainable development insists that humans cooperate with nature in the search for an ecological economy which can support present and future populations. Ecotourism attempts to attain this elusive goal by preserving ecosystems while generating revenue for local communities. In this study, the researcher examines the positive and negative effects of ecotourism on people, culture, and landscape. An analysis of tourism data seems to suggest that developing countries, which are popular ecotour destinations, are benefitting economically and ecologically from properly …

Hydrogeological And Hydrochemical Characterization Of The Matozinhos-Pedro Leopoldo Karst, Brazil, Augusto Auler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Matozinhos-Pedro Leopoldo limestone area is a tropical karst located near the metropolis of Belo Horizonte, East Central Brazil, in an area undergoing rapid urbanization and land degradation. Qualitative dye tracing experiments have determined the groundwater routes and catchment areas in the two major drainage basins in the area, Samambaia Basin and Palmeiras-Mocambo Basin. Other drainage basins were identified, but not traced due to the absence of related swallets. Fluorescein and optical brightener had a poor performance as tracers under tropical climate. Dilution due to the existance of lakes at some swallets prevented some dye traces. The water that flows …

Ground Water Flow And Water Resources Investigation Of The Auburn, Summers And Shakertown Springs Karst Ground Water Basins, Logan And Simpson Counties, Kentucky, William Howcroft

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The City of Auburn is faced with a number of problems relating to its dependency on two karst springs, Auburn and Summers Springs, to meet its water requirements. Besides being extremely vulnerable to contamination, the springs often discharge and insufficient volume of water needed for public consumption and dilution of the City’s treated wastewater. Thus the City wishes to find an additional source of water and views nearby Shakertown Spring as a possibility. The study has three main objectives: 1) delineation of the Auburn, Summers, and Shakertown Springs ground water basins, 2) determination of the volume of available water at …

Measurement Of The Effects Of Food Preparation Activities On The Microclimate Of The Snowball Dining Room Area Of Mammoth Cave, Kelly Kaletsky

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The stability of Mammoth Cave’s microclimate has never undergone extensive investigation. The Snowball Dining Room area was chosen to measure the microclimate of the cave and to determine if food preparation, human presence and surface temperature variations alter this microclimate. Three portable weather stations containing a temperature / humidity probe, datalogger and microbarograph were placed in various locations along three passageways leading away from the dining room. Readings were taken 24 hours per day for four months. Plotting temperature readings in graph form show a correlation between temperature of the passageway and distance from the dining room.

Recycling: Knowledge, Demographic & Motivational Factors Which Differentiate Behavior, David Ducoff

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study focuses on motivation -Involved in recycling behavior among residents of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. Knowledge of recycling and how it was acquired, and the variables of environmental concern, economic incentive and the peer pressure were compared so that behavior could be distinguished that separated recyclers from nonrecyclers. Talcott Parsons' work in action theory and George Homans' work in exchange theory provide the theoretical foundation for my study. The research was approached in a qualitatively based design with interviews of twenty area residents. Demographic factors of age, sex, religious affiliation, church attendance, education and income of respondents were solicited. In …

Regional Temperature Trends & Variations In The Contiguous United States From 1935 To 1986, Fahad Alkolibi

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The temperature trends and variations of the contiguous United States as a whole and ten designated regions were investigated from 1935 to 1986. To obtain reliable results, 263 stations of the Historical Climate Network (HCN) were used. The HCN stations are corrected for many non-climatic factors which may bias the data. The data for the contiguous United States reveals that the annual, summer, and winter temperatures are free of clear positive or negative trends. Unlike the annual and summer data, winter temperatures exhibit relatively strong variations.

Each region was then studyed individually. The summer temperatures for all the ten regions …

Radon Contamination Of Residences In A City Built Upon A Karst Landscape Bowling Green, Warren County, Kentucky, James William Webster

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 8 to 12% of U.S. homes have radon concentrations that equal or exceed 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/l). A statewide screening of Kentucky by EPA resulted in an average residential radon concentration of 2.8 pCi/l with 17% of the homes at or above 4 pCi/l. EPA requires routine monitoring and maintenance or worker health records in mines and caves having radon daughter concentrations at or above 0.30 working levels (WL).

Bowling Green is a city located in a karst region of south central Kentucky. Residents of Bowling Green have been subjected …

Factors Affecting Wood Fuel Consumption And Environmental Impacts In Warren County, Kentucky, Barry Vann

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this research is to identify factors that contribute to wood fuel consumption as a space heating source and estimate a county-wide proportion for wood fuel consuming households. In addition, environmental problems associated with deforestation such as erosion and loss of wildlife habitat are delineated; moreover, air pollution resulting from wood fuel emissions are discussed.

An exhaustive literature review provided the basis for the study. Data on Warren County wood fuel consumption patterns were derived from a mail survey. Proportion estimates were tested by using a classical two-tail test of hypothesis. Subsequently, factors were identified and used in …

A “Drastic” Evaluation Of The Ground-Water Pollution Potential Of Karst Terrain: Lost River Ground-Water Basin, Warren County, Kentucky, David Baize

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Karst terrains, such as the Lost River Karst Ground-Water Basin, are extremely vulnerable to ground-water contamination. Seven physical factors: depth to water, recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, impact of the vadose zone, and hydraulic conductivity, are evaluated using the DRASTIC system to determine the ground-water pollution potential of the study area. A numerical value is calculated for each of the seven factors, and a map layer for each factor is produced. These layers are then “added” together to produce a DRASTIC ground-water pollution potential map. The effectiveness of each factor in evaluating the pollution potential of karst terrain is …

Karstification Of The Pennyroyal Plain Behind The Retreating Chester Escarpment: Warren, Simpson & Logan Counties, Kentucky, Anthony Able

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Hydrogeologic investigations were conducted on the drainage systems of an area of the Pennyroyal sinkhole plain of south central Kentucky. The degree of karstification of five area streams was studied to develop an understanding of the evolution of drainage as the landscape changes from a sandstone caprock plateau to a limestone sinkhole plain. The Chester Upland, capped by the Big Clifty Sandstone, possesses predominantly surface drainage and the Pennyroyal Plain, formed on Mississippian limestones, possesses considerable subsurface drainage. As the Chester Upland Escarpment retreats and surface streams are onto the limestones, the streams evolve to become subsurface streams. The five …

The Parmo De Berlin, Colombia: A Study Of Water Resources In A Rural Andean Community, Daniel Bodo

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The condition of water resources in the rural Andean community of Berlin, Colombia, was explored for the purpose of future development in the area. Through investigation of water acquisition techniques, use, and water discharge methods, combined with analysis of chemical water quality tests, the overall pattern of water resources in the study area was revealed. Although the methods of acquiring water were not found to be especially damaging to water quality, the use, and more importantly, the methods of discharging waste water suggested a water resource base harboring certain questionable qualities. The quality of surface waters, as revealed through analysis …

A Correlation Study Of Atmospheric Conditions & Incidences Of Respiratory Deaths, Bernice Wilder

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Mortality data from two populations, Bowling Green and Lexington, Kentucky, were correlated with atmospheric conditions for this region. The mortality data included the cause of death by respiratory disease, age, sex and race. The respiratory diseases considered in this study were emphysema, tuberculosis, pneumonia, asthma, influenza, acute and chronic bronchitis. The atmospheric conditions considered t have an effect on health were temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity and precipitation. Mean temperature, mean barometric pressure, and mean precipitation per month were correlated with the death rate per thousand but proved no significance at the .05 level in either study area. IN the …

The Lower Reaches Of Long Creek, Kentucky: A Karst Anomaly In Allen County, Doral Conner

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A field study of the lower reaches of the Long Creek drainage area in southeastern Allen County, Kentucky, established the karst character of that area. The area heretofore had been described as a non-karst area. Four swallow holes, which individually or collectively totally pirate Long Creek, were identified. Two major resurgences of the pirated flow were located and described. A detailed study of a portion of the Long Creek drainage area revealed thirty-four springs, all of which were pirated at least once, and no flow from these springs reached Long Creek by surficial routes. The field survey also revealed dolines …

Geomorphology And Land Use Of A Tropical Wet-Dry Environment Santander, Columbia, Joseph Ray

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study deals with the Holocene environmental dynamics experienced by a seasonally wet-dry landscape of tropical Columbia. In light of a high ecological sensitivity, the study area is also analyzed as the resource of man. This is done by intensive study area reconnaissance, mapping, altimeter survey, and radiocarbon dating of fluvial landforms. Also, samples of soil, pasture, and water were collected for later study, and several interviews were completed with local residents.

The study area is a tropical lowland of northcentral Columbia at about 7 ½° north latitude. A maximum local relief about 600 m is maintained by a rather …

A Position Paper Of Environmental Education For Nelson County, Geneva B. Hunt

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The results of a survey, concerning environmental education taken of the educators of the Nelson County School System, indicated a need for environmental education workshops and classes.

The status of environmental education in the nation and in Kentucky were studied and compared. A research was done of the status of environmental education in Nelson County, and implications were drawn for implementing environmental education in the Nelson County School System.

A tentative program for implementing environmental education in the Nelson Country schools was given, and a bibliography of resources and materials to be used in said program was included.

The Fresh-Water Mussel Industry Of The Lower Tennessee River: Ecology & Future, Randall Grace

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The fresh-water mussel industry of the Tennessee River is nearing an end. Overharvesting, habitat alterations, and pollution are the major contributors to the depletion of the mussel resource, upon which the shell industry is based. A history of unconcern by shell harvesters and weak conservation enforcement by governmental agencies, has left the major waterways of the United States nearly void of commercial clams. The lower Tennessee River presently supplies the mussel industry with nearly all the important species of mollusks. If this industry is to be maintained in the United States, ways to preserve and propagate the mussel population must …