Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Water Chemistry Dynamics In Four Vernal Pools In Maine, Usa, Lydia H. Kifner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vernal pools are small seasonal wetlands that are a common landscape feature that contribute to biodiversity in northeastern North American forests. However, even basic information about their biogeochemical functions, such as carbon cycling, is limited. Dissolved gas concentrations (CH₄, CO₂) and other water chemistry parameters were monitored weekly at the bottom and surface of four vernal pools in central and eastern Maine, USA, from April to August 2016. The vernal pools were supersaturated with respect to CH₄ and CO₂ at all sampling dates and locations. Concentrations of dissolved CH₄ and CO₂ ranged …

Apathy And Concern Over The Future Habitability Of Earth: An Introductory College Assignment Of Forecasting Co2 In The Earth’S Atmosphere, Benjamin J. Burger

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Non-science, first year regional undergraduate students from rural Utah communities participated in an online introductory geology course and were asked to forecast the rise of CO₂ in the Earth’s atmosphere. The majority of students predicted catastrophic rise to 5,000-ppm sometime over the next 3,100 years, resulting in an atmosphere nearly uninhabitable to human life. However, the level of concern the students exhibited in their answers was not directly proportional with their timing in their forecasted rise of CO₂. This study showcases the importance of presenting students with actual data and using data to develop student forecasted models. …

Air-Oxidation Of Phenolic Resin Aerogels: Backbone Reorganization, Formation Of Ring-Fused Pyrylium Cations, And The Effect On Microporous Carbons With Enhanced Surface Areas, Hojat Majedi Far, Suraj Donthula, Tahereh Taghvaee, Adnan Malik Saeed, Zachary Garr, Chariklia Sotiriou-Leventis, Nicholas Leventis

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper is a thorough investigation of the chemical transformations during pyrolytic conversion of phenolic resins to carbons, and reports that all carbons obtained from main-stream phenolic resins including phloroglucinol-formaldehyde (FPOL), phloroglucinol-terephthalaldehyde (TPOL), resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF), and phenol-formaldehyde (PF) contain fused pyrylium rings and charge-compensating phenoxides. Those four phenolic resins were prepared via a fast HCl-catalyzed process as low-density nanostructured solids classified as aerogels, which, owing to their open porosity, allowed air circulation through their bulk. In that regard, the first step of this study was the air-oxidation of those phenolic resin aerogels at 240 °C. In FPOL and TPOL aerogels, …

Carbon Cycling

Activities

So let's take a minute and recap. You know that plants carry out photosynthesis to create sugar, and that all organisms use sugar to fuel cellular biochemical reactions through the process of cellular respiration. Not all of the sugar created by the plant is used up in respiration though, as some is used to create new plant biomass like roots, leaves, stems, wood, and bark. The carbon in plant biomass is only stored temporarily, as it will return to the atmosphere when the biomass decomposes, burns, or is eaten and metabolized. Up to now you have read about the abstract …

Epikarst Hydrogeochemical Changes In Telogenetic Karst Systems In South-Central Kentucky, Leah Jackson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Telogenetic epikarst carbon sourcing and transport processes and the associated hydrogeochemical responses are often complex and dynamic. Among the processes involved in epikarst development is a highly variable storage and flow relationship that is often influenced by the type, rate, and amount of dissolution kinetics involved. Diffusion rates of CO2 in the epikarst zone may drive hydrogeochemical changes that influence carbonate dissolution processes and conduit formation. Most epikarst examinations of these defining factors ignore regional-scale investigations in favor of characterizing more localized processes. This study aims to address that discrepancy through a comparative analysis of two telogenetic epikarst systems under …

Electrocarboxylation: An Effective Process For Fixation Of Co2 Into Organic Carboxylic Acids, Huan Wang, Jia-Xing Lu

Journal of Electrochemistry

Conversion and utilization of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO₂) have become more and more significant to the sustainable development of the global economy. Among them, electrocarboxylation of organic substrates is an effective process. Under mild conditions such as ambient temperature and pressure, carbocations generated by electroreduction of organic substrates can react with CO₂ into corresponding carboxylic acids. This paper introduces the recent progress of our group in electrochemical carboxylation, including electrocarboxylation of varies active organic substrates and asymmetric electrocarboxylation.

The Indianapolis Flux Experiment (Influx): A Test-Bed For Developing Urban Greenhouse Gas Emission Measurements, Kenneth J. Davis, Aijun Deng, Thomas Lauvaux, Natasha Miles, Scott Richardson, Daniel Sarmiento, Kevin R. Gurney, R Michael Hardesty, Timothy A. Bonin, W Alan Brewer, Brian K. Lamb, Paul B. Shepson, Rebecca M. Harvey, Maria Obiminda L. Cambaliza, Colm Sweeney, Jocelyn Turnbull, James Whetstone, Anna Karion

Physics Faculty Publications

The objective of the Indianapolis Flux Experiment (INFLUX) is to develop, evaluate and improve methods for measuring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cities. INFLUX’s scientific objectives are to quantify CO2 and CH4 emission rates at 1 km2 resolution with a 10% or better accuracy and precision, to determine whole-city emissions with similar skill, and to achieve high (weekly or finer) temporal resolution at both spatial resolutions. The experiment employs atmospheric GHG measurements from both towers and aircraft, atmospheric transport observations and models, and activity-based inventory products to quantify urban GHG emissions. Multiple, independent methods for estimating urban emissions are a …

The Relationship Between Carbon Emissions, Land Use Change And The Oil Palm Industry Within Southeast Asia, Savanna L. Booth

Master's Projects and Capstones

Tropical forests store the largest amount of carbon globally by sequestering up to 2.7 Gt of carbon every year in soils and vegetation. Deforestation and the conversion of tropical peatland soil have contributed to global anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, as well as significantly hindering tropical ecosystems and the natural carbon sequestration potential that could potentially help mitigate atmospheric CO₂ levels. Deforestation has increased rapidly since the 1970’s across Southeast Asia with oil palm contributing to 61% of deforestation between 2010 and 2015 with emissions reaching 22.1 million tons CO₂-eq during that time. The conversions of tropical peatlands …

Weathering Sequence Of Young Basalts: A Case Study From Kohala, Hawaii, Kimberly Francis Sowards

Theses and Dissertations

Exposed weathering profiles of a series of Pololu lava flows in Kohala, Hawaii are ideal for investigating the sequence of reactions/reaction pathways of weathered basalt. Weathering reactions for saprolites show mineral sequences that include feldspar → halloysite ± gibbsite + solutes; clinopyroxene → hematite + minor halloysite + solutes; olivine → hematite + solutes; magnetite → hematite or other Fe-oxides/hydroxides. However, the presence of smectite in four samples suggests that smectite-group clays may form as short lived intermediates at the base of the weathering profile. Regionally, on Kohala, soils and saprolites are dominated by halloysite with small quantities of other …

Volatiles In Subglacially Erupted Basaltic Glasses And Their Use In Reconstructing Paleo-Ice Thicknesses, Carver Lee

Masters Theses

Volatile concentrations in basaltic tuyas, edifices that form during a subglacial eruption and remain once the ice sheet has retreated, have been used to calculate the thickness of the overlying ice sheet at the onset of the eruption (Tuffen, 2010). However, subglacial eruptions are complex events and this technique does not always provide a clear answer (Schopka et al., 2006; Edwards et al., 2009). The purpose of this research is to evaluate this technique and investigate constraints on the quality of data collected by attempting to calculate the minimum ice thickness under which Hlöðufell, a tuya in south-central Iceland, erupted. …

The Problem Of The Anode Electrolyte In H-Type Electrolytic Cell For Electrochemical Reduction Of Carbon Dioxide, Rui Zhang, Wei-Xin Lv, Li-Xu Lei

Journal of Electrochemistry

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) was studied in the H-type electrolytic cell. It was found that the voltage between the cathode and the anode would increase during the long time electrolysis process, for this reason the electrolytic process would be unsustainable. After the experimental investigations carried out by constant potential electrolysis, constant current electrolysis, pH test and KHCO₃ concentration analysis of anode electrolyte before and after the electrolysis, the increase in cell voltage might be caused by the following process: H⁺, that was generated from the anodic oxygen evolution reaction, reacted with HCO_{3 …}

Ammonia And Carbon Dioxide Emissions Of Three Laying-Hen Housing Systems As Affected By Manure Accumulation Time, Timothy A. Shepherd, Hongwei Xin, John P. Stinn, Morgan D. Hayes, Yang Zhao, Hong Li

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Laying-hen housing design and management are the most significant factors affecting the generation and release of gaseous ammonia to the atmosphere. Transitioning the hen housing type from traditional high-rise (where manure is stored within the house for about one year) to modern manure-belt style (where manure is removed every 1 to 4 d and placed into long-term storage) has significantly improved in-barn air quality and reduced farm-level ammonia emissions. As a direct result of the advantages, 100% of new construction for U.S. egg production incorporates manure-belt systems that regularly remove manure from the houses. However, manure-belt system designs (e.g., active …

Assessing The Risk Of Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Blue Carbon Ecosystems, Catherine E. Lovelock, Trisha Brooke Atwood, Jeff Baldock, Carlos M. Duarte, Sharyn Hickey, Paul S. Lavery, Pere Masque, Peter I. Macreadie, Aurora M. Ricart, Oscar Serrano, Andy Steven

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

“Blue carbon” ecosystems, which include tidal marshes, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows, have large stocks of organic carbon (C_org) in their soils. These carbon stocks are vulnerable to decomposition and – if degraded – can be released to the atmosphere in the form of CO₂. We present a framework to help assess the relative risk of CO₂ emissions from degraded soils, thereby supporting inclusion of soil C_org into blue carbon projects and establishing a means to prioritize management for their carbon values. Assessing the risk of CO₂ emissions after various kinds of disturbances …

Quantification Of Urban Atmospheric Boundary Layer Greenhouse Gas Dry Mole Fraction Enhancements In The Dormant Season: Results From The Indianapolis Flux Experiment (Influx), Natasha Miles, Scott Richardson, Thomas Lauvaux, Kenneth J. Davis, Nikolay V. Balashov, Aijun Deng, Jocelyn Turnbull, Colm Sweeney, Kevin R. Gurney, Risa Patarasuk, Igor Razlivanov, Maria Obiminda L. Cambaliza, Paul B. Shepson

Physics Faculty Publications

We assess the detectability of city emissions via a tower-based greenhouse gas (GHG) network, as part of the Indianapolis Flux (INFLUX) experiment. By examining afternoon-averaged results from a network of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and carbon monoxide (CO) mole fraction measurements in Indianapolis, Indiana for 2011–2013, we quantify spatial and temporal patterns in urban atmospheric GHG dry mole fractions. The platform for these measurements is twelve communications towers spread across the metropolitan region, ranging in height from 39 to 136 m above ground level, and instrumented with cavity ring-down spectrometers. Nine of the sites were deployed as of January …

Effect Of Fe Substitution On The Structural, Magnetic And Electron-Transport Properties Of Half-Metallic Co2tisi, Y. Yin, J. Waybright, P. Kharel, I. Tutic, J. Herran, P. Lukashev, S. Valloppilly, D. J. Sellmyer

Faculty Publications

The structural, magnetic and electron-transport properties of Co₂Ti_1-xFe_xSi (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5) ribbons prepared by arc-melting and melt-spinning were investigated. The rapidly quenched Co₂Ti_0.5Fe_0.5Si crystallized in the cubic L2₁ structure whereas Co₂Ti_0.75Fe_0.25Si and Co₂TiFe₀Si showed various degrees of B2-type disorder. At room temperature, all the samples are ferromagnetic, and the Curie temperature increased from 360 K for Co₂TiSi to about 800 K for Co₂Ti_0.5Fe_0.5Si. The measured magnetization also …

Twenty-First Century Climate Change And Submerged Aquatic Vegetation In A Temperate Estuary: The Case Of Chesapeake Bay, Thomas M. Arnold, Richard C. Zimmerman, Katharina A.M. Engelhardt, J. Court Stevenson

OES Faculty Publications

Introduction: The Chesapeake Bay was once renowned for expansive meadows of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). However, only 10% of the original meadows survive. Future restoration effortswill be complicated by accelerating climate change, including physiological stressors such as a predicted mean temperature increase of 2-6°C and a 50-160% increase in CO2 concentrations.

Outcomes: As the Chesapeake Bay begins to exhibit characteristics of a subtropical estuary, summer heat waves will become more frequent and severe. Warming alone would eventually eliminate eelgrass (Zostera marina) from the region. It will favor native heat-tolerant species such as widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima) while facilitating colonization by …

Carbon Dioxide-Mediated Synthesis Of Pyrroles In Water, Ram Naresh Yadav, Bimal K. Banik

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

A novel carbon dioxide-mediated synthesis of diverse pyrroles using 2,5- dimethoxytetrahydrofuran and primary amines has been achieved in excellent yield. Despite the importance of pyrroles, no study has been performed using carbon dioxide as a reagent to accomplish Paal-Knorr reaction.

Carbon Dioxide-Mediated Preparation Of Pyrroles In Water Following Paal Knorr Method, Ram Naresh Yadav, Bimal K. Banik

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Carbon dioxide-mediated new reaction of 2,5-hexanedione and primary amino compounds in water-THF produced N-substituted pyrroles in excellent yield. This method for the preparation of pyrroles is novel, simple, and efficient.

Information Technology Approaches To Forest Management, Mary Snow, Richard Snow

Publications

The majority of the world’s forests occur where there is a dry season long enough to affect a seasonal change in the forest community. The seasonal forest may include evergreen, semi-deciduous, deciduous trees, or some combination of these. Local differences in soil or other site characteristics often determine which community persists. Since the seasonal forests exist where there is seasonal precipitation, the character of the forest is closely associated with the length of the rainy season. As the length of the rainy season decreases, the density of the canopy decreases. If the global climate system warms and prolonged drought gives …