Digital Commons Network^™

Big Earth Data For Un Sustainable Development Goals: Climate Change And Action, Lei Huang, Gensuo Jia, Shibo Fang, Donghui Shangguan, Yonghong Hu, Zhaoming Zhang, Dailiang Peng

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Climate change is becoming a major threat to human sustainable development in the coming decades. How to accurately and real-time monitor extreme weather events and disasters, and provide strong data and scientific support for climate change and disaster prevention and control, has become an urgent major scientific issue and decision-making proposition. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 13 Climate Action is to alleviate the threat of climate change and enhance human adaptation through the actions of countries. However, indicators of climate action lack the support of spatial data and information. The Big Earth Data is highly collaborative and integrated, which is …

Big Earth Data In Support Of Marine Sustainable Development, Futao Wang, Rencheng Yu, Jingxi Li, Dehua Mao, Chengyi Wang, Mingming Jia, Jingjuan Liao, Ziyuan Hu, Haifeng Gu, Qinsheng Wei, Li Zhang, Shilin Tang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The health and safety of marine ecosystems are directly related to the health and well-being of all mankind. Factors such as insufficient effective monitoring data and lack of scientific decision-making information have affected the smooth implementation of the marine sustainable development goals (SDG 14) to a certain extent. Big Earth Data possesses macroscopic, dynamic and objective monitoring capabilities, and can play an important role in supporting the realization of the sustainable development goals of the ocean. With the support of the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and based on technologies and methods related to Big Earth …

Big Earth Data Promotes Assessment Of Even Development, Yali Liu, Yanfen Wang, Jianqing Du, Huadong Guo, Bingfang Wu, Bojie Fu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Uneven progresses have been widely detected among goals or regions in global sustainable development, which are ascribed to the heterogeneous resource and environmental conditions and trade-offs among goals. In-depth understanding and efforts to reduce such uneven progresses are essential for the holistic achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This study discusses how bBig Earth Data supports the assessment of the even development among targets and regions by pointing out its advantages in providing high-frequency and more timely data products with higher spatial resolution for the currently poorly achieved SDGs regarding essential human needs and environmental protection. Moreover, the Big …

Big Earth Data Research Topic Evolution And Influence Analysis, Peijun An, Xiantao Xiao, Huadong Guo, Dongmei Yan, Jialei Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Big data driven data-intensive scientific discovery, and the Big Earth Data is the base and engine of Earth system science. Based on observation of natural geographical elements on different scales and acquisition of data, and the data obtained during the interdisciplinary research processes, integration and mining analysis will promote the development of Earth science to achieve significant innovation. The Big Earth Data has also become the important national strategic resources, and exerted influence on international cooperation and diplomatic relationship. In this study by means of literature metrology, the Big Earth Data literature from the Science Citation Index (SCI) and Social …

Spatial Analysis Of Landscape Characteristics, Anthropogenic Factors, And Seasonality Effects On Water Quality In Portland, Oregon, Katherine Gelsey, Daniel Ramirez

REU Final Reports

Urban areas often struggle with deteriorated water quality as a result of complex interactions between landscape factors such as land cover, use, and management as well as climatic variables such as weather, precipitation, and atmospheric conditions. Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) has been introduced as a strategy to reintroduce pre-development hydrological conditions in cities, but questions remain as to how GSI interacts with other landscape factors to affect water quality. We conducted a statistical analysis of six relevant water quality indicators in 131 water quality stations in four watersheds around Portland, Oregon using data from 2015 to 2021. Indiscriminate of station …

Comparative Analysis For Herdsmen's Income Under The Different Background Systems, Jiri Xi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

A Paleoseismic Study Of The Twin Lakes Fault, Mount Hood Fault Zone, Oregon, Charlie Carr, Ashley R. Streig

McNair Symposium

Recent geologic mapping on high-resolution topography from lidar has led to the discovery of a zone of active faults on Mount Hood. The Mt. Hood Fault Zone consists of four separate faults, and stretches ~55 km from south to north, and crosses the summit of Mount Hood. The focus of this study is the northern section of Twin Lakes Fault, which lies directly south of Mount Hood and adjacent to OR35 and the White River. Lidar topography reveals the west side down normal displacement on the Twin Lakes fault. The highest tectonic seismicity rates in the Mount Hood area occur …

Findings Report: Virtual Workshop On ‘Resilient Supply Of Critical Minerals’, Marek Locmelis, Angela D. Lueking, Michael S. Moats, Kwame Awuah-Offei, Lana Z. Alagha, Mark W. Fitch, Alanna Krolikowski, Shelby Clark

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Executive Summary
On August 2-3, 2021, the Thomas J. O’Keefe Institute for Sustainable Supply of Strategic Minerals at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) hosted the NSF-funded virtual workshop ‘Resilient Supply of Critical Minerals’. The workshop was convened via Zoom and attracted 158 registrants, including 108 registrants from academia (61 students), 30 registrants from government agencies, and 20 registrants from the private sector. Four topical sessions were covered:

A. Mineral Exploration and Source Diversification.
B. Supply Chain and Policy Issues.
C. Improving Mineral Recycling and Reprocessing Technologies.
D. Technological Alternatives to Critical Minerals.

Each topical session was composed …

Fragmentation Theory Reveals Processes Controlling Iceberg Size Distributions, Jan Åström, Sue Cook, Ellyn M. Enderlin, David A. Sutherland, Aleksandra Mazur, Neil Glasser

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Iceberg calving strongly controls glacier mass loss, but the fracture processes leading to iceberg formation are poorly understood due to the stochastic nature of calving. The size distributions of icebergs produced during the calving process can yield information on the processes driving calving and also affect the timing, magnitude, and spatial distribution of ocean fresh water fluxes near glaciers and ice sheets. In this study, we apply fragmentation theory to describe key calving behaviours, based on observational and modelling data from Greenland and Antarctica. In both regions, iceberg calving is dominated by elastic-brittle fracture processes, where distributions contain both exponential …

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, August 2021, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 2, Issue 8.

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 2 Awards and Recognition
Page 3 Student Summer Research
Page 4 Media Coverage of CNS
Page 5 Wintrode Student Success Center
Page 6-7 Welcome to our new Faculty & Staff!
Page 8 One Day for State: Thursday, Sept. 2nd
Page 7 Open PRAIRIE Data; Fall Faculty Retreat 2021

Diatoms Of The Intertidal Environments Of Willapa Bay, Washington, Usa As A Sea-Level Indicator, Isabel Hong, Benjamin P. Horton, Andrea D. Hawkes, Robert J. O.Donnell Iii, Jason S. Padgett, Tina Dura, Simon E. Engelhart

Geological Sciences Faculty Scholarship

An understanding of the modern relationship between diatom species and elevation is a prerequisite for using fossil diatoms to reconstruct relative sea level (RSL). We described modern diatom distributions from seven transects covering unvegetated subtidal environments to forested uplands from four tidal wetland sites (Smith Creek, Bone River, Niawiakum River, and Naselle River) of Willapa Bay, Washington, USA. We compared our diatom dataset (320 species from 104 samples) to a series of environmental variables (elevation, grain-size, total organic carbon (TOC_SOM), and porewater salinity) using hierarchical clustering and ordination. While no single variable consistently explains variations in diatom assemblages …

Long-Term Hydrological Impacts Of Historical Logging On Recent Hydro-Geomorphic Conditions, Big Barren Creek Watershed, Mark Twain National Forest, Shoukat Ahmed

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Despite their important role of headwater watersheds as a buffer for upland soil and vegetation disturbances, there has been little research about the effects of historical logging practices on present-day watershed hydrology and channel form. Middle Big Barren Creek (MBBC) watershed (48 km2 ) drains Mark Twain National Forest in the Ozark Highlands and was heavily logged from 1880 to 1920, reducing native shortleaf pine forest by 90%. Additionally, the frequency of intense rainfall events has increased in the region over the past 30 years. In this study, field surveys and hydrologic/hydraulic modeling were used to evaluate the historical timber …

Analysis Of Gravity For The Crustal Structure Of Nepal Himalaya, Kapil Prasad Phuyal

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Nepal Himalaya is situated in the central portion of the seismically active Himalayan Orogenic Belt, which is geologically segmented by four major mega fault structures: Main Frontal Thrust (MFT), Main Boundary Thrust (MBT), Main Central Thrust (MCT), and the South Tibetan Detachment System (STDS). The MFT, MBT, and MCT are part of the basal decollement Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT) which accommodates the convergence between the Indian and Eurasian Plate. The 2015 Gorkha Earthquake occurred within the MHT system, MHT system itself had been seismically locked since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar Earthquake, complicating the geometry depth of MHT. Available land and airborne …

Pervasive Changes In Stream Intermittency Across The United States, Kendra E. Kaiser

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Non-perennial streams are widespread, critical to ecosystems and society, and the subject of ongoing policy debate. Prior large-scale research on stream intermittency has been based on long-term averages, generally using annually aggregated data to characterize a highly variable process. As a result, it is not well understood if, how, or why the hydrology of non-perennial streams is changing. Here, we investigate trends and drivers of three intermittency signatures that describe the duration, timing, and dry-down period of stream intermittency across the continental United States (CONUS). Half of gages exhibited a significant trend through time in at least one of the …

Ground Control Point Assessment For Suas-Based Sfm Photogrammetry, Bailey Dianne Wolf

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The use of small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) in combination with Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry is an evolving tool for geoscientists. SfM photogrammetry allows for rapid acquisition of the data that is required to create orthophotos and Digital Surface Models (DSMs) for a variety of field applications. Ground Control Points (GCPs) are used to reconstruct the DSM and evaluate the accuracy of aerial imagery collected from sUAS. When acquiring data for SfM photogrammetry, GCPs are required for spatial referencing. However, questions remain open regarding the effect of methodological techniques on the precision and accuracy of the resulting DSMs. This …

Kinematics Of The Exceptionally-Short Surge Cycles Of Sít’ Kusá (Turner Glacier), Alaska, From 1983 To 2013, Andrew Nolan, William Kochtitzky, Ellyn M. Enderlin, Robert Mcnabb, Karl J. Kreutz

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Glacier surges are periodic episodes of mass redistribution characterized by dramatic increases in ice flow velocity and, sometimes, terminus advance. We use optical satellite imagery to document five previously unexamined surge events of Sít’ Kusá (Turner Glacier) in the St. Elias Mountains of Alaska from 1983 to 2013. Surge events had an average recurrence interval of ~5 years, making it the shortest known regular recurrence interval in the world. Surge events appear to initiate in the winter, with speeds reaching up to ~25 m d⁻¹. The surges propagate down-glacier over ~2 years, resulting in maximum thinning of ~100 …

Sedimentology And Shallow Groundwater Responses Of A Coastal Marsh Along A Salinity Gradient: A Case Study In Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi, James Thompson

Master's Theses

Climate change and relative sea level rise is resulting in saltwater intrusion and inundation of coastal marshes. This study investigates factors affecting marsh hydrology, including sediment composition, seasonal variability, and coastal storms in Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) near Pascagoula, Mississippi. Analysis of sediment includes color, organic matter, carbonate, magnetic susceptibility, and particle size. Shallow groundwater hydrologic trends between Summer 2015 and Fall 2016 are established along a salinity gradient at four sites using water levels, temperature, and conductivity monitored at the surface and in piezometers at depths of 0.75m, 1.5m, and 2.25m.

Sediment analysis indicates reducing conditions …

Assessing The Prevalance Of Joint-Controlled Mass Wasting In The Southern Appalachian Mountains, U.S.A., Madeline Konopinski

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Landslides are common hazards that produce devastating effects worldwide. Within the United States, the Appalachian Mountains are identified as an area of moderate to high susceptibility and incidence for landslides (Mirus et al., 2020; Wieczorek and Morgan, 2008). Given the presence of active seismic zones (eastern Tennessee and Giles County seismic zones) and variable rainfall due to seasonal storms (hurricanes) throughout the Appalachians, ancient earthquake activity or intense rainfall may trigger mass wasting events. Regional bedrock joints may further control the susceptibility of landslides to develop in specific locations during trigger events by providing a pre-existing weakness in the substrate. …

Historical Changes Of Channel Width In A Headwater Stream System, Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri, Sierra N. Casagrand

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

It is well known that watershed disturbances due to land clearing and agricultural settlement during the early 1800s changed the hydrology and geomorphology of stream systems in the Midwestern USA. However, little is known about the impacts of historical logging on stream systems in forested watersheds. This study evaluates channel width measurements from 38 General Land Office (GLO) surveys completed in 1821, aerial photographs from the 1930’s to present, and LiDAR imagery from 2016/17 to evaluate changes in channel morphology in Big Barren Creek in Mark Twain National Forest in the Ozarks Highlands of southeast Missouri. The area was heavily …

Geology Of The Clairmont Springs 7.5-Minute Quadrangle And Geochronology Of The Alabama Blue Ridge, Adelie Ionescu

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Alabama Blue Ridge (USA) of the southern Appalachians contains metamorphic rocks and structures associated with island arc accretion and continent-continent collision that record the Acadian and Alleghenian orogenies. The western Blue Ridge is underlain by Cambrian to Mississippian, clastic and carbonate, low-grade, greenschist facies metamorphic Talladega belt that formed outboard from the Alabama promontory or along the Laurentian margin. The eastern Blue Ridge contains the Neoproterozoic to Paleozoic, lithologically diverse, high grade, middle to upper amphibolite facies Ashland Supergroup. Geologic mapping of the Clairmont Springs 7.5- minute quadrangle unveils tectonic relationships between the eastern and western Blue Ridge and …

Analysis And Risk Estimation Of High Priority Unstable Rock Slopes In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee And North Carolina, Samantha Farmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) received 12.5 million visitors in 2020. With a high traffic volume, it is imperative roadways remain open and free from obstruction. Annual unanticipated rockfall events in GRSM often obstruct traffic flow. Using the Unstable Slope Management Program for Federal Land Management Agencies (USMP for FLMA) protocols, this study analyzes high priority unstable rock slopes through 1) creation of an unstable slope geodatabase and 2) generation of a final rockfall risk model using Co-Kriging from a preliminary risk model and susceptibility model. A secondary goal of this study is to provide risk estimation for the …

Genetic Diversity Evaluation Of Roegneria Kamoji Ohwi Germplasm From Different Ecoregions In China, Zhu Xu, H. J. Xiao, David L. Michalk

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Dynamical Variations Of The Global Covid-19 Pandemic Based On A Seicr Disease Model: A New Approach Of Yi Hua Jie Mu, Xia Wang, Gang Yin, Zengyun Hu, Daihai He, Qianqian Cui, Xiaomei Feng, Zhidong Teng, Qi Hu, Jiansen Li, Qiming Zhou

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused more than 150 million cases of infection to date and poses a serious threat to global public health. In this study, global COVID-19 data were used to examine the dynamical variations from the perspectives of immunity and contact of 84 countries across the five climate regions: tropical, arid, temperate, and cold. A new approach named Yi Hua Jie Mu is proposed to obtain the transmission rates based on the COVID-19 data between the countries with the same climate region over the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere. Our results suggest that the …

Biorenewable Energy: New Opportunities For Grassland Agriculture, Kenneth J. Moore, Steven L. Fales, Emily A. Heaton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Causes And Characteristics Of Electrical Resistivity Variability In Shallow (<4 M) Soils In Taylor Valley, East Antarctica, William S. Gutterman

LSU Master's Theses

The McMurdo Dry Valleys are the largest ice-free region in Antarctica and are characterized as a polar desert environment. Soils in the region are typically very dry (<1% soil water by weight) and remain frozen for most of the year. Increases in air temperature and incoming solar radiation during the austral summer generate meltwater from glaciers, ground ice, and snow patches supplying moisture to soils and altering the physical and chemical makeup of the subsurface. Previous studies have utilized airborne electromagnetic surveys (AEM) to analyze groundwater systems in the deep subsurface but have not yet examined soil moisture in the shallow (<4 m) subsurface. Here, I used electrical resistivity data from two AEM surveys (2011 and 2018) and soil geochemical data from three transects to characterize the spatial heterogeneity of soil properties in the near-subsurface of lower Taylor Valley. Soil resistivities from 2011 and 2018 range from 33.2 Ωm to 3535 Ωm with low elevations of <100 meters above sea level (masl) typically displaying the lowest resistivities and high elevations displaying greater resistivities. Liquid brine fractions were empirically estimated from electrical resistivity values using Archie’s Law and range from 0.3% to 68.2% for soils with resistivities <200 Ωm. Additionally, soil transect data show greater percentages of fine-grained sediments (<63 µm) exist at elevations <100 masl where soil resistivities begin decreasing. Resistivity variability in the subsurface is ultimately controlled by the site history, local and regional climate, soil salinity, soil moisture, soil lithology.

Comparative Study Of Leachate Characterization: Implication For Sustainable Environmental Management, Osakpolor Marvellous Omorogieva, Victory Itua Igberase

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Understanding the sources of environmental stressors, the role of geology, climate and technology would provide a guide to solving the problems posed by such stressor. The study examine the sources of wastes in Ikhueniro open dumpsite located in Benin city, Nigeria and characterize the leachate emanating from it. This will assist in adequate design of managerial scheme to tackle the menace posed by it while putting into consideration the role of geology, climate and technology. The key objectives are to carry out field study, characterize wastes in the dumpsite and collect raw leachate emanating from the wastes heap in order …

Implementation Of Mongolia's 2002 Land Law: Implications For Herders And Rangelands, Maria E. Fernandez‐Gimenez, Batbuyan Batjav

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Managing For Radical Ecosystem Change: Applying The Resist-Accept-Direct (Rad) Framework, Abigail J. Lynch, Laura M. Thompson, Erik A. Beever, David N. Cole, Augustin C. Engman, Cat Hawkins Hoffman, Stephen T. Jackson, Trevor J. Krabbenhoft, David J. Lawrence, Douglas Limpinsel, Robert T. Magill, Tracy A. Melvin, John M. Morton, Robert Newman, Jay O. Peterson, Mark T. Porath, Frank J. Rahel, Gregor W. Schuurman, Suresh A. Sethi, Jennifer L. Wilkening

Biology Faculty Publications

Ecosystem transformation involves the emergence of persistent ecological or social–ecological systems that diverge, dramatically and irreversibly, from prior ecosystem structure and function. Such transformations are occurring at increasing rates across the planet in response to changes in climate, land use, and other factors. Consequently, a dynamic view of ecosystem processes that accommodates rapid, irreversible change will be critical for effectively conserving fish, wildlife, and other natural resources, and maintaining ecosystem services. However, managing ecosystems toward states with novel structure and function is an inherently unpredictable and difficult task. Managers navigating ecosystem transformation can benefit from considering broader objectives, beyond a …

Common Property Struggles In The Management Of Communal Rangelands In Central Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, James Bennett

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

The Applicability, Efficacy And Risks Of Natural Sequence Farming In The Dryland Agricultural Zone Of South West Western Australia, Nik Callow, Rose Anne Bell

Natural resources commissioned reports

Natural sequence farming (NSF) is an approach to restoring degraded agricultural land, developed by Peter Andrews on his property Tarwyn Park in New South Wales. The approach aims to rehydrate the landscape by slowing the movement of water with a series of structures and then using this water to drive plant growth and improve soil function.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development engaged the University of Western Australia to review the applicability, efficacy and risks associated with using NSF principles and practices in the south-west dryland agricultural zone in Western Australia. The review has combined information from the …