Digital Commons Network^™

Source Attribution Of Ozone In Southeast Texas Before And After The Deepwater Horizon Accident Using Satellite, Sonde, Surface Monitor, And Air Mass Trajectory Data, Gary A. Morris, Barry Lefer, Bernhard Rappenglueck, Christine Haman, Marc Taylor, Mark R. Schoeberl

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Presentations

Since the summer of 2004, over 300 ozonesondes have been launched from Rice University (29.7 N, 95.4 W) or the University of Houston (29.7 N, 95.3 W), each < 5 km from downtown Houston. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality maintains a large database of hourly surface ozone observations in Southeast Texas. In this study, we identify the contributions to surface ozone pollution levels from natural and anthropogenic sources, both local and remote in nature. This source identification is performed two ways: 1) through an analysis of sonde data, including ozone concentrations, wind speed and direction, and relative humidity data, and 2) through an analysis that combines trajectory calculations with surface monitor data. We also examine regional changes in Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) measurements of formaldehyde and ozone from 2004 – 2010. In particular, we compare the 2010 sonde, surface monitor, and satellite data after the Deepwater Horizon accident with data from previous years to determine the impact, if any, of the large source of hydrocarbons in the Gulf of Mexico on air quality in Southeast Texas.

The Green, Blue And Grey Water Footprint Of Farm Animals And Animal Products. Volume 1: Main Report, Mesfin Mekonnen, Arjen Y. Hoekstra

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

The projected increase in the production and consumption of animal products is likely to put further pressure on the globe’s freshwater resources. The size and characteristics of the water footprint vary across animal types and production systems. The current study provides a comprehensive account of the global green, blue and grey water footprints of different sorts of farm animals and animal products, distinguishing between different production systems and considering the conditions in all countries of the world separately. The following animal categories were considered: beef cattle, dairy cattle, pig, sheep, goat, broiler chicken, layer chicken and horses. The study shows …

The Green, Blue And Grey Water Footprint Of Farm Animals And Animal Products. Volume 2: Appendices, Mesfin Mekonnen, Arjen Y. Hoekstra

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Contents

Appendix I: Feed conversion efficiencies – in kg of feed (dry mass) per kg of output – per animal category and region

Appendix II: Estimated consumption of feed per animal category and world region (10³ ton dry mass/yr)

Appendix III. Estimated consumption of feed per production system and world region (10³ ton dry mass/yr)

Appendix IV. Drinking and service water footprint per animal

Appendix V. Water footprint of animals and animal products (m³/ton). Period 1996-2005

Rock Properties And Internal Structure Of The San Andreas Fault Near ~ 3 Km Depth In The Safod Borehole Based On Meso- To Micro-Scale Analyses Of Phase Iii Whole Rock Core, Kelly Keighley Bradbury, James P. Evans

Geosciences Presentations

We examine the relationships between rock properties and structure within ~ 41 m of PHASE III whole-rock core collected from ~ 3 km depth along the SAF in the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) borehole, near Parkfield, CA.

Farmers' Markets In Kentucky: A Geospatial, Statistical, And Cultural Analysis, Elizabeth Ann Schmitz

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

To assess what factors are driving the exponential growth of farmers’ markets in Kentucky, geospatial and statistical analysis of a database of 121 farmers’ markets was conducted. A statewide survey of market leaders and a case study of a single farmers’ market both identified reasons for growing support of farmers’ markets in Kentucky.

Market distribution, vendor levels, and gross sales were mapped against a backdrop of county urban classification, median household income, and education levels. Kruskal-Wallace analysis was used to identify if Kentucky’s rural, micropolitan, and metropolitan markets differ significantly in terms of their age, number of vendors, and market …

Internet Gis As A Historic Place-Making Tool For Mammoth Cave National Park, Ann E. Epperson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This project laid the groundwork for an Internet-delivered Public Participation Geographic Information System to facilitate exploration and discovery of the past communities of the Mammoth Cave Park area. The emergence of Internet Web 2.0 design along with distributed GIS services allows for anyone to interact with and add to the information found on central Internet sites. Historical geography often relies upon public participation from individuals outside the academic world to provide narrative descriptions, photographs and manuscripts of past places and events to augment information held by institutions and academia. A public-participation website for the Mammoth Cave Historic GIS (MCHGIS) created …

An Application And Refinement Of The Karst Disturbance Index Through Evaluating Variability In Island Karst Disturbance In Puerto Rico, Brandon Lee Porter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Karst environments are unique landscapes that contain important resources, including freshwater aquifers and specialized ecosystems, which are easily disturbed due to the interconnected nature of the surface and subsurface. The anthropogenic impacts on karst are deleterious to the ecosystems that are dependent on the karst environment and also to groundwater supplies. The Karst Disturbance Index (KDI) is a holistic tool used to measure anthropogenic impacts associated with karst environments, which has been applied and refined through studies performed in Florida and Italy, yet still remains untested and susceptible to modification for other areas. Application of the KDI in Arecibo, Puerto …

Development Of An Arcuate Fold-Thrust Belt As A Result Of Basement Configuration: An Example From The Rocky Mountain Front Range, Montana, Caroline M. Burberry, D. L. Cannon, T. Engelder, J. W. Cosgrove

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

The Sawtooth Range forms part of the Montana Disturbed Belt in the Front Ranges of the Rocky Mountains, along strike from the Alberta Syncline in the Canadian Rockies. The belt developed in the footwall to the Lewis Thrust during the Sevier orogeny and is similar in deformation style to the Canadian Foothills, with a series of stacked thrust sheets carrying Palaeozoic carbonates. The Sawtooth Range can be divided into an inner and outer deformed belt, separated by exposed fold structures in the overlying clastic sequence. Structures in the deformed belts plunge into the culmination of the NE-trending Scapegoat-Bannatyne trend, part …

The River Discontinuum: Applying Beaver Modifications To Baseline Conditions For Restoration Of Forested Headwaters, Denise Burchsted, Melinda Daniels, Robert Thorson, Jason Vokoun

Center for Integrative Geosciences

Billions of dollars are being spent in the United States to restore rivers to a desired, yet often unknown, reference condition. In lieu of a known reference, practitioners typically assume the paradigm of a connected watercourse. Geological and ecological processes, however, create patchy and discontinuous fluvial systems. One of these processes, dam building by North American beavers (Castor canadensis), generated discontinuities throughout precolonial river systems of northern North America. Under modern conditions, beaver dams create dynamic sequences of ponds and wet meadows among free-flowing segments. One beaver impoundment alone can exceed 1000 meters along the river, flood the valley laterally, …

Integrated Approach For The Assessment And Development Of Groundwater Resources In Arid Lands: Applications In The Quetta Valley, Pakistan, Zhanay Sagintayev

Dissertations

The lack of adequate field measurements (e.g., precipitation and stream flow) and difficulty in obtaining them often hampers the construction and calibration of rainfall-runoff models over many of the world's watersheds, leaving key· elements of the hydrologic cycle unconstrained. I adopted methodologies that rely heavily on readily available remote sensing datasets as viable alternatives and useful tools for assessing, managing, and modeling the water resources of such remote and inadequately gauged regions.

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool was selected for continuous (1998-2005) rainfall-runoff modeling of the northeast part of the Pishin Lora basin (NEPL), a politically unstable area that …

Structural And Stratigraphic Age Constraints Of The Inskip Formation, East Range, Nevada: Implications For Mesozoic Tectonics Of Western North America, Joshua David Wilkins

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Structural, stratigraphic, and U-Pb geochronologic studies of the Inskip Formation of the north-central East Range place new constraints on the depositional age of the Inskip Formation and the timing of contractional deformation in the East Range, including Golconda thrusting. The Inskip Formation was initially considered Permian in age and to rest unconformably on the Valmy (or Leach) Formation (Ferguson et al., 1951). Later mapping by Whitbread (1978, 1994) divided the formation into the Upper and Lower Inskip Formation, both of which were inferred to be Mississippian in age. Laterreinterpretation of Whitebread’s (1994) work and new paleontological data revised the age …

Late Holocene Relationships Among Fire, Climate, And Vegetation In Rangeland Ecosystems Of Southwestern Idaho, Nathan A. Nelson, Jennifer Pierce

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Rangelands are characterized by more arid climates than forested regions; therefore, establishing fire histories using traditional methods (e.g. fire-scars from trees or charcoal in lake sediments) is problematic. This study uses radiocarbon dating of charcoal preserved in alluvial fans and stream deposits to reconstruct a record of fire and geomorphic response in rangelands of southwestern Idaho. Samples indicate three primary periods of fire-related activity: 4400 – 4000, 2000 – 1400, and 650-400 cal yr BP. Charcoal macrofossil identification and comparison with other regional climate and fire records indicate this area has likely switched between a "fuel-limited" system (fires limited by …

Policy And Science Of Geothermal Heat Use At Mcmurdo Station, Antarctica, Joe Alvine

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

My thesis research project deals with the use of geothermal heat in Antarctica. Currently it is not allowed due to article 7 of the 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection that placed a 50 moratorium on the exploitation of mineral resources. The US main base in Antarctica, McMurdo Station is currently powered by diesel generators that are inefficient, cause environmental damage, and is expensive to run. By exploring alternative energy options, McMurdo Station can reduce its dependence on non-renewable energy sources. By determining the geothermal potential of McMurdo Station, this project explores the possibilities and benefits that would occur with the …

The Influence Of Sediment Bays On Reducing Incoming Sediment In Holmes Lake, Lincoln, Nebraska, Alex Fischer

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Lakes in the urban environment are often challenged with issues of water quality. Holmes Lake, located in Lincoln, Nebraska, has experienced such problems. In an effort to improve water quality in Holmes Lake, the city installed several control devices. One of the devices installed were sediment bays. This study evaluated the effectiveness of those sediment bays by measuring turbidity and suspended sediment after rain events at different locations in and out of the bays. The study found that the bays helped to reduce sediment in some cases, but in other cases no reduction was shown.

The Effect Of Enso On Nebraska Winter Snowfall, Jonathan Burnham

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Watersheds On Fort Benning Military Reservation: Comparison Of Field Data To Watershed Parameters, Melinda Rosetta Stahl

Theses and Dissertations

Sixteen watersheds located on Fort Benning Military Installation in Georgia were analyzed using both physically collected data and computer modeling data. Physical data collected included total suspended solids (TSS) and grain size analysis using the Wolman Pebble Count method. Computer modeling analyzed the watersheds using ArcGIS 9.3 for comparison to physical data. Land use, slope, and soil data were used in a modified revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) to create a soil erodibility index map. Wolman Pebble Count data showed that in half of the watersheds, 84% of the sampled grains were less than half a millimeter in size. …

A Synthetic Analysis Of Integrated Data Fusion: Combining Hydrologic And Geophysical Data Collected During A Tracer Test To Estimate Aquifer Flow And Transport Parameters, Dylan Fowler

All Theses

Integrated data fusion (IDF), also known as coupled inversion, is becoming a more widely used method for estimating hydrologic parameters from geophysical data. IDF is being used in this research as an approach to inversion that couples mathematical models of groundwater flow, solute transport, and electrical resistivity for the direct estimation of hydraulic conductivity, porosity, and dispersivity from transient resistivity data collected during a tracer test. In this work, synthetic field resistivity data are generated using only a single current electrode pair and many potential electrodes. This data is then used within the IDF framework to a) estimate hydraulic conductivity …

The Dependence Of Electrical Resistivity, Saturation And Saturation Exponent On Multi-Phase Flow Instability, Zuolin Liu

All Theses

Multiphase flow channeling in oil reservoirs during water floods reduces oil recovery. Electrical methods may be used to monitor reservoirs and detect the onset of channeling, but the dependence of electrical resistivity on reservoir flow conditions is complex. The present study is directed toward understanding how the parameters of Archie's law, a commonly assumed relationship between electrical resistivity and water saturation in a porous medium, depends on multiphase flow instability leading to flow channeling. In this research a series of 34 flow experiments were conducted in a thin, two-dimensional tank (55cm x 55cm x 3.75cm) packed with 2mm glass beads …

Evaluation Of A Pilot-Scale Constructed Wetland Treatment System For Renovation Of A Specific Oilfield Produced Water For Beneficial Use, Jennifer Horner

All Theses

Oilfield produced waters (OPWs) are brought to the surface when oil reservoirs contained in water-bearing geologic units are extracted. Large volumes of OPW present environmental challenges concerning disposal, as well as potential opportunities for beneficial use if constituents posing risk can be remediated. In this study a pilot-scale constructed wetland treatment system (CWTS) was specifically designed to treat an OPW from sub-Saharan Africa for use in irrigation and livestock watering. Three major objectives were to: characterize and identify constituents of concern in the OPW in terms of beneficial use, evaluate treatment performance of a pilot-scale constructed wetland treatment system for …

Pilot-Scale Constructed Wetland Treatment System For Ammonia Removal From Oil-Field Produced Water, Yun Song

All Theses

This investigation examined the feasibility of using free-water surface constructed wetland systems (CWTSs) to decrease the ammonia concentration in oil-field produced water. The objective of this research was to design constructed wetland experiments to determine specific conditions that decrease aqueous ammonia concentrations in simulated oilfield produced water. The design of these experiments was based on biogeochemical pathways of nitrification and denitrification. The experiments included three scales: bench-scale, single-cell, and pilot-scale. Bench-scale reactors contained wetland plants (Typha latifolia) and hydrosoil in 5-gallon buckets. Single wetland cells were constructed by adding hydrosoil and plants (T. latifolia and Schoenoplectus californicus) to 70-gallon containers. …

Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project Model Development And Scenarios, Chris Berger, Scott A. Wells, Vanessa Wells

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The focus of this present study is to perform the following tasks:

* Develop a hydrodynamic and water quality model of the reservoir formed by the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project

* Develop and run modeling scenarios

Water quality model simulations of the 23.3 km² reservoir for Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project were conducted for low, average, and high flow years. A scenario with no vegetation removed from the reservoir for an average flow was also simulated. Conditions downstream of the reservoir were also modeled using a river model.

The model used for the reservoir formed by Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project …

Linkage Of Asteroids And Meteorites By The Study Of Terrestrial Analogs, Daniel Robert Ostrowski

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Asteroids are one group of the bodies that can provide insights into the origin and early history of the solar system. Asteroids are considered to be fairly pristine, with alterations only occurring to their surface from the space environment. Studying them provides opportunities to learn about the primordial solar system, its materials, and processes and how it evolved into the current condition. Many asteroids have been discovered, but few have their surface compositions determined. The C and X complexes provide a difficulty in determination because their near infrared spectrum is featureless.

The C asteroids have been long associated with the …

Geochemical, Isotopic, And U-Pb Geochronologic Investigations Of Intrusive Basement Rocks From The Wallowa And Olds Ferry Arc Terranes, Blue Mountains Province, Oregon-Idaho, Gene Alan Kurz

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Late Paleozoic to Mesozoic arc terranes comprising the Blue Mountains Province of northeastern Oregon and western Idaho are poorly understood in terms of the timing and duration of recorded magmatism and deformation. Intrusive basement rocks of the Wallowa and Olds Ferry arc terranes are investigated using a combination of highprecision U-Pb geochronology, radiogenic isotope and trace element geochemistry, and structural geology to help constrain their tectonomagmatic evolution and to provide a better understanding for the accretionary history of the Blue Mountains Province.

The Cougar Creek Complex is a compositionally diverse intrusive complex interpreted as the mid-crustal portion of the Wallowa …

Kinematics And Vorticity In Kangmar Dome, Southern Tibet: Testing Midcrustal Channel-Flow Models For The Himalaya, Tom Wagner, Jeffrey Lee, Bradley R. Hacker, Gareth Seward

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Kinematic, kinematic vorticity (W_m), and deformation temperature analyses were completed to test the hypothesis that midcrustal rocks exposed in the core of the Kangmar gneiss dome, southern Tibet record ductile deformation patterns of a “frozen” segment of a southward flowing midcrustal channel. Microscopic and mesoscopic kinematic indicators exhibit a downward transition from a subequal mix of top-north and top-south shear in garnet zone rocks to dominantly top-north shear in staurolite/kyanite zone and deeper rocks. Kinematic vorticity values indicate an increase in pure shear component with depth from ∼48% pure shear in chloritoid zone rocks through ∼62% in …

Heavy Metal Concentrations In Water And Surface Sediments Of Wilgreen Lake, Madison County, Kentucky, Chad Von Gruenigen, Walter S. Borowski

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Heavy metal pollution remains problematic in natural waters, particularly for localities near plausible anthropogenic sources. We assayed the level of heavy metals in surface waters and within surface sediments of Wilgreen Lake, whose watershed drains industrial, urban, agricultural, and residential areas near Richmond, Kentucky. Water samples were treated according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protocols and digested with trace-metal-grade nitric and hydrochloric acids. Sediment samples were collected with a grab sampler and digested using established EPA procedures with hydrogen peroxide and trace-metal-grade nitric acid. Both water samples and sediment samples were sent to Activation Laboratories for analysis, and were measured …

Phosphorus Export From A Restored Wetland Ecosystem In Response To Natural And Experimental Hydrologic Fluctuations, Marcelo Ardón, Shaena Montanari, Jennifer L. Morse, Martin W. Doyle, Emily S. Bernhardt

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Wetland restoration is a commonly used approach to reduce nutrient loading to freshwater and coastal ecosystems, with many wetland restoration efforts occurring in former agricultural fields. Restored wetlands are expected to be effective at retaining or removing both nitrogen and phosphorus (P), yet restoring wetland hydrology to former agricultural fields can lead to the release of legacy fertilizer P. Here, we examined P cycling and export following rewetting of the Timberlake Restoration Project, a 440 ha restored riverine wetland complex in the coastal plain of North Carolina. We also compared P cycling within the restored wetland to two minimally disturbed …

Rare Earth Element Transport In The Yucca Mountain Region, Liqiong Zhang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In sync with environmental pollution of solutes in nature, from source, process to consequence, geochemical processes (leaching and sorption) and hydraulic transportation of the rare earth elements (REEs) have been investigated at Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada. This research includes the leaching behavior of trace elements (including REEs) from aquifer rocks, the surface complexation reactions of REEs in synthetic groundwater, and transportation of reactive REEs in the local-scale groundwater system of YM. This dissertation includes three projects. These studies indicate that surface complexation reactions may retard the transportation of REEs along groundwater paths in YM, which suggests a similar behavior of …

A Comprehensive Uncertainty Analysis And Method Of Geometric Calibration For A Circular Scanning Airborne Lidar, Michael Oliver Gonsalves

Dissertations

This dissertation describes an automated technique for ascertaining the values of the geometric calibration parameters of an airborne lidar. A least squares approach is employed that adjusts the point cloud to a single planar surface which could be either a narrow airport runway or a dynamic sea surface. Going beyond the customary three boresight angles, the proposed adjustment can determine up to eleven calibration parameters to a precision that renders a negligible contribution to the point cloud’s positional uncertainty.

Presently under development is the Coastal Zone Mapping and Imaging Lidar (CZMIL), which, unlike most contemporary systems that use oscillating mirrors …

Seismic Anisotropy Beneath The Afar Depression And Adjacent Areas: Implications For Mantle Flow, Stephen S. Gao, Kelly H. Liu, Mohammed G. Abdel Salam

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Shear wave splitting is a robust tool to infer the direction and strength of seismic anisotropy in the lithosphere and underlying asthenosphere. Previous shear wave splitting studies in the Afar Depression and adjacent areas concluded that either Precambrian sutures or vertical magmatic dikes are mostly responsible for the observed anisotropy. Here we report results of a systematic analysis of teleseismic shear wave splitting using all the available broadband seismic data recorded in the Afar Depression, Main Ethiopian Rift (MER), and Ethiopian Plateau. We found that while the ~450 measurements on the Ethiopian Plateau and in the MER show insignificant azimuthal …

Geophysics At The Interface: Response Of Geophysical Properties To Solid-Fluid, Fluid-Fluid, And Solid-Solid Interfaces, Rosemary Knight, Laura J. Pyrak-Nolte, Lee D. Slater, Estella A. Atekwana, Anthony L. Endres, Jil T. Geller, David P. Lesmes, Seiji Nakagawa, Andre Revil, Mukul M. Sharma, Christian Straley

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Laboratory studies reveal the sensitivity of measured geophysical properties to solid-fluid, fluid-fluid, and solid-solid interfaces in granular and fractured materials. In granular materials, electrical properties and nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation times exhibit a strong dependence on the size and properties of the solid-fluid interface. The electrical and seismic properties of granular materials and the seismic properties of fractured materials reveal a dependence on the size or geometry of fluid-fluid interfaces. Seismic properties of granular and fractured materials are affected by the effective stress and cementing material at solid-solid interfaces. There have been some recent studies demonstrating the use of field-scale …