Digital Commons Network^™

Insights From Swot Data On Transboundary Upstream-Downstream Impacts In The Nile Basin, Hesham Morgan, Wenzhao Li, Ali Elgendy, Surendra Maharjan, Rejoice Thomas, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

This study utilizes high-resolution data from NASA's Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission to investigate water dynamics and upstream-downstream impacts across key reservoirs in the Nile Basin. Focusing on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Rosaries Dam, Merowe Dam, and the Aswan High Dam, the analysis spans 15 months (August 2023 to October 2024). By systematically selecting 30 points across each reservoir, monthly boxplots of surface water elevation were generated, revealing significant temporal and spatial variability. The results show that GERD’s filling phase led to a steady increase in water levels (peaking at ~615 meters from June to October …

Revised Draft Final Quarterly Operations And Maintenance Report Butte Treatment Lagoon System – Second Quarter 2024, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Final Quarterly Operations And Maintenance Report Butte Treatment Lagoon System – Second Quarter 2023, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Sustainability: Buzz Word Or Future Of Fashion? Measuring The Feasibility Of Outright Sustainability Among Fast Fashion’S Biggest Agents, Ryan Miller

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

The fashion industry is currently experiencing unsustainable rates of pollution within its supply chains. The rapid increase in demand for short lead times perpetrated by large-scale retailers has led to hazardous practices negatively affecting both the environmental conditions and working conditions of producing countries. With this increased pressure, relationships between brands and suppliers have become untenable. Limited transparency and imbalanced power dynamics at the hand of the industry’s leading retailers require restructuring in order to build more sustainable and equitable supply-chain practices. Further, governmental regulation is currently limited in its capacity to enforce sustainable business practices on a global …

Flooding: Risk Assessment And Its Interaction With Population & Environmental Health, Shivendra Srivastava

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Flood events have significant implications for both population and environmental health. This dissertation aims to explore flood risk and its interaction with humans and the environment. The key questions addressed in this dissertation include improving the existing flood risk framework to better assess population vulnerability and associated risk. Additionally, it explores how interactions among risk components vary across spatial scales and regions, and how these variations influence overall flood risk. The dissertation also investigates how to design a vulnerability component specific to flooding within flood risk estimation. Finally, it answers whether flood-specific vulnerability differs for a population compared to vulnerability …

Final Quarterly Operations And Maintenance Report Butte Treatment Lagoon System – Third Quarter 2022, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Arginine Vasotocin And Corticosterone In Nesting And Non-Nesting Loggerhead Sea Turtles In X’Cacel-X’Cacelito Sanctuary, Krista Blair Reed

Theses and Dissertations

Sea turtles exhibit distinct behaviors before and after egg laying, however, not all individuals successfully oviposit. Some females display disruptions in their typical nesting behavior, returning to the water without laying eggs, which is referred to as a non-nesting emergence (NNE). NNEs can be due to external disturbances on the beach, but why they occur is often unclear. Arginine vasotocin (AVT) is a neuropeptide involved in various physiological processes, including stimulating smooth muscle contraction of the oviduct to facilitate egg deposition in nesting sea turtles. On the other hand, corticosterone is the primary stress hormone in sea turtles and is …

Oyster Shell Recycling Efforts In Horry County, Corabella Dieguez

Goal 14: Life Below Water

No abstract provided.

Reducing Single-Use Plastic In Georgetown County, Alex Gaspar

Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

No abstract provided.

Mixture Effects On Metal Accumulation In The Asian Clam, Corbicula Fluminea, Mark A. Huff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Field collected Corbicula fluminea were exposed to trace level copper, lead, and zinc with the aim of examining the preferential accumulation between the soft tissue and shell. Metal levels were based on those in a permitted industrial effluent. At 1X effluent and 2X effluent exposure levels, copper was found to preferentially accumulate in the clam soft tissue, lead was found to preferentially accumulate in the clam shell, and zinc was found to excrete back into the diluent after preferentially accumulating in the clam soft tissue. When exposed as a mixture at 1X effluent levels, copper and lead were found to …

Development And Evaluation Of Supported Ionic Liquid Membrane And Porphyrin Frameworks For Carbon Capture Separation, Sarang Ismail

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The global urgency to mitigate anthropogenic CO₂ emissions has intensified the pursuit of energy-efficient separation technologies. Supported Ionic Liquid Membranes (SILMs) have emerged as promising candidates for CO₂ capture due to their tunable solubility-selectivity and low energy requirements. However, challenges such as mechanical instability, limited scalability, and trade-offs in transport performance have impeded their widespread adoption.

This thesis explores a systematic approach to designing and optimizing SILMs for enhanced CO₂ separation by tailoring polymer–ionic liquid interactions, processing conditions, and material architectures. A comprehensive set of studies were conducted using poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) with varying molecular weights, different grades of PEBAX®, …

Eliciting Supplier Cooperation For Value Chain Decarbonization: A Field Experiment With Smallholder Farmers In India, Sukti Ghosh, Jasjit Singh

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Many firms are attempting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across their value chain. However, this requires convincing suppliers to adopt relevant decarbonization practices, which is challenging when the suppliers perceive such practices as risky or detrimental for their economic well-being. We employ a field experiment to examine relational investments (i.e., investments intended to promote mutual benefit for the exchange partners) as a tool for overcoming this challenge. In a research collaboration with a global firm pursuing decarbonization of its agricultural supply chain in India, we investigated the effectiveness of complementing training their supplier farmers on climate-friendly agricultural practices with also …

What's The Value Of A State? Accounting For The Ecosystem Services And Natural Capital Of Oregon, Kathryn Liebrecht

University Honors Theses

Ecosystem services are vital to human welfare and society, but often are overlooked when it comes to planning and setting policy. By neglecting to incorporate the benefits received from natural resources, policy makers may unknowingly be making decisions that harm the long term sustainability and use of these services. To highlight the importance of Oregon's ecosystems, the present study aims to provide a full accounting of the ecosystem services and natural capital of the state. Using data from the Institute for Natural Resources' updated Oregon statewide habitat map, Oregon's ecosystems were matched to biome categories from the Ecosystem Services Valuation …

Revised Draft Final Butte Treatment Lagoons (Btl) Groundwater Treatment System Routine Operations, Maintenance, And Monitoring (Om&M) Plan, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Final Quarterly Operations And Maintenance Report Butte Treatment Lagoon System – Fourth Quarter 2023, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Final Quarterly Operations And Maintenance Report Butte Treatment Lagoon System – Third Quarter 2023, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Revised Draft Final Quarterly Operations And Maintenance Report Butte Treatment Lagoon System – First Quarter 2024, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Health And Weather In Unfavourable Environments: Exploring The Historical Dynamics Of Colonial Medical Meteorology In Nineteenth-Century Tropical Asia, Fiona Williamson

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Medical meteorology had a long precedent in medical thought across Eastern and Western traditions. This article considers the tradition of medical meteorology that was favoured by Western doctors in the nineteenth century, which was often applied within colonial contexts to the understanding of new climates and how they might impact on human health. Looking at British-held tropical and sub-tropical colonies of the Straits Settlements and Hong Kong respectively, medical meteorology was stimulated by the new pathological and atmospheric conditions that European explorers and settlers now inhabited in the name of the British Empire. They brought with them concepts of disease …

Enhancing The Value Of Satellite Earth Observations For Coastal Management: Tools For Collaboration And Co-Development, Nicole Dejeet Bartlett

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Despite unprecedented satellite Earth observation (EO) capabilities and free data availability, widespread adoption in coastal management remains limited due to persistent communication barriers between satellite experts and coastal practitioners. This dissertation addresses the fundamental challenge of translating satellite EO technical capabilities into management-relevant applications. Through synthesis of literature, stakeholder interviews, and two multi-year co-development case studies in Virginia's Middle Peninsula and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, this research identifies systematic barriers to satellite EO adoption and develops innovative frameworks for overcoming them.

The work argues for a common language between satellite product developers and coastal managers, identifying communication barriers spanning technical, institutional, …

Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems In Southeastern Utah: An Integrated Analysis Of Hydrology, Ecology, And Landscape Change, Colten Lay

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

In Southeastern Utah, springs play a critical role in sustaining groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) in a semi-arid environment. However, they remain understudied and face growing threats from climate change, land use modifications, and hydrologic alterations. This study addresses knowledge gaps in spring occurrence, hydrologic function, and ecological condition by integrating field surveys, remote sensing, and geospatial analysis across multiple spatial scales. It provides a comprehensive assessment of spring hydrology, water quality, and ecological conditions using field surveys, remote sensing, and GIS analysis to establish a foundational baseline of GDE resources in the region. I applied a multi-scale monitoring approach across the …

Dream Pilot Project: Analysis Of Groundwater Development At Six Villages In Ethiopia, Lindsay K. Gordon

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This study presents a hydrogeologic assessment of the Distributed Renewable Energy Agriculture Modalities (DREAM) pilot project, an ongoing groundwater development initiative in rural Ethiopia. This project integrates solar-powered groundwater infrastructure across six villages to improve water access, agricultural productivity, and economic stability.

Fourteen production wells were installed at Murche, four at Dalle, and additional test wells at Murche, Dalle, Chefe Kora, and Huluku. Transmissivity values and the number of wells at Murche suggest that local water needs are currently being met. In contrast, fewer wells were drilled at Dalle. This reflects the high cost of well construction relative to yield, …

Experimental Investigation Of Photovoltaic Soiling Losses And Aerosol Absorption And Scattering Related To Dust In The Chihuahuan Desert Region, German Rodriguez Ortiz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores the interaction between mineral dust and solar radiation in the Chihuahuan Desert, one of the dustiest areas in North America. I focused on two main aspects: (1) the characterization of atmospheric aerosol optical properties during dust events, and (2) the effects of dust deposition (soiling) on the performance of photovoltaic (PV) modules. I characterized the intrinsic optical properties of aerosols in El Paso, Texas during the peak of the 2021 dust season. Ground-level, high-resolution optical and meteorological data were collected at the Black and Brown Carbon (BC^2) study site, whereas particulate matter and additional meteorological parameters were …

Aquatic Habitat Representation For Robust Water Resources Management And Fish Conservation Decision-Making, Gregory C. Goodrum

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

We rely on rivers to provide water supply, flood control, and hydroelectricity for people and to sustain aquatic ecosystems. The development of dams and reservoirs to provide water for people did not consider environmental impacts to rivers, leading to widespread decline of freshwater species and habitat. Improving environmental outcomes of water management is needed to protect and restore aquatic ecosystems. However, rivers are complex and variable, making them difficult to represent as objectives for water management. This dissertation explores approaches to improve aquatic habitat representation and environmental objectives for water resources management and river conservation and restoration.

Chapter 2 uses …

Enabling Sustainability Transitions For Great Salt Lake: Framing Of Public Opinion, Boundary Work, And Policy, Anna Mcentire

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This dissertation explores how people think about, talk about, and take action to save Great Salt Lake, which reached historic low levels in 2021. Using surveys, public records, and legislative documents primarily from 2022 to 2024, the research examines public opinions, collaborative efforts, and policy changes related to the lake. The first chapter looks at what people value about the lake and what actions they want to see taken. It finds that people are very concerned and want significant efforts to stop the lake's decline. The second chapter investigates how different groups work together publicly to negotiate new understandings, create …

Setting Salinity Water-Quality Standards Protective Of Aquatic Life: Insights From Analyses Of The Effects Of Salinity On Stream Insects, Katlyn M. Gardner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Freshwater ecosystems are becoming saltier due to human activities like agriculture, urbanization, and resource extraction. This change in salinity is important because we know very little of how stream salinity affects aquatic insects at natural concentrations, much less at elevated concentrations. Increases in salinity may harm aquatic macroinvertebrates, which play important roles in stream food webs and are widely used as indicators of ecosystem health. Understanding how salinity affects aquatic insect growth, survival, and distribution is critical for developing effective criteria protective of aquatic life, but existing methods often rely on field surveys where multiple environmental factors covary, making it …

Balancing Native Wetland Types And Ecosystem Function Conservation In The Face Of An Aggressive Plant Invader, Aubin A. Douglas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Wetlands provide a multitude of ecosystem services that are important to people including water filtration, flood attenuation, carbon sequestration, and recreational opportunities such as birding and hunting. Wetland plants support these services by performing important underlying ecological processes called ecosystem functions which include removing heavy metals from water and providing habitat for migratory birds. The provisioning of these functions varies through space and time, by vegetation type, and via impacts from other factors like climate and management actions. Wetland managers are responsible for maintaining these functions and services within their management complexes to align with their agency’s mandates. Unfortunately, managers …

Highly Contaminated Sediments From The Gowanus Canal (New York) Superfund Site: An Environmental Forensic Approach, Michael A. Kruge, Kevin K. Olsen, Eric A Stern, Maria Mastalerz, Albert Permanyer

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The 2.5 km long Gowanus Canal (Brooklyn, NY, USA) is a severely contaminated urban waterway dating from the mid-19th century, listed as a US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Superfund site since 2010. Applying an environmental forensics approach to the extensive USEPA data set, we detect systematic variations in parent PAH ring number distributions in the canal sediments, as well as an extraordinary enrichment in organic carbon. We subjected a supplemental sample set to a more detailed analysis by quantitative pyrolysis-GC-MS, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, and organic petrology. With these sensitive methods, we can confirm the alkyl-PAH fingerprint of coal tar (a legacy …

Tackling Data Quality Challenges In Remote Sensing: Solutions For Reliable Urban Heat Island Analysis, Wei Xia, Aqil Tariq, Hesham El-Askary, Rana Waqar Aslam, Elgar Barboza, Dmitry E. Kucher, Youssef M. Youssef, Habib Kraiem

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Urban heat islands (UHIs) pose critical challenges to public health, energy demand, and environmental sustainability, particularly in rapidly expanding urban regions. This study examines the complex relationship between building configurations and integrated green spaces, as well as their combined impact on thermal regulation. It focuses on addressing data quality issues commonly encountered in remote sensing applications. Using high-resolution multispectral and thermal imagery, we developed an integrated modeling approach that captures the collective influence of built form and green infrastructure on urban microclimates. A key finding is the significant linear inverse relationship between green space coverage and land surface temperature, underscoring …

Assessing Effectiveness Of Runnel Restoration In New England Salt Marsh Habitats, David M. Burdick, Grant Mckown, Gregg Moore, Jenny Gibson, Wenley Ferguson, John Herbert, Nancy Pau, Susan Adamowicz, Geoff Wilson

Faculty Publications

Rising sea levels that increase flooding in salt marshes recovering from hydrologic impairments is reducing nesting habitat for salt marsh sparrows. Abandonment of colonial farming practices (1600s through 1900s) has resulted in large, waterlogged basins characterized by shallow depressions (pannes) dominated by short-form Spartina alterniflora and unvegetated megapools that are subsiding. A relatively new technique designed to provide regular tidal flooding and drainage to the waterlogged basins that have formed on the marsh is runnelling – creation of shallow hydrologic features on the marsh surface. Will runnels result in revegetation of pannes and pools with productive perennial grasses that are …

Re: Comment Letter For Clark Tailings Consolidated Waste Management Area (Ctcwma) Site Investigation Quality Assurance Project Plan Revision 01 (Dated June 6, 2025), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.