Digital Commons Network^™

Revised Draft Final Solid Media Management Program Plan, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Defining The Current Distribution Of The Imperiled Black-Spotted Newt Across South Texas, Usa, Padraic S. Robinson, Drew R. Davis, Sean M. Collins, Richard Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Black-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus meridionalis) is a chronically understudied salamander species, with many aspects of its natural history, ecology, and distribution poorly known. Previous studies using traditional methodologies have had limited success documenting N. meridionalis on the landscape, detecting individuals at 6% (7 of 114) and 1% (2 of 221) of sites surveyed. A novel environmental DNA (eDNA) assay was designed and implemented with the goals of assessing the current distribution of N. meridionalis across south Texas, USA, and better understanding the conditions for positive eDNA detections. We conducted eDNA sampling and traditional surveys at 80 sites throughout …

Ocean Wave Prediction And Characterization For Intelligent Maritime Transportation, Pujan Pokhrel

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The national Earth System Prediction (ESPC) initiative aims to develop the predictions
for the next generation predictions of atmosphere, ocean, and sea-ice interactions in the scale of days to decades. This dissertation seeks to demonstrate the methods we can use to improve the ESPC models, especially the ocean prediction model. In the application side of the weather forecasts, this dissertation explores imitation learning with constraints to solve combinatorial optimization problems, focusing on the weather routing of surface vessels. Prediction of ocean waves is essential for various purposes, including vessel routing, ocean energy harvesting, agriculture, etc. Since the machine learning approaches …

Final Butte Reclaimed Areas Maintenance And Monitoring (M&M) Plan In Accordance With Butte Reclamation Evaluation System (Bres), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

An Economical And Repeatable Method For Mapping Shade Cast On Water Channels, Eric M. Nielsen

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

The motivation of this work is to provide insights toward determining a viable strategy for statewide monitoring of riparian vegetation condition, with particular focus on developing a repeatable, costeffective method for assessment of progress toward achieving temperature-based water quality standards mandated by the federal Clean Water Act. A reliable monitoring strategy could in turn support a datadriven prioritization and assessment framework to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of riparian restoration efforts. In this project we developed and tested a method for mapping shade cast on water channels by riparian vegetation using optical imagery sources that are affordable and regularly …

Equilibria: Sustainability And Eco-Awareness In Music Production, Ashley A. Kahl-Placek

University Honors Theses

Cross-disciplinary exploration between science and the arts is one tool to help solve some of the biggest issues facing humans. Climate change and loss of biodiversity can be represented via sound art and contemporary music composition. Wholistic eco-awareness and sustainability are possible when projects are based in unique species-inspired soundscapes, the cultivation of targeted, action-inspiring lyricism, and a sustainable navigation of the marketing and distribution pathways of the music industry. From the fall of 2021 to summer of 2022, field recordings of unique ecosystems were collected and combined with songwriting rooted in a love and hope for the future of …

Latitudinal Variance In The Drivers And Pacing Of Warmth During Mid-Pleistocene Mis 31 In The Antarctic Zone Of The Southern Ocean, Jonathan P. Warnock, Brendan T. Reilly, Maureen E. Raymo, Michael E. Weber, Victoria Peck, Trevor Williams, Linda Armbrecht, Ian Bailey, Stefanie Brachfeld, Zhiheng Du, Gerson Fauth, Marga M. García, Anna Glüder, Michelle Guitard, Marcus Gutjahr, Sidney Hemming, Iván Hernández-Almeida, Freida S. Hoem, Ji Hwan Hwang, Mutsumi Iizuka, Yuji Kato, Bridget Lee, Yasmina M. Martos, Suzanne O’Connell, Lara F. Pérez, Thomas A. Ronge, Osamu Seki, Lisa Tauxe, Shubham Tripathi, Xufeng Zheng, Joseph Stoner, Reed P. Scherer

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Early Pleistocene Marine Isotope Stage (MIS)-31 (1.081–1.062 Ma) is a unique interval of extreme global warming, including evidence of a West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) collapse. Here we present a new 1,000-year resolution, spanning 1.110–1.030 Ma, diatom-based reconstruction of primary productivity, relative sea surface temperature changes, sea-ice proximity/open ocean conditions and diatom species absolute abundances during MIS-31, from the Scotia Sea (59°S) using deep-sea sediments collected during International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 382. The lower Jaramillo magnetic reversal (base of C1r.1n, 1.071 Ma) provides a robust and independent time-stratigraphic marker to correlate records from other drill cores in the …

The Changing Urban Forest In Gallup, New Mexico: Contextualizing Urban Tree Programs And Planning Processes, Joseph A. Scala

Geography ETDs

Tree plantings are often proposed as a solution to a variety of urban problems. The purpose of this project is to investigate the historical formation of urban tree cover in Gallup, New Mexico, and the extent to which urban tree plantings can benefit areas with inequitable urban tree distribution. To do this, I employ a mixed methods approach that includes correlation analysis, historical analysis, and analysis of urban tree canopy change from 1972-2005. The findings from this study indicate that Gallup’s history of tree plantings is heavily influenced by its history of economic development. Additionally, the findings demonstrate that if …

Pilot Study: Geoenvironmental Controls Of Residential Radon Cedar Falls, Iowa, Maya Mallavarapu, Chad Heinzel Ph.D.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

• The leading cause of lung-cancer for individuals who do not smoke is exposure to abnormally high radon concentrations. If radon concentrations within a person’s basement is above 4 pCi/L, the EPA recommends further testing and possible decontamination of the area to mitigate one’s exposure to radon.

• Radon is a radioactive gas that originates from the decay series of Uranium-238. The decay series begins with Uranium-238 and finishes with an end product of Lead-206. However, during this decay process before Lead-206 is culminated, intermediates such as Uranium-234, Thorium-230, Radium-226, and Radon-222 are also produced

Development Of A Water Quality Index Calculation Tool Using Excel, Rowan Mccarthy, Mohammad Iqbal Ph.D.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

With many parameters by which water can be measured, it can be difficult to understand whether water is high quality or low quality. To solve this problem, many water quality indices have been developed over the last 60 years. The UNI Hydrology Lab uses the National Sanitation Foundation Water Quality Index (NSFWQI). This index provides a methodology by which Dissolved Oxygen, Fecal Coliform, pH, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Temperature Change, Total Phosphate, Nitrate, Turbidity, and Total Solids can be combined to provide a single number indicative of the overall water quality. In previous years, when WQI calculations were needed, the bulk …

Exploring New Methods For Quantifying Soil Reduction, Redox Potential, And Iron Reducing Bacteria Using The Iris Method In Wetland Soils., Jessica Everett

Biology Theses

The presence of hydric soils is one of the key factors used to identify and delineate wetlands as specified by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The Indicator of Reduction in Soil (IRIS) Method, accepted by the National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils (NTCHS) can indicate iron reduction in soil which can identify hydric soil for wetland delineation efforts. This thesis was conducted to see if the IRIS method had potential for other uses such as quantifying relative measurements of iron reducing bacteria and to see if a colorimetric scale could be curated to bring less subjection to …

Final Bpsou Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Colorado Dump-West Lot Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Response To Comments For Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final Street And Snow Management Plan (Received December 15, 2021), Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2022 Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Revised Final Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Plan, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites - Field Sampling Plan (Fsp) Bres No. 32 – Corra-2 Dumps, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites - Field Sampling Plan (Fsp) Bres No. 37 – Josephine Shaft, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2022 Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Revised Final Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Plan, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Haemosporidian Parasite Diversity In An Under-Surveyed Australian Avifauna, Ian R. Hoppe, Allison E. Johnson, Elizabeth Vanwormer

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Haemosporidian parasites of birds are geographically widespread, have been detected in a phylogenetically diverse array of hosts, and have been the focus of extensive research due to both their impacts on birds and their similarity to vector-borne diseases of humans. Advances in molecular diagnostic tools have created a greater awareness of the genetic diversity of haemosporidian infections. Yet in spite of their more or less global distribution, comparatively little is known about the haemosporidians affecting birds in Australia. We screened blood from 889 birds (23 species) for haemosporidian blood parasite infections during the 2019 breeding season at Brookfield Conservation Park, …

Changes In Nonlinearity And Stability Of Streamflow Recession Characteristics Under Climate Warming In A Large Glaciated Basin Of The Tibetan Plateau, Jiarong Wang, Xi Chen, Man Gao, Qi Hu, Jintao Liu

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The accelerated climate warming in the Tibetan Plateau after 1997 has profound consequences in hydrology, geography, and social wellbeing. In hydrology, the change in streamflow as a result of changes in dynamic water storage that originated from glacier melt and permafrost thawing in the warming climate directly affects the available water resources for societies of the most populated nations in the world. In this study, annual streamflow recession characteristics are analyzed using daily climate and hydrological data during 1980–2015 in the Yarlung Zangbo River basin (YRB) of the southern Tibetan Plateau. The recession characteristics are examined in terms of dQ=dt …

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Final 2022 Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp) (Dated July 12, 2022), Nikia Greene

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Coupling Dendrochronology And Remote Sensing Techniques To Assess The Biophysical Traits Of Juniperus Virginiana And Pinus Ponderosa Within Grassland Communities In The Semi-Arid Grasslands Of The Nebraska Sandhills, Reece Allen

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Woody species encroachment is occurring within the sandhills region in Nebraska, primarily driven by Juniperus virginiana and Pinus ponderosa, altering ecosystems and the services they provide. Effective, low cost, and cross-scale monitoring of woody species growth and performance is necessary for integrated grassland and forest management in the face of climate variability and change. In this study, we sought to establish a relationship between remote sensing-derived vegetation indices (VIs) and dendrochronological (raw and standardized tree ring width) measurements to assess the performance of encroaching woody J. virginiana and P. ponderosa located within the Nebraska National Forest in the sandhills. …

Stratospheric Effects On Uv, Speed Of Sound, Pressure, And Temperature, Joshua V. Chis, Joana Diaz, Brianna E. Ortiz, Imani G. Robertson, Jelani A. Shadd

DePaul Discoveries

The atmosphere is composed of several layers, each with its own distinct environment varying in temperature, pressure, and levels of UV radiation. Quantifying these varying parameters proves to be useful in understanding atmospheric composition in greater detail. Variance in the composition of the atmosphere allows for the study of the evolution of physical phenomena at different altitudes. Our group quantified this variance using a high-altitude weather balloon and designed an experimental method to observe the nature of sound propagation through varying altitudes. The goal was to develop an altitude-dependent model of the speed of sound by using an open-air, microcontroller-based …

Atmospheric Phosphorus Deposition Into A Fresh Water Wetland: Prairie Wolf Slough Restored Wetland, Isaac B. Daitzchman

DePaul Discoveries

Phosphorus is a major element needed for plant growth. Excess phosphorus from agricultural runoff and urban stormwater can enter waterways, resulting in growth of toxic algal blooms that are deleterious to local fauna. One way to remove phosphorus is by diverting agricultural and urban runoff into wetlands. One such wetland is Prairie Wolf Slough (PWS), located in north suburban Chicago, IL. Stormwater enters PWS through an inlet channel and exits through an outlet pipe into the Chicago River. A 16-year study documented that a significantly greater mass of phosphorus leaves PWS than enters through the inlet. This study accounted for …

Comparing Airborne Algorithms For Greenhouse Gas Flux Measurements Over The Alberta Oil Sands, Broghan M. Erland, Cristen Adams, Andrea Darlington, Mackenzie L. Smith, Andrew K. Thorpe, Gregory R. Wentworth, Steve Conley, John Liggio, Shao-Meng Li, Charles E. Miller, John A. Gamon

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

To combat global warming, Canada has committed to reducing greenhouse gases to be (GHGs) 40 %–45 % below 2005 emission levels by 2025. Monitoring emissions and deriving accurate inventories are essential to reaching these goals. Airborne methods can provide regional and area source measurements with small error if ideal conditions for sampling are met. In this study, two airborne mass-balance box-flight algorithms were compared to assess the extent of their agreement and their performance under various conditions. The Scientific Aviation’s (SciAv) Gaussian algorithm and the Environment and Climate Change Canada’s top-down emission rate retrieval algorithm (TERRA) were applied to data …

Spatial Stream Modeling Of Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia Motacilla) Foraging Substrate And Aquatic Prey In A Watershed Undergoing Shale Gas Development, Mack W. Frantz, Petra B. Wood, Steven C. Latta

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

We demonstrate the use of spatial stream network models (SSNMs) to explore relationships between a semiaquatic bioindicator songbird, Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), and stream monitoring and benthic macroinvertebrate data in an area undergoing shale gas development. SSNMs allowed us to account for spatial autocorrelation inherent to these environmental data types and stream properties that traditional modeling approaches cannot capture to elucidate factors that affect waterthrush foraging locations. We monitored waterthrush along 58.1 km of 1st- and 2nd-order headwater stream tributaries (n = 14) in northwestern West Virginia over a two year period (2013–2014), sampled benthic macroinvertebrates in waterthrush …

Adapting To Low Colorado River Flows And Storage: Lessons From 3 Computer Exercises, David E. Rosenberg

Publications

As Colorado River flows and reservoir levels decline, discussion is ramping up about adapting operations to low flow and storage because existing operations adapt only to storage. This post reviews three recent computer exercises that adapted Colorado River operations to low flow and low storage. Three final paragraphs synthesize lessons to build towards more equitable and sustainable operations.

Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Annual Quality Assurance Project Plan For Butte Reduction Works (Brw) Smelter Area Mine Waste Remediation And Contaminated Groundwater Hydraulic Control Site; Phase Ii Brw Quality Assurance Project Plan (Dated July 8, 2022), Nikia Greene

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Medical Monitoring Working Group Meeting Minutes, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.