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The Impact Of Non-Stationarities In The Climate System On The Definition Of "A Normal Wind Year": A Case Study From The Baltic, S C. Pryor, R J. Barthelmie, Justin T. Schoof

Publications

Wind speeds over the Baltic significantly increased over the second half of the 20th century (C20th), with the majority of the increase being focused on the upper quartile of the wind speed distribution and in the southwest of the region. These changes have potentially profound implications for the wind energy resource. For example, based on the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP–NCAR) reanalysis data it is shown that, owing to this non-stationarity, using the normalization period of 1987–98 to determine the wind resource (as in the Danish wind index) leads to overestimation of the wind energy …

‘We’Re Just Like The Irish’: Narratives Of Assimilation, Belonging, And Citizenship Among Arab American Activists, Caroline R. Nagel, Lynn A. Staeheli

Faculty Publications

This paper examines narratives of assimilation and belonging as activists attempt to position Arab-Americans as citizens and full members of the American polity. In interviews with activists, the experience of the Irish as immigrants and citizens was often invoked as the paradigmatic example of how immigrants are incorporated as citizens—an example that activists promoted as one that Arabs would follow. By invoking the Irish experience, activists hope to remind Americans that immigration history is not one of effortless assimilation, but is rather characterized by systematic exclusion and marginalization. In so doing, they articulate narratives of assimilation and belonging that draw …

Prolegomenon To A Pedestrian Cartography Of Mixed Legal Jurisdictions: The Case Of Israel/Palestine, Susan G. Drummond

Articles & Book Chapters

The relationship between cartography and law provides a unique focus through which to examine mixed legal jurisdictions. Through an exploration of the various uses of law, cartography, and nation building, the author postulates that mixed legal jurisdictions are created through the subtle incorporation of the originally unfamiliar “Other”. In Canada, European settlers asserted sovereignty through the mapping and naming of territory in ways that did not accord with traditional Aboriginal patterns of usage or conceptualizations of space. The eventual creation of a legal middle ground between these peoples, as articulated by Richard White, is the basis of the author’s analysis …

An Evaluation Of Lidar-Derived Elevation And Terrain Slope In Leaf-Off Conditions, Michael E. Hodgson, John Jensen, George Raber, Jason Tullis, Bruce A. Davis, Gary Thompson, Karen Schuckman

Faculty Publications

The effects of land cover and surface slope on lidar-derived elevation data were examined for a watershed in the piedmont of North Carolina. Lidar data were collected over the study area in a winter (leaf-off) overflight. Survey-grade elevation points (1,225) for six different land cover classes were used as reference points. Root mean squared error (RMSE) for land cover classes ranged from 14.5 cm to 36.1 cm. Land cover with taller canopy vegetation exhibited the largest errors. The largest mean error (36.1 cm RMSE) was in the scrub-shrub cover class. Over the small slope range (0° to 10°) in this …

Geospatial Analysis Of Gravel Bar Deposition And Channel Migration Within The Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri (1955-2003), Derek J. Martin

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Historical land clearing is believed to be responsible for present-day channel instability in main stem reaches in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) in south-central Missouri. The nature of instability is related to the delivery of excess amounts of gravel sediment to stream channels and higher rates of lateral bank erosion. These conditions are of concern to resource managers because of the potential damaging effects on recreational facilities and aquatic habitat. The purpose of this study is to develop a geographic information systems (GIS)/remote sensing (RS) based methodology to monitor spatial patterns of gravel deposition and lateral channel migration within …

The Historical Geography Of Good Thunder, Minnesota, 1870-2005, Robert L. Bothmann

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Good Thunder is a small village in south central Minnesota on the Maple River. Founded in 1870, it is named for two prominent Indian leaders, one a Winnebago chief who lived at the site, and the other a Dakota who was active in the conflict of 1862. It began as an agricultural commerce center when the railroad arrived in Minnesota. The purpose of the study is to consider the transformation of the village, focusing upon the origins and significance of its physical and cultural features in the context of historical geography. The changing historical events and geographical features of the …

Social Indicators In Cleveland's Ward 17, Mark Salling, Sharon Bliss, Joseph Ahern

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Implementing A New Data Model For Simulating Process, Jochen Albrecht, Femke Reitsma

Publications and Research

The paper describes the development of a new methodological approach for simulating geographic processes through the development of a data model that represents a process. This methodology complements existing approaches to dynamic modelling, which focus on the states of the system at each time step, by storing and representing the processes that are implicit in the model. The data model, called nen, focuses existing modelling approaches on representing and storing process information, which provides advantages for querying and analysing processes. The flux simulation framework was created utilizing the nen data model to represent processes. This simulator includes basic classes for …

Push And Pull: Using Regression Models To Study The Influence Of Economic Variables On Net Migration In Iowa Counties, Andrea White

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Migration is an intensely personal decision, but mathematical models are useful for quantifying the larger, economic aspects of it. The goal of this research is to use spatial and multiple regression models to study the influence of economic variables on net migration rates in Iowa counties. To achieve this data for many variables was collected from several sources and centered on the year 2000. S-plus software was used to create neighborhood structures, run spatial correlations and regressions, and run multiple regressions and residual diagnostics. The results showed that it is possible to develop a good regression model of migration using …

Bedrock Geology Of Rogers Quadrangle, Benton County, Arkansas, Jon C. Dowell, Camille M. Hutchinson, Stephen K. Boss

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A digital geologic map of Rogers quadrangle was produced at 1:24,000 scale using the geographic information system (GIS) software Maplnfo. Data regarding stratigraphic relations observed in the field were digitized onto the United States Geological Survey (USGS) digital raster graphic (DRG) of Rogers quadrangle. The geology of Rogers quadrangle consists of sedimentary rocks of the Ordovician, Devonian, and Mississippian systems. The Cotter, Powell, and Everton formations represent the Ordovician System. The Clifty and Chattanooga formations represent the Devonian System. The St.Joe and Boone formations represent the Mississippian System. This mapping effort represents the first time stratigraphy of Rogers quadrangle was …

Integrating Supervised And Unsupervised Classification Methods To Develop A More Accurate Land Cover Classification, Donald I.M. Enderle, Robert C. Weih Jr.

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The classification and mapping of land cover provides fundamental information about the characteristics, activities, and status of specific areas on the earth's surface. The quality of the final classification is critical in providing accurate information for ecologists and resource managers in decision-making and for developing a landscape-level understanding of an ecosystem. A land cover classification was developed for 5 research watersheds in Garland and Saline counties in Arkansas using 2002 LANDSAT7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) satellite imagery. The supervised classification was based upon 146 training areas identified from reference data and then applied to the imagery using the maximum …

Monitoring Spatial And Temporal Water Quality Changes In Iowa Lakes Using Airborne Hyperspectral Imagery, Nathan Robert Green

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has identified more than 20,000 water bodies across America as polluted mainly due to agricultural non-point source pollution. Current techniques for monitoring and assessing the quality of waters in streams, reservoirs, lakes, and estuaries involve on site measurements and/or the collection of water samples for subsequent laboratory analyses. While this approach yields accurate measurements for a point in time and space, it is expensive, laborious, and cannot provide a temporal or spatial overview of water-quality trends. To overcome this liability, state and local agencies are seeking alternative and more cost effective methods. A …

The August 14th, 2003 Blackout: Implications For Future Disaster Preparedness In Toronto, Ontario, Kelly Marie Macgrandles

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Hazards, both natural and technological occur on a fairly regular basis. Timely and accurate communication of information before, during and after a disaster is essential for saving lives and property. This theme is the focus of this Master's thesis, in which the August 14th, 2003 blackout is used as a case study to assess how information is provided to the public during disaster events. More specifically, the thesis evaluates how agencies within the City of Toronto communicated risk information to the public. A news release analysis and interview analysis were then conducted to determine how closely the information in news …

Walden: A Sacred Geography, Joy Whiteley Ackerman

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In this study, I explore Walden as a place of pilgrimage. Walden Pond is located in Concord, Massachusetts, a place associated with Henry David Thoreau, a 19th century icon of American environmentalism. The site of his simple dwelling (and the focus of his book by the same name) is now a state park and national landmark that receives over half a million recreational users and tourists each year, in addition to visitors with a particular interest in Thoreau’s life and writing. I took two approaches to Walden’s sacred geography, using phenomenological methods to explore the poetics of pilgrimage and a …

Extraction Of Transportation Infrastructure From Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Data, James Paul Gerjevic

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The goal of this study was to extract transportation infrastructure features from hyper-spectral imagery using data from the high resolution Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS). A "Minimum Noise Fraction" (MNF) and a classification and regression tree (CART) were used to reduce the number of spectral dimensions to be analyzed. Then, hyperspectral classifiers such as the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM), Mixture-tuned matched filtering (MTMF) and mixture-tuned matched filtering combined with classification and regression tree (MTMF-CART) were used to extract the transportation infrastructures from the image using different image processing software such as ENVI and ERDAS IMAGINE. Finally, WinTopo software was used …

Glacial Deposits, Vol. 33, 2004-2005, Department Of Geography-Geology

Glacial Deposits

Newsletter of the Department of Geography-Geology

Methods For Correcting Topographically Induced Radiometric Distortion On Landsat Thematic Mapper Images For Land Cover Classification, David Michael Rosen

Geography Masters Research Papers

Satellite imagery is commonly used to study land-use, land-cover change in mountainous areas. Classification of land-cover types is particularly difficult in this type of terrain because topography affects the spectral response of surface features. Several techniques have been developed to help compensate for this topographic effect and to increase classification accuracy.

The purpose of this study is to compare topographic correction methods to determine which produces the most accurate results. Method 1 does not use any topographic correction, serving as a control. Method 2 is based on the Lambertian model, and uses topographical data as variables in an equation. Method …

"Alberta Arts District" : Boundaries And Belonging Among Long-Time Residents In A Culturally Changing Neighborhood, Sammy Shaw

Dissertations and Theses

This study takes a cultural perspective in studying the "Alberta Arts District," a gentrifying neighborhood in Northeast Portland in which bohemian cultural production/consumption has become the dominant and commodified vision of the community. Survey data demonstrates residents' general opinions and levels of participation in the changing neighborhood. Forty long-time residents, black and white, homeowners and renters, are interviewed in-depth regarding their perceptions of change. Long-time residents of gentrifying neighborhoods are often overlooked as a less powerful group that only has to negotiate rising rents and property values. This study approaches the meaning of neighborhood changes for long-time residents who have …

An Evaluation Of Crash Cluster Identification Methodologies: A Case Study Of Iowa, Leonard Sitji Bombom

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the US, crashes are a leading cause of death and disability. To effectively counter this problem, measures are aimed at locations with high crash risks. One common method to determine these "hazardous" locations is to identify clusters of crashes, also referred to as hotspots or blackspots. Several methodologies have been developed to achieve this aim. However, there is no consensus as to what method(s) is "correct." This study evaluates some of the methodologies in the CrimeStat statistical program that are used to cluster crashes with the aim of determining those most suitable for certain crash types (younger drivers, failure …

Russian Immigration To The Usa, 1990-2003, Alexandra Mikhailovna Bozheva

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The last decade of the 20th century was marked by an important event on the European political map, the USSR's disintegration and the formation of new states. The collapse of the Soviet Union and consequent changes in the economic and social lives of its former population caused an increase in migration between former republics, and migration flow abroad. Regarding the Russian Federation, international emigration from its territory was directed mostly toward three countries: Germany, Israel and the USA. The period 1990-1991 can be called the starting point of a new wave of Russian emigration, and this is true in relation …

Cooperative Conservation - Interagency Volunteer Program Quarterly Progress Report: Period Ending December 31, 2004, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

Collaboration with Interagency Team

During the third quarter, the interagency volunteer team and university representatives have held several meetings to continue progress on the Interagency Volunteer Program (IVP). At the beginning of October, candidates for the project manager position were interviewed by the university search committee, followed by interviews with the interagency team on October 6, 2004. After two finalists were identified, reference checks were made and the university and team recommended to the federal managers that Ms. Donna Grady be hired. Ms. Grady’s first day on the job was December 1, 2004. In the interim, Nancy Flagg, Public Lands …

Tourism And Rural Identity In The Waasland, Belgium, Joel Stuart Thomas

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The northern portion of Belgium, a region known as Flanders, is one of the most densely settled, industrialized areas in the world. Existing in small, isolated tracts, are "green spaces" mainly devoted to agricultural output.

The Flemish way of life and environment has become increasingly "urbanized." Tourism commissions operating in the countryside have drawn on Flemish heritage and identity, as well as the rural landscape to act as marketing tools. In terms of perception and the notion of a distinctly Flemish rural "space'" how are tourist flow patterns influenced? Does the process of perception result in an exclusive urban to …

Orographic Midlatitude Cyclone Modification: An Appalachian Study, Andrew Douglas Augustine

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Forecasting weather within cyclonic systems is increasingly complicated and problematic when the cyclone is modified as it passes over a mountain range. Although much study has been devoted to orographic effects, the degree of influence exerted upon midlatitude cyclones by the undersized Appalachian Mountains has not been fully established. The fundamental goal of this research was to investigate the relationships between the orography of the Appalachian region and three inherent properties exhibited by midlatitude cyclones traversing the region including intensity, movement speed, and heading. The methodology used in this study integrates GIS within a climatological analysis. Initially, a midlatitude surface …

The Use Of Aster Visible And Near-Infrared Reflectance Values To Estimate Aboveground Biomass In Terre Haute, In, Joel M. Overpeck

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have established that a relationship exists between biomass and satellite reflectance values (Franklin, 1986; Anderson, 1993). Such studies focus on areas with high vegetative homogeneity, with little research being conducted in urban areas. The purpose of this study was to attain a relationship between aboveground biomass and reflectance values from ASTER's (Advanced Spacebome Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR) sensor. In addition a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was generated from the near infrared and red bands to test its relationship with biomass. Aboveground biomass values were calculated from fifty-one 15 x 15 meter randomly …

Influence Of The Palisades Nuclear Power Plant On Residential Housing Prices, Nicole N. Blodgett

Masters Theses

The controversy over the influence of nuclear power plants on property values is a continual debate among communities (Clark et al. 1997). I will be looking at a sample of 400 residential houses within a twelve-mile radius of the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Covert, Michigan to see how the location of the plant influences the home sale price. Several structural, neighborhood, and demographic characteristics were complied for the analysis. In addition to these characteristics, distance to the plant, a visibility component, and a dummy variable to indicate all properties within a quarter mile from the Lake Michigan shoreline were …

Wine Tourism Route Development And Marketing Strategies In Southwest Michigan, Astrid Wargenau

Masters Theses

As many tourists find their way to the shorelines of Michigan every summer, Southwest Michigan's fruit belt has begun to draw- visitors inland. Wine tourism has emerged as a new form of tourism. The vineyards in Southwest Michigan, depending on these visitors as their main customer market, therefore formed a wine route, connecting them and creating a wine region feel for tourists. In doing so, the wineries hope to establish a recognized wine region and sell their wines nationwide.

This study is based on semi-structured interviews conducted with General Managers and Marketing Officials of each of the vineyards. Based on …

The Applicability Of A Habitat Rating System For Low Gradient Streams In Wisconsin To Low Gradient Coldwater Streams In Northern Michigan, Eric Lawrence Forward

Masters Theses

Habitat and fish assemblage data were collected on 12 streams in northern Michigan to assess the applicability of a habitat rating system developed for low gradient streams in Wisconsin in determining stream health in low gradient coldwater streams in northern Michigan. An Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) developed for coldwater streams in the upper Midwest was used as the measure of stream health. Principal components analysis was used to select a small subset of habitat variables to describe the variation in IBI scores. The seven habitat variables chosen to describe the variation in IBI scores in the final model included: …

Urban Agriculture: Asset Mapping Capstone, Lina Bondar, Benjamin Freeman, Garrett Helser, Olivia Jennings

Asset Mapping: Community Geography Project

No abstract provided.

Just Behind The Mountain: Refugee Children Imagine Tibet, Emma Tobin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the Tibetan diaspora began in 1959, when His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama fled Tibet for India, many Tibetans have settled and started families in exile. Today, a large percentage of Tibetan refugees have been born in exile, and have therefore never seen their country. Within Tibetan exile communities, however, the importance of Tibetan identity is strongly emphasized and people are still very much invested in the plight of Tibet. As a result, there exist strong ideas about the reality of life in Tibet within the exile community. According Jamyang Norbu, “Though the Shangri-la stereotype is a Western creation, …

Cooperative Conservation - Interagency Volunteer Program Quarterly Progress Report: Period Ending September 30, 2004, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

Collaboration with Interagency Team

Although the task agreement formally commenced June 30, 2004, the agreement was not fully executed by both parties until July 29, 2004. In the first three months of this agreement, UNLV representatives have met with or communicated via email with the Interagency Volunteer Team on numerous occasions. At the first meeting on July 13, 2004, Government Technical Representative Bobbie Antonich and UNLV Public Lands Initiative Director Nancy Flagg met with the interagency team to discuss the overall goals for the Interagency Volunteer Program (IVP). The team was brought up-to-date on the status of the task agreement, …