Digital Commons Network^™

Prediction Of Methane Gas By Using Hyperspectral Imageries And Remote Sensing Techniques, Aysha Ali Alhajeri

Theses

Greenhouse gases is important for sustaining life on earth as well as in mitigating climate change. Methane (CH4) is considered as one of the most important critical gases for the global climate change and have significant influences on our life. Accordingly, the prediction of this greenhouse gas emissions is very important for avoiding the climate change effects and to maintain environmental sustainability. The objective of this study is to explore the potential applications for remote sensing to predict methane levels in the Earth’s atmosphere with a combination of local ground data and data from hyperspectral satellite imagery. By using hyperspectral …

A Student-Centered Gis Classroom: Second Chances And Real-World Practice Teaching Portfolio For Nres218 Introduction To Geospatial Technologies, Ran Wang

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This course portfolio documents the design, implementation, and reflection of NRES218 Introduction to Geospatial Technologies, an introductory undergraduate geographic information system (GIS) course. This course aims to integrate basic and applied sciences to help students develop spatial thinking and spatial analysis skills for proposing spatial science–oriented solutions. Instructional strategies emphasize experiential learning through structured laboratory exercises and outdoor field activities that connects real-world observation with GIS analysis. To support student learning and persistence, the course also incorporated flexible assessment practices, including second-chance exams. Reflection on student engagement and performance revealed that while these strategies were highly beneficial for some students, …

Research Journal 2026: People And Places, José A. Rivera Ph.D

Faculty Publications

José Rivera narrates his life history from adolescence into college years, university teaching, research career, publications, and ends with post-retirement service as a giving back to community. For most of his term as an academic, his research focus was on community-based organizations that he terms “peoples’ institutions”: acequia associations and mutual help societies. For data, he conducted field work in New Mexico and the American Southwest as well as internationally, primarily in Mexico, Peru, Spain and the Philippines. While at these locations, he interviewed people, collected maps, researched archives, and took photographs as ethnographic evidence of people and places. His …

2026 Montana Tourism Outlook – Sales Tax: Is It Time? Montana Economic Seminar Presentation, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

No abstract provided.

Deep Learning Style Transfer For Enhanced Smoke Plume Visibility: A Standardized False Color Composite (Sfcc) In Gems Satellite Imagery, Yemin Jeong, Seung Hee Kim, Menas Kafatos, Jeong-Ah Yu, Kyoung-Hee Sung, Seung-Yeon Kim, Goo Kim, Jae-Jin Kim, Yangwon Lee

Institute for ECHO Articles and Research

Wildfire smoke visualization using geostationary satellite imagery is essential for real-time monitoring and atmospheric analysis; however, inconsistencies in color tone across Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) images hinder reliable interpretation and model training. This study proposes a Standardized False Color Composite (SFCC) framework based on deep learning style transfer to enhance the visual consistency and interpretability of wildfire smoke scenes. Four tone-standardization methods were compared: the statistical Empirical Cumulative Distribution Function (ECDF) correction and three neural approaches—ReHistoGAN, StyTr2, and Style Injection Diffusion Model (SI-DM). Each model was evaluated visually and quantitatively using six metrics (SSIM, LPIPS, FID, histogram similarity, ArtFID, …

The Rise Of Brownfield Mining Is Reshaping Global Mineral Supply And Intensifying Social And Environmental Risk, Deanna Kamp, Julia Loginova, Alex M. Lechner, Michelle Li Ern Ang, Riska A. Kuswati, Muhamad Risqi U. Saputra, Corinne Unger, Anthony J. Bebbington, John R. Owen

Geography

Global mineral demand is rising faster than supply growth, driven by efforts to scale renewable energy, transport, digital, and defense infrastructure. Yet, new mine commissioning has slowed, with production growth sustained by “brownfield” mining—expanding and intensifying extraction at existing sites. Because mine expansion is considered routine industry practice, questions about the global scale and scope of brownfielding are not prominent in public discussion or scientific research, limiting our understanding of its socioecological risks. Here, we leverage global production, exploration, and capital-expenditure data from 1998 to 2024 to uncover a decade-long acceleration in brownfield mining. We identify 366 brownfield mines, with …

Beyond Resilience: The Case For Regenerative, Restorative Cities, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In a commentary, SMU President Professor Lily Kong mentioned that at the City Dialogues event, co-convened by SMU and Urban Innovation Vienna, participants agreed that cities must equip their residents to withstand shocks and thrive in an evolving urban environment. Prof Kong said resilient cities anticipate, adapt and respond effectively to disruptions, which involves attention not only to physical infrastructure, but also to social cohesion and institutional foresight. She said that embedding sustainability into urban design is fundamental to ensuring cities flourish in a world of climate uncertainty and resource constraints. She added that the value of urban resilience lies …

Asia’S Future Will Be Won By Soft Power, Not Force, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Lily Kong argues that while force remains essential to deter aggression and manage worst-case scenarios, military strength may prevent defeat, but it rarely produces legitimacy. When hard power dominates the strategic imagination, volatility rises and markets suffer. Soft power – the ability to influence countries through persuasion, attraction and legitimacy – has become a strategic asset, she writes. It shapes expectations, lowers baseline tensions, and creates off-ramps in moments of crisis, often determining whether tensions escalate, how long crises last, and how much economic damage they inflict. Prof Kong believes that in a nuclear-armed, economically interdependent Asia, the real test …

The Affective Economy Of Toxic Atmospheres: Sensory Governance, Ecological Intelligences And The Performative Politics Of Urban Mosquito Management, Orlando Woods, Creighton Connolly

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This paper considers how atmospheres can play a powerful role in troubling the management of nature in the multispecies city. It brings the cyclical nature of atmospheric effects, the affective values and il/logics that determine human responses to non-human threats, and the misguided and potentially deleterious health outcomes that ensue into one analytical frame. Drawing on the empirical case of urban mosquito management in Singapore, it considers how the creation of toxic atmospheres through fogging – blowing insecticides into the air in a bid to kill mosquitoes – is ineffective and sets in motion a cascading series of socio-environmental consequences. …

Geopolitical Ecologies Of Cloud Capitalism: Territorial Restructuring And The Making Of National Computing Power In The Us And China, Justin Kollar, Sol Andrew Stokols

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

As computing power becomes central to geopolitical rivalry, cloud infrastructure is increasingly framed as critical to national security, economic resilience and technological sovereignty. Current debates often focus on global competition – especially between the U.S. and China – highlighting strategic investments, export controls and infrastructure diplomacy abroad. Yet far less attention has been paid to the domestic territorial transformations that make such geopolitical projection possible. This paper argues that national strategies for AI and cloud dominance depend on the reorganization of land, energy and regulatory systems to sustain large-scale computation. Using a geopolitical ecology framework, we examine how the U.S. …

"We're Going To Tear Up The Caldera So We Can Have An Electric Car": Wrestling With Prospective Lithium Mining In The Oregon Desert, Elizabeth Bartholomew, Alida Cantor, Kate Berry, Noel Vineyard

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Extraction of lithium, a key ingredient for renewable energy transitions, is a land- and water-intensive process. In this study, we use qualitative, place-based research to explore socio-environmental imaginaries surrounding a landscape on the verge of change due to lithium mining. We examine the ways that different actors are wrestling with the costs, benefits, and uncertainties of potential open-pit lithium mining in Oregon’s section of the McDermitt Caldera. In contrast to previous research which has described support for mining amongst those closest to the mine site, we find that in this case, perceptions of mining are characterized by ambivalence, uncertainty, and …

Kerentanan Kemiskinan Di Sulawesi Selatan: Analisis Vulnerability As Expected Poverty Dan Klaster Spasial, Nur Hilda Triany

Jurnal Ekonomi Kependudukan dan Keluarga

This study aims to analyze the determinants of poverty vulnerability in South Sulawesi by integrating spatial dimensions into risk estimation models. Using micro-data from the March 2024 National Socio-Economic Survey (Susenas) with individuals as the unit of analysis, this study applies the Vulnerability as Expected Poverty (VEP) and Local Indicator of Spatial Association (LISA) methods, estimated through an integrated logistic regression model. Empirical results indicate that while the average vulnerability is relatively low, risk distribution is highly concentrated in specific regional clusters. Key findings reveal that health insurance ownership and household assets are the dominant protective factors that drastically reduce …

Promoting Bromo Geological Heritage: Development Storymaps As Web Geographic Information Systems For Edutourism, Alfyananda Kurnia Putra, Batchuluun Yembuu, Diky Al Khalidy, Philipp Baidoo

Jurnal Pendidikan Geografi: Kajian, Teori, dan Praktek dalam Bidang Pendidikan dan Ilmu Geografi

Mount Bromo has the potential to be a Geological Heritage Site (Geosite) in learning Geography, but it is hampered by accessibility such as cost, risk, time, and other physical limitations. This study aims to develop and evaluate Web GIS Storymaps media for Geography learning. This research is Research and Development (R&D) with the ADDIE model, which consists of five stages, namely Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The resulting product is “Edutourism Bromo Volcano”, a storymap-based learning media that can be accessed on various devices. The results of the evaluation showed that this media was “Very Feasible” by material and …

Student's Disaster Comprehension In Merapi Eruption Disaster Prone Area: A New Approach Of Measuring Disaster Preparedness Profile Toward Young Generation, Agus Dwi Febrianto, Muhammad Nursa'ban, Zahid Zufar At Thaariq, James Leonard Mwakapemba

Jurnal Pendidikan Geografi: Kajian, Teori, dan Praktek dalam Bidang Pendidikan dan Ilmu Geografi

The number of disaster incidents in Indonesia causes disaster risk reduction efforts in Indonesia, especially young people, to need to be optimally increased. The extent of efforts to improve the preparedness of the younger generation cannot be known without going through the initial identification of disaster preparedness based on the youth profile. This study aims to describe and identify the preparedness profile of young people based on disaster preparedness measurement instruments. The method used in this study is descriptive by presenting, describing, and analyzing further data to find new conclusions and discoveries by comparing several data. Data collection was carried …

Development Of Sustainable Economy Programs In Langkat Regency, North Sumatra: Characteristics Of Coastal Communities And Mangrove Utilization, Meilinda Suriani Harefa, Mohamed Abdelwareth, Armin Rahmansyah Nasution, M Taufik Rahmadi, Dwi Irfansyah, Nurul 'Ain

Jurnal Pendidikan Geografi: Kajian, Teori, dan Praktek dalam Bidang Pendidikan dan Ilmu Geografi

Langkat Regency is one of the regencies in North Sumatra with a mangrove forest area of 26,774 hectares in 2024. Mangrove forests offer numerous benefits to coastal communities. Beyond serving as ecosystem resources, mangrove forests also provide economic benefits to coastal residents. Since the 1990s, coastal communities in Langkat Regency have begun cutting down forests for firewood without understanding the potential impacts. If this phenomenon continues, mangrove forest deforestation will worsen. The research aims to identify the characteristics of coastal communities in Langkat Regency, analyze the economic programs favored by these communities, and develop economic program models that sustainably utilize …

Modelling Land Use Land Cover Change In Banyumas Regency Using Remote Sensing Data For Tourism Policy Evaluation, Revi Hernina, Arif Wicaksono, Adi Wibowo, Astrid Damayanti

Jurnal Geografi Lingkungan Tropik (Journal of Geography of Tropical Environments)

Tourism is essentially a geographical phenomenon, encompassing the movement and flow of people and spatial distribution patterns relating to land use consumption. The impacts of tourism on LUCC must track and monitor regrading effected to environment and human side. For decades, Banyumas Regency has been known for its famous tourist destinations such Baturaden District and numerous waterfalls. However, the development of tourism infrastructures within its vicinity has sparked complaints from communities, particularly damaged roads and decreasing tourist visits. From environmental perspective, excessive tourism development might cause decreasing natural carrying capacity. Therefore, to provide deeper analysis regarding the current tourism development, …

Agro-Ecotourism In Ciputri Village: Evaluating Potentials And Strategies For Sustainable Tourism Development, Inanditya W. Putri, Hafid Setiadi

Jurnal Geografi Lingkungan Tropik (Journal of Geography of Tropical Environments)

Sustainable rural tourism development requires integrated planning that balances environmental conservation, community participation, and local economic growth. Agro-ecotourism has emerged as an important approach to support village-based tourism development in environmentally sensitive areas. Ciputri Village in Cianjur Regency has been designated as a tourism village and possesses considerable agro-based and ecological potential. However, tourism development remains suboptimal due to limited public awareness, low visitor numbers, and fragmented strategic planning. This study aims to assess agro-ecotourism potential and to formulate priority development strategies. An integrated approach combining Participatory Geographic Information Systems (P-GIS), SWOT-based EFAS/IFAS analysis, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) …

Study Of The Spatial Effect Of Geothermal On Surface Water Quality (Case Study Of Ci Pamatutan Watershed, Parakansalak Sub-District), Fauzan Abdurrahman Masykur, Prasetiawan Pras, M. Rafli Ariq Rianputra, Nesya Desfarivana Umaya, Vanesa Kelly Gabriela, Mangapul Parlindungan Tambunan, Supriatna Supriatna

Jurnal Geografi Lingkungan Tropik (Journal of Geography of Tropical Environments)

Geothermal plays an important role in affecting surface water quality with both positive and negative effects. It becomes an efficient renewable energy source in generating electricity without producing harmful gases. However, the presence of geothermal affects the quality of surface water in a watershed. This research is focused on the Mount Salak geothermal area which has volcanic and tectonic activity. Parameters such as electrical conductivity (measured in millisiemens/cm) were used to measure the content of minerals and dissolved compounds in the water. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) measured in ppt is used to quantify dissolved solids, while water acidity (pH) indicates …

Land Use And Sovereignty Along The Catawba River, Thomas C. Brugh, Lucile C. Rencher

Student Scholarship

This document-based case study explains how land-use change along the Catawba River Corridor (Lancaster and York Counties, South Carolina) has been produced through the interaction of property rights (dominium) and rule-setting authority (imperium), showing why sovereignty continues to shape development even after land disputes appear “settled.” Through analyzing legal records (Treaty of Nation Ford, the 1959 Catawba Division of Assets Act, the 1986 Supreme Court timing decision, and the 1993 Settlement Act), planning documents, parcel records, and field observations, we trace how shifting jurisdiction and title certainty structured what kinds of land uses were possible and when. We argue that …

Place Identity Of Korean Restaurants In Bandung, Indonesia, Aida Faiz Mutiara Sari, Hayuning Anggrahita, Alif Raya Zulkarnaen, Guswandi Guswandi

Jurnal Geografi Lingkungan Tropik (Journal of Geography of Tropical Environments)

Place identity is a perception that comes from social actors who have knowledge, interest, or authority in that place. Moreover, it refers to the relationship between space and its identity. It emphasizes its meaning and significance for individuals that experience it. Korean restaurant In Bandung-Indonesia is a culinary or food business that combines South Korean culture as an attraction that can become the identity of the place. Bandung Wetan Sub-District in Bandung City, Indonesia, is chosen as the case study location to determine the place identity of Korean restaurants. This study aims to determine the place identity of Korean restaurants …

Conceptualising Sacred Grove Tourism For Future Research Models - A Research Note, Debasish Batabyal, Rupa Sinha Dr., Kareem M. Selem Dr.

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Sacred groves or woodlands are known in tourism settings, they require a long historical process, and their classification as a unique tourism element is expanded in academic literature. To explore the characteristic features of sacred grove tourism, this research note reviews existing studies of tourism. Moreover, this research note seeks to uncover interesting socio-religious, cultural, and conservation dimensions that could guide policy-making in nature-based tourism. A comprehensive review of the tourism literature was conducted to determine whether sacred groves were included as a tourism feature. This research analysed previous studies on nature-based, religious, and cultural heritage tourism to formulate a …

Where Do Latinos Live In The New York City Metropolitan Area? Changing Settlement Patterns, 2000 - 2024, Laird W. Bergad

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

This report shows that between 2000 and 2024, the Latino population of the New York metropolitan area increased by 48% from 3,592,542 to 5,316,472 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Along with population expansion, there was a decisive change in settlement patterns among all Latinos, which, in fact, began before 2000. This was the decline of New York City as the major area of the Latino population concentration, although there were differentiations by nationality.

In 2000, 60% of all Latinos in the region lived in the City. By 2024, this had declined to 46%. And while the City’s Latino population …

Subjective Perspectives On Antarctic Wilderness: An Application Of Integral Ecology, Annabelle G. Mayes

Honors College Theses

Parties to the Antarctic Treaty have set Antarctica aside for peace, scientific research, and environmental protection. However, they have yet to take concrete actions to protect Antarctica’s wilderness values as agreed under the 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. Meanwhile, pristine areas that are free from human interference are declining as human activity escalates. This study examines perceptions of Antarctic wilderness through the lens of integral ecology. Data from 1,640 people and 16 study populations were extracted from four published studies. Content analysis was conducted to determine how subjective perspectives differ across populations and geographic regions. All …

A Robust Deep Learning Ensemble Framework For Waterbody Detection Using High-Resolution X-Band Sar Under Data-Constrained Conditions, Soyeon Choi, Seung Hee Kim, Son V. Nghiem, Menas Kafatos, Minha Choi, Jinsoo Kim, Yangwon Lee

Institute for ECHO Articles and Research

Accurate delineation of inland waterbodies is critical for applications such as hydrological monitoring, disaster response preparedness and response, and environmental management. While optical satellite imagery is hindered by cloud cover or low-light conditions, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) provides consistent surface observations regardless of weather or illumination. This study introduces a deep learning-based ensemble framework for precise inland waterbody detection using high-resolution X-band Capella SAR imagery. To improve the discrimination of water from spectrally similar non-water surfaces (e.g., roads and urban structures), an 8-channel input configuration was developed by incorporating auxiliary geospatial features such as height above nearest drainage (HAND), slope, …

From Warning To Action: Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Conflict Early Warning And Early Response Systems In Nigeria, Chukwudi G. Njoku

Peace and Conflict Studies Journal Conference

Violent conflicts continue to persist and escalate, with frequently changing dynamics in Nigeria. This is notwithstanding the existence of active conflict early warning and early response (CEWER) systems. While some of the CEWER systems have recorded some successes, gaps have been identified in their effectiveness, especially around how the early warning information are utilized for prompt response to prevent and mitigate conflicts. The study also identified a dearth of literature on the subject, highlighting the need for research on the effectiveness of CEWER systems in Nigeria. The study adopts a mixed research method which combines qualitative, quantitative and geospatial approaches. …

High Spatiotemporal Resolution Monitoring Of Crop Water Stress Across The Contiguous United States Using Harmonized Landsat And Sentinel-2 Data, Na Chen, Yanlei Feng, Na Wang, Jevan Yu, Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, Yifeng Cui, Ning Ye, Wenzhe Jiao, Joshua B. Fisher, César Terrer

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Accurate and timely monitoring of crop water stress is essential for efficient agricultural water management, ultimately maintaining and improving crop productivity. While Landsat has been used for this purpose, its temporal resolution hampers timely detection of crop water stress. The recently released Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 Version 2.0 dataset, which enables a higher-frequency time series of satellite observations (2–3 days, 30 m), offers a promising solution to this challenge. However, its potential for crop stress monitoring remained unexplored. In this study, we utilized 923 HLS satellite tiles to assess crop water stress across the contiguous United States (CONUS). Crop water …

Mapping Mosquito Diversity In Kenya Correlating Species Distribution With Malaria Prevalence Across Varied Climatic Parameters, Jeremiah O. Zablon, Vanrun Goel, David Giesbrecht, Lenson Kariuki, Charles Mbogo, William C. Goedel, Jeffrey A. Bailey, Damaris Matoke-Muhia

Faculty Publications

Background

Malaria is a major public health problem, with over half of the world’s population, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, at risk. Climate change is already affecting the prevalence of malaria, in part by altering the distribution and density of mosquito vectors. This study assessed the relationship between climate variables and mosquito species distribution on malaria prevalence in Kenya from January 2019 to June 2021.

Methods

Data from 23 Kenyan counties were analyzed using mixed-effect regression, spatial analysis, correlation analysis, and the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) to select variables.

Results

Malaria prevalence was highest in the Lake Endemic …

Airbnb And The End Of The Local, Nadia Beyersdorf

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how second-home ownership and self-catered tourism reshape community life in Tenby, Wales. While gentrification research often focuses on permanent displacement, less attention has been given to the movement of temporary residents that erodes local culture, social ties, and transforms everyday relationships in coastal towns.

A Visualization-Supported, Hierarchical, Action-Learning Model For Driving Behavior In A V2x Environment, Xuantong Wang, Jing Li, Jecca Bowen

Geography and the Environment: Faculty Scholarship

Understanding human driving decisions is crucial for intelligent transportation research. Most existing studies focus on individual vehicles in limited contexts, which restricts broader applicability of results. Leveraging Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) infrastructure, this study introduces a machine learning framework to model driving actions and detect outliers across diverse environments. This approach features a semantically enabled clustering method that groups similar driving behaviors based on speed and actions. It also adds a time-series learning model to identify typical driving behaviors across various contexts, thereby enabling detection of abnormal driving actions. A suite of visual tools has been developed to help interpret driving patterns, …

Laila: A Doll Memoir Of 1947 Partition Of India And Pakistan, Maleeha Malik, Maleeha Fatima Malik

Children's Literature (MFA) Theses

This abstract examines a creative and critical work centered on the 1947 Partition of India, which displaced approximately fourteen million people and caused one million deaths. The narrative introduces Laila, an anthropomorphized doll who functions as both witness and archive, embodying the memories and traumas of multiple child survivors. Through Laila’s journey across India, Pakistan, and the diaspora, the text explores themes of identity, belonging, loss, and intergenerational memory.

Blending personal family history with historical analysis, the author situates Laila within lived experiences of migration, silence, and religious marginalization, particularly as part of the Ahmadi Muslim community. The narrative foregrounds …