Digital Commons Network^™

Spatial Continuous Biomass Burning Emission Inventory: Application To Wrf-Chem Model Over The Northern Sub-Saharan African Region, Yun Yue

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Fire, as a significant global source of trace gases and aerosol particles, plays an important role in perturbations of the chemical and physical properties of the atmosphere. Fire products from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor on polar-orbiting satellites Terra and Aqua are largely used in several emission inventories. However, the MODIS fire products have inherent limitations due to the following reasons: (a) they cannot detect fires underneath clouds; (b) the fire detection sensitivity decreases at the edge of MODIS scan where viewing angles and MODIS pixel sizes are bigger than at nadir; and (c) there are gaps between MODIS …

Green Energy Or Nuclear Power Plants, Besnik Skenderi, Diamanta Skenderi

UBT International Conference

World seems to go green regarding the energy, however the cost of green energy is high and as a result of security issues nuclear energy seems to be avoided, while introducing business and outsourcing concepts nuclear energy seems to be solution.

Protecting The Most Vulnerable, Joshua G. Behr

VMASC Publications

No abstract provided.

Hampton Roads Sea Level Rise Preparedness And Resilience Intergovernmental Pilot Project. Phase 2 Report: Recommendations, Accomplishments And Lessons Learned, Emily E. Steinhilber, Maura Boswell, Carol Considine, Larry Mast

Hampton Roads Intergovernmental Pilot Project: Reports

Executive Summary

After two years, the Hampton Roads Sea level Rise and Resilience Intergovernmental Planning Pilot Project (Intergovernmental Pilot Project or IPP), convened at Old Dominion University, has come to a successful close. Although the conclusion of the project is different than originally imagined by the drafters of the IPP Charter, the process in and of itself brought hundreds of stakeholders together, built lasting and ongoing relationships, and produced many workable recommendations for the region that can be accomplished by a variety of partnerships. The key deliverables include a whole of government mitigation and adaptation planning process and an integrated …

Statistics For Middle And High School Teachers: A Resource For Middle And High School Teachers To Feel Better Prepared To Teach The Common Core State Standards (Ccss) Relating To Statistics, Nanci Kopecky

All Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project is to create a two-day workshop to better prepare middle and high school teachers to teach probability and statistics as required by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which have broadened the mathematics curriculum to include in depth understanding of probability and statistics. Many teachers are not prepared to address probability and statistics concepts. Research has demonstrated a need for greater professional development and resources for teachers in this area. The two-day workshop will allow teachers to review their knowledge and enhance their understanding of statistics by emphasizing student-centered teaching examples. Technology and/or software will …

Empowering Energy Justice, Mary Finley-Brook, Erica L. Holloman

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

The U.S. is experiencing unprecedented movement away from coal and, to a lesser degree, oil. Burdened low-income communities and people of color could experience health benefits from reductions in air and water pollution, yet these same groups could suffer harm if transitions lack broad public input or if policies prioritize elite or corporate interests. This paper highlights how U.S. energy transitions build from, and contribute to, environmental injustices. Energy justice requires not only ending disproportionate harm, it also entails involvement in the design of solutions and fair distribution of benefits, such as green jobs and clean air. To what extent …

Using Photovoice To Understand Climate Change Adaptation In Rural Ontario, Kylie Hissa

Geography and Environmental Studies Major Research Papers

The examination of community adaptation and resilience approaches to address the threats of climate change in rural Ontario is becoming increasingly important in emergency management and preparedness. Community engagement becomes critical in this regard, as local experiences partly influence perceptions of climate change risks within municipalities. Photovoice is a community-based participatory research methodology that empowers participants to document their perceptions and understandings of a particular issue through the use of visual images. This technique was undertaken to understand the impacts of the F3 tornado that hit the community of Goderich, Ontario in 2011 and capture their member’s perceptions on disaster …

Towards Aggregating Time-Discounted Information In Sensor Networks, Xianping Wang

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Sensor networks are deployed to monitor a seemingly endless list of events in a multitude of application domains. Through data collection and aggregation enhanced with data mining and machine learning techniques, many static and dynamic patterns can be found by sensor networks. The aggregation problem is complicated by the fact that the perceived value of the data collected by the sensors is affected by many factors such as time, location and user valuation. In addition, the value of information deteriorates often dramatically over time. Through our research, we already achieved some results:

A formal algebraic analysis of information discounting, especially …

Raspberry Pi Radio Scanner Control Web Application, Jackson Marshall Strand

Computer Science and Software Engineering

In this senior project I design and develop software for the Raspberry Pi which allows the user to listen to and control a scanner radio anywhere in their home. The solution involves utilizing a Raspberry Pi 2 interfaced with the radio, a software package to communicate directly with the radio, and a web app hosting a web client providing the interface for user control. Audio streaming is achieved through the use of FFmpeg. Listening on the client is achieved by using an external software such as Video Lan (VLC) to open the audio stream. We provide an operable proof-of-concept with …

Mining Pm2.5 And Traffic Conditions For Air Quality, Xu Du, Aparna S. Varde

Department of Computer Science Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Fine particle pollution is related to road traffic conditions. In this work, we analyze Particulate Matter with a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers, calledPM2.5, along with traffic conditions. This is done for multicity data to study the relationships in the context of environmental modeling. The goal behind this modeling is to support prediction of PM2.5 concentration and resulting air quality. We deploy data mining algorithms in association rules, clustering and classification to discover knowledge from the concerned data sets. The results are used to develop a prototype tool for the prediction of PM2.5 and hence air quality for public health …

An Appraisal Of The Actuaries’ Climate Risk Index, Stephen Lee Kolk

May 18, 2016: The Economic Impacts of Sea-Level Rise in Hampton Roads

PDF of powerpoint presentation given at the workshop "The Economic Impacts of Sea-Level Rise in Hampton Roads: An Appraisal of the Projects Underway" on May 18, 2016 at the Virginia Modeling and Simulation Center, 1030 University Blvd, Suffolk, VA 23435

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Spring 2016, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs, and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge. The senior design competition helps focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects on …

Development Of A Decision Support System For Post Mining Land Use On Abandoned Surface Coal Mines In Appalachia, Matthew Zimmerman

Sustainability and Social Justice

Decision support systems are diverse and have been used to solve multiple problems ranging from the complex to the simple. With the complexity of environmental decisions today, these systems provide a logic based approach to evaluating and choosing environmental solutions. Abandoned mining lands (AML) are an issue for the environment in the Appalachian region. Given this a decision support system was designed using previously created frameworks and indices from other systems created. The system is comprised of two main sections, selecting the ideal post-mining land-use (PMLU), and maximizing the potential of land to be reclaimed under budgetary constraints. This system …

Continuing Measures In Response To White-Nose Syndrome At Mammoth Cave National Park, Gina Zanarini, Natalie Anderson, Chris Clark, Laura Shultz, Rick Toomey, Shannon Trimboli

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

No abstract provided.

Grounding Robot Motion In Natural Language And Visual Perception, Scott Alan Bronikowski

Open Access Dissertations

The current state of the art in military and first responder ground robots involves heavy physical and cognitive burdens on the human operator while taking little to no advantage of the potential autonomy of robotic technology. The robots currently in use are rugged remote-controlled vehicles. Their interaction modalities, usually utilizing a game controller connected to a computer, require a dedicated operator who has limited capacity for other tasks.

I present research which aims to ease these burdens by incorporating multiple modes of robotic sensing into a system which allows humans to interact with robots through a natural-language interface. I conduct …

Precalculus (University Of North Georgia), Michael Goodroe, Berhanu Kidane, Julian Allagan, John Williams

Mathematics Grants Collections

This Grants Collection for Precalculus was created under a Round Two ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process.

Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials:

• Linked Syllabus
• Initial Proposal
• Final Report

Framework For Evaluating The Readiness Of Cyber First Responders Responsible For Critical Infrastructure Protection, Jungsang Yoon

Theses and Dissertations

First responders go through rigorous training and evaluation to ensure they are adequately prepared for an emergency. As an example, firefighters continually evaluate the readiness of their personnel using a defined set of criteria to measure performance for fire suppression and rescue procedures. From a cyber security standpoint, however, this same set of criteria and rigor is severely lacking for the professionals that must detect, respond to and recover from a cyber-based attack against the nation's critical infrastructure. This research provides a framework for evaluating the readiness of cyber first responders responsible for critical infrastructure protection. The framework demonstrates the …

A Simulation-Based Analysis Of Chemical And Radiological Hazard Zones Adapted To Physical Boundaries, Mickie J. Sundheim

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, industrial and terrorist use of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) materials pose a risk to public safety. During the initial phase of typical CBRN incidents, emergency responders establish hazard zones based on standard distances from published guidelines and recommendations. This research investigates how standard hazard zones change in a real world environment that accounts for physical boundaries. Using a python simulation in ArcGIS®, new hazard zones were created by expanding standard hazard zones to follow nearby roads, railroads, and rivers. The new and standard zones were compared by calculating the population and area affected by …

The Oso Landslide: Disaster Management Law In The Space Age, Paul B. Larsen

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

No abstract provided.

Virginia's Leadership In The Race Against Sea-Level Rise, Paul Olsen

News Items

No abstract provided.

Property Value Changes From Public Transportation: How The Greenbush Commuter Line Affected Property Values, Sarah C. Evans

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

Prior studies have investigated the impact on property values to the proximity of established public transportation stations. Public transportation is thought to increase value of towns and properties, giving residents more options for transportation to and around the city. Both benefits and consequences of public transportation exist, allowing for either a raise or lower of property values in towns with stops. This paper analyzes the Greenbush Commuter line in Massachusetts, seeing if the proximity to the stops has an affect on the property of values in the towns. A difference – in – difference model is used to investigate a …

Community Conversation About Sea Level Rise Continues At Odu-Hosted Resilience Forum, Public Affairs & News Bureau, Old Dominion University

News Items

No abstract provided.

Model Results And Software Comparisons In Myrtle Beach, Sc Using Virtual Beach And R Regression Toolboxes, Matthew J. Neet, R. Heath Kelsey, Dwayne E. Porter, Dan W. Ramage, Adrian B. Jones

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

Utilizing R software and a variety of data sources, daily forecasts of bacteria levels were developed and automated for beach waters in Myrtle Beach, SC. Modeled results are then shown for beach locations via a website and mobile device app. While R provides a robust set of tools for use in forecast modeling, the software has an extensive learning curve and requires skilled statistical interpretation of results. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created the “Virtual Beach” software package to address these concerns. To evaluate the utility of the more user-friendly Virtual Beach modeling toolbox, predictive models were developed and model …

Of Life And Limb: The Failure Of Florida's Water Quality Criteria To Test For Vibrio Vulnificus In Coastal Waters And The Need For Enhanced Criteria, Regulation, And Notification To Protect Public Health, Felicia Thomas

Student Works

The nefarious duo of warming oceans and rising sea levels has created a menacing yet lesser-known climate change-induced problem: an increase in sea-borne diseases. For most, the biggest concern when diving into the ocean is a possible, though exceedingly rare, shark encounter; however, it is the unexpected, unseen risk of Vibrio vulnificus that poses the greater danger. Part I of this paper discusses Vibrio vulnificus cases along the coasts of Florida, examining both the illnesses that were contracted through exposure of open wounds to seawater and those contracted through the consumption of raw oysters from the Gulf Coast. Part II …

Blacksmith Fork - Little Bear Watershed Alternative Futures Study, Scott Mccomb, Emmet Pruss, Thomas Terry, Conner White

Bioregional Planning Studio Reports

The following project was carried out in conjunction with the Logan River Task Force, under the chairmanship of Dr. Frank Howe. The Logan River Task Force was formed to develop an overall approach for managing the Logan River that balances ecology with people's social values for the river including public safety and property protection. Although the work of the Task Force has focused primarily on the Logan river, the Bioregional Planning graduate students have provided the Task Force with contextual information about the watershed, by exploring alternative futures for the Blacksmith Fork and Little Bear watersheds. This work expands on …

Development Of Cloud-Based Uav Monitoring And Management System, Mason Itkin, Mihui Kim, Younghee Park

Faculty Publications

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are an emerging technology with the potential to revolutionize commercial industries and the public domain outside of the military. UAVs would be able to speed up rescue and recovery operations from natural disasters and can be used for autonomous delivery systems (e.g., Amazon Prime Air). An increase in the number of active UAV systems in dense urban areas is attributed to an influx of UAV hobbyists and commercial multi-UAV systems. As airspace for UAV flight becomes more limited, it is important to monitor and manage many UAV systems using modern collision avoidance techniques. In this paper, …

Urban Sprawl As A Risk Factor In Motor Vehicle Crashes, Reid Ewing, Shima Hamidi, James B. Grace

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

A decade ago, compactness/sprawl indices were developed for metropolitan areas and counties which have been widely used in health and other research. In this study, we first update the original county index to 2010, then develop a refined index that accounts for more relevant factors, and finally seek to test the relationship between sprawl and traffic crash rates using structural equation modelling. Controlling for covariates, we find that sprawl is associated with significantly higher direct and indirect effects on fatal crash rates. The direct effect is likely due to the higher traffic speeds in sprawling areas, and the indirect effect …

A Qualitative Examination Of The Perception Of Risk In Warnings For Severe Weather, Teresa Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the past decade, weather disasters have claimed thousands of lives and resulted in billions of dollars in damages. Awareness of a storm threats can occur hours or days in advance, but disaster assessments indicate many people do not heed storm warnings. This problem is old. Despite 50 years of research, and new technologies and training to improve responsiveness, the basic issue– understanding how people interpret and respond to weather warnings–persists. An exploratory study that incorporated human behavior theories and communication models not traditionally associated with severe weather analysis was conducted to learn how weather risks are perceived by nonscientists. …

Earthquake Hazard Mitigation In The New Madrid Seismic Zone: Science And Public Policy, Alice M. Orton, Zhenming Wang, Lanmin Wang, Edward W. Woolery

Report of Investigations--KGS

In the central United States, earthquake sources that are not well defined, long earthquake recurrence intervals, and uncertain ground-motion attenuation models have contributed to an overstatement of seismic hazard for the New Madrid Seismic Zone on the national seismic hazard maps published by the U.S. Geological Survey. A series of informal interviews in western Kentucky with local businesspersons, public officials, and other professionals in occupations associated with seismic-hazard mitigation discussed seismic-mitigation policies in relation to depressed local economy. Scientific and relative economic analysis was then performed using scenario earthquake models developed with the Federal Emergency management Agency's Hazus-MH software. The …

Use And Evaluation Of Lidar For Mapping Sinkholes In Royal Spring Groundwater Basin, Fidele Nsonguh Tibouo

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

This study utilizes a digital elevation model of the surface derived from high-resolution LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and aerial-image technologies to map sinkholes in the Royal Spring groundwater basin. Shade-relief maps, with vertical exaggeration, were very helpful in the initial characterization of depressions. Then, aerial-photography sets were likewise helpful in identifying man-made structures such as retention basins, swimming pools, and parking lots, and to identify new sinkholes.

Field checking was necessary to further define depressions into two categories: 1.) potential sinkholes and 2.) probable sinkholes. This study had a lower success rate (50 percent) for identifying sinkholes via LiDAR …