Digital Commons Network^™

A Bayesian Stormwater Quality Model And Its Application To Water Quality Monitoring, Pedro M. Avellaneda

Doctoral Dissertations

Stormwater runoff is a topic of research that over the years has increasingly grown due to its impact on our water resources. Treatment systems have been developed to mitigate this impact by preserving the pre-development hydrologic and water quality characteristics of the drainage areas. Understanding of the systems' treatment capabilities is required for stormwater management. The goal of this research was to study the application of a decay treatment model as a conceptual tool for understanding the pollutant removal characteristics of stormwater systems. Three systems were studied in this research: a sand filter, a gravel wetland, and a retention pond. …

An Autonomous Orbit Transfer Controller For The Nasa Magnetospheric Multiscale Satellite, Michael Borrelli

Master's Theses and Capstones

With the ever more demanding goals of space exploration and research comes the need for more complex mission planning. Part of this complexity manifests itself in a satellite's orbit specifications. An increasing number of explorer missions call for a group of satellites to maneuver while arranged in a tightly controlled formation, or constellation. In order to maintain these constellations at immense distances from Earth, engineers must rely on feedback systems within the satellites' hardware. Controllers are created to manipulate the actuators, such as thrusters, and are therefore responsible for the economical use of fuel; overusing fuel can reduce a satellite's …

Rapid Test Method For Determining Alkali-Silica Reactivity Expansion In Concrete And Aggregate, Douglas R. Pac

Master's Theses and Capstones

The undesirable expansion of concrete due to a reaction between alkalis in the cement and reactive siliceous aggregates, known as alkali-silica reactivity (ASR), continues to be a world-wide problem. Current test methods for predicting ASR are either inaccurate because they are unrepresentative of field conditions or require long testing periods that become impractical for use in the field. Because of the rising interest to minimize distress caused by ASR, alternative methods must be considered.

A key factor in the prediction of ASR in concrete over time is the reactivity of the aggregate. In the present study, an attempt was made …

Measuring The Elf Response Of An Acupuncture Meridian Compared To A Control Channel, Keith Spaulding

Master's Theses and Capstones

Acupuncture meridians are said to possess unique electrical characteristics; a characteristic of interest when analyzing systems is frequency response. The Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) response of the Large Intestine (LI) meridian was found by applying a Gaussian pulse signal to LI4 and detecting the signal at LI11; a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis is performed on this signal with a Power Spectral Density (PSD) measuring total power in the 2 -- 100 Hz region. This total power is compared to the total power measurement at a control point by applying the same Gaussian pulse on a control channel; this protocol …

Spawning Stock Identification Of Atlantic Cod (Gadus Morhua) In Us Waters Using Pan I And Microsatellite Genetic Markers, Timothy S. Breton

Master's Theses and Capstones

Most Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) stocks within U.S. waters are currently in decline as a result of overexploitation and fishing pressure from commercial fisheries. A better understanding of the genetic structure of cod populations is essential to identify stocks for successful fisheries management. In this study, the genetic structure of cod from major temporally and geographically distinct spawning grounds in U.S. waters was investigated. Adult and juvenile cod were sampled from aggregations within the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and southern New England waters in cooperation with commercial fishermen and state fishery biologists. Caudal fin clips were collected and analyzed …

Evaluation Of Multiple Small Volume Aquaculture Cage Systems, Ryan R. Despins

Master's Theses and Capstones

The construction of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) American Soybean Association International Marketing (ASAIM) cage was documented and modifications were made to the original design. Testing included hydrostatics and solid modeling to ensure modifications would not violate cage parameters.

To test alternate mooring systems, the finite element package Aqua-FE was used. Five mooring designs (three for single cage, two for multi-cage systems) were reduced to two through an initial feasibility study. Results from AquaFE demonstrated that transverse loadings, loads applied perpendicular to the mooring, supplied higher anchor tensions and system motions than in-line loadings, loads applied parallel to the …

An Architecture And Technology For Ambient Intelligence Node, Tomasz M. Jankowski

Master's Theses and Capstones

The era of separate networks is over. The existing technology leaders are preparing a big change in recreation of environment around us. There are several faces for this change. Names like Ambient Intelligence, Ambient Network, IP Multimedia Subsystem and others were created all over the Globe. Regardless of which name is used the new network will combine three main functional principles---it will be: contextual aware, ubiquitous access and intelligent interfaces unified network.

Within this thesis two major aspects are defined. First, the definition of the Ambient Intelligence Environment concept is presented. Secondly the architecture vectors for the technology are named. …

Extreme Precipitation Trends In New England, Susan Grace Spierre

Master's Theses and Capstones

Decision-makers require current data and analysis on extreme precipitation events and trends to facilitate effective adaptation. Here, multiple definitions of extreme precipitation (accumulations of one-inch, two-inch and four-inches, ten-, five- and one-yr. recurrence intervals, and the 99th percentile of events) are used to examine changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events in New England over the past 60-100 years. Correlations of trends in extreme precipitation events with temperature and with indices of atmospheric circulation patterns are also investigated.

Predominately positive trends were found for all extreme precipitation definitions. For example, increases of 1 events/decade in one-inch events …

Offshore Vertical Datum Separations Derived From Post-Processed Kinematic (Ppk) Heights Observed Along A Scheduled Ferry Route, Nathan C. Wardwell

Master's Theses and Capstones

Eight months of GPS data were used to determine tidal constituents along a ferry route across the Bay of Fundy, Canada. The GPS data were aggregated into 62 spatial zones and analyzed as if all the data within each zone were from a single Virtual Tide Gauge (VTG). Tidal models were developed from the VTG data using a weighted least-squares solution. Chart Datum with respect to the ITRF2000 was computed for each spatial zone using 8 months of predicted water-levels.

The time between ferry crossings results in sampling intervals longer than the tide signal in the Bay of Fundy, thus …

The Experimental Evolution Of Host Adaptation Of The Emerging Pathogen Burkholderia Cenocepacia, Crystal Nicole Ellis

Master's Theses and Capstones

I investigated the ability of Burkholderia cenocepacia, an opportunistic bacterial pathogen, to adapt to a host. Studies have identified trade-offs associated with environmental adaptation, but few have investigated host adaptation. Consequently, I studied effects of adaptation by B. cenocepacia to onions (Allium cepa) on the ability to kill Caenorhabditis elegans. I hypothesized that adaptation to onions would reduce virulence in C. elegans. I evolved twelve populations of bacteria in onion tissue medium for 500 generations. Then, I quantified fitness differences between evolved and ancestral populations by direct competition, having developed molecular marking techniques to discriminate among competitors. Competitions revealed fitness …

Study Of Gas Diffusion Layers In Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (Dmfc), Jason Morgan

Master's Theses and Capstones

An automated single-cell fuel cell system has been designed and fabricated in this work. The apparatus is capable of operating on both hydrogen and methanol fuels, and can control the mass flow rates and humidity of the inlet gases, and temperature and pressure of the cell with a LabVIEW program. A series of experiments are conducted to determine the optimum cell operating temperature (75°C), methanol concentration (4 molar), methanol flow rate (3 mL/min) and catalyst loading on Gas Diffusion Layers (GDLs) (∼2.5 mg/cm2). A new anode GDL is fabricated by optimizing the hydrophobicity in the substrate and microporous layer (MPL), …

Hydrologic Analysis Of The Headwaters Lamprey River Watershed Using Water Isotopes, Matthew Campman Frades

Master's Theses and Capstones

The Headwaters Lamprey River Watershed (HLRW) is located in southeastern New Hampshire, a region projected to experience rapid population growth and increased water stress. In order to better understand groundwater flowpaths and residence times within the HLRW, this study employs stable water isotopes as natural tracers. For the period of June 2006 through October 2007, over 200 total water samples of groundwater, surface water, precipitation, and infiltration were collected and analyzed for stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes. Based on analysis of isotopic and hydrometric data, the groundwater system is interpreted to be comprised of three distinct but interconnected reservoirs: a …

Removing Radium-226 Contamination From Ion Exchange Resins Used In Drinking Water Treatment, James F. Mcmahon Iii.

Master's Theses and Capstones

Many groundwater sources used for drinking water in the United States contain naturally occurring gross alpha emitting radium-226 that exceeds the National Drinking Water Standards maximum contaminant level. The health risks associated with continuous and intermittent exposure to these low levels of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) over long periods of time can cause genetic damage which may lead to effects such as cancer. The EPA identifies ion exchange resins as a best available technology (BAT) in radium-226 removals. This determination has resulted in an increased need for knowledge about the characteristics of these resins. The ability of the resins …

Seismic-Py: Reading Seismic Data With Python, Kurt Schwehr

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

The field of seismic exploration of the Earth has changed dramatically over the last half a century. The Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) has worked to create standards to store the vast amounts of seismic data in a way that will be portable across computer architectures. However, it has been impossible to predict the needs of the immense range of seismic data acquisition systems. As a result, vendors have had to bend the rules to accommodate the needs of new instruments and experiment types. For low level access to seismic data, there is need for a standard open source library …

Development And Assessment Of Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Products For Shoreline Mapping, Lynnette V. Morgan, Shachak Pe'eri, Andy Armstrong

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Accurate and consistent shoreline determinations play a major role in nautical charting and coastal management boundary assessment. Delineations along this dynamic margin are dependent upon the stage of tide and are demarcated by tidal datums such as Mean High Water (MHW) and Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW). This study investigated airborne lidar bathymetry (ALB) as a potential tool to support shoreline mapping. A computerized process was devised to obtain shoreline determinations from a lidar dataset processed using various algorithms and by devising a threshold to distinguish land and water. The algorithm-derived land-water interfaces are analyzed against the reference shoreline constructed …

Validation Of The Aura Microwave Limb Sounder Hnomeasurements, M L. Santee, A Lambert, W G. Read, N J. Livesey, R E. Cofield, D T. Cuddy, W H. Daffer, B J. Drouin, L Froidevaux, R A. Fuller, R F. Jarnot, B W. Knosp, G L. Manney, V S. Perun, W V. Snyder, P C. Stek, R P. Thurstans, P A. Wagner, J W. Waters, G Muscari, R L. De Zafra, Jack E. Dibb, D W. Fahey, P J. Popp, T P. Marcy, K W. Jucks, G C. Toon, R A. Stachnik, P F. Bernath, C D. Boone, K A. Walker, J Urban, D Murtagh

Earth Sciences

We assess the quality of the version 2.2 (v2.2) HNO₃ measurements from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the Earth Observing System Aura satellite. The MLS HNO₃ product has been greatly improved over that in the previous version (v1.5), with smoother profiles, much more realistic behavior at the lowest retrieval levels, and correction of a high bias caused by an error in one of the spectroscopy files used in v1.5 processing. The v2.2 HNO₃ data are scientifically useful over the range 215 to 3.2 hPa, with single-profile precision of ∼0.7 ppbv throughout. Vertical resolution is 3–4 km …

Director Of Unh Research Institute Will Lead New Climate Initiative, Kim Billings

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

Total Depletion Of Hg° In The Upper Troposphere-Lower Stratosphere, R. Talbot, Huiting Mao, Jack E. Dibb, M A. Avery

Earth Sciences

Our current understanding of atmospheric mercury lacks fundamental details. Gas phase elemental mercury (Hg°) was measured aboard the NASA DC-8 research aircraft during the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment-Phase B (INTEX-B) conducted in spring 2006 over the North Pacific. Our data confirm efficient chemical cycling of Hg° in the tropopause region and show that it is strongly anti-correlated with O₃ there, yielding a tropospheric-stratospheric mixing curve of ∼−0.20 ppqv Hg°/ppbv O₃. In addition, we found frequent total depletion of Hg° in upper tropospheric (8–12 km) air masses impacted by stratospheric influence. When O₃ mixing ratios were >300 …

Unh Mathematician Nominated For Grammy Award, Michelle Gregoire

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

The New Hampshire, Vol. 97 [98], No. 19 [25] (Dec. 4, 2007), The New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Print Edition

An independent student produced newspaper from the University of New Hampshire. This volume was printed as 97, but it is the 98th volume in the series. This was corrected in pencil.

This issue was printed as 19, but it is the 25th issue in this volume. This was corrected in pencil.

Separation Of Spatial And Temporal Structure Of Auroral Particle Precipitation, A. Boudouridis, Harlan E. Spence

Physics & Astronomy

[1] Knowledge of the dominant temporal and spatial scales of auroral features is instrumental in understanding the various mechanisms responsible for auroral particle precipitation. Single spacecraft data always suffer from temporal/spatial ambiguity. In an effort to separate the temporal and spatial variations of the aurora, we use electron and ion precipitation data from two co-orbiting satellites, F6 and F8 of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). The two spacecraft have almost identical polar orbits with a small difference in period. As a result the time difference between the two measurements varies with time. We use two statistical tools in order …

Ski Areas, Weather And Climate: Time Series Models For New England Case Studies, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Cliff Brown, Barry D. Keim

Sociology

Wintertime warming trends experienced in recent decades, and predicted to increase in the future, present serious challenges for ski areas and whole regions that depend on winter tourism. Most research on this topic examines past or future climate-change impacts at yearly to decadal resolution, to obtain a perspective on climate-change impacts. We focus instead on local-scale impacts of climate variability, using detailed daily data from two individual ski areas. Our analysis fits ARMAX (autoregressive moving average with exogenous variables) time series models that predict day-to-day variations in skier attendance from a combination of mountain and urban weather, snow cover and …

Predicting Magnetospheric Dynamics With A Coupled Sun‐To‐Earth Model: Challenges And First Results, V. G. Merkin, M. J. Owens, Harlan E. Spence, W. J. Hughes, J. M. Quinn

Physics & Astronomy

[1] Results from the first Sun-to-Earth coupled numerical model developed at the Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling are presented. The model simulates physical processes occurring in space spanning from the corona of the Sun to the Earth's ionosphere, and it represents the first step toward creating a physics-based numerical tool for predicting space weather conditions in the near-Earth environment. Two 6- to 7-d intervals, representing different heliospheric conditions in terms of the three-dimensional configuration of the heliospheric current sheet, are chosen for simulations. These conditions lead to drastically different responses of the simulated magnetosphere-ionosphere system, emphasizing, on the one …

Shake & Bake: Dual-Use Chemicals, Contexts, And The Illegality Of American White Phosphorus Attacks In Iraq, Joseph D. Tessier

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] “On November 29, 2005, in a Department of Defense press conference with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Pace stated that white phosphorus “is a legitimate tool of the military,” and can be used for illumination, smoke, and incendiary purposes. Incredibly, the Department of Defense released an addendum to the press conference clarifying that white phosphorus was not used as an incendiary weapon. According to General Pace, “it was well within the law of war to use white phosphorus . . . for marking and screening.” This was …

The New Hampshire, Vol. 97 [98], No. 16 [22] (Nov. 20, 2007), The New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Print Edition

An independent student produced newspaper from the University of New Hampshire. This volume was printed as 97, but it is the 98th volume in the series. This was corrected in pencil.

This issue was printed as 16, but it is the 22nd issue in this volume. This was corrected in pencil.

A Summer Time Series Of Particulate Carbon In The Air And Snow At Summit, Greenland, Gayle S.W. Hagler, M Bergin, Eugene A. Smith, Jack E. Dibb

Earth Sciences

Carbonaceous particulate matter is ubiquitous in the lower atmosphere, produced by natural and anthropogenic sources and transported to distant regions, including the pristine and climate-sensitive Greenland Ice Sheet. During the summer of 2006, ambient particulate carbonaceous compounds were characterized on the Greenland Ice Sheet, including the measurement of particulate organic (OC) and elemental (EC) carbon, particulate water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), particulate absorption coefficient (σ_ap), and particle size-resolved number concentration (PM_0.1–1.0). Additionally, parallel ∼50-day time series of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), water-insoluble organic carbon (WIOC), and elemental carbon (EC) were quantified at time increments of 4–24 …

Forests Devastated By Hurricane Katrina Become Major Carbon Source, Study Finds, David Sims

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

Encoding Ais Binary Messages In Xml Format For Providing Hydrographic-Related Information, Schwehr Kurt, Lee Alexander

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

A specification is proposed to enable hydrographic and maritime safety agencies to encode AIS messages using Extensible Markup Language (XML). It specifies the order, length, and type of fields contained in ITU-R.M.1371-1. A XML schema validates the message definitions, and a XSLT style sheet produces reference documentation in 'html' format. AIS binary messages in XML are an effective means to communicate dynamic and real-time port/waterway information. For example, tidal information can be continuously broadcast to maritime users and applied to a "tide-aware" ENC. The XML format aligns with the type of data encapsulation planned for the IHO Geospatial Standard for …

Ais Binary Messages, Domain Examples And A Case For A Xml Message Definition Language, Schwehr Kurt

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

No abstract provided.

Relationship Of Marine Information Overlays (Mios) To Current/Future Iho Standards, Lee Alexander, Michael Huet

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

No abstract provided.