Digital Commons Network^™

The Behavior Of The Baltic Sea Ice Stream During The Deglaciation Of The Baltic Ice Lake, Recorded In The Particle Size And Geochemistry Within Bornholm Basin, Iodp Site M0065, Mathew Lucas Sandefur

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

IODP 347 Site M0065 was drilled to assess the last deglaciation of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet (SIS) within the southern Baltic Sea Basin (BSB) from ~20 ka BP. Site M0065 was drilled in the Baltic Sea within the Bornholm Basin in a water depth of 87m. It provided the opportunity to study the development of the Baltic Ice Lake (BIL), which occupied the southern BSB between ~17 and 11 ka. Previous studies in this area looking at glacial till and surface exposure dates have dated the deglaciation of Bornholm Island, and consequently Site M0065, at ~16.3 ka BP. A visual …

Paleoenvironment Reconstruction Of The Eocene Southeastern Tethys Using Geochemistry Of Sedimentary Rocks, Liliana CalderóN Convers

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The Early Eocene hyperthermals are a series of transient global warming events that occurred between 54.09 and 52.63 Ma, and are considered as ancient analogues for future climate change. These hyperthermal events are well studied in the deep sea sites, but have not been investigated in the eastern Tethys Ocean. Here, we report new major and trace element geochemistry and stable carbon isotope data of the Early Eocene strata deposited in a shallow marine foreland basin prior to the main stage of India-Asian continent collision at Qumiba section in the Tingri County, southern Tibet. These geochemical data are used to …

Ferrate(Vi) For Wastewater Treatment : Phosphorus Removal, Lei Zheng

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Phosphorus (P) is a major nutrient present in municipal wastewater. Without proper treatment and management, residual P in treated wastewater finally enters into natural receiving water bodies. Nutrient pollution resulting from excessive P, together with the other nutrient, i.e. nitrogen (N), is a leading cause of eutrophication, a ubiquitous U.S. water quality issue. An overgrowth of algae during eutrophication brings extremely adverse impacts on the water quality. The algal bloom can rapidly deplete dissolved oxygen, lead to the death of aquatic life, increase water turbidity, and cause taste and odor issues. Moreover, some harmful algal boom can produce toxins to …

Identification And Quantification Of Black Carbon Particulates In Urban River Sediments Involving A Multi-Tiered Analytical Approach, Anastasia Figueroa

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Black Carbon (‘BC’) is routinely defined as the residual carbon fraction resulting from the incomplete combustion of biomass and/or biofuels (Agarwal et al. 2011). BC is best described as spectrum of carbonaceous combustion by-products, encompassing partially combusted, charred plant tissues, to highly graphitized soot (Shrestha et al. 2010). The highly condensed aromatic structures which exist in the BC matrix are largely responsible for its resistance to further biological or chemical degradation, as well as, its efficient sorption properties in soils and sediments (Forbes et al., 2006; Shrestha et al., 2010). Using a multi-tiered geochemical approach, quantification of BC was coupled …

Socioeconomic Analyses Of Renewable Energy Options For Sub-Saharan Africa : A Regional And National Approach, Sydney Oluoch

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The energy demands of future Sub Saharan African (SSA) economies will be primarily driven by population and economic development. The expected primary challenge will be meeting the increased energy demands while mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This can be achieved by reducing dependence on fossil fuels and transitioning towards renewable sources of energy. This dissertation aims at assessing renewable energy options for SSA through three primary objectives. First, we provided insight into the scope, trends, and focus of renewable energy research in SSA by quantitatively reviewing scientific articles. The approach allowed us to determine the geographical scope, different types of …

The Spatial Economics Of Clean Energy In New Jersey, Anthony J. Bevacqua

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Clean energy policy is critically important in driving reductions of greenhouse gases and mitigating climate change. As clean energy technologies improve over time and interact with social systems and broader energy markets, there is a need for innovative environmental management that supports development of new clean energy policy. Understanding where these technologies may be deployed, quantifying the anticipated benefits, and mitigating risks are required for successful policy optimization. With these considerations in mind, this dissertation explores geothermal heat pumps (GHP), solar photovoltaics, and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). We call upon spatial economics to investigate these topics by incorporating …

Assessing The Capabilities And Limitations Of Privatizing State Environmental Remediation Programs, Robert B. Oleksy

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In 2012, environmental remediations in the state of New Jersey were modified to proceed under the supervision of a Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP), rather than under the management of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The LSRP program was set forth in the Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA), which was established to accelerate the investigation and remediation of over 20,000 contaminated sites in the state. The program created major modifications to the management of site remediations by privatizing the process. Under the new program, a licensed individual from the private sector is designated as a LSRP, and …

Microbial Community, Functioning, And Its Relationship With Heavy Metals In An Urban Brownfield, Jay Prakash Singh

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The ubiquity of urban brownfields presents a challenge for environmental managers for managing degraded ecosystems that are in close contact with human habitation. Presence of metal contaminants in brownfields further complicate the matters as it cannot be degraded and hence pose a high risk to human and environmental health, and well-being of the local community. However, previous studies indicate that management and restoration of brownfields are possible through the use of low input longer term and sustainable remediation approaches. These sustainable approaches include the use of plants, fungi, and bacteria to increase soil function and mitigate risks from the contaminants. …

Assessment Of Mean Annual Precipitation And Pco₂ Effect On C₃ Land Plant Carbon Isotope Fractionation, Woohee Kim

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Modern carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels are well known from instrumental observation (just exceeded 415 ppmv on May 13th, 2019). CO₂ levels (pCO₂) in the past, however, are difficult to obtain, especially for geologic time older than 800 thousand years (kyr). Many proxies have been used to infer past CO₂ levels in the geologic records, but the results are often incomplete and inconsistent. Here, I assess the uncertainty of a new pCO₂ proxy that has great potential to reconstruct continuous pCO₂ records across the entire Phanerozoic. This new proxy is based on stable …

Exploring The Role Of Evaporation And Precipitation Rates On Mangrove Island Morphology, Isamar M. CortéS

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Mangroves are salt tolerant species of trees that grow in tropical and subtropical environments. Mangroves provide ecosystem services to societies along marine environments, including storm protection, coastal biodiversity, and blue carbon storage. However, as the importance of mangrove ecosystems has become clearer over recent years, their coverage has been reduced through mismanagement and climate impacts. For instance, in terms of climate warming, mangroves cannot survive under abnormally high rates of net evaporation when soil stressor concentrations (e.g., sulfate, sulfide) increase above threshold conditions. To study the effects of this climate driver phenomenon on mangrove islands, we are examining mangrove islands, …

Sampling Studies For Longitudinal Functional Data, Toni Jassel

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

We study the data setting consisting of functional data sets repeatedly observed over time. The focus is on the dynamic prediction of the future trajectory for a subject. Regression methods based on dynamic functional models are used for dynamic prediction of individual trajectories. We propose strategies for the selection of the study sampling design in the context of longitudinal functional data. An application to simulated child growth data is presented. The height-for-age z-score (HAZ) was the response variable in the functional dynamic models for prediction. The intent was to recommend four months for removal in our initial historic data set. …

Commonsense Knowledge In Sentiment Analysis Of Ordinance Reactions For Smart Governance, Manish Puri

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Smart Governance is an emerging research area which has attracted scientific as well as policy interests, and aims to improve collaboration between government and citizens, as well as other stakeholders. Our project aims to enable lawmakers to incorporate data driven decision making in enacting ordinances. Our first objective is to create a mechanism for mapping ordinances (local laws) and tweets to Smart City Characteristics (SCC). The use of SCC has allowed us to create a mapping between a huge number of ordinances and tweets, and the use of Commonsense Knowledge (CSK) has allowed us to utilize human judgment in mapping. …

Elemental Analysis Of Species Specific Wood Ash : A Pyrogenic Factor In Soil Formation And Forest Succession For A Mixed Hardwood Forest Of Northern New Jersey, Michael T. Flood

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Fire is a significant environmental perturbation to forests where vegetation transforms from biomass to ash, potentially releasing stored chemical elements to soils. While much research acknowledges variation in ash composition among different vegetation types (grasses, trees, shrubs and vines), less has focused on interspecific variation among trees and the elemental influx soils receive. Therefore, this research sets out to: (1) identify major, trace, and rare earth element (REE) concentrations by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) in ash derived from fifteen tree species, (2) determine likely elemental enrichment to post-fire soils, and (3) assess variability in ash chemistry and color …

Assessing Resilience To Flooding And Human Wildlife Conflict In Developing Countries : A Case Study Of Flood Related Trauma And Human Wildlife Conflict In Nepal, Gita Bhushal Adhikary

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Developing countries have a large population that is dependent on farming and agriculture, making them more heavily reliant on natural resources like forest and water. Nepal is one of such countries, with a unique geography where much of the population lives in close proximity to conservation areas and water bodies. Due to these natural features and increased environmental pressures such as extreme storms and deforestation, many of these communities have experienced loss, ranging from property damage to human injury or death because of the related extreme flooding and increased humanwildlife conflict. These challenges are amplified in Nepal due to the …

Reconstructing Barrier Island Behavior From Overstepped Deposits And Relict Onshore Morphology : Modeling And Field Approaches, Daniel James Ciarletta

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Barrier Islands comprise 10% of the Earth’s shorelines, fringing every continent except Antarctica. Despite their ubiquity, much about the medium to long-term evolution of these coastal systems remain poorly understood, mostly due to the destruction of the geologic record as barriers migrate landward under the influence of rising sea level. Even where modern barriers and related strandplain systems have prograded and regressed, leaving evidence of their former geometries in the form of relict shorelines, field investigations often require intensive labor and time commitments to interpret past evolution. In this work, several investigations are undertaken to use novel numerical modeling techniques …

Glauconite Formation In Late Eocene Odp Site 696 Sediment In West Antarctica, Abbey States

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Antarctic sediment cores collected during Leg 113 of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) provide important paleoclimatic evidence over the Eocene-Oligocene transition (EOT) – a period of global cooling from greenhouse to icehouse approximately 34 million years ago. The cores, collected thirty years ago, offer new research opportunities with the application of an updated age model for the EOT in West Antarctica (Houben et al., 2013). The core from ODP Site 696 in the Weddell Sea contains a complete EOT record, with a remarkably green stratum attributed to glauconite dated to the late Eocene. The sediment composition, clay mineralogy, and geochemistry …

Geostatistical And Hydrochemical Trends In The Upper Passaic River Basin : Impact Of Road Deicing Application, Connor Evan Firor

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Sodium chloride deicing salts have been used to remove snow and ice from roadways in the Northern United States since the early 1900s. Road deicing reduces accident rates, road delays, and improve road accessibility. While it is known that the use of road deicers is beneficial, road salts have also been shown to affect surface water and groundwater quality. This study conducted major ion concentration analyses on groundwater samples collected by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for the Upper Passaic River Basin (UPRB). Results show that the contribution of chloride to total dissolved solids increased significantly by 2010. Trend …

The Impact Of Deicing Materials On The Middle And Lower Passaic River Basins, New Jersey : A Geostatistical And Hydrochemical Analysis, Peter Joseph Soriano

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Regression analyses of major ion concentration, and specific conductance were compared on a decadal basis from field data of the 1960s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s to find if there is a statistically significant increase in calcium, chloride, and sodium compared to other major groundwater ions in the Middle and Lower Passaic River Basins. Time series graphical analyses, bivariate coefficient relationships, statistical prediction interval evaluations, and multivariate analyses were used to determine the significance of the individual ion concentration trends. Through ArcGIS, bedrock geochemistry was examined in correlation with well locations, ion concentrations, and road placements. GIS was used to …

Molecular Ecology And Management Of Nuisance And Invasive Marine Species : Chrysaora Chesapeakei, Moerisia Sp., And Gonionemus Vertens, Dena J. Restaino

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Ecological communities are under constant pressure from anthropogenic disturbances. Marine and estuarine systems are affected by human use and development of both coastal land and the surrounding water. One consequence of this use is the deterioration of water quality, which can lead to changes in community structure and a loss of species richness. Another effect of increased usage of marine water ways in the introduction of invasive species. These non-natives also have the ability to change community structure and reduce ecosystem services. In particular cnidarians are able to thrive in degraded systems in part owing to their ability to tolerate …

Benthic Invertebrate Communities Of Barnegat Bay New Jersey : Effects Of Hard-Clam (Mercenaria Mercenaria L.) Aquaculture Grow-Outs On Benthic Communities, Rebecca Shell

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Plots of three treatment types (industry-standard screens with clams, screens without clams, and control) were installed at Sedge Island, Barnegat Bay, in 2012. 177 species from eight phyla were collected. Hard-clam plots had lower Shannon-Weiner Index values and higher sedimentary sorting coefficients as compared to both control treatments. ANOSIM identified benthic communities inside hard clam plots as statistically distinct from the two control treatments. There was no significant effect of treatment on functional groups assigned by burrowing depth. Seasonal peaks in May are clear for Polydora cornuta and Tritia obsoleta, as well as for suspension feeders and omnivores. All burrowing-depth …

Projected Trends In Climate Extremes In The Passaic River Basin Based On Bias-Corrected And Spatially Downscaled Global Climate Model Simulations, Archana Prasad

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Global Climate Models (GCMs) are increasingly becoming useful tools for predicting future climatic changes. These GCMs typically employ large spatial scales while municipalities may experience varied impacts at the local level. By downscaling and bias-correcting GCM outputs, more accurate predictions concerning specific regions can be made. The Multivariate Adaptive Constructed Analogs (MACA) models provide daily precipitation and temperature information for point localities by modifying coarse resolution data from GCMs to a higher spatial resolution. In this study, trends in climate extremes over the Passaic River Basin (PRB) between 1981-2005 are estimated based on three MACA models (bcc-csm1-1m, CCSM4, and MRI-CGCM3). …

Water Treatment Residual Coated Wood Mulch For Mitigation Of Toxic Metals And Phosphate From Polluted Urban Stormwater Runoff, Hanieh Soleimanifar

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Polluted urban runoff as a primary non-point pollution source poses a serious threat to urban human and ecological health. Various urban runoff pollutants challenge the exiting stormwater treatment systems. To support the development of a sound and sustainable urban stormwater management, this dissertation targets at transforming a common landscaping practice, i.e. mulching, into a new stormwater treatment technology through coating aluminum water treatment residual (Al-WTR) on the surface of wood mulch chips. WTR is an industrial waste produced from drinking water treatment plants and primarily comprises amorphous aluminum (hydr)oxides. The Al-WTR coating on the modified wood mulch enables the adsorption …

Life Cycle Analysis Of Sugarcane Bagasse And Switchgrass Under Dilute Phosphoric Acid Pretreatment And Simultaneous Saccharification And Cofermentation, Michael C. Fowler

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Under provisions of the Energy Independence and Security Act and the Renewable Fuel Standard, production of cellulosic ethanol is mandated to increase. Corn dominates the first generation ethanol industry in the United States. Already a high-demand crop, when subject to agricultural intensification, the carbon-neutrality potential associated with biofuels, and other environmental implications, fall into question. Sugarcane bagasse, a lignocellulosic byproduct of sugarcane manufacturing with limited economic value, and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), a native, perennial, high-yield crop, are alternative resources that might used to produce ethanol. Life cycle assessment of second generation feedstocks has focused exhaustively on global warming potential with …

Geochemical And Sedimentological Analysis Of Marine Sediments From Odp Site 696 And Implications For The Onset Of Antarctic Glaciation, Allison Paige Lepp

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The Eocene-Oligocene Transition (EOT) approximately 34 million years ago (Ma) marks the shift from the warm greenhouse conditions of the Eocene to today’s icehouse, and was accompanied by the establishment of the East and West Antarctic Ice Sheets. Details surrounding the timing, magnitude, and regional expansion of glaciation are poorly constrained primarily due to low core recovery and lack of reliable age models, and therefore warrant continued investigation. A recently updated age model applied to Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 696, located in the northwest sector of the Weddell Sea, indicates Core 55R represents a high-recovery succession encompassing the EOT. …

Outbreak And Extinction Dynamics In Stochastic Populations, Garrett T. Nieddu

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Each piece of work herein examines nonlinear population dynamics using methods from deterministic dynamical systems, stochastic processes and statistical mechanics. This dissertation is the compilation of three independent – but related – pieces of work: the first investigates an isolated population that is capable of maintaining multiple carrying capacities; the second project examines a stochastic Ebola model with a zoonotic disease reservoir; and the third looks at a basic disease-invasion model to characterize outbreak vulnerability and the connectedness of supposedly separate populations.

Each of these three chapters explore the interplay between interconnected systems, without explicitly modeling the elements that are …

Biological Factors In The Stem Gender Gap, Yamina Nater-Otero

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The Gender gap in STEM is a long-term problem that has only recently been addressed. Research has just begun to delve into why so few women pursue university degrees in the STEM fields and even less enter the STEM workforce. This research will examine the evolutionary factors which contributed to the gender gap, such as offspring investment, greater investment in male offspring, and female risk aversion. Despite the fact that there are plenty of modern advances which should compensate for these factors, there are societal stigmas against women in the STEM workplace which allow the gender gap to continue. Societal …

Bridging Gaps Between Conservation Action And Policy On Small Island Developing States – Case Analog Of The Republic Of Mauritius, Pricila Iranah

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Mauritius, a small island state in the Indian Ocean, is a biodiversity hotspot with highly threatened forest ecosystems. It is also a country where environmental and conservation programs have been successful in the past. However, the issue of funding has received relatively less attention and national park systems are chronically underfunded. As part of assessing the potential for local funding, we assessed the demand for forest recreation. Recreation in forest ecosystems is one of the cornerstones of modern nature-based tourism. Tourism is increasingly a favored tool to promote conservation of natural forests, especially in developing countries where conservation financing can …

Economic And Environmental Assessment Of Advanced Biofuels : Adoption Under Uncertainty, Farmer Willingness, And Land Use Implications, Pralhad Burli

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The production of biofuels offers the prospect of enhancing a country’s energy security by limiting petroleum imports and supporting domestic economic activity by bolstering agricultural and allied sectors. Additionally, advanced biofuels can reduce the reliance on food-grain based first generation ethanol, replace a part of our fossil fuel consumption, and potentially reduce environmental impacts through greenhouse gas emission reductions. However, the cellulosic biofuel industry has not developed as anticipated due to slow advancements in the technology for converting feedstock to fuel, improvements in vehicular efficiency, which has muted fuel demand, and lack of an assured year-round supply of feedstock that …

Geochemical And Particle Size Analysis Of East Antarctic Shelf Sediments Through The Eocene Oligocene Transition, Jennifer Joanne Light

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The Eocene Oligocene Transition (EOT) at ~34 million years ago (Ma), marked the global change from greenhouse to icehouse, and the establishment of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). The timing involved with initiation of the EAIS and ice growth during the EOT is still poorly understood due to poor core recovery. The purpose of this study was to expand upon existing knowledge of EAIS dynamics by applying updated age models to geochemical and sedimentological records from three marginal shelf sites that contain Eocene and or Oligocene sediments. This study used inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and mass spectrometry …

Mineral And Bioclimatic Factors Controlling Soil Black Carbon Sequestration Potential Along An Elevational Gradient, Adam Fernandez

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Black carbon (BC) is formed by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels, and biomass. It has been suggested due to its ubiquitous nature in soils that BC may act as a significant sink in the global carbon cycle. BC has been widely studied in a variety of soil and sediment types but spodosols (acid forest soils) have been underrepresented in the literature. In the present study, spodosol soil samples were collected along an elevational gradient (~500 to 1,200 m) from three different mountains in the White Mountain National Forest of New Hampshire. Total soil carbon was first measured using …