Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Environmental Justice Implications Of Flood Hazards In Miami, Florida, Marilyn Christina Montgomery

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While environmental justice (EJ) research in the U.S. has traditionally focused on inequities in the distribution of technological hazards, the disproportionate impacts of Hurricane Katrina on racial minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged households have prompted researchers to investigate the EJ implications of natural hazards such as flooding. Recent EJ research has also emphasized the need to examine social inequities in access to environmental amenities. Unlike technological hazards such as air pollution and toxic waste sites, areas exposed to natural hazards such as hurricanes and floods have indivisible amenities associated with them. Coastal property owners are exposed to flood hazards, but also …

A Study Of Social Capital And Its Relationship With Dwelling Structure And Environment Based On An Empirical Analysis Of Lincoln, Nebraska, Jeehoon Kim

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Social capital is described as the concept of social network or social interaction among residents in a neighborhood. In times past, physical environment factors enhancing the level of social capital were main issues to researchers: land-use type and neighborhood design. However, based on various benefits gained from social capital theory, it is needed to study about the influence of social capital. Thus, the impact of social capital on the physical urban environment is investigated in this dissertation research in order to make more livable, healthier, and more active community. Most researches dealing with social capital and housing condition have not …

Somewhere There’S A Place For Us: Linking Fedora Digital Collections And Open Geoportal, Eleta Exline, Thelma Thompson, Michael Routhier, Place Project Group

PLACE Project

The University of New Hampshire Library and its partner, the UNH Earth Systems Research Center, have been awarded a grant in the amount of $474,156 from the Institute for Museum and Library Services, National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program, to build PLACE, the Position-based Location Archive Coordinate Explorer. Among project objectives is to provide a toolkit for other institutions to implement in their geospatial digital collections. The project will contribute to two open source communities: Open Geoportal (OGP) and Fedora Commons. In this poster session we will provide an overview of the PLACE project timeline and a visual representation of …

Spatial Relationships, Movements, And Habitat Associations Of Introduced “Non-Native” Elk Populations On Etolin And Zarembo Islands, Alaska, Jean S. Davidson

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Etolin and Roosevelt Elk were introduced to Afognak Island, Alaska in 1929 (State of Alaska, 2013). Due to the success of that introduction, Roosevelt Elk and Rocky Mountain Elk were subsequently introduced to Zarembo and Etolin Islands in Southeast Alaska in 1987. Due to the environment of Southeast Alaska, the ability to determine movements, trends, and habitat preferences are limited. In support of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), this project analyzes the habitat preferences of the elk based upon data from global positioning systems. Locational data is analyzed for proximity to managed lands and considers proximity to …

Ala Schedule Place Poster Announcement, Place Project Group

PLACE Project

Page from the ALA Conference Schedule announcing the PLACE Poster Session.

Detection Of Land Use Change In Lake Maumelle Watershed Critical Management Area: Image Processing And Gis Integration Approach, Ling Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Land use in the Lake Maumelle watershed is expected to undergo significant changes in the next several decades, with residential developments replacing forest in many areas. These land use changes have the potential to increase pollutant loads and degrade water quality in the lake. Detecting the land use and land cover changes is therefore a critical requirement for effective land management. Therefore, the research on the cost-effective methodology of detection of land use change is critical and of extreme significance. The first objective of this study is to develop an effective image classification method using very high resolution remote sensing …

Decaf: A New Event Detection Logic For The Purpose Of Fusing Delineated-Continuous Spatial Information, Kerry Q. Hart

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Geospatial information fusion is the process of synthesizing information from complementary data sources located at different points in space and time. Spatial phenomena are often measured at discrete locations by sensor networks, technicians, and volunteers; yet decisions often require information about locations where direct measurements do not exist. Traditional methods assume the spatial phenomena to be either discrete or continuous, an assumption that underlies and informs all subsequent analysis. Yet certain phenomena defy this dichotomy, alternating as they move across spatial and temporal scales. Precipitation, for example, appears continuous at large scales, but it can be temporally decomposed into discrete …

Geologic Factors Affecting Hydrocarbon Occurrence In Paleovalleys Of The Mississippian-Pennsylvanian Unconformity In The Illinois Basin, Jeremy Taylor London

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Paleovalleys associated with the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian unconformity have been identified as potential targets for hydrocarbon exploration in the Illinois Basin. Though there is little literature addressing the geologic factors controlling hydrocarbon accumulation in sub-Pennsylvanian paleovalleys basin-wide, much work has been done to identify the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian unconformity, characterize the Chesterian and basal Pennsylvanian lithology, map the sub-Pennsylvanian paleogeology and delineate the pre-Pennsylvanian paleovalleys in the Illinois Basin. This study uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to determine the geologic factors controlling the distribution of hydrocarbon-bearing sub-Pennsylvanian paleovalley fill in the Illinois Basin. A methodology was developed to identify densely-drilled areas without associated petroleum …

A Spatial Assessment Of The Go Bg Transit Services In Bowling Green, Kentucky, Frank Aryee

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The decision to live in a particular place, accept a job at a distant location, where to go shopping or purchase groceries, and many other similar decisions are all largely influenced by the availability of transportation. As such, it is important that everyone who requires transportation can have access. However, certain population segments, such as low income earners, are less likely to own cars due to the cost involved. There are others who may be impaired physically or have other difficulties that may prevent them from driving. Access to transportation is essential for people of all backgrounds and social statuses. …

Geographic Variation Of Health Care Spending On Heart Failure In Metropolitan Areas, Kevin Mcmillan

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The costs of healthcare have long been a concern in the United States. It is well known that these costs vary geographically, but attempts to explain this variation have been met with limited and varied success. This is partly attributable to the fact that data available have restricted analyses to assessing the issue to using Medicare cost per beneficiary. In June, 2013, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released new Medicare data that detailed the charges and payments made to hospitals throughout the United States in 2011. In this thesis, this new dataset was used to examine costs …

Evacuation And Shelter In Place Modeling For A Release Of Uranium Hexafluoride, Joseph B. Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Evacuation and sheltering behaviors were modeled for a hypothetical release of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) from Nuclear Fuel Services (NFS) in Erwin, Tennessee. NFS down-blends weapons grade Cold War-era nuclear fuel material and processes highly-enriched uranium occasionally using UF6 onsite. Risk associated with a chemical release to the surrounding residential population was assessed by running 2 scenarios involving an airborne release of UF6 to compare evacuation and sheltering in place actions as effective survival strategies. Risk is minimal and evacuation is recommended for people within a 2-mile radius of the release point. Shelter in place actions are recommended for all critical …

Integrating Gis And Hydrology For Flood Risk Analysis, Anas B. Rabie

Theses and Dissertations

Spatial analysis using GIS was evaluated for its ability to predict the potential hazard of a flood event in the Illinois River region in the State of Illinois. The data employed in the analysis are available to the public from trusted organizations such as Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), and the US Geological Survey (USGS). The purposes of this study are to 1) examine the applicability of GIS spatial analysis to determine flood inundation risk, and 2) to determine how to do so with the least amount of data possible, while still producing an accurate flood inundation risk map. This …

User Perspectives On The Implementation Of Geographic Information Systems (Gis) In Emergency Management Organizations: A Case Study, Lauren Elizabeth Goddard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Recent natural and technological disasters have highlighted the need for a regional approach to emergency management. Technological advancements have the potential to increase both the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency planning, response, and recovery, while also supporting a regional approach. However, a number of factors suppress the diffusion of technologies, including varying access to resources and expertise. The purpose of this study is to identify end-user perspectives of barriers that exist associated with the implementation of GIS within emergency management. Comparative analysis of Lauderdale, Shelby, and Tipton Counties in Tennessee and Crittenden County in Arkansas form the basis of this …

Gis Spatial Analysis Of Segregation Clustering Evolution In Lincoln, Nebraska, Sarah Aftika

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses

Rising immigration growth in the Midwest creates Multi-racial communities and segregation such as social class segregation, economic segregation, education segregation, and also housing segregation. In urban America, there are three major sets of explanatory causal factors that have been hypothesized to explain ethnic residential segregation. They are: housing discrimination, socioeconomic status (SES) and ethnic group preferences (French 2008, 1).

Lincoln, as a metro city in Nebraska, shows signs of segregation phenomena as well as other metro cities in Midwest. The analysis tool used for this study is Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial analysis. This tool enables us to examine the …

Geomorphic Mapping And In Situ Analysis Of Avalanches On Loafer Mountain, Kimball Hansen, Dr. Matthew Bekker

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goal of this project was continue the previous avalanche chronology of Loafer Mountain that my mentor professor started and had me finish in 2011. We wanted to incorporate using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) which could help us find better results for our avalanche chronology. By using a GIS we can map our samples and thus provide a more in-depth analysis of the avalanche path by providing the width and magnitude.

Determining The Source Of Anomalous Segments In A Karst Stream, Kathryn Emily Schroeder

Theses and Dissertations

Southeastern Minnesota is characterized by an extensive karst network. In Kentucky, Carter Caves State Resort Park is a similar karst area that has exhibited karst anomalies, or `bumps,' in a longitudinal stream profile. This study aimed to determine if these same karst anomalies can be found in southeast Minnesota, where LiDAR data are available, and if these bumps are actually karst features. Profiles of carbonate and siliciclastic streams were observed to determine if the presence of anomalies in only carbonate streams, both lithologies, or neither. Another objective was to determine if GIS could be an effective method at generating these …

A Spatial Analysis Of Crime In The City Of San Luis Obispo Using Free And Open Source Gis Software, Chad Bunn

Social Sciences

A study of crime in the City of San Luis Obispo using FOSSGIS programs including CartoDB and QGIS. The study was for the perio of January 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013.

Geographic Analysis Of West Nile Virus In The Upper Minnesota River Valley: A Gis And Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing Approach, Matthew Moore

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Throughout human evolution civilizations have been faced with implications from infectious diseases caused by various environmental factors. This connection was recognized as far back as the 5th century by Hippocrates and since several key advances have been realized and will be addressed in this an environmental and physical geography of disease. Arthropod or vector-borne viruses are among the most common pathogens introduced into the modern human population. West Nile Virus is considered endemic in most parts of the world and appeared in the United States in 1999 with 62 confirmed cases in an urban New York location. Since its first …

The Utility Of Vulnerability Maps And Gis In Groundwater Management: A Case Study, Muhterem Demi̇roğlu, John Dowd

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Groundwater supplies are experiencing a critical shortage in arid and semiarid regions, as population growth, and hence demand, is not matched by the development of new water supplies. Groundwater is often the only water source in these areas, making the preservation of groundwater quality a critical issue. Powerful tools for groundwater protection are vulnerability maps, which can be used to identify protection zones. A number of factors influence aquifer vulnerability, including geology, geography, land use, and commercial and industrial development. These factors often display a complex spatial pattern easily addressed with GIS. Each factor is entered in the GIS as …

Associating Severe Thunderstorm Warnings With Demographic And Landscape Variables: A Geographically Weighted Regression-Based Mapping Of Forecast Bias, Megan L. White

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Severe thunderstorm warnings (SVTs) are released by meteorologists in the local forecast offices of the National Weather Service (NWS). These warnings are issued with the intent of alerting areas in the path of severe thunderstorms that human and property risk are elevated, and that appropriate precautionary measures should be taken. However, studies have shown that the spatial distribution of severe storm warnings demonstrates bias. Greater numbers of severe thunderstorm warnings sometimes are issued where population is denser. By contrast, less populated areas may be underwarned. To investigate the spatial patterns of these biases for the central and southeastern United States, …

Quantifying The Impact Of Hurricanes, Mid-Latitude Cyclones And Other Weather And Climate Extreme Events On The Mississippi-Alabama Barrier Islands Using Remotely Sensed Data, Rebekah Danielle Jones

LSU Master's Theses

Recent high-profile hurricanes have demonstrated the destructiveness of extreme events on coastal landscapes to the world. Barrier islands across the planet are disappearing, exposing vulnerable coastal cities to the damage caused by extreme events. Growing resolve among scientists regarding climate change's connection to tropical cyclones heightens the concern around intensifying extremes and landscape dynamics. This study uses more than 600 Landsat images to examine the role of extreme events on barrier island morphology on four of the Mississippi-Alabama barrier islands from 1972-2014. Each island, West Ship Island (WSI), East Ship Island (WSI), Petit Bois Island (PBI), and Sand Island, was …

Object-Based Coastal Morphological Change Analysis Based On Lidar And Hurricane Events, Bedoor Adel Mohammad

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Storms are considered one of the rapid climatic events that have a dramatic impact on coastal morphology, hence they require further investigation and quantifying of coastal changes and responses. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is the most advanced technology to be widely used by researchers for coastal geomorphological studies. The purpose of this study is to apply an object-based approach using repeated LiDAR surveys to understand the short-term morphological changes that occurred on Santa Rosa Island, Florida after category 3 hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Dennis (2005), making it the first study to apply this method, as opposed to previous studies’ …

Utilization Of Crowdsourced Maps In Catastrophic Disasters, Makiko Hong

Master's Theses

Crowdsourced data, the collective messages from citizens through social media like Twitter® or Facebook®, have been increasingly recognized as a vital information source in a catastrophic disaster. Because there is often insufficient emergency personnel to gather situational information during a big disaster, the crowdsourced data can offer a supplemental means for data collection or dissemination immediately after the disaster. In addition, crowdsourced maps can empower citizens with their involvement.

In the Haiti earthquake of 2010, crowdsourced data was first used to create a web map application to aid the humanitarian effort. With some success in Haiti, these crowdsourced maps have …

Common Metrics For Web-Based Mapping Applications In Academic Libraries, Ningning Kong, Tao Zhang, Ilana Stonebraker

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Purpose – This study aims to establish common metrics for web-based mapping applications to facilitate user decision making and enhance information providers’ product design.

Design/methodology/approach – The metrics were developed from a combination of literature review and case studies. From the literature review, we identified three major areas of assessment for web-based mapping applications. We then studied six online applications to refine the metrics.

Findings – Our results suggest that web-based mapping applications can be evaluated from three major aspects: data content, GIS functionality, and usability. We have developed detailed measures for each factor through our evaluation of the six …

Analyzing The Influence Of Micro-Level Factors On Cctv Camera Effect., Eric L. Piza, Joel M. Caplan, Leslie W. Kennedy

Publications and Research

Objectives Despite the popularity of closed circuit television (CCTV), evidence of its crime prevention capabilities is inconclusive. Research has largely reported CCTV effect as ‘‘mixed’’ without explaining this variance. The current study contributes to the literature by testing the influence of several micro-level factors on changes in crime levels within CCTV areas of Newark, NJ.

Methods Viewsheds, denoting the line-of-sight of CCTV cameras, were units of analysis (N = 117). Location quotients, controlling for viewshed size and control-area crime incidence, measured changes in the levels of six crime categories, from the pre-installation period to the post-installation period. Ordinary least squares …

Teaching Climate Literacy Using Geospatial Tools, Steven L. Babcock

LSU Master's Theses

Antarctica is the world’s coldest, driest and windiest continent. It is a harsh environment that few people will ever see but it is a very important part of our Earth system. Over the past 34 million years the climate in Antarctica has deteriorated from one that supported lush vegetation to the conditions observed today. By studying this trend and the associated changes to ice and vegetation we can gain critical insight into climate changes taking place today. This thesis presents three pieces of curricula that will help students and the general public understand some of the research currently underway in …

Identifying Local Transit Resources For Evacuation, Alaa Shams

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of this thesis is to establish a GIS that can be used to identify local human-services and special-needs transit resources in Louisiana’s 20 coastal parishes. The intention is that the system be used to identify and then call upon local transit services to assist in the evacuation of an area during an emergency. ArcGIS Online was selected as the platform on which to establish the GIS for this purpose. Socio-economic and transit vehicle data were collected from a variety of official sources and loaded on to the ArcGIS Online portal at LSU. The development of the system is …

An Assessment Of Human Vulnerability To Prolonged Cold In The Zeravshan Valley Of Tajikistan, R Bryson Touchstone

Theses and Dissertations

The Central Asian country of Tajikistan is the poorest of the former Soviet republics; it is also prone to a plethora of natural hazards including mass wasting, flood, and extreme temperature. This thesis seeks to characterize how vulnerable rural Tajik mountain communities are to prolonged cold. The primary focus was in Navobod, in the Zeravshan Valley of Tajikistan, where semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 households, the village leader and doctor, and school staff. The results from the interviews were compared with GIS analysis of the region. Interviews indicated that the area is highly vulnerable to the impacts of prolonged …

Building A Gis Model To Assess Agritourism Potential, Brian G. Baskerville

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Rural areas of the world are developing and implementing tourism programs to diversify and reinvigorate their local economies. Often, these programs focus on privately-held lands in largely agricultural regions. In some countries, tourism development strategies have combined agriculture and tourism to create a new industry – agritourism. This industry, although not new in the United States, is still in its nascent stages. Before starting an agritourism enterprise, farmers and ranchers must consider the various factors that will likely influence their potential for long-term success. These factors can be grouped into 1) farm-specific factors such as an operator’s personality or the …

A Rooftop Revolution? A Multidisciplinary Analysis Of State-Level Residential Solar Programs In New Jersey And Massachusetts, Alden Griffith, Monica Higgins, James Morton Turner

Faculty Research and Scholarship

The success of alternative energy policies is usually measured in terms of energy capacity. By this metric, state-level policies to promote solar installations in New Jersey and Massachusetts have been a success. To fully evaluate these policies, however, it is necessary to consider how these policy programs are structured and funded, who participates in these programs, and the complete life-cycle consequences of 'clean' energy technologies. This paper focuses specifically on residential solar installations, which represent more than half of the total U.S. rooftop solar capacity potential. It takes a multidisciplinary approach that draws on policy analysis, spatial and demographic analyses, …