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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Version 2 Of The Global Catalogue Of Large Anthropogenic And Volcanic So2 Sources And Emissions Derived From Satellite Measurements, Vitali E. Fioletov, Chris A. Mclinden, Debora Griffin, Ihab Abboud, Nickolay Krotkov, Peter J.T. Leonard, Can Li, Joanna Joiner, Nicolas Theys, Simon Carn Jan 2023

Version 2 Of The Global Catalogue Of Large Anthropogenic And Volcanic So2 Sources And Emissions Derived From Satellite Measurements, Vitali E. Fioletov, Chris A. Mclinden, Debora Griffin, Ihab Abboud, Nickolay Krotkov, Peter J.T. Leonard, Can Li, Joanna Joiner, Nicolas Theys, Simon Carn

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) measurements from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS), and TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) satellite spectrometers were used to update and extend the previously developed global catalogue of large SO2 emission sources. This version 2 of the global catalogue covers the period of 2005-2021 and includes a total of 759 continuously emitting point sources releasing from about 10 ktyr-1 to more than 4000 ktyr-1 of SO2, that have been identified and grouped by country and primary source origin: volcanoes (106 sources); power plants (477); smelters (74); and sources related to the oil and …


A Smart Parallel Gripper Industrial Automation System For Measurement Of Gripped Work Piece Thickness, Erik Kocher, Chukwuemeka George Ochieze, Ahmat Oumar, Travis Winter, Aleksandr Sergeyev, Mark Gauthier, Nathir Rawashdeh Nov 2022

A Smart Parallel Gripper Industrial Automation System For Measurement Of Gripped Work Piece Thickness, Erik Kocher, Chukwuemeka George Ochieze, Ahmat Oumar, Travis Winter, Aleksandr Sergeyev, Mark Gauthier, Nathir Rawashdeh

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

As part of the advanced programmable logic controllers (PLC) course at Michigan Tech, this class project is performed on a mechatronics system gifted by Donald Engineering, a Michigan-based supplier of industrial automation systems and components. This paper explores the functionality and ladder programming of the smart parallel gripper system to measure the width of components grasped with the gripper. In addition, details of the system’s components, operation, more advanced uses are discussed. On the automation line, this smart gripper can be used to measure the thickness of work pieces while handling them and classifying these as either acceptable, too large …


Technical And Economic Viability Of Distributed Recycling Of Low-Density Polyethylene Water Sachets Into Waste Composite Pavement Blocks, Celestin Tsala-Mbala, Koami Soulemane Hayibo, Theresa K. Meyer, Nadine Couao-Zotti, Paul Cairns, Joshua M. Pearce Oct 2022

Technical And Economic Viability Of Distributed Recycling Of Low-Density Polyethylene Water Sachets Into Waste Composite Pavement Blocks, Celestin Tsala-Mbala, Koami Soulemane Hayibo, Theresa K. Meyer, Nadine Couao-Zotti, Paul Cairns, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

In many developing countries, plastic waste management is left to citizens. This usually results in landfilling or hazardous open-air burning, leading to emissions that are harmful to human health and the environment. An easy, profitable, and clean method of processing and transforming the waste into value is required. In this context, this study provides an open-source methodology to transform low-density polyethylene drinking water sachets, into pavement blocks by using a streamlined do-it-yourself approach that requires only modest capital. Two different materials, sand, and ashes are evaluated as additives in plastic composites and the mechanical strength of the resulting blocks are …


Out Of The Blue: Volcanic So2 Emissions During The 2021–2022 Eruptions Of Hunga Tonga—Hunga Ha’Apai (Tonga), S. A. Carn, N. A. Krotkov, B. L. Fisher, C. Li Sep 2022

Out Of The Blue: Volcanic So2 Emissions During The 2021–2022 Eruptions Of Hunga Tonga—Hunga Ha’Apai (Tonga), S. A. Carn, N. A. Krotkov, B. L. Fisher, C. Li

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Most volcanism on Earth is submarine, but volcanic gas emissions by submarine eruptions are rarely observed and hence largely unquantified. On 15 January 2022 a submarine eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) volcano (Tonga) generated an explosion of historic magnitude, and was preceded by ∼1 month of Surtseyan eruptive activity and two precursory explosive eruptions. We present an analysis of ultraviolet (UV) satellite measurements of volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) between December 2021 and the climactic 15 January 2022 eruption, comprising an unprecedented record of Surtseyan eruptive emissions. UV measurements from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA’s Aura satellite, the …


Application Of Fuzzy Logic And Fractal Modeling Approach For Groundwater Potential Mapping In Semi-Arid Akka Basin, Southeast Morocco, Fatima Zahra Echogdali, Said Boutaleb, Rosine Basseu Kpan, Mohammed Ouchchen, Amine Bendarma, Hasna El Ayady, Kamal Abdelrahman, Mohammed S. Fnais, Kochappi Sathyan Sajinkumar, Mohamed Abioui Aug 2022

Application Of Fuzzy Logic And Fractal Modeling Approach For Groundwater Potential Mapping In Semi-Arid Akka Basin, Southeast Morocco, Fatima Zahra Echogdali, Said Boutaleb, Rosine Basseu Kpan, Mohammed Ouchchen, Amine Bendarma, Hasna El Ayady, Kamal Abdelrahman, Mohammed S. Fnais, Kochappi Sathyan Sajinkumar, Mohamed Abioui

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Groundwater potential delineation in the Akka basin, southwest Morocco, has been determined through the combination of geospatial techniques and geological data. The geometric average and expected value are two multi-criteria approaches used to integrate a set of factors–data for which the weights of each factor are assigned using the fuzzy logic function, which transforms values of factors influencing groundwater presence in a range of [0, 1]. The efficiency factors used in this study are the lineament density, node density, drainage density, distance from rivers, distance from lineament, permeability, slope, topographic witness index, plan curvature, and profile curvature. Thereafter, the groundwater …


Flood Hazard Index Application In Arid Catchments: Case Of The Taguenit Wadi Watershed, Lakhssas, Morocco, Mustapha Ikirri, Farid Faik, Fatima Zahra Echogdali, Isabel Margarida Horta Ribeiro Antunes, Mohamed Abioui, Kamal Abdelrahman, Mohammed S. Fnais, Abderrahmane Wanaim, Mouna Id-Belqas, Said Boutaleb, Kochappi Sathyan Sajinkumar, Adolfo Quesada-Román Jul 2022

Flood Hazard Index Application In Arid Catchments: Case Of The Taguenit Wadi Watershed, Lakhssas, Morocco, Mustapha Ikirri, Farid Faik, Fatima Zahra Echogdali, Isabel Margarida Horta Ribeiro Antunes, Mohamed Abioui, Kamal Abdelrahman, Mohammed S. Fnais, Abderrahmane Wanaim, Mouna Id-Belqas, Said Boutaleb, Kochappi Sathyan Sajinkumar, Adolfo Quesada-Román

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

During the last decade, climate change has generated extreme rainfall events triggering flash floods in short periods worldwide. The delimitation of flood zones by detailed mapping generally makes it possible to avoid human and economic losses, especially in regions at high risk of flooding. The Taguenit basin, located in southern Morocco, is a particular case. The mapping of the flood zones of this basin by the method of the Flood Hazard Index (FHI) in a GIS geographic information systems environment was based on the multi-criteria analysis, taking into consideration the seven parameters influencing these extreme phenomena, namely rainfall, slope, flow …


Economic Feasibility Analysis Of Variable-Speed Pumps By Simulating 15 Multiple Water Distribution Systems, Conrad B. Truettner, Brian D. Barkdoll Apr 2022

Economic Feasibility Analysis Of Variable-Speed Pumps By Simulating 15 Multiple Water Distribution Systems, Conrad B. Truettner, Brian D. Barkdoll

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The UN Sustainability Goals address measures to reduce environmental pollution. Water distribution systems (WDSs) use electric energy, which pollutes the atmosphere through, at least partly, the burning of coal. This study simulates, through modeling, variable-speed pumps (VSPs) on 15 different real WDSs on the network solver EPANET and analyzes the payback period. An algorithm is introduced here to select the optimal pump speed pattern to save the most energy while satisfying the constrain of sufficient pressure at all times and all locations. It was found that five of the 15 systems operated unsuccessfully using a VSP, due to the VSP …


Integrated Parametric Graph Closure And Branch-And-Cut Algorithm For Open Pit Mine Scheduling Under Uncertainty, Devendra Joshi, Amol Paithankar, Snehamoy Chatterjee, Sk Md Equeenuddin Jan 2022

Integrated Parametric Graph Closure And Branch-And-Cut Algorithm For Open Pit Mine Scheduling Under Uncertainty, Devendra Joshi, Amol Paithankar, Snehamoy Chatterjee, Sk Md Equeenuddin

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Open pit mine production scheduling is a computationally expensive large-scale mixed-integer linear programming problem. This research develops a computationally efficient algorithm to solve open pit production scheduling problems under uncertain geological parameters. The proposed solution approach for production scheduling is a two-stage process. The stochastic production scheduling problem is iteratively solved in the first stage after relaxing resource constraints using a parametric graph closure algorithm. Finally, the branch-and-cut algorithm is applied to respect the resource constraints, which might be violated during the first stage of the algorithm. Six small-scale production scheduling problems from iron and copper mines were used to …


Single-Particle Characterization Of Sars-Cov-2 Isoelectric Point And Comparison To Variants Of Interest, Oluwatoyin Areo, Pratik U. Joshi, Mark Obrenovich, Moncef Tayahi, Caryn L. Heldt Jul 2021

Single-Particle Characterization Of Sars-Cov-2 Isoelectric Point And Comparison To Variants Of Interest, Oluwatoyin Areo, Pratik U. Joshi, Mark Obrenovich, Moncef Tayahi, Caryn L. Heldt

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, is a new, highly pathogenic coronavirus, which is the third coronavirus to emerge in the past 2 decades and the first to become a global pandemic. The virus has demonstrated itself to be extremely transmissible and deadly. Recent data suggest that a targeted approach is key to mitigating infectivity. Due to the proliferation of cataloged protein and nucleic acid sequences in databases, the function of the nucleic acid, and genetic encoded proteins, we make predictions by simply aligning sequences and exploring their homology. Thus, similar amino acid sequences in a protein usually confer similar biochemical …


Potentials Of Airborne Hyperspectral Aviris-Ng Data In The Exploration Of Base Metal Deposit—A Study In The Parts Of Bhilwara, Rajasthan, Arindam Guha, Uday Kumar Ghosh, Joyasree Sinha, Amin Beiranvand Pour, Ratnakar Bhaisal, Snehamoy Chatterjee, Nikhil Kumar Baranval, Nisha Rani, K. Vinod Kumar, Pamaraju V.N. Rao May 2021

Potentials Of Airborne Hyperspectral Aviris-Ng Data In The Exploration Of Base Metal Deposit—A Study In The Parts Of Bhilwara, Rajasthan, Arindam Guha, Uday Kumar Ghosh, Joyasree Sinha, Amin Beiranvand Pour, Ratnakar Bhaisal, Snehamoy Chatterjee, Nikhil Kumar Baranval, Nisha Rani, K. Vinod Kumar, Pamaraju V.N. Rao

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

In this study, we have processed the spectral bands of airborne hyperspectral data of Advanced Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer-Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG) data for delineating the surface signatures associated with the base metal mineralization in the Pur-Banera area in the Bhilwara district, Rajasthan, India.The primaryhost rocks of the Cu, Pb, Zn mineralization in the area are Banded Magnetite Quartzite (BMQ), unclassified calcareous silicates, and quartzite. We used ratio images derived from the scale and root mean squares (RMS) error imagesusing the multi-range spectral feature fitting (MRSFF) methodto delineate host rocks from the AVIRIS-NG image. The False Color Composites (FCCs) of different …


Spatially Variable Hydrologic Impact And Biomass Production Tradeoffs Associated With Eucalyptus (E. Grandis) Cultivation For Biofuel Production In Entre Rios, Argentina, Azad Heidari, David Watkins, Alex Mayer, Tamara Propato, Santiago Verón, Diego De Abelleyra Feb 2021

Spatially Variable Hydrologic Impact And Biomass Production Tradeoffs Associated With Eucalyptus (E. Grandis) Cultivation For Biofuel Production In Entre Rios, Argentina, Azad Heidari, David Watkins, Alex Mayer, Tamara Propato, Santiago Verón, Diego De Abelleyra

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Climate change and energy security promote using renewable sources of energy such as biofuels. High woody biomass production achieved from short-rotation intensive plantations is a strategy that is increasing in many parts of the world. However, broad expansion of bioenergy feedstock production may have significant environmental consequences. This study investigates the watershed-scale hydrological impacts of Eucalyptus (E. grandis) plantations for energy production in a humid subtropical watershed in Entre Rios province, Argentina. A Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was calibrated and validated for streamflow, leaf area index (LAI), and biomass production cycles. The model was used to simulate …


Integration And Optimal Control Of Microcsp With Building Hvac Systems: Review And Future Directions, Mohamed Toub, Chethan Reddy, Rush D. Robinett Iii, Mahdi Shahbakhti Jan 2021

Integration And Optimal Control Of Microcsp With Building Hvac Systems: Review And Future Directions, Mohamed Toub, Chethan Reddy, Rush D. Robinett Iii, Mahdi Shahbakhti

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are omnipresent in modern buildings and are responsible for a considerable share of consumed energy and the electricity bill in buildings. On the other hand, solar energy is abundant and could be used to support the building HVAC system through cogeneration of electricity and heat. Micro-scale concentrated solar power (MicroCSP) is a propitious solution for such applications that can be integrated into the building HVAC system to optimally provide both electricity and heat, on-demand via application of optimal control techniques. The use of thermal energy storage (TES) in MicroCSP adds dispatching capabilities to the …


A Low-Cost Secure Iot Mechanism For Monitoring And Controlling Polygeneration Microgrids, Josué Martínez-Martínez, Diego Aponte-Roa, Idalides Vergara-Laurens, Wayne Weaver Dec 2020

A Low-Cost Secure Iot Mechanism For Monitoring And Controlling Polygeneration Microgrids, Josué Martínez-Martínez, Diego Aponte-Roa, Idalides Vergara-Laurens, Wayne Weaver

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The use of Internet-connected devices at homes has increased to monitor energy consumption. Furthermore, renewable energy sources have also increased, reducing electricity bills. However, the high cost of the equipment limits the use of these technologies. This paper presents a low-cost secured-distributed Internet of Things (IoT) system to monitor and control devices connected in a polygeneration microgrid, as a combined power system for local loads with renewable sources. The proposed mechanism includes a Wireless Sensor Actuator Networked Control System that links network nodes using the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The Internet communication enables the monitor and control of devices using a …


Water Conservation Potential Of Self-Funded Foam-Based Flexible Surface-Mounted Floatovoltaics, Kaomi Soulemane Hayibo, Pierce Mayville, Ravneet Kaur Kailey Nov 2020

Water Conservation Potential Of Self-Funded Foam-Based Flexible Surface-Mounted Floatovoltaics, Kaomi Soulemane Hayibo, Pierce Mayville, Ravneet Kaur Kailey

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

A potential solution to the coupled water–energy–food challenges in land use is the concept of floating photovoltaics or floatovoltaics (FPV). In this study, a new approach to FPV is investigated using a flexible crystalline silicon-based photovoltaic (PV) module backed with foam, which is less expensive than conventional pontoon-based FPV. This novel form of FPV is tested experimentally for operating temperature and performance and is analyzed for water-savings using an evaporation calculation adapted from the Penman–Monteith model. The results show that the foam-backed FPV had a lower operating temperature than conventional pontoon-based FPV, and thus a 3.5% higher energy output per …


Global Aeolian Dust Variations And Trends: A Revisit Of Dust Event And Visibility Observations From Surface Weather Stations, Xin Xi Oct 2020

Global Aeolian Dust Variations And Trends: A Revisit Of Dust Event And Visibility Observations From Surface Weather Stations, Xin Xi

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

This study revisits the use of horizontal visibility and manually reported present weather (ww) records from the NOAA Integrated Surface Database (ISD) for characterizing the aeolian dust variability and recent trends over the globe and three largest source regions (North Africa, Middle East, and East Asia). Due to its qualitative nature, ww is combined with visibility to derive a new variable, VI, which has higher correlations with the dust emission and burden from satellite observations and global aerosol reanalyses than does the dust event frequency (FR) derived from ww only. Both FR and VI capture …


Decentralized Renewable Hybrid Mini-Grids For Rural Communities: Culmination Of The Irep Framework And Scale Up To Urban Communities, Blessing Ugwoke, Adedoyin Adeleke, Stefano P. Corgnati, Joshua M. Pearce, Pierluigi Leone Sep 2020

Decentralized Renewable Hybrid Mini-Grids For Rural Communities: Culmination Of The Irep Framework And Scale Up To Urban Communities, Blessing Ugwoke, Adedoyin Adeleke, Stefano P. Corgnati, Joshua M. Pearce, Pierluigi Leone

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The Integrated Rural Energy Planning (IREP) framework offers a unified road map for locating, planning and operating decentralized renewable hybrid off-grid energy systems for localized (rural) applications in low-income countries. This paper presents the culmination of the IREP framework and aims to illustrate the final step of the IREP framework for two communities in Nigeria. It is focused on two aspects. Firstly, the techno-economic modeling (investment and operation optimization) of a hybrid mini-grid system using HOMER Pro, a techno-economic evaluation tool; and evaluating the benefits of demand side management (DSM) based on energy efficiency on the overall system economics using …


Multiple Salinity Equilibria And Resilience Of Persian/Arabian Gulf Basin Salinity To Brine Discharge, Hamed D. Ibrahim, Pengfei Xue, Elfatih A.B. Eltahir Jul 2020

Multiple Salinity Equilibria And Resilience Of Persian/Arabian Gulf Basin Salinity To Brine Discharge, Hamed D. Ibrahim, Pengfei Xue, Elfatih A.B. Eltahir

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The Persian/Arabian Gulf is the most important region for seawater desalination. Surrounding countries produce about 50% of global desalinated seawater. If Gulf salinity significantly rises because of desalination effluent (brine), marine ecosystems and the water supply for many population centers will be threatened. In order to quantify current and future impacts of seawater desalination on Gulf salinity and avoid costly environmental problems, it is vital to first examine the present Gulf salinity state and its response to salinity perturbation (i.e., determine its stability). Here, using a coupled Gulf-Atmosphere numerical climate model, we test the hypothesis that the Gulf has a …


Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Modeling Over The Maritime Continent: A Review, Pengfei Xue, Paola Malanotte-Rizzoli, Jun Wei, Elfatih A.B. Eltahir Jun 2020

Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Modeling Over The Maritime Continent: A Review, Pengfei Xue, Paola Malanotte-Rizzoli, Jun Wei, Elfatih A.B. Eltahir

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The Maritime Continent (MC) plays a vitally important role in the Earth's climate system from both oceanic and atmospheric perspectives. While the critical role of ocean-atmosphere coupled dynamics over the MC has long been recognized, development of two-way coupled regional climate models for this region is still in its early stages. In this work, the authors review recent progress in two-way coupled ocean-atmosphere regional climate modeling. Development of coupled models and their applications in the MC are summarized. Model performances are discussed with a focus on regional oceanic and atmospheric characteristics. Through a critical review of modeling advances and limitations …


Paleomagnetic Evidence For Modern-Like Plate Motion Velocities At 3.2 Ga, Alec R. Brenner, Roger R. Fu, David A.D. Evans, Aleksey V. Smirnov, Raisa Trubko, Ian R. Rose Apr 2020

Paleomagnetic Evidence For Modern-Like Plate Motion Velocities At 3.2 Ga, Alec R. Brenner, Roger R. Fu, David A.D. Evans, Aleksey V. Smirnov, Raisa Trubko, Ian R. Rose

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The mode and rates of tectonic processes and lithospheric growth during the Archean [4.0 to 2.5 billion years (Ga) ago] are subjects of considerable debate. Paleomagnetism may contribute to the discussion by quantifying past plate velocities. We report a paleomagnetic pole for the ~3180 million year (Ma) old Honeyeater Basalt of the East Pilbara Craton, Western Australia, supported by a positive fold test and micromagnetic imaging. Comparison of the 44°±15° Honeyeater Basalt paleolatitude with previously reported paleolatitudes requires that the average latitudinal drift rate of the East Pilbara was ≥2.5 cm/year during the ~170 Ma preceding 3180 Ma ago, a …


Integration Of Pretreatment With Simultaneous Counter-Current Extraction Of Energy Sorghum For High-Titer Mixed Sugar Production, Daniel L. Williams, Rebecca Ong, John E. Mullet, David B. Hodge Jan 2019

Integration Of Pretreatment With Simultaneous Counter-Current Extraction Of Energy Sorghum For High-Titer Mixed Sugar Production, Daniel L. Williams, Rebecca Ong, John E. Mullet, David B. Hodge

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) offers substantial potential as a feedstock for the production of sugar-derived biofuels and biochemical products from cell wall polysaccharides (i. e., cellulose and hemicelluloses) and water-extractable sugars (i.e., glucose, fructose, sucrose, and starch). A number of preprocessing schemes can be envisioned that involve processes such as sugar extraction, pretreatment, and densification that could be employed in decentralized, regional-scale biomass processing depots. In this work, an energy sorghum exhibiting a combination of high biomass productivity and high sugar accumulation was evaluated for its potential for integration into several potential biomass preprocessing schemes. This included counter-current …


Landsliding Near Enguri Dam (Caucasus, Georgia) And Possible Seismoectonic Effects, Alessandro Tibaldi, Paolo Oppizzi, John S. Gierke, Thomas Oommen, Nino Tsereteli, Davit Odilavadze Aug 2018

Landsliding Near Enguri Dam (Caucasus, Georgia) And Possible Seismoectonic Effects, Alessandro Tibaldi, Paolo Oppizzi, John S. Gierke, Thomas Oommen, Nino Tsereteli, Davit Odilavadze

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The Enguri dam and water reservoir, nested in southwestern Caucasus (Republic of Georgia), are surrounded by steep mountain slopes. At a distance of 2.5 km from the dam, a mountain ridge along the reservoir is affected by active deformations with a double vergence. The western slope, directly facing the reservoir, has deformations that involve a subaerial area of 1.2 km2. The head scarp interests the main Jvari-Khaishi-Mestia road with offset of man-made features that indicate slip rates of 2-9 cm/y. Static, pseudostatic and Newmark numerical analyses, based on field and seismological data, suggest different unstable rock volumes basing on the …


Sensitivity Of Atmospheric Aerosol Scavenging To Precipitation Intensity And Frequency In The Context Of Global Climate Change, Pei Hou, Shiliang Wu, Jessica L. Mccarty, Yang Gao Jun 2018

Sensitivity Of Atmospheric Aerosol Scavenging To Precipitation Intensity And Frequency In The Context Of Global Climate Change, Pei Hou, Shiliang Wu, Jessica L. Mccarty, Yang Gao

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Wet deposition driven by precipitation is an important sink for atmospheric aerosols and soluble gases. We investigate the sensitivity of atmospheric aerosol lifetimes to precipitation intensity and frequency in the context of global climate change. Our sensitivity model simulations, through some simplified perturbations to precipitation in the GEOS-Chem model, show that the removal efficiency and hence the atmospheric lifetime of aerosols have significantly higher sensitivities to precipitation frequencies than to precipitation intensities, indicating that the same amount of precipitation may lead to different removal efficiencies of atmospheric aerosols. Combining the long-term trends of precipitation patterns for various regions with the …


Assessment Of Soil Erosion Vulnerability In The Heavily Populated And Ecologically Fragile Communities In Motozintla De Mendoza, Chiapas, Mexico, Selene González-Morales, Alex Mayer, Neptalí Ramírez-Marcial Jun 2018

Assessment Of Soil Erosion Vulnerability In The Heavily Populated And Ecologically Fragile Communities In Motozintla De Mendoza, Chiapas, Mexico, Selene González-Morales, Alex Mayer, Neptalí Ramírez-Marcial

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Variability in physical rates and local knowledge of soil erosion was assessed across six rural communities in the Sierra Madre del Sur, Chiapas, Mexico. The average erosion rate estimated using the RUSLE model is 274 t ha-1 yr-1, with the estimated erosion rates ranging from 28 to 717 t ha-1 yr-1. These very high erosion rates are associated with high rainfall erosivity (17 000 MJ mm ha-1 h-1 yr-1) and steep slopes (mean slope Combining double low line 67 %). Many of the highest soil erosion rates are found in communities that are dominated by forestland, but where most of …


The Ozone Monitoring Instrument: Overview Of 14 Years In Space, Pieternel F. Levelt, Joanna Joiner, Johanna Tamminen, J. Pepijn Veefkind, Pawan K. Bhartia, Simon Carn, Et. Al. Apr 2018

The Ozone Monitoring Instrument: Overview Of 14 Years In Space, Pieternel F. Levelt, Joanna Joiner, Johanna Tamminen, J. Pepijn Veefkind, Pawan K. Bhartia, Simon Carn, Et. Al.

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

This overview paper highlights the successes of the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on board the Aura satellite spanning a period of nearly 14 years. Data from OMI has been used in a wide range of applications and research resulting in many new findings. Due to its unprecedented spatial resolution, in combination with daily global coverage, OMI plays a unique role in measuring trace gases important for the ozone layer, air quality, and climate change. With the operational very fast delivery (VFD; direct readout) and near real-time (NRT) availability of the data, OMI also plays an important role in the development …


Evaluation Of Well Designs To Improve Access To Safe And Clean Water In Rural Tanzania, Aminata Kilungo, Linda Powers, Nathan B. Arnold, Kelli Marie Whelan, Kurt Paterson, Dale Young Jan 2018

Evaluation Of Well Designs To Improve Access To Safe And Clean Water In Rural Tanzania, Aminata Kilungo, Linda Powers, Nathan B. Arnold, Kelli Marie Whelan, Kurt Paterson, Dale Young

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The objective of this study was to examine three well designs: drilled wells (20–30 m deep), closed dug wells (>5 m deep), and hand-dug open wells (<5 m deep), to determine the water quality for improving access to safe and clean water in rural communities. Heterotrophic plate count (HPC), total coliforms (TC), Escherichia coli (E. coli) and turbidity, were used to assess the water quality of 97 wells. Additionally, the study looked at the microflora diversity of the water, focusing on potential pathogens using outgrowth, PCR, and genome sequencing for 10 wells. Concentrations of TC for the open dug wells (4 × 104 CFU/100 mL) were higher than the drilled (2 × 103 CFU/100 mL) and closed dug wells (3 × 103 CFU/100 mL). E. coli concentration for drilled and closed dug wells was <22 MPN (most probable number)/100 mL, but higher for open wells (>154 MPN/100 mL). The drilled well turbidity (11 NTU) was within the standard deviation of the closed well (28 NTU) compared to open dug wells (49 NTU). Drilled and closed wells had similar microbial diversity. There were no …


Effect Of Label Noise On The Machine-Learned Classification Of Earthquake Damage, Jared Frank, Umaa Rebbapragada, James Bialas, Thomas Oommen, Timothy C. Havens Aug 2017

Effect Of Label Noise On The Machine-Learned Classification Of Earthquake Damage, Jared Frank, Umaa Rebbapragada, James Bialas, Thomas Oommen, Timothy C. Havens

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Automated classification of earthquake damage in remotely-sensed imagery using machine learning techniques depends on training data, or data examples that are labeled correctly by a human expert as containing damage or not. Mislabeled training data are a major source of classifier error due to the use of imprecise digital labeling tools and crowdsourced volunteers who are not adequately trained on or invested in the task. The spatial nature of remote sensing classification leads to the consistent mislabeling of classes that occur in close proximity to rubble, which is a major byproduct of earthquake damage in urban areas. In this study, …


Adhesion Evaluation Of Asphalt-Aggregate Interface Using Surface Free Energy Method, Jie Ji, Hui Yao, Luhou Liu, Zhi Suo, Peng Zhai, Xu Yang, Zhanping You Feb 2017

Adhesion Evaluation Of Asphalt-Aggregate Interface Using Surface Free Energy Method, Jie Ji, Hui Yao, Luhou Liu, Zhi Suo, Peng Zhai, Xu Yang, Zhanping You

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The influence of organic additives (Sasobit and RH) and water on the adhesion of the asphalt-aggregate interface was studied according to the surface free energy theory. Two asphalt binders (SK-70 and SK-90), and two aggregate types (limestone and basalt) were used in this study. The sessile drop method was employed to test surface free energy components of asphalt, organic additives and aggregates. The adhesion models of the asphalt-aggregate interface in dry and wet conditions were established, and the adhesion work was calculated subsequently. The energy ratios were built to evaluate the effect of organic additives and water on the adhesiveness …


A Global Catalogue Of Large So < Inf> 2 Sources And Emissions Derived From The Ozone Monitoring Instrument, Vitali E. Fioletov, Chris A. Mclinden, Nickolay Krotkov, Can Li, Joanna Joiner, Nicolas Theys, S. Carn, Mike D. Moran Sep 2016

A Global Catalogue Of Large So < Inf> 2 Sources And Emissions Derived From The Ozone Monitoring Instrument, Vitali E. Fioletov, Chris A. Mclinden, Nickolay Krotkov, Can Li, Joanna Joiner, Nicolas Theys, S. Carn, Mike D. Moran

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) measurements from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite sensor processed with the new principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm were used to detect large point emission sources or clusters of sources. The total of 491 continuously emitting point sources releasing from about 30 kt yr-1 to more than 4000 kt yr-1 of SO2 per year have been identified and grouped by country and by primary source origin: volcanoes (76 sources); power plants (297); smelters (53); and sources related to the oil and gas industry (65). The sources were identified using different methods, including through OMI measurements themselves applied …


Developing The Greatest Blue Economy: Water Productivity, Fresh Water Depletion, And Virtual Water Trade In The Great Lakes Basin, A. L. Mayer, Stanley Mubako, Benjamin L. Ruddell May 2016

Developing The Greatest Blue Economy: Water Productivity, Fresh Water Depletion, And Virtual Water Trade In The Great Lakes Basin, A. L. Mayer, Stanley Mubako, Benjamin L. Ruddell

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The Great Lakes basin hosts the world's most abundant surface fresh water reserve. Historically an industrial and natural resource powerhouse, the region has suffered economic stagnation in recent decades. Meanwhile, growing water resource scarcity around the world is creating pressure on water-intensive human activities. This situation creates the potential for the Great Lakes region to sustainably utilize its relative water wealth for economic benefit. We combine economic production and trade datasets with water consumption data and models of surface water depletion in the region. We find that, on average, the current economy does not create significant impacts on surface waters, …


High-Efficiency Solar-Powered 3-D Printers For Sustainable Development, Jephias Gwamuri, Dhiogo Franco, Khalid Khan, Lucia Gauchia, Joshua M. Pearce Jan 2016

High-Efficiency Solar-Powered 3-D Printers For Sustainable Development, Jephias Gwamuri, Dhiogo Franco, Khalid Khan, Lucia Gauchia, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The release of the open source 3-D printer known as the RepRap (a self-Replicating Rapid prototyper) resulted in the potential for distributed manufacturing of products for significantly lower costs than conventional manufacturing. This development, coupled with open source-appropriate technology (OSAT), has enabled the opportunity for 3-D printers to be used for sustainable development. In this context, OSAT provides the opportunity to modify and improve the physical designs of their printers and desired digitally-shared objects. However, these 3-D printers require electricity while more than a billion people still lack electricity. To enable the utilization of RepRaps in off-grid communities, solar photovoltaic …