Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

The Influence Of A Fluctuating Water Table On Arsenic Mobility In A Western U.S. Aquifer, Allia Maher Abu-Ramaileh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Significant amounts of Arsenic (As) are seen in groundwater used for drinking water in the United States, especially in the Southwest (SW). Long-term exposure to As concentrations over the drinking water limit of 10 μg/L can cause skin and lung cancer, along with several other adverse health effects. Previous studies have evaluated the hydro-biogeochemical processes leading to the exposure of millions of people in West Bengal, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia to unsafe levels of As in drinking water. There are some similarities between Southeast Asia and the SW U.S., but only a few studies analyzing As have been performed in …

Stormwater Bioretention: Nitrogen, Phosphorous And Metal Removal By Plants, Malgorzata Rycewicz-Borecki

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Stormwater runoff is an environmental concern. It increases the volume and velocity of surface water flow and contains high pollutant concentrations. High flows erode stream channels. Nutrients in the runoff cause eutrophication. Some metals from stormwater runoff is regulated by the Federal National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Bioretention (BR) systems are often used in response to these regulations to retain and treat this stormwater runoff.

This study conducted greenhouse and field experiments, and evaluated differences in nutrient and metal removal among plant species that are typically found growing in BR systems but are not typically investigated in this detail. …

Modeling Transportation Planning Applications Via Path Flow Estimator, Seungkyu Ryu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current practice for modeling in the field of transportation planning is through a four-step travel demand forecasting procedure (i.e., trip generation, trip distribution, mode choice, and traffic assignment); the practice is commonly referred to as the four-step model. Although such a modeling approach has become standard practice, it is deficient in several areas. Specifically, (1) it lacks capability for modeling non-motorized modes such as bicycles, (2) it is inadequate for modeling multiple vehicle types sharing the same roadway space, and (3) it is difficult to apply to small communities with limited resources. This dissertation recognizes these deficiencies and responds …

Risk Characterization From Multipathway Exposure Associated With Land Applying Biosolids By Accounting For Multimedia Mass Loss, Karthik Kumarasamy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There continues to be concern among communities living in the vicinity of biosolids land application sites about potential adverse health effects from the chemical contaminants present in biosolids. This study describes a procedure that will help answer questions about the risks involved in biosolids land application at the site level, thus, this study will provide a crucial communication tool for wastewater treatment facilities and biosolids land appliers to address the concerns of the public. Specifically, the study quantifies the exposure concentrations that a human being can become exposed to during their lifetime from the practice. Crucially, it takes a quantitate …

An Analysis Of Sensitivity In Economic Forecasting For Pavement Management Systems, Antonio Fuentes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the scope of transportation asset management, the maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) performed on asphalt roads at the local government level requires careful planning and intelligent use of limited funding. For this reason, a Pavement Management System (PMS) is incorporated and used as a tool for local government leaders to make the best decision given their annual budget. The PMS process is a repeatable process which consists of determining present day pavement condition, evaluating future deterioration, performing an economic analysis of possible M&R treatments and finally implementing a proper M&R plan to keep the asphalt pavement network in good condition. …

Redox-Controlled Biogeochemical Processes Affecting Arsenic Solubility In Sediments From A Basin-Fill Aquifer In Northern Utah, Xianyu Meng

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The basin-fill aquifers of the American Southwest host elevated concentrations of arsenic in groundwater due to the local geology. Limited information is available on arsenic dynamics in semi-arid and arid regions of the world. This study describes arsenic biogeochemistry and mechanisms of arsenic solubilization for a soil profile collected from the surface to the depth of groundwater in the Cache Valley Basin, Northern Utah.

The first objective was to delineate mechanisms of arsenic solubilization from sediments collected at the study site. Microcosms containing site groundwater and siteoxidized and site-reduced sediments, were monitored over time to observe changes in the solubilization …

Estimating Chlorophyll With Thermal And Broadband Multispectral High Resolution Imagery From An Unmanned Aerial System Using Relevance Vector Machines For Precision Agriculture, Manal Elarab, Andres M. Ticlavilca, Alfonso F. Torres-Rua, Inga Maslova, Mac Mckee

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Precision agriculture requires high-resolution information to enable greater precision in the management of inputs to production. Actionable information about crop and field status must be acquired at high spatial resolution and at a temporal frequency appropriate for timely responses. In this study, high spatial resolution imagery was obtained through the use of a small, unmanned aerial system called AggieAirTM. Simultaneously with the AggieAir flights, intensive ground sampling for plant chlorophyll was conducted at precisely determined locations. This study reports the application of a relevance vector machine coupled with cross validation and backward elimination to a dataset composed of reflectance from …

Water Resources Management - Singapore University Of Technology And Design, Stefano Galelli

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Undergraduate course in Water Resources Management offered at Singapore University of Technology and Design in Spring 2015.

Water Resources Systems Analysis - Colorado State University, Darrell Fontane

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Applications of systems analysis, simulation and optimization techniques in water resources planning and management. Course taught at Colorado State University.

Engineering Decision Support And Expert Systems - Colorado State University, John Labadie

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The student is introduced to development of decision support systems (DSS) for application to complex engineering management and design problems under conflicting objectives and uncertainty. A number of techniques are introduced for aiding in the analysis of a wide range of complex multiobjective engineering problems. Several stochastic optimization methods are presented for including risk and reliability in engineering design. Basic concepts of expert systems (ES) are discussed to show an essential synergy between DSS and ES for development of decision support structures that allow inclusion of human domain knowledge, heuristics and fuzzy logic. Heuristic methods such as genetic algorithms and …

Environmental Systems Engineering - Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Arthur Mcgarity

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Course in environmental systems engineering offered at Swarthmore College, Swarthmore in Spring 2015.

Analysis Of Rainfall Time-Series, Stefano Galelli

All ECSTATIC Materials

No abstract provided.

Modelling Rainfall-Runoff Processes (Empirical Models), Stefano Galelli

All ECSTATIC Materials

No abstract provided.

Integration Of An Energy Balance Snowmelt Model Into An Open Source Modeling Framework, A. Sen Gupta, David G. Tarboton, P. Hummel, M. E. Brown, S. Habib

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper presents a data model for organizing the inputs and outputs of an energy balance snowmelt model (the Utah Energy Balance Model, UEB) that provides a foundation for its integration into the EPA BASINS modeling framework and enables its coupling with other hydrologic models in this system. Having UEB as a BASINS component has facilitated its coupling with the Geospatial Streamflow Forecast Model (GeoSFM) to compute the melting of glaciers and subsequent streamflow in the Himalayas. The data model uses a combination of structured text and network Common Data Form (netCDF) files to represent parameters, geographical, time series, and …

A Unified Approach For Process-Based Hydrologic Modeling: 2. Model Implementation And Case Studies, Martyn P. Clark, Bart Nijssen, Jessica D. Lundquist, Dmitri Kavetski, David E. Rupp, Ross A. Woods, Jim E. Freer, Ethan D. Gutmann, Andrew W. Wood, David J. Gochis, Roy M. Rasmussen, David G. Tarboton, Vinod Mahat, Gerald N. Flerchinger, Danny G. Marks

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This work advances a unified approach to process-based hydrologic modeling, which we term the “Structure for Unifying Multiple Modeling Alternatives (SUMMA).” The modeling framework, introduced in the companion paper, uses a general set of conservation equations with flexibility in the choice of process parameterizations (closure relationships) and spatial architecture. This second paper specifies the model equations and their spatial approximations, describes the hydrologic and biophysical process parameterizations currently supported within the framework, and illustrates how the framework can be used in conjunction with multivariate observations to identify model improvements and future research and data needs. The case studies illustrate the …

Particulate-Matter Emission Estimates From Agricultural Spring-Tillage Operations Using Lidar And Inverse Modeling, Kori D. Moore, Michael D. Wojcik, Randy S. Martin, Christian C. Marchant, D. S. Jones, W. J. Bradford, G. E. Bingham, R L. Pfeiffer, J. H. Prueger, J. L. Hatfield

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Particulate-matter (PM) emissions from a typical spring agricultural tillage sequence and a strip–till conservation tillage sequence in California’s San Joaquin Valley were estimated to calculate the emissions control efficiency (ηη) of the strip–till conservation management practice (CMP). Filter-based PM samplers, PM-calibrated optical particle counters (OPCs), and a PM-calibrated light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system were used to monitored upwind and downwind PM concentrations during May and June 2008. Emission rates were estimated through inverse modeling coupled with the filter and OPC measurements and through applying a mass balance to the PM concentrations derived from LIDAR data. Sampling irregularities and errors …

Assessment Of Surface Soil Moisture Using High-Resolution Multi-Spectral Imagery And Artificial Neural Networks, Leila Hassan-Esfahani, Alfonso F. Torres-Rua, Austin M. Jensen, Mac Mckee

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Many crop production management decisions can be informed using data from high-resolution aerial images that provide information about crop health as influenced by soil fertility and moisture. Surface soil moisture is a key component of soil water balance, which addresses water and energy exchanges at the surface/atmosphere interface; however, high-resolution remotely sensed data is rarely used to acquire soil moisture values. In this study, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed to quantify the effectiveness of using spectral images to estimate surface soil moisture. The model produces acceptable estimations of surface soil moisture (root mean square error (RMSE) = …

Wavelet-Multivariate Relevance Vector Machine Hybrid Model For Forecasting Daily Evapotranspiration, Roula Bachour, I. Maslova, Andres M. Ticlavilca, Wynn R. Walker, Mac Mckee

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Evapotranspiration (ET) is one of the main components of the hydrological cycle. It is a complex process driven mainly by weather parameters, and as such, is characterized by high non-linearity and non-stationarity. This paper introduces a methodology combining wavelet multiresolution analysis with a machine learning algorithm, the multivariate relevance vector machine (MVRVM), in order to predict 16 days of future daily reference evapotranspiration (ETo). This methodology lays the ground for forecasting the spatial distribution of ET using Landsat satellite imagery, hence the choice of 16 days, which corresponds with the Landsat overpass cycle. An accurate prediction of daily ETo is …

Indicators Of Reservoir Performance, Stefano Galelli

All ECSTATIC Materials

No abstract provided.

Remediation Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Soil Using Hemoglobin-Catalytic Mechanism, Guyoung Kang, Kapsung Park, Jaechang Cho, David King Stevens, Namhyun Chung

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

It is suggested in this paper that recalcitrant organopollutants can be degraded efficiently by a hemoglobin-catalytic reaction in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (i.e., H2O2). The catalytic mechanism was studied with 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) as a compound for oxidation. Various evidence suggests that the catalytic mechanism is very similar to those of horseradish peroxidase and lignin peroxidase. The catalytic intermediates are known to oxidize various chemicals, indicating that the intermediates of hemoglobin can nonspecifically degrade many different types of organopollutants. To prove the hypothesis, an attempt was made to remediate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated field soil. The results showed that …

Can Suspended Fine Sediment Transport In Shallow Lakes Be Predicted Using Mvrvm With Limited Observations?, H. A. Batt Ph.D., David King Stevens

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The study of sediment transport in water natural bodies is a challenging task. There have been several attempts to describe sediment mathematically using hydraulic characteristics of water bodies. Most researchers who developed empirical formulas to describe sediment transport performed laboratory experiments with assumptions that did not take into account variations of hydraulic parameters and the fine sediment sizes that are part of this phenomenon. Recently, new approaches for studying sediment transport have been developed involving the use of machine-learning algorithms that have proven accuracy and efficiency in predicting sediment transport. A novel machinelearning method, the Multivariate Relevance Vector Machine (MVRVM), …

Modeling The Snow Surface Temperature With A One-Layer Energy Balance Snowmelt Model, J. You, David G. Tarboton, C. H. Luce

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Snow surface temperature is a key control on and result of dynamically coupled energy exchanges at the snow surface. The snow surface temperature is the result of the balance between external forcing (incoming radiation) and energy exchanges above the surface that depend on surface temperature (outgoing longwave radiation and turbulent fluxes) and the transport of energy into the snow by conduction and meltwater influx. Because of the strong insulating properties of snow, thermal gradients in snow packs are large and nonlinear, a fact that has led many to advocate multiple layer snowmelt models over single layer models. In an effort …

Hydroshare: Advancing Collaboration Through Hydrologic Data And Model Sharing, David G. Tarboton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

HydroShare is an online, collaborative system being developed for open sharing of hydrologic data and models. The goal of HydroShare is to enable hydrology researchers to easily discover and access hydrologic data and models, retrieve them to their desktop for local analysis and perform analyses in a distributed computing environment that may include grid, cloud or high performance computing. Users may also share and publish outcomes (data, results or models) into HydroShare, using the system as a collaboration platform. HydroShare is expanding the data sharing capability of the CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System by broadening the classes of data accommodated. HydroShare …

Path Flow Estimator For Planning Applications In Small Communities, Seungkyu Rya, Anthony Chen, H. Michael Zhang, Will Recker

Graduate Student Publications

This paper presents an alternative planning framework to model and forecast network traffic for planning applications in small communities, where limited resources debilitate the development and applications of the conventional four-step travel demand forecasting model. The core idea is to use the path flow estimator (PFE) to estimate current and forecast future traffic demand while taking into account of various field and planning data as modeling constraints. Specifically, two versions of PFE are developed: a base year PFE for estimating the current network traffic conditions using field data and planning data, if available, and a future year PFE for predicting …

Digitalcrust - A 4d Data System Of Material Properties For Transforming Research On Crustal Fluid Flow, Y. Fan, S. Richard, R. S. Bristol, S. E. Peters, S. E. Ingebritsen, N. Moosdorf, A. Packman, T. Gleeson, I. Zaslavsky, S. Peckham, L. Murdoch, M. Fienen, David G. Tarboton, N. Jones, Richard P. Hooper, J. Arrigo, D. Gochis, J. R. Olson, D. Wolock

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Fluid circulation in the Earth's crust plays an essential role in surface, near surface, and deep crustal processes. Flow pathways are driven by hydraulic gradients but controlled by material permeability, which varies over many orders of magnitude and changes over time. Although millions of measurements of crustal properties have been made, including geophysical imaging and borehole tests, this vast amount of data and information has not been integrated into a comprehensive knowledge system. A community data infrastructure is needed to improve data access, enable large‐scale synthetic analyses, and support representations of the subsurface in Earth system models. Here, we describe …

Water Resources Engineering 2: Water Resource Systems - George Mason University, Mark Houck

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To introduce concepts, applications, and tools of systems analysis for water resources planning, management, and design.

To apply these principles to problems including river basin planning, real-time hydrosystem operations, water quality management, capacity expansion, urban drainage network design, and sanitary sewer design.

Course taught at George Mason University.

Computer Aided Water Management And Control - Colorado State University, John Labadie

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Present modern computer-aided tools of systems analysis to planning, design, and operation of water resource systems. Topics covered include: optimal operation of multipurpose reservoir systems; optimal flood control system operations; coordinated unit commitment in hydropower systems; optimal multicrop allocation of seasonal and intraseasonal irrigation water; risk-based design of stochastic reservoir operating policies; economic evaluation of integrated design of water storage and conveyance systems; optimal conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater; optimal reservoir operations for water quality management; and optimal investment timing and selection of water resource projects. Several case studies are presented for river basins in the U.S., Dominican …

Environmental Systems Analysis - Penn State, University Park, Douglas A. Haith

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Undergraduate course in environmental systems analysis offered at Penn State, University Park in Fall 2014.

Environmental Engineering Systems, Mark Houck

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Introduces the concepts and applications of systems analysis in environmental engineering. Tools and methodologies of systems analysis are applied to improve the understanding and resolution of complex environmental engineering problems related to air, soil, and water quality and pollution. Scientific, engineering, political, social, legal, regulatory, medical, economic, and financial impacts of environmental engineering decisions are considered. Course taught at George Mason University.

An Integrated Modeling System For Estimating Glacier And Snow Melt Driven Streamflow From Remote Sensing And Earth System Data Products In The Himalayas, M. E. Brown, A. E. Racoviteanu, David G. Tarboton, A. Sen Gupta, J. Nigro, F. Policelli, S. Habib, M. Tokay, M. S. Shrestha, S. Bajracharya, P. Hummel, M. Gray, P. Duda, B. Zaitchik, Vinod Mahat, G. Artan, S. Tokar

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Quantification of the contribution of the hydrologic components (snow, ice and rain) to river discharge in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is important for decision-making in water sensitive sectors, and for water resources management and flood risk reduction. In this area, access to and monitoring of the glaciers and their melt outflow is challenging due to difficult access, thus modeling based on remote sensing offers the potential for providing information to improve water resources management and decision making. This paper describes an integrated modeling system developed using downscaled NASA satellite based and earth system data products coupled with in-situ …