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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Investigating The Mechanisms Driving Mercury Reduction And Emissions In Soil, Hamil Patel Jun 2022

Investigating The Mechanisms Driving Mercury Reduction And Emissions In Soil, Hamil Patel

Student Theses

The water-induced emission of mercury from soil has been studied, but a complete understanding of the mechanisms driving mercury reduction and emission in soil has not been reached. The current understanding is an immediate expulsion of soil gaseous mercury upon water treatment and an upward transport of dissolved soil ionic mercury as the water evaporates. We analyzed emissions from several types of samples using various methods to further our understanding on the mechanisms involved. Light-induced emissions from aqueous samples of humic acid (HA) spiked with mercury (II) chloride (HgCl2) showed that at higher concentrations of HA, less mercury …


Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) Population Decline In Morro Bay, Ca: A Meta-Analysis Of Herbicide Application In San Luis Obispo County And Morro Bay Watershed, Tyler King Sinnott Dec 2020

Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) Population Decline In Morro Bay, Ca: A Meta-Analysis Of Herbicide Application In San Luis Obispo County And Morro Bay Watershed, Tyler King Sinnott

Master's Theses

The endemic eelgrass (Zostera marina) community of Morro Bay Estuary, located on the central coast of California, has experienced an estimated decline of 95% in occupied area (reduction of 344 acres to 20 acres) from 2008 to 2017 for reasons that are not yet definitively clear. One possible driver of degradation that has yet to be investigated is the role of herbicides from agricultural fields in the watershed that feeds into the estuary. Thus, the primary research goal of this project was to better understand temporal and spatial trends of herbicide use within the context of San Luis …


The Clean Air Act And Its Impact On Ground Level Ozone Pollution Levels In Los Angeles, California, Rebecca G. Ford Oct 2017

The Clean Air Act And Its Impact On Ground Level Ozone Pollution Levels In Los Angeles, California, Rebecca G. Ford

Honors Theses

Ozone (O3) occurs naturally as a protective, ultraviolet radiation-shielding “Ozone Layer” in the Stratosphere and as a photochemically produced pollutant in the Troposphere. The Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1970 regulates the emission and concentration of O3 and five other atmospheric pollutants. Since the signing of the CAA, the ongoing question has been whether or not the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and regulatory policies have had an effect on decreasing O3 concentration. The Los Angeles metropolitan area is a prime example of how O3 can be a public health hazard, and taint a …


Late Holocene Climate And Environmental Reconstruction Derived From The Asian Ice Core Array (Aica), Bjorn Grigholm May 2016

Late Holocene Climate And Environmental Reconstruction Derived From The Asian Ice Core Array (Aica), Bjorn Grigholm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent climate change has impacted natural and human systems across the Earth, emphasizing the need for greater understanding of both the existing and changing natural and anthropogenic forcing mechanisms and subsequent responses of the Earth’s climate system. High-resolution, multi-parameter ice core records retrieved and analyzed from two Asian Ice Core Array (AICA) sites, Geladaindong (central Tibetan Plateau) and Inilchek (central Tien Shan) were utilized to reconstruct atmospheric chemical concentrations and composition over the past ~100-500 years, improving the understanding of late Holocene climate and environmental variability in Asia. Both ice cores were analyzed for major and trace elements, major soluble …


Comparing Bulk Aerosol Profiles In The Mixed Layer In Coastal Los Angeles And The Inland Empire, Taia Sean Wu Jan 2015

Comparing Bulk Aerosol Profiles In The Mixed Layer In Coastal Los Angeles And The Inland Empire, Taia Sean Wu

Scripps Senior Theses

Characteristic westerly sea breeze carries air over the Los Angeles Basin in Southern California to the Inland Empire approximately 50 miles inland, directly impacting air quality in both of these two highly polluted regions. As particles play a critical role in air quality and human health, this study compares the bulk aerosol profiles of the Los Angeles pollution "source" and Inland Empire "receptor" regions during the 2013 and 2014 NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) campaigns onboard the NASA DC-8 airborne laboratory. The source and receptor regions were characterized by a series of missed approaches at the Los Angeles International …