Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Impacts Of Climate Change Mitigation Strategies On Animal Welfare, Sara Shields, Geoffrey Orme-Evans

Sara Shields, PhD

The objective of this review is to point out that the global dialog on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in animal agriculture has, thus far, not adequately considered animal welfare in proposed climate change mitigation strategies. Many suggested approaches for reducing emissions, most of which could generally be described as calls for the intensification of production, can have substantial effects on the animals. Given the growing world-wide awareness and concern for animal welfare, many of these approaches are not socially sustainable. This review identifies the main emission abatement strategies in the climate change literature that would negatively affect animal welfare and …

The New Aviation Meteorology Specialization In The Graduate Aeronautics Program At Embry-Riddle, John M. Lanicci, Erin A. Roberts

John M Lanicci

The next 12 months will be an exciting time of growth in graduate aviation studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach, FL campus. Beginning in Fall Semester 2009, a new Area of Concentration (AOC) in Aviation Meteorology will be added to the Master of Science in Aeronautics (MSA) program, and the new Doctoral program in Aviation will be starting in January 2010. The Aviation Meteorology AOC adds a crucial specialty to the existing MSA options in Air Traffic Management, Aviation/Aerospace Education Technology, Aviation/Aerospace Management, Aviation/Aerospace Operations, and Aviation/Aerospace Safety Systems. The Aviation Meteorology AOC is designed to be a cross-disciplinary …

The Weather And Air Traffic Management Integration Course In The Graduate Aeronautics Program At Embry-Riddle, John Lanicci

John M Lanicci

One year ago, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University added a new Area of Concentration (AOC) in Aviation Meteorology to the Master of Science in Aeronautics (MSA) program at the Daytona Beach, Florida campus. As part of the preparation for the start of this program, an experimental graduate seminar in Weather and Air Traffic Integration was taught over the summer, which attracted graduate students with backgrounds in commercial and private aviation, applied meteorology, and engineering physics. The purpose of this course was to introduce the students to the concept of weather and air traffic integration as it currently exists and is being planned …

Weather Technology In The Cockpit (Wtic): Concept Of Operations, User Needs, Education, And Training, John Lanicci, L. Kirk, L. Martin, J. Vacek, E. A. Roberts, M. Edwards

John M Lanicci

The FAA, through sponsorship of the Center for General Aviation Research (CGAR), has funded a multi-disciplinary research program on Weather Technology In the Cockpit (WTIC). The CGAR is a consortium of four universities, three of which (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of North Dakota, University of Alaska-Anchorage) are working together on this program. Each university partner has the lead on a portion of the project: the University of Alaska-Anchorage is the lead on developing the WTIC Concept of Operations (CONOPS); the University of North Dakota is the lead on developing a robust set of WTIC user needs; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is …

General Aviation Weather Encounter Case Studies, John Lanicci, Massoud Bazargan, Daniel Halperin, Scott Shappell, Jaclyn Baron, Rebecca Iden, Carla Hackworth, Kali Holcomb

John M Lanicci

This study presents a compilation of 24 cases involving general aviation (GA) pilots’ weather encounters over the continental U.S. The project team interviewed pilots who had experienced a weather encounter, and we examined their backgrounds, flight experience, and weather encounter details. Results from meteorological data analysis for each weather encounter were consistent with findings of larger GA weather accident studies in terms of the types of hazards encountered and flight phase during which the encounters occurred. Investigation of pilot weather products and the sources from which they were obtained revealed a lack of uniformity of pre-flight data sources and underutilization …

Analysis Of Climatological Rainfall Extremes Over The Kennedy Space Center Complex Using A High-Density Observational Network, John Lanicci, Adam Schnapp

John M Lanicci

The use of observational datasets to determine the occurrence frequencies of extreme weather events has gained a lot of recent interest due to concerns about the potential regional impacts from global climate change. Extreme-value theory can quantify the return frequency of the most extreme events using climatologically short data sets and the assumption that such short climatological periods are stationary. However, the resulting analyses must be used with caution since they may not accurately reflect the potential of extreme events in the future due to climate change and variability. Accurately predicting extreme-event likelihood is important for building realistic long-range planning …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of An Education And Training Module For General Aviation Pilots On The Use Of Nexrad-Based Products In The Cockpit, John Lanicci, Erin Roberts, E. Blickensderfer

John M Lanicci

Numerous studies over the years have documented the need to improve meteorological education and training for General Aviation (GA) pilots. With the advent of readily available aviation weather hazard products for real-time pilot use on the flight deck, there is now a lack of education and training on the proper interpretation and usage of these products. Data-linked NEXRAD is a good example of a currently available real-time product that is very popular in the GA community, but lacks a coherent understanding of its proper usage in pre-flight planning and in-flight operation.

Proper usage of NEXRAD in the cockpit should require …

Guaranteed Access To Space, Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral, And Climate Change, John Lanicci, J.E. Thropp

John M Lanicci

Guaranteed access to space is a major tenet of U.S. national security policy. Over the last 10 years, over two-thirds of U.S. space launches have originated from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) and Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. During the transition of the U.S. manned space program from a public-sector operation to a mixture of public and private sector responsibilities, continued access to space from the CCAFS/KSC complex is necessary to maintain U.S. leadership in space and the continuation of Space Situational Awareness, defined as understanding and maintaining awareness of the population of objects orbiting the earth. The CCAFS/KSC …

Weather And Collaborative Decision Making In The Aviation Community: Two “Tactical” Case Study Examples, John Lanicci, R. E. Haley, K. Rader

John M Lanicci

Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) in the aviation community has been defined as a “cooperative effort between the various components of aviation transportation, both government and industry, to exchange information for better decision making” (http://cdm.fly.faa.gov/). Two central tenets of CDM are that better information will lead to better decision-making, and that tools and procedures will enable air navigation service providers and flight operators to respond to changing conditions more readily. CDM can trace its roots to the mid 1990s, when airlines began sharing information about flight schedules with air traffic managers in an effort to determine potential “bottlenecks” in the National …

Satellite Measurements Of Mesospheric Gravity Wave Temperature Variance Over The Andes, Jonathan R. Pugmire, Michael J. Taylore, Yucheng Zhao

Jonathan Pugmire

Focusing on over 10 years of data from the SABER instrument aboard the TIMED satellite temperature variances are determined to quantify the signatures of short-period gravity waves propagating up into the mesosphere, and lower thermosphere (MLT) region. Temperature profile measurements were measured by SABER within a limited geographical area, centered on the Andes Lidar Observatory at Cerro Pachon, Chile (30.3° S, 70.7° S) where Utah State University has operated an OH Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (MTM) for the past 5 years. Using an established procedure the large-scale tidal waves, with wavenumbers 0-6, were removed from each profile revealing the gravity wave …

Stable Isotope Studies Of Paleoenvironment And Paleoclimate From Afar, Ethiopia, Zelalem K. Bedaso

Zelalem Bedaso

ABSTRACT The sedimentary deposits of the Hadar Formation at Dikika and the Mount Galili Formation at Galili preserve a wealth of paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic records spanning the last 5.29 Ma. Stable carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of herbivore tooth enamel were analyzed for more than 600 specimens of 15 different taxa from 10 stratigraphic intervals. The application of carbon and oxygen isotopes here aims principally at reconstructing shifts in the relative abundance of C4 grasses, and its implications for climate indicators including temperature, aridity, and seasonality. The full range of δ13Cenamel values throughout the Plio-Pleistocene signifies a wide range of …

Observations Of Mesospheric Gravity Waves Over The Andes, Jonathan Pugmire

Jonathan Pugmire

Focusing on data from an imager and the SABER instrument aboard the TIMED satellite temperature variances are determined to quantify small-scale gravity waves. IDL software was used to extract all the temperature profile measurements that were measured by SABER within a limited geographical area, centered on our ground-based optical imager at Cerro Pachon, Chile (30.3°S, 70.7°S). Large-scale tidal waves, with wavenumbers 0-6, were removed from each profile revealing the gravity wave perturbations. Temperature variances reveal possible increased wave activity due to mountain waves. Mountain waves in the mesosphere are a relatively unexplored field in aeronomy. They are generated predominantly in …

Challenges Associated With Space Weather Analysis And Prediction, John Lanicci

John M Lanicci

The term “space weather” is typically used to describe environmental conditions in the region extending from the sun’s surface, through the interplanetary medium, to the earth’s magnetic field and upper atmosphere, with a focus on those conditions that can affect the earth, its technological systems, and population. Space weather conditions are monitored continuously by a number of agencies around the world. These agencies use both satellite- and ground-based measurements to build analyses and employ predictive models that form the basis for impacts-based products dealing with myriad users in satellite operations, the utility industry, aviation, and satellite-based communications, to name a …

Extreme Rainfall Frequencies Over The Kennedy Space Center Complex, Adam Schnapp, John Lanicci

John M Lanicci

A study of extreme rainfall frequencies over the NASA Kennedy Space Center complex was accomplished using a high-density rainfall dataset from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission’s observational network archive. Data from the network were gridded and analyzed to produce rainfall accumulation estimates for various return periods over the complex ranging from 1 to 100 years. Results of the analysis show that the rainfall accumulations for the 100-year return period are typically around 315 mm and 433 mm for 24-hour and 72-hour durations, respectively. These 100-year event estimates are consistent with those calculated from a longer-period archive at Titusville. Because the …

Maine’S Climate Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow, George L. Jacobson, Ivan J. Fernandez, Paul A. Mayewski, Catherine V. Schmitt

Ivan J. Fernandez

Recent evidence suggests that climate change is occurring at an accelerated rate as a result of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions and associated pollutants. Based on a recently completed study, the authors describe the changes Maine’s climate is likely to undergo over the next century. They suggest that while reduction of greenhouse gases is crucial, Maine needs to be prepared to adapt to the impact that our already changing climate will have on various ecosystems and economic sectors within the state

Tb196: Temperature, Soil Moisture, And Streamflow At The Bear Brook Watershed In Maine (Bbwm), Ivan J. Fernandez, Joseph E. Karem, Stephen A. Norton, Lindsey E. Rustad

Ivan J. Fernandez

The Bear Brook Watershed in Maine is a whole-ecosystem chemical manipulation initiated in 1987 to study the effects of acid deposition on forests and surface waters. The focus of this research was to understand the biogeochemical response of watersheds with emphasis on chemistry and hydrology. In 2001 a program was initiated to provide more detailed measurements of temperature and moisture to examine critical linkages amongst chemical, biological, and physical processes that ultimately work together to define ecosystem function. The purpose of this publication is to provide data from the initial phase of soil temperature, air temperature, and soil moisture measurements …

Flowering Phenology Change And Climate Warming In Southwestern Ohio, Ryan Mcewan, Robert J. Brecha, Donald R. Geiger, Grace P. John

Robert J. Brecha

Global surface temperature has increased markedly over the last 100 years. This increase has a variety of implications for human societies, and for ecological systems. One of the most obvious ways ecosystems are affected by global climate change is through alteration of organisms’ developmental timing (phenology). We used annual botanical surveys that documented the first flowering for an array of species from 1976 to 2003 to examine the potential implications of climate change for plant development. The overall trend for these species was a progressively earlier flowering time. The two earliest flowering taxa (Galanthus and Crocus) also exhibited the strongest …