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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Oil And Gas Platforms On Ship Shoal, Northern Gulf Of Mexico As Habitat For Reef-Associated Organisms, David Bradley Reeves Jan 2015

Oil And Gas Platforms On Ship Shoal, Northern Gulf Of Mexico As Habitat For Reef-Associated Organisms, David Bradley Reeves

LSU Master's Theses

Nearshore Louisiana has experienced substantial changes within the last half-century, including the annual formation of the world’s second largest hypoxic zone and the construction of thousands of oil and gas platforms (rigs). Ship Shoal and its rigs may provide important substrate in nearshore Louisiana because rigs act as de facto artificial reefs and the shoal’s bottom waters were well oxygenated on 43% of days when surrounding areas were hypoxic. From July to September of 2014, fish assemblages and hydrography were compared at shoal rigs, rigs inshore of the shoal, and rigs offshore of the shoal, and stone crab populations were …


Tracing Sediment In The Subsurface Using Beryllium-7: Green River Basin, Ky, Caroline Adams Broderick Jan 2015

Tracing Sediment In The Subsurface Using Beryllium-7: Green River Basin, Ky, Caroline Adams Broderick

LSU Master's Theses

As water flows through areas of limestone, karst inevitably develops, creating sinking streams and sinkholes that transport alumino-silicate particles from the surface into the subsurface. Sediment budget studies on short term scales through karst are rare. Thus, a feasibility study using beryllium-7 (7Be), which attaches to soil particles and can be used as a short-term (2-3 month) tracer of the movement of fine-grained sediment in karst was investigated. Sediment samples were collected from a karstic catchment within Green River basin, Kentucky, both on the surface and in the subsurface along a cave stream. Samples were collected prior to and immediately …


An Analysis Of Risk Perceptions And Attitudes Towards Climate Change Among Residents Of Southeastern Louisiana, Heather Marie Brown Jan 2015

An Analysis Of Risk Perceptions And Attitudes Towards Climate Change Among Residents Of Southeastern Louisiana, Heather Marie Brown

LSU Master's Theses

Climate change is an important issue of concern, as its environmental impacts are already beginning to manifest in various means, such as through sea level rise and increased frequencies of storms. Areas of high vulnerability to the effects of climate change, such as southeastern Louisiana, are prime locations to initiate research in determining what factors influence individual’s risk perceptions towards climate change. This study aims is to identify key factors, specifically in the areas of socioeconomic, demographic, exposure, and attitudinal attributes, which affect climate change risk perceptions. The study area is that of the zip codes around Lake Pontchartrain in …


Sub-Marine Sediment Instability Near Southwest Pass Of The Mississippi River: Evidence Of Mass Movements From Raciochemistry And Other Proxies, Gregory Paul Keller Jan 2015

Sub-Marine Sediment Instability Near Southwest Pass Of The Mississippi River: Evidence Of Mass Movements From Raciochemistry And Other Proxies, Gregory Paul Keller

LSU Master's Theses

Mass wasting events are an important geomorphic control on the Mississippi River Delta Front. Short multicores (<50cm) and longer gravity cores (<3m) were collected seaward of the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River Delta and were analyzed to assess the frequency, extent, and potential causes of submarine mass wasting events. Cores were analyzed for radionuclide activity, grain size, and density at 2cm resolution. Short-term sedimentation rates calculated from 7-Be are 2-16cm/y, while longer-term accumulation from 210-Pb are only 1.3-7.3 cm/y. In most cores, 210-Pb activity steadily decreases downcore without displaying a “stairstep” nature. However, seven cores have layers of low 210-Pb activity stratigraphically above layers with higher activity. In a gravity core from a mudflow gully, 210-Pb steadily decreases for the upper 70 cm before stabilizing for the remaining 150 cm. Clay content generally ranges between 25-40% and sand ranges between 5-15% with silt making up the rest of each sample. Sediment accumulation rates derived from 210-Pb in the short cores indicate that proximity to the river mouth has stronger influence than depositional environment (mudflow gully, depositional lobe, prodelta). This finding may be explained by rapid sedimentation rates coupled with a reduced tropical cyclone activity over the delta in the last seven years (2006-2013) which is a known cause of mass wasting events. The regions of decreased 210-Pb activity may be evidence of scavenging effects of plume sedimentation because they do not correspond with decreases in clay fraction. The layer of homogenized activity below 70cm in the gully core corresponds with a layer of decreased density. This layer occurs at a depth equivalent to 9-18 years, indicating mixing on a decadal scale from mudflows. These results may be explained by a lack of recent mass failures corresponding with lulls in tropical cyclone activity over the delta, preceded by a period of more active hurricane-driven mudflow activity.


Impact Of Multileaf Collimator Configuration Parameters On The Dosimetric Accuracy Of 6-Mv Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Treatment Plans, Nicholas Colin Petersen Jan 2015

Impact Of Multileaf Collimator Configuration Parameters On The Dosimetric Accuracy Of 6-Mv Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Treatment Plans, Nicholas Colin Petersen

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: To improve the dosimetric accuracy of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) dose distributions as calculated by the treatment planning system (TPS) by optimizing the parameters that govern multileaf collimator (MLC) transmission and rounded leaf offset. Methods: The MLC leaf transmission was optimized based on measurements made with ionization chambers and radiographic film. The rounded leaf offset table was optimized by measuring the radiation field edge as a function of leaf bank position with an ionization chamber in a water scanning tank and comparing the location to TPS equivalent dose calculations. Optimizations were validated by performing IMRT quality assurance (QA) …


A Palynological Analysis Of Seymour Island And King George Island Off The Antarctic Peninsula: A Dating And Climatic Reconstruction, Caven Madison Kymes Jan 2015

A Palynological Analysis Of Seymour Island And King George Island Off The Antarctic Peninsula: A Dating And Climatic Reconstruction, Caven Madison Kymes

LSU Master's Theses

During the Cretaceous and early Paleocene, Antarctica was covered by lush vegetation. However, Antarctica today is covered with ice and snow leaving less than 1% of the continent inhabited by vegetation. By studying this decline in vegetation and reconstructing past environments, we can gain a better understanding of environmental changes and use this knowledge to predict future changes. In this thesis, I present my results and interpretations of palynological changes across the Antarctic Peninsula during the Late Eocene, Middle Oligocene, and Miocene. The first study discusses a paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the upper La Meseta formation (Late Eocene), Seymour Island, and …


Effects Of Hydrologic Modifications On Flooding In Bottomland Hardwoods, Erin Johnson Jan 2015

Effects Of Hydrologic Modifications On Flooding In Bottomland Hardwoods, Erin Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

Complex fluvial processes influence floodplains. River modifications in the 1930s have affected hydrogeomorphic processes influencing the lower White River in southeastern Arkansas. The overall objective of this study was to better understand the hydrologic and geomorphic influence on the floodplain forest. We used the HEC-RAS model to quantify hydrologic relationships within the floodplain before and after 1930s river modifications. The model can replicate flooding within 3-5 m. Despite river modifications, HEC-RAS modeling showed headwater floods influenced the upper reach of the floodplain while backwater floods from the Mississippi River influenced the lower reach of the floodplain. Post-1930s incision that occurred …


Hydrological Influences On Catahoula Lake In An Altered Floodplain, Lincoln Dugue Jan 2015

Hydrological Influences On Catahoula Lake In An Altered Floodplain, Lincoln Dugue

LSU Master's Theses

Floodplain lakes in floodplains of large rivers undergoing intensive alterations are subject to hydrologic alteration. One example is in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV) and pivotal habitat for wildlife. Catahoula Lake has experienced hydrologic regime alterations over the past ~150 years that may be contribute to changes in the habitat with expansion of woody plants. A Diversion Channel was constructed in 1972 to provide the natural, annual de-watering of the lake to maintain its ecological integrity, but ecologic changes are still occurring. Our general goal is to understand the hydrologic regime of the lake, particularly the historical hydrologic regime …


Metacommunity Dynamics And The Biogeography Of Central Louisiana Crayfishes, William Robert Budnick Jan 2015

Metacommunity Dynamics And The Biogeography Of Central Louisiana Crayfishes, William Robert Budnick

LSU Master's Theses

The greatest diversity of crayfishes, especially of rare Orconectes species, is found in the central Louisiana watersheds (Red River, Mermentau, Calcasieu, and Vermillion-Teche), and most species are widely distributed among the drainages. The purpose of this research was to lay groundwork for species distribution and metacommunity modelling for crayfishes in this region. To address this goal, two field studies were performed in the summers of 2013 and 2014, as well as an indoor laboratory study. Analyses of broadly distributed species indicated no significant correlations between species abundances and habitat variables nor any significant environmental gradients for those species. Within-drainage variability …


Site-Specific Habitat And Landscape Associations Of Rusty Blackbirds Wintering In Louisiana, Sinead Mary Borchert Jan 2015

Site-Specific Habitat And Landscape Associations Of Rusty Blackbirds Wintering In Louisiana, Sinead Mary Borchert

LSU Master's Theses

The Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) has gained notoriety in recent years as one of the fastest declining North American bird species, with a global population loss of as much as 95%. Causes of the decline are not completely understood, but the high rate of forested wetland change in the southeastern United States suggests that wintering habitat degradation may be a primary driver. To better inform management on critical wintering grounds, I surveyed 68 sites in Louisiana where Rusty Blackbirds had been known to occur to address how occupancy changes with habitat type and colonization and extinction rates vary with ground …


Toxic Landscapes, Environmental Justice, And The Community: An Assessment Of Citizen Participation In Superfund Site Remediation Across Vulnerable Populations, Simone Justine Domingue Jan 2015

Toxic Landscapes, Environmental Justice, And The Community: An Assessment Of Citizen Participation In Superfund Site Remediation Across Vulnerable Populations, Simone Justine Domingue

LSU Master's Theses

The environmental justice movement has made progress toward unveiling environmental inequalities and addressing these inequalities through the empowerment of low-income and minority communities. Federal agencies like the EPA have incorporated environmental justice principles into their operating frameworks, with the goals of ensuring every community is treated similarly when it comes to the implementation of environmental statutes, and ensuring community members are active participants in environmental activities that affect community well-being. Community involvement at federal Superfund sites is rarely conceptualized as an event related to environmental justice despite the role it has in shaping decisions at hazardous waste sites. This study …


The Effects Of Tropical Storms And Hurricanes On Phytoplankton And Nutrient Concentrations In Wetland-Estuary Transition Zones Along The Gulf Coast, Tiffany Chantelle Johnson Jan 2015

The Effects Of Tropical Storms And Hurricanes On Phytoplankton And Nutrient Concentrations In Wetland-Estuary Transition Zones Along The Gulf Coast, Tiffany Chantelle Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

Two consecutive storms made landfall along the Northern Gulf of Mexico on June and August 2012 (Tropical Storm Debby, 06/26/2012; Isaac, 08/28/2012, Category (Cat) 1 Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale). Each storm passed within 48 to 273 km of one of seven wetland-estuary transition zone sampling sites, and indirect storm effects associated with changes in freshwater discharge and an inflow of inorganic nutrients were observed at five of the seven sites. To assess the impacts of the 2012 hurricanes on hydrology, nutrient concentrations, and phytoplankton concentrations at transition zones along the Gulf Coast, a within-sites analysis along with a seasonal analysis were …


Magnetic Resonance Elastography Of The Brain Using An Ergonomic Driver: Assessment Of Scan-Rescan Reproducibility, Hatim Chafi Jan 2015

Magnetic Resonance Elastography Of The Brain Using An Ergonomic Driver: Assessment Of Scan-Rescan Reproducibility, Hatim Chafi

LSU Master's Theses

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) allows the visualization of displacement patterns from induced harmonic mechanical waves propagating in tissue. Strain and mechanical properties can be computed from these displacement patterns. Mechanical properties of tissue are affected by various disease processes. MRE has shown brain tumor to differ in stiffness in comparison to normal tissue. MRE is currently being offered as an upgrade on most conventional MRI scanners. However, the actuator supplied by vendors is a drum driver designed primarily for hepatic MRE scan. The goals of the project was to design and build an ergonomic flexible driver for use in MRE …


Hybridization And Population Structure Of Western Gulf Coast Mottled Ducks, Robert Joseph Ford Jan 2015

Hybridization And Population Structure Of Western Gulf Coast Mottled Ducks, Robert Joseph Ford

LSU Master's Theses

Rates of hybridization between species that do not normally interbreed have increased due to human impacts on natural environments, such as habitat alteration or introductions of non-native species. Human-induced hybridization can be detrimental to wildlife and contribute to species extinctions. In Florida, feral Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) hybridize with endemic Mottled Ducks (A. fulvigula) at rates close to 9%. However, levels of hybridization between these two species have not been extensively examined in the western Gulf Coast (from Alabama to northern Mexico) despite the potential impact on the Mottled Duck lineage. In this study, I examined the degree of hybridization between …


Constructing Desirable Scalar Fields For Morse Analysis On Meshes, Mustafa Hajij Jan 2015

Constructing Desirable Scalar Fields For Morse Analysis On Meshes, Mustafa Hajij

LSU Master's Theses

Morse theory is a powerful mathematical tool that uses the local differential properties of a manifold to make conclusions about global topological aspects of the manifold. Morse theory has been proven to be a very useful tool in computer graphics, geometric data processing and understanding. This work is divided into two parts. The first part is concerned with constructing geometry and symmetry aware scalar functions on a triangulated $2$-manifold. To effectively apply Morse theory to discrete manifolds, one needs to design scalar functions on them with certain properties such as respecting the symmetry and the geometry of the surface and …


Caspar: Congestion Avoidance Shortest Path Routing For Delay Tolerant Networks, Michael F. Stewart Jan 2015

Caspar: Congestion Avoidance Shortest Path Routing For Delay Tolerant Networks, Michael F. Stewart

LSU Master's Theses

Unlike traditional TCP/IP-based networks, Delay and Disruption Tolerant Networks (DTNs) may experience connectivity disruptions and guarantee no end-to-end connectivity between source and destination. As the popularity of DTNs continues to rise, so does the need for a robust and low latency routing protocol capable of connecting not only DTNs but also densely populated, dynamic hybrid DTN-MANET. Here we describe a novel DTN routing algorithm referred to as Congestion Avoidance Shortest Path Routing (CASPaR), which seeks to maximize packet delivery probability while minimizing latency. CASPaR attempts this without any direct knowledge of node connectivity outside of its own neighborhood. Our simulation …


The Correlation Between Parental Involvement And Student Academic Achievement, Damien Ramon Antoine Jan 2015

The Correlation Between Parental Involvement And Student Academic Achievement, Damien Ramon Antoine

LSU Master's Theses

This study investigates whether or not there is a correlation between parental involvement and student academic achievement. A sample of 103 students at Madison Preparatory Academy and CSAL Middle School (CSAL, Inc) were tested for correlations between the degree with which their parents are engaged in their academic lives and the success that they achieve as a result. Small correlations were found to exist between some of the variables tested. The test group consisted of a group of high school students from Madison Preparatory Academy (MPA) and their siblings who attended CSAL Middle which is the feeder school for MPA. …


Chlorine Enrichment Of Hydrous Minerals In Archean Granulite Facies Ironstone From The Beartooth Mountains, Montana, Usa: Implications For High-Grade Metamorphic Fluids, Nicholas Michael Daigle Jan 2015

Chlorine Enrichment Of Hydrous Minerals In Archean Granulite Facies Ironstone From The Beartooth Mountains, Montana, Usa: Implications For High-Grade Metamorphic Fluids, Nicholas Michael Daigle

LSU Master's Theses

The amount of chlorine present in hydrous minerals influences mineral stability and may serve as a monitor of the evolving fluid phase during progressive metamorphism. Chlorine contents of amphibole and biotite vary as a function of temperature, pressure, crystallochemical factors, and fluid composition. The sensitivity of these minerals to serve as a monitor of Cl in aqueous fluids is particularly effective in Fe-rich amphibole and biotite such as those found in ironstones. Ironstones from the eastern Beartooth Mountains, Montana are typified by dominantly anhydrous mineral assemblages of quartz + magnetite + orthopyroxene + garnet ± clinopyroxene and have equilibrated during …


Increasing Student Engagement In The Secondary Math Classroom, Chantell Holloway Walker Jan 2015

Increasing Student Engagement In The Secondary Math Classroom, Chantell Holloway Walker

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis reports on a professional development package developed by the author to help three teachers increase the level of student engagement in their math classrooms. There were three phases: 1) initial presentation of strategies and sample lessons, 2) classroom implementation, 3) reflection and evaluation. As a result of the professional development, the Louisiana Compass Teacher Evaluation Rubric scores of the teachers improved in the area of student engagement. This thesis can be used as a guide for principals or instructional specialists who wish to provide professional development for small groups of teachers, with a focus on increasing student engagement.


Analyzing Site Suitability For Baldcypress (Taxodium Distichum) Regeneration Along A Hydrologic Gradient In South Louisiana Swamps, Marcus Rutherford Jan 2015

Analyzing Site Suitability For Baldcypress (Taxodium Distichum) Regeneration Along A Hydrologic Gradient In South Louisiana Swamps, Marcus Rutherford

LSU Master's Theses

The future of Louisiana’s coastal cypress-tupelo forests is threatened by prolonged or permanent flooding during the growing season. Permanent inundation prevents baldcypress seedlings from becoming established. The upper limit of submergence with respect to adequate planted baldcypress seedling performance has not been effectively tested under actual field conditions. Similarly, an effective method for determining a site’s regeneration potential based on present vegetation attributes has not been developed. To test first-year performance of planted baldcypress seedlings under varying levels of submergence, I planted 900 of both 1-0 and 2-0 age-class bare-root seedlings across 12 different sites covering a range of hydrologic …


Z-Spectral Modeling For Magnetization Transfer Ratio Asymmetry Calculations In Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer Mri At 3 Tesla, Ryan Nicholas Schurr Jan 2015

Z-Spectral Modeling For Magnetization Transfer Ratio Asymmetry Calculations In Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer Mri At 3 Tesla, Ryan Nicholas Schurr

LSU Master's Theses

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) and magnetization transfer (MT) are types of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) experiments in which contrast is based on the transfer of magnetization from selectively saturated solute or macromolecular protons to bulk water protons. These processes offer insight into the chemical composition of tissue and are quantified by the asymmetry of the magnetization transfer ratio (MTRasym). This study was to develop a Z-spectral curve fitting procedure based on the underlying physics of CEST-MRI from which MTRasym values can be calculated and applied to distinguish healthy tissue from cancer. Z-spectra were collected from CEST-MR images of a …


Fish Biomass And Community Structure Around Standing And Toppled Oil And Gas Platforms In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Using Hydroacoustic And Video Surveys, Emily Marissa Reynolds Jan 2015

Fish Biomass And Community Structure Around Standing And Toppled Oil And Gas Platforms In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Using Hydroacoustic And Video Surveys, Emily Marissa Reynolds

LSU Master's Theses

There has been relatively little study of the efficacy of decommissioned oil and gas platforms as artificial reef habitats for fish assemblages in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). A variety of fish species have been reported on these structures, but the species biomass distribution and community structure has not been studied thoroughly. Hydroacoustic and video surveys were conducted quarterly from June 2013 to June 2014 at three standing and two toppled oil and gas platforms located approximately 130 km off the coast of Louisiana at 90 m depth; to gain information about the spatial biomass distribution and community structure …


Wading Bird Food Availability In Rice Fields And Crawfish Ponds Of The Chenier Plain Of Southwest Louisiana And Southeast Texas, Cullen C. Foley Jan 2015

Wading Bird Food Availability In Rice Fields And Crawfish Ponds Of The Chenier Plain Of Southwest Louisiana And Southeast Texas, Cullen C. Foley

LSU Master's Theses

Wading birds in southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas rely heavily on rice fields and crawfish ponds as foraging areas; however, little information exists on food availability throughout the annual crop cycle. The objectives of this study are: 1) Develop a classification for rice and crawfish fields based upon tillage, forage crop (for crawfish fields), water depths, vegetation density, vegetation height, and other visible parameters; 2) Quantify the distribution of rice and crawfish fields in various stages across the landscape through time; 3) Determine the effects of rice and crawfish field types and landscape characteristics on wading bird use; and, 4) …


If You Build It, What Will Come? Assessing The Avian Response To Wetland Restoration In The Mississippi River Bird’S Foot Delta Through Multiple Measures Of Density And Biodiversity, Lauren Rae Sullivan Jan 2015

If You Build It, What Will Come? Assessing The Avian Response To Wetland Restoration In The Mississippi River Bird’S Foot Delta Through Multiple Measures Of Density And Biodiversity, Lauren Rae Sullivan

LSU Master's Theses

Multiple wetland restoration and enhancement techniques are used in Louisiana to combat land loss and provide habitat for waterbirds. We investigated the avian response to three wetland restoration techniques in the Lower Mississippi Bird’s Foot Delta to determine if the different habitat types resulted in differences in the value of edge habitat. Species richness, guild richness, total bird density, bird density by foraging guild, and bird abundance relative to distance from the marsh edge was compared among (i) crevasse splays, a type of sediment diversion which allow the river to build new wetlands, (ii), beneficial use of dredged material marshes, …


Otoliths Then And Now: A Study Of Ancient And Modern Fish Populations In Louisiana's Coastal Waters, Marshall James Kormanec Jan 2015

Otoliths Then And Now: A Study Of Ancient And Modern Fish Populations In Louisiana's Coastal Waters, Marshall James Kormanec

LSU Master's Theses

Fish otoliths are composed of inorganic calcium carbonate that aid in gravity and auditory reception. Substances permanently accrete to otolith surfaces in distinct temporal patterns of alternating opaque and translucent rings; these rings are direct proxies for a fish’s age. The objective of my research is to demonstrate how otoliths can be used through time and space to estimate both age and growth of fish. I investigated the spatial differences in age distributions and growth models for red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, at four natural shelf-edge reefs in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Red snapper cohorts ranged 1987-2010 cohorts, with the …


A Study Of Mathematical Equivalence: The Importance Of The Equal Sign, Christy De'sha Duncan Jan 2015

A Study Of Mathematical Equivalence: The Importance Of The Equal Sign, Christy De'sha Duncan

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate students’ understanding and knowledge of the equal sign, so that instructional resources could be identified to improve student’s conceptual understanding about mathematical equivalence. A test, consisting of a combination of items taken from previous studies, as well as items developed by the researchers, was designed to gauge students’ understanding of the equality symbol. The test was administered to 54 seventh-graders in Spring 2015. The results of the test indicated a significant number of students in our district have a limited understanding of mathematical equivalence. This papers ends with some suggested activities recommended …


Rare Earth Element Patterns In Conodont Apatite From The Upper Ordovician: Testing Enrichment Sources And Possible Oceanographic Changes, Cody Christian Schulte Jan 2015

Rare Earth Element Patterns In Conodont Apatite From The Upper Ordovician: Testing Enrichment Sources And Possible Oceanographic Changes, Cody Christian Schulte

LSU Master's Theses

The Mohawkian series of the Middle Late Ordovician was a time of great lithological and faunal changes that coincide with a positive ä13C excursion known as the Guttenberg Isotopic Carbon Excursion (GICE). Two prevailing hypotheses have been proposed to explain the cause of these changes. The “cold-water” hypothesis suggests that global cooling caused the tropical belt to shrink and cold water to invade the epicontinental sea while the “tectonic-forcing” hypothesis suggests that increased weathering rates led to basinal deepening, resulting in cooler oceanic waters invading the midcontinent sea. This study tests if regional tectonics caused by the Taconic Orogeny led …


Shape Optimization For Drag Minimization Using The Navier-Stokes Equation, Chukwudi Paul Chukwudozie Jan 2015

Shape Optimization For Drag Minimization Using The Navier-Stokes Equation, Chukwudi Paul Chukwudozie

LSU Master's Theses

Fluid drag is a force that opposes relative motion between fluid layers or between solids and surrounding fluids. For a stationary solid in a moving fluid, it is the amount of force necessary to keep the object stationary in the moving fluid. In addition to fluid and flow conditions, pressure drag on a solid object is dependent on the size and shape of the object. The aim of this project is to compute the shape of a stationary 2D object of size 3.5 m2 that minimizes drag for different Reynolds numbers. We solve the problem in the context of shape …


Using Fault Kinematics To Evaluate The Relationship Between Cenozoic Fault Activity, Sedimentation Rates And Salt Movement In The Gulf Of Mexico - A Comparison Between Southwest Louisiana And Southeast Louisiana, Abah Philip Omale Jan 2015

Using Fault Kinematics To Evaluate The Relationship Between Cenozoic Fault Activity, Sedimentation Rates And Salt Movement In The Gulf Of Mexico - A Comparison Between Southwest Louisiana And Southeast Louisiana, Abah Philip Omale

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT Fault initiation and reactivation across south Louisiana during the Cenozoic was driven by either clastic sediment progradation mobilizing underlying salt or by sediment progradation inducing tensional bending stresses during lithospheric flexure. Climate and tectonics within the North American continent during the Cenozoic created differences in the source location, amount of sediments transported, as well as the spatial and temporal distribution of sediments transported into the Gulf of Mexico. This study analyzes 140 fault intercepts along 11 regional cross sections containing well log data in south Louisiana. Cumulative throw, incremental throw, and fault slip rates indicate fault activity punctuated by …


Planktonic Influence On The Toxicity Of Hewafs (High-Energy Water Attenuated Fractions), Erin Elizabeth Saal Jan 2015

Planktonic Influence On The Toxicity Of Hewafs (High-Energy Water Attenuated Fractions), Erin Elizabeth Saal

LSU Master's Theses

The Deep Water Horizon oilrig explosion led to the release of 6.8 ± 1.7 x 108 kg or 4.9 million barrels of petroleum hydrocarbons into the Gulf of Mexico. The spill persisted from the end of April to mid July 2010 affecting a significant portion of the Gulf coast. The effects of this spill are being studied in labs across the country, and this thesis investigated high-energy water accommodated fractions (HEWAFs) as a potential tool for use in this effort. Water accommodated fractions (WAFs) are mediums containing only the fraction of petroleum that remains in aqueous phase after a mixing …