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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Computational Approaches To Understanding Subduction Zone Geodynamics, Surface Heat Flow, And The Metamorphic Rock Record, Buchanan C. Kerswell May 2022

Computational Approaches To Understanding Subduction Zone Geodynamics, Surface Heat Flow, And The Metamorphic Rock Record, Buchanan C. Kerswell

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Pressure-temperature (PT) estimates from exhumed high-pressure (HP) metamorphic rocks and global surface heat flow observations evidently encode information about subduction zone thermal structure and the nature of mechanical and chemical processing of subducted materials along the interface between converging plates. Previous work demonstrates the possibility of decoding such geodynamic information by comparing numerical geodynamic models with empirical observations of surface heat flow and the metamorphic rock record. However, ambiguous interpretations can arise from this line of inquiry with respect to thermal gradients, plate coupling, and detachment and recovery of subducted materials. This dissertation applies a variety of computational techniques to …


A 30-Year Agroclimatic Analysis Of The Snake River Valley American Viticultural Area - Descriptive And Predictive Methods, Charles L. Becker Aug 2020

A 30-Year Agroclimatic Analysis Of The Snake River Valley American Viticultural Area - Descriptive And Predictive Methods, Charles L. Becker

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Climate change poses serious threats to global agriculture, however some localities and crops may benefit from increasing temperatures. Grape production in southern Idaho may be a beneficial example as vineyard acreage has increased over 300% since the designation of the Snake River American Viticultural Area (SRVAVA) in 2007. We perform a statistical characterization of agroclimate within the SRVAVA that centers around four primary objectives: utilization of a novel, 30-year high resolution climate dataset to provide insight and agrometrics unavailable at coarser resolutions, climatic implications of the unique topography within the SRVAVA, identification of statistical trends, and correlation of SRVAVA climate …


A Sense Of Scale: Mapping Exotic Annual Grasses With Satellite Imagery Across A Landscape And Quantifying Their Biomass At A Plot Level With Structure-From-Motion In A Semi-Arid Ecosystem, Monica Vermillion Aug 2020

A Sense Of Scale: Mapping Exotic Annual Grasses With Satellite Imagery Across A Landscape And Quantifying Their Biomass At A Plot Level With Structure-From-Motion In A Semi-Arid Ecosystem, Monica Vermillion

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The native vegetation communities in the sagebrush steppe, a semi-arid ecosystem type, are under threat from exotic annual grasses. Exotic annual grasses increase fire severity and frequency, decrease biodiversity, and reduce soil carbon storage amongst other ecosystem services. The invasion of exotic annual grasses is causing detrimental impacts to land use by eliminating forage for livestock and creating a huge economic cost from fire control and post-fire restoration. To combat invasion, land managers need to know what exotic annual grasses are present, where they are invading, and estimates of their biomass. Mapping exotic annual grasses is challenging because many areas …


Characterizing Dryland Ecosystems Using Remote Sensing And Dynamic Global Vegetation Modeling, Abdolhamid Dashtiahangar Dec 2019

Characterizing Dryland Ecosystems Using Remote Sensing And Dynamic Global Vegetation Modeling, Abdolhamid Dashtiahangar

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Drylands include all terrestrial regions where the production of crops, forage, wood and other ecosystem services are limited by water. These ecosystems cover approximately 40% of the earth terrestrial surface and accommodate more than 2 billion people (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). Moreover, the interannual variability of the global carbon budget is strongly regulated by vegetation dynamics in drylands. Understanding the dynamics of such ecosystems is significant for assessing the potential for and impacts of natural or anthropogenic disturbances and mitigation planning, and a necessary step toward enhancing the economic and social well-being of dryland communities in a sustainable manner (Global …