Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

S7e8: What Is The Legacy And Future Of The Climate Change Institute?, Ron Lisnet, Paul A. Mayewski, Daniel Sandweiss, Cynthia Isenhour

The Maine Question

The nation’s first multi- and inter-disciplinary research institute to study Earth’s recent and long-term climate variability was founded in 1972 at the University of Maine. That institute, now known as the Climate Change Institute, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, a milestone that honors the many groundbreaking discoveries its scientists have made in the field of climate science.

CCI have scientists first mapped the difference between climate during the Ice Age and today in the 1970s; discovered the importance of marine-based ice sheets in the 1980s; connected acid rain to human causes in the mid-1980s; uncovered the concept of …

Arcmap Basics: Wpes, How Do I...? Quick Guide, Bea E. Van Dam

Non-Thesis Student Work

This document is a quick guide to performing common geospatial tasks in ArcMap 10.x (ArcGIS Desktop) for new users. Covered are basic navigation of the ArcMap window; importing, opening, querying, editing, and exporting data; and map preparation. In many cases, there are multiple ways to accomplish different tasks; presented here are the methods the author finds easiest or most straightforward. Mouse click sequences and menu/tool layout may differ if using previous versions of ArcMap.

S7e4: How Can We Eliminate Pfas?, Ron Lisnet, Onur Apul

The Maine Question

In recent years, communities across Maine and the U.S. have discovered the presence of toxic chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in their land and water. Also known as forever chemicals because they are difficult to destroy, PFAS have been incorporated in various products, including food containers, clothing, rugs, teflon pans, fabrics and dental floss, for decades. Emerging research, however, has linked PFAS to several health issues, including weakened immune systems, increased risk of obesity and multiple cancers, developmental problems in children and harm to negative effects on reproduction.

Onur Apul, assistant professor of environmental engineering at the …

From Points To Potlucks: An Exploration Of Fixed Point Theorems With Applications To Game Theory Models Of Successful Integration Practices, Llewellyn Searing

Honors College

Potlucks have many names: shared community dinners, faith suppers, “bring-a-dish” dinners, etc. They represent the desire to share food with other people and make new friends, sometimes learning about other cultures in the process. Not only does one have to decide what dish to bring, but one must also decide how large of a dish, if there will be a theme, and what course it will fit. For instance, if everyone brings side dishes, there will not be enough food for everyone, and if someone brings food that most of the group cannot eat, then feelings will be hurt on …

Wind Effects On Near- And Midfield Mixing In Tidally Pulsed River Plumes, Preston Spicer, Kelly L. Cole, Kimberly Huguenard, Daniel G. Macdonald, Michael M. Whitney

Civil Engineering Faculty Scholarship

River plumes transport and mix land-based tracers into the ocean. In tidally pulsed river plumes, wind effects have long been considered negligible in modulating interfacial mixing in the energetic nearfield region. This research tests the influence of variable, realistic winds on mixing in the interior plume. A numerical model of the Merrimack River plume-shelf system is utilized, with an application of the salinity variance approach employed to identify spatial and temporal variation in advection, straining, and dissipation (mixing) of vertical salinity variance (stratification). Results indicate that moderate wind stresses (∼0.5 Pa) with a northward component countering the downcoast rotation of …

Utilizing Post-Newtonian Expansion To Determine Parameters Of Compact Binary Black Hole Mergers, Jarrod E. Rudis

Honors College

The process of determining parameters of black hole mergers requires complicated formulae like the Einstein Field Equations (EFEs) that can only be solved numerically with the help of supercomputers. This paper sought to explore an alternative method to prediction of parameters through the use of 1st order Post-Newtonian Expansion (PNE), which is a way of approximating solutions to the EFEs. Two binary- black hole mergers, GW170814 and GW170809 were analyzed with the use of 1st order PNE to obtain the chirp mass and radiated energy parameters. These parameters were then compared with the parameters obtained using numerical solutions to the …

Riders On The Storm: Using Satellite Transmitters To Quantify American Woodcock Movement Behavior Following Extreme Weather Events, Katherine Trebilcock

Honors College

The American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) has experienced steady declines in abundance over the past fifty years, which has raised questions as to why (Sauer et al. 1991). Migration for many birds, woodcock included, is energetically intensive, and may be the cause for greater mortality compared to other times of the year (Newton 2007). Despite this, there remains uncertainty in how conditions encountered during migration affect their movements and survival. One obstacle that birds must face is extreme weather, which has been increasing in intensity and occurrence due to climate change. How these events impact a migrating woodcock has been speculated …

Design, Construction, And Investigation Of A Small Polarimeter, Kelvy Zucca

Honors College

This project uses a custom polarimeter to measure the polarization of light we receive from stars. Most bright stars emit unpolarized radiation, so measuring non-zero polarization is significant. Even highly polarized stars only have degrees of polarization around five percent. Polarized light from a star may mean 1) the star is actually a binary system, 2) the star has a significant magnetic field, or 3) the star has some other feature or variability that is atypical of the majority of bright stars. A polarimeter is used to measure polarization. As the Jordan Observatory did not have a polarimeter, the project …

For The Women Who Wear Pi Day Shirts, Jacqui Weaver

Honors College

This project, entitled To The Women Who Wear Pi Day Shirts, is a poetry manuscript that explores a journey of a women in STEM. While taking college English courses, I read about characters such as the creature in Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, who had intelligence, yet was physically hideous, an outsider from the human population. The creature was an outsider to the normal human, much like how I feel as a woman in STEM, which gave me the idea to write about my own journey. The poetry in this manuscript is a reflection from being in elementary school learning mathematics …

Solvent Effects In Phenol Hydrogenation On A Supported Ruthenium Catalyst, Daniel Mckeon

Honors College

Growing concerns around climate have piqued interest in using biobased alternatives in place of fuels and chemicals traditionally made from petroleum. Lignocellulosic biomass has been noted for its potential as a biobased chemical precursor in the context of a biorefinery. It can be pyrolyzed to yield an oil, but catalytic upgrading is required to lower oxygen content to suitable levels. Ruthenium supported on titania has been identified as a catalyst suitable for hydrodeoxygenation of oxygenated aromatic pyrolysis products in the liquid phase. In liquid phase reactions, intermolecular attractions between the solvent and the reactants can significantly change chemical activities and …

S6e9: What Does Maine Need To Expand Electric Vehicle Use?, Ron Lisnet, Jonathan Rubin

The Maine Question

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Maine will require a broader adoption of electric vehicles, according to University of Maine economist Jonathan Rubin. Officials from the Maine Department of Transportation and other state agencies have a role to play in fueling the transition away from gas-powered cars and trucks. To guide them, Rubin, professor of economics and director of the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, and his colleagues from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) released a report that outlines strategies for reducing emissions from the transportation sector.

On this week’s episode of “The Maine Question,” Rubin discusses the report …

S6e6: How Do Changing Conditions In The Arctic Affect Maine?, Ron Lisnet, Karl Kreutz, Kristin Schild

The Maine Question

Changes in the Arctic affect Maine, despite them being separated by more than 1,000 miles. Several scientists from the University of Maine study these shifting conditions of the climate and environment in the region and their impacts. In 2018, the UMaine Arctic Initiative was formed to build on their work and enhance collaboration in the campus community and with outside stakeholders.

In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, scientists Karl Kreutz and Kristin Schild from UMaine Arctic and the UMaine Climate Change Institute discuss their research, and elaborate on the region and its shifting conditions influence the state.

S6e1: What Happens If Mount Everest Loses All Of Its Snow And Ice?, Ron Lisnet, Paul A. Mayewski

The Maine Question

No place on earth can escape the effects of climate change, not even Mount Everest. The highest glacier on the world’s tallest mountain — the South Col Glacier — is rapidly disappearing. A new University of Maine-led study found that the glacier is losing several decades of ice and snow accumulation annually due to human-induced climate change.

These findings are the latest from the 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition, led by UMaine Climate Change Institute director Paul Mayewski. In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Mayewski and UMaine Ph.D. candidate Mariusz Potocki, both co-authors of the …

Arcmap Hydrology Toolset: Wpes, How Do I...? Quick Guide, Bea E. Van Dam

Non-Thesis Student Work

This document provides guidance for performing hydrologic tasks using the Hydrology Toolset in ArcMap 10.x (ArcGIS Desktop). Covered here are an overview of the uses and limitations of the tools within the Hydrology Toolset, related tools from from additional ArcGIS toolsets, and step-by-step instructions for hydrologic workflows including digital elevation model (DEM) preparation, pit fill detection, "burning in" culverts for proper flow path routing, watershed and stream network delineation, and flow network statistics.

Survey Control With Gnss Receiver: Wpes, How Do I...? Quick Guide, Bea E. Van Dam

Non-Thesis Student Work

This document is a quick guide to establishing survey control points using a Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) receiver and processing collected point coordinate data.

The WPES Research Group uses a Trimble NetR9 GNSS reference receiver, which is reflected in the specific sequences of button presses outlined in the data profile setup, field operation, and data download sections. Readers using a different receiver may still find the general workflow overview useful and should be able to use the data post-processing section directly.

Maine Epscor, Vol. 1, Issue 1, Maine Epscor, University Of Maine, Kody Varahramyan, Shane Moeykens, Laurie Bragg, Daniel Timmermann, Jami Downing, Stefania Irene Marthakis, Christian Spindler, Bhavana Scalia-Bruce, Marcella Silver, Jennifer Smith-Mayo, Attis Bielecki, Grayson Huston, Markus Fredrich, Kristina Cammen

General University of Maine Publications

The University of Maine recently gained Carnegie R1 status, a level of recognition that speaks to the quality and scale of research happening at Maine’s land grant, sea grant, and space grant institution, and across the state as a whole. Research institutes, centers and labs established because of NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 grants have created a significant and lasting impact in Maine. These entities include the Advanced Structures and Composites Center, Frontier Institute for Research in Sensor Technologies, Forest Bioproducts Research Institute, and Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, which have generated over 500 million dollars in new R&D funding for …

Total Station Field Surveying: Wpes, How Do I...? Quick Guide, Bea E. Van Dam

Non-Thesis Student Work

This document provides step-by-step guidance for performing surveys of field sites using a total station unit (TSU) and connected handheld data collector and for downloading collected point data. WPES uses a Sokkia CX-series TSU and a data collector running Carlson SurvCE software. Minor differences in instrument set-up may arise if using a different TSU. Major differences in data collection procedures will occur if using a different data collection software.