A Proxy System Modeling Approach To Combining Tree-Ring And Sediment-Based Paleotempestological Records, Elizabeth J. Wallace, Sylvia Dee, Joshua Bregy, Kerry A. Emanuel

OES Faculty Publications

The short and biased observational record of tropical cyclones (TCs) limits scientific understanding of how these destructive storms respond to climate forcing. Paleohurricane records use natural archives (tree rings, coarse-grained sediment) to reconstruct TC properties (frequency and intensity of rainfall, wind) over the past few hundreds to thousands of years. However, different sensitivities and sampling biases in the various paleohurricane proxies restrict our ability to compile these records into regional or basin-scale TC estimates. Here we test how well pseudo tree-ring records of paleohurricanes capture TC rainfall and occurrence. Using a large set of statistically downscaled storms forced with the …

2024 January - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

2023 - Tennessee Annual Climate Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

Quantifying The Influences Of Abiotic And Biotic Factors On Post-Fire Vegetation In The Southwestern Us, Joseph Lafayette Crockett

Biology ETDs

The ongoing warming associated with climate change is increasing the flammability of southwestern US dry forests. As larger fractions of the landscape are impacted by high-severity fire, the potential exists for forests to convert to non-forest. Given that the forested area in the southwestern US is an important contributor of ecosystem services, quantifying limitations to vegetation establishment is critical to informing post-fire recovery efforts and understanding how ongoing climate change will limit seedling establishment in the future. To that end, this dissertation focuses on post-fire vegetation recovery of southwestern forests. First, I report on the influence of precipitation and topography …

Good Practices And Common Pitfalls In Climate Time Series Changepoint Techniques: A Review, Robert B. Lund, Claudie Beaulieu, Rebecca Killick, Qiqi Lu, Xueheng Shi

Department of Statistics: Faculty Publications

Climate changepoint (homogenization) methods abound today, with a myriad of techniques existing in both the climate and statistics literature. Unfortunately, the appropriate changepoint technique to use remains unclear to many. Further complicating issues, changepoint conclusions are not robust to perturbations in assumptions; for example, allowing for a trend or correlation in the series can drastically change changepoint conclusions. This paper is a review of the topic, with an emphasis on illuminating the models and techniques that allow the scientist to make reliable conclusions. Pitfalls to avoid are demonstrated via actual applications. The discourse begins by narrating the salient statistical features …

2023 December - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

2023 November - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

Roadway Floods And Their Associated Weather-Related Conditions: New Insights Using Cars 511 Data For State And Federal Highways In Nebraska, Usa, Logan R. Bundy, Mark Anderson, Clinton M. Rowe, Rezaul Mamood

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

This study examined roadway flooding event data provided by the Nebraska Department of Transportation via the Condition Acquisition Reporting System (CARS) 511 archive (2016–2021). With these data, a novel analysis was completed to further the understanding of where, when, and why (meteorologically) roadway flooding occurs on Nebraska state and federal highways. In the study period, 298 roadway floods occurred, with an annual median of 16 per year. There was a greater risk for roadway floods to transpire more frequently in eastern Nebraska, which was attributed to the spatial climatology of heavy rainfall and the higher density of roadways and rivers. …

Environment And Sustainability: October 2023, Environment And Sustainability, Office Of The President

Environment and Sustainability Archives

• Replacing diesel with biomass for boiler at AKUH Nairobi,

• Monthly Movie Hour starting from October

• Paper savings from ICT optimisations

• All-vegetarian catering menu

• Zero-waste beach cleanup drive

• Sustainable Events Training

• Launch of 2023 President’s Challenge for Climate Solutions

• And much more…

2023 October - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

2023 September - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

Leadership And Employee Motivation In Climate-Focused Organizations: A Pathway To Transformation, Andrew Mwape

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Climate-focused organizations play a crucial role in addressing global environmental challenges such as climate change, resource depletion, and sustainability. This article explores the dynamics of leadership and employee motivation in such organizations, emphasizing the importance of transformational leadership in fostering innovation, collaboration, and resilience. By aligning organizational missions with employee values, leaders can inspire commitment and enhance productivity. The paper examines the roles of civic capacity, organizational change, and cross-sector collaboration in driving climate action. Drawing on case studies and scholarly insights, it provides practical recommendations for leaders to navigate the complexities of managing climate-focused initiatives. The findings underscore the …

Potential For Forecasting Uk Summer Grass Growth From The North Atlantic Oscillation, P. S. Kettlewell, J. Easey, P. D. Hollins, T. Martyn, D. B. Stephenson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a large-scale atmospheric circulation pattern which is well-known to influence the UK winter climate (Wilby et al., 1997). Recently, it has been shown that the winter NAO also affects summer rainfall in the UK (Kettlewell et al., 2003). Since water supply is an important limitation to summer grass growth in many parts of the UK, the winter NAO may influence summer growth. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that there is a relationship between the winter NAO and summer grass growth using data from reference plots at North …

An Evaluation Of High-Resolution Model Simulations Of Orographic Precipitation, Snowpack, Atmospheric Rivers, And Their Climate Sensitivities In The Southern Andes, Erin Potter

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Orographic precipitation and snowpack are important for water resources and hydrometeorological hazards in the Andes Mountain range. As the climate warms, South American atmospheric rivers (ARs) are expected to increase in frequency and intensity, leading to increased orographic precipitation. Improved understanding of orographic precipitation and snowpack, and their association with ARs, in a warming climate is needed to provide a foundation for understanding future hydroclimate change over the Andes. The goal of this research is to evaluate how well variations in high-resolution regional climate simulations over the southern Andes (30-55°S), agree with observations of (1) orographic precipitation and (2) snowpack …

Climatic Influences On Incipient Alteration In Mars-Relevant Ultramafic Soils, Anthony Feldman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

An ongoing debate exists around the nature of the climatic conditions present during the Noachian and early Hesperian periods (~4.1 to 3 Gyr ago) of Mars’ ancient history. The various theories put forward can reasonably be grouped into “warm and wet” vs “cold and icy” camps. Warm and wet approximates an Earth-like system with a relatively clement climate with significant liquid water present including potentially long-lived oceans. Cold and icy theories generally postulate thick ice sheets at high elevations with periodic warming events driving precipitation and the formation of river channels and leading to the formation of chemical alteration products. …

2023 August - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

Weather In Middle-Earth Or Tolkien: The Weather-Master?, Jonas Mertens

Journal of Tolkien Research

Abstract

This article attempts to shed light on the use of weather in general and meteorological expressions in The Lord of the Rings, as J. R. R. Tolkien is well known to be a writer for whom the environment and natural world is closely intertwined with his storytelling. Both a manual count and a count which a digital text analysis tool were combined to find the frequency of previously selected weather terms. In total, more than 2,000 references were found in the books, with the words ‘sun’, ‘wind’ and ‘cold’ being the most abundant. Meteorological expressions are frequently encountered in …

2023 July - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Soil Type And Climate On Modelled Greenhouse Gas Emissions Derived From Pasture Based Milk Production Systems, Dan K. Lovett, L. Shalloo, P. Dillon, Frank O'Mara

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The ability of spring calving dairy farmers to exploit herbage production can be limited by soil type and climatic conditions. Previous work, using the Moorepark Dairy System Model (MDSM) (Shalloo et al., 2004) demonstrated differences in terms of biological and production efficiency for two contrasting sites. This study models whole farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Lovett et al., in press) from two dairy systems, the Moorepark Standard System (MSS, Co. Cork) and the Kilmaley Standard System (KSS,Co. Clare), classified as lower and high rainfall (1025 and 1614 mm yr) and free draining versus poor draining respectively.

Public-Ish, Aliah Werth

Masters Theses

Climate change affects public space, and architecture must establish tenets that prioritize pedestrians in this difficult era. Greywater re-use can be a mechanism for creating shade, and in turn, public space.

As heat waves grow more intense, the vast swaths of asphalt that connect commercial zones pose greater risks to public health and to urban vitality. This thesis records the typical material, spatial, and lived conditions of strip malls in urban heat islands, and demands more from infrastructure in public-ish space.

Heat violence weaves through Los Angeles’ built form. Parking space minimums, required setbacks, and height restrictions pull buildings away …

2023 June - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

Hydroclimate Effects On Great Salt Lake Decline Since 1980, Siiri Joy Bigalke

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

As a terminal basin lake, the Great Salt Lake (GSL) is known to act as a barometer for low frequency climate variability for the Western United States. As thus, there are naturally occurring large changes to GSL elevation levels that vary on time scales from years to decades. However, amongst these naturally occurring interannual changes there has been a significant declining trend in the elevation levels since a string of anomalous pluvial years in the early 1980s. In the summer of 2022, the Great Salt Lake reached its lowest levels in recorded history, which coincided with a two-decades long regional …

The Last Drought Frontier: Building A Drought Index For The State Of Alaska, Olivia Campbell

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Drought is characterized by periods of below average precipitation. There are five major types of drought recognized in the literature: meteorological, hydrological, agricultural, socioeconomic, and ecological. A relatively new concept in the drought literature is “snow drought.” A key part of the definition of drought is that it is not always accompanied by extreme heat. This means drought can occur even in cold climates, cold seasons, and higher latitudes and altitudes, like Alaska. Drought is a natural part of climate variability, but Alaska’s climate is changing faster than any other state in the United States. Alaska is no stranger to …

2023 May - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

Application Of Deep Learning For Classification Of Intertidal Eelgrass From Drone-Acquired Imagery, Krti Tallam, Nam Nguyen, Jonathan Ventura, Andrew G. Fricker, Sadie Calhoun, Jennifer O’Leary, Mauriça Fitzgibbons, Ian C. Robbins, Ryan K. Walter

Physics

Shallow estuarine habitats are globally undergoing rapid changes due to climate change and anthropogenic influences, resulting in spatiotemporal shifts in distribution and habitat extent. Yet, scientists and managers do not always have rapidly available data to track habitat changes in real-time. In this study, we apply a novel and a state-of-the-art image segmentation machine learning technique (DeepLab) to two years of high-resolution drone-based imagery of a marine flowering plant species (eelgrass, a temperate seagrass). We apply the model to eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows in the Morro Bay estuary, California, an estuary that has undergone large eelgrass declines and the subsequent …

Snow Distribution And Influence In Taylor Valley, Antarctica, Using Remote Sensing, Katherine Mcnulty, Peter Doran, Mark Salvatore, Suniti Karunatillake

LSU Master's Theses

The McMurdo Dry Valleys is the largest ice-free area in Antarctica, but seasonal snow covers the valley floors sporadically throughout the year. In this study, a model to estimate areal snow coverage from satellite imagery was created. An area-volume model was created to estimate the amount of snow water equivalent (SWE) from the snow area extracted from the imagery. Snow cover influences the total albedo, the hydrologic budget, and the soil moisture and soil temperature in Taylor Valley (TV). Quantifying snow precipitation in TV is challenging because snow redistributes with winds, sublimates, or melts within a short period. Previous estimates …

Carbon Sequestration Capacities Of Different Land Cover Types And Climate Change, Nicole L. Melnick, Annabel Gorman, Adam F. Warren

Student Publications

Human-caused climate change creates a positive feedback loop that emits more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere instead of being sequestered in the Earth or its oceans. A major contributor to this feedback loop is deforestation in order to use land for agriculture and livestock. This study aims to investigate differences in carbon sequestration capabilities of forests, pastures, and cropland through soil and tree sampling in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The main hypothesis of this study is that forested land will be the most effective at carbon sequestration. The loss on ignition method (LOI) was used to determine the percent organic material in …

2023 April - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

Drought Affects Sex Ratio And Growth Of Painted Turtles In A Long-Term Study In Nebraska, Larkin A. Powell, Ellen P. Dolph, Charrissa R. Neil

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Climate forecasts suggest the Great Plains of North America have increased risk of droughts during global warming. Environmental factors have potential to influence turtle populations in aquatic habitats through temperature-dependent sex determination and influences on food availability. Long-term studies are critical to evaluate the influence of climatic variation on turtles. We used a 12-year set of mark-recapture data collected from painted turtles (Chrysemys picta, n = 162) in a pond in Keith County, Nebraska during 2005–2016 to assess variation in sex ratio and growth dynamics. Southwest Nebraska experienced two periods of drought during our study (Palmer Hydrologic Drought …

The Influence Of Complex Coastlines On The Sea Breeze And Convection Initiation In Coastal North Carolina, Logan Howard, Adam L. Houston

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The sea breeze is a common phenomenon in coastal regions around the world. Their development and propagation can be treated as a density current. It is well known that many factors influence density current propagation, including wind. Depending on the orientation, the wind speed and shear can enhance or inhibit the development of the sea breeze. In places like eastern North Carolina, complex coastal geography can create river and sound breezes that, upon collision, have the potential to initiate thunderstorms. Using Cloud Model 1, simulations were conducted to model the behavior of the sea breezes in eastern North Carolina and …