Earth Sciences Commons^™

Long-Term Operation Performance Of Medium-Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers In The Guanzhong Area, Zhang Zhibin, Ma Zhendi, Hao Jianke, Jia Guosheng, Ke Tingting, Cheng Chonghua, Jin Liwen

Coal Geology & Exploration

Technologies for heating utilizing medium-deep geothermal energy exhibit promising application prospects in the Guanzhong area of China, which boasts abundant geothermal resources. Geological parameters serve as determining factors in the performance of medium-deep borehole heating systems. This study aims to explore the performance of medium-deep borehole heating systems in the Guanzhong area, Shaanxi Province. First, this study analyzed the geological parameters of five typical areas in Guanzhong: Xingping City under the jurisdiction of Xianyang City, Weicheng District of Xianyang, and Gaoling, Huyi, and Chang’an districts of Xi’an City. Then, by combining the typical structural parameters of buried pipes, this study …

Influencing Factor Analysis And Optimization Of Heat Extraction Performance Of Moderately Deep Coaxial Borehole Heat Exchangers In Northern Shaanxi, China, Zou Haijiang, Li Yongpeng, Zhang Lin, Hui Peng, Liu Houning, Shen Fang, Wang Fenghao

Coal Geology & Exploration

The geothermal heating technology utilizing moderately deep coaxial borehole heat exchangers (MDCBHEs) has emerged and found extensive applications in urban heating in northern China. Despite abundant geothermal resources, northern Shaanxi exhibits slightly low geothermal gradients and distinct thermophysical properties of rocks and soils. Therefore, geological parameters influence the heat transfer performance of MDCBHEs in this area. Using OpenGeoSys, an open-source numerical simulation platform, this study established a three-dimensional calculation model for heat transfer between a MDCBHE and surrounding strata. Based on typical geological parameters in northern Shaanxi, the study investigated the influence of various design parameters on the heat transfer …

Statistical Analysis Of The Spatial Distribution And Genesis Of Lithium In Geothermal Water In The Yangbajing-Gulu Rift, Xizang, Chen Yakui, Kong Yanlong, Duan Jiabin, Sun Wenjie, Cheng Yuanzhi

Coal Geology & Exploration

In the Yangbajing-Gulu rift, located in Xizang, the lithium concentration in geothermal water exceeds the average level of thermal springs in Xizang. However, the hydrochemical genesis of lithium in geothermal water in this rift remains controversial, and one primary reason for this is the unclear spatial distribution pattern of lithium. Common methods for analyzing spatial distribution patterns include Ordinary Kriging and CO-Kriging. Nevertheless, the former suffers low precision. For the latter, it is difficult to obtain suitable auxiliary variables. Given this, this study determined two auxiliary variables: (1) the Cl⁻ concentration, a physicochemical parameter exhibiting the strongest correlation with …

Spatial Analyses On Pre-Earthquake Ionospheric Anomalies And Magnetic Storms Observed By China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite In August 2018, Jann-Yeng Tiger Liu, Xuhui Shen, Fu-Yuan Chang, Yuh-Ing Chen, Yang-Yi Sun, Chieh‑Hung Chen, Sergey Pulinets, Katsumi Hattori, Dimitar Ouzounov, Valerio Tramutoli, Michel Parrot, Wei-Sheng Chen, Cheng-Yan Liu, Fei Zhang, Dapeng Liu, Xue-Min Zhang, Rui Yan, Qiao Wang

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES), with a sun-synchronous orbit at 507 km altitude, was launched on 2 February 2018 to investigate pre-earthquake ionospheric anomalies (PEIAs) and ionospheric space weather. The CSES probes manifest longitudinal features of four-peak plasma density and three plasma depletions in the equatorial/low-latitudes as well as mid-latitude troughs. CSES plasma and the total electron content (TEC) of the global ionosphere map (GIM) are used to study PEIAs associated with a destructive M7.0 earthquake and its followed M6.5 and M6.3/M6.9 earthquakes in Lombok, Indonesia, on 5, 17, and 19 August 2018, respectively, as well as to examine ionospheric …

Estimation Of Sugarcane Yield Using Multi-Temporal Sentinel 2 Satellite Imagery And Random Forest Regression, Alireza Taravat, Gebeyehu Abebe, Berhan Gessesse, Tsegaye Tadesse

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Advancements in remote sensing techniques have greatly enhanced crop monitoring and yield estimation, with spectral vegetation indices (VIs) serving as a key component. Our study investigates the use of Sentinel-2 data, notable for its red-edge bands, in estimating sugarcane yield in Ethiopia's Awash Basin. Utilizing 22 VIs from S2 imagery, our approach combines Random Forest (RF) regression with the Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) algorithm to improve the accuracy of sugarcane yield predictions. The results demonstrate the superior performance of the RF-RFE method over traditional RF with full datasets and Stepwise Multiple Regression (SMR). Particularly, VIs focusing on the red-edge spectral …

Fauna, Flora, And Land Cover Changes Over The Last Two Decades In The Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, Gabriel De Oliveria, Steven R. Schultze, Guilherme Mataveli

Technical Reports

A technical report documenting ecosystem changes to the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta region due to urban expansion over approximately two decades (2001-2019).

Adsorption Of Perfluoroalkyl Substances With Activated Carbon: Characterizing Non-Hazardous Simulants, Jennifer Hensley

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of great interest recently because some members of this class exhibit human health risks at extremely low levels, making them the current subject of proposed regulation and policy. Treatment of PFAS contaminated wastewater often is performed through adsorptive processes, e.g., with activated carbon. Due to complexities with PFAS laboratory analysis, assessing treatment efficacy through direct measurement of PFAS is expensive and time consuming, potentially delaying the design and implementation of site-specific treatment systems. This project identified and characterized potential suitable simulants for PFAS during wastewater treatment for which analysis can be timely and economical. …

Water-Level And Recoverable Water In Storage Changes, High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment To 2019 And 2017 To 2019, Virginia L. Mcguire, Kellan R. Strauch

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States: Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial groundwater irrigation (about 1950). This report presents water-level changes and change in recoverable water in storage in the High Plains aquifer from predevelopment (about 1950) to 2019 and from 2017 to 2019.

Water-level changes from predevelopment to 2019, by well, ranged from a rise of 86 feet to a decline of 265 feet; the range for …

Critical Convergence: Mapping The Boundaries Of How Faculty Interrogate Whiteness In The Geoscience Educational Landscape, James E. Hobbs

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This study examined the role of faculty members in interrogating whiteness within geoscience education. The dominant reliance on whiteness as the primary way of knowing in geoscience education has long perpetuated a singular perspective that serves as a mechanism for reinforcing existing power structures rooted in white supremacy. Drawing on tenets from Critical whiteness Studies, Curriculum Theory, and Transformative Learning Theory, this research investigated U.S. higher education faculty members' strategies and challenges in disrupting whiteness within the geoscience curriculum.

Through critical qualitative narrative inquiry, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with geoscience faculty members across multiple institutions across the United …

Plant Water Uptake Strategies In An Urban Green Landscape, Erica G. Almance

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

Urban green landscapes have been widely recognized for potentially reducing surface water pollution and flood impacts. However, the understanding of the role that plants play in partitioning the urban water cycle is still limited. We present a study in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden to understand water uptake strategies from three common urban tree species (Elderberry, Sambucus canadensis; Cherry laurel, Prunus caroliniana; and Boxelder maple, Acer negundo) from February 2023 through January 2024. Stem (N=110) isotope ratios (δ18O and δ2H) are compared to multiple endmembers, including precipitation (N=509), throughfall (N=37), and soil water (N=135) at different depths (0- 38 cm). …

Probable Extirpation Of The Jackrabbit (Lepus Californicus) From Arkansas, D.B. Sasse

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) was first documented in Arkansas during the modern era in Franklin County in 1927. Over the next few decades records were reported from multiple counties in northwest Arkansas and the species was locally common in Benton, Crawford, and Washington counties in the 1950s. The last Arkansas record documented in the scientific literature was from 1968 and since then there have only been three credible reports, with the last being from the late 1980s. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission solicited reports of jackrabbits from the public and failed to find evidence of them from a …

Ultrastructure Of The Biflagellated Spermatozoon In The Western Siren, Siren Nettingi (Caudata: Sirenidae), Using Scanning Electron Microscopy, S.E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

I investigated the ultrastructure of the biflagellated spermatozoon of the Western Siren, Siren nettingi, using scanning electron microscopy from salamanders collected in northeastern Arkansas. My primary goal in this study was to reveal the general morphology of the distinctive sperm cell components (two axonemes, two undulating membranes, and two axial fibers), which run nearly the entire length of the spermatozoon. These remarkable gamete structures are found in members of the salamander family Sirenidae and do not conform to spermatozoal ultrastructure of any other salamander species. Moreover, the biflagellated sperm are the end product of an extraordinary assemblage of complex maturation …

History And Distribution Of The Wood Stork (Mycteria Americana) In Arkansas, R. Tumlison, L. Serviss

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) were thought to be common visitors to Arkansas in the early 1900s, but observations declined mid-century. Surveys of citizen science data and other online sources indicate that numbers of unique observations and total counts of birds have increased since 2000. Storks do not breed here, but have been reported in 34 of 75 counties, and appear mostly in August and September. Birds apparently originate from Mexico. Number of observations have increased since 2016, but many of those observations include only a few birds rather than larger flocks.

An Annotated Checklist Of The Camel Crickets (Insecta: Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) Of Arkansas, H.W. Robison, C.T. Mcallister

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A total of 14 native species of camel crickets and one introduced taxon representing three genera (Ceuthophilus, Phrixocnemis, and Diestrammena) of the orthopteran family Rhaphidophoridae, are herein reported from Arkansas. The most diverse genus was Ceuthophilus, with 13 native species, while Phrixocnemis had one native species, and Diestrammena, formerly Tachycines, was represented by one introduced species. This updated checklist is intended to be of use to entomologists, naturalists, professional biologists, and resource managers in evaluating the biodiversity of Arkansas. State distributional maps are provided for each species listed by county, and habitats are discussed in which each species was taken …

Fish Leeches Of Arkansas, D.J. Richardson, W.E. Moser, C.T. Mcallister, S.P. Lawson, H.W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Recent collection within Arkansas greatly enlarges the knowledge concerning hosts and distributions of fish leeches within the state. The natural history of the 6 species of fish leeches known from Arkansas (Placobdella montifera, Placobdella pediculata, Cystobranchus klemmi, Cystobranchus verrilli, Myzobdella lugubris, and Myzobdella reducta) is reviewed and updated and molecular data are provided.

Petrophysics Characterization With Multiple Sample Scales Of Cuttings, Cores And Well Logs For Different Rock Types, Ogochukwu Azike

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

Petrophysics Characterization with Multiple Sample Scales of Cuttings, Cores and Well Logs for Different Rock Types

Laboratory-based experimental evaluations and nuclear magnetic resonance log data interpretation of carbonates, sandstones and shale rocks enable multi-scale petrophysical parameters characterization for integrated studies that can be applied in both the industry and academia. Numerous studies have been published on pore geometry and connectivity, as well as the diffusivity, migration, and containment of a fluid (oil/gas/water) in different reservoir types. However, despite the importance of diffusion and imbibition as a transport mechanism especially in unconventional resources, the direct measurements of these parameters have been …

Stage And Discharge Prediction From Documentary Time-Lapse Imagery, Kenneth W. Chapman, Troy E. Gilmore, Mehrube Mehrubeoglu, Christian D. Chapman, Aaron R. Mittelstet, John E. Stranzl Jr.

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Imagery from fixed, ground-based cameras is rich in qualitative and quantitative information that can improve stream discharge monitoring. For instance, time-lapse imagery may be valuable for filling data gaps when sensors fail and/or during lapses in funding for monitoring programs. In this study, we used a large image archive (> 40,000 images from 2012 to 2019) from a fixed, ground-based camera that is part of a documentary watershed imaging project (https://plattebasintimelapse.com/). Scalar image features were extracted from daylight images taken at one-hour intervals. The image features were fused with United States Geological Survey stage and discharge data as …

Crowdsourced Geospatial Data Is Reshaping Urban Sciences, Xiao Huang, Siqin Wang, Tianjun Lu, Yisi Liu, Leticia Serrano-Estrada

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

For many years, urban sciences relied heavily on traditional, authoritative data sources. However, a paradigm shift has occurred recently with the advent of citizen-driven data contribution. This evolution in data acquisition for urban science is attributable to advancements in positioning and navigation technologies, widespread use of digital devices, the rise of Web 2.0, enhanced broadband communications, and refined data management techniques. The significance of crowdsourced geospatial data in the realm of urban sciences is now widely acknowledged. A diverse array of novel data sources has been increasingly gaining prominence. These include, but are not limited to, social media platforms, street …

Crowdsourcing Geospatial Data For Earth And Human Observations: A Review, Xiao Huang, Siqin Wang, Di Yang, Tao Hu, Meixu Chen, Mengxi Zhang, Guiming Zhang, Filip Biljecki, Tianjun Lu, Lei Zou, Connor Y. H. Wu, Yoo Min Park, Xiao Li, Yunzhe Liu, Hongchao Fan, Jessica Mitchell, Zhenlong Li, Alexander Hohl

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

The transformation from authoritative to user-generated data landscapes has garnered considerable attention, notably with the proliferation of crowdsourced geospatial data. Facilitated by advancements in digital technology and high-speed communication, this paradigm shift has democratized data collection, obliterating traditional barriers between data producers and users. While previous literature has compartmentalized this subject into distinct platforms and application domains, this review offers a holistic examination of crowdsourced geospatial data. Employing a narrative review approach due to the interdisciplinary nature of the topic, we investigate both human and Earth observations through crowdsourced initiatives. This review categorizes the diverse applications of these data and …

Impacts Of Anthropogenic Sedimentation On Shell-Bed Habitats In Lake Tanganyika, Africa, Michael Soreghan, Andrew Cohen, Michael M. Mcglue, Kevin M. Yeager, Emily Ryan, Alison Johns, Ishmael Kimirei

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

Lake Tanganyika, in central Africa, contains a diverse and endemic fauna under threat from global climate change, overfishing, and nearshore sediment pollution. Previous studies of sediment pollution focused justifiably on impacts along rocky shorelines where diversity is high, but Lake Tanganyika also contains widespread shelly accumulations (shell beds) unprecedented in the modern East African lakes, but where impacts are less con- strained. Here we integrate multiple datasets from three sites along the Tanzanian shoreline to explore how variation in sedimentation rates and sediment quality impacts shell-bed substrate and diversity and abundance of ostracodes and sponges across sites that exhibit varying …

Governance Policy Evaluation In The United States During The Pandemic: Nonpharmaceutical Interventions Or Else?, Danlin Yu, Shenyang Guo, Yuanyuan Yang, Linyun Fu, Timothy Mcbride, Ruopeng An

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Scientific evidence suggests that nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) effectively curb the spread of COVID-19 before a pharmaceutical solution. Implementing these interventions also significantly affects regular socioeconomic activities and practices of social, racial, and political justice. Local governments often face conflicting goals during policymaking. Striking a balance among competing goals during a global pandemic is a fine science of governance. How well state governments consume the scientific evidence and maintain such a balance remains less understood. This study employs a set of Bayesian hierarchical models to evaluate how state governments in the United States use scientific evidence to balance the fighting against …

Research On Multiscale Openstreetmap In China: Data Quality Assessment With Ewm-Topsis And Gdp Modeling, Chuqiao Han, Binbin Lu, Jianghua Zheng, Danlin Yu, Shudan Zheng

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a voluntary platform designed to provide free and up-to-date geographic data. Since OSM is based on multisource geographic data provided by the public, the quality of the data has become a concern of researchers. In this study, a unified measure for evaluating OSM data quality was constructed, and the entropy weight method (EWM) and Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) model were used to evaluate the quality of multiscale OSM data in China from 2014 to 2020. In addition to evaluating the data quality, the use of OSM data quality index factors in …

Early Oligocene Record Of An “Iceberg Alley” In The Weddell Sea From Quartz Sand Microtextural Analysis At Odp Site 696, Victoria Hojnacki, Sandra Passchier

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The greenhouse to icehouse transition at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary (34 Ma) marked the appearance of continental-scale glaciation in Antarctica. The material recovered from Ocean Drilling Program Site 696 is the only record spanning this major climatic shift in the Weddell Sea region. Using scanning electron microscopy, quartz microtextures in 13 samples across the Eocene-Oligocene transition were analyzed to understand the degree of glacial modification and the transportation history of the >150 µm material. The quartz grains were visually grouped, characterized, and interpreted by grain outline, relief, and surface microtextures. Glacial textures are present throughout the entire interval (34.4–33.2 Ma), with …

Exploring The Potential Of Openstreetmap Data In Regional Economic Development Evaluation Modeling, Zhe Wang, Jianghua Zheng, Chuqiao Han, Binbin Lu, Danlin Yu, Juan Yang, Linzhi Han

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In regional development studies, GDP serves as an important indicator for evaluating the developing levels of a region. However, due to statistical methods and possible human-induced interfering factors, GDP is also a commonly criticized indicator for less accurately assessing regional economic development in a dynamic environment, especially during a globalized era. Moreover, common data collection approaches are often challenging to obtain in real-time, and the assessments are prone to inaccuracies. This is especially true in economically underdeveloped regions where data are often less frequently or accurately collected. In recent years, Nighttime Light (NTL) data have emerged as a crucial supplementary …

Geological And Environmental Sciences - 2024, Dept. Of Geological And Environmental Sciences

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Assessment Of Potential Impacts Of Climate Change On Hydrology And Water Resource Availability In The Passaic River Basin, New Jersey, Felix Oteng Mensah

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Streamflow dynamics in a basin is known to be a major driver of available water resources. In the context of climate change, it is expected that global warming will accelerate the global hydrologic cycle, which will drive more intense floods and droughts leading to changes in streamflow and water resource availability. Most researchers agree that the amount and intensity of precipitation have a direct impact on runoff. Yet, there is no consensus as to how warming can affect streamflow. Evapotranspiration (ET) plays a crucial role here. However, there is a shortage of real-world observations on it. And yet, ET is …

Simulation Of Wave Propagation In Granular Particles Using A Discrete Element Model, Syed Tahmid Hussan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The understanding of Bender Element mechanism and utilization of Particle Flow Code (PFC) to simulate the seismic wave behavior is important to test the dynamic behavior of soil particles. Both discrete and finite element methods can be used to simulate wave behavior. However, Discrete Element Method (DEM) is mostly suitable, as the micro scaled soil particle cannot be fully considered as continuous specimen like a piece of rod or aluminum. Recently DEM has been widely used to study mechanical properties of soils at particle level considering the particles as balls. This study represents a comparative analysis of Voigt and Best …

Pleated Plasma Membrane Complex In Spermatids Of The Western Siren, Siren Nettingi (Caudata: Sirenidae), S.E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

I investigated the pleated plasma membrane complex of linear folds and biflagellar entities in developing spermatids of the Western Siren, Siren nettingi. My primary goal was to reveal the ultrastructural morphology of these distinctive cellular folds (usually 8 in number) as they support the flagellar formation of biflagellated sperm found in this salamander and in other members in the family Sirenidae. My results reveal that the biflagellar components (2 sets of axonemes, undulating membranes, and axial fibers), termed biflagellar complex, develop between folds or are attached onto these folds. The folds themselves are transitory and do not directly contribute to …

Borneo Stalagmite Evidence Of Significantly Reduced El Niño-Southern Oscillation Variability At 4.1 Kybp, C.M. Theaker, S.A. Carolin, C.C. Day, K.M. Cobb, S. Chen, Pamela R. Grothe, H.O. Couper

Earth and Environmental Sciences

The timing and geographic extent of a potential “4.2 ky event” remain highly contested. Here we present records of ENSO variability at 3.8 kyBP and 4.1 kyBP derived from a Borneo stalagmite, which suggest a significant change in ENSO properties between these time intervals. The Borneo records show evidence of significantly reduced ENSO activity at 4.1 kyBP, relative to other measured windows within the Holocene. This reduced ENSO activity coincides with a period of drier conditions and enhanced dust events in the Middle East that took place ∼4.0–4.3 kyBP. The Borneo records show evidence of enhanced ENSO activity at 3.8 …

The Hutton Project: Long-Term Agricultural Impacts On Soil Loss And Carbon Dynamics In Eastern South Dakota, Eli Halverson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Long-term and intensified agricultural land management has resulted in increased rates of soil erosion and has altered much of the carbon cycle at regional and global scales. Anthropogenic degradation of soil resources is a barrier to sustainable production, soil functioning, and ecosystem services. It is difficult to quantify the scope of pedogenic changes due to the lack of legacy data and short temporal scales. This study utilized decades to century-old soil information to quantify historical soil erosion losses and changes in soil carbon pools of eastern South Dakota soils. The results show that soils in the region have been significantly …