Earth Sciences Commons^™

Multi-Scale Analysis Of Regional Inequality Based On Spatial Field Model: A Case Study Of China From 2000 To 2012, Shasha Lu, Xingliang Guan, Danlin Yu, Yu Deng, Linjie Zhou

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

A large body of recent studies-from both inside and outside of China-are devoted to the understanding of China's regional inequality. The current study introduces "the spatial field model" to achieve comprehensive evaluation and multi-scale analysis of regional inequality. The model is based on the growth pole theory, regional interaction theory, and energy space theory. The spatial field is an abstract concept that defines the potential energy difference that is formed in the process of a regional growth pole driving the economic development of peripheral areas through transportation and communication corridors. The model is able to provide potentially more precise regional …

Peptide Bonds Affect The Formation Of Haloacetamides, An Emerging Class Of N-Dbps In Drinking Water: Free Amino Acids Versus Oligopeptides, Wen Hai Chu, Xin Li, Naiyun Gao, Yang Deng, Daqiang Yin, Dongmei Li, Tengfei Chu

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Haloacetamides (HAcAms), an emerging class of nitrogenous disinfection by-products (N-DBPs) of health concern, have been frequently identified in drinking waters. It has long been appreciated that free amino acids (AAs), accounting for a small fraction of the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) pool, can form dichloroacetamide (DCAcAm) during chlorination. However, the information regarding the impacts of combined AAs, which contribute to the greatest identifiable DON portion in natural waters, is limited. In this study, we compared the formation of HAcAms from free AAs (tyrosine [Tyr] and alanine [Ala]) and combined AAs (Tyr-Ala, Ala-Tyr, Tyr-Tyr-Tyr, Ala-Ala-Ala), and found that HAcAm formation from …

Study On The Accumulated Temperature Distribution Model Of Snowmelt Flood Magnitude From The Perspective Of Ecological Environmental Protection Of Mountain Areas, Yang Liu, Xian Yong Meng, Zhi Hui Liu, Danlin Yu

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Mountain flood that causes landslide and other geological disasters can damage the fragile ecological environment in mountain areas. In this paper, threshold and distribution model of accumulated temperature based on snowmelt flood magnitude are designed in mountainous watershed. Meanwhile, input data for this model make use of ample reliable data that include remote sensing and so on. In detail, this model simulates the average watershed temperature by using the meteorologic re-analysis data of the National Center for Atmospheric Research and calculates the average snow depth by using hyperspectral remote sensing data. In addition, the model related data comprise long-term observation …

A Topographic And Lithologic Analysis Of The Kittatinny Ridge And Their Implications For Appalachian Erosional History, David Carl Sharpe

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The eastern-most ridge of the Appalachian Mountains, Kittatinny Ridge, extends from New York State south to West Virginia. The ridge is composed of erosion-resistant quartzite conglomerate throughout (Shawangunk Formation, Tuscarora Formation) underlain by sandstone, siltstone, slate and shale (Martinsburg Formation, Juniata Formation). The relatively consistent lithology of the Kittatinny Ridge makes it ideal for analyzing how variations in climate, glacial history and other topographic influences have impacted long-term erosion along the ridge. This project analyzed the lithologic consistency and topography of the Kittatinny Ridge at different locations and what geomorphological implications the results might have. Rock samples of the Shawangunk …

Biogeochemical Studies Of Metal Uptake And Transportation In Plants On An Urban Brownfield, Yu Qian

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Soil metal contamination has been a concern due to the potential ecological and human health risks. In order to assist with the management and sustainable restoration of vegetated metal contaminated land, this dissertation targets at understanding the biogeochemical processes that control the assimilation of metals by plants on urban costal brownfield soils. The dissertation includes: i) micro-scale measurement of metal spatial distribution and speciation using synchrotron techniques to investigate the mechanism of metal uptake and translocation in roots based on the association between metal localizations in plant roots, ii) study on the biogeochemical factors that control plant metal assimilation efficiency …

Changes In Tall Shrub Abundance On The North Slope Of Alaska, 2000-2010, Rocio Raquel Duchesne-Onoro

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The observed greening of Arctic vegetation and the expansion of shrubs in the last few decades has likely had profound implications for the tundra ecosystem, including feedbacks to climate. Uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, direction, and implications of this vegetation shift calls for monitoring of vegetation structural parameters, such as fractional cover of shrubs. Due to the extent of the North Slope of Alaska and its extreme environments, remote sensing may be the most suitable tool to produce wall-to-wall fractional shrub cover maps for the entire region, however, most regional maps have relied on vegetation indices or needed many years worth …

Comparative Evaluation Of Aluminum Sulfate And Ferric Sulfate-Induced Coagulations As Pretreatment Of Microfiltration For Treatment Of Surface Water, Yali Song, Bingzhi Dong, Naiyun Gao, Yang Deng

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Two coagulants, aluminum sulfate and ferric chloride, were tested to reduce natural organic matter (NOM) as a pretreatment prior to polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) microfiltration (MF) membranes for potable water treatment. The results showed that the two coagulants exhibited different treatment performance in NOM removal. Molecular weight (MW) distributions of NOM in the tested surface raw water were concentrated at 3–5 kDa and approximately 0.2 kDa. Regardless of the coagulant species and dosages, the removal of 0.2 kDa NOM molecules was limited. In contrast, NOM at 3–5 kDa were readily removed with increasing coagulant dosages. In particular, aluminum sulfate favorably removed …

Threshold Behavior Of A Marine‐Based Sector Of The East Antarctic Ice Sheet In Response To Early Pliocene Ocean Warming, Melissa A. Hansen, Sandra Passchier, Boo‐Keun Khim, Buhan Song, Trevor Williams

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We investigate the stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) on the Wilkes Land continental margin, Antarctica, utilizing a high‐resolution record of ice‐rafted debris (IRD) mass accumulation rates (MAR) from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Site U1359. The relationship between orbital variations in the IRD record and climate drivers was evaluated to capture changes in the dynamics of a marine‐based ice sheet in response to early Pliocene warming. Three IRD MAR excursions were observed and confirmed via scanning electron microscope microtextural analysis of sand grains. Time series analysis of the IRD MAR reveals obliquity‐paced expansions of the ice sheet to …

An Assessment Of New Jersey Trout Production Systems : A Movement Towards Sustainability, Luke J. Diglio

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

New Jersey supports reproducing populations of three lotic salmonids. Only Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are native and until approximately 100 years ago, were found in abundance throughout the northern part of the state. Presently, native populations have been documented in 115 streams or stream sections and declines are thought to be in response to anthropogenically originated environmental stressors. To evaluate the deterioration extent and assess numbers of breeding non-native Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), comparisons are made between sets of historical (1968-1977) and modern (2001-2010) young-of-the-year presence/absence and abundance data …

Characterization Of Uv-Quenching Dissolved Organic Matter In Landfill Leachate, Alicja Trzopek

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Discharge of landfill leachate to publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) is a common and preferred practice in the United States. Namely, the leachate is mixed with municipal wastewater prior to traditional secondary wastewater treatment, including physical screening, primary settling, aerobic biological degradation, secondary settling and disinfection. Recently, ultraviolet (UV) light has been increasingly applied as a disinfection method at POTWs as an alternative for traditional chlorination, because the latter can produce unwanted disinfection byproducts. However, high strength dissolved organic matter (DOM) in leachate significantly increase the UV absorbing properties of the mixed wastewater at POTWs and decrease the disinfection efficiency …

Assessing And Mapping Vulnerability And Risk Perceptions To Groundwater Arsenic Contamination : Towards Developing Sustainable Arsenic Mitigation Models, Sushant Kumar Singh

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study focuses on the arsenic-affected rural communities in Bihar located within the mid-Gangetic Plain in India. A random stratified sampling method is applied to survey 340 households in three villages (Suarmarwa, Rampur Diara, and Bhawani Tola), through a structured questionnaire. A reliable arsenic field testing kit is used to analyze the drinking water sources in the field, followed by a confirmatory test of a subset of water samples through Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The study has two major goals: 1) Develop sustainable arsenic-mitigation models; and 2) Create a “composite vulnerability index,” and present the information as a map for use …

Assessing The Flood Mitigation Potential Of Water Resource Reservoirs, Matthew M. Del Ciello

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The ability of drinking water reservoirs to retain a large amount of runoff during a storm event may allow them to be used as flood mitigation infrastructure. These types of reservoirs are not typically considered for flood mitigation because they are primarily thought of as a resource for drinking water, irrigation, or recreation. Flood mitigation is a secondary or tertiary use. But conscripting them for flood mitigation creates a flexible water resource system and may provide a simpler and more inexpensive solution to flooding than alternative methods since nothing new would need to be constructed.

The process of determining the …

The Relationship Between Extracellular Enzyme Activities, Heavy Metals And Particle Size In Soil, Diane Frances Hagmann

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The overall goal of this research is to investigate the relationship between nutrient cycling and heavy metals in soil. Extracellular enzyme activities were measured as a representation of nutrient cycling in soils collected from a heavy-metal contaminated area where four study sites lie along a gradient of increasing metal load. The site, which was previously a rail yard, is located in Liberty State Park (LSP) in Jersey City, NJ that was closed to the public about 40 years ago and remains closed. My hypothesis is that heavy metal contamination impacts the microbial communities in the soil and therefore the extent …

Pyrolysis-Gc-Ms For The Rapid Environmental Forensic Screening Of Contaminated Brownfield Soil, Azucena Lara-Gonzalo, Michael A. Kruge, I Lores, B Gutiérrez, José Luis Gallego

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

An abandoned chemical plant in Asturias (Spain) was studied using a multi-faceted molecular fingerprinting approach, demonstrating that it is possible to: (1) carefully unravel tangled evidence resulting from multiple pollution sources, and (2) recognize major contaminants largely ignored by conventional analyses. This methodology employed a battery of GC-MS analyses of liquid chromatographic fractions of soil extracts, plus the pyrolysis products of the soil extract's asphaltene fraction and the whole soil itself. In this example, coal tar distillation and the subsequent production of naphthalene, phenols and polymer resins are responsible for most of the soil contamination. Styrene, naphthalene, indene, and their …

Anthropogenic Controls On Overwash Deposition: Evidence And Consequences, Laura Rogers, Laura Moore, Evan Goldstein, Christopher Hein, Jorge Lorenzo Trueba, Andrew Ashton

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Accelerated sea level rise and the potential for an increase in frequency of the most intense hurricanes due to climate change threaten the vitality and habitability of barrier islands by lowering their relative elevation and altering frequency of overwash. High-density development may further increase island vulnerability by restricting delivery of overwash to the subaerial island. We analyzed pre-Hurricane Sandy and post-Hurricane Sandy (2012) lidar surveys of the New Jersey coast to assess human influence on barrier overwash, comparing natural environments to two developed environments (commercial and residential) using shore-perpendicular topographic profiles. The volumes of overwash delivered to residential and commercial …

Geology In Environmental Management, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

From the geological perspective, the two overriding environmental management concerns are the destructive impact of hazardous natural events on human health and property and the deleterious impact of human activity on the natural environment. The knowledge derived from the geological sciences serves as the basis for a more enlightened approach to the reduction of unnecessary risk involved in the siting and construction of buildings and transportation networks, as well as the extraction of natural resources and waste management. Armed with such knowledge along with political sensitivity, environmental managers will have opportunities for positive social impact in negotiating the challenges as …

Heat-Activated Persulfate Oxidation Of Sulfamethoxazole In Water, Yu Qiong Gao, Nai Yun Gao, Yang Deng, Daqiang Yin, Yan Sen Zhang, Wen Lei Rong, Sheng Dong Zhou

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Heat-activated persulfate to produce highly reactive sulfate radicals (Formula presented.) to oxidize sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in water was studied. The SMX degradation rate was significantly influenced by the reaction temperature, persulfate dose, initial pH, and co-existing anions. Higher temperature achieved higher degradation rate. The calculated activation energy for hot persulfate oxidation of SMX was approximately 130.93 kJ/mol. The degradation rate constant was proportional to the persulfate dose. An alkaline condition favored the SMX degradation. Effects of anions on the SMX degradation were species-dependent. Cl−, (Formula presented.) , and (Formula presented.) inhibited the SMX degradation, to different degrees. In contrast, (Formula presented.) …

Analytical Pyrolysis Principles And Applications To Environmental Science, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Over the past half century, analytical pyrolysis has proven itself to be an effective means for the semiquantitative characterization of complex macromolecular organic substances. It has been demonstrated that instruments such as Py-FID, Py-MS, and in particular, Py-GC/MS can provide valuable geochemical insights when applied to a wide variety of problems in environmental science. The more widespread use of analytical pyrolysis methods in the evaluation of environmental pollution is recommended, because of their relatively low cost and information-rich results.

Pyrolysis is the heating of organic substances in an inert, oxygen-free atmosphere, thereby avoiding combustion. When performed on a large scale, …

Desorption Of Bisphenol-A (Bpa) And Regeneration Of Bpa-Spent Granular Activated Carbon Using Ultrasonic Irradiation And Organic Solvent Extraction, Chao Zhou, Naiyun Gao, Ruoyu Li, Yang Deng

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Desorption of bisphenol-A (BPA) from granular activated carbon (GAC) by ultrapure water and regeneration of BPA-spent GAC using ultrasonic irradiation and organic solvent extraction are investigated in this paper. The results showed that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model more appropriately described the BPA desorption pattern, and BPA desorption well followed the classical Arrhenius equation at a temperature range of 288–308 K with an activation energy of −56.47 kJ mol−1. Desorption rates of BPA were significantly favored by increasing acoustic intensity within a range of 17–100 W at 20 kHz frequency. Certain fraction of methanol or ethanol, particularly methanol, in the extraction …

Integrated Assessment Of Interactions Between Surface Water And Groundwater Under Climate Variability And Change In The White Volta Basin, Ghana, Felix Mensah Oteng

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The Nasia River, a tributary of the White Volta River system in Northern Ghana, is an important water resource for the area. In this research, a hydrological model that is able to simulate surface and subsurface flows in the Nasia catchment reasonably well was developed. The model was calibrated and verified using discharge and hydraulic head observations for the period 2000-2010. The complete simulation showed that the model was able to simulate the streamflow at the Nasia outlet quite well (Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient of 0.65, and correlation coefficient 0.805). The flow dynamics at three groundwater monitoring stations (HAP5, HAP 10, and …

Contribution Of Multidomain Titanomagnetite To The Intensity And Stability Of Mars Crustal Magnetic Anomalies, Stefanie A. Brachfeld, David Cuomo, Lisa Tatsumi-Petrochilos, Julie A. Bowles, Deepa Shah, Julia Hammer

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Two basalts with compositions relevant to the crusts of Mars and Earth were synthesized at igneous temperatures and held at 650°C for 21 to 257 days under quartz‐fayalite‐magnetite fO2 buffer conditions. The run products are germane to slowly cooled igneous intrusions, which might be a significant volumetric fraction of the Martian crust and carriers of magnetic anomalies in the Southern Highlands. Both basalts acquired intense thermoremanent magnetizations and intense but easily demagnetized anhysteretic remanent magnetizations carried by homogeneous multidomain titanomagnetite. Hypothetical intrusions on Mars composed of these materials would be capable of acquiring intense remanences sufficient to generate the …

Geochemical Tracers Of Holocene Environmental Change Along The East Antarctic Margin, Natalie Romanoff

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Marine sediment geochemistry targeting both organic and inorganic compounds can be used for the reconstruction of paleoenvironmental conditions. Part 1 of this study was a qualitative organic geochemical analysis implemented on sediment cores from the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) and East Antarctic Margin (EAM). Intervals of organic or diatomaceous rich sediment were analyzed by Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy (Py-GC/MS) with the goal of identifying soft-bodied algae responsible for elevated wt% carbon levels in horizons where diatoms are absent, and identifying the presence of methanogens in basins where cold seeps are likely to be present. The identification of biomarkers in Antarctic sediment was …

Geothermobarometry Of Cordierite-Bearing Metapelites Of The Hudson Highlands, Southeastern Ny, Jay Patel

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Various P-T determinations have been reported on metasedimentary rock suites in the New Jersey and Hudson Highlands using different geothermobarometers, but all have yielded relatively large P-T ranges and none have used cordierite in a quantitative way. The presence of variable cordierite and its narrow stability field in metapelitic gneisses provides an excellent opportunity to better constrain the peak P-T conditions. Calcium depleted, clay-rich, arkosic sedimentary protolith was deposited during the Mesoproterozoic in a continentaloceanic arc basin during the Elzevirian orogeny (~1300-1200 Ma). The Ottawan metamorphic event (~1090-1020 Ma) transformed this protolith into the metasedimentary unit exposed in the Hudson …

Watershed-Based Water Quality Management, Benjamin Barnett Witherell

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In response to landscape alteration and increased knowledge of environmental systems, government regulation for the protection of water quality has undergone several adaptations since the landmark Clean Water Act of 1972. Most recently, in 2000, USEPA moved its emphasis from an effluent-based approach to an ambient or watershedbased approach. Prior watershed studies have uncovered relationships between the type of land cover in a watershed and water quality. These studies have generally indicated correlations between urbanized watersheds and degradation of water quality and aquatic ecosystem health. This dissertation is both an extension of these previous studies to the area of water …

Changes In The Discharge Characteristics Of The Hudson River, Elen Kenny Teo

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The Hudson River watershed has undergone significant urbanization in some areas and reforestation in others during the past century. The watershed has also recently experienced extreme flood events, including from Hurricane Irene, which caused 49 deaths and an estimated $15.8 billion in damage nationally. However, it is unclear how much changes in land use and/or climate have caused shifts in river discharge and the contributions of runoff and baseflow to the river. Determining the existence and magnitude of these shifts are important for managing water resources. This study analyzes changes in daily flows and maximum annual discharge events at multiple …

Modeling Groundwater Flow At A Hydraulic Fracturing Site Near Pavillion, Wyoming, David Colombini

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This thesis uses the GIS-conceptual model approach to create groundwater models investigating groundwater contamination near Pavillion, Wyoming. This area was part of a study by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2009 that claims domestic water well contamination originated from hydraulically fractured natural gas wells. Hydraulic fracturing is the process of injecting water, sand, and chemicals into gas and oil wells in order to stimulate well production. This has caused concern over groundwater contamination. The models show natural groundwater flow systems generally move from west to east, however, a recharge area near the center of the model locally disrupts …

Modeling A Green Decision Support System For Data Center Sustainability, Michael Joseph Pawlish

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The objective of this dissertation is developing more energy efficient data centers while focusing on the environment as well as meeting the increasing computing needs. Reliability of data centers will be the number one priority for management; however, the focus will be to implement a design by incorporating free cooling, applying thermal profiling, utilizing data mining, and continuing virtualization to create more efficient green data centers that are good for the environment. Since the fall of 2009, electrical consumption patterns were measured in the main data center for the servers and the air-conditioners at Montclair State University (MSU) to quantify …

Late Pliocene Ice-Rafted Debris Mass Accumulation Rates From Iodp Site U1359, Wilkes Land Continental Rise, Antarctica, Jessica Rosenberg

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

An assessment of sediments taken from the IODP (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program) Expedition 318, Core U1359A from the Wilkes Continental Land Rise, has been conducted at a high resolution to determine the response of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet to climate during the Late Pliocene. The section of core being studied dates back to ~3.7 to 2.7 million years ago (Ma). Studies can lead to an understanding of climate change in the future, from knowledge on how ice sheets have transformed in the past with similar atmospheric conditions to the present. Samples from this record were analyzed based on the …

Organic Geochemical Investigations Of Urban Sediments By Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectroscopy, Kevin Olsen

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) can be used to study the organic matter in sedimentary environments.

An urban sediment is not simply defined by proximity to a city. Because cities have anthropogenic contamination, one important urban sediment characteristic is ongoing recontamination. Another is legacy contamination from industrial activity and a third is the alteration of natural bio-geochemical systems.

Two case studies are presented. The surface sediments of the Gateway National Recreation Area were sampled during the summer of 2007. The ratio of two pyrolysis products, Vinylguiacol, from terrestrial plant lignins, and Indole, from proteins, (VGI Index) is moderately well …

Characterization Of Eocene-Oligocene Depocenters In Prydz Bay, East Antarctica : A Lithostratigraphic Correlation Of Odp Sites 739, 742, And 1166, Daniel James Ciarletta

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The Eocene-Oligocene transition (EOT) marked a profound shift in the Earth’s climate, as the global greenhouse o f the early Cenozoic gave way to ‘icehouse’ conditions, or a climatic regime influenced by the waxing and waning o f glacial ice. Antarctica was dramatically altered during this time; its formerly cool temperate ecosystems nearly obliterated by the first major episode o f continental glaciation. A record o f this transition appears to be partly preserved in approximately half a kilometer o f sediments recovered from three holes (at ODP Sites 739, 742, and 1166) bored in the continental margin at Prydz …