Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Charting Neptune's Realm: From Classical Mythology To Satellite Imagery (Exhibit Guide), Osher Map Library And Smith Center For Cartographic Education

Osher Map Library Miscellaneous Publications

Charting Neptune's Realm: From Classical Mythology to Satellite Imagery. April 4, 2000 to January 11, 2001

The charts in this exhibition explore how mariners have distinguished one piece of water from any other, by determining what phenomena can be delineated across the vast, trackless ocean and by developing notations to express those phenomena.

Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy Of Water Vapor And Line Center Stabilization At 1.462 Μm For Lidar Applications, Colleen Marie Fitzgerald

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Wavelength modulation spectroscopy was employed to investigate water vapor absorption lines in the 1.462 µm wavelength region using an external-cavity diode laser. These measurements were necessary in the development of a lidar (light detection and ranging) instrument for differential absorption measurement of the concentration and movement of water vapor in the Earth's atmosphere. Differential absorption measurements require that the laser frequency remain stable throughout the duration of the measurement. To ensure this stability, the laser output wavelength is monitored and a feedback control loop set up to minimize laser line drift. Three lines were investigated in the 1.462 µm region. …

Water Resources Issues In The Arkansas Delta, Kenneth F. Steele

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Despite its location in Northwest Arkansas, the Arkansas Water Resources Center (AWRC) is active state-wide. This fact is underscored by the focus of the Center’s session on "Water Resource Issues in the Arkansas Delta" during its recent joint Conference. Water issues in the Delta include declining water tables, salt water intrusion, and water quality (especially suspended sediment, nitrate and pesticides). Presented papers focused on best management practices for cotton production, economics of on-farm reservoirs, chloride content of irrigation water, and landowner education. The AWRC short course was an excellent one on chemical transport in the vadose zone by Dr. Glenn …

Estimating The Probability Of Severe Convective Storms: A Local Perspective For The Central And Northern Plains, Preston W. Leftwich Jr.

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: Technical Reports and Related Materials

Summary and Conclusions

A procedure to estimate probabilities of the occurrence of severe convective storms within local areas has been described. Probabilities were based on a simulated climatology and the relative frequency of severe convective events when a selected site was contained within an operational Outlook or Watch. Combined data from five local areas were used to develop a general model for local probabilities within the central and northern Plains region. Attachment of probabilities to specific products placed values within a framework familiar to both forecasters and "end-users." Application of results in an operational scenario demonstrated representative local probabilities and …

A Process Model Of Risk Communication: The Case Of Global Climate Change, Fiona Clark, Keith R. Stamm, Paula Reynolds Eblacas

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The authors describe a survey of public media use as it relates to different stages of awareness and concern regarding risk issues.

Fiber-Optic Coupled Lidar Receiver System To Measure Stratospheric Ozone, David Brent Harper

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A fiber-optic coupled lidar receiver system was constructed to determine ozone concentrations in the stratosphere. The system was used to make ground-based measurements of lidar returns from a UV DIAL system. A fiber-optic cable was used to couple the light from the receiver telescope to the light detector. Photon counting was implemented as the light detection technique. This technique allowed detection of 301 and 311 nm lidar returns up to 27.5 and 32.5 km respectively. A software application was developed to control the photon counting system and perform real-time data analysis of measured lidar returns. DIAL measurements of stratospheric ozone …

Africa: An Integrated Curriculum Unit, Grades 2-4, Institute For The Development Of Gifted Education, Ricks Center For Gifted Children, University Of Denver

Ricks Curriculum Units Series

An integrated curriculum is an instructional approach that connects the disciplines to an underlying theme or topic. Immersing students in an integrated-thematic unit provides the backdrop for experiences to occur across the disciplines. Shaping coursework around integrated themes is especially appropriate for gifted students, however using an integrated-thematic curriculum is appropriate for all learners as it develops students' abilities to make connections, to solve problems by looking at multiple perspectives, and to integrate information from different fields of experience. An integrated-thematic curriculum permits students to be active participants in their own learning as they design their own explorations and take …

A Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Riparian Vegetation Along Satus Creek On The Yakama Indian Reservation, Kathryn Gellenbeck

All Master's Theses

Satus Creek provides critical habitat for the Yakima River Basin steelhead. A diverse community of riparian vegetation is important for healthy fish habitat; vegetation changes can affect shade, cover, channel structure, water quality, and food availability. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze and illustrate riparian vegetation change, both temporally and spatially, along three separate reaches of Satus Creek. A Geographic Information Systems approach was applied to assess the vegetation change by comparing plant species composition and density on 1949 and 1995 aerial photographs. The GIS approach allowed patterns and trends in the vegetation to be identified. In less …

Ocean Surface Maps From Blending Disparate Data Through Normal Mode Analysis, William John Schulz Jr.

OES Theses and Dissertations

Rapid environmental assessment is conducted using disparate data sources in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. An overview of significant physical features in the Gulf highlights the complexities of the large and meso-scale circulations. Spectral analysis of high resolution current meter and drifter data reveals the significant forcing features detectable by readily available observing techniques. These observations are combined with boundary data extracted from the U.S. Navy's Modular Ocean Data Assimilation System (MODAS) through Normal Mode Analysis (NMA). The NMA blending process is described, and surface maps of velocity and convergence are produced. Using statistical and qualitative techniques, the NMA generated …

Quality Of Surface And Ground Water And Best Management Practices, Kenneth F. Steele

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Arkansas is fortunate to have outstanding water resources, especially in terms of water quality. However, this is not to say that there are no problems. The Arkansas Water Resources Center (AWRC) in cooperation with other state and federal agencies is characterizing our water resources and providing data important to the wise use of these resources. One wise use of our water resources is to mitigate the impact of non-point sources of pollution on water quality through the use of best management practices. These proceedings address not only the characterization of the quality of ground and surface water but also address …

Ua12/2/1 Special Storm Coverage, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Special hail storm coverage edition of the College Heights Herald:

• Batcheldor, Matt. Campus Damage Exceeds $4 Million; No One Hurt – Hail, Flooding
• Moore, Leigh. Downing University Center Roof Destroyed; Food Services Continue – Hail, Dining Services
• Batcheldor, Matt. Weather or Not . . . Hail, Flooding

Ua52/1 Hail Storm Memories, Wku Archives

WKU Administration Documents

Memories of WKU faculty, staff, alumni and the general public regarding the 1988 hail storm solicited by WKU Archives.

Inversion And Analysis Of Remotely Sensed Atmospheric Water Vapor Measurements At 940nm, Jack Cutler Larsen

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The understanding and acceptance of remotely sensed atmospheric data depends strongly on the steps taken to characterize experiment error and validate observations through comparisons to other independent measurements. A formal error analysis of the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) water vapor operational inversion algorithm is performed and compared to previous results. Random measurement errors were characterized by segmented least-squares profile fitting of the slant path absorption which found the error to be uncorrelated in the stratosphere with estimated variances significantly smaller than expected from 18-30 km. Estimates of null space error were developed from radiosonde hygrometers in …

Diversity Of Arkansas Water Resources Research, Kenneth F. Steele

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

In order to understand, protect, and manage our water resources effectively knowledge is required from many diverse areas of science, engineering, economics, and sociology. These proceedings of the conference on the Diversity of Arkansas Water Resources Research reflect this need and demonstrate how researchers in the state are responding to water issues and problems in Arkansas. The papers in these proceedings are representative of the research in Arkansas, but are only a sample of the work being conducted by universities and government agencies in Arkansas. We are grateful that Arkansas has the expertise available to provide the information necessary to …

Measuring The Momentum Of Throughfall Drops And Raindrops, Paul Kimble

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The methods previously used to determine the momentum and kinetic energy of throughfall drops in the field do not account for the drop's shape at impact or for the variations of the drop's velocity caused by chaotic air currents. The drop's shape at impact is critical because it influences the drop's measurable momentum, kinetic energy, impact force, and the amount of soil that can be displaced by the falling water drop. Since the momentum and kinetic energy of raindrops and throughfall drops are used as indices of soil particle displacement the most accurate momentum and kinetic energydata would be required …

Observation Of Shelfwater Overrunning The Southern Slope Sea, Ajoy Kumar

OES Theses and Dissertations

Analyses of two years (1992 and 1993) of high resolution (1.47 km²) sea surface temperature satellite images of the southern Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB), showed that unusually extensive overhang of shelf water occurs episodically, and coherently over along shelf distances of several hundred kilometers. These episodes are dubbed overrunning of the Slope Sea by shelf water. The overrunning volume has a "face" and a "back" (southern and northern limit). It transports substantial quantities of shelf water southward, and does not retreat onto the shelf, but eventually joins the western edge of the Gulf Stream in the vicinity of Chesapeake …

Applying The Concept Of Recreational Specialization To Rhode Island Alliance Anglers, Eric Asadorian

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

Many recreationally popular marine species of fish are at or near historic lows in terms of their overall numbers. Many of these species, such as cod, summer flounder, winter flounder, and bluefish, are also commercially valuable. Fishery managers must be able to make allocation and management decisions that both protect the resource and maintain user satisfaction. The basis for achieving this goal lies in the understanding of what the users expectations, satisfactions and perceptions are related to their marine recreational fishing experience. It is often the case that a population of anglers are managed as a homogeneous group, with similar …

Limiting Growth In Las Vegas - A Necessary Growth Strategy For The Twenty-First Century, Cheryl Ann Frassa

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Land development in the Las Vegas Valley continues at an unprecedented rate and future growth will no doubt be strongly advocated. Yet, water resources in this desert area are finite, and in the near future, supply will fall short of demand. Plans are underway to supplement the existing supply, and proposals to secure additional sources are under investigation. But there are no guarantees these ambitious endeavors will materialize. In light of the pending water crisis, the pervasive "growth at all cost" policies now dominant in the valley must be abandoned and more realistic land-use policies developed; ones based on the …

Water Resources Studies Along The Arkansas-Oklahoma Border, Kenneth F. Steele

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

The watershed approach to water resource issues recently has been re-discovered. Scientists and managers recognize the need to consider the entire watershed when delineating and solving today's water resource problems. A simple example is the effect that streams have on the ultimate "health" of a reservoir. Although technically the term watershed should be used only in reference to surface water, the importance of ground water is included in the watershed approach to problems. In recognition that we all "live upstream and downstream," the Arkansas Water Resources Center and the Oklahoma Water Resources Institute sponsored a conference titled "Water Resource Studies …

Ocean Transport Of Containerized Liner Cargo In The United States-Mexico Trade, Carl Joseph Williams

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

Commerce between the United States and Mexico will continue to grow due to the incremental benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement. This growth, however, will be slowed at least temporarily by the recent Mexican Peso crisis. Ocean transportation currently only moves about 8.5 percent of US-Mexico cargo by value even though it is the most efficient mode of transport over longer distances. This study hypothesized that the underutilized ocean transport sector has captured significant high-growth general cargo that is amenable to containerized transport from the air and/or trucking and rail sectors of the US-Mexico trade. Historical and ex …

Regional Variation In Temperature Humidity Index For Poultry Housing, Richard S. Gates, Hanzhong Zhang, Donald G. Colliver, Douglas G. Overhults

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A building thermal model was used to compute hourly values of temperature humidity index (THI) for a broiler house with and without an evaporative misting system. Hourly summer time weather data for 238 U.S.A. locations covering 30 years were used to develop extreme occurrences of THI. Results were incorporated into a Geographical Information System (GIS) database to create isolines of THI and percentage of hours exceeding a heat stress threshold. Regional variations in misting as a suitable cooling technique are presented in terms of hours reduction in annual heat stress. The technique may be used for assisting in management decisions …

Flow Kinematics And Dynamics Of The Gulf Stream From Composite Imagery, Caitlin Patrice Mullen

OES Theses and Dissertations

A unique set of contemporaneous satellite-tracked drifters and five-day composite satellite images of the North Atlantic is studied in order to infer the near-surface flow kinematics and dynamics of the Gulf Stream. Using fractal and spectral analyses, two kinematic models, and a potential vorticity model, detailed comparisons are made between these data sets.

Fractal and spectral analyses show that the data set is not fractal, there is no geographic variability, and there is not a strong fractal scaling link between the drifter trajectories and composite temperature fronts as had been postulated by several investigators. These results indicate considerably more work …

Ua66/8/2 Climatic Extremes In Kentucky, Wku Kentucky Climate Center

WKU Administration Documents

Kentucky Climate Center report number 28 Climatic Extremes in Kentucky.

The Kuril Islands Dispute: An Obstacle In Russo-Japanese Relations, Roderick J. Fraser Jr.

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

The controversy between Japan and Russia over the ownership of the Kuril Islands is a significant barrier to improved diplomatic relations in the Far Eastern region. Because of this dispute, Japan and Russia have not yet signed a peace treaty to formally end the second world war and neither side seems willing to make any significant concessions to reach a compromise. The issue of ownership of these islands has been a continuing focal point of Russo-Japanese relations since the two nations first made contact in the late eighteenth century. The various aspects of this dispute are complex and have continued …

Ground Water Flow And Water Resources Investigation Of The Auburn, Summers And Shakertown Springs Karst Ground Water Basins, Logan And Simpson Counties, Kentucky, William Howcroft

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The City of Auburn is faced with a number of problems relating to its dependency on two karst springs, Auburn and Summers Springs, to meet its water requirements. Besides being extremely vulnerable to contamination, the springs often discharge and insufficient volume of water needed for public consumption and dilution of the City’s treated wastewater. Thus the City wishes to find an additional source of water and views nearby Shakertown Spring as a possibility. The study has three main objectives: 1) delineation of the Auburn, Summers, and Shakertown Springs ground water basins, 2) determination of the volume of available water at …

Gis Characterization Of Beaver Watershed, H. D. Scott, J. M. Mckimmey

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Beaver Reservoir watershed is located in Northwest Arkansas including portions of Madison, Washington, Benton, Carroll, Franklin and Crawford counties. This watershed is important to the Northwest Arkansas region because it supplies most of the drinking water for the major towns and cities, and several rural water systems. The watershed consists of 308,971 ha with elevations ranging from approximately 341 m to 731 m above mean sea level. It includes the Springfield Plateau and the Boston Mountains provinces within the Ozark Plateau physiographic region. There are approximately 581 km of streams, 532 km of shore line, and 3712 km of roads …

A Climatology Of Transition Season Colorado Cyclones: 1961-1990, Gregory D. Bierly

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Colorado cyclones have been the subject of many meteorologic and climatologic investigations, but few studies have examined cyclone behavior with a specific focus on a comparison of the spring and fall transition seasons in the upper level westerlies. Periods of change in the number of planetary waves lead to a rearrangement of the longwave pattern in the westerlies and an increased frequency of troughs in the southwestern United States. Short wave disturbances andjor jet maximum moving through the long wave pattern create the potential for Colorado cyclogenetic events and also increasing the frequency of severe weather resultant from these events. …

The Americans With Disabilities Act Of 1990: Implications For The Manning, Operation And Construction Of U.S. Commercial Vessels, Steven M. Stancliff

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 adds a new dimension to the body of anti discrimination law in the United States. Encompassing nearly all aspects of employment and public life, it has sent a shock wave of concern throughout the commercial vessels industry. Through examination of the Act's salient features and potential application to commercial vessel operation, manning, and construction, it is concluded that the Act's goals may be substantially achieved without additional risk or significant financial harm to shipowners. The requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 are not considered to be inconsistent with a shipowner's …

Future Strategies For Containerization In China, Ming Qi

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

Since 1949, the ocean shipping fleet, port facilities, roadways, railways and inland waterway transportation system of the People's Republic of china have all been developed rapidly. Today, the transportation industry plays one of the most important roles in China's national economic development. Following the worldwide development of containerization, China has established a highly visible container transport system in terms of its containership fleet and container berths during the 1980s. As a result, it has been recognized widely that China has entered into its second phase of development in containerization. However, China's future development in containerization faces a new challenge. it …

Ua66/8/2 Climate Of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Wku Kentucky Climate Center, Glen Conner, John Ternent

WKU Administration Documents

Climatological summary of weather and temperatures for Bowling Green, Kentucky between 1961 and 1990.