Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

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

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

2023 December 28 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

2023 December 21 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

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 …

A Preliminary Study On Floating Flexible Otec Cold Water Pipe, Nai Kuang Liang, Hai Kuan Peng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) requires a large amount of cold seawater. The traditional rigid pipe, semi-rigidly fixed onto the ship bottom is not easy to install and disassemble, so the Floating Flexible Cold Water Pipe (FFCWP) flexibly connected to the ship is proposed. A small FFCWP was designed, fabricated, and successfully installed and recovered in the sea. The flexible pipe adopts commercially available fire ventilation snake pipe. The pipe wall material strength must be improved in the future. Assuming that the drag coefficient Cd value is 1.5, a numerical calculation is employed to simulate the FFCWP attitude from the …

Machine Learning With Multi-Source Data To Predict And Explain Marine Pilot Occupational Accidents, Gokhan Camliyurt, Youngsoo Park, Daewon Kim, Won Sik Kang, Sangwon Park

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Marine pilot occupational accidents during transfer to/from ships are the primary concern of the International Marine Pilots’ Association (IMPA) and industry professionals. There are multiple transfer methods for marine pilots, with the most common being the pilot boat. To reach the mother ship bridge, the following stages must be safely completed: car transfer, walking on the pier, pier to pilot boat, pilot transfer by boat, cutter to pilot ladder, mother ship freeboard climbing, and ship deck to the bridge. Each stage has its own risk. Previous accident records and expert opinions are commonly used to conduct a risk analysis and …

Evaluation Of Operational Performance Of Wusongkou Cruise Port Through Network Data Envelopment Analysis, Qian-Feng Wang, Guo-Ya Gan, Xin-Liang Ye, Hsuan-Shih Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

As major hubs for cruise berthing and passenger transfers, cruise ports in China were developing rapidly in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic because of an ever-growing regional market. Wusongkou Cruise Port is the most important port for cruise ships in China, and this study evaluated the operational performance of this port during 2011–2020. To this end, two-stage network data envelopment analysis was conducted to evaluate the port’s operation performance; subsequently, the change trajectory of the port’s operational efficiency during 2011–2020 was determined, and the potential reasons for the identified changes are discussed. Finally, suggestions for improving the operational performance …

2023 December 14 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling Of Internal Wave Interactions On Conch Reef, Florida Keys, Megan Miller

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Internal waves breaking on continental shelves play a significant role in mixing and nutrient delivery to coral reef ecosystems. As internal solitary waves, or solitons, propagate shoreward onto continental slopes, they can become unstable and break into turbulent bores that bring cool, nutrient-rich sub-thermocline water shoreward onto coral reefs. The propagation of turbulent bores generated by internal waves interacting with a complex surface creates high-frequency variabilities in the thermal and nutrient environment of Conch Reef in the Florida Keys, which has been studied previously. Here, I have created a three-dimensional model using ANSYS Fluent Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software to …

Different Canopy Covers Effect Microclimate: How The Urban Heat Island Effect Can Be Reduced In Las Vegas, Melanie Sanchez, Alison Sloat

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

The purpose of my research was to investigate the effects that different canopy covers have on desert cities microclimates and how the City of Las Vegas can implement the best techniques to reduce temperatures in the hottest parts of town. I collected data on the different temperatures in two separate parts of the city (East Las Vegas, Midtown UNLV area) in one-hour intervals during two and three in the afternoon and surveyed four different areas on its tree canopy coverage. I also analyzed scientific peer reviewed studies which helped me see what other arid cities, like Phoenix, AZ, have done …

Of Changing Climate And Habitat: Range-Wide Individual Growth And Local Patterns Of Phenology And Landscape Use In A Threatened Pit-Viper, James Helferich

Theses and Dissertations

Over the 21st century, climate change and wetland habitat loss will pose major threats to the Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus), a federally threatened and Great Lakes region endemic rattlesnake. I collected capture-recapture data from sites across the range and modeled the effect of climatic variables on growth rate and asymptotic size. I found that high snow residence time was associated with larger asymptotic sizes but slower growth, while high spring precipitation increased growth rate. I then projected future growth and size under different carbon emission scenarios. Given the threat posed by successional encroachment of woody vegetation, I used spatially explicit …

Data In 'Development At The University Of North Dakota Of A Digital Thermosonde Instrument For The Study Of Atmospheric Optical Turbulence (C_N^2)', Blake T. Sorenson, David J. Delene

Datasets

A thermosonde, an instrument that measures very high resolution temperature difference between two fine-wire platinum thermocouples, was attached to a weather balloon and lifted through the atmosphere, collecting observations of optical turbulence, in the spring of 2018 and 2019. The thermosonde collected raw temperature difference measurements, while an onboard Graw DFM-09 radiosonde observed standard meteorological parameters (temperature, air pressure, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, and altitude). The Graw meteorological observations are housed in the .txt files, while the raw radiosonde data (containing the raw, encoded thermosonde measurements) are housed in the .gsf files. The decoded voltage and temperature difference …

2023 December 7 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Deep Learning Approaches For Chaotic Dynamics And High-Resolution Weather Simulations In The Us Midwest, Vlada Volyanskaya, Kabir Batra, Shubham Shrivastava

Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship

Weather prediction is indispensable across various sectors, from agriculture to disaster forecasting, deeply influencing daily life and work. Recent advancement of AI foundation models for weather and climate predictions makes it possible to perform a large number of predictions in reasonable time to support timesensitive policy- and decision-making. However, the uncertainty quantification, validation, and attribution of these models have not been well explored, and the lack of knowledge can eventually hinder the improvement of their prediction accuracy and precision. Our project is embarking on a two-fold approach leveraging deep learning techniques (LSTM and Transformer) architectures. Firstly, we model the Lorenz …

Investigating The Effects Of A Southward Flow In The Southeastern Florida Shelf Using Robotic Instruments, Alfredo Quezada

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

We deployed a Slocum G3 glider fitted with an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth sensor (CTD), optics sensor channels, and a propeller on the Southeastern Florida shelf. The ADCP and CTD provide continuous measurements of Northern and Eastern current velocity components, salinity, temperature, and density, throughout the water column in a high-current environment. The optics sensor channels are able to provide measurements of chlorophyll concentrations, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and backscatter particle counts. Additionally, for one of the glider deployments, we deployed a Wirewalker wave-powered profiling platform system also fitted with an ADCP and a CTD in …

Biophysical Factors Affecting Habitat Suitability For Crassostrea Virginica, Jason D. Tilley

Dissertations

Oyster reefs provide a variety of important ecosystem services. However, the mortality rate of eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, the dominant species that produces oyster reefs in the northern Gulf of Mexico, is increasing at an alarming rate due to a variety of abiotic and biological factors. I examined how biophysical factors, including the less-studied fatty acid profiles of the suspended particulate matter on which oysters feed, influenced morphometric condition of C. virginica.

I sampled suspended particulate matter (SPM) and oysters in-situ in the western Mississippi Sound, which historically supported the majority of oyster production in Mississippi waters. Sampling …

Prevalence, Faunal Composition, And Vertical Distribution Of Bioluminescence In The Pelagic Gulf Of Mexico: Fishes, Crustaceans, Cephalopods And Gelatinous Megaplankton, Devynne M. Brown

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Bioluminescence is the phenomenon of light emission by living organisms. It occurs through a chemical reaction within an organism and serves various purposes. The diversity of bioluminescent capabilities and occurrence in unrelated taxa suggest that bioluminescence has evolved independently numerous times amongst taxa thriving in certain environments. One such environment is the deep ocean, where little to no sunlight penetrates the water column, specifically in the mesopelagic (200-1000 m depth) and bathypelagic (> 1000 m) zones. The mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones have been extensively sampled and well documented in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), one of the few places globally …

Wonderstone And Its Connection To Liesegang, Microbes, And Beyond, Haden S. Mandery

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In the western and southwestern United States, the term wonderstone is used to describe volcanic, volcaniclastic, and sedimentary rocks with variegated banding produced by iron oxide mineralization or staining. This iron oxide mineralization is typically described as Liesegang banding. In this paper I will (1) test if the banding in wonderstone follows the spacing and width laws characteristic of Liesegang, (2) identify the source of iron that ultimately precipitated in the bands, and (3) examine the role that microbes played in the formation of the mineralization in these rocks. I conclude that the iron oxide mineralization is not Liesegang banding. …

Satellite-Based Estimation Of Seasonal Surface Water Change And Its Relationship To Climate Variability In A Tropical Open Basin Lake, Osnar Mondragon Grios

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the spatiotemporal dynamics of climate variability and water surface area in Lake Nicaragua, one of the largest tropical lakes on Earth. The significance of this study lies in its potential to provide valuable insights into the hydroclimatic patterns and water availability, vital for Nicaragua’s water supply. Monthly and seasonal time series of precipitation, land surface temperature, and evapotranspiration (ET), acquired from the Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), were analyzed in Google Earth Engine using a non-parametric Mann-Kendall trend test and Sen's slope. The second aim of this …

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

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

Stream Restoration Effectiveness In Mullins Creek In Fayetteville, Arkansas, Amadeo Scott

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Lotic waterways are vital for habitat, food, water, and flood protection, but urbanization poses a major threat to their integrity. Runoff from urban surfaces leads to pollution, flashiness, loss of biodiversity, and other symptoms, also known as Urban Stream Syndrome (USS). To combat USS, streams can be restored, but most restorations are not monitored so their long-term effectiveness is unknown. This study quantitatively evaluated a decade-old stream restoration in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to assess its effectiveness in combating USS and achieving set restoration goals, and to gain insights for future restoration projects. Restoration goals included decreasing erosion and sedimentation, increasing pool …

An Investigation Into Past And Future Freezing Level Height And Equilibrium Line Altitude In The Tropical Andes Using Cmip6, Shelby Turner

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The freezing level height (FLH) in the tropical Andes has increased over the past several decades, as is evident with the receding of alpine glaciers in this region. The accuracy of Global Climate Models (GCMs)—specifically previous generations of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP)—in this region remains an issue, as the complex terrain and climate characteristics are difficult to simulate realistically. The changes seen in these tropical alpine glaciers in the past few decades are a clear indicator of the effects climate change is having in this tropical mountain region, making it important to better understand current and projected future …

Characterizing And Understanding Orographic Precipitation Over The Mountains Of Extratropical South America, Yazmina Rojas Beltran

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Extratropical South-America (30-40°S) varies significantly in topography, including a coastal mountain range with elevation from 700-1300 m, a central valley, and the Andes, with elevation from 1000-2500 m on the western side of the continent. The topography of the area can disrupt frontal systems approaching from the Pacific Ocean, leading to enhanced orographic precipitation over the windward slope of the Andes and a sharp rain shadow, with less precipitation in the leeside. These phenomena are also observed over the coastal mountains of south-central Chile. The main goals of this study are to characterize and understand orographic precipitation and rain shadow …

Deglacial Perspectives Of Future Sea Level For Singapore, Timothy A. Shaw, Tanghua Li, Trina Ng, Niamh Cahill, Stephen Chua, Jedrzej M. Majewski, Yudhishthra Nathan, Gregory G. Garner, Robert E. Kopp, Till J.J. Hanebuth, Adam D. Switzer, Benjamin P. Horton

Marine Science

Low elevation equatorial and tropical coastal regions are highly vulnerable to sea level rise. Here we provide probability perspectives of future sea level for Singapore using regional geological reconstructions and instrumental records since the last glacial maximum ~21.5 thousand years ago. We quantify magnitudes and rates of sea-level change showing deglacial sea level rose from ~121 m below present level and increased at averaged rates up to ~15 mm/yr, which reduced the paleogeographic landscape by ~2.3 million km². Projections under a moderate emissions scenario show sea level rising 0.95 m at a rate of 7.3 mm/yr by 2150 …

Wavelet Compression As An Observational Operator In Data Assimilation Systems For Sea Surface Temperature, Bradley J. Sciacca

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The ocean remains severely under-observed, in part due to its sheer size. Containing nearly billion of water with most of the subsurface being invisible because water is extremely difficult to penetrate using electromagnetic radiation, as is typically used by satellite measuring instruments. For this reason, most observations of the ocean have very low spatial-temporal coverage to get a broad capture of the ocean’s features. However, recent “dense but patchy” data have increased the availability of high-resolution – low spatial coverage observations. These novel data sets have motivated research into multi-scale data assimilation methods. Here, we demonstrate a new assimilation approach …

Measuring The Lengths Of Sperm Whales Of The Northern Gulf Of Mexico By Wavelet Analysis Of Their Usual Clicks, George Drouant

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Acoustic recordings of underwater sounds produced by marine mammals present an attractive alternative to costly and logistically complex ship based visual surveys for collecting population data for various species.

The first reported use of underwater acoustic recordings in the long-term monitoring of sperm whale populations was by Ackleh et al. (Ackleh et al., 2012). The paper describes counting sperm whale clicks at different locations to track population changes over time.

Analysis of sperm whale clicks offers additional insight into sperm whale populations. The echo location clicks (usual clicks) of sperm whales can be used to give an estimate of …

Estimation Of Angular Response Curves Using A Phase Differencing Bathymetric Sonar, Kandice Gunning

Master's Theses

Although Multibeam Echosounders (MBES) backscatter products like Angular Response Curves (ARC) and mosaics have been used and applied to different sediment types as classification tools, little is known about the extraction and interpretation of ARCs using Phase Differencing Bathymetric Sonar Systems (PDBS). This thesis aims to use an across-track approach to develop a method for extracting ARCs from georeferenced bathymetric data using PDBS.

Three different data collection surveys were conducted using a PDBS operating at 540kHz. Using only the bathymetric data, initial ARCs from 3 different intensity classes (high, medium, and low) were successfully extracted, the results of which attempted …

Enhancing Urban Water Quality Through Biological-Chemical Treatment: Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Community And Temporal Chlorophyll-A Response, Matthew Chaffee

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With a growing human population, urbanization is impeding a plethora of natural waterways. Of these, urban ponds play a vital role in nutrient sequestration, flood prevention, and habitat sanctuaries. However, nutrient loading can reduce habitat effectiveness and promote harmful algae blooms. To reduce internal nutrient loads, a biological-chemical treatment strategy consisting of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) and lanthanum were applied to two urban retention ponds, Densmore and Wilderness Ridge Ponds. To measure effectiveness, chlorophyll-a samples were collected and correlated with Sentinel-2. A novel band algorithm termed 3BR1 produced a strong correlation (R² = 0.72) to physical chlorophyll-a …

Enhancing Our Understanding Of Ancient Oceans Through The Investigation Of Molybdenum Behavior Under Sulfidic Conditions, Rachel Faye Phillips

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The most abundant trace metal in the ocean today, molybdenum (Mo), exhibits distinct behavior in oxygenated water, where it remains predominantly dissolved, compared to euxinic (i.e., oxygen-free and sulfidic) water, in which it is sequestered into the sediment. This dissimilar behavior allows us to use Mo concentrations and isotopic compositions in sediment to reconstruct marine oxygenation conditions throughout geologic history. However, Mo sequestration mechanisms under euxinic conditions remain unresolved, which limits the accuracy and precision of reconstructions made using Mo signatures in the rock record. For my doctoral research, I experimentally investigated abiotic and biotic Mo sequestration mechanisms under various …

Reducing Inputs And Adding Value To Turfgrass Systems Through Clover Inclusion And Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Applications, Paige E. Boyle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Recently, the US has seen an expansion in the amount of turfgrass land cover (lawns, parks, roadsides, sports fields, and golf courses), as well as an interest in reducing fertilizer, water, and pesticide use in these grass systems. To help maintain quality and function while reducing resource inputs, two promising approaches have emerged: planting clover into lawns and applying plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria.

White clover and grass mixtures have been studied for their ability to cut down on fertilizer usage and provide a uniform, dark green lawn, but other clover types have not been as widely studied and may provide similar …