Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Atmospheric Instability Conditions During Rainy Seasons Over Tanzania, Pasvolo J Mwinuka, Christian Bs Uiso, Ladslaus B Chang’A, Mwingereza J Kumwenda

Tanzania Journal of Science

The amount of rainfall and its distribution in time and space is dependent on the atmospheric instability conditions, and on its moisture content. The aim of this study was to determine the atmospheric instability conditions during January to March (JFM), February to April (FMA), March to May (MAM), and October to December (OND) rainy seasons over local climate zones in Tanzania. Zone area average seasonal Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE), Convective Inhibition (CIN), Precipitable Water (PW) and Lifted index (Li) were calculated and analyzed. Results showed Li < 0 in JFM and FMA over whole Tanzania. During MAM and OND, Li < 0 over the Lake Zone, Western Highlands Zone and Central Zone only. CAPE ranged from 793 J/kg to 1183 J/kg during JFM, and 700 J/kg to 1080 J/kg during FMA. During MAM, CAPE ranged from 170 J/kg to 921 J/kg and from 173 J/kg to 833 J/kg during OND. Results also showed CAPE > 1000 J/kg over the Lake Zone, Western Highlands Zone, Island Zone, and Central …

Analysis Of The Current And Future Land Use/Land Cover Changes In Peri-Urban Areas Of Dar Es Salaam City, Tanzania Using Remote Sensing And Gis Techniques, Erick T Mnyali, Silvia F Materu

Tanzania Journal of Science

A rapid increase in population and urban development has direct impacts on the natural environment of peri-urban areas of big cities, especially in the developing countries. This study examined land use and land cover changes (LULCC) of peri-urban areas of Kinondoni Municipality in Dar es Salaam city for the period between 1999 and 2019 and predicted future changes by 2039. The specific objectives were to; (i) map the spatial-temporal land use and cover changes (ii) analyze settlements (built-up areas) patterns and factors influencing their changes (iii) predict changes that might happen for the next two decades. LULCC for 1999 to …

Temperature Effects On The Corrosion Inhibition Of Mild Steel In Sulfuric Acid Solution By Acacia Senegal Gum With Halide Ions, Jovine Emmanuel, Joseph Buchweishaija

Tanzania Journal of Science

The effects of temperature on the inhibitive effect of naturally occurring Acacia senegal gum exudate on the corrosion of mild steel in sulfuric acid was studied between 35 and 70 °C using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization methods. Findings showed that Acacia senegal gum exudate decreases the corrosion rate of mild steel. The inhibition efficiency declined with raising temperature above 35 °C. The increase in the corrosion rate with increasing temperature was observed for both uninhibited and inhibited systems. Addition of halide ions to the Acacia senegal gum exudate solution enhanced the corrosion inhibition efficiency because of synergistic effects, …

Design And Performance Analysis Of Composite Airfoil Wind Turbine Blade, Hegespo H Mwanyika, Yusufu Ac Jande, Thomas Kivevele

Tanzania Journal of Science

Small horizontal axis wind turbine rotors with composite airfoil rotor blades were designed and investigated in the present study in order to improve its performance in low wind speed and low Reynolds number (Re) conditions for standalone system. The geometrical and aerodynamic nature of a single airfoil small horizontal axis wind turbine blade curtails efficient energy harnessing of the rotor blade. The use of composite airfoil rotor blade improves energy production but imposes uncertainty in determining an optimal design angle of attack and the off design aerodynamic behaviour of the rotor. This research investigated the effects of two airfoils used …

2021 - Tennessee Annual Climate Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

Progressive Destabilization And Triggering Mechanism Analysis Using Multiple Data For Chamoli Rockslide Of 7 February 2021, Wenfei Mao, Lixin Wu, Ramesh P. Singh, Yuan Qi, Busheng Xie, Yingjia Liu, Yifan Ding, Zilong Zhou, Jia Li

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

A catastrophic rockslide occurred on 7 February 2021 in Chamoli area in the high Himalaya. In the absence of field data, multiple satellites data of decade span have been used to investigate and understand the progressive destabilization of rockslide body. A 3D geometric model was developed using geospatial information about geology, terrain, and ice cover to understand the triggering mechanism. Several causes are uncovered as: the pronounced long-term change of land surface temperature facilitated local permafrost degradation and led to ice cover shrinking since 2010; the occurrence of ice avalanche nearby in 2016 accompanying with sidewall-to-bedrock fracturing enhanced the ice …

Comparing The Efficiency Of A Marsh-Sill And Oyster Reef Balls In Attenuating Waves, Navid Tahvildari, Alexa Leone

December 17, 2021: Natural and Nature-Based Solutions (Part 2)

No abstract provided.

Carbon Sequestration Benefits Of Coastal Restoration, Brendan Player

December 17, 2021: Natural and Nature-Based Solutions (Part 2)

No abstract provided.

Agenda- Hampton Roads Sea Level Rise/Flooding Adaptation Forum, Ben Mcfarlane, Wie Yusuf

December 17, 2021: Natural and Nature-Based Solutions (Part 2)

Agenda for the Hampton Roads Sea Level Rise/Flooding Adaptation Forum on December 17, 2021 via Virtual Forum.

• Opening Remarks and Introductions: Ben McFarlane, Hampton Roads Planning District Commission and Dr. Wie Yusuf, Old Dominion University and Virginia Sea Grant
• Navid Tahvildari, of Old Dominion University: Comparing the Efficiency of a Marsh-Sill and Oyster Reef Balls in Attenuating Waves
• Brendan Player, of Stantec: Carbon Sequestration Benefits of Coastal Restoration
• Robert Isdell, of Virginia Institute of Marine Science: Living Shorelines Achieve Functional Equivalence to Natural Fringe Marshes Across Multiple Ecological Metrics
• Closing Remarks and Reminders

Living Shorelines Achieve Functional Equivalence To Natural Fringe Marshes Across Multiple Ecological Metrics, Robert E. Isdell, Donna Marie Bilkovic, Amanda G. Guthrie, Molly M. Mitchell, Randolph M. Chambers, Matthias Leu, Carl Hershner

December 17, 2021: Natural and Nature-Based Solutions (Part 2)

No abstract provided.

Physics-Informed Machine Learning To Predict Extreme Weather Events, Rthvik Raviprakash, Jonathan Buchanan, Mahdi Bu Ali

Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship

Extreme weather events refer to unexpected, severe, or unseasonal weather events, which are dynamically related to specific large-scale atmospheric patterns. These extreme weather events have a significant impact on human society and also natural ecosystems. For example, natural disasters due to extreme weather events caused more than $90 billion global direct losses in 2015. These extreme weather events are challenging to predict due to the chaotic nature of the atmosphere and are highly correlated with the occurrence of atmospheric blocking. A key aspect for preparedness and response to extreme climate events is accurate medium-range forecasting of atmospheric blocking events.

Unlike …

Odu Research Is Showcased In ‘Waters Rising’ Exhibition At The Chrysler Museum Of Art, Amber Kennedy

News Items

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation On Rainfall Extremes In The Philippines, Lyndon Mark P. Olaguera, John A. Manalo, Jun Matsumoto

Physics Faculty Publications

This study investigates the impact of the northward/northwestward propagating 30–60-day mode of the boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO) on the extreme rainfall events in the Philippines during the June–September (JJAS) season from 1979 to 2018. The Philippines domain is divided into the three latitudinal regions: Luzon region (13°–22°N), Visayas region (10°–13°N), and Mindanao region (5°–10°N) to account for the regional differences in the timing of extreme rainfall events. The probability density functions of JJAS rainfall are skewed towards higher values relative to the non-BSISO days in BSISO Phases 6–8, Phases 5–7, and Phases 4–6 over the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao …

Sediment Budgets For Small Salinized Agricultural Catchments In Southwest Australia And Implications For Phosphorus Transport, Robert J. Wasson, David Weaver

Natural Resources Research Articles

Examples of sediment budgets are needed to document the range of budget types and their controls. Sediment budgets for three small agricultural catchments (7.6 to 15.6 km2) in southwestern Australia are dominated by channel and gully erosion, with sheet and rill erosion playing a subordinate role. Erosion was increased by clearing naturally swampy valley floors and hillslopes for agriculture and grazing, and episodic intense rainstorms. The proportion of sediment from channel and gully erosion in the sediment budget appears to be determined by the depth of alluvial fills. Dryland salinization caused by clearing native vegetation has connected hillslopes to channels …

Identification And Characterization Of Forest Fire Risk Zones Leveraging Machine Learning Methods, Joshua Balson, Matt Chinchilla, Cam Lu, Jeff Washburn, Nibhrat Lohia

SMU Data Science Review

Across the United States, record numbers of wildfires are observed costing billions of dollars in property damage, polluting the environment, and putting lives at risk. The ability of emergency management professionals, city planners, and private entities such as insurance companies to determine if an area is at higher risk of a fire breaking out has never been greater. This paper proposes a novel methodology for identifying and characterizing zones with increased risks of forest fires. Methods involving machine learning techniques use the widely available and recorded data, thus making it possible to implement the tool quickly.

Source Apportionment And Health Risk Assessment Of Nitrate In Foothill Aquifers Of Western Ghats, South India, Banajarani Panda, S. Chidambaram, Daniel D. Snow, Arindam Malakar, Dhiraj Kr Singh, L. Ramanathan

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

The present research reports the level of nitrate (NO₃^-), associated health risks and possible sources of contamination in groundwater from south India. Many samples (32%) are above or approaching the recommended level of NO₃^- for safe drinking water. The correlation analysis indicates different sources of NO₃^- contamination in different regions rather than a common origin. The isotopic measurements provide information about potential nitrogen sources contributing NO₃^- to the groundwater. Based on isotope analysis, the sources of NO₃^- in the groundwater of this region are likely to be from (a) …

Climate Change Impacts On Atmospheric Ammonia And Implications For Human Health, Casey Olson, Connor Snow, Bridger Jorgensen

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

According to national data Cache Valley has the highest concentrations of atmospheric ammonia in the nation. This study aims to answer the questions of whether climate variables and events such as precipitation, averaged winds, geopotential height, and teleconnections can be used to predict the behavior of pollutants and how human biology is potentially affected. Data from the Utah Climate Center shows that the 3rd yearly quartile has the highest levels of airborne ammonia due to the high levels of fertilizer use and livestock emissions in the farming industry in Cache Valley. After data analysis, there seems to be a connection …

Responses Of Benthic Calcifying Algae To Ocean Acidification Differ Between Laboratory And Field Settings, Heather N. Page, Keisha D. Bahr, Tyler Cyronak, Elizabeth B. Jewett, Maggie D. Johnson, Sophie J. Mccoy

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Accurately predicting the effects of ocean and coastal acidification on marine ecosystems requires understanding how responses scale from laboratory experiments to the natural world. Using benthic calcifying macroalgae as a model system, we performed a semi-quantitative synthesis to compare directional responses between laboratory experiments and field studies. Variability in ecological, spatial, and temporal scales across studies, and the disparity in the number of responses documented in laboratory and field settings, make direct comparisons difficult. Despite these differences, some responses, including community-level measurements, were consistent across laboratory and field studies. However, there were also mismatches in the directionality of many responses …

Element Contamination In Port Everglades – Preparing For Ecological Impacts, Laura White

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Port dredging is of economic importance worldwide but its impacts to the marine environment through the remobilization of elemental contaminants are not well understood. A massive deepening and widening of Port Everglades, Florida, will begin in 2023. Contaminated sediment disturbed during the dredging process could be released and prove to be harmful to three coral reef tracks located beginning 1.5 miles away from the port. This study focused on identifying and quantifying 14 different trace elements: arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), selenium (Se), tin (Sn), …

Changing Impacts Of Alaska-Aleutian Subduction Zone Tsunamis In California Under Future Sea-Level Rise, Tina Dura, Andra J. Garner, Robert Weiss, Robert E. Kopp, Simon E. Engelhart, Robert C. Witter, Richard W. Briggs, Charles S. Mueller, Alan R. Nelson, Benjamin P. Horton

School of Earth & Environment Departmental Research

The amplification of coastal hazards such as distant-source tsunamis under future relative sea-level rise (RSLR) is poorly constrained. In southern California, the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone has been identified as an earthquake source region of particular concern for a worst-case scenario distant-source tsunami. Here, we explore how RSLR over the next century will influence future maximum nearshore tsunami heights (MNTH) at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Earthquake and tsunami modeling combined with local probabilistic RSLR projections show the increased potential for more frequent, relatively low magnitude earthquakes to produce distant-source tsunamis that exceed historically observed MNTH. By 2100, …

Applying Integrative Systematics To Long-Standing Species Boundary Questions In The Zoanthidea, Annika Markovich

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The study of systematics has been around for over 200 years. Some recent systematic studies have shifted to the idea of genetic barcoding for identification and classification. This shift is notably present in the cnidarian order Zoanthidea. Systematists have employed genetic barcoding exclusively for the classification of these animals resulting in taxonomic uncertainty. A prominent Mediterranean species complex (Parazoanthus axinellae) is at the center of these taxonomic issues. Recently two color-morpho-types: “slender” yellow and “stocky” orange have been used to differentiate modern P. axinellae specimens, advancing the uncertainty associated with this complex. This lack of taxonomic identity becomes …

Impacts Of Deepwater Horizon On Fish And Fisheries: What Have We Learned About Resilience And Vulnerability In A Coupled Human-Natural System?, S.A. Murawski, C.B. Paris, Tracey Sutton, M. Cockrell, S. O'Farrell, J. Sanchirico, E. Chancellor, L. Perruso

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill occurred in a region of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) supporting abundant, diverse and valuable communities of fishes and fishers. The economy of the northern GoM is inextricably tied to the natural resource bases of the region (tourism, fishing, oil and gas, etc.) and thus the coupling between the human and ecological systems is tight and subject both feed-back and, to some extent, feed-forward controls. Management actions taken during the 87-day DWH spill incident included the closure of over 280,000 km² of productive fishing area (about 1/3 of USA federal waters in the …

Biostratigraphy Of Paleogene Diatom Assemblages In The Southern Ocean, Angela Kaup

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

The record of siliceous microfossil sedimentation in the high latitude South Atlantic Ocean has great potential for dating seismic and stratigraphic units. Over the last several decades, scientists have documented diatom biostratigraphic record from sediment cores and drill cores in the Falkland Plateau and Maurice Ewing Bank region, as well as other areas of the Southern Ocean, and a robust chronostratigraphic framework is available for Neogene sequences. Given the complicated nature of ocean bathymetry, tectonic plate motion (vertical and lateral), and ocean current flow, the sedimentological evolution of this oceanic region is not well understood. Sampling sediment cores at high …

Implications From Uranium-Series Disequilibria In A Bi-Lithologic Melt With Varying Lithospheric Caps, Juliet Messer

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

Both spreading rates and local magma supply to mid-ocean ridges affect crustal construction styles and ridge morphology, alternately leading to either asymmetrical (detachment faulting) or symmetrical faulting styles. Uranium-series isotopic disequilibria in mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) may provide insight into how melt supply variations relate to ridges’ accretion styles, a processes that are not well understood. I use Reactive Porous Flow (RPF) equilibrium and disequilibrium modeling to simulate U-series disequilibria at mid-ocean ridge (MOR) generated by melt supply variations at both asymmetrical and symmetrical ridge segments.

Guided by my modeling, I predict that enhanced melt contributions from enriched pyroxenitic mantle …

Analyze And Examine Wildfire Events In California, Aleena Hoodith, Sakim Zaman, Safoan Hossain, Jiehao Huang

Publications and Research

•A wildfire is an unplanned, unwanted, uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation starting in rural areas and urban areas. •Recent studies have shown that the effect of anthropogenic climate change has fueled the wildfire events, leading to an increase in the annual burned areas and number of events. •California is one of the places having the most deadliest and destructive wildfire seasons. With the global warming effect of 1°C since 1850, the 20 largest wildfires events that have occurred in California, 8 of them were in 2017. (Center For Climate And Energy Solutions) •Climate change is primarily caused …

South Dakota Farmers’ Perceived Extreme Weather Frequency And Adaptation Measures, Tong Wang, Jim Ristau

South Dakota Farm Survey

Researchers at South Dakota State University (SDSU) conducted surveys of eastern South Dakota (SD) commodity crop producers with the support of the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council. Using publicly available addresses of government program participants, a random sample of 3,000 producers were sent the survey in 2018. 650 were ineligible and 708 responded to the survey for a response rate of 30%. In 2021, the same producers who took the survey in 2018 were asked to take a follow up survey. 94 were ineligible, and 350 responded for a 59% response rate. Producers could take the survey online or via …

Evolving Tropical Cyclone Tracks In The North Atlantic In A Warming Climate, Andra J. Garner, Robert Kopp, Benjamin Horton

School of Earth & Environment Departmental Research

Tropical cyclone (TC) track characteristics in a changing climate remain uncertain. Here, we investigate the genesis, tracks, and termination of >35,000 synthetic TCs traveling within 250 km of New York City (NYC) from the pre‐industrial era (850–1800 CE) to the modern era (1970–2005 CE) to the future (2080–2100 CE). Under a very high‐emissions scenario (RCP8.5), TCs are more likely to form closer to the United States (U.S.) southeast coast (>15% increase), terminate in the northeastern Atlantic (>6% increase), and move most slowly along the U.S. Atlantic coast (>15% increase) from the pre‐industrial to future. Under our modeled …

Validation Of Landsat 8 High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature Using Surfers, Quinton Vanhellemont, Robert J. W. Brewin, Philip J. Bresnahan, Tyler Cyronak

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Nearshore coastal waters are highly dynamic in both space and time. They can be difficult to sample using conventional methods due to their shallow depth, tidal variability, and the presence of breaking waves. High resolution satellite sensors can be used to provide synoptic views of Surface Temperature (ST), but the performance of such ST products in the nearshore zone is poorly understood. Close to the shoreline, the ST pixels can be influenced by mixed composition of water and land, as a result of the sensor’s spatial resolution. This can cause thermal adjacency effects due to the highly different diurnal temperature …

Iron Geochemistry Across An Estuary-To-Coastal Gradient, Lissett G. Diaz

Honors Theses

Iron is a ubiquitous earth element that participates in biogeochemical processes that occur in marine sediments. Microorganisms utilize iron for many purposes, including cell growth, conserving energy, and for maintaining metabolic activity. In coastal sedimentary settings, understanding the redox reactions involving ferric iron, Fe³⁺, and ferrous iron, Fe²⁺, in its solid phase and pore-water phases, respectively, enable an appreciation of biogeochemical transformations occurring in the coastal zone. In this study, iron concentrations in sediment of ranging permeability were determined at four stations marking an estuary-coast transition zone in Singleton Swash in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The …

Spatiotemporal Variations Of Precipitation And Climate-Resilient Structure Design In Virginia, Xiaomin Yang

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

How to consider effects of climate change on the design and management of hydrology related infrastructure is crucial but remains a challenge for sustaining resilient society. To address this challenge, existing hydrologic design procedures may need to be revised and/or redeveloped to take into account the precipitation non-stationarity resulting from climate change. Using the state of Virginia as a testbed and advanced statistical techniques such as nonparametric test, spatial autocorrelation, linear regression, distribution fitting, and spatial interpolation, this dissertation developed an innovative framework to detect the historical spatiotemporal variations of various precipitation characteristics, namely maximum precipitation intensity, precipitation amount, simple …