Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

A Once And Future Gulf Of Mexico Ecosystem: Restoration Recommendations Of An Expert Working Group, Charles H. Peterson, Felicia C. Coleman, Jeremy B. C. Jackson, R. Eugene Turner, Gilbert T. Rowe, Richard T. Barber, Karen A. Bjorndal, Robert S. Carney, Robert K. Cowen, Jonathan M. Hoekstra, James T. Hollibaugh, Shirley B. Laska, Richard A. Luettich, Jr., Craig W. Osenberg, Stephen E. Roady, Stanley Senner, John M. Teal, Ping Wong

Faculty Publications

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) well blowout released more petroleum hydrocarbons into the marine environment than any previous U.S. oil spill (4.9 million barrels), fouling marine life, damaging deep sea and shoreline habitats and causing closures of economically valuable fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico. A suite of pollutants—liquid and gaseous petroleum compounds plus chemical dispersants—poured into ecosystems that had already been stressed by overfishing, development and global climate change. Beyond the direct effects that were captured in dramatic photographs of oiled birds in the media, it is likely that there are subtle, delayed, indirect and potentially synergistic impacts of these …

U.S. Law Of The Sea Cruise To Map The Foot Of The Slope And 2500-M Isobath Of The U.S. Arctic Ocean Margin, Larry A. Mayer, Andy Armstrong

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

U.S. Law of the Sea cruise to map the foot of the slope and 2500-m isobath of the US Arctic Ocean margin

CRUISE HEALY 1102

August 15 to September 28, 2011

Barrow, AK to Dutch Harbor, AK

Longpath Doas Observations Of Surface Bro At Summit, Greenland, J Stutz, J L. Thomas, S C. Hurlock, M Schneider, R Von Glasow, M Piot, K Gorham, John F. Burkhart, Luke D. Ziemba, Jack E. Dibb, Barry Lefer

Earth Sciences

Reactive halogens, and in particular bromine oxide (BrO), have frequently been observed in regions with large halide reservoirs, for example during bromine catalyzed coastal polar ozone depletion events. Much less is known about the presence and impact of reactive halogens in areas without obvious halide reservoirs, such as the polar ice sheets or continental snow.

We report the first LP-DOAS measurements of BrO at Summit research station in the center of the Greenland ice sheet at an altitude of 3200 m. BrO mixing ratios in May 2007 and June 2008 were typically between 1–3 pmol mol⁻¹, with maxima …

Verification Of Global Assimilation Of Ionospheric Measurements Gauss Markov (Gaim-Gm) Model Forecast Accuracy, Paul H. Domm

Theses and Dissertations

GAIM-GM is an operational Kalman filter data assimilation model of the ionosphere that can assimilate data from GPS total electron content (TEC), ionosonde electron density profiles, and satellite based in situ electron densities. The Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) uses GAIM-GM to specify and forecast the ionosphere. An in depth investigation into the accuracy of these forecasts has not been completed. GAIM-GM output obtained from four cases run from combinations of geomagnetic and solar activity was used to determine GAIM-GM forecast accuracy. Forecast accuracy was determined through the use of a skill score as well as other statistical tools to …

Assessment Of The Effects Of Plasma Bubbles On Gaim-Gm, Kenneth R. Fenton

Theses and Dissertations

Plasma bubbles are regions of depleted plasma density generated in the post-sunset equatorial region of the ionosphere. Bubbles significantly affect total electron count (TEC) and consequently alter communication and navigation capabilities. Here, the Global Assimilation of Ionospheric Measurements Gauss-Markov (GAIM-GM) model is studied in order to assess its capability to accurately model equatorial plasma bubbles. GAIM-GM uses the Ionospheric Forecast Model (IFM) as a background state modified through the application of a Kalman Filter to incorporate ionospheric observations such as Global Positioning System (GPS) total electron content (TEC) values. GPS TEC values representative of plasma bubble conditions are modeled and …

Effect Of Storm Enhanced Densities On Geo-Location Accuracy Over Conus, Lindon H. Steadman

Theses and Dissertations

Storm enhanced densities (SEDs) are ionospheric plasma enhancements that disrupt radio communications in the near-Earth space environment, degrading the Global Positioning System (GPS) and other key technologies. Accurate GPS/total electron content (TEC) correction maps produced by ionosphere models can mitigate degradations from SEDs. An artificial SED was created and ingested via slant TEC measurements into the Global Assimilation of Ionospheric Measurements Gauss-Markov Kalman Filter Model to determine how many ground GPS receivers are needed to produce reliable GPS/TEC correction maps over the continental United States during geomagnetic storming. It was found that 110 well-positioned GPS receivers produced the best overall …

Meso-Circulation Associated With Summer Convection Over The Central Antilles, Mark Jury, Sen Chiao

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

The mesoscale structure of the circulation and convection over central Caribbean Antilles islands in midsummer is analyzed. Afternoon thunderstorms are frequent over islands such as Hispaniola and Jamaica as confluent trade winds circulate over heated mountainous topography. Observational data from a rain gauge network, profiles from aircraft and radiosonde, satellite estimates of rainfall, and mesoscale reanalysis fields are studied with a focus on July 2007. A statistical decomposition of 3-hourly high-resolution satellite rainfall reveals an “island mode” with afternoon convection. Trade winds pass over the mountains of Hispaniola and Jamaica with a Froude number <1, leading to a long meandering wake. The Weather Research and Forecasting model is used to simulate climatic conditions during July 2007. The model correctly locates areas of diurnal rainfall that develop because of island heat fluxes, confluent sea breezes, and mountain wakes.

Sources Of Gaseous Oxidized Mercury And Mercury Dry Deposition At Two Southeastern U.S. Sites, Peter S. Weiss-Penzias, Mae S. Gustin, Seth N. Lyman

USU Uintah Basin Faculty Publications

Wet deposition measurements have shown that relative to other parts of the US, the southeastern region has the highest mercury (Hg) inputs. The source of this Hg has been investigated by multiple researchers and is suggested to be derived from local, regional and global sources. Here we focus on trying to understand potential sources of Hg to this area during periods dominated by dry gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) deposition. Dry deposition of GOM to a surrogate surface was measured in conjunction with speciated atmospheric Hg, and ancillary parameters from September 2007 through September 2008 at two sites located within 25 …

Present Limits To Heat-Adaptability In Corals And Population-Level Responses To Climate Extremes, Bernhard Riegl, Samuel J. Purkis, Ashraf S. Al-Cibahy, Mohammed A. Abdel-Moati, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Climate change scenarios suggest an increase in tropical ocean temperature by 1–3°C by 2099, potentially killing many coral reefs. But Arabian/Persian Gulf corals already exist in this future thermal environment predicted for most tropical reefs and survived severe bleaching in 2010, one of the hottest years on record. Exposure to 33–35°C was on average twice as long as in non-bleaching years. Gulf corals bleached after exposure to temperatures above 34°C for a total of 8 weeks of which 3 weeks were above 35°C. This is more heat than any other corals can survive, providing an insight into the present limits …

A Method For Field Calibration Of A Multibeam Echo Sounder, Carlo Lanzoni, Thomas C. Weber

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

The use of multibeam echo sounders (MBES) has grown more frequent in applications like seafloor imaging, fisheries, and habitat mapping. Calibration of these instruments is important for understanding and validating the performance of MBES. For echo sounders in general, different calibration methodologies have been developed in controlled environments such as a fresh water tank and in the actual field of operation. While calibration in an indoor tank facility can bring excellent results in terms of accuracy, the amount of time required for a complete calibration can become prohibitively large. A field calibration can reveal the actual radiation beam pattern for …

Multi-Touch 3d Exploratory Analysis Of Ocean Flow Models, Thomas J. Butkiewicz, Colin Ware

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Modern ocean flow simulations are generating increasingly complex, multi-layer 3D ocean flow models. However, most researchers are still using traditional 2D visualizations to visualize these models one slice at a time. Properly designed 3D visualization tools can be highly effective for revealing the complex, dynamic flow patterns and structures present in these models. However, the transition from visualizing ocean flow patterns in 2D to 3D presents many challenges, including occlusion and depth ambiguity. Further complications arise from the interaction methods required to navigate, explore, and interact with these 3D datasets. We present a system that employs a combination of stereoscopic …

Hyperspectral-Based Adaptive Matched Filter Detector Error As A Function Of Atmospheric Profile Estimation, Allan W. Yarbrough

Theses and Dissertations

Hyperspectral imagery is collected as radiance data. This data is a function of multiple variables: the radiation profile of the light source, the reflectance of the target, and the absorption and scattering profile of the medium through which the radiation travels as it reflects off the target and reaches the imager. Accurate target detection requires that the collected image matches as closely as possible the known "true" target in the classification database. Therefore, the effect of the radiation source and the atmosphere must be removed before detection is attempted. While the spectrum of solar light is relatively stable, the effect …

Lsuhsc Facilities Biweekly Update: September 2011, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates: 2011

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates from September 9 and 23, 2011.

These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

Lsuhsc Facilities Daily Updates: September 2011, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Daily Updates: 2011

LSUHSC Facilities Daily Updates from September 2011.

These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

Observations Of The Wind Resource Across The Dublin Urban Area, Keith Sunderland, Michael Conlon, Gerald Mills, Rowan Feely

Conference papers

This paper presents an investigation of wind observations made at three (of a network of ten) stations in Dublin. Two of the stations are located over different parts of the urbanized landscape and one is located at Dublin Airport, which exemplifies a typical meteorological station. The purpose of the analysis is to evaluate the nature of the wind resource in the urban area. The potential output of a range of commercially available micro wind turbines at one of the stations is considered. At this location, an anemometer is mounted in a similar manner to international examples of building mounted domestic …

Pakistan's Two-Stage Monsoon And Links With The Recent Climate Change, Shih-Yu (Simon) Wang, Robert Davies, Wan Ru Huang, Robert R. Gillies

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Meteorological conditions related to the Pakistan floods of 2010 were examined in the context of monsoon dynamics and large‐scale circulations. Case and climatological analyses suggest that summer precipitation in northern Pakistan comprises two distinct phases: (1) a premonsoon trough phase (July) whose rainfall is more episodic and intense, occurring prior to arrival of the monsoon trough, and (2) a monsoon trough phase (August) whose rainfall is persistent, yet less episodic, driven by northward migration of the monsoon trough. Analyses of conditional instability, moisture flux, and circulation features support a persistent increase in conditional instability during the July premonsoon trough phase, …

Observations Of Hydroxyl And Peroxy Radicals And The Impact Of Bro At Summit, Greenland In 2007 And 2008, J Liao, L Gregory Huey, D Tanner, N Brough, Steve Brooks, Jack E. Dibb, J Stutz, J L. Thomas, Barry Lefer, C Haman, K Gorham

Earth Sciences

The Greenland Summit Halogen-HO_x (GSHOX) Campaign was performed in spring 2007 and summer 2008 to investigate the impact of halogens on HO_x (= OH + HO₂) cycling above the Greenland Ice Sheet. Chemical species including hydroxyl and peroxy radicals (OH and HO₂+ RO₂), ozone (O₃), nitrogen oxide (NO), nitric acid (HNO₃), nitrous acid (HONO), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM), and bromine oxide (BrO) were measured during the campaign. The median midday values of HO₂ + RO₂ and OH concentrations observed by chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) were …

Severe 2010 Cold-Water Event Caused Unprecedented Mortality To Corals Of The Florida Reef Tract And Reversed Previous Survivorship Patterns, Diego Lirman, Stephanie Schopmeyer, Derek Manzello, Lewis J. Gramer, William F. Precht, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Kenneth Banks, Brian Barnes, Erich Bartels, Amanda Bourque, James Byrne, Scott Donahue, Janice Duquesnel, Louis Fisher, David S. Gilliam, James C. Hendee, Meaghan E. Johnson, Kerry Maxwell, Erin Mcdevitt, Jamie Monty, Digna Rueda, Rob Ruzicka, Sara Thanner

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Background

Coral reefs are facing increasing pressure from natural and anthropogenic stressors that have already caused significant worldwide declines. In January 2010, coral reefs of Florida, United States, were impacted by an extreme cold-water anomaly that exposed corals to temperatures well below their reported thresholds (16°C), causing rapid coral mortality unprecedented in spatial extent and severity.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Reef surveys were conducted from Martin County to the Lower Florida Keys within weeks of the anomaly. The impacts recorded were catastrophic and exceeded those of any previous disturbances in the region. Coral mortality patterns were directly correlated to in-situ and satellite-derived …

Rumbling In The Benthos: Acoustic Ecology Of The California Mantis Shrimp Hemisquilla Californiensis, E. Staaterman, C. Clark, A. Gallagher, M. Devries, T. Claverie, S. Patek

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Although much research has focused on acoustic mapping and exploration of the benthic environment, little is known about the acoustic ecology of benthic organisms, particularly benthic crustaceans. Through the use of a coupled audio–video system, a hydrophone array, and an autonomous recording unit, we tested several hypotheses about the field acoustics of a benthic marine crustacean, Hemisquilla califor­niensis. Living in muddy burrows in southern California, these large mantis shrimp produce low frequency ‘rumbles’ through muscle vibrations. First, we tested whether acoustic signals are similar in the field and in the laboratory, and discovered that field-produced rumbles are more acoustically and …

Subsurface Controls On Mainland Marsh Shoreline Response During Barrier Island Transgressive Submergence, Mary Ellison

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Many recent studies have sought to understand the response of barrier islands and their attendant marshes to sea level rise. The Mississippi River delta plain, specifically the Chandeleur Islands and associated interior wetlands in eastern Louisiana, serves as an excellent natural laboratory for studying these responses. This region is presently undergoing the highest rates of shoreline erosion (> 15 m yr -1) in North America as wetlands are converted to open water in a regime of subsidence-driven rapid relative sea-level rise (~1 cm yr-1). Three conceptual models were developed based on the geomorphic relationships observed in the marsh that describe …

Global Satellite Images For Aviation Operations, Frederick R. Mosher, James Block

Applied Aviation Sciences - Daytona Beach

Flight planning and flight following dispatch operations require information on potential flight hazards. Hazards such as thunderstorms, turbulence, icing, fog, volcanic ash, etc., are potential problems which are not always forecast adequately by numerical models. Satellite images are used to monitor the weather conditions causing existing flight hazards, as well as being used to identify the development of new hazards.

Rehabilitation Of Srrl Aerosol Optical Depth Photometer Data, Elin Deeb, Daryl Myers, Afshin Andreas

STAR Program Research Presentations

NREL’s Solar Radiation Research Laboratory (SRRL) utilizes a Prede POM-01 Photometer to collect aerosol optical depth (AOD) information, necessary for determining the performance of solar collector systems. Inconsistencies and errors exist in SRRL’s AOD data due to errors in the calibration factors as well as the data reduction algorithms. Langley plots of five of the channels were performed to calibrate the necessary constants for AOD calculations. Clear sky data was determined based on the ratio of direct to global radiation and on the scatter between morning and afternoon TWC 500 nm photometer (an NREL custom photometer) data. Plots of calculated …

A Climatology Of High-Wind Events Associated With Post-Tropical Cyclones In The United States, Joshua M. Gilliland

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

During 1951-2009, 47% of all tropical systems (TSs) within the Atlantic Basin transitioned to post-tropical (PTC) extratropical classification. These systems have shown the capability of producing hurricane-force winds and gusts for portions of the eastern United States. This study provides a climatological foundation for high-wind observations that were contributed from PTCs. In this study, 76 PTC systems were identified and tracked using six hourly observations from the National Hurricane Center’s HURDAT dataset. Mean wind radii buffers were calculated and used to determine the high-wind observations attributed by PTCs. High-wind climatology was developed by using hourly surface wind data from the …

Boynton-Delray Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Program, Thomas P. Carsey, Charles M. Featherstone, Kelly D. Goodwin, Christopher D. Sinigalliano, S. Jack Stamates, Jia-Zhong Zhang, John Proni, Joseph R. Bishop, Cheryl J. Brown, Madeleine M. Adler, Patricia Blackwelder, Husain Alsayegh

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

This report discusses a sequence of six cruises in the vicinity of the Boynton-Delray (South Central) treated-wastewater plant outfall plume (26°27'43"N, 80°2'32"W), the Boynton Inlet (26°32'43"N, 80°2'30"W), and the Lake Worth Lagoon, Palm Beach County, Florida. The sampling cruises took place on June 5-6, 2007; August 28-29, 2007; October 18-19, 2007; February 14 and 18, 2008; May 19-20, 2008; and July 11-13, 2008. Water was sampled at 18 locations at the surface, middle, and near the seafloor (where there was sufficient depth) for a total of 45 samples; these samples were analyzed for a variety of nutrients and related parameters. …

Groundwater Contamination Potential In Northern Nevada From Mining, Associated Communities, And Agriculture As Forecasted By Two Vulnerability Methods, John L. Swatzell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Two methodologies, DRASTIC and the NDEP method, were used to compare the groundwater vulnerability of mining, associated towns, and agricultural areas in northern Nevada. The DRASTIC and NDEP methods were compared to determine which method produces a more accurate depiction of vulnerability. Vulnerability maps were created using the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) DRASTIC and Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP) methodologies. The DRASTIC map uses seven aspect layers of geologic and hydrologic information with assigned values and weights that are applied to a mathematical equation. The NDEP method uses field data collection for potential contaminant sources and well …

Historical Diversification Of Montane Herpetofauna Within And Between The Sierras Of Mexico, Robert William Bryson Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Mexican highlands consist of four major mountain ranges spanning most of mainland Mexico. The evolutionary history of the Mexican highlands has been shaped by various geological and climatic events over the past several million years. The relative impacts of these historical events on diversification in montane taxa, however, remains uncertain. I used mitochondrial DNA data from three widely distributed species complexes of lizards as a model system to exemplify the potential roles of Neogene mountain formation and Quaternary climate change on timing and tempo of diversification across the Mexican highlands. My results suggested strong geographic partitioning of genetic variation …

Climate And Vegetation Change In The Newberry Mountains, Southern Clark County, Nevada, Ross Joseph Guida

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Ecological studies have shown worldwide that vegetation is being affected by climate change. Species are shifting to new elevations and physiographic positions to adapt to changes in their environment. More specifically, paleoecology studies in the Mojave Desert have shown shifting vegetation patterns in response to past warming and precipitation changes. Recent studies have shown mortality among desert plants related to extended drought and warming. However, few studies have shown how the geographic distribution of Mojave Desert species has changed during this most recent period of warming. This study addresses this gap in the literature by focusing on several plant species …

Assessing A Combined Theories Approach To Climate Change Communication, Ted Greenhalgh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research examines the complexities of communicating climate change risk information and the underlying individual attitudes and message content that affect message reception. Using climate change messages incorporating fear appeals and normative information subject's reactions to the messages were evaluated using the Theory of Planned Behavior model. The study found that fear appeals did increase behavioral intention to adopt a lower carbon lifestyle among test group subjects. The Theory of Planned Behavior model showed that attitudes and self-efficacy were significant predictors of the behavioral intent to adopt a lower carbon lifestyle, while community norms were only marginally predictive. However, not …

Application Of A Gene-Based Population Dynamics Model To The Optimal Egg Size Problem: Why Do Bivalve Planktotrophic Eggs Vary In Size?, Eric N. Powell, Jason Morson, John M. Klinck

CCPO Publications

The presumption is that egg quality influences larval survival and that egg size influences egg quality. Thus, larger eggs should be favored by selection. Counterweighing the tendency for egg size to increase is the number of eggs that can be produced if egg size remains small. We examine how egg size and egg number counterbalance in Crassostrea oysters, resulting in an average egg size near 50 mu m. Simulations imposing a diversity of ranges in larval survivorship-from little advantage for large eggs relative to small eggs to a great advantage-yield some anticipated outcomes in which genotypes generating larger eggs are …

Lsuhsc Facilities Daily Updates: August 2011, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Daily Updates: 2011

LSUHSC Facilities Daily Updates from August 2011.

These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.