Meteorology Commons^™

Hydrological Dynamics Of Surface-Groundwater Interactions Between Major Springs Of Mammoth Cave And The Green River, Kentucky, Usa, Matthew Cecil

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Mammoth Cave is an iconic example of the cave and karst systems that underlie over 50% of the United States and provide around 13% of the world’s population with water resources. These environmental features are vulnerable to drought, pollution, and human impacts. The complex hydrological regime of the Mammoth Cave system has been studied in the past, but there are improvements and updates that can be made to the past research. The dynamics of the surface-groundwater system, particularly reversals of the Green River and how it backfloods into the cave, are some examples. Echo River and River Styx Springs provide …

Drought In The Breadbasket Of America And The Influence Of Oceanic Teleconnections, Grace Campbell

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

From 1980 to 2020, drought events accounted for 11.4% of the billion-dollar disasters in the United States (U.S.) yet caused the second highest total amount in damages at $236.6 billion. With the average cost of a drought being upwards of $9.5 billion, these natural disasters can create serious problems in agriculture. Drought is defined as a period of below average precipitation that causes damage to agriculture and water supply. Previous research has linked drought events in the U.S. Great Plains to oceanic teleconnections in the Pacific and Atlantic basins, indicating the influence of the El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO), …

Determining Atmospheric Boundary Layer Behavior Over Mountainous Terrain Using Aircraft Vertical Profiles From 2009-2018 Nasa Student Airborne Research Program Data, Dallas Mckinney

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) height separates turbulently mixed air and pollutants emitted at the ground from the free troposphere above and is an important parameter in numerical weather prediction and air pollution dispersion models. Discerning the ABL height over mountainous terrain has historically been difficult because of, for example, complex interactions with upper level winds, venting of humidity and aerosols into the free troposphere, and large spatiotemporal variability. ABL over mountainous terrain (MT) can closely follow the terrain, be flat, or be shallower than surrounding valleys depending on the time of day, synoptic conditions, and effects of the surrounding …

Taking Action: A Case Study Analyzing The Deficiencies And Potential Opportunities For Improvement In The Severe Weather Warning System, Carson Meredith

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The United States is one of the most prone areas in the world to experience severe weather. A warning system operated by the National Weather Service alerts the public of the dangers of severe weather. The purpose of this project is to analyze the effectiveness of the National Weather Service warning system across Kentucky and Tennessee. A case study is presented analyzing six severe weather events in areas warned by the National Weather Service offices in Louisville, Kentucky and Nashville, Tennessee in 2018. Factors reviewed include effectiveness in issuing timely warnings, verification (i.e., whether or not severe weather actually occurred), …

Meteorological Comparison Of Three Cave Systems, Matthew Wine

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Cave systems are home to delicate underground ecosystems that can be affected by changes in surface atmospheric conditions which in turn affect underground meteorology. Modern human use of caves is typically for tourism, so understanding surface-underground weather-climate interactions is important when caves carry streams that are prone to flooding in response to surface precipitation. The purpose of this research is to document the effects of surface weather conditions on cave meteorology in three different cave system types located in different geographic locations including an island, the central USA, and at high elevations in British Columbia. The study caves include Kaumana …

Ua66/8/2 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Geography & Geology Centers & Institutes, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Centers and Institutes administered by the Geography & Geology Department. Including:

• Center for Cave & Karst Studies
• Center for Local Government Services
• Hoffman Environmental Research Institute
• Kentucky Climate Center
• Resources Management Institute
• Small Public Water System Technology Center

Thomson, Patrick Henry, 1819-1901 (Sc 3266), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3266. Farm journal kept by Patrick Henry Thomson of Hurricane Hall, Fayette County, Kentucky. He records daily temperatures and farm operations, and makes occasional mention of his and wife Julia's activities. A loose item dated 10 November 1852 gives him notice of a meeting in regards to the recent fire at the county courthouse.

A Climatology Of Convective And Non-Convective High-Wind Events Across The Eastern United States During 1973-2015, Victoria Murley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

High-wind events (HWE) occur across every region of the United States (U.S.) and result in hundreds of fatalities, as well as thousands of dollars in damages annually. HWEs are classified as sustained high-winds or high-wind gusts and can be generated from convective or non-convective weather systems. This study investigates high-wind observations across the eastern U.S. during a 43-year climatological period (1973-2015) for spatial and temporal variations in wind speed and direction. Hourly surface wind observations were gathered from the National Centers for Environmental Information Data Center Integrated Surface Database (NCEI-ISD). This dataset includes qualitycontrolled wind observations from 391 first-order weather …

An Analysis Of Urban Heat Islands In Kentucky, Logan Mitchell

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The purpose of this research is to increase understanding of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect in Kentucky by studying its three largest cities: Louisville, Lexington, and Bowling Green. By examining the UHIs of these three cities, two major attributes can be determined: if there is a relationship between the size of the city by population and the UHI magnitude, and if UHI magnitude follows any diurnal and/or seasonal cycles. Data was collected from weather stations within the three major cities, as well as from weather stations located in the rural areas surrounding them. The length of the time series …

Storm Chasing Across The Plains: An Experience Portfolio, Isaac Bowers

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The opportunity to predict and document severe weather across the Plains is not available to many, but it is a vital experience for those who hope to truly excel in meteorology. The ability to travel alongside one of the professors that has guided you through the program, apply the knowledge gained from that professor and many others, and view nature’s breathtaking power in person is truly a capstone experience for any meteorology major. Luckily, the B.S. Meteorology Program at WKU offers a select group of students this opportunity annually. This portfolio report will consist of documentation I recorded during my …

Dispersion Of Ammonia From Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, Austin D. Wardall

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this research is to investigate the dispersion of ammonia (NH3) from three Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in western Kentucky, as well as to investigate the Weather Research and Forecasting – Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model’s sensitivity response to initial NH3 concentrations under both wet conditions (significant precipitation) and dry conditions (no precipitation). As expected, pollutant concentrations generally were significantly higher near their points of origin and generally declined away from the sources. Contrary to expectations, ammonia tended to rise through the planetary boundary layer (PBL) regardless of atmospheric conditions. Results showed modeled NH3 pollution levels at the surface …

The Influence Of Tropical Cyclones On Droughts And Warm Season Precipitation In Tennessee And Kentucky, Lamar S. Coats

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Southeast United States during summer and fall is often affected by droughts and tropical cyclones. Both phenomena rank among the most expensive of natural hazards, although droughts are not as feared by the public as hurricanes. When a tropical cyclone causes a pendulum swing from drought to wet conditions, it is known as a “drought-busting tropical cyclone.” The majority of the research related to drought busting tropical cyclones investigates only the storms during their tropical cyclone phase, which covers the southeastern states that have boundaries adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean. An unanswered question from this literature is whether or …

Floods - Louisville, Kentucky, 1937 (Sc 2882), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 2882. “Notes on Radio Broadcasts” by an unknown author, recording damage and emergencies created by the Ohio River flood at Louisville, Kentucky.

Ua94/6/17 Student / Alumni Personal Papers Wku Annie Reis, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Annie Reis during her years as a student at Western Kentucky State Normal School.

Ua1c11/74 Charles Patterson Photo Collection, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Photographs removed from Charles Patterson's scrapbook.

Keeney, Sean Carpenter (Sc 1259), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1259. “My Experience of ‘Andrew,’” by Sean Keeney, Dade County, Florida, relating the effect on him and his family of Hurricane Andrew, which struck the area on 24 August 1992. Includes biographical data on Keeney.

Disher, John Lee, 1938-2019 (Sc 1183), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1183. Letter from John Lee Disher of Summerville, South Carolina, to his sister Nancy Disher Baird, Bowling Green, Kentucky, describing the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo.

Cox, Brittany (Fa 763), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 763. Paper titled “Haunted Places in Brandenburg, Kentucky” written by Brittany Cox for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University. Paper includes information about haunted locations in Brandenburg, Meade County, Kentucky.

Kriss, Leslie, B. 1975 (Sc 1063), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts & Folklife Archives Small Collection 1063. Paper, “The Scariest Day of my Life,” written by Leslie Kriss for an English class at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, describing a storm that occurred on 16 April 1998.

Johnson, Joni (Sc 1061), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1061. Paper, “The Storm of ‘98,” written by Joni Johnson for an English class at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, describing her reaction to a severe storm that occurred on 16 April 1998 while she was in her campus dormitory.

Johnson, Joni (Sc 1061), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1061. Paper, “The Storm of ‘98,” written by Joni Johnson for an English class at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, describing her reaction to a severe storm that occurred on 16 April 1998 while she was in her campus dormitory.

Boldrick, Stacy (Sc 1047), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1047. Paper, “The Storm,” written by Stacy Boldrick for an English class at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, describing her reactions to a severe storm that occurred on 16 April 1998 while she was in her campus dormitory.

Edwards, Frank (Sc 1058), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1058. Paper written by Frank Edwards for an English class at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, describing his reaction to a severe storm that occurred on 16 April 1998.

Lewis, Brandon (Sc 1064), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1064. Paper, “The Spring Storm,” written by Brandon Lewis for an English class at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, describing a storm that occurred on 16 April 1998. He helped move cars from a flooded campus parking lot.

Lewis, Brandon (Sc 1064), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1064. Paper, “The Spring Storm,” written by Brandon Lewis for an English class at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, describing a storm that occurred on 16 April 1998. He helped move cars from a flooded campus parking lot.

Mexic, Darren, B. 1979 (Sc 1069), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1069. Paper, “April 16, 1998,” written by Darren Mexic for an English class at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, describing a storm that occurred on 16 April 1998.

Sandidge, Janice (Sc 1074), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1074. Paper, “Spring Storm, ‘98,” written by Janice Sandidge for an English class at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, describing the reports of damage in Bowling Green and Edmonton, Metcalf County, resulting from the 16 April 1998 storm. She was visiting relatives in Missouri at the time.

Raymer, Sabra (Sc 1072), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1072. Paper, “An Unforgettable Day,” written by Sabra Raymer for an English class at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, describing a storm that occurred on 16 April 1998 and the damage to her dormitory room.

Justice, Angela (Sc 1062), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1062. Paper written by Angela Justice for an English class at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, describing a severe storm that occurred 16 April 1998 while she was at home in the Nashville, Tennessee area.

Marana, Nick (Sc 1067), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1067. Paper, “What Not to Do During a Tornado,” written by Nick Marana for an English class at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, describing his reaction to a severe storm that occurred on 16 April 1998.