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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Remote Sensing Of The Environmental Impacts Of Utility-Scale Solar Energy Plants, Mohammad Masih Edalat
Remote Sensing Of The Environmental Impacts Of Utility-Scale Solar Energy Plants, Mohammad Masih Edalat
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Solar energy has many environmental benefits compared with fossil fuels but solar farming can have environmental impacts especially during construction and development. Thus, in order to enhance environmental sustainability, it is imperative to understand the environmental impacts of utility-scale solar energy (USSE) plants. During recent decades, remote sensing techniques and geographic information systems have become standard techniques in environmental applications. In this study, the environmental impacts of USSE plants are investigated by analyzing changes to land surface characteristics using remote sensing. The surface characteristics studied include land cover, land surface temperature, and hydrological response whereas changes are mapped by comparing …
Research Poster: Gis And Remote Sensing Core Lab For Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research In Climate Change, Haroon Stephen, William J. Smith, Craig Palmer, Thomas C. Piechota
Research Poster: Gis And Remote Sensing Core Lab For Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research In Climate Change, Haroon Stephen, William J. Smith, Craig Palmer, Thomas C. Piechota
2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference
Research poster
Land Surface Brightness Temperature Modeling Using Solar Insolation, Haroon Stephen, Sajjad Ahmad, Thomas C. Piechota
Land Surface Brightness Temperature Modeling Using Solar Insolation, Haroon Stephen, Sajjad Ahmad, Thomas C. Piechota
Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications
Retrieval of land surface emissivity and temperature from microwave brightness temperature data is a complex problem. The diurnal variation of temperature due to the diurnal cycle of solar radiation and weather conditions makes this problem even more challenging. In this paper, we use solar radiation in modeling the temporal variation of the brightness temperature state of the surface. Solar insolation modeling is used to estimate the diurnal variation of land surface brightness temperature. Solar radiation and brightness temperature are linked through temperature of the surface which is derived based on the radiation balance equation. The temperature state model behaves consistent …
Relating Surface Backscatter Response From Trmm Precipitation Radar To Soil Moisture: Results Over A Semi-Arid Region, Haroon Stephen, Sajjad Ahmad, Thomas C. Piechota, Chunling Tang
Relating Surface Backscatter Response From Trmm Precipitation Radar To Soil Moisture: Results Over A Semi-Arid Region, Haroon Stephen, Sajjad Ahmad, Thomas C. Piechota, Chunling Tang
Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) carries aboard the Precipitation Radar (TRMMPR) that measures the backscatter (σº) of the surface. σº is sensitive to surface soil moisture and vegetation conditions. Due to sparse vegetation in arid and semi-arid regions, TRMMPR σº primarily depends on the soil water content. In this study we relate TRMMPR σº measurements to soil water content (m(s)) in the Lower Colorado River Basin (LCRB). σº dependence on ms is studied for different vegetation greenness values determined through Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). A new model of σº that couples incidence angle, m(s), and NDVI is used …
Microwave Backscatter Modeling Of Erg Surfaces In The Sahara Desert, Haroon Stephen, David G. Long
Microwave Backscatter Modeling Of Erg Surfaces In The Sahara Desert, Haroon Stephen, David G. Long
Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications
The Sahara Desert includes large expanses of sand dunes called ergs. These dunes are formed and constantly reshaped by prevailing winds. Previous study shows that Saharan ergs exhibit significant radar backscatter (σ°) modulation with azimuth angle (f). We use σ° measurements observed at various incidence angles and f from the NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT), the SeaWinds scatterometer, the ERS scatterometer (ESCAT), and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission's Precipitation Radar to model the σ° response from sand dunes. Observations reveal a characteristic relationship between the backscatter modulation and the dune type, i.e., the number and orientation of the dune slopes. Sand dunes …
Modeling Microwave Emissions Of Erg Surfaces In The Sahara Desert, Haroon Stephen, David G. Long
Modeling Microwave Emissions Of Erg Surfaces In The Sahara Desert, Haroon Stephen, David G. Long
Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications
Sand seas (ergs) of the Sahara are the most dynamic parts of the desert. Aeolian erosion, transportation, and deposition continue to reshape the surface of the ergs. The large-scale features (dunes) of these bedforms reflect the characteristics of the sand and the long-term wind. Radiometric emissions from the ergs have strong dependence on the surface geometry. We model the erg surface as composed of tilted rough facets. Each facet is characterized by a tilt distribution dependent upon the surface roughness of the facet. The radiometric temperature (T(b)) of ergs is then the weighted sum of the T(b) from all the …