Geography Commons^™

Recentism In Environmental History On Latin America, Andrew Sluyter

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Is Geography Destiny?: Lessons From Latin America. And Troubled Harvest: Agronomy And Revolution In Mexico, 1880–2002, Andrew Sluyter

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Non-Stationarities In The Climate System On The Definition Of "A Normal Wind Year": A Case Study From The Baltic, S C. Pryor, R J. Barthelmie, Justin T. Schoof

Publications

Wind speeds over the Baltic significantly increased over the second half of the 20th century (C20th), with the majority of the increase being focused on the upper quartile of the wind speed distribution and in the southwest of the region. These changes have potentially profound implications for the wind energy resource. For example, based on the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP–NCAR) reanalysis data it is shown that, owing to this non-stationarity, using the normalization period of 1987–98 to determine the wind resource (as in the Danish wind index) leads to overestimation of the wind energy …

‘We’Re Just Like The Irish’: Narratives Of Assimilation, Belonging, And Citizenship Among Arab American Activists, Caroline R. Nagel, Lynn A. Staeheli

Faculty Publications

This paper examines narratives of assimilation and belonging as activists attempt to position Arab-Americans as citizens and full members of the American polity. In interviews with activists, the experience of the Irish as immigrants and citizens was often invoked as the paradigmatic example of how immigrants are incorporated as citizens—an example that activists promoted as one that Arabs would follow. By invoking the Irish experience, activists hope to remind Americans that immigration history is not one of effortless assimilation, but is rather characterized by systematic exclusion and marginalization. In so doing, they articulate narratives of assimilation and belonging that draw …

"Alberta Arts District" : Boundaries And Belonging Among Long-Time Residents In A Culturally Changing Neighborhood, Sammy Shaw

Dissertations and Theses

This study takes a cultural perspective in studying the "Alberta Arts District," a gentrifying neighborhood in Northeast Portland in which bohemian cultural production/consumption has become the dominant and commodified vision of the community. Survey data demonstrates residents' general opinions and levels of participation in the changing neighborhood. Forty long-time residents, black and white, homeowners and renters, are interviewed in-depth regarding their perceptions of change. Long-time residents of gentrifying neighborhoods are often overlooked as a less powerful group that only has to negotiate rising rents and property values. This study approaches the meaning of neighborhood changes for long-time residents who have …

An Evaluation Of Lidar-Derived Elevation And Terrain Slope In Leaf-Off Conditions, Michael E. Hodgson, John Jensen, George Raber, Jason Tullis, Bruce A. Davis, Gary Thompson, Karen Schuckman

Faculty Publications

The effects of land cover and surface slope on lidar-derived elevation data were examined for a watershed in the piedmont of North Carolina. Lidar data were collected over the study area in a winter (leaf-off) overflight. Survey-grade elevation points (1,225) for six different land cover classes were used as reference points. Root mean squared error (RMSE) for land cover classes ranged from 14.5 cm to 36.1 cm. Land cover with taller canopy vegetation exhibited the largest errors. The largest mean error (36.1 cm RMSE) was in the scrub-shrub cover class. Over the small slope range (0° to 10°) in this …

Push And Pull: Using Regression Models To Study The Influence Of Economic Variables On Net Migration In Iowa Counties, Andrea White

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Migration is an intensely personal decision, but mathematical models are useful for quantifying the larger, economic aspects of it. The goal of this research is to use spatial and multiple regression models to study the influence of economic variables on net migration rates in Iowa counties. To achieve this data for many variables was collected from several sources and centered on the year 2000. S-plus software was used to create neighborhood structures, run spatial correlations and regressions, and run multiple regressions and residual diagnostics. The results showed that it is possible to develop a good regression model of migration using …

Geospatial Analysis Of Gravel Bar Deposition And Channel Migration Within The Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri (1955-2003), Derek J. Martin

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Historical land clearing is believed to be responsible for present-day channel instability in main stem reaches in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) in south-central Missouri. The nature of instability is related to the delivery of excess amounts of gravel sediment to stream channels and higher rates of lateral bank erosion. These conditions are of concern to resource managers because of the potential damaging effects on recreational facilities and aquatic habitat. The purpose of this study is to develop a geographic information systems (GIS)/remote sensing (RS) based methodology to monitor spatial patterns of gravel deposition and lateral channel migration within …

The Historical Geography Of Good Thunder, Minnesota, 1870-2005, Robert L. Bothmann

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Good Thunder is a small village in south central Minnesota on the Maple River. Founded in 1870, it is named for two prominent Indian leaders, one a Winnebago chief who lived at the site, and the other a Dakota who was active in the conflict of 1862. It began as an agricultural commerce center when the railroad arrived in Minnesota. The purpose of the study is to consider the transformation of the village, focusing upon the origins and significance of its physical and cultural features in the context of historical geography. The changing historical events and geographical features of the …

Methods For Correcting Topographically Induced Radiometric Distortion On Landsat Thematic Mapper Images For Land Cover Classification, David Michael Rosen

Geography Masters Research Papers

Satellite imagery is commonly used to study land-use, land-cover change in mountainous areas. Classification of land-cover types is particularly difficult in this type of terrain because topography affects the spectral response of surface features. Several techniques have been developed to help compensate for this topographic effect and to increase classification accuracy.

The purpose of this study is to compare topographic correction methods to determine which produces the most accurate results. Method 1 does not use any topographic correction, serving as a control. Method 2 is based on the Lambertian model, and uses topographical data as variables in an equation. Method …

Social Indicators In Cleveland's Ward 17, Mark Salling, Sharon Bliss, Joseph Ahern

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Prolegomenon To A Pedestrian Cartography Of Mixed Legal Jurisdictions: The Case Of Israel/Palestine, Susan G. Drummond

Articles & Book Chapters

The relationship between cartography and law provides a unique focus through which to examine mixed legal jurisdictions. Through an exploration of the various uses of law, cartography, and nation building, the author postulates that mixed legal jurisdictions are created through the subtle incorporation of the originally unfamiliar “Other”. In Canada, European settlers asserted sovereignty through the mapping and naming of territory in ways that did not accord with traditional Aboriginal patterns of usage or conceptualizations of space. The eventual creation of a legal middle ground between these peoples, as articulated by Richard White, is the basis of the author’s analysis …

Bedrock Geology Of Rogers Quadrangle, Benton County, Arkansas, Jon C. Dowell, Camille M. Hutchinson, Stephen K. Boss

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A digital geologic map of Rogers quadrangle was produced at 1:24,000 scale using the geographic information system (GIS) software Maplnfo. Data regarding stratigraphic relations observed in the field were digitized onto the United States Geological Survey (USGS) digital raster graphic (DRG) of Rogers quadrangle. The geology of Rogers quadrangle consists of sedimentary rocks of the Ordovician, Devonian, and Mississippian systems. The Cotter, Powell, and Everton formations represent the Ordovician System. The Clifty and Chattanooga formations represent the Devonian System. The St.Joe and Boone formations represent the Mississippian System. This mapping effort represents the first time stratigraphy of Rogers quadrangle was …

Integrating Supervised And Unsupervised Classification Methods To Develop A More Accurate Land Cover Classification, Donald I.M. Enderle, Robert C. Weih Jr.

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The classification and mapping of land cover provides fundamental information about the characteristics, activities, and status of specific areas on the earth's surface. The quality of the final classification is critical in providing accurate information for ecologists and resource managers in decision-making and for developing a landscape-level understanding of an ecosystem. A land cover classification was developed for 5 research watersheds in Garland and Saline counties in Arkansas using 2002 LANDSAT7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) satellite imagery. The supervised classification was based upon 146 training areas identified from reference data and then applied to the imagery using the maximum …

Walden: A Sacred Geography, Joy Whiteley Ackerman

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In this study, I explore Walden as a place of pilgrimage. Walden Pond is located in Concord, Massachusetts, a place associated with Henry David Thoreau, a 19th century icon of American environmentalism. The site of his simple dwelling (and the focus of his book by the same name) is now a state park and national landmark that receives over half a million recreational users and tourists each year, in addition to visitors with a particular interest in Thoreau’s life and writing. I took two approaches to Walden’s sacred geography, using phenomenological methods to explore the poetics of pilgrimage and a …

Glacial Deposits, Vol. 33, 2004-2005, Department Of Geography-Geology

Glacial Deposits

Newsletter of the Department of Geography-Geology

Implementing A New Data Model For Simulating Process, Jochen Albrecht, Femke Reitsma

Publications and Research

The paper describes the development of a new methodological approach for simulating geographic processes through the development of a data model that represents a process. This methodology complements existing approaches to dynamic modelling, which focus on the states of the system at each time step, by storing and representing the processes that are implicit in the model. The data model, called nen, focuses existing modelling approaches on representing and storing process information, which provides advantages for querying and analysing processes. The flux simulation framework was created utilizing the nen data model to represent processes. This simulator includes basic classes for …

Microwave Backscatter Modeling Of Erg Surfaces In The Sahara Desert, Haroon Stephen, David G. Long

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

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

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

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 …

The August 14th, 2003 Blackout: Implications For Future Disaster Preparedness In Toronto, Ontario, Kelly Marie Macgrandles

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Hazards, both natural and technological occur on a fairly regular basis. Timely and accurate communication of information before, during and after a disaster is essential for saving lives and property. This theme is the focus of this Master's thesis, in which the August 14th, 2003 blackout is used as a case study to assess how information is provided to the public during disaster events. More specifically, the thesis evaluates how agencies within the City of Toronto communicated risk information to the public. A news release analysis and interview analysis were then conducted to determine how closely the information in news …

Russian Immigration To The Usa, 1990-2003, Alexandra Mikhailovna Bozheva

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The last decade of the 20th century was marked by an important event on the European political map, the USSR's disintegration and the formation of new states. The collapse of the Soviet Union and consequent changes in the economic and social lives of its former population caused an increase in migration between former republics, and migration flow abroad. Regarding the Russian Federation, international emigration from its territory was directed mostly toward three countries: Germany, Israel and the USA. The period 1990-1991 can be called the starting point of a new wave of Russian emigration, and this is true in relation …

Monitoring Spatial And Temporal Water Quality Changes In Iowa Lakes Using Airborne Hyperspectral Imagery, Nathan Robert Green

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has identified more than 20,000 water bodies across America as polluted mainly due to agricultural non-point source pollution. Current techniques for monitoring and assessing the quality of waters in streams, reservoirs, lakes, and estuaries involve on site measurements and/or the collection of water samples for subsequent laboratory analyses. While this approach yields accurate measurements for a point in time and space, it is expensive, laborious, and cannot provide a temporal or spatial overview of water-quality trends. To overcome this liability, state and local agencies are seeking alternative and more cost effective methods. A …

An Evaluation Of Crash Cluster Identification Methodologies: A Case Study Of Iowa, Leonard Sitji Bombom

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the US, crashes are a leading cause of death and disability. To effectively counter this problem, measures are aimed at locations with high crash risks. One common method to determine these "hazardous" locations is to identify clusters of crashes, also referred to as hotspots or blackspots. Several methodologies have been developed to achieve this aim. However, there is no consensus as to what method(s) is "correct." This study evaluates some of the methodologies in the CrimeStat statistical program that are used to cluster crashes with the aim of determining those most suitable for certain crash types (younger drivers, failure …

Extraction Of Transportation Infrastructure From Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Data, James Paul Gerjevic

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The goal of this study was to extract transportation infrastructure features from hyper-spectral imagery using data from the high resolution Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS). A "Minimum Noise Fraction" (MNF) and a classification and regression tree (CART) were used to reduce the number of spectral dimensions to be analyzed. Then, hyperspectral classifiers such as the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM), Mixture-tuned matched filtering (MTMF) and mixture-tuned matched filtering combined with classification and regression tree (MTMF-CART) were used to extract the transportation infrastructures from the image using different image processing software such as ENVI and ERDAS IMAGINE. Finally, WinTopo software was used …