Geography Commons^™

The Complexities Of Irrigation Efficiency: Groundwater Data, Agro-Hydrology, And Water Decision-Making In Central Oregon, Rebecca Anderson, Alida Cantor

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Irrigation efficiency projects aim to conserve water for in-stream flow and agricultural use by reducing water losses throughout the system. Piping irrigation canals is a common irrigation efficiency method that results in trade-offs: while it increases efficiency of irrigation water conveyance, it reduces incidental groundwater recharge. This paper focuses on the data and decision-making of canal piping, focusing primarily on understanding the potential impacts of reduced canal leakage on shallow wells. By conducting a spatial analysis of shallow wells in the basin at risk of being impacted by canal piping, and combining this with interviews with water managers in central …

Does El Niño Affect Mjo-Ar Connections Over The North Pacific And Associated North American Precipitation?, Laís G. Fernandes, Paul Loikith

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study investigates how the El Niño phase (EN) of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influences the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) modulation of cool-season North Pacific atmospheric rivers (ARs) and associated AR-landfall North American precipitation between 1980 and 2020. EN changes the key drivers of MJO-AR connections by shifting MJO-driven convection east of 180° in MJO phases 6–8 and extending the northern Pacific subtropical jet eastward. Under these conditions, the MJO tropical-extratropical teleconnection is triggered east of 180° in phases 7–8, and a persistent cyclonic flow anomaly develops along the United States west coast. Anomalous northeastward integrated water vapor transport (IVT) …

Preserving Location Authenticity: Multi-Sensor System To Thwart Gps Spoofing In Self-Driving Vehicles, Peng Jiang

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The ubiquity of the Global Positioning System (GPS) has cemented its role as the cornerstone for an array of location-based services and navigation systems, spanning applications from autonomous vehicles and drones to maritime vessels and wearable technology. Nonetheless, ensuring the integrity of reported geographical coordinates poses a formidable challenge, owing to the proliferation of diverse GPS spoofing tools. This predicament is compounded by the pervasive availability of tools like Fake GPS, Lockito, and software-defined radios, enabling even unsophisticated users to commandeer and disseminate counterfeit GPS coordinates. This dissertation undertakes the task of devising an encompassing and resilient framework, integrating a …

Spatial Patterns Of Women Enrolled In Undergraduate Higher Education Coursework In The Us From 2010 To 2020., Dorcaslove Naa Oyo Quartey

Masters Theses

Higher education in the United States has witnessed a significant transformation over the years, characterized by a positive change in women’s enrollment across colleges and universities. Despite significant gains in recent decades, differences in women's participation to higher education persist across the United States. This may be due to several reasons. This thesis investigates the spatial patterns of women's enrollment in undergraduate higher education coursework across the United States from 2010 to 2020. As women's participation in higher education has become increasingly pivotal for societal progress, understanding the geographical distribution of their enrollment provides critical insights into regional disparities. Employing …

Maize Production In Ghana: A Case Study Of Asante Akim North Municipality, Vincent Osei

Masters Theses

In spite of the numerous benefits of maize production in Ghana, its production is faced with a lot of challenges leading to production losses. Asante Akim North Municipality is one of the largest maize-producing areas in Ghana. However, studies on maize and its production in this municipality are under-researched, hence the need for this study. The main objective of the study is to analyze a 10-year (2013-2022) production trend of maize in Asante Akim North Municipality to identify factors affecting maize production in the municipality, so as to seek pragmatic measures to help improve maize yields in the municipality and …

Spatiotemporal Changes Of Urban Growth And Particulate Matter2.5 Concentrations: A Regional Study Using Gis-Remote Sensing Techniques, Mizanur Rahman

Masters Theses

Rapid urbanization and its environmental repercussions present profound challenges for developing countries. This study investigates the spatiotemporal relationship between urban growth and airborne particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentrations in four upazilas of Bangladesh from 2001 to 2019. Utilizing GIS and remote sensing techniques, this research explores the transitions in land cover and their impact on air quality, focusing on the escalating levels of PM_2.5 — a critical pollutant associated with numerous health risks. The study delineated land cover changes using satellite imagery; PM_2.5 concentration levels were derived from NASA's Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center while ground-truthing validated …

Spatial Pattern Analysis Of Agricultural Drought In The Jatiluhur Reservoir’S Irrigation Area Using Normalized Drought Index (Nddi) Modis Satellite Image, Ahmad Zubair, N C. Sakina, N Khairunnisa, Ayyasy Siddiq, Andry Rustanto, Faris Zulkarnain, Muhammad Dimyati

Jurnal Geografi Lingkungan Tropik (Journal of Geography of Tropical Environments)

Agricultural drought occurs in various irrigation areas in Indonesia, one of which is the Jatiluhur Reservoir’s irrigation area. Agricultural drought in this area occurs due to several factors, including the natural phenomenon of climate anomalies which causes the length of the dry season, and also due to less optimal irrigation networks, damaged networks and other obstacles. But, not all agricultural land in the irrigated area experiences drought. Agricultural land affected by drought is important to know its spatial and temporal distribution to determine priority locations in drought disaster management, especially on agricultural land. Therefore, this study aims to examine the …

Depicting Racial Residential Segregation: An Empirical Analysis Of A Geographical Racial Project In Kent County, Michigan, 2000-2020, Deanna Hughes

Masters Theses

Racial residential segregation has been the foundation for social inequality in American society for many years with links back to slavery and Jim Crow segregation. Many different techniques have been created to study racial residential segregation, with a vast majority of the statistical calculations showing that segregation has been steadily decreasing since the 1960s, sometimes in large amounts. This study seeks to assess these claims by utilizing the same calculations used in those studies and producing dasymetric maps to depict how racial residential segregation is appearing in Kent County, Michigan including Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids. The following calculations …

Does The Use Of Media And Other Information Sources Cause The Perceived Experience Of Climate Change Or Is It The Other Way Around?, Sonny Rosenthal, Pengya Ai

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

The perceived experience of climate change can be an important motivator of individual climate action. Recent scholarship argued that the use of media and other information sources is a basis of perceived experience. The current study analyzed a cross-lagged panel model to know if the use of information causes perceived experience or vice versa. Analysis of longitudinal data from a sample of Singapore residents (N = 466) showed that the use of traditional media, but not social media or interpersonal sources, explained change in perceived experience. In contrast, perceived experience explained change in the use of traditional media and interpersonal …

Montana Residents' Attitudes Towards Tourism - 2023, Carter Bermingham, Megan Schultz, Matthew Pettigrew

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

A summary of Montana residents' attitudes towards tourism from the 2023 season. Overall, results from this study show that Montana residents hold a generally positive attitude towards tourism in the state. Residents are aware of the economic benefit that tourism provides to their communities, and agree that the overall benefits outweigh the negative impacts. Perceptions of crowding at the statewide and community level appear to be easing from previous years.

The Montana Travel Industry - 2023 Summary, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

2023 summary infographic of the Montana travel and recreation industry.

2023 Estimates - Nonresident Visitation, Expenditures, And Economic Contribution, Kara Grau

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report is a collection of estimates of 2023 nonresident visitation to Montana, expenditures by nonresident travelers in the state, and the contribution to Montana's economy of that traveler spending. Included are estimates by full year, quarter, trip purposed, and other visitor segments.

Women’S Communities And Landscapes In Deadwood, South Dakota In The 1870s–1880s, Jessica Kaye Long

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This research focuses on the lives, experiences, and contributions of Deadwood women from 1875 to 1889. This range represents a defining period in Deadwood’s history stretching from its inception to the arrival of the railroad. Through this research, I seek to better understand the women living in a relatively isolated city during the gold rush. While previous research has focused on the city’s most famous women and sex workers of the Badlands, the lives of average citizens have been neglected. This research does not want to ignore the impacts of famous women or sex workers. Instead, this thesis attempts to …

Mushroom Composition Across An Elevational Gradient During The 2024 Wet Season In Mazumbai Forest Reserve, Tanzania, Christopher Brady

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mushrooms are key bioindicators that contribute greatly to ecological health, and their diversity is indicative of a healthy ecosystem. However, even with the vital role they play in ecological health, there are few studies which measure the diversity of mushrooms in Mazumbai Forest Reserve (MFR), Tanzania, Africa, and none which focus on diversity along the elevational gradient within the reserve (1300-1900m). This study measures the diversity and equitability of mushrooms growing in six elevational zones within MFR during the rainy season of 2024. A species checklist of mushrooms growing in MFR during the 2024 rainy season was created, tracking the …

Growing Natural Connections: The Effects Of Modality And Type Of Nature On Connectedness To Nature, Audria Huixuan Low, Carynn Yan Min Chung, Irene Jia Yi Cheong, Charmaine Xin Yu Loke, Sonny Rosenthal

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

An important predictor of pro-environmental attitudes and behavior is connectedness to nature. However, current research lacks consensus on how to effectively cultivate it in individuals, particularly with media messages. To address this gap, this study investigated how the modality of nature experiences and type of nature influence connectedness to nature in young adults. Data collection involved 164 undergraduate students at a Singapore university who participated in a 2 (modality: physical tour vs video tour) × 2 (nature type: forested area vs botanic garden) factorial experiment. Results showed that nature type did not affect connectedness to nature, nor did fear or …

死亡的生态政治：新加坡丧葬改革中的 土地与情感矛盾 [Political Ecology Of Death: Funeral Reforms And The Conflicts Of Land And Emotion In Singapore], Quan Gao, Orlando Woods, Lily Kong, Yan Zhou

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper explores the political ecology of death and emotion through the secularized funeral rituals reform in Singapore. Although scholars have recently acknowledged the roles of emotion in shaping environmental politics, religion and death as socio-affective forces have not been substantively engaged with by political ecologists. In this paper, we argue that death is inherently both a spiritual and ecological phenomenon, as it addresses not only the spiritual landscape of how people see the natural world, but also the affective tensions and struggles over what counts as a "proper" form of burial in relation to religion and nature. We first …

Spatial Patterns Of Building Damages And Associated Socio-Economic Factors By Hurricane Ian, Md Zakaria Salim

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Literature shows that communities with different socio-economic conditions suffer from different levels of damage in disasters. In addition to the physical intensity of hazards, such disparities are also related to varying abilities to prepare for and respond to natural hazards. The study analyzes the spatial patterns of building damage in Hurricane Ian in 2022 and investigates the socio-economic disparities related to building damage. Specifically, this study employs NASA’s Damage Proxy Map (DPM2) to analyze Ian's spatial patterns of building damage. Then, it uses statistical analysis to assess the relationship between building damage and various physical and socio-economic variables at building …

17O-Excess In Tropical Cyclones Reflects Local Rain Re-Evaporation More Than Moisture Source Conditions, Chijun Sun, Timothy Shanahan, Shaoneng He, Adriana Bailey, Jesse Nusbaumer, Jun Hu, Aubrey Hillman, Erika Ornouski, Jacob Warner, Kristine Delong

Faculty Publications

17O-excess is a relatively new water isotope parameter that could potentially provide useful information about the hydrological cycle. Previous works focusing on 17O-excess in polar regions suggest that it primarily tracks moisture source relative humidity, but little is known about how to interpret 17O-excess data in lower latitudes. Here we present quasi-hourly triple oxygen isotope data of precipitation collected from two tropical cyclones in Texas and Louisiana in 2020 to understand the impacts of environmental and meteorological processes on the 17O-excess of low-to mid-latitude precipitation. We find that at both hourly timescales and the event scale, 17O-excess is strongly correlated …

Introductory Geology Laboratory Students' Learnings From And Perceptions Of Physical And Virtual Polarizing Light Microscopes – An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study, Christy M. Bebeau

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Undergraduate geoscience laboratory courses provide hands-on learning about earth materials. However thin section analysis is not typically included in introductory geology laboratories, likely due to the polarizing light microscope (PLM) costs. Therefore, there is a lack of research about the educational outcomes of novices learning these skills.

In this inquiry, I conducted mixed methods research about novice students' learning of thin section analysis in an introductory geology laboratory and evaluated learning and perception differences between students who used a virtual PLM and those who used a physical PLM. I collected data from Creative Exercise (CE) assessments in student midterm and …

More Adventures With Chicory: Things Get Wild, Jean Lavigne

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Migration Patterns Of Young Adults In Nevada, Annie Vong, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet examines data on young adult migration patterns for two commuting zones in Nevada: Las Vegas, AZ & NV and Reno, NV. The original report published by Opportunity Insights features data from the United States Census Bureau and examines young adult migration patterns for commuting zones across the United States.

Homelessness Assessment Of The Mountain West, 2023, Mohit Pande, Miguel Soriano Ralston, Riley Ruff, Zachary Billot, Annie Vong, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet examines 2023 homelessness assessment data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

Discovering Italian Chicory, Jean Lavigne

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Social Media Use Disparities On Community Resilience To Disasters, Kejin Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

With the rapid development of social media, many researchers chose to use social media data to conduct studies of disaster resilience. This dissertation addresses three fundamental challenges related to social media use and disaster resilience analysis including: how the spatial analysis scale affects the results of social media use disparity and its impacts on disaster resilience; how different vulnerability and resilience measurement methods can generate very different results; and how social media use disparity can be identified to help improve the fairness of AI-based emergency rescue model development. Therefore, the first part of the dissertation measured the relationships between disparities …

Learning To Be Reflexive In Qualitative Research: Improving Training For Doctoral Students In Business Schools, Eun Su Lee

The Qualitative Report

Doctoral education in business schools is focused on a functional approach to research training. While this approach is necessary, it rarely encompasses reflexivity in qualitative research, despite its importance. This paper provides the groundwork for educators in business schools to reconsider the conventional approach to teaching qualitative methods. It draws on my personal and professional experience as a key resource to shape its examination of doctoral education in conducting qualitative research. The paper offers points of reflection on the struggle students may face in conducting rigorous qualitative research without appropriately understanding the influence of self with previous experience, preconceived ideas, …

“Urban Renewal” Surrounding Florida Solar Plants: A Study On Low-Carbon Gentrification, Megan Amber Grove

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Renewable energy and sustainable living are growing trends in Florida as the state “develops” rural landscapes and “redevelops” urban ones, resulting in neighborhood changes, including displacement of low-income and minority populations (LIMP). Solar energy has not historically been a root cause of such changes, but in recent years it has increasingly accompanied neighborhood development which prioritizes the interests of the elite and middle class. As such, it has become a contributor to “urban renewal,” which must be addressed to avoid future LIMP displacement. This study used geospatial and data science technologies and techniques to empirically explore and analyze urbanization and …

Ground Electric Field, Atmospheric Weather And Electric Grid Variations In Northeast Greece Influenced By The March 2012 Solar Activity And The Moderate To Intense Geomagnetic Storms, Georgios Anagnostopoulos, Anastasios Karkanis, Athanasios Kampatagis, Panagiotis Marhavilas, Sofia-Anna Menesidou, Dimitrios Efthymiadis, Stefanos Keskinis, Dimitar Ouzounov, Nick Hatzigeorgiu, Michael Danakis

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In a recent paper, we extended a previous study on the solar solar influence to the generation of the March 2012 heatwave in the northeastern USA. In the present study we check the possible relationship of solar activity with the early March 2012 bad weather in northeast Thrace, Greece. To this end, we examined data from various remote sensing instrumentation monitoring the Sun (SDO satellite), Interplanetary space (ACE satellite), the Earth’s magnetosphere (Earth-based measurements, NOAA-19 satellite), the top of the clouds (Terra and Aqua satellites), and the near ground atmosphere. Our comparative data analysis suggests that: (i) the winter-like weather …

Pal-Bert: An Improved Question Answering Model, Wenfeng Zheng, Siyu Lu, Zhuohang Cai, Ruiyang Wang, Lei Wang, Lirong Yin

Faculty Publications

In the field of natural language processing (NLP), there have been various pre-training language models in recent years, with question answering systems gaining significant attention. However, as algorithms, data, and computing power advance, the issue of increasingly larger models and a growing number of parameters has surfaced. Consequently, model training has become more costly and less efficient. To enhance the efficiency and accuracy of the training process while reducing the model volume, this paper proposes a first-order pruning model PAL-BERT based on the ALBERT model according to the characteristics of question-answering (QA) system and language model. Firstly, a first-order network …

Evaluating The Environmental Impacts Of U.S. Historical Oil Spill Incidents, Yiming Liu, Hua Cai

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Exposure to risks associated with the production and usage of products, particularly oil, poses significant threats to both ecological systems and human health. Notable examples include the Gulf War Oil Spill (1991) and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (2010). However, numerous smaller-scale oil spills, which collectively contribute to substantial oil releases, often remain overlooked. To fill this gap, our study first developed a detailed oil spill incidents database, covering 1967 to 2023. We quantified the released amount (RA) of oil spills recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Subsequently, we utilized life cycle impact indicators in ReCiPe to …

Southern Nevada Regional Industrial Study, Brookings Mountain West, Center For Business And Economic Research, Transportation Research Center

Policy Briefs and Reports

Recognizing the ongoing need to diversify the Southern Nevada economy, in 2023 GOED commissioned Brookings Mountain West, the UNLV Center for Business and Economic Research, and the UNLV Transportation Research Center to evaluate how Southern Nevada can leverage its geography and connectivity to neighboring states and metros at the megapolitan level to pursue industrial opportunities in the face of shifting global supply chains, diminishing developable land, the need for efficient management of the regional water supply, and the availability of unprecedented federal resources to support clean energy development, manufacturing, electrification of transportation systems, and supply-chain resiliency.

The study builds on …