Geography Commons^™

Shocking: Using Machine Learning Techniques To Nowcast Lightning Strikes From Station Level Data, Michael D. Broussard

LSU Master's Theses

Lightning strikes are incredibly common and potentially hazardous. Lightning can lead to loss of life, property damage, or can trigger other hazardous events like wildfires. They are also the result of incredibly complex physical processes in the atmosphere, making it challenging to predict strikes. However, given the extensive data and robust analytical techniques available, machine learning methods could be used to establish data relationships between lightning strikes and ground-level atmospheric measurements. Such a model could be used to provide any surface-based weather station with a method for predicting incoming strikes, making it easier to avoid the potentially hazardous effects of …

Spatial And Temporal Variations Of Microplastic Concentrations In Portland's Freshwater Ecosystems, Rebecca Talbot, Elise F. Granek, Heejun Chang, Rosemary Wood, Susanne Brander

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

While microplastics are a pollutant of growing concern in various environmental compartments, less is known regarding the sources and delivery pathways of microplastics in urban rivers. We investigated the relationship between microplastic concentrations and various spatiotemporal factors (e.g., land use, arterial road length, water velocity, precipitation) in two watersheds along an urban-rural gradient in the Portland metropolitan area. Samples were collected in August, September, and February and were analyzed for total microplastic count and type. Nonparametric statistics were used to evaluate potential relationships with the explanatory variables, derived at both the subwatershed and near stream scales. In August, microplastic concentrations …

Walking (With) The Platform: Bikesharing And The Aesthetics Of Gentrification In Vancouver, Agnieszka Leszczynski

Geography & Environment Publications

This paper engages the increasing significance of urban platforms through the lens of the aesthetics of gentrification, a mode of place-making through the visual commodification of space. We report on ‘walks-with’ platformized bikesharing infrastructure across a selective sample of three Vancouver neighbourhoods, each differently positioned within the urban spatial hierarchy: gentrified Mount Pleasant/South Main, gentrifying Strathcona/Chinatown, and the gentrifiable East Village. Drawing on photographs, reflections, and observations of the visual fields of select bikeshare stations’ surrounds, we theorize that platformized bikesharing materialities (stations and cycles) function aesthetically through dynamics of serialization, which designates how urban platform materialities express a replicated …

Mapping The Impact Of A Trailway System On The Amount Of Trash Present Within Two Watersheds Of Lynchburg City, Virginia, Lillian Smith

Student Scholar Showcase

Transportation of trash debris within water systems is a prominent occurrence which has been linked to natural and artificial processes such as wind, rain, and littering. Recreational areas, such as activities along greenway trails, have been determined to be a source of debris found in waterways. This study examines whether the presence of an established recreational trail system limits trash accumulation in the entirety of a watershed. Trash data collected at Blackwater Creek, which contains an established trail system, was compared to trash data collected at Fishing Creek, containing a non-established trail system, to answer this hypothesis. A distance of …

Site Selection For Norfolk Day Services Facility, Faith N. Witkowski, Hua Liu

College of Arts and Letters Posters

In October 2021, The Center: A Temporary Shelter transitioned from its downtown location to a residential area a few blocks away. After the move, a pressing, geographic-based question has surfaced: what makes the best location for the houseless population to be able to utilize resources? Using two methods, this study endeavored to answer this question in multiple ways, through different lenses. Method one's objectives are to find an optimal location(s) for a potential Norfolk day service facility based on 1) proximity to social and health services, 2) proximity to a neighborhood that would most benefit from a day center, and …

Active Leisure And Ageing In Rural Ireland: Exploring Perceptions And Motivations To Facilitate And Promote Meaningful Physical Activity, Angie Hartnett, Catherine Gorman

Articles

The life expectancy of the world population is increasing and the art of aging well is of global interest (European Commission, n.d.). In Ireland, the number of people over the age of 60 will increase from 1.1 million currently, to 2.44 million by 2041, constituting nearly one third of its total population (Institute of Public Health, 2018). Despite the benefits of regular physical activity (pa), particularly with the frail (≥65 years and requiring a walking aid), rates of participation remain low (Colley et al., 2011). Health concerns raised, such as smoking and weight issues, are more prevalent in this cohort …

A Tectonic Geomorphic Study Of Neotectonics And Seismic Hazard Of The Fold And Thrust Belt Complex Of Bengal Basin, Eastern Himalayan Range, Niroj Shrestha

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Tectonic activity continues to shape and create challenges for human populations in tectonically active areas. The Bengal Basin is one of the most important sedimentary basins of the Eastern Himalayan Range, aiding in one of the densely populated regions of the world. The basin is part of the tectonically active Himalayan Orogen that is undergoing oblique subduction between the Eurasian Plate and the Indian Plate. As a result of this subduction-related convergence, the eastern part of the Basin, particularly the Chittagong-Tripura Fold Belt (CTFB) and western part of the Indo-Burman Range (IBR) has structurally deformed into a series of mostly …

Interrogating Race And Place-Based Inequities In Hiv And Covid-19, Rohan Khazanchi

EMET Projects

Over the last four years, I have developed a research focus examining the intersections of race, place, and health. My M.D. Honors Thesis reflects a snapshot of these efforts. In this collection of brief research reports, I leverage area-based measures to investigate structural inequities in three contexts: the HIV epidemic in our hyperlocal community, the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and clinical trials for novel COVID-19 therapeutics. I apply novel social epidemiologic tools to measure and explore disparate outcomes. And, in reflecting upon my findings, I discuss concrete implications for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers alike.

Chapter 1: Neighborhood-Level Deprivation …

Step By Step: Understanding Perceptions Of Time And Space In Nepal, Lillian Norton-Brainerd

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Time and space are part of everyone’s daily life; however, these concepts are rarely explicitly discussed. Hegemonic interpretations of time and space are part of capitalist, colonialist structures, thus understanding alternative perceptions is important to resisting these structures. To understand perceptions of time in Nepal, I spent a month in Gre, a small village near Langtang National Park. I interviewed villagers and spent time observing how people spend their time, talk about time, and give directions to physical places. While there is not one perception of time and space, I learned how time and space influence each other. Geography and …

Urban Flood Risk And Green Infrastructure: Who Is Exposed To Risk And Who Benefits From Investment? A Case Study Of Three U.S. Cities, Arun K. Pallathadka, Jason Sauer, Heejun Chang, Nancy B. Grimm

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Pluvial flooding is a serious hazard in inland U.S. cities. City managers and communities are increasingly interested in reducing their pluvial flood risk through the development of green infrastructure (GI) features. This research explores the relationship between pluvial flood exposure and GI placement in three inland cities– Atlanta, Phoenix, and Portland–and analyzes the variation of sociodemographic variables in census block groups (CBG) located in pluvial flood zones. Using the Arc-Malstrøm method, we estimated areas of pluvial flooding in the CBGs of our selected cities by relating pluvial flood area to the density of GI in CBGs and assigning CBGs one …

Cultivating Meaningful Consultation And Collaboration: Tribal Environmental Protection In Michigan, Zachary Reed

Masters Theses

In the year 2022, there are 12 federally reaffirmed Native American tribes in Michigan. These tribes all maintain natural resource departments to manage tribal environments. Indigenous groups have a rich history of protection and understanding of the natural world. This connection to land and water has been systematically challenged through patterns of colonialism. Through policy making, revitalization efforts and environmental ethics, the State of Michigan has been improved by tribal natural resource departments. But, while the United States and the State of Michigan recognizes tribal sovereignty, meaningful tribal consultation is inadequate. Through collaborative interviews, historical sources, and contemporary evidence, this …

Assessment Of Natural Hazards Impact On Heritage Sites In The United Arab Emirates (Uae) Using Geographic Information System (Gis), Abdulla Salem Ahmed Saeed Alyammahi

Theses

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) pays significant attention to preserving its heritage sites and archaeological finds and treats them as a vital part of its culture, history, and economy. In recent years, the field of archaeology in the UAE has witnessed tangible and significant developments, with many government initiatives being devoted to establishing archaeological departments in all emirates. The firmly stated policy of these institutions is to preserve the UAE heritage sites and educate the public about their importance. However, these sites are vulnerable to natural hazards, considered one of the most critical threats to the UAE heritage sites. In …

Gender-Based Violence In A Complex Humanitarian Context: Unpacking The Human Sufferings Among Stateless Rohingya Women, Grace Priddy, Zoe Doman, Emily Berry, Saleh Ahmed

Global Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Rohingya is one of the ethnic minority groups that has faced profound ethnic violence against them in their home country, Myanmar. Almost a million Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh and are currently living in extremely precarious conditions near the Myanmar–Bangladesh border. Despite the sufferings and oppressions of all Rohingya, women, in particular, have been victims of sexual violence. Using various information sources, this paper analyzes different dimensions of the gender-based violence that has endured in Myanmar for decades. This paper also highlights the health and wellness of Rohingya women, including impacts made during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, it provides a …

The Relationship Of Fire Incident And Area Vulnerability: Case Study Of West Jakarta Municipality, Indonesia, Fajar Nugraha, Fatma Lestari, Jarot Mulyo Semedi, Nurul Sri Rahatiningtyas, Andrio A. Wibowo

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

Fire incident has a great impact on the loss of lives and financial loss due to property damage. Areas with high population density, densely physical building conditions, and irregular building patterns commonly form congested residential slum areas are vulnerable to fire hazards. The capital city of Jakarta is the most populous city in Indonesia and the most densely populated city, with an average of 15,900 people per sq km. In 2019, there was 2,109 fire incident recorded, and nearly 20% of them occurred within the West Jakarta Municipality area. This study investigates the relationship of population density and building density, …

What Are The Conditions For Generating Positive Impacts On The Livelihood Of Pes Participants In Implementing The Pes Scheme? A Comparison Between Pes For Watersheds In Indonesia And Tanzania, Fathia Hashilah, Septian Agung Waluyo

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

Many scholars perceive that Payment for Environmental Services (PES) will automatically benefit environmental conditions and the livelihood of the environmental services (ES) providers. Some contextual conditions might create a positive impact on the livelihood of ES providers. This paper aims to obtain the contextual needs of PES implementation that positively affect the livelihood of ES providers. Comparing two studies of the PES scheme in Indonesia and Tanzania, there are four general conditions for achieving benefits for ES providers from implementing PES. First, the PES scheme should be well-designed. Second, potential PES participants need to have a solid institutional condition. Third, …

In Place/Out Of Place Assignment, Peter Kabachnik

Open Educational Resources

This Geography assignment, ideal for Political Geography, Cultural Geography, Urban Geography, and so forth (and of course other related disciplines like Anthropology and Sociology), undergraduate courses, explores the concepts of in place and out of place. Based on a reading of the introduction of Tim Cresswell's 1996 book In Place/out of Place Geography, Ideology, and Transgression, this assignment is a great way to get students to think about these issues and connect them to their own experiences.

Short-Term 2d And 3d Geomorphic Change Detection At A Public Park On Lake Michigan Using Uas Remote Sensing Techniques, Scott Patrick Fitzgerald

Masters Theses

The high-water level of Lake Michigan (LM) in the past few years has led to significant periods of erosion and increased the risk to private property owners on the coast. To cope with this, many property owners on the coast of LM have constructed coastal protections, some opting for seawalls. Previous studies have assessed the effects of seawalls but disagreed on their impacts, and only laboratory studies were able to establish their range of influence. Using a different method to study their effects will be pertinent to understanding them.

This research aims to use a higher temporal and spatial resolution …

The Potential Growth Of Synchronized Skating In The Midwestern Section Of Us Figure Skating, Hanna Marie Fussman

Masters Theses

Synchronized skating, a sport in which eight to twenty skaters perform a program in unison as a team, is the fastest growing yet least known and recognized discipline of figure skating in the United States. Skaters do not have control over whether they are exposed to synchronized skating due to their location not having a team, or due to a coach who has tainted the perception of their students to believe that synchronized skating is not as “worthy” of a discipline, causing them to have little to no interest to take advantage of the exposure and opportunities they may have. …

Using Deep Learning And Uav Imagery To Detect Elkhorn Coral In St. Croix’S East End Marine Park, Samuel Wyatt

Master's Theses

Elkhorn coral, or Acropora palmata, is an important reef building species that promotes species abundance and other ecological services to the communities in the US Virgin Islands. We captured high resolution imagery of a reef in St. Croix’s East End Marine Park using a Wingtra One UAV. We then used deep learning techniques to detect individual coral colonies. We compared two deep learning models, FasterRCNN and MaskRCNN, and found that the models achieved accuracy shores up to 0.78. These scores improved when examining only larger corals in shallow waters. The model was able to both detect Elkhorn coral and …

Passengers’ Deviant Behavior Mapping In Duri Train Station, Ahmad Zubair, Widyawati Sumadio, A.R.Z Putri

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

The lack of train station facilities influences the passengers' deviant behavior. This paper aims to analyze the Pattern of Commuter Line passengers' behavior in Duri Station. In collecting data regarding the passengers' behavior, we observed the passengers using the Place Centeres Mapping method. This observation technique aims to understand how people utilize or accommodate their behavior at a particular time and location in the train station. This research model is divided into two stages. The first stage consists of observation and semi-structured interviews with the passengers. The second stage examines the passengers' behavior based on location within the train station. …

Spatial Analysis Of Land Use Suitability Against Regional Spatial Planning At The Food Estate Planning Site In Pulang Pisau Regency, Central Kalimantan, Budianto Budianto, Hafid Setiadi, Muhammad Dimyati, Supriatna Supriatna

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

The limited space on land increases the important of spatial planning that is transparent, accountable and effective, which involves multi-stakeholders in its conception. Such planning is intended to create spatial arrangement that supports security, productivities and sustainability. In the attempt to secure food supply in the future, the government of Indonesia has initiated Food Estate program in 2020 which occupy some vast areas. By occupying large area, careful spatial planning and its proper implementation is highly important for a successful program. This study is a survey to the land use and land utilization in one of the planned areas for …

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, March & April 2022, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 3, Issue 3

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 2-3 Awards and Recognition
Page 4 2022 URSCAD - CNS Snaps
Page 5 Geography Convention Recap
Page 6 Attention Students!
Page 7-8 Media Coverage of CNS
Page 9 Spring Break Outreach, Adopt the Pantry,
Page 10 Discovery on Tap Event
Page 11 CNS Students Visit State Capital
Page 12 Celebrating 50 Years of Sally
Page 13 Open PRAIRIE Data
Page 14 Grants Awarded and Bio-Micro Day of Scholars
Page 15 -17 2022 Geography Convention Snaps
Page 18 Sally Krueger's 50th Work Anniversary

Examining The Impacts Of Flooding On Public Health, Lauren Gibson

Honors Theses

Over the past 10 years, South Carolina has experienced over five major weather events that have led to extreme flooding along the coast. These types of repeated major events have the potential to significantly impact people’s lives and livelihoods. When looking at the issue from a public health perspective, it is known that natural disasters such as flooding can negatively affect community health. However, little research has been done to analyze the impacts on individual health from flooding. This issue inspired a more in-depth research analysis to examine those health impacts from local Horry County residents. This research aims to …

Feasibility Of Introduced Species Into The Westhampton Lake For Pollution Control, Kathryn Grage

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Westhampton Lake, located at the University of Richmond in Virginia is a man made lake that feeds into the James river. The lake itself suffers from pollution and above average nutrient loads from external sources. There have been efforts to try to reduce some pollution from the lake but this research proposes and explores the viability of introducing species into the lake for the same purpose. Two types of animals proposed for introduction into the lake are common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae). Sterilized common carp are proposed as a short term solution to removal of invasive …

The Role Of Physical Geographic Features In Video Games, Dexter Ferguson

Theses

This thesis examines how physical geographic features affect individuals when interacting with video game environments. There are very few studies on the geography of video games. I aim to bridge the gap between game studies and geography, a naturally occurring link. The observation of elements such as the geography of an area is critical when exploring an individual’s perception of a video game environment. Individuals interact with the geography of their location on a day-to-day basis, whether it be physical or human geography; how they can relate a video game’s geography to the real world dramatically affects their immersion. An …

Optimizing Automated Kriging To Improve Spatial Interpolation Of Monthly Rainfall Over Complex Terrain, Matthew P. Lucas, Ryan J. Longman, Thomas W. Giambelluca, Abby G. Frazier, Jared Mclean, Sean B. Cleveland, Yu Fen Huang, Jonghyun Lee

Geography

Gridded monthly rainfall estimates can be used for a number of research applications, including hydrologic modeling and weather forecasting. Automated interpolation algorithms, such as the "autoKrige" function in R, can produce gridded rainfall estimates that validate well but produce unrealistic spatial patterns. In this work, an optimized geostatistical kriging approach is used to interpolate relative rainfall anomalies, which are then combined with long-term means to develop the gridded estimates. The optimization consists of the following: 1) determining the most appropriate offset (constant) to use when log-transforming data; 2) eliminating poor quality data prior to interpolation; 3) detecting erroneous maps using …

Slow Violence And Racial Capitalism: Understanding Mass Incarceration Through A Case Study Of The California Prison System, Mason Joiner

Senior Theses

This thesis will analyze the growth of the California prison system, situating it in the national context of mass incarceration in the United States. In Ruth Wilson Gilmore’s book Golden Gulag: Prisons, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California, Gilmore utilizes the theory of racial capitalism to explain the history and development of the California prison system. By analyzing Gilmore’s arguments about racial capitalism and integrating them with Rob Nixon’s theory of slow violence from his book Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor, this thesis provides a new perspective in the current discourse around mass incarceration. …

The Relationship Between Eviction, Rent Burden, And Poor Births In Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Joseph Agati

Masters Theses

Millions of Americans get evicted every year, with thousands coming from Kalamazoo County, Michigan alone. Additionally, many more live with rent burden, paying over 30% of their monthly income on rent. Both eviction and rent burden have been linked to adverse health effects, such as depression and anxiety, and negative coping mechanisms, such as alcoholism and smoking. This study asks if eviction and rent burden are correlated with poor births in Kalamazoo County as there are hundreds of poor births in the county every year, as well as which social vulnerability themes are most predictive of eviction and poor births. …

Maritime Moves: The American Response To The South China Sea Conflict, Joshua Jachlewski

Senior Honors Theses

China is quickly becoming a world power and will soon reach parity with the United States. China has gotten far more aggressive in its expansion, which extends to the islands within the South China Sea. China claims most of this based on the Nine-Dash Line, in violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. As the current world superpower, the United States must respond to these claims given the geostrategic importance of the region. An analysis of the current Chinese and US positions, as well as those of the other littoral states with competing claims, allows …

Urban Forest Dynamics: Untangling Ecosystem Patterns At Harbison State Forest, Derek Matchette

Theses and Dissertations

As expansion continues to push the wildland-urban interface farther into the suburbs and the landscape which surrounds cities, it will become more important to understand the factors that influence species composition in remaining green spaces. Harbison State Forest, an ~890-hectare urban forest provides a convenient setting to analyze species composition patterns within a multipurpose urban green space.

The factors that can create these patterns include environmental (topography, soil nutrient content, light, temperature, and precipitation), naturally occurring disturbances that alter these factors (e.g., fire, windthrow), and anthropogenic disturbances such as logging and prescribed burning.

I measured basal area by species on …