Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

A Question Of Transparency, John Adam

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Question 1: Why is it easier to see through rain than fog?

Start thinking about this by imagining a fixed volume (V) of water being dispersed into, say, N identical droplets of diameter d. Surface area and volume considerations should lead to the answer in terms of V and d.

Question 2: (a) How "long" (in meters) might such a rain shower or fog bank be?

Hint: Suppose you are looking along a linear stack of S cubes with 1-m sides (through the rain or fog). Each cube contains N drops. If p is the visibility (i.e., the fraction of …

A Question Of Transparency: Solutions For Fermi Questions, March 2025, John Adam

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Question 1: Why is it easier to see through rain than fog?

Start thinking about this by imagining a fixed volume (V) of water being dispersed into, say, N identical droplets of diameter d. Surface area and volume considerations should lead to the answer in terms of V and d.

Solution to Question 1: N = VI(πd³/6) = 6V/πd³ ≈ 2V/d³.

The cross-sectional area A of each drop is πd²/4 ≈ 3d²/4, so the total area blocked off (assuming no overlapping drops—so this is an upper bound) is NA ≈ 1.5V/d, so the area blocked off is inversely proportional to …

Sources Of Underwater Noise, Christine Erbe, Alec J. Duncan, Alexander Gavrilov, Montserrat Landero, Robert D. Mccauley, Iain Parnum, Evgeny Sidenko, Chandra Salgado-Kent, Evgeny Sidenko

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The marine soundscape, whether in coastal areas or the deepest ocean, in the tropics or at the poles, contains a myriad of sounds. Sounds may be grouped by their origin into geophony (e.g., wind, precipitation, waves, earthquakes, volcanoes, and ice), biophony (e.g., invertebrates, fishes, and marine mammals), and anthropophony (e.g., port construction, mineral and hydrocarbon exploration and production, renewable energy installation, and shipping). This chapter gives a brief overview of the geophony and biophony, and then focuses on the anthropophony. The sounds of boats and ships of various types, marine seismic surveys, drilling, dredging, pile driving, windfarms, geotechnical site investigations, …

Farm Profit Impacts Of Consecutive Drought Years Under Climate Scenarios In Southwestern Australia, Sud Kharel, Kevin J. Foster, Meredith M. Guthrie, Ross Kingwell

Climate Science Research Articles

Climate projections for southern Australia indicate an increased likelihood of years of consecutive droughts. How resilient are farm businesses and their farming systems to recover from episodic drought? This study assesses the farm economic and financial impacts of consecutive droughts in southwest Australia. Bioeconomic simulation modelling of farm businesses with different farming systems at three locations is used to examine the long-term financial consequences of consecutive droughts. Various key factors affecting those consequences are examined. Farm location, farming system and starting equity are found to be the main determinants of how quickly a farm business can financially recover from the …

Improving The Performance Of Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships For Sustainable Development In Coastal Areas : Sweden (Hanö Bay) As A Case Study, Jennie Larsson

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

Coastal areas are vital for both ecosystems and human societies. Comprising diverse terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, coastal areas provide us with essential resources and services. However, these areas are under threat from human activities and climate change, necessitating new governance structures to ensure their sustainable management and conservation. This research investigates how to improve the performance of local multi-stakeholder partnerships (M-SPs) in coastal areas, promoted as key mechanisms for achieving sustainable development goals. By drawing on stakeholder theory and using Pattberg & Widerberg’s (2014) analytical framework with nine building blocks for successful M-SPs as a foundation, the study examined …

Uncertainty-Aware Deep Learning Framework For Forecasting Coastal Water Level In Virginia Beach, Md Mahmudul Hasan, Malachi Schram, Sridhar Katragadda, Diana Mcspadden, Alisa N. Udomvisawakul, Heather Richter, Frank Liu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Coastal areas like Virginia Beach, USA, are increasingly vulnerable to flooding. To mitigate the impact of flooding, it is crucial for the City of Virginia Beach to have reliable 72-hour-ahead (3 days) forecasts of water levels at key gauge locations. To support this effort, several sensors have been installed throughout the city to monitor water levels and other environmental parameters such as wind speed, precipitation, and atmospheric pressure. Leveraging sensor data from one of these locations, we developed an uncertainty-aware deep learning model to forecast water levels. We employed deep quantile regression (DQR) to quantify variability in the predictions and …

Robust Trend Estimation From Temporally Irregular Recreational Fisheries Surveys: A Panel Modeling Framework For Sparse Time Series, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah, S. M. Taylor, Ute A. Mueller

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Monitoring of recreational fisheries faces ongoing challenges due to irregular data collection and sampling gaps. We used a robust statistical approach combining cross-sectional panel modeling with generalized linear models to analyze discontinuous time series data. We modeled recreational boating patterns across four distinct Western Australian locations using camera monitoring data (2011–2014), and integrated weather conditions and temporal factors to improve trend estimation. Environmental conditions were strongly related to boating activity, particularly wind effects of distinct north–south patterns. Recreational activity decreased at northern locations during easterly winds and at southern locations during northerly winds. Cross-validation demonstrated how environmental factors can be …

Assessing Equity, Environmental Social Justice And Intersectionality In U.S. Federal Policies: A Comparative And Temporal Analysis Of The Department Of Transportation, Department Of Energy, And Environmental Protection Agency, Sneha Basu

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

As the climate crisis intensifies, U.S. federal policies play a critical role in addressing the disproportionate environmental burdens borne by marginalized communities. This thesis assesses how equity, environmental social justice, and intersectionality have been integrated into the policy documents of three key federal agencies: Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Energy (DOE), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over a 20-year period (2004–2024). Using a quantitative content analysis of 46 policy documents, the study evaluates five core dimensions: depth of discussion, clarity of language, inclusiveness of marginalized groups, action-oriented language, and environmental justice considerations. The research reveals significant interagency disparities, with …

Multi-Sensor Data Fusion And Gis-Drastic Integration For Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment With Rainfall Consideration, Wu Jiazhe, Dai Xinrui, Su Yangcheng, Zheng Xiangtian, Bushra Ghaffar, Rabiya Nasir, Ahsan Jamil, Zeeshan Zafar, Mohammad Suhail Meer, M. Abdullah-Al-Wadud, Rahila Naseer, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In many areas of the world, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, groundwater is the primary source of fresh water, and it supplies around one-third of the world's fresh water. Agriculture is the primary economic sector on the coast in the southern district (Nowshera). More food productivity is required due to the expanding population and diminishing agricultural lands, which increases the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers in farming. The current study was conducted in northwestern parts of Pakistan to evaluate the impacts of the frequent use of pesticides and fertilizers in agricultural fields. Nine hydrogeological parameters were considered, and …

Unfolding Cascading Impacts Of Changing South Asia Monsoon On A Hindu Kush Himalayas Basin, Surendra Maharjan, Wenzhao Li, Shahryar Fazli, Arshad Ansari, Suraj Tiwari, Roma Thakurathi, Rejoice Thomas, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Study region

Study focus

New hydrological insights for the region

2024 - Tennessee Annual Climate Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

Changes In Climate And Their Implications For Cattle Nutrition And Management, Bashiri Iddy Muzzo, R. Douglas Ramsey, Juan J. Villalba

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Climate change is a global challenge that impacts rangeland and pastureland landscapes by inducing shifts in temperature variability, precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events. These changes alter soil and plant conditions, reducing forage availability and chemical composition and leading to nutritional stress in cattle. This stress occurs when animals lack adequate water and feed sources or when these resources are insufficient in quantity, composition, or nutrient balance. Several strategies are essential to address these impacts. Genetic selection, epigenetic biomarkers, and exploration of epigenetic memories present promising avenues for enhancing the resilience of cattle populations and improving adaptation to environmental stresses. …

Extraordinary 21st Century Drought In The Po River Basin (Italy), Abel Andrés Ramírez Molina, Glenn Tootle, Giuseppe Formetta, Thomas Piechota, Jiaqi Gong

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Recent research identified 2022 as being the year of lowest seasonal April–May–June–July (AMJJ) observed streamflow for the Po River Basin (PRB) in the past two centuries. Expanding upon this research, we applied filters (2-year to 30-year filters) to the AMJJ observed streamflow and identified the late 20th and 21st century as displaying extreme drought. In this study, we introduce PALEO-RECON, an automated reconstruction tool developed to leverage tree ring-based proxies and streamline regression processes. Using PALEO-RECON, we reconstructed the AMJJ streamflow, applying traditional regression techniques and using a nested approach in which 30-, 40-, and 50-year windows within the ~200-year …

Analysis Of Monthly And Annual Air Temperature Trends In Port-Said City, Egypt, Amna S. Dabbous, Yasser M. El-Wakeel, Tarek M. El-Geziry

Blue Economy

This study examined fluctuations in a long-term air temperature record in Port Said to determine the existence or absence of climate change in this significant Egyptian metropolis. The data period runs 31 years, from 1991 to 2021. The study investigated the homogeneity of the annual data and used a linear regression approach to characterize the trend of air temperature variations during the study period. Furthermore, the Mann-Kendall test was used to assess trend significance, as well as anomaly calculations to statistically specify severe air temperature episodes. The results showed that the data were homogeneous. Monthly mean air temperatures increased at …

2024 December 19 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Invasion Stress Mitigates Climate Stress In A Brackish Marsh Amphipod, Lorna E. Haworth, Sarah Nancollas, Susie N. Landa, Anne E. Todgham, Richelle L. Tanner

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

1. Organisms in coastal brackish ecosystems face not only highly variable environmental conditions, but the intensity and stochasticity of these environmental conditions are anticipated to increase due to climate change. While environmental changes are often presented unilaterally as stressors, there are some anthropogenic environmental transformations, such as the introduction of habitat forming plant species, that may mitigate physiological stress imposed by warming. In Suisun Marsh in the California Delta, native plant canopies allow light and heat to penetrate to the understory yet the canopies of the introduced Phragmites australis reed block out sunlight and heat for organisms living below.
2. We set …

Validating Atmospheric Freezing Level Heights Using Purdue University Weather Balloon Data, Danielle Harr

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

A Meteorological Investigation Of A Tornado- Producing, “Hybrid” Supercell-Multicell Storm Near Delphi, Indiana, On May 8, 2023, Evelyn Rose K. Girardi

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Organic Alkalinity Distributions, Characteristics, And Application To Carbonate System Calculations In Estuarine And Coastal Systems, Christopher W. Hunt, Joseph Salisbury, Xuewu Liu, Robert H. Byrne

Faculty Publications

The capacity of aquatic systems to buffer acidification depends on the sum contributions of various chemical species to total alkalinity (TA). Major TA contributors are inorganic, with carbonate and bicarbonate considered the most important. However, growing evidence shows that many rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters contain dissolved organic molecules with charge sites that create organic alkalinity (OrgAlk). This study describes the first comparison of (1) OrgAlk distributions and (2) acid–base properties in contrasting estuary-plume systems: the Pleasant (Maine, USA) and the St. John (New Brunswick, CA). The substantial concentrations of OrgAlk in each estuary were sometimes not conservative with salinity …

Geomorphic Evolution Of St. Augustine Inlet, St. Johns County, Florida, Kristen Becker

Theses and Dissertations

Tidal inlets interrupt longshore sediment transport, influencing adjacent beach morphology and allowing the exchange of water and sediment between the open oceans and protected back barrier bay. Inlets evolve through a combination of natural processes and are highly dynamic zones where sediment exchanges cause shifting shoreline positions nearby and create new morphological features. Barrier islands/beaches that are close in proximity to inlets evolve and are an important natural feature that dissipates wave energy and protects inland areas. Both natural and anthropogenic processes that affect barrier islands will be investigated during this study, including storm activity, waves, wind, water level, and …