Evapotranspiration Everywhere, All The Time: Towards A Unified View From Earth Observation,
2026
Chapman University
Evapotranspiration Everywhere, All The Time: Towards A Unified View From Earth Observation, Joshua B. Fisher, Martha C. Anderson, Diego G. Miralles, Kanishka Mallick, Paul C. Stoy, Youngryel Ryu, Wim G. M. Bastiaanssen
Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research
Scientists want to know everything, everywhere, and all the time. This is particularly true in Earth science, where we seek to understand processes that span from the molecular to the planetary scale in how the world works, how it affects us, and how we impact it—especially the water cycle. Evapotranspiration (ET) was the last component to be measured in closing the water cycle: for decades, closing the water budget meant adding up all the measurable components, then inferring ET as the residual. Early measurements relied on water loss from pans and weighing lysimeters, followed by sensors inserted into plants to …
Resilience In Place Names: German-Hehe War Memories And Cultural Identity In Iringa Toponyms,
2026
Mkwawa University College of Education
Resilience In Place Names: German-Hehe War Memories And Cultural Identity In Iringa Toponyms, Claudio G. Kisake, Sophilini M. Yisega, Spemba E. Spemba
Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences
Toponyms, or place names, act as vital markers of historical memory, cultural identity and resilience. In Iringa, Tanzania, toponymy offers valuable insights into the enduring impacts associated with the German-Hehe War (1890–1898), and colonial encounters on indigenous communities. This study explores how place names—such as Kitanzini (‘a place with a noose for hanging people’), Ilundamatwe or Lundamatwe (‘a collection of slaughtered heads’), and Gangilonga (‘the speaking stone’)—convey narratives of Hehe war superiority, resistance, and survival. Using a qualitative approach, the research incorporates archival sources, oral histories, and linguistic analysis to investigate the stories behind naming and renaming, the role of …
Walking The Map: Exploring Illinois Using Giant Traveling Maps,
2026
Illinois State University
Walking The Map: Exploring Illinois Using Giant Traveling Maps, Irenea Walker, Kim Carthans
The Great Lakes Social Studies Journal
While it is common for any social studies discipline to receive limited instructional time in the elementary classroom, geography would be among the least taught (Bauml, 2023; Hinde, 2014). As a result, many students lack even the basic knowledge of geography, such as state capitals, geographical locations, and major landmarks. It is even more alarming that elementary students are unaware of the geography of their own state. National Geographic Society introduced giant floor traveling maps over a decade ago through each state’s National Geographic Alliance (2025). The gigantic floor map helps students get a sense of the map's places through …
Hotspot Analysis Of Nitrate And Arsenic Concentrations In Minnesota Well Water,
2026
University of North Dakota
Hotspot Analysis Of Nitrate And Arsenic Concentrations In Minnesota Well Water, Jadyn Keeler
Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Showcase
Water contamination is one of the biggest threats to water supply and can have long term human health consequences. It is key to identify vulnerable regions to develop better management strategies. This project utilizes hotspot and outlier geospatial analysis to locate areas across Minnesota with elevated levels of nitrate and arsenic in well water and better understand potential factors that might be influencing this. Statistically significant hotspots and cold spots were identified with up to 99% confidence. Hotspots of nitrate were located mainly in the south-central region while hotspots of arsenic were located primarily in the western and south-central portions …
Spatial Analysis Of Heavy Metal Leaching Threats From North Dakota Landfills To Drinking Water Aquifers,
2026
University of North Dakota
Spatial Analysis Of Heavy Metal Leaching Threats From North Dakota Landfills To Drinking Water Aquifers, Leila Campbell
Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Showcase
Groundwater is a primary fresh water source for most rural communities in North Dakota. The EPA acknowledges that landfill leakage is not a matter of if but when, and early detection can be extremely difficult. This project identifies which counties and aquifers face the greatest threat from landfill heavy-metal leaching based on proximity, waste types, and groundwater vulnerability, thereby indicating which landfills warrant the closest monitoring and regulatory compliance. The methodology combines two indexes. The DRASTIC index identifies aquifer vulnerability to surface pollution based on hydrogeologic factors. These factors are weighted by their significance to produce a score that reflects …
Change Of Accessibility In The Izu Islands Before And After Tourism Development In The Pre-World War Ⅱ Period,
2026
Akita University
Change Of Accessibility In The Izu Islands Before And After Tourism Development In The Pre-World War Ⅱ Period, Kantaro Takahashi
International Journal of Islands Research
This study compares accessibility on the Izu Islands, an inhabited archipelago. part of Tokyo Prefecture, from around the 1910s to the 1930s, during the early years of tourism development. Most islands in the archipelago started attracting tourists during the economically prosperous 1960s and 1970s; uniquely, Izu Oshima, the largest island, had been a tourist destination since before World War II. Tourism research on this region and period has predominantly employed a descriptive approach; quantitative studies have been rare owing to the dearth of data. Addressing this gap, this study conducts a network analysis of data acquired from the books of …
What’S In A Map?: Evaluating Mapping Techniques And Measures Of Culture To Inform Equitable Cultural Planning In Dallas, Texas,
2026
University of Texas at Arlington
What’S In A Map?: Evaluating Mapping Techniques And Measures Of Culture To Inform Equitable Cultural Planning In Dallas, Texas, Kena Nicol
Planning Masters Professional Reports
The City of Dallas developed a neighborhood typology map to assess cultural resource distribution as part of its 2018 Cultural Plan, representing a relatively new approach that remains underexplored in academic literature. In the same plan, stakeholders identified equity as a central value, highlighting the need for tools that better support equitable cultural planning. This study evaluates the outcomes of two mapping techniques–cultural asset mapping and opportunity mapping – to examine how each represents cultural resource distribution across Dallas and supports equity-oriented analysis. Cultural asset mapping, the standard approach in cultural planning, identifies the spatial distribution of physical cultural infrastructure. …
What In The Fukushima Should We Do? Analyzing The Costs Of The Fukushima Daiichi Disaster And Japan’S Reactions,
2026
University of South Carolina
What In The Fukushima Should We Do? Analyzing The Costs Of The Fukushima Daiichi Disaster And Japan’S Reactions, Sara Deal, Mary Blair Dellinger
Caravel Undergraduate Research Journal
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, which resulted from the Tōhoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami on 11 March 2011, has caused much debate about the future of the nuclear power industry. Japan has shut down all of its 54 nuclear reactors and increased power production through fossil fuel plants to make up the difference (Foster 2012). This paper analyzes Japan’s decision to shut down its nuclear reactors and investigates the environmental, economic, and health costs of this decision. Nuclear power is compared with other forms of power in regards to life cycle cost, land use, CO2 emissions, and deaths on …
The Queer Family Farm: Exploring Agrifood Justice And Management Philosophies Among Lgbtq+ And Family Farmers In Minnesota And Wisconsin,
2026
Macalester College
The Queer Family Farm: Exploring Agrifood Justice And Management Philosophies Among Lgbtq+ And Family Farmers In Minnesota And Wisconsin, Julia I. Castellano
Geography Honors Projects
Agriculture in the US countryside has long been idolized as a symbol of traditional American values via the “family farm” while queerness has become associated with avant-gardism and urbanity. This study contributes to the nascent but growing scholarship at the convergence of these seemingly opposing propositions: queer farming. Specifically, I contextualize LGBTQ+ farmers in Minnesota and Wisconsin through historical and modern perspectives on the dominant heteronuclear family farm and industrial agricultural landscape to understand how they approach farming in the absence of traditional gender roles and as predominantly small, alternative farmers. The family farm as we imagine it today is …
Food Sovereignty In Post-Apartheid South Africa: A Case Study Among Gardeners And Non-Gardeners In Genadendal, Western Cape,
2026
Macalester College
Food Sovereignty In Post-Apartheid South Africa: A Case Study Among Gardeners And Non-Gardeners In Genadendal, Western Cape, Timothy P. Delventhal
Geography Honors Projects
In post-Apartheid South Africa, large-scale commercial farming is promoted by the state as the only viable agricultural development model, while small-scale agriculture is marginalized in development discourse and the national land reform program aimed at addressing historical wrongs. However, food sovereignty movements across the Global South, such as Via Campesina, have promoted small-scale gardening for communities to gain control over their food systems and prevent the distancing of food from the labor that produced it. The research question investigated is whether people in the Genadendal area who grow their own food from gardens have better dietary diversity outcomes and increased …
Increasing Access To Rural Resources: A Spatial Exploration Of The Social Implications Of Mobility In Appalachian Kentucky.,
2026
University of Louisville
Increasing Access To Rural Resources: A Spatial Exploration Of The Social Implications Of Mobility In Appalachian Kentucky., Anna Morris
College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses
Mobility and accessibility are key predictors in the way that people navigate their communities. However, many rural areas lack holistic transportation systems that support the needs of a diverse range of users. As a result, rural residents, especially rural non-drivers, often face barriers to equitable mobility and access to necessary resources, like healthcare. This study examines the role that mobility plays in facilitating access to healthcare facilities for driving and non-driving populations in Appalachian Kentucky. The study pairs the Enhanced 2-Step Floating Catchment Area method with a demographic index to evaluate mobility equity through spatial accessibility to primary care facilities. …
Splitting Shores: Comparative Analysis Of Italy’S And Spain’S Reactions To Immigration,
2026
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Splitting Shores: Comparative Analysis Of Italy’S And Spain’S Reactions To Immigration, William E. Montgomery V
International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses
The divergence in public immigration sentiment between Italy and Spain, two countries with striking historical, geographic, and demographic similarities, is seen as a mystery for popular theoretical frameworks. Although both nations transitioned from net emigration to net immigration beginning in the 1970s and 1980s, Italy has consistently exhibited more negative attitudes toward immigration relative to the European average, while Spain has seen sustained improvement in immigration sentiment despite receiving immigrants at historically unprecedented levels. Employing a Most Similar Systems Design and drawing on quantitative demographic and survey data, primary legislative texts, and secondary scholarly literature, this thesis tests Group Threat …
Fresh Phytoplankton Bloom Growth In The Fall And Its Control On Ocean Heating In The Pacific Arctic Region,
2026
Clark University
Fresh Phytoplankton Bloom Growth In The Fall And Its Control On Ocean Heating In The Pacific Arctic Region, Clare B. Gaffey, K E. Frey, Bonnie Light, Lee W. Cooper, Jacqueline M. Grebmeier
Geography
Delayed sea ice freeze-up and decreased sea ice extent in the Pacific Arctic region have altered light availability in marine waters, extending the ice-free season and increasing opportunities for photosynthetic activity and energy exchanges. This study investigates phytoplankton bloom progression during the fall using chlorophyll pigments and examines the impact phytoplankton have on heat distribution within the water column. Measurements of chlorophyll-a concentrations and its associated degradation product pheophytin were made in conjunction with optical measurements of light transmittance within the upper water column during the Synoptic Arctic Survey cruise in the Central Arctic Ocean and northeast Chukchi Sea in …
Assessing Tourism-Induced Impacts In Communities Around The Indiana Dunes National Park,
2026
Western Michigan University
Assessing Tourism-Induced Impacts In Communities Around The Indiana Dunes National Park, Charles James Kovacs
Masters Theses
This project aims to examine the effects of the tourism industry in and around a new National Park within the United States’ National Park system (NPS). The Indiana Dunes National Park (IDNP) received National Park designation in 2019. The park, situated on the south shore of Lake Michigan, is a roughly fifty-minute drive east of Chicago. This project seeks to ask and answer how the tourism industry has grown and continues to impact the lives of residents near the IDNP. Two communities, Michigan City and Chesterton, serve as the primary study areas along with the park itself. Qualitative methods, centered …
Gis-Based Trail Accessibility Assessment At Lime Hollow Nature Center,
2026
SUNY Cortland
Gis-Based Trail Accessibility Assessment At Lime Hollow Nature Center, Ashley Siergiej
Honors Theses
Outdoor recreation, such as hiking, is an important component of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, especially in regions such as Central New York where natural areas are abundant. Hiking trails provide opportunities for people to connect with the environment, making it important that individuals of all abilities can access and experience these spaces. However, many environmental and physical factors can influence the difficulty and accessibility of hiking trails. This study evaluates trail accessibility at Lime Hollow Nature Center in Cortland, New York using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and field-based data collection. Field observations were collected along the Art Meadow Loop and …
Distribution Mapping And Modeling Of The Invasive Japanese Knotweed,
2026
Western Michigan University
Distribution Mapping And Modeling Of The Invasive Japanese Knotweed, Jossalyn Rogalski
Masters Theses
This thesis investigates the distribution of invasive Japanese knotweed across Michigan. This plant poses significant challenges to land management due to its rapid growth, environmental impacts, and difficulty of removal once established. Using geographic information systems (GIS), remotely sensed data, and secondary environmental datasets, this research maps current infestations and analyzes key factors influencing the species’ growth and dispersal, such as soil composition, hydrology, land use, and a range of environmental variables, including climatic (annual mean temperature, temperature seasonality, annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality), elevation, vegetation and hydrological indices (NDVI, EVI, NDWI), percent tree cover, and distance to roads. Spatial analysis …
Immigration Related Stress As A Social Determinants Of Health Among Immigrants In Santa Cruz County,
2026
California State University, Monterey Bay
Immigration Related Stress As A Social Determinants Of Health Among Immigrants In Santa Cruz County, Jose Manuel Martinez
Capstone Projects and Master's Theses
Immigration related stress is a major public health issue for undocumented immigrants and mixed status families. That is linked towards the social determinants of health associated with mental health, stress, and disparities. This capstone project was implemented at Santa Cruz County Immigration Project, a program within the Community Action Board in Watsonville, California, that provides legal assistance and support towards the community. The purpose of this project was to evaluate & analyze collected data from clients feedback through bilingual surveys & intake forms that were distributed in person, email, text, and QR code. A total of 50 surveys were collected, …
The Effects Of Impervious Land Cover And Red Tide (Karenia Brevis) On The Florida Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) In The Gulf Coast Of Florida,
2026
Murray State University
The Effects Of Impervious Land Cover And Red Tide (Karenia Brevis) On The Florida Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) In The Gulf Coast Of Florida, Anna Compton
Honors College Theses
Red tide, caused by the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, is an algal bloom event that occurs annually in the West Florida Continental Shelf. The algae releases brevetoxin, a toxin that can be fatal to wildlife in high concentrations. These algal bloom events are thought to be exacerbated by warming ocean temperatures and increased nutrient runoff from urbanization. Red tide is responsible for the mass mortality of various marine organisms like the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris). This study analyzes the changes in nutrient runoff and sea surface temperatures, and how these factors affected red tide cell concentrations and Florida manatee mortalities …
Dendroclimatic Response Of The Wet Miombo Woodland Species: A Case Study Of Mufulira District, Copperbelt Province, Zambia,
2026
Indiana State University
Dendroclimatic Response Of The Wet Miombo Woodland Species: A Case Study Of Mufulira District, Copperbelt Province, Zambia, Collins Chibuye Malubeni
All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Zambia is a tropical, landlocked country that lies in the South-Central part of Africa. The climate in Zambia includes distinct dry and rainy seasons, mainly influenced by the north-south movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which shifts seasonally. This research is focused on understanding the relationship between tree growth and climate using dendrochronology. Forty-nine tropical species, including Julbernardia paniculata, Brachystegia longifolia, and Pericopsis angolensis, were analysed for dendroclimatic potential, and 70% showed clear ring formation, indicating that trees in this locality produce distinct annual ring boundaries. For the single species chronology, thirteen cores from eight trees that were initially …
Creating A Gis-Based Site Suitability Index For A Major Sports Stadium In Kansas City,
2026
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Creating A Gis-Based Site Suitability Index For A Major Sports Stadium In Kansas City, Theodore E. Blair
Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses
There are many considerations taken when siting major sports stadiums. Most literature, though, has focused on the political and economic considerations, the negative outcomes of using public money for private projects. However, geographic considerations play a major part in deciding where to site a stadium. These considerations are wide-ranging and can change with the times. This thesis determines ten modern site suitability criteria, and with them, creates a site suitability index using GIS to determine and quantify more and less suitable areas for stadium development. It applies this index to the Kansas City area, as the city is currently in …
