Physical and Environmental Geography Commons^™

Perspective On Key Materials For Marine Observation And Exploration Platform, Rui Yang, Yingjie Ma, Shijing Cheng

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

An overview is presented of the status of pressure-resistant structural materials and structural functional materials for application in marine observation and exploration platform. The key roles of new materials in facilitating high performance marine equipment are highlighted. The most in-demand observation tasks concern the upper ocean and low cost materials must be developed to manufacture affordable equipment. For deep ocean observations, future challenges are identified for developing next-generation high strength titanium alloys, buoyancy materials, lighting materials, and lubricating and sealing materials. Recommendations are proposed regarding project organization and research paradigm update, and emphasis is placed upon identifying and solving scientific …

Status And Trends Of Energy Power Supply Technologies For Underwater Equipment, Tianyuan Wu, Lixia Jiang, Guanglei Cui

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In the process of cognition and exploration of the ocean, underwater observation and detection equipment is the necessary facility to enter and detect the ocean. These types of equipment provide technical support for the development and utilization of marine resources and is an important grip for the implementation of China's marine strategy and the construction of a strong marine country. However, limited by the current level of energy supply, the underwater equipment has problems such as single operation capacity and short single endurance time, which cannot meet the needs of long-term operation under complex working conditions. As the development of …

Application And Prospect Of Unmanned Underwater Vehicle, Shuo Li, Yuantao Wu, Chen Li, Hongyu Zhao, Yiping Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) is one of the advanced technologies for human to explore and understand the ocean. It is an important equipment for China's construction of a marine power. This study introduces the current development status of UUV, with special focus on the latest application achievements of China's pedigree UUV developed by Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in deep-sea mineral resource exploration, deep-sea scientific research, abyss research and North-South polar expedition. Combined with the current research basis of UUV, the development and application of underwater vehicle in the future are prospected. Through the research and development …

Critical Technologies For Detection Of Polar Environment, Xiao Cheng, Shuangshuang Fan, Lei Zheng, Juanling Zhou

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The South and North poles are cold sources of the Earth system. The local climate and environment in polar regions have experienced rapid change under global warming. The development of technologies for the detection of the polar environment can provide critical support for the understanding of mechanisms of rapid climate change and the participation in international polar governance. Technologies for the detection of the polar environment have been seen considerable development in the past four decades since China engaged in polar expeditions. This study introduces the domestic and international development process and the current status of the related technologies. The …

In Situ Detection Technology For Deep Sea Extreme Environment: Research Status And Strategies, Xin Zhang, Chaolun Li, Lianfu Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The extreme environment of the deep sea has shaped special life processes with great resource potential, and its detection and research are the frontier of international earth science. While the harsh high-pressure environment of the deep sea greatly limits the application of deep-sea sampling and detection technology, the deep-sea in situ detection technology can obtain the component and content information of deep-sea samples without changing the location and state of the measured object, hence it is more and more widely used in the research of deep-sea extreme environment. The deep-sea extreme environment in situ detection technology has a broad prospect. …

Nashville-Basin Tornadoes: Using Storm Types To Elucidate The Local Climatology And Forecasting Challenges, Morgan Steckler, Kelsey Ellis

Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee

Early 3 March 2020 was a devastating night for many middle Tennessee residents. A strong EF-3 tornado tore through Nashville at 65 mph, and another EF-4 killed 18 in Baxter and Cookeville alone. Residents of the Southeastern United States are particularly vulnerable to tornadoes. This study aims to better understand local forecasting challenges by looking at the types of storms that produce tornadoes. Storm types, also known as convective modes, divide tornado-producing storms into categories by length, shape, multiplicity, and intensity. Distinguishing storms by these modes allows for a broader understanding of their occurrences and impacts. This study specifically evaluates …

Inland Tropical Cyclone Intensity Decay In The Continental United States, Yijie Zhu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tropical cyclone (TC) hazard preparation is mostly focused on coastal cities with less attention typically paid to inland regions. The impact of TCs that propagate far inland is often underestimated and can cause unexpected loss of life and economic loss. This dissertation aims to understand the decay process of TCs during the post-landfall stage by answering three main research questions: (1) What are the general patterns of inland tropical cyclones, including spatial variations, decay rates, and translation speeds? (2) Are there temporal changes in the intensity decay from inland moving hurricanes? (3) How is the hurricane post-landfall dissipation related to …

Winding Down River Road, Gillian Harper

LSU Master's Theses

As a mechanism to explore my temporary home in Louisiana, Winding Down River Road is a collection of artworks that integrates natural materials collected from landscapes in southern Louisiana with steel and petroleum-based products. My interest in researching environmental issues, ecology, and industry has shaped my vehicles for observation and how I generate data. Through a variety of methodologies, I am considering how climate change is forcing many of us to re-contextualize how our home can be affected by the very industries we rely on. Personal engagement with residents living in the dystopian atmosphere of southern Louisiana’s industrial corridor and …

Local And State Climate Initiatives In Louisiana Since 2005: Content And Thematic Analyses, Jessie F. Parrott

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana is uniquely exposed to severe weather because of its geography and climate. Louisiana’s extreme weather is exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change, which will worsen in the future. The risks its population and environment are exposed to has generated several policies and planning documents, nine of which are analyzed in this thesis. Three plans are from the state level, three are from the parish level, and three are from the urban (New Orleans) level. These planning documents pose various adaptation and mitigation actions to ameliorate and address multiple climate issues. These actions utilize specific mitigation strategies. The content and thematic …

Titaniferous-Vanadiferous, Magnetite-Ilmenite Mineralization In A Mafic Suite Within The Chhotanagpur Gneissic Complex, Bihar, India, Ashmeer Mohammad, Anup K. Prasad, Kehe-U Wetsah, Mohammad Azad, Vivek Aryan, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Titanium or vanadium metals or their alloys are important industrial metals/alloys. Because these resources are in short supply, the investigation of potential titaniferous-vanadiferous deposits needs special attention to bridge the supply-demand gap. The study integrates geological, geochemical, remote sensing, and geophysical data for assessing the potentiality of titaniferous-vanadiferous, magnetite-ilmenite mineralization in and around the Sudamakund and Paharpur areas, Gaya and Jehanabad districts, Bihar, India, and delineation of specific targets for detailed exploration. Field visits for large scale mapping on (1:12,500 scale) were used to conduct a reconnaissance survey for magnetite-ilmenite mineralization in parts of toposheet number 72G/04 in the Gaya …

Tropical Cyclone Storm Surge Detection In Slash Pine Radial Growth Along The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Coastline, Alyssa C. Crowell

Master's Theses

My thesis examines the ecological impact of tropical cyclone (TCs) storm surge on coastal slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii Engelm) communities along the Gulf of Mexico in the southern United States (U.S.). Previous research has shown slash pine radial growth trends can be examined to identify long and short-term growth changes associated with TC passage, providing insight into overall stand health and resiliency through time. However, this previous research encompasses just one site in Mississippi. My thesis expands the spatial footprint of TC-surge impact on slash pine radial growth with the addition of three new sites.

I examined …

A Gis Suitability Model Evaluating Habitat Characteristics Influencing Beaver (Castor Canadensis) Lodge Site Selection And Lodge Occupancy In Central Adirondacks, New York, Amanda K. Jacobs

Theses - ALL

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) represents a quintessential example of an "ecosystem engineer." Yet the species' landscape-scale impacts on hydrology, geomorphology, and ecosystem ecology are not uniformly distributed through landscapes or time. Understanding beaver lodge site selection and lodge fidelity through time can help to predict where the greatest effects of beaver activity may occur. In this research project, I seek to understand the relationships between beaver habitat suitability, the habitat variables that currently define suitable areas, and lodge occupancy over time. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to model habitat suitability, I use hydrologic, vegetative, and physiographic variables to …

Combining Precipitation Forecasts And Vegetation Health To Predict Fire Risk At Subseasonal Timescale In The Amazon, Katia Fernandes, Michael Bell, Angel Munoz

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Current forecast systems provide reliable deterministic forecasts at the scale of weather (1-7 days) and probabilistic outcomes at the scale of seasons (1-9 months). Only in recent years research has begun transitioning to operational settings to provide numerical predictions for a lead time of 2-4 weeks, a timescale known as subseasonal. The Subseasonal Experiment (SubX) multi-model ensemble mean precipitation forecast (2017-2021) for days 8-14 (week-2 forecast) is used as a covariate in logistic regression models to predict fire risk in the Amazon. In a complementary experiment, a vegetation health index (VHI) is added to SubX precipitation forecasts as a predictor …

Air Quality And Vehicular Emissions: Evaluating Vehicular Emission Contributions To And Distribution Of Ambient Particulate Matter Pollution With Low-Cost Sensors In Richmond, Virginia, Morgan Malstead

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Hazardous air quality prematurely kills millions of people a year and exacerbates underlying health issues for millions more. Unsafe levels of particulate matter are typically associated with newly industrialized and developing countries, however, this is a misconception, especially when considering ambient air pollutants in densely packed urban areas. According to the Airbeam and Purple Air data collected on 07/15/2021, Richmond, Virginia has good air quality with the vast majority of values falling below the United States Environmental Protection Agency annual PM2.5 standard of 12 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3). Vehicular emissions may not account for a large percentage of PM2.5 …

Influence Of Altitude And Scan Angle On Uas-Lidar Ground Height Measurement Accuracy In Juncus Roemerianus Scheele (Black Needle Rush)-Dominated Marshes, Michael Amelunke

Master's Theses

Coastal marshes are influenced by complex interactions among environmental and human factors. Marsh plant communities exist across subtle elevation gradients which are highly influenced by the local tidal regime. To better understand these dynamic conditions, improved methodologies for acquiring accurate elevation values are a necessity in marsh research and management. However, overestimation of marsh elevation values obtained from remote sensing is common due to vegetation characteristics. The goal of this study was to address this problem by determining the optimum altitude and scan angle for Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) collection using an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) within Juncus roemerianus …

Using Lidar To Estimate Carbon Sequestration Of Evergreen Trees At Eastern Washington University (Ewu) Campus, Cheney, Washington, Kristy A. Snyder

2022 Symposium

EWU contains a variety of deciduous and evergreen trees across its campus, providing several benefits. However, no comprehensive record exists of the total number, location, species, or ages of these trees. This knowledge can inform facilities of proper care for individual trees and can be used to estimate carbon sequestration on campus. Traditional on-the-ground methods for assessing trees require tree cores or clinometers, making trees susceptible to pests or disease and leading to inaccurate results. Remote sensing using lidar data is a noninvasive, more precise method to measure tree height and subsequently assess tree age. This poster explores using point …

Lake Satellite Temperature Data Validation, Mamadou Balde, Pascal Kouogang

Publications and Research

In environmental remote sensing, satellite data isn't absolutely conclusive, for that reason, there is a natural need to verify the data acquired from the satellite. The most suitable tool to achieve such verification is on ground sensors that have the advantage of proximity. Addressing any possible discrepancies between the satellite data and the ground sensor data is sure to yield ways to come up with improvements of satellite band calibration and sensing capabilities. This research focused on correlating temperature data from the MODIS satellite with the data obtained from the In Situ sensor located in Lake Sunapee. Doing the latter …

The Demotechnic Index Of Nations, 1980-2018, Camden Rainwater

Geosciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Demotechnic Index (DI) is a non-dimensional metric that is the scalar multiple of energy consumption over and above that required for mere subsistence of a national population. Thus, the DI is a measure of energy efficiency that scales a country’s industrial energy consumption (called the total technological energy) and the energy required to meet the metabolic demand of the population (called the total metabolic energy). The DI was created by scientist John Vallentyne in 1982, refined in 1994, but never gained popularity or wide use as a sustainability metric. The objective of this thesis was to re-evaluate the DI …

Prescribed Burning And Land Functions In The Mixed-Land Use Management Of The Berea College Forest., Hinzee Smith

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

The Berea College Forest is the oldest privately managed forest in Kentucky. Spanning over 9,000 acres, the forest provides opportunities for hiking, timber production, carbon sequestration, education, and much more. The Berea College Forest is uniquely situated as it is mere miles from the town center of Berea and Berea College. This proximity to a concentrated population causes the management of the forest to be observed and experienced by the community members, where accessibility to trails, hosted events, and educational experiences extend the land functions of the managed forest to community members in more direct ways than other publicly managed …

Multi-Decadal Analysis Of Remotely Sensed Vegetation Change In Berea College Forest - Seasonality Of Forest Patterns Using Remote Sensing., Jacob Foushee

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Satellite imagery is a practical and valuable tool for monitoring vegetation condition in forests. The longevity of the USGS/NASA Landsat program along with its medium spatial resolution (30m) gives researchers the ability to make informed statements on land cover generally, and specifically on aspects such as forest conditions. The Landsat program’s nearly 50-year archive of imagery show how Earth’s surface has changed through modern development and how these developments have influenced forests. Google Earth Engine (GEE) is a cloud-based repository of satellite imagery dating as far back as the 1970s. This study utilizes Landsat 5-8 imagery from GEE to calculate …