Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Compilation, Analysis, And Categorization Of 403 Atmospheric And Climate Science Misconceptions, Haeli Leighty

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) has listed the inaccessibility of research related to misconceptions in atmospheric and climate science as a Geoscience Education Research Grand Challenge (Cervato et al. 2018). This project was a direct response to this call for research and consisted of three distinct steps: 1) data gathering, which included reviewing the literature for relevant misconception data, 2) a qualitative analysis, which included compiling, organizing, and categorizing the data collected, and 3) a quantitative analysis, which included determining the prevalence of each misconception across topic categories, demographic categories, and over time. A total of 403 misconceptions …

Categorizing The Societal Impacts From Extreme Rainfall In The New York City Metropolitan Area, Evan Belkin

ALL - Honors Theses

Numerous studies have shown that the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events have increased significantly across the contiguous United States (CONUS) over the past several decades associated with warming global temperatures. This surge in extreme rainfall has resulted in the loss of life and property within vulnerable communities due to widespread river and flash flooding. For example, 11 of the 14 fatalities in New York City associated with Tropical Cyclone Ida’s remnants in September 2021 occurred in flooded basement apartments. The creation of a scale to differentiate extreme rainfall events with higher societal impacts from those with lower impacts …

Coastal-Ocean And Estuarine Acidification In Long Bay, South Carolina: A Comparison Of In-Situ Water Quality Monitoring With Measured Carbonate System Parameters, Mary Olsen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the major water-quality issues impacting our coast and estuaries is coastal-ocean and estuarine acidification. Due to a relative dearth of data in the southeastern United States it is increasingly difficult to determine the full extent and intensity of this problem. This study provides the first characterization of coastal-ocean and estuarine acidification in Long Bay, SC by attempting to leverage long-term water quality data sets at two coastal-ocean pier sites using in-situ YSI EXO sondes deployed at both the surface and bottom waters along with two estuarine sites sampled by volunteer monitors using Orion star multi-meters. Discrete samples (120) …

Cultural And Environmental Change In A Period Of Westernized Tourism: Bali, Indonesia, Barbara Buck

ALL - Honors Theses

Dutch colonizers opened Bali for tourism at the beginning of the 20th century, and since that time tourism has led to changes in Bali’s culture, environment, and local resources. In the late 1900s, tourism grew to a new level, which resulted in a shift of industry control away from Balinese people. This project examines the problem of tourism from a social and environmental science lens. By compiling literature and science from various fields of study, this project aims to illustrate the complexity of Bali’s tourism problem in an interdisciplinary way. The lack of local control over tourism perpetuated and exacerbated …

Evaluating And Enhancing The New York State Mesonet (Nysm) Snow Accumulation Estimation, Christopher Gilberti

ALL - Honors Theses

This research project aims to examine and enhance the performance of the New York State Mesonet (NYSM) Snow Accumulation Estimation. The NYSM is a state-of-the-art network of 126 standard weather stations located across the state of New York, collecting high-quality meteorological data to improve forecast accuracy, reduce uncertainty, and mitigate harm. All NYSM standard stations measure snow depth with Campbell Scientific’s SR50A ultrasonic distance sensor. This acoustic sensor measures the distance from the sensor to a rigid snowboard if there is no snow on the ground or the top of snow layer. A reference distance and a temperature correction are …

Blade Design And Validation Of Hydrokinetic Turbine To Harvest Water Current Energy, Setare Sadeqi

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The innovative aspect of this research lies in the careful integration of cutting-edge technologies throughout the entire process of designing, fabricating, and testing the carbon fiber propeller for the 3-bladed horizontal axis ocean current turbine (OCT). SolidWorks software played a pivotal role in the initial design phase, enabling a meticulous and precise modeling of the propeller's geometry. The utilization of SolidWorks allowed for a detailed exploration of various design parameters, ensuring that the propeller's structure and form were optimized for performance in ocean current conditions. Moving beyond the realm of virtual design, the choice of carbon fiber as the fabrication …

An Assessment Of The High-Resolution Rapid Refresh Model’S Ability To Resolve The Great Lakes Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer And Lake-Breeze Front, Collin Paul Deyoung

Theses and Dissertations

We determined the ability of the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) mesoscale model to predict the lake-breeze front’s structure and faithfully represent the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) behind it. First, two field missions were completed during the 2023 warm season over Lake Michigan to characterize the spatiotemporal evolution of the MABL and validate HRRR forecasts. We found the Lake Michigan MABL was characterized by minimal thermodynamic and kinematic variability on diurnal time scales, regardless of the stability or flow regime. Additionally, the HRRR was able to resolve MABL thermodynamic structures effectively but underestimated the vertical temperature distribution, leading to a …

Opportunities For Urban Resilience To Climate Change: Understanding Local Climate Perceptions, Motivations, And Barriers To Green Infrastructure Use, Emmilene Berski

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Global climate change poses a substantial threat to cities in the United States, particularly through increases in flooding and extreme heat. Cities must adapt to these threats to preserve their residents’ livelihoods and prevent economic loss. One adaptation strategy is the implementation of green infrastructure (GI). The opportunity for GI to foster urban resilience to climate change necessitates a deeper understanding of the extent to which cities utilize GI as a strategy for local climate change adaptation as well as perceptions and motivations surrounding the use of GI at a local level. I sought to address this need through a …

Geomagnetic Substorms Prediction Model Using Combined Physics-Based And Deep Learning Modeling Techniques, Ruthba Yasmin

<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>

This thesis aims to develop a hybrid physics-incorporated neural network model (PINN) for classifying geomangnetic substorms in Earth's Magnetosphere. The model is trained using a comprehensive list of substorm onsets, ground magentometer data from a global network, and solar wind parameters from the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) satellite. Two different neural network architectures are used, and the physics model used for training is called WINDMI. The magnetic field components on the ground, which are a function of the ionospheric currents, are captured by the SML index. The methodology involves using 60-minute data segments preceding an event to train the hybrid …

Bay Water Level Influences On Inundation And Morphological Changes Of A Semi-Connected Barrier Island During A Hurricane, Sydney D. Goodman

<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>

This research aims to identify flooding and erosion changes along a semi-connected barrier island system due to varying bay water levels during storm conditions. The numerical model XBeach is used to simulate Hurricane Michael conditions and the resulting inundation and morphological change near Tyndall Air Force Base (Tyndall AFB). The installation is located 12 miles southeast of Panama City Beach along the panhandle of Florida and is vulnerable to flooding due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), Saint Andrew Sound and Saint Andrew Bay. A land bridge connects the barrier island to the mainland of Tyndall AFB …

Resource Scarcity Caused By Environmental Changes: Driving Factor In Terrorism Attacks In Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Amaris Bustamante

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Climate change, resource scarcity, and terrorist attacks are ever-growing crises that disproportionately impact different states. They are crises that can impact the stability and resilience of humanity in the following decades if they are not addressed and mitigated. This study addresses the impact of resource scarcity caused by climate change that can then serve as a driving force in terrorist attacks in climate-sensitive and conflict-prone states. The objective of this mixed-methods study is to identify the correlation between climate changes that lead to resource scarcity such as rainfall and surface temperatures with terrorist attacks when taking into consideration other demographic, …

Deterministic Global 3d Fractal Cloud Model For Synthetic Scene Generation, Aaron M. Schinder, Shannon R. Young, Bryan J. Steward, Michael L. Dexter, Andrew Kondrath, Stephen Hinton, Ricardo Davila

Faculty Publications

This paper describes the creation of a fast, deterministic, 3D fractal cloud renderer for the AFIT Sensor and Scene Emulation Tool (ASSET). The renderer generates 3D clouds by ray marching through a volume and sampling the level-set of a fractal function. The fractal function is distorted by a displacement map, which is generated using horizontal wind data from a Global Forecast System (GFS) weather file. The vertical windspeed and relative humidity are used to mask the creation of clouds to match realistic large-scale weather patterns over the Earth. Small-scale detail is provided by the fractal functions which are tuned to …

Consequences Of The Megafauna Extinction: Changes In Food Web Networks On The Edwards Plateau Across The Pleistocene-Holocene Transition, Quentin A. Smith Jr.

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

We are experiencing biodiversity loss due to climate change and human impacts, which is not only harmful to the environment but can also alter the composition of communities and interactions among species. The late Pleistocene experienced a loss of large-bodied mammals which resulted in significant changes in community structure due to changes in body size, diet, and species associations. The impact of these changes on species interactions and community structure across the Pleistocene-Holocene transition remains poorly understood. Using a robust data set of species composition, stable isotopes, body size, and climate variables, we constructed and compared ecological networks of mammal …

A Dual-Polarimetric Analysis Of A Large Sample Of Left-Moving Supercells, Ben Schweigert

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Supercells have been researched extensively since they were first described over 50 years ago. They are prolific severe weather producers, responsible for the most severe hail, severe wind gusts, and tornadoes. These rotating thunderstorms require attention from forecasters to protect life and property from their threats, most effectively done with Doppler radars. While extensive amounts of radar-based investigations have been completed, they focused almost exclusively on right-moving (RM) supercells, resulting in a knowledge gap surrounding their counter-rotating (left-moving, LM) partners. This study works to fill the void by developing a dataset of LM supercells and analyzing the dual-polarimetric features observed …

2024 May - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Report

No abstract provided.

Predictability Of The Overland Reintensification Of North Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Erin (2007), Ariel Tickner-Ernst

Theses and Dissertations

Tropical cyclones (TC) typically decrease in intensity upon interacting with land because of increased surface roughness and decreased surface evaporation. However, several studies have documented cases in which TCs maintain their intensity or even intensify over land within non- or weakly baroclinic environments. Yet, our understanding of the precise physical processes that support maintenance or intensification over land in non- or weakly baroclinic environments remains limited, and the predictive skill for these outcomes has yet to be quantified.

We begin this process by quantifying the predictive skill and forecast uncertainty of the overland intensification of North Atlantic Tropical Storm Erin …

A Statistical Fetch Model For Water Wave Glint Correction Using Worldview-3 Imagery, Amanda Jade Quintanilla

Theses and Dissertations

Sun glint in satellite imagery of the water surface contaminates the upwelling signal received by a detector. Many models exist that attempt to correct for this wave facet effect and phenomena. In this work a model for sun glint correction is created using the comparison of image transects between two nearly simultaneously collected images of the same area, although with differing sensor geometry. One image utilized in this research is almost entirely glint free while the other is contaminated by water wave facet glint. Although many models for removing sun glint exist based on various techniques, none are completely accurate, …

The Impacts Of Wind On Coastal Trees, Julian Halil

All Theses

Trees in hurricane-prone areas are exposed to severe winds and flooding. We studied the physiological and structural responses of forested wetland trees in relation to wind stress. We evaluated the windfirmness of two forested wetland tree species. Baldcypress was chosen because of high survival in post-hurricane studies. In contrast, laurel oak co-occurs with baldcypress yet resists hurricane-force winds poorly. In a static winching study, we quantified the critical turning moment (Mcrit) required to topple both species. Mcrit increased with trunk diameter at breast height (DBH) and crown size. Baldcypress and laurel oak demonstrated similar Mcrit, but regression models indicate baldcypress …

Determining The Viability Of Marine Sensor Construction, Roman Sequeira

Honors College

I intend to determine the viability of building a sensor that can be deployed in marine environments. Viability is defined as a summary of economic affordability, practicality of construction and deployment, knowledge required, and effectiveness. In order to get the best results, our sensor must be able to be modified to suit individual circumstances, constructed out of easy to obtain materials, be robust enough to withstand less than lab grade environments, and most importantly function well enough to be worth the effort of building it. I have built a sensor using the cheapest and most widely available options available. It …

Using Cdom Optical Properties To Estimate Its Source, Distribution, And Doc Conentration In Maine Estuaries, Camille Michaud

Honors College

Colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) contributes largely to ocean color, and therefore, influences processes and applications that interact with light in the ocean such as remote sensing and biogeochemistry. It is a component part of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and there is a strong relationship in coastal waters between CDOM absorption and DOC concentration. CDOM optical properties also vary with salinity and source. These important aspects of CDOM absorption led us to collect CDOM samples across the salinity gradients of 3 estuaries in Maine: the Penobscot, Damariscotta, and Sheepscot. We sampled stations along the salinity gradient in each estuary from …

Evaluating The Accuracy Of Different Remote Sensing Methods Used To Derive Absorption From Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter In Maine Estuaries, Andrea Rudai

Honors College

Current knowledge of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in Maine estuaries is based on limited field research. By using chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) as a proxy, it is possible to use satellite images to estimate the concentration of DOC in an entire body of water. This study aims to evaluate different methods that calculate absorption by CDOM from ocean color remote sensing using images taken by Landsat 9 of the Sheepscot, Penobscot, and Damariscotta rivers. The study revealed that although there were some similarities in along-estuary trends between the remotely- sensed absorption and absorption measured in situ, the algorithms that …

Lake Mead: A Living Museum, Marley Salveter

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lake Mead, the largest man-made water project in the nation and a prolific source of electricity, irrigation, and recreation for much of the western population, is currently experiencing a drastic transformation. Amid the ongoing water crisis parching the west, the once overflowing reservoir is consistently shrinking, descending into depths historically uncharted.While serving as a bleak demonstration of climate change’s effects, the body of water is simultaneously assuming an alternative role that may be less apparent to the public. As water levels decline, Lake Mead is actively metamorphosing into a “Living Museum”, by gradually unveiling previously submerged artifacts. As a result, …

El Nino Prediction At 1- And 3- Year Lead Times Driven By The Western North Pacific Precursor And Their Impacts, Krishna Borhara

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climate variability characterized by fluctuations in the atmospheric and upper ocean conditions of the tropical Pacific Ocean that result in either warmer- or colder-than-average sea surface temperatures (SST) in the tropical eastern Pacific. These changes cause variations in weather and climate in distant locations through large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns. These variations often manifest in form of adverse effects or extremes such as heat waves, droughts, or floods, making efforts towards improving ENSO prediction critical in mitigating its impact on various sectors. This dissertation focuses on how interactions between the atmosphere and ocean in …

Seagrass Conservation And Restoration To Mitigate Ocean Acidification And Climate Change, Tori Benson, Emi Wagner, Jaeger Reed

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

For millennia, various seagrass species have been sequestering and anchoring aquatic carbon into oceanic sediment. The crucial role of seagrasses involves helping mitigate climate change, which emphasizes the urgent need to conserve, sustain, and manage them as part of global climate action efforts. Restoration and conservation studies have shown significant reversal of potential damaging effects, however human activity continues to set back efforts faster than they can proceed. Multiple studies have concluded that there has been a decline in seagrass meadows in previously dense areas; and due to this, surrounding pH levels have declined and rising atmospheric carbon poses a …

2024 April 25 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Climate Change: Is It An Existential Crisis?, Whit Lawrence, Emily Payne

Scholars Day Conference

With the help of Dr. Knight, we did a literature review of four different books on climate change. These books covered different aspects of the controversial topic. After reading, we made our own conclusions on whether or not climate change was the existential crisis many say it is.

Kinematic And Dynamic Structure Of The 18 May 2020 Squall Line Over South Korea, Wishnu Agum Swastiko, Chia-Lun Tsai, Seung Hee Kim, Gyuwon Lee

Institute for ECHO Articles and Research

The diagonal squall line that passed through the Korean Peninsula on the 18 May 2020 was examined using wind data retrieved from multiple Doppler radar synthesis focusing on its kinematic and dynamic aspects. The low-level jet, along with warm and moist air in the lower level, served as the primary source of moisture supply during the initiation and formation process. The presence of a cold pool accompanying the squall line played a role in retaining moisture at the surface. As the squall line approached the Korean Peninsula, the convective bands in the northern segment (NS) and southern segment (SS) of …

2024 April 18 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Volumetric Reconstruction Of Ionospheric Electric Currents From Tri-Static Incoherent Scatter Radar Measurements, Jone Peter Reistad, Spencer Mark Hatch, Karl M. Laundal, Kjellmar Oksavik, Matthew David Zettergren, Heikki Vanhamaki, Ilkka I. Virtanen

Publications

We present a new technique for the upcoming tri-static incoherent scatter radar system EISCAT 3D (E3D) to perform a volumetric reconstruction of the 3D ionospheric electric current density vector field, focusing on the feasibility of the E3D system. The input to our volumetric reconstruction technique are estimates of the 3D current density perpendicular to the main magnetic field, $\mathbf{j} \perp$, and its co-variance, to be obtained from E3D observations based on two main assumptions: 1) Ions fully magnetised above the $E$ region, set to 200 km here. 2) Electrons fully magnetised above the base of our domain, set to 90 …

2024 April 11 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.