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Estimating non-stationary extreme-value probability distribution shifts and their parameters under climate change using L-moments and L-moment ratio diagrams: A case study of hydrologic drought in the Goat River near Creston, British Columbia
No full textHere, we investigate the use of rolling-windowed L-moments (RWLMs) and L-moment ratio diagrams (LMRDs) combined with a Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) machine learning algorithm to model non-stationary low-flow hydrological extremes with the potential to simultaneously understand time-variant shape, scale, location, and probability distribution (PD) shifts under climate change. By employing LMRDs, we analyse changes in PDs and their parameters over time, identifying key environmental predictors such as lagged precipitation for September 5-day low-flows. Our findings indicate a significant relationship between total August precipitation L-moment ratios (LMRs) and September 5-day low-flow LMRs (??2-Precipitation and ??2-Discharge: R2 = 0.675, p-values < 0.001; ??3-Precipitation and ??3-Discharge: R2 = 0.925, p-value for slope < 0.001, intercept not significant with p = 0.451, assuming ?? = 0.05 and a 31-year RWLM), which we later refine and use for prediction within our MLR algorithm. The methodology, applied to the Goat River near Creston, British Columbia, aids in understanding the implications of climate change on water resources, particularly for the yaqan nu?kiy First Nation. We find that future low-flows under climate change will be outside the Natural Range of Variability (NROV) simulated from historical records (assuming a constant PD). This study provides insights that may help in adaptive water management strategies necessary to help preserve Indigenous cultural rights and practices and to help sustain fish and fish habitat into the future.This research was funded by the National Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the British Columbia Ministry of Health Seed Grant (MoH).FacultyReviewe
Proof-of-concept trial: Nature-based intervention and resistance training for men
No full textBackground: Men are struggling academically, with mental health, addiction, suicide, and all-cause mortality. These issues are especially prevalent in young males aged 18-34. Purpose of Research: Through the theoretical lens of self-determination theory (SDT), this proof-of-concept trial examines the potential for the consecutive dual interventions of an in-person nature-based intervention (NBI) group connection and a virtually supported resistance training (RT) program to provide a benefit for male mental health and well-being. Methods: A variety of recruitment strategies were utilized to enlist participants to fill two groups for the study. Intake documents provided a baseline understanding of participants’ current physical and mental well-being. Each group met separately for two consecutive days in a nature setting to connect, discuss, and partake in activities designed to enhance the aspects of autonomy, competency, and relatedness within the SDT framework. The NBI segment concluded with assessment documents and an RT plan in place. The following six weeks included a guided RT program with weekly video conference call check-ins. Upon completion of the RT segment final assessments and exit interviews were completed with participants. Results: Participants reported satisfaction with both segments of the intervention, greater relatedness, competency, and autonomy for implementing and adhering to health habits in their own lives, including RT. In exit interviews, they highlighted the support formed through the group’s in-person NBI and the subsequent weekly check-ins during the RT program as a significant lever in their progress toward positive changes. The NBI offered an opportunity for relatedness to be established within a less distracting context. The RT program built competency and autonomy with the scaffolding of their interpersonal connection. Conclusion: Findings suggest that, for this sample, the NBI-RT intervention has potential to benefit males’ health and well-being through improved motivation for implementation and adherence to healthy behaviors. The satisfaction with both the NBI and RT segments of the study, the positive shifts in motivation, and the improvements in anxiety and depression metrics suggest that moving to a feasibility trial is recommended.Graduat
False alarm: The effects of boat noise on the anti-predator behaviour in Pacific sand lance
No full textUnderwater noise from commercial shipping and recreational boating has remarkably increased in recent decades and has been widely shown to negatively impact marine animals. Many marine mammals and fish are affected by boat noise because they rely on sound to communicate, find food, avoid predators, and sense their environment. Compared to marine mammals, fewer studies have investigated how boat noise influences fish behaviour, especially anti-predator behaviour. I investigated how boat noise impacts the anti-predator behaviour in Pacific sand lance (PSL), a coastal schooling fish that is important as prey for numerous seabirds, fish, and marine mammals. For twelve days, PSL were held in two laboratory tanks: in one I played boat noise recordings, and in the other did not, and their anti-predator behaviour (e.g., burrowing in the sand and startling) was recorded by watching the underwater video footage. I found that PSL startled at a greater rate on days when they were not exposed to boat noise compared to days exposed to boat noise. These findings suggest that boat noise masks the auditory cues that stimulate PSL startling behaviour, which may negatively impact their fitness and increase their availability as a prey source.Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)UndergraduateReviewe
Comparative Analysis of Various National Building Codes and Carbon Payback Periods of Insulation Materials at Different Climate Zones in Canada
No full textSingle-family dwellings make a significant contribution to carbon emissions in Canada. The National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) emphasizes reducing the operational carbon consumption of buildings. Using thermal insulation material in constructing building envelopes plays a crucial role in decreasing a building's operational carbon. However, since insulation materials have embodied carbon, therefore, for optimal building performance and design, designers should take into account both the operational and embodied carbon of insulation materials. This paper compares the embodied carbon and operational energy savings resulting from the use of thermal insulation material. It also presents Carbon Payback Period (CPP) values of different thermal insulation materials in various Canadian cities representing different climate zones. A model is created using the Athena Impact Estimator (AIE) tool, based on a three-bedroom single-family home with a wood-frame structure. Three insulation materials, namely Batts Fiberglass, Blown Cellulose and Mineral Wool, are evaluated in three different cities, namely Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary, representing three climate zones (zones 4, 5 and 7a). The HOT2000 energy simulator calculates operational carbon consumption using the energy mix comprising electricity and natural gas. The CPPs for selected materials were calculated using operational and embodied carbon data. A comparison of the Whole Building Life Cycle Analysis (WBLCA) Global Warming Potential (GWP) between the National Building Code (NBC) 1995 and 2020 versions revealed an average 25% decrease in Operational Carbon and an average 6% increase in Embodied Carbon. This compromise showed a shift towards standardizing energy-efficient buildings and selecting sustainable thermal insulation materials for construction. Identifying and using less carbon footprint materials can help reduce embodied carbon. In Calgary, the CPP for Blown Cellulose, Batts Fiberglass and Mineral Wool insulation were calculated to be 0.92, 0.94 and 1.09 years, respectively. In Toronto, the CPP for Blown Cellulose, Batts Fiberglass and Mineral Wool is 1.15, 1.17 and 1.39 years, respectively. Vancouver has longer CPP for Batts Fiberglass, Blown Cellulose and Mineral Wool with 2.66, 2.64, and 2.69 years, respectively. This indicates that as the heating degree days (HDD) increases, the CPP shortens. Graphing the CPP vs HDD can help designers and contractors make more informed decisions regarding the available choices of thermal insulations.Graduat
The Second Wave: The Impact of Digital and Open Practices on Faculty Scholarship in Higher Education
No full textOne of the noblest duties of the university is to enable and encourage “intellectual endeavour, valuing scholarship for its own worth and fostering a collaborative spirit in the furtherance of society” (Enabling Open Scholarship, 2016). The advent of the World Wide Web and ancillary advancements in technology have not only opened up scholarship for greater access, but created a transformation in the scholarly practice. The challenges faculty experienced in adopting new practices were examined and whether they straddled all domains of scholarly practice (e.g., research, teaching, and service), how universities measured impact and quality in this new publishing landscape, and what benchmarks existed for evaluating these forms of non-traditional scholarship.
In this study, a phenomenographical approach was employed to understand the impact open scholarship practices have had on academic scholars employed at a university in Western Canada. An embedded triangulation mixed methods design approach was used for this multiphase study to obtain different but complementary data on the lived realities of scholars at the University. Phase 1 included a survey using an explanatory sequential design. After the data collection and analysis were completed, individual in-person semi-structured interviews were conducted. Phase 2 of the study included the analysis of a selection of primary university documents related to tenure and promotion. Finally, a joint analysis approach was used to present the findings from the mixed methods study (i.e., quantitative and qualitative studies). Six themes emerged from the study that highlighted ways participants conducted research (access to research and tools used), their adoption of open intentions and initiatives and use of social media platforms and social networks, accountability and transparency of university policies and guidelines, types of research outputs produced, and criteria for faculty evaluation. Based on the implications from these findings, five recommendations were offered for enacting change: establish administrative accountability, make all tenure and promotion documents openly accessible, broadly define scholarship, broaden the scope of impact, and develop a values-based framework model for assessment.Graduat
InSAR- and PCA-based inversion reveals the surface deformation and earthquake sequence in the Weiyuan-Rongxian shale gas field
Get PDFIn recent years, the rapid expansion and development of the shale gas industry in the Sichuan Basin has coincided with a series of unexpected moderate-sized earthquakes. Given that the Sichuan Basin is situated within a stable interior block, the focal mechanism of the 2019 earthquake sequence (ML4.7, ML5.4, and ML5.2) in the Weiyuan-Rongxian area remains a subject of debate. In this study, we propose a joint InSAR- and PCA- based inversion method utilizing the distributed Mogi model to investigate the spatial-temporal characteristics of a gas reservoir and evaluate the induced Coulomb stress change. The surface deformation derived from Sentinel-1 data between 2015 and 2021 was consistent with the spatial distribution of production wells, and it correlated with the temporal changes in reservoir volume associated with the shale gas operating process. The Coulomb stress loading on the regional faults suggests that human activities associated with shale gas operation likely triggered the three moderate earthquakes. Furthermore, our results indicate Coulomb stress loadings of 10 kPa, 15 kPa, 5 kPa, 3 kPa, and 87 kPa on the Dongxingchang fault, Gaoqiao fault, Dayaokou fault, Niujingao fault, and Lijiachang fold, respectively. Consequently, fluid injection and extraction during shale gas development could be contributing to the elevated seismic activity in the Weiyuan-Rongxian area.This research was funded by National Key Research and Development Program (2022YFB3903602), National Natural Science Foundation of China (42174023, 42304037), National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (41925016), Frontier Cross Research Project of Central South University (2023QYJC006), and Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (2024JJ3031).FacultyReviewe
Making sense of critical suicide studies: Metaphors, tensions, and futurities
No full textCritical suicide studies is a relatively new area of research, practice, and activism, which we believe can offer creative new vantage points with which to ‘think’ suicide into the future. We present findings from a qualitative research study undertaken to understand how critical suicide studies is being conceptualized by those who draw from this orientation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine scholars, practitioners, activists, and/or those with lived and living experience of suicidality. To analyze the data, we used reflexive thematic analysis and drew on a social constructionist orientation. We discovered that metaphors were an important way of conceptualizing and reflecting upon critical suicide studies. Four themes were generated: critical suicide studies is a site of respite and fortification; critical suicide studies is a felt experience; critical suicide studies is a desire line; critical suicide studies is yearning. We contend that the dominant language available to describe suicide and suicide prevention might not be adequate for expressing the complexities and contradictions of suicide prevention practice or suicide’s ultimate unknowability. We call for more diverse, inclusive, and expansive frameworks for understanding and responding to suicide and show the potential of joining other critical scholars and social movements to build a more just, caring, and inclusive world.This research was funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation, grant number 20/16014-4.FacultyReviewe
Perceptions matter! Active physical recreation participation of children with high and low actual and perceived physical competence
Get PDFEmerging evidence suggests that the accuracy of a child’s perceived physical competence (PPC) impacts participation in physical activity. We examined differences in active physical recreation (APR) participation based on clusters of high and low motor competence and perceptions from grades 3–5. Participants were a longitudinal sample (n = 155; 85 girls) of grade three, four, and five children. Fundamental motor skills (FMSs) were assessed using the TGMD-2, perceptions were assessed using the Self-Perception Profile for Children, and APR was measured using the Children’s Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment. K-means cluster analysis was used to create four clusters per grade based on participants’ FMSs and PPC z-scores. Differences in FMSs, PPC, and APR with cluster group as a factor were examined using a series of factorial ANOVAs. In each grade, participants in the high–high cluster participated in significantly more APR than those in the low–low cluster (p = 0.002 in grades three and four; p < 0.001 in grade five). Among the less accurate clusters (e.g., low FMSs with high PPC) was a trend toward positive FMSs growth among the children with higher perceptions. Results show that combinations of FMSs and PPC influence patterns of engagement or disengagement in active physical recreation persistently across middle childhood.This research was funded by an Insight Development Grant (2012–2014) (grant # 430-2012-0343) and an Insight Grant (2014–2017) (grant # 435-2014-1377) from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.FacultyReviewe
A woven approach: Decolonizing my praxis
Get PDFIn my thesis, I explore the development and embodiment of my decolonial praxis as an urban Indigenous Child and Youth Care front line practitioner with white privilege. My approach to storywork inquiry weaves together five thematic strands to emphasize the complexities of navigating both white privilege and my responsibility to my Nuu-chah-nulth identity and culture reclamation. My research was conducted through Kinship Rising, a community-led Indigenous research project focused on reclaiming Indigenous resurgence and wellbeing through arts- and land-based storytelling methodologies. Through a methodological cedar weaving process that draws on Nuu-chah-nulth teachings, storywork, a critical review of published and grey literature, and photographic collages, I explore five interrelated thematic strands: colonial disconnection and the impact on Indigenous people in what is now colonially called Canada; my own identity as a Nuu-chah-nulth urban Indigenous woman with white privilege; my academic experiences; the development of my front line, decolonial praxis ethics, and; my personal process of reclaiming my Nuu-chah-nulth identity and culture. In weaving critical literature, storywork and photographic collages together, I acknowledge the political, practice, and personal dimensions of being an urban Indigenous Child and Youth Care front line practitioner with white privilege, and how this relates to supporting advocacy, justice, and decolonization in front line praxis. My thesis concludes with a discussion of implications that contribute to Indigenous knowledge about the complexities of Indigenous praxis, education and reclamation for a growing population of urban, mixed-race Indigenous young people with white privilege.Graduat
Characterizing Phytoplankton Community Composition in the Open and Coastal Waters of the Subarctic Northeast Pacific Using In situ and Remote Sensing Techniques
Get PDFPhytoplankton are the foundation of the marine food web and play a central role in global biogeochemical cycles. The overarching phytoplankton community contains a diverse array of species with distinct ecological and biogeochemical traits and niches. As a result, variations in the composition of phytoplankton communities can significantly affect energy transfer through the marine food web, fisheries production, and the vertical export of carbon into the deep ocean. In the subarctic northeast Pacific (SNEP), phytoplankton plays a distinct role in sustaining fisheries through match-mismatch dynamics. Previous studies in this region have mainly relied on in situ measurements, such as HPLC pigment data, Chemical taxonomy software (CHEMTAX), light microscopy, and physical-biological models, to study phytoplankton communities, but lacking the utilization of satellites. This study employs a comprehensive approach, integrating in situ observations, Earth Observation satellite data, and above-water radiometry, to thoroughly examine the composition of phytoplankton communities. To achieve this goal, first we provide evaluation of the Ocean Land Color Instrument (OLCI)-derived products for Case-1 waters, specifically total chlorophyll-a concentration (TChla; mg/m³) and remote sensing reflectance (Rrs; sr⁻¹), obtained from the POLYMER (POLYnomial-based algorithm applied to MERIS) and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Baseline Atmospheric Correction (BAC) algorithms. Here, we determined that POLYMER performed better than the BAC algorithm across all bands, with the latter resulting in a loss of approximately 60% of valid data points due to the inability to retrieve products under winter cloud conditions. Additionally, POLYMER successfully captured the regional dynamic range of TChla and aligns well with in situ HPLC TChla data. Next, the study characterizes the composition of phytoplankton communities in Case-1, iron-poor open ocean waters and highly dynamic Case-2 coastal waters in the northeast Pacific using data from the Sentinel 3 OLCI satellite. Utilizing an empirical orthogonal function (EOF) approach, a Sentinel 3 OLCI-based algorithm trained with a regional matchup dataset consisting of phytoplankton groups Chlorophyll-a (Chla) and EOF scores derived from Rrs is employed. Additionally, the robustness of the algorithm is statistically assessed through cross-validation. The Sentinel 3 retrievals from 2019 indicate low biomass for all groups in open ocean Case-1 waters, with minimal variability observed across multiple composites. However, increased biomass is observed for all groups except Hapto/Pelago/Cyano towards the northern Gulf of Alaska (GoA), which aligns with CHEMTAX analysis. Conversely, the 2020 composites reveal a longitudinal gradient from the open ocean to the continental shelf/coast for Diatoms/Dino/Green Algae, but an inverse trend is observed for the Hapto/Pelago/Cyano group. Redundancy analysis (RDA) demonstrates that open ocean flagellate groups are positively correlated with Mixed Layer Depth (MLD) and sea surface salinity (SSS), while Diatoms/Dino/GA are negatively correlated with MLD and SSS. In contrast, satellite-based retrievals for the Case-2 water of the west coast of Canada illustrate seasonal spring and fall blooms dominated by diatoms in the Strait of Georgia (SoG), with the highest biomass concentrated in the central, northern, and Juan de Fuca Strait. During the summer, a similar diatom-dominated trend is observed, with the highest biomass recorded on the southwestern coast of Vancouver Island. Interestingly, raphidophytes exhibit the highest average biomass during the summer, with blooms observed off the southwest coast of Vancouver Island and near the Fraser River mouth. The study further explores the spatial-temporal dynamics of phytoplankton composition within the SoG using EOF retrievals from high-resolution hyperspectral Rrs obtained from autonomous platforms. The results indicate better retrievals for all groups than those obtained using Sentinel 3 OLCI data. Overall, the algorithm successfully predicts the localized, diatom-dominated spring bloom and reveals high variability in flagellate communities, with the highest average biomass occurring in the summer. Furthermore, our algorithm captured strong raphidophyte blooms composed of the harmful algae species, Heterosigma akashiwo. Additionally, our high-resolution transect data derived from the algorithm highlighted peaks in raphidophyte and diatom coinciding with a sharp decline in SSS suggesting a frontal region within the Fraser River plume. In summary, using data from in situ measurements, satellites, and autonomous platforms, along with supporting environmental driver data, provides a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of individual phytoplankton groups, including harmful algal bloom dynamics with significant implications for water quality monitoring and fisheries management in this region.Graduate2025-04-1