62 research outputs found
The Application of a Dendro-Hydrologic Model to the Upper Meadow Valley Wash Watershed, Lincoln County, Nevada
No full textAvailability of long-term information on the variability of water resources in a given area is particularly important for sustainable resource management. The implications of global warming on the hydrologic cycle, and the increasing water demand of a growing population in the Great Basin, require improved methods for evaluating the range of hydrologic variability in Nevada. My objective was to develop a simple water balance model that can be used to simulate streamflow over multi-century time scales using proxy precipitation and air temperature data as input. Given its ultimate purpose, the model calculated streamflow at the seasonal timescale using precipitation and air temperature-index simulated snowmelt records from the PRISM dataset at 2.5 arc-minute resolution. I present here a discussion of its application to the upper Meadow Valley Wash watershed in northeastern Lincoln County. Streamflow records during 1963 to 1974 and 2004 to 2008 from USGS gauge number 09417500 in Ursine were used to calibrate the model. Best-fit model simulations performed well with an r2 of 0.81 and average seasonal streamflow of 0.81 cm and standard deviation of 0.35 cm, compared to the observed average seasonal streamflow of 0.76 cm and standard deviation of 0.48 cm. Tree-ring records of precipitation from the watershed may ultimately be used to extend the precipitation record, and used as input to the watershed model to reconstruct streamflow and other water balance components over the past five centuries
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Numerical modeling and remote sensing of global water management systems: Applications for land surface modeling, satellite missions, and sustainable water resources management
No full textThe ability to accurately quantify water storages and fluxes in water management systems through observations or models is of increasing importance due to the expected impacts from climate change and population growth worldwide. Here, I describe three innovative techniques developed to better understand this problem. First, a model was created to represent reservoir storage and outflow with the objective of integration into a Land Surface Model (LSM) to simulate the impacts of reservoir management on the climate system. Given this goal, storage capacity represented the lone model input required that is not already available to an LSM user. Model parameterization was linked to air temperature to allow future simulations to adapt to a changing climate, making it the first such model to mimic the potential response of a reservoir operator to climate change. Second, spatial and temporal error properties of future NASA Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite reservoir operations were quantified. This work invoked the use of the SWOTsim instrument simulator, which was run over a number of synthetic and actual reservoirs so the resulting error properties could be extrapolated to the global scale. The results provide eventual users of SWOT data with a blueprint of expected reservoir error properties so such characteristics can be determined a priori for a reservoir given knowledge about its topology and anticipated repeat orbit pass over its location. Finally, data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission was used in conjunction with in-situ water use records to evaluate sustainable water use at the two-digit HUC basin scale over the contiguous United States. Results indicate that the least sustainable water management region is centered in the southwest, where consumptive water use exceeded water availability by over 100% on average for some of these basins. This work represents the first attempt at evaluating sustainable water use using exclusively remote sensing and in-situ observations at the continental scale, and offers a framework for future similar studies attempting to evaluate water use sustainability at large scales
Petrel Sub-basin Marine Survey (GA-0335 / SOL5463) (NLECI Program) - High Resolution Backscatter Grids
No full textMaintenance and Update Frequency: asNeededStatement: The backscatter data were processed using CMST-GA MB Process v12.05.07 software. The fully processed backscatter strengths were corrected for transmission loss and insonification area. The process within the toolbox also involved removal of the system transmission loss, removal of the system model, calculation of the incidence angle and removal of the angular dependence. The grid values are basically the average values of the processed backscatter point data within each grid cell of predefined size, normalised to the backscatter strength at an angle of 25 degrees. The following commands were used to process and generate the grids in *.bat mode:
cd e:\working_data\solander\sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012_reproc\proc
reprocess -Ie:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012/filelist_sol5463_leg1_sh547.txt -fe:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012_grid1 -A25 -L100 -M2 -dwgs84 -z52 -K1 -V4 -S1 -Be:/working_data/calib/SingleHead547o_new.bpt
reprocess -Ie:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012/filelist_sol5463_leg1_sh548a.txt -fe:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012_grid1 -A25 -L100 -M2 -dwgs84 -z52 -K1 -V4 -S1 -Be:/working_data/calib/SingleHead548n_new.bpt -b-0.55
reprocess -Ie:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012/filelist_sol5463_leg1_sh548b.txt -fe:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012_grid1 -A25 -L100 -M2 -dwgs84 -z52 -K1 -V4 -S1 -Be:/working_data/calib/SingleHead548n_new.bpt -b4.42
reprocess -Ie:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012/filelist_sol5463_leg1_sh548c.txt -fe:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012_grid1 -A25 -L100 -M2 -dwgs84 -z52 -K1 -V4 -S1 -Be:/working_data/calib/SingleHead548n_new.bpt -b-0.55
reprocess -Ie:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012/filelist_sol5463_leg2_sh548_rentPU.txt -fe:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012_grid1 -A25 -L100 -M2 -dwgs84 -z52 -K1 -V4 -S1 -Be:/working_data/calib/SingleHead548n_new.bpt -b0.87
cd e:\working_data\solander\sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012_grid1\proc
LargeGrid -Ie:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012/filelist_grid1.txt sscecomp 2 boundary atile -R474710/507490/8571470/8607670 -Oe:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012_grid1/grd/bksct_grid1_reprocA25_final_2m.asc
LargeGrid -Ie:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012/filelist_grid1.txt sscecomp 5 boundary atile -R474710/507490/8571470/8607670 -Oe:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012_grid1/grd/bksct_grid1_reprocA25_final_5m.asc
LargeGrid -Ie:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012/filelist_grid2.txt sscecomp 2 boundary atile -R518400/536050/8619200/8640200 -Oe:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012_grid1/grd/bksct_grid2_reprocA25_final_2m.asc
LargeGrid -Ie:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012/filelist_grid2.txt sscecomp 5 boundary atile -R518400/536050/8619200/8640200 -Oe:/working_data/solander/sol5463_bonaparte_gulf_2012_grid1/grd/bksct_grid2_reprocA25_final_5m.ascThe Petrel Sub-basin Marine Environmental Survey GA-0335, (SOL5463) was acquired by the RV Solander during May 2012 as part of the Commonwealth Government's National Low Emission Coal Initiative (NLECI). The survey was undertaken as a collaboration between the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and GA. The purpose was to acquire geophysical and biophysical data on shallow (less then 100m water depth) seabed environments within two targeted areas in the Petrel Sub-basin to support investigation for CO2 storage potential in these areas
Petrel Sub-basin Marine Survey (GA-0335 / SOL5463) (NLECI Program)/Seabed Geochemistry/Inorganic Elements
No full textMaintenance and Update Frequency: notPlannedStatement: Bottom sediments were collected using a Smith McIntyre grab. The surface sediments (~0-2 cm) within the grab were spooned into falcon vials and the porewaters were removed by centrifugation. The samples were then frozen for transport to the laboratories at Geoscience Australia where they were freeze-dried and ground in a tungsten carbide mill. Major and trace elements were determined by X-ray fluorescence at Geoscience Australia using a Phillips PW204 4kW sequential spectrometer. A fuller suite of trace elements was determined using a AGILENT 7500ce ICP-MS. The attribute accuracies are moderate: <5% for majors and <10% for trace elements.
Thanks to the crew of the RV Solander for help with sample aquisition.The Petrel Sub-basin Marine Environmental Survey GA-0335, (SOL5463) was undertaken using the RV Solander during May 2012, as part of the Commonwealth Government's National Low Emission Coal Initiative (NLECI). The survey was undertaken as a collaboration between the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and GA. The purpose was to acquire geophysical and biophysical data on shallow (less then 100m water depth) seabed environments within two targeted areas in the Petrel Sub-basin to support investigation for CO2 storage potential in these areas. This data-set comprises inorganic element data from surface seabed sediments (~0-2 cm) in the Timor Sea
"Creating the Senses" : Sensation in the work of Shelley Jackson
No full textThis monograph on the œuvre of contemporary American author and multimedia artist Shelley Jackson addresses the question of how literary works employ language to evoke sense impressions. Gilles Deleuze’s notion of aesthetic percepts is drawn on to develop a theory of literary phantom sensations which is then tested on the work of Jackson and related authors. Although imperceptible as such, it is argued that percepts are made perceptible in art in sense-specific forms as phantom sensations. “Phantom” is not meant to indicate a pale shadow of real sensations but the intensely perceived realness of phantom limb phenomena, in accordance with Deleuze’s understanding of the virtual as real but not actual. For the sake of clarity, literary phantom sensations are divided into phantom smells, tastes, touches, sights and sounds, with a chapter devoted to each in turn. It is found that different phantom sensations serve different functions in Jackson’s work, correlated to the cultural history of the senses as outlined by recent sensory scholarship. Phantom smells are associated with Deleuze’s concept of becoming due to their liminality. Phantom tastes contribute to an aesthetics of distaste in which shades of disgust are cultivated and drawn upon for literary effect. Phantom touch creates conceptual intimacy and invites the reader to handle words like toys in a game. Phantom sight is turned back upon itself in an anatomy of the eye. Phantom hearing is associated with forms of ventriloquism in which it is unclear who is speaking through whom and in which language itself throws its voice. However, it is also found that all phantom sensations similarly serve to create a material and affective connection between the body of the reader and the body of the text. Throughout the dissertation, Jackson’s work is read against and alongside that of other writers such as Djuna Barnes, Neil Bartlett, Brigid Brophy and Leonora Carrington. Together these form a trajectory termed minor writing for queers to come, which is meant to indicate that aesthetic and sexual-political radicalism go hand in hand. Furthermore, Jackson’s work is described as a form of body writing informed by feminist body art and écriture féminine. Specifically, Jackson takes her cue from early modern anatomical blazons and describes living bodies in pieces. Her work is also described as object writing: a literary equivalent to surrealist object art. A central method for making words more like things is to arrange her texts spatially rather than temporally, as exemplified by her electronic hypertexts
Outer Darwin Harbour Marine Survey 2015: High resolution backscatter grid
No full textMaintenance and Update Frequency: asNeededStatement: The Outer Darwin Harbour Marine Survey 2015, GA-0351 SOL6187 was acquired by Geoscience Australia (GA), the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and Department of Land Resource Management (Northern Territory Government) onboard the RV Solander between 28 May and 23 June 2015. The AIMS Cruise Leader were Mr. David Williams (leg 1) and Mr. Simon Harries (leg 2), the NTGov Chief Investigator onboard was Dr. Neil Smit, and the GA Survey Leader was Dr. Justy Siwabessy. This dataset was acquired and processed onboard and in the office by Justy Siwabessy using CMST-GA MB Process v15.04.04.0. Metadata: The multibeam bathymetry was acquired by the following survey: - Survey Name: Outer Darwin Harbour Marine Survey 2015 (GA-0351/SOL6187) - Vessel Name: RV Solander - Institutions: Geoscience Australia, AIMS, NTGov - Country: Australia - Operator: AIMS - Multibeam system: Kongsberg EM2040C (dual) - Year of installation: 2014 - Nominal sonar frequency: 300 kHz - Number of beams: 800 beams - Beamwidth across track: 1.3 degrees - Beamwidth along track: 1.3 degrees - Pulse length: variable - Selectable depth range: 10 m - 50 m - Vessel speed: 7 - 10 knots - Start Date: 28/05/2015 - End Date: 23/06/2015 - Start Port: Darwin - End Port: Darwin - Grid resolution: 1 m - Number of grids: 1 - Total surface coverage: 713.31 km2 - Horizontal Datum: WGS84 UTM-52SThis resource contains multibeam sonar backscatter data for Outer Darwin Harbour collected by Geoscience Australia (GA), the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and the Northern Territory Government (Department of Land Resource Management) during the period from 28 May and 23 June 2015 on the RV Solander (survey SOL6187/GA0351). This project was made possible through offset funds provided by INPEX-led Ichthys LNG Project to Northern Territory Government Department of Land Resource Management, and co-investment from Geoscience Australia and Australian Institute of Marine Science. The intent of this four year (2014-2018) program is to improve knowledge of the marine environments in the Darwin and Bynoe Harbour regions by collating and collecting baseline data that enable the creation of thematic habitat maps that underpin marine resource management decisions. The specific objectives of the survey were to:<br/><br/>1. Obtain high resolution geophysical (bathymetry) data for outer Darwin Harbour, including Shoal Bay;<br/><br/>2. Characterise substrates (acoustic backscatter properties, grainsize, sediment chemistry) for outer Darwin Harbour, including Shoal Bay; and<br/><br/>3. Collect tidal data for the survey area. Data acquired during the survey included: multibeam sonar bathymetry and acoustic backscatter; physical samples of seabed sediments, underwater photography and video of grab sample locations and oceanographic information including tidal data and sound velocity profiles. This dataset comprises multibeam backscatter data.<br/><br/>A detailed account of the survey is provided in:<br/><br/>Siwabessy, P.J.W., Smit, N., Atkinson, I., Dando, N., Harries, S., Howard, F.J.F., Li, J., Nicholas, W.A., Potter, A., Radke, L.C., Tran, M., Williams, D. and Whiteway, T., 2015. Outer Darwin Harbour Marine Survey 2015: GA0351/SOL6187 Post-survey report. Record 2016/008. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. http://dx.doi.org/10.11636/Record.2016.00
Identifying Characteristics of Wildfire Towers and Troughs
No full textWildfire behavior is dictated by the complex interaction of numerous physical phenomena including dynamic ambient and fire-induced winds, heat transfer, aerodynamic drag on the wind by the fuel and combustion. These phenomena create complex feedback effects between the fire and its surroundings. In this study, we aim to study the mechanisms by which buoyant flame dynamics along with vortical motions and instabilities control wildfire propagation. Specifically, this study employs a suite of simulations conducted with the physics-based coupled fire-atmosphere behavior model (FIRETEC). The simulations are initialized with a fire line and the fires are allowed to propagate on a grass bed, where the fuel heights and wind conditions are varied systematically. Flow variables are extracted to identify the characteristics of the alternating counter-rotational vortices, called towers and troughs, that drive convective heat transfer and fire spread. These vortices have previously been observed in wildfires and laboratory fires, and have also been observed to arise spontaneously in FIRETEC due to the fundamental physics incorporated in the model. However, these past observations have been qualitative in nature and no quantitative studies can be found in the literature which connected these coherent structures fundamental to fire behavior with the constitutive flow variables. To that end, a variety of state variables are examined in the context of these coherent structures under various wind profile and grass height conditions. Identification of various correlated signatures and fire-atmosphere feedbacks in simulations provides a hypothesis that can be tested in future observational or experimental efforts, potentially assisting experimental design, and can aid in the interpretation of data from in situ detectors
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