Characterization of Surface Karst Using LiDAR and Field Traverses, Fort Hood Military Installation, Coryell County, Texas

The Fort Hood Military Installation is a karst landscape that has been significantly altered for training exercises that include heavy vehicle maneuvers and simulated combat. Traditional karst surveys are often time-consuming and require extensive field analyses to adequately characterize large areas. Bias is given to areas that are most easily accessible and false negatives are common. Previous studies conducted in the eastern and western portion of the base have understated the abundance and spatial distribution of karst, particularly in the western portion. This study used field traverses and 0.5-meter Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to characterize surface karst depressions, create a set of new and refined filters and buffering mechanisms to remove non-karst depressions, and determine the accuracy of the model. LiDAR data was used to create a digital elevation model (DEM), which was used to extract areas with localized depressions at a sub-meter scale. In order to isolate features that were formed through karst processes, data were processed through a series of filters with parameters based on features found during traverse surveys. Field verifications to assess the accuracy of the LiDAR conducted with previous filters and buffering mechanisms had an overall accuracy of 77.3%, indicating this model overestimated the number of features in the study area. To assess the accuracy of the new filters and buffering parameters, field verified features from a random point survey and a remote verification survey of features within each of the filters was conducted. The overall accuracy was 84.1%, indicating that the new filters and buffering parameters improved depression characterization and the ability to determine those features that were influenced by natural and anthropogenic processes

Decision support for risk prioritisation of environmental health hazards in a UK city.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing appreciation of the proportion of the health burden that is attributed to modifiable population exposure to environmental health hazards. To manage this avoidable burden in the United Kingdom (UK), government policies and interventions are implemented. In practice, this procedure is interdisciplinary in action and multi-dimensional in context. Here, we demonstrate how Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) can be used as a decision support tool to facilitate priority setting for environmental public health interventions within local authorities. We combine modelling and expert elicitation to gather evidence on the impacts and ranking of interventions. METHODS: To present the methodology, we consider a hypothetical scenario in a UK city. We use MCDA to evaluate and compare the impact of interventions to reduce the health burden associated with four environmental health hazards and rank them in terms of their overall performance across several criteria. For illustrative purposes, we focus on heavy goods vehicle controls to reduce outdoor air pollution, remediation to control levels of indoor radon, carbon monoxide and fitting alarms, and encouraging cycling to target the obesogenic environment. Regional data was included as model evidence to construct a ratings matrix for the city. RESULTS: When MCDA is performed with uniform weights, the intervention of heavy goods vehicle controls to reduce outdoor air pollution is ranked the highest. Cycling and the obesogenic environment is ranked second. CONCLUSIONS: We argue that a MCDA based approach provides a framework to guide environmental public health decision makers. This is demonstrated through an online interactive MCDA tool. We conclude that MCDA is a transparent tool that can be used to compare the impact of alternative interventions on a set of pre-defined criteria. In our illustrative example, we ranked the best intervention across the equally weighted selected criteria out of the four alternatives. Further work is needed to test the tool with decision makers and stakeholders

Eleventh International Conference on the Bearing Capacity of Roads, Railways and Airfields

Innovations in Road, Railway and Airfield Bearing Capacity – Volume 2 comprises the second part of contributions to the 11th International Conference on Bearing Capacity of Roads, Railways and Airfields (2022). In anticipation of the event, it unveils state-of-the-art information and research on the latest policies, traffic loading measurements, in-situ measurements and condition surveys, functional testing, deflection measurement evaluation, structural performance prediction for pavements and tracks, new construction and rehabilitation design systems, frost affected areas, drainage and environmental effects, reinforcement, traditional and recycled materials, full scale testing and on case histories of road, railways and airfields. This edited work is intended for a global audience of road, railway and airfield engineers, researchers and consultants, as well as building and maintenance companies looking to further upgrade their practices in the field

Historical Channel Change Caused by a Century of Flow Alteration on Sixth Water Creek and Diamond Fork River, UT

Changes in the amount of water and sediment that enter a river can change its shape and size. The way that rivers change is affected by a variety of factors, including the size of the sediment in the river, and past changes to the river. The Diamond Fork River in central Utah has been altered by water deliveredfromthe Colorado River system for over a century. Beginning in 1915, water used for irrigation was delivered through a tributary, Sixth Water Creek, with daily summer flows that were much larger than natural flows. This caused drastic change to the rivers, as they became wider and vegetation along the channel margin and floodplain was destroyed. Management changes in 1997 and 2004 reduced the amount of water and sediment added to the river. In this study, we sought to understand how Sixth Water and Diamond Fork changed in the past and what the implications are for the future. We used data from a variety of sources to describe how and why the river changed in the past. Our results indicate that parts of the river that are not confined by valley walls became very wide during the period of elevated flows and narrowed after the change in management in 1997. Confined reaches experienced minor changes over the period of record. Areas of the channel that were most dynamic in the past are the most susceptible to future change because they have finer sediment that is more easily erodible. Areas that did not experience past changes are unlikely to change in the future without direct intervention from humans or beaver. The findings of this study improve our understanding of Sixth Water and Diamond Fork, and confirm the importance of past changes and valley confinement

Coordinated Transit Response Planning and Operations Support Tools for Mitigating Impacts of All-Hazard Emergency Events

This report summarizes current computer simulation capabilities and the availability of near-real-time data sources allowing for a novel approach of analyzing and determining optimized responses during disruptions of complex multi-agency transit system. The authors integrated a number of technologies and data sources to detect disruptive transit system performance issues, analyze the impact on overall system-wide performance, and statistically apply the likely traveler choices and responses. The analysis of unaffected transit resources and the provision of temporary resources are then analyzed and optimized to minimize overall impact of the initiating event

Non-invasive imaging and assessment of pavements

Eight electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and multi-channel analysis of surface wave (MASW) case studies are presented. The objective is to assess the condition of pavement, base, native soil, and rock all the way down to the top of the bedrock. Each segment of road way is approximately 1000 ft. long. The cases include US 63 north of Rolla, US 54 in Camden County, Rte. 179 in Jefferson City, HWY AT in Franklin County, I-55 in Pemiscot County, I-55 in Perry County, HWY U in Dent County, I-35 in Daviess County. In addition, there are only three types of pavement in these sites portland cement concrete (PCC), asphalt concrete overlaying portland cement concrete (AC/PCC), and full-depth asphalt concrete (AC) pavements. Accordingly, the geophysical tools examined different types of pavements with different distress conditions. Based on the analyses of the acquired ERT and MASW data, the data of both tools correlate reasonably well and generate reliable and comprehensive information about variations in soil and rock rigidity, variations in rock lithology, pattern, placement and density of solution-widened joints and offset of faults, locations of air-filled voids, distribution of dry and moist soil, distribution of clayey soil, and mapping variable depth to top of bedrock. Therefore these technologies can be routinely used by not only the Missouri Department of Transportation but also worldwide agencies in support of its pavement management process. The research demonstrated that the ERT and MASW methods were effective tools for assessing the condition of pavement. This is the first comprehensive assessment of paved sections of roadway to the best of the author knowledge --Abstract, page iii

The impacts of vehicle disturbance on NSW saltmarsh: implications for rehabilitation

Coastal saltmarshes are recognised globally as important ecological communities that are increasingly under threat. The use of off-road vehicles in saltmarsh environments has been identified as a very serious and rapidly escalating threat to these ecosystems. Despite this, vehicle disturbance within saltmarsh ecosystems has not been widely studied, particularly in the Australian context. Further understanding of the nature of this threat is required to provide knowledge for potential rehabilitation strategies. This study aimed to assess the impacts of vehicles on saltmarsh, at two locations on the South Coast of NSW, Australia. I adopted a multi-disciplinary approach to assess the impacts of vehicles on a range of biotic and abiotic variables. Biotic variables included abundance and composition of both the standing vegetation and the soil seed bank. The soil seed bank was assessed via a seedling emergence study, whereby soil samples were placed in greenhouses under conditions favourable for germination, and counted and identified as they emerged. Abiotic variables assessed included physical soil properties, chemical soil properties, micro-topography and hydrology. Physical and chemical soil properties were examined using a combination of field and laboratory techniques. The spatial extent of vehicle damage was determined, as well as the impacts of vehicles on micro-topography and hydrology using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This study demonstrated that vehicles adversely impact saltmarsh ecosystems in a number of ways. Vegetation cover was on average 90% lower within vehicle tracks and the average number of plant species was halved. Changes to vegetation species composition were associated with vehicle damage, with impacted areas more likely to comprise species characteristic of the lower saltmarsh zone. The soil seed bank was adversely affected by vehicle disturbance, with an 80% reduction in average seed density within the soil of tracks. As the soil seed bank plays a vital role in vegetation recovery post-disturbance, reduced seed densities within the soil of vehicle tracks were considered major barriers to natural regeneration of damaged areas. Vehicle damage was also associated with changes to the local abiotic environment. Increased soil compaction was identified as a major impact of vehicle disturbance. Overall soil quality was found to be reduced in areas of disturbance, with lower levels of soil organic matter within vehicle damaged areas. Vehicle tracks were also associated with localised depressions in the marsh surface and thus, altered hydrological conditions. These factors were considered to have significant influence on ecological function of the saltmarsh and were identified as major factors limiting regeneration in vehicle damaged areas. Investigation of the impacts of vehicles on South Coast saltmarsh sites revealed that unassisted regeneration may not always be possible, and more active rehabilitation measures may be required in response to vehicle disturbance

Monitoring, Modelling and Management of Water Quality

Different types of pressures, such as nutrients, micropollutants, microbes, nanoparticles, microplastics, or antibiotic-resistant genes, endanger the quality of water bodies. Evidence-based pollution control needs to be built on the three basic elements of water governance: Monitoring, modeling, and management. Monitoring sets the empirical basis by providing space- and time-dependent information on substance concentrations and loads, as well as driving boundary conditions for assessing water quality trends, water quality statuses, and providing necessary information for the calibration and validation of models. Modeling needs proper system understanding and helps to derive information for times and locations where no monitoring is done or possible. Possible applications are risk assessments for exceedance of quality standards, assessment of regionalized relevance of sources and pathways of pollution, effectiveness of measures, bundles of measures or policies, and assessment of future developments as scenarios or forecasts. Management relies on this information and translates it in a socioeconomic context into specific plans for implementation. Evaluation of success of management plans again includes well-defined monitoring strategies. This book provides an important overview in this context

Developing a traffic control device maintenance management system interfacing with Gis

Roadway systems contain a wide variety of spatially distributed physical features which require installation, maintenance and replacement. These features include traffic control devices such as signs, signals, pavement markings and streetlights. Several technologies exist that can be utilized by the transportation sector to improve program management of a number of these features. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology provides a powerful environment for the capture, storage, retrieval, analysis, and display of spatial (locationally defined) data. A need exists to provide an inventory of the transportation physical plant to interface with a work management system. Information pertaining to the number and condition of such features is required for planning, operating, maintaining, managing and budgeting needs. This thesis summarizes the development of a user-friendly, computerized process to establish a graphical interface between a roadway inventory database and GIS; Evaluation of existing technologies and a survey of current literature will provide a basis for the design of a Traffic Control Device Maintenance Management System. This system will provide a consistent form of technology transfer on a common platform. This system will manage resources by integrating work-orders and the database. The system will utilize GIS technology to integrate a work-order system and a database reporting system for resource management. The work order interface capabilities will include maintenance work-order management, project cost and progress tracking, and program planning and policy analysis; The key is to develop a user-friendly system useful to both the field-level installation crews and planning-level management. A case study in Clark County, Nevada, will be used to evaluate alternative methods of collecting and data on traffic control devices and to illustrate the development of a GIS-based management system. This system is intended to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operational practices as well as serve as a vital decision support tool for planning and management

Anthropocene in the Geomorphology of the Sonoran Desert

abstract: Human endeavors move 7x more volume of earth than the world’s rivers accelerating the removal of Earth’s soil surface. Measuring anthropogenic acceleration of soil erosion requires knowledge of natural rates through the study of 10Be, but same-watershed comparisons between anthropogenically-accelerated and natural erosion rates do not exist for urbanizing watersheds. Here I show that urban sprawl from 1989 to 2013 accelerated soil erosion between 1.3x and 15x above natural rates for different urbanizing watersheds in the metropolitan Phoenix region, Sonoran Desert, USA, and that statistical modeling a century of urban sprawl indicates an acceleration of only 2.7x for the Phoenix region. Based on studies of urbanization’s erosive effects, and studies comparing other land-use changes to natural erosion rates, we expected a greater degree of urban acceleration. Given that continued urban expansion will add a new city of a million every five days until 2050, given the potential importance of urban soils for absorbing anthropogenically-released carbon, and given the role of urban-sourced pollution, quantifying urbanization’s acceleration of natural erosion in other urban settings could reveal important regional patterns. For example, a comparison of urban watersheds to nearby non-urban watersheds suggests that the Phoenix case study is on the low-end of the urban acceleration factor. This new insight into the urban acceleration of soil erosion in metropolitan Phoenix can help reduce the acute risk of flooding for many rapidly urbanizing desert cities around the globe. To reduce this risk, properly engineered Flood Control Structures must account for sediment accumulation as well as flood waters. While the Phoenix area used regional data from non-urban, non-desert watersheds to generate sediment yield rates, this research presents a new analysis of empirical data for the Phoenix metropolitan region, where two regression models provide estimates of a more realistic sediment accumulation for arid regions and also urbanization of a desert cities. The new model can be used to predict the realistic sediment accumulation for helping provide data where few data exists in parts of arid Africa, southwest Asia, and India.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Geography 201