Geography, Planning and Environment
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Item Embargo Rewilding the River: Assessing the Environmental Effects and Regulatory Influences of the Condit Dam Removal Process(East Carolina University, July 2024) Safari, NedaThe goal of dam removal projects is to improve river ecosystems by facilitating the restoration of natural water flows, sediment movement, water temperatures, and the ability of fish to migrate. However, if the removal of dams fails to be properly managed, it can also result in the movement of significant amounts of sediment and may have additional long-term impacts on the fish population and the environment. Although numerous dams have been removed in the United States, there is still a need for a comprehensive framework that mandates long-term and in-depth assessments regarding the ongoing ecological alterations and outcomes of restoration efforts on different fish species populations. Also, the current legal and regulatory frameworks that regulate the removal of dams could hinder the ability of government agencies to monitor and manage the post-removal conditions effectively. Multiple federal, state, and municipal permits are necessary, but regulations fail to sufficiently consider unexpected outcomes or provide clear guidance for issues such as ongoing monitoring obligations and expenses. Therefore, this research has three objectives: 1) analyzing the legal and regulatory structures that regulate the process of removing dams, with a focus on identifying areas that need improvement based on the analysis of the Condit case study; 2) examining the policies and strategies that influenced the decision-making process for the removal of Condit Dam as well as their effects on the physical alterations of the river after its removal; and 3) investigating the ongoing effects of dam removal more than ten years later, aiming to determine the impact of the regulation on the river's physical and ecological response. This research uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The effectiveness of regulations pertaining to dam removal was evaluated using the Framework for Analyzing Public Policies, with a specific focus on the case study of Condit Dam removal. To address the second objective, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 participants who were involved in the Condit project. The data obtained from these interviews was then analyzed using Thematic Analysis. The effects of dam removal were evaluated using descriptive statistical analysis of fish population dynamics before and after the dam removal. The analysis of the fish population indicates that both species showed fluctuations; the Fall Chinook had a more dramatic peak and subsequent sharp decrease after the dam removal because of the sediment, followed by signs of possible recovery. The population of Spring Chinook salmon has shown reduced but consistent levels, with a drop in 2019 followed by a partial recovery. In addition, the interview findings were analyzed to determine key patterns and trends in stakeholder perspectives throughout the project. By analyzing both the policy dimensions surrounding the removal decision as well as the ongoing ecological responses of the river system post-removal, this study aims to provide insights for facilitating better dam removal processes and outcomes in the future. The findings highlight poor investment of funds and monitoring initiatives for assessing fish populations. Effectively managing the need for continuous assessments, especially after major events such as dam removals, poses a continuing challenge that requires increased financial support. The study’s results suggest that cooperation and standardizing processes across regulatory bodies might enhance the efficiency of dam removal efforts while maintaining environmental protection. Furthermore, a flexible and well-financed funding structure for dam removal projects, based on comprehensive pre-removal analysis and post-removal monitoring, could improve the effectiveness of river restorations accomplished through dam removals.Item Open Access ASSESSING BIAS IN PERSONAL EXPOSURE ESTIMATES WHEN INDOOR AIR QUALITY IS IGNORED: A CASE STUDY OF EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND RALEIGH/DURHAM(East Carolina University, July 2024) Opejin, AbdulahiExposure to outdoor air pollution can cause adverse health issues. Indoor air pollution can be more dangerous due to indoor activities such as cooking, painting, smoking, and heating systems, and can worsen the burden associated with air pollution. Neglecting indoor air quality in an exposure assessment may generate bias and erroneous conclusions regarding the association between exposure and health outcomes. Accurately assessing levels of exposure to air pollution helps advance our understanding of the health effects associated with air pollution and identify effective strategies to address public health concerns. Previous exposure studies have utilized outdoor air quality to assess individuals’ exposure to air pollution in their residential locations. These studies neglect the significant amount of time people spend indoors and other activity places. Some other studies assessed exposure to air pollution by measured only indoor air quality inside homes, but they overlook outdoor and other indoor environments where people are exposed to air pollution. Therefore, it remains unknown whether neglecting indoor air quality would generate negligible or non-negligible bias. Likewise, environmental justice studies have also focused only on outdoor air quality to understand exposure disparities among social groups. It remains unknown whether the degree of disparities in exposure becomes larger when indoor environments are considered compared to when only outdoor air quality is considered in exposure assessments. This study aims to assess bias in personal exposure by comparing estimates derived from two different air pollution datasets: outdoor air quality data and data collected in both indoor and outdoor environments. It also investigates whether exposure disparity between different social groups would be more prominent when indoor air quality is considered in exposure assessments. For data that contains both indoor and outdoor pollution measurements, this study used 3-day mobile sensing air quality data of 100 research participants living in eastern North Carolina (ENC), which was collected using GeoAir2.0 portable monitors for a previous pilot project conducted by Park’s research team. The GeoAir2.0 data includes GPS location data as well as particulate matter (PM) measurements in a 1-minute interval. For outdoor air quality data, publicly available PM2.5 data measured every minute were downloaded from 213 PurpleAir monitors across ENC for the corresponding times the GeoAir data were collected. Using a geostatistical method, a Python algorithm was developed to estimate PM2.5 from PurpleAir data for 129,600 minutes over 90 unique days of the entire data collection period. Participants’ PM2.5 values were averaged for each dataset to obtain GeoAir2.0- and PurpleAir-based exposure estimates. Next, paired-sample t-tests were performed to examine whether there was a significant difference between the two exposure estimates. Lastly, to assess the degree of gender and economic disparities in exposure among different income groups, Welch’s t-tests and analyses of variance (ANOVA) were performed. Game-Howell post hoc tests were used to assess whether the difference in exposure estimates among pairs of the income groups was significant. This study identified that the PurpleAir-based exposure estimates were consistently higher than the GeoAir-based estimates in overall exposure, activity places, and days of the week. The paired-sample t-test result revealed a statistically significant difference between the two estimates (t = 5.94; p < 0.001). This indicates that PurpleAir estimates overestimate the actual exposure to air pollution. Exposure levels in different microenvironments also showed significant variations between the two estimates, with home exposure generating the most significant difference (t = 5.74; p < 0.001), revealing that PurpleAir data overestimated the level of exposure in indoors when outdoor air pollution concentration is high and underestimates indoor air quality when outdoor air quality is low. Also, the socioeconomic disparities in exposure estimates were evident among the three income groups when indoor air quality was integrated into exposure assessment compared to when only outdoor air quality was utilized. The study emphasizes the significance of integrating indoor air quality data in exposure assessments to mitigate bias. It also underscores the importance of personal air sampling data in environmental justice studies to provide a more accurate representation of exposure disparities among different social groups.Item Open Access Mining for Cryptocurrencies, Extracting from Communities? A Case Study of Belvoir(East Carolina University, July 2024) Ihuka, Victor ChimaiheHundreds of studies conclude that, generally, ethnic minorities, indigenous persons, people of color, and low-income communities confront a higher burden of environmental exposure from air, water, and soil pollution from industrial facilities. This is due to entrenched segregation, racially motivated decisions in the zoning ordinances, eminent domain, (lack of) government regulations, and urban renewal. However, most Environmental Justice research has focused on proximity to hazardous waste sites and facilities (landfills, incinerators, superfund sites, etc.) In the Fall of 2021, Compute North (a Minnesota-based technology firm) sought a special use permit to operate a cryptocurrency mining facility in Belvoir, Pitt County. The project prompted protests when it became clear the proposed site was close to an elementary school in the predominantly Hispanic and African American community. This case study examined what aspects of (or lack thereof) of the proposal for Compute North to build a crypto-currency facility in Pitt County that reflected transparency; how community members were able to participate in the process and if this participation full and equitable, and lastly, the case study examined community members’ perceptions of fairness regarding their participation and access to support and information during this process. Cryptocurrency has gained significant attention in recent years as a decentralized digital currency that uses cryptography to secure transactions and control the creation of new units. Crypto-mining and blockchain are relatively new technologies that hold promise for the future of digital finance and the internet of things (IoT). Even though cryptocurrency is a virtual currency, its production is not done in isolation. Cryptocurrency has spatial and social implications for the communities where mining occurs. Some studies have explored the energy consumption and carbon emissions of cryptocurrency mining. The noise pollution associated with crypto mining is also an emerging environmental justice issue. There is also concern about the slew of electronic wastes created by the specialized hardware required to mine crypto. One key area that has not gotten any attention in academic scholarship is the environmental justice dimensions of crypto-mining facilities siting. Using the theoretical frameworks of procedural justice, I analyzed the primary and secondary data (interviews, news articles, minutes of public hearings, etc.) through the lens of narrative analysis to identify themes and patterns within the stories and to understand the social and cultural context in which the stories are situated. The case study serves as a potent reminder of the need for continued vigilance and activism to ensure that all communities, regardless of race, have equal access to environmental benefits and protections. It also underscores the importance of ensuring that these communities are genuinely empowered with the necessary resources, information, and support to contribute meaningfully to environmental decision-making.Item Open Access SINUOSITY OF TROPICAL CYCLONE TRACKS IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC BASIN(East Carolina University, July 2024) James, Russell Je'JuanIn previous studies, there is an understanding of the various tracks tropical cyclones (TC) can take. Scientists and the general public understand that these tropical cyclones can vary in size, speed, and intensity. In this study three tropical cyclone track types (Sinuous, Quasi-Straight, and Straight Moving) were defined by applying a subjective approach using the Sinuosity equation to calculate the sinuosity or the curvature of each landfalling tropical cyclone track that occurred between 1979 and 2020 in the North Atlantic Basin. The calculations of each track were then compared to the average position of the North Atlantic Subtropical High during each track’s lifespan using the 850-gpm contour maps. Four specific examples (1 straight moving, 2 quasi-straight, and 1 sinuous) displayed the positional behavior of the NASH affecting the outcome of each track type. This study focuses further on how several landfalling tropical cyclones are affected by the NASH, and how the identifiable patterns could be applied in a prognostic or nowcasting environment in weather forecasting.Item Restricted Volumetric change of coastal dunes using airborne LIDAR, Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina(East Carolina University) Woolard, Jason Wyatt.Item Restricted Heavy and extreme precipitation in the Carolinas :comparisons between TRMM and gauge data 1998-2006(East Carolina University) Wuensch, Sol Xenos.Item Restricted Soil development, drainage, and surface stability on the North Carolina coastal plain(East Carolina University) Wyrick, Marilyn J.Item Restricted The environmental impacts of population change in South Africa :the use of shuttle photography to monitor land cover in Gazankulu(East Carolina University) White, Lynda G.Item Open Access Utilizing DEMs derived from LIDAR data to analyze topography :a case study of North Carolina barrier islands(East Carolina University) White, Stephen Alston.Item Restricted Mapping flood extent using hydraulic models and JERS-1 SAR data on the Tar River floodplain(East Carolina University) Zheng, Tao.Item Restricted Estudiantes luchando por una vida nueva :academic aspirations of foreign born Latino youth in rural North Carolina(East Carolina University) Wicks, Melissa L.Item Restricted Using geographic information science to predict archaeological sites :an example from Northwestern Belize(East Carolina University) Vaughn, Sallie.Item Restricted Determinants of spatial variation in Barrier Island property values(East Carolina University) Wade, Scott Edwin.Item Restricted N.C. 12 :lifeline to the North Carolina Outer Banks(East Carolina University) Wallace, Thomas Scott.Item Restricted Suspended sediment transport in agricultural drainage ditches on the coastal plain of North Carolina(East Carolina University) Wang, Jingyu.Item Open Access Influence of Channel Bend Curvature on Debris-Flow-Driven Avulsion on Alluvial Fans, Explored through Discrete Simulations(East Carolina University, 2023-05-03) Teboul, JonathanAlluvial fan morphology is often influenced by channelization of fluvial flow and episodic instances of avulsion (channel rerouting). Under certain conditions and in response to dramatic shifts (i.e., significant vegetation loss) or significant weather activity (i.e., intense rainfall or snowmelt) in the upstream environment, debris flows can manifest and have devastating impacts on downstream environments and communities. During their transport downstream through meandering distributary channels, debris flows can incise into the channel bed and laterally into channel banks. Debris flows can also rise and overtop the banks of their confining channels. These overtopping events are especially prevalent along channel bends where increases in centrifugal forces influence manifestations in debris-flow superelevation. This study investigates the parameter of channel bend curvature for debris-flow-driven avulsion using a debris-flow flume housed in the ECU Geomorphic Modeling Laboratory and series of 3D-printed rectangular channels of differing sinuosity imprinted in a simulated alluvial plain. The results of this experiment suggest variability in channel curvature (sinuosity) influences variability in manifestations of debris-flow runout and inundation behaviors, including debris-flow avulsion location, volumes and distances of debris-flow runout, and channel bend and alluvial plain inundation. Specifically, greater volumes and surface area coverages of debris-flow runout are suggested to result from avulsions from sharper curves as opposed to wider curves. Zones of likelihood of inundation that incorporate these findings are presented for areas of intersect between debris flows and channel outer bend crests on the debris-flow flume. Sharper curves are also suggested to influence greater frequency of avulsion. Lastly, this study demonstrates the potential for debris-flow avulsions to occur in channels free of debris pileup and as direct results of flow superelevation.Item Restricted Spatial analysis of broadband service :identifying the digital divide in North Carolina(East Carolina University) Suvak, William J.Item Restricted Frequency/magnitude of aeolian events(East Carolina University) Swann, Christy.Item Restricted Hurricanes :where does the knowledge begin?(East Carolina University) Stein, David N.Item Restricted Paradise is relative :implications of labor transition in the crab processing industry of eastern North Carolina(East Carolina University) Selby, Emily F.