Theses and Dissertations, Capstones, and Directed Research

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Electronic theses and dissertations, and graduate and undergraduate Capstones and Directed Research.

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations, Capstones, and Directed Research by Type "Directed Research Project"

Now showing 1 - 20 of 98
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    A Case Study of Environmental Justice - Air Quality in Harris County, Texas
    (2021-05) Yang, Ting Hsuan; Zhan, F. Benjamin; Chow, T. Edwin
    This research integrates EJSCREEN data and geographically weighted regression analysis to explore the spatial variation in the relationships between environmental indicators and demographic factors in Harris County, Texas. The results show high levels of the goodness of fit for most of the models in PM 2.5, ozone, NATA respiratory hazard index, and NATA diesel particulate matter, except for traffic proximity. The results provide a clear representation that there is a high level of associations between a higher volume of air pollutants or a higher level of relevant health risk and a higher percentage of populations vulnerable to environmental risks.
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    A Case Study of Travis County's Precipitation Events Inspired by a "Hyperlocal" Approach from NWS and CoCoRaHs Data
    (2020-12) Plunket, William W.; Earl, Richard; Li, Yanan
    No abstract prepared.
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    A Comparison of Fine and Coarse Resolution Remote Sensing Platforms for Post Fire Severity
    (2019-12) Petri, Maximilian E.; Currit, Nathan; Li, Yanan Nancy
    This study compares Landsat 8 dNBR with Planet dNDVI for burn severity measurement. The sensors were compared to ground reference data using the Composite Burn Index (CBI) and a radiospectrometer. CBI data was collected with 21 field plots from a fire on ranch land in Llano, Texas in the Summer of 2018. dNBR based on Landsat 8 produced higher r2 values (0.742) than dNDVI based on Planet imagery (0.324). Planet imagery at ~3m spatial resolution has finer details of the landscape that can help land managers, fire departments, and landowners to rehabilitate the landscape, but it lacks an MIR band, which explains its lower correlation values. The Landsat system provides better results spectrally, but Planet images can provide finer detail of the landscape and with a more flexible time/date range.
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    A Comprehensive Geodatabase of the Freeman Center
    (2017-05) Wiesner, Jon Scott; Jensen, Jennifer; Huebner, Don
    No abstract prepared.
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    A Qualitative Content Analysis of Hazard Mitigation Plans in Texas
    (2019-05) Johnson, Natalie; Blanchard, R. Denise; Devine, Jennifer
    No abstract prepared.
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    A Study of CPTED Principles and their Relationship to Crime Risk in Beaumont, Texas
    (2018-08) Cregg, James; Lu, Yongmei; Blue, Sarah
    Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is an approach to understanding crime which focuses on the built environment and geography instead of simply a potential offender’s behavior or socio-economic characteristics. The theory of CPTED proposes that characteristics of the built environment can lower or increase the risk of crime at a location, based on the principles of Natural Surveillance, Natural Access Control, Territoriality, and Image. For this study, I investigated how CPTED characteristics had an impact on the property crime rate in Beaumont, Texas. I observed six Beaumont neighborhoods, and their houses and other buildings were rated according to an audit list I developed, consisting of 12 quantifiable CPTED characteristics based on the four principles. The houses and buildings of the six neighborhoods were rated by their individual parcels, according to a 0-4 based scale. These rated parcels were aggregated to a combined total of 134 residential blocks in ArcGIS, with each block being assigned the average of the CPTED ratings of the combined parcels. Maps of the six neighborhoods and their blocks were created which showed their vulnerability to crime, based on CPTED characteristic ratings. In addition to the CPTED vulnerability maps, I also developed maps which showed actual crime rates, which rated residential blocks within neighborhoods based on the number of crimes per 1,000 houses. The maps and spreadsheet data from the audit were used to determine the relationship of CPTED characteristics to crime rate. The research hypothesis was that neighborhoods that exhibit comparatively more CPTED characteristics will have fewer instances of crime than neighborhoods that exhibit fewer CPTED characteristics. The null hypothesis was that neighborhoods that exhibit more CPTED characteristics will not show a significant difference in crime rate compared to neighborhoods with fewer CPTED characteristics. The data was collected by slowly traversing each neighborhood by car, and using high- definition video cameras to record each individual house. The recorded video was later played back, and the CPTED residential audit was completed for each house. Information from the audit was documented in a spreadsheet, and also entered into ArcGIS software in order to create the CPTED vulnerability maps. ArcGIS was also used to create crime rate maps, based on data from the Beaumont Police Department. The neighborhoods were ranked from highest CPTED rating down to lowest CPTED rating; and from lowest crime count to highest crime count, to see if there were similar rankings in which high CPTED rating is closely paired with low crime-count. In addition to the ranking method, the CPTED ratings and crime counts for each block of the six neighborhoods were also plotted on a graph, to determine if there is a valid linear regression in which crime rate is determined by the CPTED rating. The results show that the neighborhood with the highest CPTED rating had the second lowest crime density, and the neighborhood with the lowest CPTED rating had the highest crime density. The ranks of the neighborhoods according to CPTED rating and crime count show that there likely is some relationship between these two variables. A regression analysis shows that there is an inverse relationship (y = -550.49x + 1254.5) in which an increase in the CPTED rating corresponds to a decrease in crime rate per 1,000, with an R2 value of .1805. The Spearman-Rho test indicates that there is a moderate correlation (R = .447) between CPTED rating and crime rate per 1,000, at the .05 significance level with a P value of 0.00000007. When looking at the CPTED rating maps of these neighborhoods alongside the crime count maps, many values of blocks in the CPTED maps correspond to similar values in the crime count maps. This phenomenon can better be illustrated by determining where similar rank values in CPTED rating and crime rating "overlap." Although this process is more subjective compared to other methods, it is helpful in illuminating the areas in which the CPTED rating procedure most strongly predicted areas which are most at risk for crime, and which areas are most defended against crime. Even though this process of finding overlap is somewhat subjective, it was able to correctly predict 85 out of 134 blocks (63%) while the remaining 49 blocks (37%) do not show the relationship being sought, according to the hypothesis. The regression analysis and Spearman's test showed this relationship in a more objective manner than the maps, illustrating that crime rate falls as CPTED ratings rise.
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    A Study of Urban Redevelopment of the Broadway Area in San Antonio, Texas from 2009-2019
    (2020-05) Gunnells, Laura Megan; Zhan, F. Benjamin; Chow, Edwin
    No abstract prepared.
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    An Assessment of Cross-Scale Floodplain Policies in Central Texas
    (2020-05) Landers, Katherine R.; Meitzen, Kimberly; Julian, Jason
    Humans have been managing rivers and floodplains since ancient times, but our relationship with riverine floodplains has changed over time. In the United States, social movements, natural disasters, and urbanization have driven floodplain policies and implementation. Specifically, this project examined floodplain policy change at four political scales, federal, state, county, and municipal. The State of Texas, Hays County, and the Cities of San Marcos, Wimberley, and Woodcreek were chosen as case studies within the US federalist system. At all scales, floodplains are primarily governed and managed for their relationship to development and flood-control. Levees and dams have been the most common structural floodcontrol strategies nationwide and statewide. However, the long-term costs and adverse environmental impacts have influenced the shift in flood mitigation to favor nonstructural methods. Text mining methods were used to with current policy documents using Atlas.ti (version 8 for Mac OS), a qualitative data analysis software (QDAS). The results show the distribution of floodplains in current regulatory codes and former periods of high and low floodplain policy activities. Trigger events were identified for each governmental scale. At the federal level, national disasters, such as the Great Flood of 1927 and Hurricane Katrina (2005), spurred flood-control policy reform as well as the environmental movement in the 1960s-1970s. The National Environmental Policy Act (1969), Clean Water Act (1972), and Environmental Species Act (1973) set national policies that influenced state and local floodplain management. Severe droughts drove water planning policy change that spread to include floodplains. Texas floodplain policy is changing and being implemented rapidly while the opposite is true at the federal level. The municipalities’ floodplain regulations were impacted most directly by localized floods. Floodplain management has evolved through the 20th and 21st centuries, driven by social movements, natural disasters, and urban and agricultural development. The mismatch of hydrologic and political boundaries produces planning and management challenges. Primarily, floodplains are governed and managed for their relationship to development and flood-control. Text mining techniques were used to assess policy documents using Atlas.ti (version 8 for Mac OS), a qualitative data analysis software (QDAS) to create a historical timeline of floodplain policy change for the United States of America, the State of Texas, Hays County, and the Cities of San Marcos, Wimberley, and Woodcreek. Reviewing past missteps and successes will inform better policy and management decisions for floodplains and other natural resources. With climate change and growing urban populations, proactive management and resilient strategies are more important than ever.
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    Analyzing Human Interest to Hurricane Harvey Using Location Based Social Media and Tobler's First Law of Geography
    (2018-08) Bengochea, Adailin Lebron; Yuan, Yihong; Lu, Yongmei
    No abstract prepared.
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    Anticipating Growth in the Texas Hill Country: Exploration of Potential for Land Application of Treated Wastewater and Further Considerations
    (2020-05) Stonecipher, Ty; Loftus, Timothy T.; Earl, Richard
    No abstract prepared.
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    Archaeological Predictive Modeling for Black Mesa Ranger District, Apache-Sitgraves National Forest, AZ
    (2022-12) Beavers, Matthew H.; Zhan, Benjamin; Krause, Samantha
    No abstract prepared.
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    Assessing Potential Impacts from the 2018 California Wildfires on Atmospheric Particulate Concentrations in U.S. National Parks
    (2021-08) Frost, Tyler; Tiefenbacher, John; Currit, Nate
    United States’ national parks offer visitors the opportunity to engage in outdoor recreation. People travel to national parks for many reasons. They enjoy the serene beauty and scenic views of parks while seeking solace from fast-paced lives. One expectation of national parks is that they will provide visitors with pristine and safe air quality in which the natural landscape can be truly appreciated. However, it has been reported that 96 percent of the National Park Service’s protected areas experience significant air pollution problems, 89 percent suffer from atmospheric haze (Kodish et al. 2019). Smoke from fires, both naturally and intentionally occurring, yield significant amounts of particulates. As climates change more dramatically due to continued global warming, wildfire occurrence is expected to increase. With 61 designated national parks and other protected natural areas in the United States classified as Class I air quality protection regions, there are many unique areas in dire need of preservation. As such, this study attempts to answer two main questions: 1) How much did the 2018 California wildfires impact the concentrations of particulate matter (PM) in the national parks and which regions were impacted the worst? and 2) Which national parks in California experienced the greatest number of “action days” and did these events affect park visitation?
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    Assessing Resource Accessibility of Vulnerable Populations During Evacuation
    (2023-12) Ruiz, Melissa D.; Chow, T. Edwin; Hagelman, Ronald
    No abstract prepared.
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    Assessing Risk of Superfund Sites to Natural Hazards within Texas
    (2023-12) Maron, Casey; Blanchard, R. Denise; Yuan, Yihong
    No abstract prepared.
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    Assessing the Effects of Hydrologic Enforcement Methods in a Central Texas Watershed
    (2018-05) Pesek, Thomas; Chow, T. Edwin; Meitzen, Kimberly
    No abstract prepared.
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    Assessing the Impact of Propeller Scars on Sea Grass Fragmentation in South Bay-Laguna Madre, Texas Using UAS Imagery
    (2019-12) Griffith, Benjamin Tate; Currit, Nate; Jensen, Jennifer
    No abstract prepared.
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    Assessing the range of Houston Toad (Bufo [Anaxyrus houstonensis] relative to soil, geology and vegetation over three decades in Bastrop County, TX
    (2021-05) Lamberts, Alexis P.; Meitzen, Kimberly; Forstner, Michael
    Identifying the habitat and spatial patterns of endangered species is important for research and management of the species and can also be helpful for identifying the geographical and anthropogenic factors that influence their distributions. The Houston toad (Bufo [Anaxyrus] houstonensis) is an endangered species that is endemic to east-central Texas and is currently only found in nine counties, one of which contains federally recognized critical habitat. The Houston toad’s habitat is extremely susceptible to a variety of threats that currently affect the region, including urbanization, wildfire, drought, agricultural practices, and invasive species. These threats and their impacts on habitat availability and quality may cause changes in population distributions. This research uses a GIS to analyze and compare historical and modern Houston toad detection records for Bastrop County, Texas, in relation to soil, geology, and vegetation classification maps to determine if the species distribution has adjusted to occupy different types of soil, geology and vegetation over time. This proposed investigation aims to quantify if, and how, the patterns of Houston toad detection has changed over the observation period. This research is important because it can help elucidate what environmental and anthropogenic factors may be influencing changes to their habitat use. The results of the study will add to existing knowledge on Houston toad habitat and potentially provide novel information to help explain changes in the distribution of their populations over time. This information can be useful for identifying factors that may be causing changes to Houston toad distributions and that can help inform the conservation and management of the species.
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    Augmented reality: Capturing knowledge in geographic education
    (2020-05) Wilson, Eric; Devine, Jennifer; Solem, Michael
    The use of Augmented Reality provides an opportunity to introduce geospatial technologies and geographic education into the classroom, yet the technology is underutilized. At the same time, museum experiences within smaller communities have become less popular because of the lack of available resources and technology. To address these concerns, I created an interactive Augmented Reality museum tour at the Hispanic Cultural Center in San Marcos, Texas that combines oral histories with current information in the museum. This project explores how Augmented Reality changes students’ learning experiences. When touring the museum, students use Augmented Reality to engage with content and answer questions regarding Mexican migration, segregation histories, and struggles for equality. With this added layer of Augmented Reality content, I argue that students will receive and retain extra information beyond what is typically available. Working with Augmented Reality, we suspect, will also create a more dynamic and enjoyable learning experience for students. Augmented Reality holds the potential to transform geographic education. This project is a first step to understand that potential. The Augmented Reality tour will continue at the Hispanic Cultural Center in perpetuity and be opened to the San Marcos community.
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    Baseline Climatology of Sounding-Measured Variates Associated with Atlantic and Gulf Coast Tropical Cyclone Tornado Clusters
    (2017-05) Hervey, James Nicholas; Dixon, Richard W.; Butler, David R.
    Radiosonde sounding-measured variates are analyzed for 55 cases of tornado outbreaks associated with tropical cyclones from 1995-2010. We define a tropical cyclone tornado outbreak as six or more tornadoes occurring in a six-hour period. All the tornadoes are associated with a landfalling or post-landfall translating tropical cyclone. Previous studies have examined the role of the atmospheric environment in an individual tropical cyclone or individual tornado. An earlier study of these tropical cyclone tornado clusters produced a baseline climatology of stability and wind shear parameters. The goal of this study is to provide a climatology of sounding-measured variates for each tropical cyclone tornado outbreak. Sounding variates provide information on characteristics of the atmospheric column such as height of standard pressure surfaces, temperature, moisture, and winds. Descriptive statistics for the sounding-measured parameters are presented to document the central tendency and variability of atmospheric conditions associated with these outbreaks. A hierarchical cluster analysis produced three clusters with significant difference in the North/South wind parameter for cluster 3. A principal components analysis revealed that the north/south wind contributed significantly to the occurrence of tornado outbreaks with dew point contributing the least.