Applied Geography Directed Research
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Item Neighborhood-Scale Wildfire Evacuation Vulnerability in Hays County, TX(2024-05) Ramos, Chad; Yuan, Yihong; Blanchard-Boehm, DeniseWildfires have increased in severity and range, particularly in the West, and some of the costliest wildfires have occurred in the last 5 years. Despite this increase, rapid development in the fire-prone Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) has continued. WUI neighborhoods are being developed with few upgrades to road infrastructure, resulting in a high ratio of houses to community road-network exits and an increased evacuation time. This risks a difficult evacuation and may have contributed to some of the most devastating neighborhood-scale WUI fires. Studies have found many such low-egress neighborhoods, but that research does not include Texas. Hays County is prone to wildfire, and rapid population growth has contributed to a substantial WUI. The goal of this research then is to systematically search Hays County road networks to identify neighborhoods that face the highest combined risk of wildfire and potential evacuation difficulty due to a high ratio of houses to community exits. Adapting from previous research that used a computationally complex spatial optimization technique to extract neighborhood subnetworks, this research makes use of Next Generation 9-1-1 road network datasets which include the attribute Neighborhood Community, to separate neighborhood subnetworks. This allows the methodology to be completed within a traditional GIS, potentially increasing adaptability. Neighborhood exits were defined as the intersection between neighborhood and non-neighborhood road networks. These intersections theoretically represent the final bottleneck faced by evacuees much as the outer doors of a building are the final bottleneck for building evacuations. Exit ratios were calculated using address points to estimate houses in each neighborhood. Neighborhood wildfire risks were assigned using a wildfire threat map that estimates the likelihood of a fire starting or burning into a particular area. Finally, neighborhoods were ranked using a rules-based approach. The neighborhoods were first grouped based on the 7 levels of wildfire risk, and next ranked within each group in descending order based on their exit ratio. The most at-risk neighborhoods have the highest risk of a wildfire occurring within the neighborhood and the highest exit ratios. Prior research suggests that an exit ratio of 200 is the threshold at which evacuations may become constrained, therefore Hays County neighborhoods with a lower ratio were removed leaving the final ranking. In total, 26 Hays County neighborhoods were identified with a moderate or higher wildfire risk and an exit ratio of more than 200. This includes six with a ratio above 500 and the highest estimated exit ratio is 1614. In comparison, similar research from 2013 searching the 11 westernmost US states found only 31 neighborhoods with both a wildfire risk and a ratio above 500. These low-egress neighborhoods carry the risk of a very difficult evacuation in cases when wildfire warning time is short. This research provides a starting point in wildfire evacuation hazard identification in Hays County and exemplifies the need for targeted emergency planning and community wildfire safety outreach. Many regions in Texas are similarly prone to wildfire and the methods presented here could potentially identify at-risk neighborhoods across the state.Item Waterworks Over Watersheds: Texas' Geography of Interbasin Water Transfers(2024-05) Staska, Sophia; Julian, Jason; Mace, Robert E.; Votteler, ToddWater transfers, via pipelines or other conveyance infrastructure, meet water demands and alleviate water stress from climate changes, land use changes, and population movements. These water development projects can also have cascading effects on the environment and society. Visual representation and geographic analyses of water transfers can reveal patterns and relationships between origin and receiving river basins. In an attempt to map and analyze water transfers in the state of Texas (USA), I examined previously published geospatial datasets and regional project maps on statewide waterworks. I found the existing data to be incomplete and inaccurate. Accordingly, I researched, improved, and digitized waterworks across the state using multiple sources and key contacts. Using HUC-8 watershed boundaries as my unit of analysis, I found and mapped 84 interbasin transfers across the state of Texas that were constructed between 1900 and 2030. This geographic visualization allowed me to examine spatiotemporal patterns and connections of interbasin transfers at the regional and state scales. Transfer characteristics analyzed in this study were the year, length, type of conveyance infrastructure, system capacity, and intended water use. A total of 28 canals, 42 surface water pipelines, and 14 groundwater pipelines were mapped in this study, summing to 4,795 miles of conveyance infrastructure. Six regions were identified as regions with high concentrations of transfers: the Panhandle, West Texas, North Texas, Central Texas, the Gulf Coast, and Lower Rio Grande Velley. Regional densities shared similar temporal trends in water use and the type of conveyance infrastructure utilized. This study sheds light on technological advances in conveyance infrastructure, mixed water supplies, groundwater transports, drought preparedness, and policy considerations. By creating a comprehensive map of Texas’ water transfer systems, I aim to bring awareness to the state’s evolving spatiotemporal distributions of water resources.Item Mapping Ground Deformation in Mont Belvieu, Texas: A Comprehensive InSAR Time Series(2024-05) Jackson, Kennedy; Jensen, Jennifer; Krause, SamanthaThis study utilizes SBAS InSAR data to detect ground deformation over time in Mont Belvieu, Texas. There are several contributors to ground deformation, but in the Houston-Galveston area, Groundwater pumping is the main cause. In previous literature Oil and gas extraction has been linked to the ground sinkage in Mont Belvieu, Texas. Mont Belvieu is in Chambers County, east of the center of Houston, located on the eastern border of Harris County. The city hosts the largest underground storage facility for liquefied gas in the country, making it imperative for researchers to map subsidence in the area. InSAR is useful when detecting subsidence because it measures changes in land surface elevation by acquiring high-density measurements using radar signals from Earth-orbiting satellites. As a beginner user, I found that InSAR is less commonly used due to a lack of learning resources available to individuals with little to no understanding of how to process SAR data to produce derivative data useful to a large audience. Without proper guidance and a lack of accessible learning resources, beginners may struggle to find tutorials that break down the processing steps of InSAR that are beginner-friendly and adequately explain the intricacies of InSAR data analysis. This study aims to demonstrate the utility of InSAR technology to map ground deformation over time, specifically from 2017 to 2019 using an example dataset centered on Mont Belvieu, Texas. It was determined that data captured by the Sentinel-1 satellite is the appropriate InSAR data for this study. A workflow explaining how to download and process InSAR data at a beginner-friendly level was outlined. Lastly, subsidence maps were created to display deformation over time in the study area of Mont Belvieu Texas.Item Modeling Probable North Korean Escape Routes in the Manchuria Area(2024-05) Fotey, Eric; Chow, Edwin; Blue, SarahVarious humanitarian issues, such as human rights violations and widespread famine, have led thousands trying to flee North Korea to embassies within their neighboring countries that will deport them to South Korea. During this escaping journey, North Korean refugees face a life and death situation. This study attempts to answer the following research questions: 1) Are there significant differences in weight assignments between the scenario-based or random simulations across six environmental factors? 2) What are the geographic similarities/differences of resulting probable escape routes between the scenario-based or random simulations? The objective of this study is to use a GIS-approach to understand the underlying factors affecting escape routing along the North Korean and China border. This research applies the least-cost distance based on weights derived from Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) that considers all factors in escape routing. In the WLC process, thirty random values will be determined in order to simulate the chaotic nature of escaping North Korea. The factors examined in this study include roads, surface water, NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), anthropogenic lights, topography, and viewshed. Varying weight assignments will be adopted to reflect preference that the individual may adopt at the time. This research seeks to contribute a technical GIS approach to a sensitive topic that has rarely been covered previously and potentially affects many lives.Item The Impact of Various land-use zoning and government restrictions on Environmental Sustainability in San Marcos, Texas(2023-12) Szpakowski, Timothy; Chow, Edwin; Ray, RosalieThe purpose of this thesis is to investigate the impact of various land-use zoning and restrictions through government regulations preserving green space to promote environmental sustainability in San Marcos, TX. Located in the I-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio in Central Texas, this area has experienced tremendous population growth from 2010-2020 and is continuing to have exceptional growth. An Agent-Integrated Irregular Automate (AIIA) model is used combining the spatial benefits of irregular Cellular Automata (CA) while representing urban dynamics with Agent-Based Model (ABM) agents. This project modeled urban growth via AIIA to examine the impacts of government regulations of growth restrictions and multifamily housing on green space preservation and environmental sustainability. The reliability of the urban growth simulation is demonstrated by modelling historical data over 20 years (2000-2020) and comparing the results with the actual 2020 land-use map. In addition to an unrestricted scenario, three scenarios are simulated testing the impact of an urban growth boundary and various housing land-use zoning and regulations. Comparison analysis revealed that government regulations on residential housing preserved more green space than without them. However, the most regulated scenario with restrictions on both single-family and multifamily housing did not result in the largest amount of green space being preserved. A scenario with an urban growth boundary and no regulations on housing produced the best results when comparing the retention of green space. Potential explanations for these results include population demographics and model parameters affecting developer agents’ goal to maximize profits.Item Assessing Resource Accessibility of Vulnerable Populations During Evacuation(2023-12) Ruiz, Melissa D.; Chow, T. Edwin; Hagelman, RonaldNo abstract prepared.Item Mars Exploration Zone Identification Using a Geospatial Suitability Model(2023-12) Rubio, Minna Adel; Currit, Nathan; Wilkinson, JustinMars has been a significant source of scientific interest for decades. Space agencies from around the world have invested time and resources into orbiters, rovers and fly-bys. However, the scientific exploration of the red planet won’t stop at remote sensing technologies. The crewed exploration of Mars is one of NASA’s major space exploration goals. Using a geospatial suitability model and human geologic interpretation, this project aims to develop a quantitative methodology to identifying landing sites and exploration zones on Mars. A landing site and exploration zone are identified in Sinus Meridiani that meet civil engineering and ISRU parameters identified in NASA literature. Furthermore, this project presents a quantitative, traceable, and adaptable geospatial based methodology that could be adopted in future site selection efforts.Item Assessing Risk of Superfund Sites to Natural Hazards within Texas(2023-12) Maron, Casey; Blanchard, R. Denise; Yuan, YihongNo abstract prepared.Item Floor-level Occupancy Estimation of a Multi-Story Building Using Coarse Wi-Fi Data(2023-05) Bobo, Ryan; Chow, T. Edwin; Yuan, YihongIn recent years, there has been an extraordinary increase in wireless capable devices and network infrastructure, which spawned a corresponding rise in data produced from the interactions of these technologies. Mobile devices constantly roam , leading to a perpetual dialog between a mobile device and wireless access points. This dialogue generates a continuous stream of device-specific data, including but not limited to a device's media access control address, time of access, and received signal strength. Given the knowledge of the access point’s location and received signal strength, it is possible to infer the position of user devices and estimate their mobility and occupancy. This paper presents two methods for accurately measuring floor-level occupancy in a multi-story building at Texas State University using coarse Wi-Fi log data. The first method employs a static filter, while the second incorporates user-role data and user location to create a dynamic filter. Quantitative methods are used to evaluate these filters against field-collected reference data and existing internal people-counting sensors. Our results demonstrate that the dynamic filter, leveraging variable thresholds, provides a more accurate estimation of occupancy compared to the fixed 5-minute static filter which consistently overestimated occupancy. This research sheds light on the potential of dynamic filters derived from user-role data for precise floor-level occupancy estimations, with implications for various applications.Item Ukrainian Cultural Identity in the Post Soviet Space and in Times of War(2023-05) Ybarra, Eduardo; Blanchard, R. Denise; Boehm, Richard G.No abstract prepared.Item Evidence from NAEP 8th Grade Geography Data: Identifying and Filling the Achievement Gap Equitably for Race and Gender(2023-05) Smith, Allison; Solem, Michael; Jo, InjeongExisting National Assessment for Education Progress (NAEP) data, specifically for eighth-grade Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Female students at the NAEP Advanced, Proficient, and Basic levels, were analyzed using the NAEP question tool, data explorer and item maps. For each student group, geography achievement was identified at each NAEP performance level. In addition, a pre-test using released NAEP world geography questions, correlated with identified deficiencies, was given to all ninth-grade world geography students at Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy (KGMPA). Results were compared to national results. Supplemental curriculum was designed as an intervention strategy to address the identified deficiencies. Two world geography classes at KGMPA received these lessons. A post-test was then administered to all students. Direct comparisons of the pre and post-tests of identified student groups were made. Results showed that KGMPA and NAEP gender demographics were similar, but race/ethnicities were not. Four of the five most commonly missed questions were the same for both groups confirming the selection of knowledge and skill for the supplemental lessons. The intervention was successful for the general KGMPA test population. Disaggregated data was inconclusive regarding the advantage of supplemental lessons for the various groups because the sample size was small, and the results could not be determined to be statistically significant.Item Examining Hazardousness of Place in Houston, Texas: A Holistic View of Four Major Natural Disasters from the Past Two Decades of the 21st Century(2023-05) da Silva Sampaio, Neliralda Duilia C.; Blanchard-Boehm, Denise; Boehm, Richard G.No abstract prepared.Item Flood Risk Analysis of Historical Locations along the Texas Gulf Coast Threatened by Storm Surge and Sea-Level Rise(2023-05) Scott, Kelly; Hagelman, Ronald R., III; Julian, JasonNo abstract prepared.Item Student Learning Gaps Between AP Human Geography and World Geography(2023-05) Mazzotti, Anna K.; Solem, Michael; Jo, InjeongThis directed research aims to address the growing number of students in Texas who take Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG) in the ninth grade, and who may not be well equipped to take such a rigorous course. This project analyzed the differences between the APHG curriculum and the Texas Education Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for World Geography Studies at the 9th grade level to better understand the rigor and skill required for incoming first-year high school students. A comparison of the AP Course and Exam Description with the TEKS was made to determine what specific knowledge and skills would be required of a student who enrolls in AP Human Geography versus a student who enrolls in World Geography Studies. For many 9th grade students in Texas, APHG is offered as a substitute for the on-level World Geography Studies. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed from secondary sources to help answer the question of when it is most beneficial for students to take APHG. Secondary data analyzed included APHG exam scores by grade level in Texas. Additionally, the similarities and differences in geographic content between the two courses were assessed to identify subject matter a student may not learn from taking APHG over the on-level world geography course. The major findings of this study prove there is merit in the growing concern of 9th grade students not being adequately prepared to take a rigorous course such as APHG. This study also shows that there are in fact gaps in geographic education curriculum when comparing a regular World Geography course with the curriculum of APHG. If 9th grade students have the foundational geographical skills of an on level regular World Geography course prior to taking AP Human Geography, it is more likely they will perform better on the AP Human Geography exam. This study helps compare geographic education curriculum with a regular World Geography course with the curriculum of AP Human Geography to determine preparedness for an AP Human Geography course. If 9th grade students have the foundational geographical skills of an on level regular World Geography course prior to taking AP Human Geography, it is more likely they will perform better on the AP Human Geography Exam. The results of this study can inform efforts to find a solution as to how school district personnel can make better decisions for students in high school geography enrollments.Item The Multidimensional Vulnerabilities and Risk Factors for Women and Homelessness(2023-05) Lundeen, Stacey; Devine, Jennifer; Prince, BenjaminNo abstract prepared.Item Mitigating environmental injustice and flood hazards: A study of Green Infrastructure in low-income neighborhoods around Austin, TX(2023-05) High, Callie; Krause, Samantha; Blue, SarahNo abstract prepared.Item Geospatial Analysis of Riparian Condition in Lockhart, Texas: An Investigation of the Index of Riparian Integrity(2023-05) Acosta, Shelby; Mace, Robert; Lopez, ChristinaThe City of Austin Watershed Protection Department has developed the Index of Riparian Integrity to assess the health of its environmental resources. The Index of Riparian Integrity uses a geographic information system and remotely sensed data to (1) calculate the relative amount of canopy cover, impervious cover, and pervious cover to estimate riparian health and floodplain function and (2) prioritize restoration efforts. The purpose of this study was to assess (1) the application of the Index of Riparian Integrity on a watershed outside of Austin’s city limits and (2) the existing condition of the riparian area using the Index of Riparian Integrity in the Town Branch Watershed in Lockhart, Texas. The Index of Riparian Integrity, using the National Land Cover Database layers, gave a representative overview of Town Branch’s riparian conditions when compared to the aerial imagery of the area with areas of greater development receiving lower scores and forested areas receiving higher scores. The Index of Riparian Integrity cannot identify more subtle differences between vegetation. All non-canopy vegetation is treated as the same quality, which means that invasive vegetation or mowed lawns receive the same score as high-quality wetland vegetation. This process also cannot capture erosion in a stretch of riparian area that might have otherwise “functional” land uses according to the Index of Riparian Integrity categorization. Due to the resolution of the National Land Cover Database layers used, certain features, like thinner railroads, are not captured in the analysis, which might lead to higher than appropriate Index of Riparian Integrity scores for certain areas of the watershed. While this methodology cannot replace in situ riparian assessments, the Index of Riparian Integrity allows decision makers to develop a watershed-wide assessment of its riparian condition in a fraction of the time that it would have taken to do the same in-person.Item Comparison of FEMA and Non-FEMA Disaster Response to Prior Hazardous Events in the City of Houston, Texas(2023-08) Deans, Faith Erin; Blanchard-Boehm, Denise; Boehm, RichardNo abstract prepared.Item Narco Cattle-Ranching in Guatemala's Sierra del Lacandon National Park(2022-12) Liller, Louise; Devine, Jennifer; Currit, NathanThis study explores deforestation in Sierra del Lacandón National Park in Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Preserve. Central American protected areas are experiencing rapid deforestation due to cattle ranching, much of it driven by drug trafficking organizations. Through remote sensing, GIS, and a confidential report from individuals and organizations familiar with the park, this research explores spatial patterns of different drivers of deforestation. While cattle ranching is the main driver of deforestation within Sierra del Lacandón, not all areas are experiencing cattle ranching in the same way. Data from the south-east area of the park show confirmed farming and ranching together. This research theorizes that population pressures are driving deforestation in this area. The eastern section of the park, identified as narco-compromised, shows clear evidence of the large-scale cattle ranching operations that are associated with narco-trafficking. There are few farming locations in this zone. This is evidence of narco-cattle ranching and territory control. The central area of the park, far from population centers, is experiencing deforestation and forest fragmentation that this research classifies as “suspected ranching.” These patterns indicate land speculation, another way that drug trafficking organizations gain control of protected area lands.Item Gentrification, Displacement, and Homelessness in Austin, Texas(2022-12) Zelenka, Michelle; Sarmiento, Eric; Ray, RosalieNo abstract prepared.