<p> At a time of increased use and competitiveness amongst U.S. regional airlines, and the growing pilot shortage, regional air carriers and pilots alike lack proper understanding how pilot commutes by airplane affect satisfaction with life. There are numerous studies on how commuting by vehicle, bicycle, mass transit system, or walking (traditional commute) to and from work affects one&rsquo;s satisfaction with life. There are no identified studies which investigate regional airline pilots&rsquo; commute by airplane and its affect on satisfaction with life.</p><p> The purpose of this study was to gain knowledge on regional airline pilot commutes, how commuting affects regional pilots&rsquo; satisfaction with life, and to explore why regional airline pilots choose to commute. This study used both qualitative and quantitative measures to accomplish this task by imploring a mixed methods exploratory sequential design. The two research questions were what is the variation in the Satisfaction With Life Scale scores between different groups of regional pilots and what aspects of pilot commuting are related to traditional commuting?</p><p> This study used previous related research and regional airline pilot qualitative interviews to build a quantitative survey to measure satisfaction with life. The survey was distributed to a large regional airline to get a representative pilot population sample response. Statistical analysis was conducted on the responses which looked for significance between different groups of regional airline pilots.</p><p> Results from a t-test indicated that there is a significant difference in Satisfaction With Life Scores for regional pilots that are able to traditionally commute to their domicile vs. regional pilots who commute by airplane to their domicile. Further t-test results indicated that there is a significant difference in satisfaction with life for airplane commute captains vs. traditional commute captains, and airplane commute captains vs. traditional commute first officers. When only airplane commute pilots were analyzed, there are significant differences in satisfaction with life for pilots that commute over 43.33 hours a month (equivalent to one hour, one way traditional commute), and a one way airplane commute of two or more legs. A Between-Groups ANOVA indicated that commuting the day before a trip begins and commuting the day after a trip ends (un-commutable trip) produces a less satisfied pilot compared to trips that are commutable at the beginning, end or both ends.</p>

<p> This dissertation presents new studies of waves and turbulence in the Arctic middle atmosphere. The study has a primary focus on wintertime conditions when the large-scale circulation of the middle atmosphere is disrupted by the breaking of planetary waves associated with sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events. We used ongoing Rayleigh lidar measurements of density and temperature to conduct a multi-year study of gravity waves in the upper stratosphere-lower mesosphere (USLM) over Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR) at Chatanika, Alaska. We analyzed the night-to-night gravity wave activity in terms of the wind structure and the ageostrophy. We find that the weak winds during disturbed conditions block the vertical propagation of gravity waves into the mesosphere. The gravity wave activity is correlated with the altitudes where the winds are weakest. During periods of weak winds we find little correlation with ageostrophy. However, during periods of stronger winds we find the USLM gravity wave activity is correlated with the ageostrophy in the upper troposphere indicating that ageostrophy in this region is a source of the gravity waves. Inter-annually we find the wintertime gravity wave activity is correlated with the level of disturbance of the middle atmosphere, being reduced in those winters with a higher level of disturbance and weaker winds. We used rocket-borne ion gauges to measure turbulence in the wintertime middle atmosphere while documenting the larger meteorological context from Rayleigh lidar and satellites. This investigation of turbulence was called the Mesosphere-Lower Thermosphere Turbulence Experiment (MTeX). During MTeX we found a highly disturbed atmosphere associated with an SSW where winds were weak and gravity wave activity was low. We found low levels of turbulence in the upper mesosphere. The turbulence was primarily found in regions of convective instability in the topside of mesospheric inversion layers (MILs). The strongest and most persist turbulence was found in a MIL that is associated with the breaking of a monochromatic gravity wave. These MTeX observations indicate that turbulence is generated by gravity wave breaking as opposed to gravity wave saturation. These MTeX findings of low levels of turbulence are consistent with recent model studies of vertical transport during SSWs and support the view that eddy transport is not a dominant transport mechanism during SSWs.</p>

<p> In this thesis, we aim to systematically understand the relationship between cloud spatial structure and its radiation imprints, i.e., three-dimensional (3D) cloud effects, with the ultimate goal of deriving accurate radiative energy budget estimates from space, aircraft, or ground-based observations under spatially inhomogeneous conditions. By studying the full spectral information in the measured and modeled shortwave radiation fields of heterogeneous cloud scenes sampled during aircraft field experiments, we find evidence that cloud spatial structure reveals itself through spectral signatures in the associated irradiance and radiance fields in the near-ultraviolet and visible spectral range.</p><p> The spectral signature of 3D cloud effects in irradiances is apparent as a domain- wide, consistent correlation between the magnitude and spectral dependence of net horizontal photon transport. The physical mechanism of this phenomenon is molecular scattering in conjunction with cloud heterogeneity. A simple parameterization with a single parameter &epsiv; is developed, which holds for individual pixels and the domain as a whole. We then investigate the impact of scene parameters on the discovered correlation and find that it is upheld for a wide range of scene conditions, although the value of &epsiv; varies from scene to scene.</p><p> The spectral signature of 3D cloud effects in radiances manifests itself as a distinct relationship between the magnitude and spectral dependence of reflectance, which cannot be reproduced in the one-dimensional (1D) radiative transfer framework. Using the spectral signature in radiances and irradiances, it is possible to infer information on net horizontal photon transport from spectral radiance perturbations on the basis of pixel populations in sub-domains of a cloud scene.</p><p> We show that two different biases need to be considered when attempting radiative closure between measured and modeled irradiance fields below inhomogeneous cloud fields: the remote sensing bias (affecting cloud radiances and thus retrieved properties of the inhomogeneous scene) and the irradiance bias (ignoring 3D effects in the calculation of irradiance fields from imagery-based cloud retrievals). The newly established relationships between spatial and spectral structure lay the foundation for first-order corrections for these 3D biases within a 1D framework, once the correlations are explored on a more statistical basis.</p>

<p> This thesis consists of the design, fabrication, and launch of a sounding rocket payload to observe the spectrum of the soft X-ray emission (0.1-1 keV) from the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant. This instrument, designated the Off-plane Grating Rocket for Extended Source Spectroscopy (OGRESS), was launched from White Sands Missile Range on May 2nd, 2015. The X-ray spectrograph incorporated a wire-grid focuser feeding an array of gratings in the extreme off-plane mount which dispersed the spectrum onto Gaseous Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors. The gain characteristics of OGRESS's GEM detectors were fully characterized with respect to applied voltage and internal gas pressure, allowing operational settings to be optimized. The GEMs were optimized to operate below laboratory atmospheric pressure, allowing lower applied voltages, thus reducing the risk of both electrical arcing and tearing of the thin detector windows. The instrument recorded 388 seconds of data and found highly uniform count distributions over both detector faces, in sharp contrast to the expected thermal line spectrum. This signal is attributed to X-ray fluorescence lines generated inside the spectrograph. The radiation is produced when thermal ionospheric particles are accelerated into the interior walls of the spectrograph by the high voltages of the detector windows. A fluorescence model was found to fit the flight data better than modeled supernova spectra. Post-flight testing and analysis revealed that electrons produce distinct signal on the detectors which can also be successfully modeled as fluorescence emission.</p>

<p> Tropical precipitation is linked through the moist static energy (MSE) budget to the global distribution of sea surface temperatures (SSTs), and large deviations from the present-day SST distribution have been inferred for past climates and projected for global warming. We use idealized SST perturbation experiments in multiple atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) to examine the hydrologic and energetic responses in the zonal mean and in the African Sahel to SST perturbations. We also use observational data to assess the prospects for emergent constraints on future rainfall in the Sahel. </p><p> The tropical zonal mean anomalous MSE fluxes in the NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) AM2.1 AGCM due to SST anomalies caused by either historical greenhouse gas or aerosol forcing primarily occur through the time-mean, zonal mean (Hadley) circulation. Away from the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), this largely stems from altered efficiency of the Hadley circulation energy transport, i.e. the gross moist stability (GMS). A thermodynamic scaling-based estimate that relates GMS change to the local climatological moisture and temperature change relative to the ITCZ captures most of the qualitative GMS responses. It also yields a heuristic explanation for the well known correlation between low-latitude MSE fluxes and the ITCZ latitude. </p><p> Severe Sahelian drying with uniform SST warming in AM2.1 is eliminated when the default convective parameterization is replaced with an alternate. The drying is commensurate with MSE convergence due to suppressed ascent balanced by MSE divergence due to increased dry advection from the Sahara. These qualitative energetic responses to uniform warming are shared by five other GFDL models and ten CMIP5 models, although they do not translate into quantitative predictors of the Sahel rainfall response. Climatological values and interannual variability in observations and reanalyses suggest that drying in AM2.1 is exacerbated by an overly top-heavy ascent profile and positive feedbacks through cloud radiative properties. Simulations with patterned SST anomalies suggest a major role for mean SST variations in discrepancies among models and potentially in observed decadal variations of Sahelian precipitation.</p>

Recent, recurrent, and extreme weather events have been a cause for concern over the Eastern Caribbean (EC). Given the dependence on rainfall of agriculture, the main stay of the fragile economies throughout the region, accurate and timely forecasts of seasonal rainfall need to be issued to facilitate decision making in Water Resource Management. Understanding the causes of climate variability can lead to the development of more robust models for climate prediction. So as a diagnostic approach, different techniques are employed. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis is performed in order to isolate the different modes of rainfall variability as well as investigating their amplitudinal modulations. The evolution of external forcing mechanisms that impact on precipitation extremes is also investigated with the use of composites. Based on the strength of the relationship between Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies (SSTA) and EC rainfall, a statistical model is subsequently developed using multivariate Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) to predict rainfall over the region on seasonal time scales. The CCA model demonstrated useful skill in predicting seasonal rainfall over the EC up to six months lead. The highest average predictive skill is realized for the June-July-August (JJA) season at one-month lead, while the lowest average skill is realized for the March-April-May (MAM) season at five months lead. The December-January-February (DJF) season maintained steady skill throughout six months lead. Below normal conditions are forecasted by the CCA model for the 2004/2005 dry season (DJF/2004-05, MAM/2005). This outlook is in part, verified from seasonal rainfall totals at two stations within the EC. The outlook for the coming rainy season is for above normal conditions. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Meteorology In Partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science. / Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2005. / Date of Defense: June 27, 2005. / Climate Prediction, Eastern Caribbean Climate, Climate Variability / Includes bibliographical references. / Ming Cai, Professor Directing Thesis; T. N. Krishnamurti, Committee Member; Robert Hart, Committee Member.

Groundwater-surface water interactions in lakes have been gaining attention in recent years as scientists have recognized the potential significance that groundwater has as a source of nutrients and contaminants to aquatic ecosystems. Such interactions need to be understood in order for us to protect important ecosystems and quantify nutrient loading into lakes. This project set out to test the idea that good estimates could be made of groundwater inputs into Florida lakes using a simple geochemical tracer technique. We hypothesize that a relatively small number of measurements would be sufficient to provide a reasonably good (a factor of 2) estimate of groundwater discharge. Naturally occurring 222Rn makes an ideal tracer because it exists in enriched concentrations in groundwater relative to surface water. We used Lake Barco, a small seepage lake in the Katherine Ordway Preserve, for a detailed pilot study in order to test this hypothesis. The preserve is located about 34 km east of Gainesville, Florida and makes an excellent research site because it is maintained in a pristine state as it is closed off to public access. Two intensive samplings were completed, one in the "dry" season (March 2002) and one in the "wet" season (August 2003). In addition, periodic sampling trips were made to the lake every few weeks to evaluate the spatial and temporal patterns of radon distribution. A 222Rn mass balance was constructed for the lake to evaluate radon fluxes. Once the 222Rn fluxes were determined, groundwater inputs were estimated by dividing these fluxes by the concentration of radon in the water seeping into the lake. The radon concentration is estimated by sediment equilibration experiments using grab samples of sediment and radon activity measurements from monitor wells. We also constructed a traditional hydrologic water budget for Lake Barco. All hydrological variables were either measured or estimated and substituted into a water balance equation, which was then solved for the net groundwater flow term. These estimates were then compared to those from the 222Rn model. Our 222Rn measurements show little discernible spatial variation of radon inventories in the lake on any given day of sampling. Inventories measured at five different stations during the two different intensive sampling trips were all within ±13% of the mean value for each sampling. This amount of variation is considered insignificant, as the estimated analytical variation for the radon measurements is ±10%. We also found that we can estimate the lake inventory at any one station by collecting triplicate samples approximately one meter over the bottom at a single central sampling station. However, our results did display significant temporal variability, responding to rainfall trends that can influence the recharge rates. So, in a lake the size of Lake Barco (12 ha), reasonable groundwater discharge estimates at any given time can be made by triplicate analysis of radon in near-bottom waters and collection and processing of a few sediment samples. The estimations of groundwater discharge to the lake over the period of our study were, on average, 13,000 m3/month and 18,000 m3/month for the radon model and hydrologic budget, respectively. The water balance based estimate might be somewhat low due to differences in hydrogeologic movement under such dry conditions or the large error associated with budget estimations. Considering the large uncertainties in estimating groundwater flow via a hydrologic budget, agreement within a factor of two is considered satisfactory. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Oceanography in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2004. / Date of Defense: March 29, 2004. / Lake Barco Radon, Seepage lakesG Geochemical tracer, Groundwater / Includes bibliographical references. / William C. Burnett, Professor Directing Thesis; Jeffrey P. Chanton, Committee Member; Wilton Sturges, Committee Member.

The δ13C value of foliage respiration has been considered a constant in the past and modeling efforts have assumed that the δ13C value of foliage respiration is constant and is directly related to substrate without any fractionation. Consecutive δ13C measurements of foliage dark-respired CO2 (δ13Cr) for slash pine trees (Pinus elliottii) over several diel cycles were used to test the hypothesis that significant variation in δ13Cr would be observed. δ13Cr values collected in daylight from all time series showed mid- day 13C enrichment (5 – 10‰) relative to bulk biomass, but values become more 13C depleted following shading and at night and approach bulk-biomass δ13C values by dawn. Assimilation model results suggest that respiration during daylight has the potential to significantly affect ∆13C by as much as 1.6‰, but night dark respiration has little impact on 24-hour integrated ∆13C (0.1‰). We also sampled methane and CO2 from collapse scar bogs (transient permafrost degradation features in permafrost peatlands) to test the hypotheses that microbial respiration and methane production are stimulated by permafrost degradation and collapse and that the fen-like vegetation (i.e. Carex andxi Eriophorum) found in collapse scar bogs near the collapsing edge stimulates acetate fermentation. Our results show that collapse scar bogs have an evolution of spatial variation in methanogenic pathways that is related to surface vegetation cover type. We also demonstrate that changes in stable-isotope fractionation caused by shifts from acetate fermentation and CO2 reduction occur over long time scales (> annual) and are dependent on changes in wetland morphology and surface vegetation cover. We also used radiocarbon as a tracer to test the hypothesis that melting permafrost surrounding the collapse scar bog provides nutrients to the bog-moat location, stimulating the production of radiocarbon-depleted methane. Our results show that the radiocarbon content of methane and DIC at these sites is highly variable and may depend on groundwater input, surface vegetation, and morphological factors associated with the melting permafrost plateau. We conclude that the younger, more labile, carbon stimulating acetate fermentation at one of the sites is supplied by the fen-like surface vegetation, while the older, more recalcitrant, carbon stimulating CO2 reduction at the other site may be supplied by melting permafrost plateau.. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Oceanography in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2005. / Date of Defense: September 16, 2005. / Carbon Stable Isotopes Fractionation Respiration / Includes bibliographical references. / Jeffrey P. Chanton, Professor Directing Dissertation; Yang Wang, Outside Committee Member; Joel E. Kostka, Committee Member; Behzad Mortazavi, Committee Member; William C. Burnett, Committee Member; John W. Winchester, Committee Member.

A robust dune system is one of the principal factors in the protection of recreational and residential property within barrier islands. Storm surge from significantly large storm events may remove some or all of the dunes during overwash processes and deposit sediment as washover fans or terraces in the back-barrier. During the summer of 2005, Hurricane Dennis greatly overwashed much of the northwest barrier island chain along the Florida panhandle. The post-storm recovery of dunes and morphological changes occurring after Hurricane Dennis within St. George Island State Park is investigated, in addition to the application of numerical methods as a supplemental tool in determining the post-storm "recovery state" of the barrier and envision morphologic trends. Dune recovery rates are estimated by calculating sediment volume changes of profiles through time. One-dimensional, spatial-series Fourier analysis of individual profiles are used to quantify the recovery and morphologic nature of secondary dunes. Two-dimensional Fourier analysis of elevation data were attempted to be used as a tool to discriminate geomorphic trends in the barrier. Digital elevation models are used to describe post-storm morphologic changes, and the future recovery state of the barrier may be supplemented by analyzing the distributions of curvature and gradients calculated numerically from LIDAR data. Results show that secondary dunes recovered at an average rate of ~3-4 cm per month, and sediment volume changes across transects varied between -1.5 m3/m to1.2 m3/m depending on the presence of vegetation, storm-debris pavement, and proximity to washover deposits. Despite some transects having a net sediment volume loss, all dunes in the presence of vegetation had increased in height. Vegetation did not propagate where storm-debris pavement existed during the one-year duration of the study. The presence of vegetation inhibited dune migration thus favoring dune growth or decreasing the effect of erosion from strong wind events. Fourier analysis of profiles captured changes in dune height at specific wavelengths. The highest energies from the spectra were usually at 30 to 40 meter wavelengths for each profile in time, which reflects the immobility of the dunes and may also reflect the controls of vegetation on dune spacing. The results of two-dimensional Fourier analysis on terrain data were difficult to interpret, but may prove a potential use in terrain analysis. Overwash was prevalent throughout the barrier. For the studied area, St. George Island had experienced inundation overwash with an estimated 100,000 ft3/ft net loss of sediment following the hurricane. Nearly the entire foredune complex was removed, save a few remnants. Storm surge had likely penetrated first in areas where foredunes were either low or discontinuous; in these areas, beach widening was less prevalent. In contrast, the beach widening (~30ft) occurred in areas where the foredunes were higher and more continuous. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Geological Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2009. / Date of Defense: July 18, 2008. / Dune Recovery, LIDAR; Overwash, Hurricane Dennis / Includes bibliographical references. / Sergio Fagherazzi, Professor Directing Thesis; J. Anthony Stallins, Committee Member; Stephen Kish, Committee Member; Jennifer Georgen, Committee Member.

A new multiple linear regression model for short range tropical cyclone intensity prediction is developed. Four new dynamical and thermodynamical predictors based on HWRF output are considered: (1) the horizontal advection of relative angular momentum, (2) energy exchange from the divergent to the rotational kinetic energy (Psi-Chi interactions), (3) the conversion of shear vorticity to curvature vorticity, and (4) the vertical differential of heating in the complete potential vorticity equation. Predictors were calculated using Hurricane Research Weather and Forecast (HWRF) model initial fields. Each predictor was determined to exhibit a statistically significant relationship with 12 hour intensity change in tropical cyclones by an F-test. The predictors were then used as the basis for a multiple linear regression model, following the methodology of the operational Statistical Hurricane Intensity Prediction Scheme (SHIPS). Four additional predictors, intended to represent basic storm information and environmental conditions, were included in the development of a second model. Retrospective forecasts of hurricanes in 2004, 2005, and 2006 were created for both models, and compared to operational SHIPS and HWRF forecasts. Despite relying on HWRF fields for the calculation of predictors, the new model produces better forecasts than HWRF for short term (less than 48-hr) forecasts. Additional methods were developed to extend forecasts beyond 48 hours. This resulted in a systematic improvement of HWRF forecasts. It is proposed that the new model could be used operationally as a new version of the "early" HWRF. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2011. / Date of Defense: April 27, 2011. / Inner-Core, Hurricanes, Statistical Hurricane Intensity Prediction, Tropical Cyclone Intensity, Tropical Cyclones, Multiple Linear Regression, Diagnostics / Includes bibliographical references. / T.N. Krishnamurti Co-, Professor Directing Thesis; Paul Ruscher Co-, Professor Directing Thesis; Vasu Misra, Committee Member; Robert Hart, Committee Member.