Os silos metálicos cilíndricos de chapa corrugada e cobertura cônica são as unidades mais utilizadas no Brasil para o armazenamento de produtos granulares. As principais ações variáveis que atuam sobre os silos são as pressões devidas aos produtos armazenados e ao vento, sendo esta ação crítica quando o silo se encontra vazio. Devido à grande eficiência estrutural da forma cilíndrica e à resistência elevada do aço, estas estruturas são leves e delgadas e, portanto, suscetíveis a perdas de estabilidade local e global e arrancamento. Com a finalidade de avaliar estes efeitos foram realizados estudos teóricos e experimentais sobre as ações do vento em silos. O trabalho foi desenvolvido com ensaios de modelos aerodinâmicos e aeroelásticos em um túnel de vento na Universidade de Cranfield, Inglaterra, com o objetivo de determinar os coeficientes aerodinâmicos no costado e na cobertura. Os resultados mostram que os valores dos coeficientes recomendados pela Norma Brasileira de vento, NBR 6123 (1990), são adequados para o costado. Para a cobertura cônica, como não são especificados pela NBR, são recomendados valores dos coeficientes aerodinâmicos determinados nos ensaios. Conclui-se também que a colocação externa das colunas é a favor da segurança e que o uso de anéis enrijecedores no costado é indicado e muito importante para a estabilidade local e global da estrutura do silo. / The steel cylindrical silos made of corrugated sheets with conical roofs are the most used units to the storage of granular materials. The main silo loads are the pressures due to the stored material and to the wind, being this action the critical one when the silo is empty. Due to the high efficiency of the cylindrical form and to the high strength of the steel, these structures are thin and light-weight and, as a consequence, susceptible to the loss of local and global stability and to the pull out of the structure. With the aim to assess these effects related to the wind loading in silos, some theoretical and experimental studies were conducted. The work was carried out with aerodynamic and aeroelastic models tested in a boundary layer wind tunnel in the University of Cranfield, England, with the objective to determine the aerodynamic coefficients of the cylinder and the conical roof. The results show that the coefficients of the Brazilian Code of wind loads, NBR 6123 (1990), are adequate to the cylinder. The coefficients to the conical roof are suggested based on our tests, considering that there are no values specified by the NBR. As well it is concluded that the outside columns is on the side of safety and it is indicated the use of wind rings attached to the cylinder, which are very important to the local and global stability of the silo structure.

Submitted by Marlucy Farias Medeiros (marlucy.farias@unipampa.edu.br) on 2018-02-06T15:10:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Wendler de Almeida Dockhorn - 2017.pdf: 1488337 bytes, checksum: e7b2f3477509257077fa473d1ab19117 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marlucy Farias Medeiros (marlucy.farias@unipampa.edu.br) on 2018-02-06T15:28:02Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Wendler de Almeida Dockhorn - 2017.pdf: 1488337 bytes, checksum: e7b2f3477509257077fa473d1ab19117 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-02-06T15:28:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Wendler de Almeida Dockhorn - 2017.pdf: 1488337 bytes, checksum: e7b2f3477509257077fa473d1ab19117 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-27 / O CERES-Rice é um modelo que simula o desenvolvimento e produtividade de uma cultivar, para realizar tal feito, é necessário obter os coeficientes genéticos da cultivar, através do processo de calibração. Os coeficientes genéticos descrevem o comportamento da planta no sistema solo-planta-atmosfera. Nesse contexto, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi calibrar e validar o modelo CERES-Rice, presente na plataforma DSSAT, em relação à estimativa de produtividade para a cultivar IRGA 424 no Rio Grande do Sul, utilizando apenas informações encontradas na literatura. O trabalho também visa o desenvolvimento de um algoritmo para auxiliar na formatação dos dados meteorológicos, a comparação do resultado obtido através modelo CERES-Rice com o estimado pelo SimulArroz e também avaliar a resposta obtida pelo modelo CERES-Rice ao estimar a data de florescimento. Após a aplicação do algoritmo, os dados meteorológicos para uso no DSSAT e SimulArroz foram exportados com sucesso. Apesar de não ter sido implementado nenhum recurso extra, o método utilizado proporciona a possibilidade de novas funções, como por exemplo, técnicas de preenchimento de dados. Para o processo de calibração dos coeficientes genéticos, foi utilizado o módulo GENCALC, também incluso no DSSAT. Após o processo de calibração, foi realizada a validação nos demais. Os resultados para produtividade foram considerados aceitáveis, uma vez que maior parte dos valores encontravam-se abaixo de 15%, apenas um dos resultados apresentou erro de 16,88%. Os valores simulados pelo modelo CERES-Rice apresentou um erro menor que o SimulArroz. Entretanto, a análise estatística aponta que ambos os resultados foram considerados bons. Apesar disso, o trabalho não aconselha a substituição do uso do modelo SimulArroz nas simulações do Rio Grande do Sul, mas propõe uma análise no modelo CERES-Rice, para averiguar a possibilidade de incorporar partes do seu código fonte no modelo SimulArroz, assim como também há o do ORYZA2000 e InfoCrop. O resultado da simulação obteve valores em dias após a semeadura inferiores ao dos valores experimentais, com uma média de 23 dias para os dados de Cachoeirinha e 25 para os de Uruguaiana. Esse resultado com os coeficientes genéticos utilizados no presente trabalho, o modelo não foi capaz de estimar a data de florescimento dentro dos limites aceitáveis, sendo necessário realizar um novo ajuste de coeficientes. / CERES-Rice is a model that simulates the development and productivity of a cultivar. To achieve this, it is necessary to obtain the genetic coefficients of the cultivar through the calibration process. The genetic coefficients describe the behavior of the plant in the soil-plant-atmosphere system. The gaol of the present work was to calibrate and validate the CERES-Rice model, included in the DSSAT platform, to estimate the productivity for the cultivar IRGA 424 in Rio Grande do Sul, using only information found in the literature. The work also aims to develop na algorithm to aid in the formatting of meteorological data, the comparison of the result obtained through the CERES-Rice model with that estimated by SimulArroz and also to evaluate the response obtained by the CERES-Rice model when estimating the date of flowering. After the application of the algorithm, the meteorological data for use in the DSSAT and SimulArroz were exported successfully. Although no extra features have been implemented, the method used provides the possibility of include new functions, such as data-filling techniques. For the calibration process of the genetic coefficients, the GENCALC module was used, also included in the DSSAT. After the calibration process, the other validations were performed. The results for productivity were considered acceptable, since most of the values were below 15%, only one of the results showed an error of 16,88%. The values found by the CERES-Rice model obtained a smaller error than the SimulArroz. However, the statistical analysis indicates that both results were considered good. Despite this, the paper does not recommend replacing the SimulArroz model in the simulations of Rio Grande do Sul, but proposes an analysis in the CERES-Rice model, to investigate the possibility of incorporating parts of its source code into the SimulArroz model, as well as there are from ORYZA2000 and InfoCrop. The results of the simulation obtained values in days after sowing inferior to those of the experimental values, with a mean of 23 days for the data of Cachoeirinha and 25 for those of Uruguaiana. This result with the genetic coefficients used in the present study, the model was not able to estimate the date of flowering within the acceptable limits, being necessary to perform a new adjustment of coefficients.

Optical switchers can fulfill the same functions as all-electrical switching systems and are expected to play a key role in the near future. In this thesis an analysis if an optical system that can potentially behave as an optical switcher is discussed. This configuration consists of three microring resonators which are coupled and tangential to one another in a topology that is similar to the Leibniz packing or Apollonian gasket. The ray-transfer matrix approach is used in order to represent the whole system by a single matrix. The structure receives an initial input signal and gives an output signal, which is changed by only a scalar factor. This description is equal to an eigenvalue problem, where the matrix of the system operates over an initial vector and results a product of a scalar (the eigenvalue) times the initial vector. Due to its unique geometry each ring is divided into two unequal segments. We introduce the loss coefficients to express the attenuation along those segments. The relation between the loss coefficients is being examined and the results are verified by simulations.

No description available.

O grande magmatismo intracontinental ocorrido a 133 Ma na Bacia do Paraná foi desenvolvido por um sistema fissural no qual a interação da Pluma Tristão da Cunha na base da litosfera (com ou sem contaminação crustal) gerou derrames, diques e sills no Brasil, nos Estados do RS, SC, PR, SP, MT, MS e GO, e em parte do Paraguai, Argentina e Uruguai. Na Formação Serra Geral, representativa deste intenso magmatismo, foram coletadas amostras de sills (RS, PR, SP e GO) cristalizados entre os sedimentos Paleozóicos pré-vulcânicos da Bacia do Paraná. Já haviam sido realizados diversos estudos geoquímicos a partir da década de 80 com objetivo de identificar as variações químicas de diques, derrames e sills da Formação Serra Geral. No entanto, a utilização de novas técnicas analíticas (EPMA e LA-ICP-MS), utilizadas no presente estudo, proporcionaram o entendimento das variações químicas de forma pontual em minerais ígneos. A geoquímica dos sills estudados caracteriza-os como sub-alcalinos toleíticos continentais que variam de basaltos a andesitos basáltico. Assim, podendo ser divididos em dois grupos químicos: sills do Rio Grande do Sul (baixo TiO2 < 2 wt.%, com concentrações inferiores de P2O5, Nb, Sr, Zr, Zn, Y e Pb e concentrações superiores de Rb, Th, U, e Cs) e sills do Paraná, São Paulo e Goiás (alto TiO2 >2 wt.%, de geoquímica oposta). Petrograficamente, os sills do RS possuem granulação mais fina, ocorrência restrita de cobre nativo e distribuição modal elevada para plagioclásios cálcicos, quando comparados ao sills do PR, SP e GO. A determinação geoquímica por micro-análise em plagioclásios e clinopiroxênios demonstra que as variações químicas identificadas em rocha total são relatas as modificações químicas ocorridas nestes minerais. Variações do coeficiente de partição (KD) de elementos traços compatíveis em diversas zonas de cristais de plagioclásio e clinopiroxênio possuem correlação na substituição dos elementos Ca, Na, Al, Fe e Mg nos sistemas NaAlSi3O8-CaAl2Si2O8 e Mg2Si2O6-CaMgSi2O6-CaFeSi2O6- Fe2Si2O6, respectivamente. Coeficientes de partição de cristais de plagioclásio e clinopiroxênio agora são determinados em diferentes porções de núcleo, intermédio e borda aprimorando o conhecimento da variação do KD até então determinado como um único valor apenas para o cristal. / The large intracontinental magmatism occurred at 133 Ma in the Paraná Basin was developed by a fissure system in which the interaction of Tristan da Cunha plume at the base of the lithosphere (with or without crustal contamination) caused lava flows, dikes and sills in the RS, SC, PR, SP, MT, MS and GO and part of Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. In the Serra Geral Formation, representative of intense magmatism, sills crystallized samples were collected (RS, PR, SP and GO) between the Paleozoic prevolcanic sediments of Paraná basin. Several geochemical studies have been carried out since the 80's in order to identify the chemical variations of dikes, sills and lava flows of the Serra Geral Formation. However, the use of new analytical techniques (EPMA and LA-ICP-MS) provided the study of chemical variations in a timely manner in igneous minerals. The geochemistry of the sills studied characterized them as sub-alkaline continental tholeiitic basalts ranging from the basalt to basaltic andesites. Divided into two chemical groups: sills of Rio Grande do Sul (low TiO2 <2 wt.%, With lower concentrations of P2O5, Nb, Sr, Zr, Zn, Y and Pb and higher concentrations of Rb, Th, U, and Cs) and sills of Parana, Sao Paulo and Goiás (high TiO2> 2 wt.%, geochemical opposite). Petrographically the sills of the RS have finer grain, restricted occurrence of native copper and modal higher to calcic plagioclase, compared to the sills of the PR, SP and GO. Geochemical determination by micro-analysis in plagioclases and clinopyroxenes show that the chemical variations identified in whole rock we describe the chemical changes occurring in these minerals. Variations of the partition coefficient (KD) of compatible trace elements in various parts of crystals of plagioclase and clinopyroxene were correlated in the replacement of Ca, Na, Al, Fe and Mg systems NaAlSi3O8-CaAl2Si2O8 and Mg2Si2O6-CaMgSi2O6-CaFeSi2O6-Fe2Si2O6, respectively. Partition coefficients of crystals of plagioclase and clinopyroxene are now determined in different portions of core, intermediate and rim enhance knowledge of the variation of KD previously determined as a single value only to the crystal.

Dependendo da direÃÃo em que sÃo medidas, algumas propriedades dos materiais policristalinos se apresentam diferenciadas. Isso se deve a existÃncia de textura, ou seja, direÃÃes preferenciais dos cristais no material. Esta caracterÃstica pode ser decorrente da solidificaÃÃo de um processo de deformaÃÃo plÃstica ou de um tratamento tÃrmico. A textura em materiais metÃlicos influencia nas propriedades dos mesmos tanto de uma maneira benÃfica quanto malÃfica. Na estampagem de um disco para fabricaÃÃo de um copo usado em armazenagem de refrigerantes tanto pode se destacar o efeito malÃfico, que seria a formaÃÃo de orelhas e o afinamento das regiÃes laterais adjacentes ao fundo do copo, como o efeito benÃfico, que seria o aumento da resistÃncia na direÃÃo perpendicular ao plano da chapa minimizando a possibilidade de ruptura pela reduÃÃo da espessura causada pelo processo de estampagem. Neste trabalho foi feito um estudo da relaÃÃo entre a textura cristalogrÃfica, os coeficientes de anisotropia e o grau de estampabilidade para o caso de um aÃo baixo-carbono, cuja principal aplicaÃÃo à na fabricaÃÃo de botijÃes para gÃs de cozinha, nas condiÃÃes de laminaÃÃo em temperaturas entre 600ÂC e 900ÂC. Os resultados foram comparados com os de um aÃo com baixÃssimo teor de carbono utilizado na estampagem profunda de latas para armazenagem de refrigerantes. A textura cristalogrÃfica foi determinada a partir das funÃÃes de distribuiÃÃo de orientaÃÃo cristalogrÃfica calculadas a partir de 3 figuras de pÃlos obtidas por difraÃÃo de raios-x. Os coeficientes de anisotropia mÃdia (rm) e planar (&#61508;r) foram determinados a partir dos coeficientes de Lankford na direÃÃo de laminaÃÃo, a 45o desta e na direÃÃo transversal a mesma. O grau de estampabilidade foi obtido por meio de ensaios de embutimento Erichsen modificado, que relaciona a profundidade de estampagem com a espessura da chapa. As anÃlises de textura nos aÃos laminados em temperaturas entre 600ÂC e 900ÂC, apresentaram resultados compatÃveis com os de um aÃo usado na estampagem profunda de latas para armazenagem de refrigerantes. Os coeficientes de anisotropia mÃdia (rm) e planar (&#61508;r), apresentaram valores satisfatÃrios de acordo com a exigÃncia para a mesma aplicaÃÃo. O grau de estampabilidade da maioria das amostras de chapas de aÃo laminadas em temperaturas entre 600ÂC e 900ÂC, mostrou-se adequado para a fabricaÃÃo das latas que servem como recipiente de armazenamento de refrigerantes. / Dependendo da direÃÃo em que sÃo medidas, algumas propriedades dos materiais policristalinos se apresentam diferenciadas. Isso se deve a existÃncia de textura, ou seja, direÃÃes preferenciais dos cristais no material. Esta caracterÃstica pode ser decorrente da solidificaÃÃo de um processo de deformaÃÃo plÃstica ou de um tratamento tÃrmico. A textura em materiais metÃlicos influencia nas propriedades dos mesmos tanto de uma maneira benÃfica quanto malÃfica. Na estampagem de um disco para fabricaÃÃo de um copo usado em armazenagem de refrigerantes tanto pode se destacar o efeito malÃfico, que seria a formaÃÃo de orelhas e o afinamento das regiÃes laterais adjacentes ao fundo do copo, como o efeito benÃfico, que seria o aumento da resistÃncia na direÃÃo perpendicular ao plano da chapa minimizando a possibilidade de ruptura pela reduÃÃo da espessura causada pelo processo de estampagem. Neste trabalho foi feito um estudo da relaÃÃo entre a textura cristalogrÃfica, os coeficientes de anisotropia e o grau de estampabilidade para o caso de um aÃo baixo-carbono, cuja principal aplicaÃÃo à na fabricaÃÃo de botijÃes para gÃs de cozinha, nas condiÃÃes de laminaÃÃo em temperaturas entre 600ÂC e 900ÂC. Os resultados foram comparados com os de um aÃo com baixÃssimo teor de carbono utilizado na estampagem profunda de latas para armazenagem de refrigerantes. A textura cristalogrÃfica foi determinada a partir das funÃÃes de distribuiÃÃo de orientaÃÃo cristalogrÃfica calculadas a partir de 3 figuras de pÃlos obtidas por difraÃÃo de raios-x. Os coeficientes de anisotropia mÃdia (rm) e planar (&#61508;r) foram determinados a partir dos coeficientes de Lankford na direÃÃo de laminaÃÃo, a 45o desta e na direÃÃo transversal a mesma. O grau de estampabilidade foi obtido por meio de ensaios de embutimento Erichsen modificado, que relaciona a profundidade de estampagem com a espessura da chapa. As anÃlises de textura nos aÃos laminados em temperaturas entre 600ÂC e 900ÂC, apresentaram resultados compatÃveis com os de um aÃo usado na estampagem profunda de latas para armazenagem de refrigerantes. Os coeficientes de anisotropia mÃdia (rm) e planar (&#61508;r), apresentaram valores satisfatÃrios de acordo com a exigÃncia para a mesma aplicaÃÃo. O grau de estampabilidade da maioria das amostras de chapas de aÃo laminadas em temperaturas entre 600ÂC e 900ÂC, mostrou-se adequado para a fabricaÃÃo das latas que servem como recipiente de armazenamento de refrigerantes. / Depending on which direction are measured, some properties of polycrystalline materials are presented differentiated. This is due to the existence of texture, or preferential directions of the crystals in the material. This feature may be due to solidification of a process of plastic deformation and heat treatment. The texture of metallic materials influences the properties of them both in a beneficial way as evil. In the printing of a hard to manufacture a glass of soda used in storage can either highlight the harmful effect, which would be the formation of ears and thinning of the lateral regions adjacent to the bottom of the glass, as the beneficial effect, which would be increased resistance in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the plate while minimizing the possibility of rupture by the thickness reduction caused by the embossing process. This work was used to study the relationship between the crystallographic texture, and anisotropy coefficients degree of drawability to the case of a low carbon steel, which is mainly used in the manufacture of bottles for cooking gas under the conditions of lamination temperatures between 600  C and 900  C. The results were compared with those of a steel with ultra low carbon used in deep drawing cans for storing soft drinks. The crystal texture was determined from the distribution functions of the crystallographic orientation calculated from the three figures obtained by poles x-ray diffraction. The average coefficients of anisotropy (rm) and planar (&#61508; r) were determined from the Lankford coefficients in the rolling direction, and the 45th of the same in the transverse direction. The degree of drawability was obtained by testing Erichsen cupping modified relating the depth of embossing to the thickness of the plate. The analysis of texture in rolled steels at temperatures between 600  C and 900  C showed results consistent with those of steel used in deep drawing of cans for storage of refrigerants. The average coefficients of anisotropy (rm) and planar (&#61508; r) values &#8203;&#8203;were satisfactory according to the requirement for the same application. The degree of drawability of most samples rolled steel sheet at temperatures between 600  C and 900  C, was suitable for the manufacture of cans which serve as storage container for soft drinks. / Depending on which direction are measured, some properties of polycrystalline materials are presented differentiated. This is due to the existence of texture, or preferential directions of the crystals in the material. This feature may be due to solidification of a process of plastic deformation and heat treatment. The texture of metallic materials influences the properties of them both in a beneficial way as evil. In the printing of a hard to manufacture a glass of soda used in storage can either highlight the harmful effect, which would be the formation of ears and thinning of the lateral regions adjacent to the bottom of the glass, as the beneficial effect, which would be increased resistance in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the plate while minimizing the possibility of rupture by the thickness reduction caused by the embossing process. This work was used to study the relationship between the crystallographic texture, and anisotropy coefficients degree of drawability to the case of a low carbon steel, which is mainly used in the manufacture of bottles for cooking gas under the conditions of lamination temperatures between 600  C and 900  C. The results were compared with those of a steel with ultra low carbon used in deep drawing cans for storing soft drinks. The crystal texture was determined from the distribution functions of the crystallographic orientation calculated from the three figures obtained by poles x-ray diffraction. The average coefficients of anisotropy (rm) and planar (&#61508; r) were determined from the Lankford coefficients in the rolling direction, and the 45th of the same in the transverse direction. The degree of drawability was obtained by testing Erichsen cupping modified relating the depth of embossing to the thickness of the plate. The analysis of texture in rolled steels at temperatures between 600  C and 900  C showed results consistent with those of steel used in deep drawing of cans for storage of refrigerants. The average coefficients of anisotropy (rm) and planar (&#61508; r) values &#8203;&#8203;were satisfactory according to the requirement for the same application. The degree of drawability of most samples rolled steel sheet at temperatures between 600  C and 900  C, was suitable for the manufacture of cans which serve as storage container for soft drinks.

The Miocene rhyolites of the Spor Mountain Formation hosts the world's largest beryllium deposit which produced 85% of the world's beryllium in 2010. The fresh lava is extremely enriched in Be (up to 75 ppm in matrix glass). We have examined the rhyolite to understand the Be enrichment. The Spor Mountain rhyolite contains ~40% quartz, ~40% sanidine, ~10% biotite, and ~10% plagioclase, along with accessory fluorite, columbite, euxenite, fergusonite, monazite, thorite, and zircon. Two types of rhyolite erupted within the Spor Mountain Formation, a less evolved magma (1150 ppm Rb, 42 ppm Be, 0.68 wt% F in matrix glass) and an evolved magma (1710 ppm Rb, 75 ppm Be, 1.56 wt% F in matrix glass). Eruption temperatures estimated using zircon saturation, feldspar-liquid, two feldspar, and Ti-in-quartz geothermometers converge on 718 °C for the less evolved magma and 682 °C for the evolved magma. Using the Ti-in-Qz equation of Huang and Audetat (2012), the pressure of the Spor Mountain rhyolite system is estimated to be around 2 kbar at 700°C. Water content of the rhyolite melt was less than <5 wt%, based on the presence of all four major mineral phases at 700°C and the magma was water undersaturated (Webster et al., 1987). Viscosity of the rhyolite was about 6.2 log Pa·s for the less evolved rhyolite and 5.8 log Pa·s for the evolved rhyolite. Magma viscosities calculated using the Einstein-Roscoe question suggest the evolved magma has a slightly higher viscosity than the less evolved magma (7.0 log Pa·s in the evolved magma vs 6.7 log Pa·s in the less evolved magma) because of higher phenocryst content. Fluorine lowered the melt viscosity, though not by a significant amount (less than 0.5 log units at 1.7 wt% F). Partition coefficients for 32 elements have been calculated for biotite, for 21 elements for sanidine and plagioclase, and for 6 elements for quartz, using data acquired by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Partition coefficients for feldspars in the Spor Mountain rhyolite are generally higher than other silicic magmas, and lower for biotite. Beryllium is one of the most incompatible trace elements in the Spor Mountain rhyolite, with a bulk partition coefficient <0.1. Volatile content of the melt (specifically F), melt composition, and the low temperature of crystallization act as the major controls of trace element partitioning. Trace element models using these partition coefficients suggests that crystal fractionation is the dominant magmatic enrichment process within the rhyolite, requiring ~45% crystallization (f = 55%) of the observed phenocrysts to get compositions from the less evolved to evolved rhyolite. Accumulation of batches of melt formed by different degrees of partial melting cannot explain the great depletion of compatible elements.

This paper investigates a potential cause of the observed growth in the magnitude of earnings response coefficients over time since 2001. I hypothesize that the growth is explained by increasing investor reliance on Wall Street analyst earnings per share (“EPS”) estimates to form their next-period EPS expectations. To test my hypothesis, I regress 3-day cumulative abnormal market returns following earnings announcements on an interaction term between the earnings surprise and the number of analyst EPS estimates along with several control variables. I ultimately find no evidence of increasing investor reliance on Wall Street analyst estimates. Furthermore, I fail to replicate the results of prior literature that found an upward trend in earnings response coefficients over time from 2001 to 2011. These contradictory results merit further investigation in future research.

Water temperature directly affects biological and chemical processes of fresh water ecosystems. Elevated instream temperatures are commonplace in the Virgin River of southwestern Utah during summer due to a hot desert climate and high water demands that result in low stream flows. This is of concern since the Virgin River is home to two endangered species, the Virgin River Chub (Gila seminuda) and Woundfin (Plagopterus argentissimus). Efforts to model instream temperatures within the Virgin River have been undertaken to help mitigate elevated instream temperatures including the development of a two-zone temperature and solute (TZTS) model. This model was developed to approximate the dominant processes that influence instream temperatures and used both temperature and solute data in parameter estimation. Past model applications highlighted two concerns: (1) how to confidently estimate the high number of parameters and (2) whether Rhodamine WT (RhWT) could be used as a conservative solute tracer within the Virgin River. To begin addressing these issues, spatially representative data were collected to facilitate the physical estimation of two previously calibrated parameters: total average channel width (BTOT) and the fraction of channel width associated with dead zones (β). Methods for analyzing multispectral and thermal infrared imagery were developed to provide estimates of these parameters at different resolutions. Three different TZTS model calibration cases were then evaluated to determine how decreasing the calibrated parameters and increasing the resolution and frequency at which these parameters are estimated improved model predictions and/or decreased parameter uncertainty. While temperature predictions did not change significantly in each of the calibrations, parameter uncertainty was reduced. The concern regarding the use of RhWT resulted in a series of studies to quantify the potential losses of RhWT within this system. A batch sorption study resulted in distribution coefficient values lower than those found in literature. A photodegradation study suggested possible photolysis; however, a dual tracer study conducted within the Virgin River comparing Br- (conservative tracer) with RhWT confirmed that there was insignificant RhWT loss within this system.

The determination of the figure of the Earth and its gravity field has long relied on methodologies that approximate the Earth by a sphere, but this level of accuracy is no longer adequate for many applications, due to the advent of new and advanced measurement techniques. New, practical and highly accurate methodologies for gravity field modelling that describe the Earth as an oblate ellipsoid of revolution are therefore required. The foundation for these methodologies is formed by solutions to ellipsoidal geodetic boundary-value problems. In this thesis, new solutions to the ellipsoidal Dirichlet, Neumann and second-order boundary-value problems, as well as the fixed- and free-geodetic boundary-value problems, are derived. These solutions do not rely on any spherical approximation, but are nevertheless completely based on a simple spherical harmonic expansion of the function that is to be determined. They rely on new relations among spherical harmonic base functions. In the new solutions, solid spherical harmonic coefficients of the desired function are expressed as a weighted summation over surface spherical harmonic coefficients of the data on the ellipsoidal boundary, or alternatively as a weighted summation over coefficients that are computed under the approximation that the boundary is a sphere. / Specific applications of the new solutions are the computation of geopotential coefficients from terrestrial gravimetric data and local or regional gravimetric geoid determination. Numerical closed-loop simulations have shown that the accuracy of geopotential coefficients obtained with the new methods is significantly higher than the accuracy of existing methods that use the spherical harmonic framework. The ellipsoidal corrections to a Stokesian geoid determination computed from the new solutions show strong agreement with existing solutions. In addition, the importance of the choice of the reference sphere radius in Stokes's formula and its effect on the magnitude and spectral sensitivity of the ellipsoidal corrections are pointed out.