<p> The Urban Heat Island (UHI) was investigated using satellite data, ground observations, and simulations with an Urban Canopy Parameterization in a numerical weather prediction model. Satellite-observed surface skin temperatures at Xi'an City and Oklahoma City (OKC) were analyzed to compare the UHI intensity for the two inland cities. A larger population density and larger building density in Xi'an City creates a stronger skin-level UHI effect. However, ground observed 2-m surface air temperature (Tair) data showed an urban cooling island (UCI) effect that occurred over an urban region in OKC during the daytime of July 19, 2003. </p><p> The sensitivity and accuracy of an Urban Canopy Model were evaluated by comparing simulation results between the urban and rural areas of OKC. The model reproduced skin temperature differences between the rural and urban area and reproduced a UCI effect in OKC. Furthermore, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)/Noah/Single-Layer Urban Canopy Model (SLUCM) simulations were also compared with ground observations, including wind speeds, wind directions, and energy fluxes. Although the WRF/SLCUM model failed to simulate these variables accurately, it reproduced the diurnal variations of surface temperatures, wind speeds, wind directions and energy fluxes reasonably well.</p>

<p> There has been much success in atmospheric boundary layer simulation with medium sized closed-circuit wind tunnels with test section dimensions of approximately 1 x 1 m. However, smaller, blower-type wind tunnels are more common in university laboratories due to the lower cost and smaller space requirements. A small size, open flow wind tunnel with a 1 x 1 foot test section was modified to simulate the atmospheric boundary layer with a combination of upstream spires and cubic roughness elements. The primitive spire geometry detailed in the literature was found to yield poor agreement with the power law velocity profile of interest, and a novel iterative algorithm was developed to produce nonlinear spire geometry. The geometry generated by the algorithm was tested in the wind tunnel and found to simulate the desired velocity profile based on a Hellman exponent of 0.20 with a high degree of agreement, having a maximum velocity error of 4%. This confirmed the suitability of small-sized wind tunnels for simulating the atmospheric boundary layer.</p>

No description available.

Famennian (Upper Devonian) ammonoids and their biostratigraphy are reviewed with particular reference to the Sauerland and Oberfranken, West Germany. Host european species of the Order Clymeniida are described. The Famennian ammonoid zonal scheme is rationalised and within it 23 faunal levels are proposed. Ammonoid Zones and conodont zones are correlated, and the rhomboidea (conodont) Zone is newly recognised to be coeval with the curvispina Zone. The fOllowing genera and subgenera are dealt with in detail: Progonioclyrnenia, Endosiphonites, Sellaclymenia, Biloclymenia, Gonioclymenia (Gon.), Gonioclymenia (Kalloclymenia), Sphenocl~enia, Platycl~enia (Plat.), Plat. (Pleuroclymenia), Plat. (TrigonocIYmenia), Sulcoclymenia, Piricclymenia, Ornatoclymenia, Cyrto- clyymenia, Protactoclymenia, Carinoclymenia, Clymenia, protoxyclymenia , Kosmoclymenia, Genuclymenia, fymaclymenia, Genn. Nov. D, E, and F. In most cases the types of the type species are illustrated photographically for the first time. The following generic names are recognised to have been wrongly interpreted in the past, and, where necessary new names have been proposed. Kalloclymenia, Biloclymenia, Rectoclymenia and Falciclmenia. Two new subgenera and one new genus are proposed, and two generic names, Protactoclymenia and Endosiphonites, have been revived. Kosmoclymenia is split into four species groups by its ornament and Cymaclymenia bas been split into three species groups. Two widely used specific names are recognised to have been placed in the wrong genus; sedgwicki Munster is a pseudoclymenia (a goniatite), and ~pentina MUnster is a Protoxyclymenia.

No description available.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Geography and Geology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

No description available.

No description available.

Ongoing research designed to expand a grid of tree-ring chronologies in the western U.S. that can be used to examine tree growth response to increasing atmospheric CO2 is summarized in this interim report. Current and projected sampling is designed to cover most of the Great Basin and the Southwestern U.S., focusing on long -lived species growing under stressful climatic conditions. Older trees growing in these circumstances provide the best potential for analytical discrimination of climatic and CO2 signals. A descriptive statistical summary of all current data sets is provided and potential directions of the project are discussed.