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This dissertation details the design and operation of the FOcused Phased Array Imaging Radar (FOPAIR) intended for high-resolution ocean surface imaging applications. This radar is unique in its capability to produce coherent microwave imagery with both high spatial and temporal resolutions. Such resolution is required to yield an accurate representation of the ocean surface as it appears at X-band wavelengths. Both the principles of operation and the hardware design of the radar are presented. Methods for phase calibrating the array are shown that permit focused images to be generated from the acquired radar backscatter. The resulting sidelobe level performance and the anticipated sensitivity of the radar are shown, and sample images of the ocean surface illustrate its ability to image ocean wave patterns. Because FOPAIR produces complex radar imagery at high speeds, radial velocity can be estimated at each pixel location. Through appropriate processing it is shown that FOPAIR should be capable of absolute measurement of the directional spectrum of ocean surface wind waves. To test this hypothesis and to validate that FOPAIR imagery is an accurate representation of the ocean surface, a field test was conducted in which radar measurements of the wind wave directional spectrum were compared to simultaneous directional wave measurements made by a nearby array of pressure sensors mounted on the sea floor. Comparisons between both systems over 18 trials show correlations exceeding 95% for measurements of dominant wave length, wave direction, and total wave energy. These results support the hypothesis that radial velocity derived imagery can be used to estimate the directional wave spectrum and provide confidence in FOPAIR's sensitivity to the ocean surface wind-wave field.

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published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

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The role of urbanization in the history of civilization is a profound and intricate part of human geography. By utilizing socioeconomic data and then integrating it with more technological innovations, such as remote sensing, the spread of sprawl and the urban corridor can better be mapped and quantified by researchers. Many different types of socioeconomic data were implemented in addition to the remotely sensed data. In this paper, six Landsat 5 TM images were used to create land cover classification maps of the developed or built-up land in St. Tammany Parish from 1984 to 2008. It was found that, in addition to St. Tammany expanding in population, the urban areas are becoming denser using a method called the"remote method." This method is an advanced function of density that allows researchers to estimate consumption of the developed land.

Due to the stochasticity, diversity and variability of gene expression, transgenic crop study, is confronted with some uncertainties, such as what kinds of the influence from foreign gene on the transgenic crop, and how to fulfill the monitoring of transgenic crop growth real-/ near real-time efficiently. The influence of foreign gene could be treated as a special source of stress to vegetation. Therefore, it is promising to detect the difference between transgenic and contrast group and so as to monitor the growth of sample to assist to fulfill sample screening work, focusing on the plant biophysical traits or responses to stress by spectral techniques. Hyperspectral remote sensing technique is a kind of practical and field spectroscopy technique, which is simple, rapid, real-/ near real-time, user friendly and cheap. In this study, this technique was employed to indicate the differences between transgenic crop samples and their parents, and to monitor their growth. By the proposed approach, fine spectra of transgenic paddy rice were obtained, and the growth of samples were monitored the by their biophysical traits, finally the screening of cultivars were fulfilled in contrast controlled experiments. The biophysical traits or bio-process were concentrated on rather than on micro-structure or components of proteins. It will be implemented to monitor the growth of the samples real-/ near real-time, helping researchers know their samples clearly and screen samples efficiently. / In order to develop and validate this approach, 6 experiments in different fields were conducted, including three kinds of genomes and their transgenic samples. They were classified as the experiment-repeat experiments and the gene-repeat experiments. Moreover, a three-month experiment was also conducted for evaluating the capability of the approach to monitor the sample growth under the condition of an artificial stress (herbicide stress). Morphologic and parameterized features of foliar spectra of samples were applied to indicate the growth of the samples. / In the future, more factors should be considered. They are mainly: much more effective communication with biological researchers should be conducted; more research methods should be introduced, the study scope should be extended to the whole bands (350-2500nm) and more foliar chemicals should be involved as indicators of the growth status of the samples, etc. ii / The results proved this approach proposed was not a substitute to the popular methods for gene detection and crop assessment, but an important, helpful and efficient complement to make the crop breeding study under control and efficient as much as possible. By the approach, the researcher could know their samples clearly and real-/near real- time. / Li, Ru. / Advisers: Jinsong Chen; Hui Lin. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-06, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.