This thesis details the hydrodynamic research conducted at Delta Marsh as part of the Restoring the Tradition marsh rehabilitation project. Research has indicated that the hydraulic and hydrologic controls on the marsh can have considerable impacts on its ecological function, but the impacts of these controls had not previously been studied. Field hydrography and two-dimensional numerical modelling (using MIKE 21) provided insight into many aspects of the physical behaviour of Delta Marsh. Eighty five percent of the inflow to Delta Marsh from Lake Manitoba passes through Clandeboye Channel, and these discharge signals propagate as far west as Cadham Bay. Inflow to the marsh disperses quickly, and accounts for a small fraction of the water that exits the marsh during subsequent outflow. Thus, Portage Diversion water that enters the marsh through the lake can remain there even if there is a net loss in marsh volume over the season. Wind friction across Lake Manitoba has the greatest impact on short-term fluctuations in marsh volume and on the composition of marsh water, followed by the Portage Diversion and the natural inflows to Lake Manitoba. Expansions to flood diversion infrastructure will considerably impact the composition of Delta Marsh waters. Three methods of wetland discharge estimation were developed and tested. The most promising method was the regressed slope Manning method (RSMM), which estimates two-directional channel discharge as a function of the water surface elevations at both ends of a channel. When used in conjunction with the velocity index method, the RSMM can multiply the amount of reliable discharge data collected per research dollar. Thanks to its simple formulation, the RSMM is likely applicable outside of wetland settings, as well. / February 2016

Thesis (MSc (Geography and Environmental Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Land degradation in Lesotho is undermining the finite resource on which people depend for survival. Use of satellite imagery has been recommended for monitoring land degradation because remotely sensed data enable monitoring of large areas at more frequent intervals than intensive ground based research. Various techniques have been developed for land cover change detection. In the present study, vegetation changes were identified by image differencing, which involved finding the difference between the earlier date NDVI image and the later date image. NDVI images are among products that are generated from the NOAA AVHRR sensor to provide information about the quantity of biomass on the earth’s surface. The resulting NDVI change data showed land areas that had experienced vegetation loss, which were identified as potentially degraded. The change data were combined with other data sets to determine how potentially degraded areas were influenced by different environmental variables and population pressure. These data sets included land cover, ecological zones, elevation, soil and human and livestock populations. By integrating NDVI data with ancillary data, land degradation was attributed to both demographic pressure and biophysical factors. Widespread degradation was detected on the arable parts of the Lowlands where cultivation was intensive and human settlements were extensive. Signs of grassland depletion and forest decline were also evident and were attributed to population expansion, overgrazing and indiscriminate cutting of trees and shrubs for firewood. Extensive biomass decline was also associated more with soils in the lowlands derived from sedimentary rocks than soils of basalt origin that occur mostly in the highlands. Significant degradation was evident on gentle slopes where land uses such as cultivation and expansion of settlements were identified as the main causes of the degradation. There was evidence of greater vegetation depletion on north and east-facing slopes than on other slopes. The depletion was attributed to the fragility of ecosystems resulting from intense solar radiation. The study demonstrated that NOAA AVHRR NDVI images could be used effectively for detecting land cover changes in Lesotho. However, future research could focus on obtaining and using high resolution data for detailed analysis of factors driving land degradation.

Solar cells is one of the cleanest and most environmentally friendly ways to produce electricity. Västerås city has invested in a number of solar systems in public buildings as a step to solve the energy issues of the future and contribute to a sustainable environment. The purpose of this project is to compare the real system yield from Västerås city´s solar plants with simulations. Produces the solar plants as expected or not, and if not, what might be the cause. Data were collected about the solar cell installations, by Mälarenergi Elnät and Västerås city. The real system yield was calculated and then the solar plants were simulated in PVGIS (Photovoltaic Geographical Information System) to obtain the theoretical yield. This project shows that most of Västerås city´s solar plants have a yield that is as expected according to the simulations or higher. However, there are some solar plants with a low or very low yield compared to the simulations. The yield varies considerably during the year. For those plants where the yield has been studied monthly, the real yield is higher in the second half of the year compared with the first half. The self-consumption varies greatly between the different solar plants, but generally it is high. Some solar plants have a very high self-consumption of 100 % and some have a very low of 30-40 %. Some solar plants have a higher yield than expected and it may depends to the fact that the installed power is a few percent higher than what the manufacturer states. The simulations might be unsure, because losses, solar radiation and weather may vary. The solar plants that have a low yield compared to the simulations may have a broken or disconnected component, shading and dirt may also affect. To have as high self-consumption as possible is an economically advantage, as long as the plant is not under-dimensioned because the goal is to produce electricity. There is no clear pattern showing which of the four PVGIS simulations is best matched to reality.

The performance and safety assessment of geo-structures is strongly affected by uncertainty; that is, both due a subjective lack of knowledge as well as objectively present and irreducible unknowns. Due to uncertainty in the non-linear variation of the matric suction induced effective stress as a function of the transient soil-atmosphere boundary conditions, the unsaturated state of the subsoil is generally not accounted for in a deterministic slope stability assessment. Probability theory, accounting for uncertainties quantitatively rather than using "cautious estimates" on loads and resistances, may aid to partly bridge the gap between unsaturated soil mechanics and engineering practice. This research investigates the effect of uncertainty in soil property values on the stability of unsaturated soil slopes. Two 2D Finite Element (FE) programs have been developed and implemented into a parallelised Reliability-Based Design (RBD) framework, which allows for the assessment of the failure probability, failure consequence and parameter sensitivity, rather than a deterministic factor of safety. Utilising the Random Finite Element Method (RFEM), within a Monte Carlo framework, multivariate cross-correlated random property fields have been mapped onto the FE mesh to assess the effect of isotropic and anisotropic moderate heterogeneity on the transient slope response, and thus performance. The framework has been applied to a generic slope subjected to different rainfall scenarios. The performance was found to be sensitive to the uncertainty in the effective shear strength parameters, as well as the parameters governing the unsaturated soil behaviour. The failure probability was found to increase most during prolonged rainfall events with a low precipitation rate. Nevertheless, accounting for the unsaturated state resulted in a higher slope reliability than when not considering suction effects. In a heterogeneous deposit failure is attracted to local zones of low shear strength, which, for an unsaturated soil, are a function of both the spatial variability of soil property values, as well as of the soil-water dynamics, leading to a significant increase in the failure probability near the end of the main rainfall event.

Barrages de corrections torrentielles et plages de dépôts jouent un rôle clés dans la protection contre les crues des torrents. Leurs gestionnaires ont pour mission de réduire les risques d'inondations, mais doivent désormais aussi minimiser les impacts environnementaux liés aux ouvrages de protection. Ceci nécessite une meilleure compréhension des effets des barrages de corrections torrentielles et des plages de dépôts sur le transport sédimentaire des torrents. Cette thèse s'inscrit dans cet objectif et se décompose en deux parties. Sa section sur l'état de l'art présente: i) les différents effets des barrages de correction torrentielle sur la production et le transfert sédimentaire; ii) des descriptions des processus hydrauliques et de sédimentation ayant lieu dans les plages de dépôts; et iii) les processus liés à la production et au transfert de bois d'embâcle. Une nouvelle méthode de quantification de la production sédimentaire des torrents complète cet état de l’art.La seconde partie de cette thèse présente le travail réalisé en banc d’essai expérimental. Une première série d’expérience a permis de mettre en évidence un transport par charriage plus régulier lorsque des barrages de correction torrentielle sont ajoutés à un bief alluvial. Une seconde série d’essais a été réalisée sur un modèle générique de plage de dépôt dans l’objectif d’en caractériser les écoulements. Pour cela, une nouvelle procédure de mesure et de reconstruction par approche inverse a été développée. Il en résulte une description des caractéristiques d’un écoulement proche du régime critique, ainsi que des mécanismes de rétrocontrôle entre morphologie et hydraulique pendant la phase de dépôt. / Check dams and open check dams are key structures in torrent hazard protection. Their managers must mitigate flood hazards, but now must also minimize the environmental impacts of these protection structures. This requires to improve the knowledge on the effects of check dams and open check dams on the sediment transport, and this thesis forms a contribution towards this end.The section on the current state of research reviews i) the diverse effects of check dams on sediment production and transfer; ii) descriptions of the hydraulics and sedimentation processes occurring in open check dams; and iii) woody debris production and trapping processes. This state of the art is completed with proposition of new bedload transport estimation methods, specifically developed for paved streams experiencing external supply or armour breaking.Experimental results are then provided. Firstly, flume experiments highlight the emergence of a more regular bedload transport when check dams are built in alluvial reaches. In a second stage, experiments were performed on a generic Froude scale model of an open check dam basin in order to capture the features of laterally-unconstrained, highly mobile flows. A new flow measurement and inverse-reconstruction procedure has been developed. A preliminary analysis of the results describes flows that tend toward a critical regime and the occurrence of feedback mechanisms between geomorphology and hydraulics during massive bedload deposition.

abstract: The focus of the study was to identify secondary school students' difficulties with aspects of linearity and linear functions, and to assess their teachers' understanding of the nature of the difficulties experienced by their students. A cross-sectional study with 1561 Grades 8-10 students enrolled in mathematics courses from Pre-Algebra to Algebra II, and their 26 mathematics teachers was employed. All participants completed the Mini-Diagnostic Test (MDT) on aspects of linearity and linear functions, ranked the MDT problems by perceived difficulty, and commented on the nature of the difficulties. Interviews were conducted with 40 students and 20 teachers. A cluster analysis revealed the existence of two groups of students, Group 0 enrolled in courses below or at their grade level, and Group 1 enrolled in courses above their grade level. A factor analysis confirmed the importance of slope and the Cartesian connection for student understanding of linearity and linear functions. There was little variation in student performance on the MDT across grades. Student performance on the MDT increased with more advanced courses, mainly due to Group 1 student performance. The most difficult problems were those requiring identification of slope from the graph of a line. That difficulty persisted across grades, mathematics courses, and performance groups (Group 0, and 1). A comparison of student ranking of MDT problems by difficulty and their performance on the MDT, showed that students correctly identified the problems with the highest MDT mean scores as being least difficult for them. Only Group 1 students could identify some of the problems with lower MDT mean scores as being difficult. Teachers did not identify MDT problems that posed the greatest difficulty for their students. Student interviews confirmed difficulties with slope and the Cartesian connection. Teachers' descriptions of problem difficulty identified factors such as lack of familiarity with problem content or context, problem format and length. Teachers did not identify student difficulties with slope in a geometric context. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction 2011

In the intention to establish a geomorphologic zonation of the threat levels due to slope in-stability of the Mocoy hydrographic basin, an analysis of the biophysics conditions was made by using the heuristic method. Space variables of greater incidence in local dynamics were identified and processed in ARC/INFO, and applied methodological proposals associated to the matrix of spatial analysis of Leopold and the system of transparencies of MacHarg. It was possible to identify three levels of threat: low, moderate and high, which were correlated with the operating morphogenetic processes, the geologic structure and lithology, as well as with the land use of this important river basin in the northern flank of the Venezuelan Andes. The analysis of the implicit mechanisms in the collapse of geologic material, as well as the estimation of the future tendency and detection of the areas of greater threat, constitute the basis for a suitable mitigation problem of dangerous slope processes and the sediment contribution tothe fluvial system of the Mocoy river. / Con la intención de establecer una zonificación de los niveles de amenaza geomorfológica porinestabilidad de laderas de la cuenca hidrográfica del río Mocoy, se efectuó un análisis de las condiciones biofísicas, mediante el método heurístico y se identificaron las variables espaciales de mayor incidencia en la dinámica local, tratadas en ARC/INFO y con propuestas metodológicas asociadas a la matriz de análisis espacial de Leopold y el sistema de transparencias de MacHarg. Se logró representar tres niveles de amenaza: baja, moderada y alta, las cuales fueron correlacionadas con los procesos morfogenéticos actuantes, la estructura geológica y litología, así como también con el uso de la tierra de esta importante cuenca del flanco norandino vene- zolano. El análisis de los mecanismos implícitos en el colapso de material geológico, así como la estimación sobre la tendencia futura y detección de las áreas de mayor amenaza, constituyen las bases para una adecuada mitigación del problema de procesos de ladera peligrosos y el aportede sedimentos al sistema fluvial del río Mocoy.

[pt] A compreensão da estrutura e funcionalidades ecológicas inscritas na transformação da Mata Atlântica fluminense, compreendida por fragmentos florestais em meio à crescente urbanização, são de suma importância ao entendimento do conteúdo da paisagem via história ambiental e ecologia da paisagem. A complexidade ambiental característica da contemporaneidade geográfica instaura a coadunação de diversas abordagens tanto epistemológicas quanto metodológicas na apreensão da paisagem enquanto mosaico e resultante das multiescalares intervenções de seus elementos fundantes: estruturais e funcionais. Tais elementos encontram-se estabelecidos sob diferenciadas condições devido à orientação da encosta –vertentes soalheiras e Noruega - apresentam níveis de umidade, temperatura e precipitações diferenciadas em até 160 porcento. O estudo utiliza os parâmetros e métodos de análise ambientais como: fitossociologia, físico-química do solo, aporte, decomposição e retenção hídrica de serrapilheira na compreensão da resultante ecológica das distintas orientações e sítios topográficos. Para tanto a influência de tais variáveis na produtividade florestal foram analisadas utilizando-se 12 coletores de serrapilheira no sítio amostral da bacia do Camorim – sítio St. Agostinho, relancionando-os aos dados de pluviosidade da estação meteorológica do Riocentro (GEORIO). Foram realizadas coletas quinzenais para a produção e trimestrais para o estoque de serrapilheira durante um ano. A produção de serrapilheira na orientação NE (bacia do Camorim) foi de 10.733,80 kg.ha.ano-1 e superior em relação à orientação SW no mesmo período (Bacia do Caçambe), com 9.463,88 kg.ha.ano-1, sendo a fração folhas preponderante às demais. Os resultados sugerem a influência tanto dos usos pretéritos – legado dos carvoeiros, quilombolas e agricultores tradicionais – quanto das variáveis ecológicas – orientação de encosta, sítio topográfico, precipitação e a condição vegetacional da floresta atlântica, etc. Entretanto, os limites analíticos vão além da impossibilidade de generalizar e simplificar a paisagem. As imprecisões científicas – comuns aos diversos campos epistemológicos – inscrevem-se na abordagem co-evolutiva ao apontar os desafios da padronização e modelagem da paisagem. A transformação da Mata Atlântica mesmo que no recorte espacial (bacias do Camorim e Caçambe) adotado, não é passível de simplificação analítica e os resultados obtidos confirmam tais limitações. / [en] The comprehension of the ecological structure and functions wrote by transformation of Atlantic Rainforest, understood as forest fragments involved by rising urbanization, is of basic importance in the understanding of the landscape by Environmental History and Landscape Ecology. The characteristically environmental complexity of the contemporary Geography settles the approaches convergence both epistemological as methodological in the landscape understandings, so as a patch and as a resultant of the multiscalar actions of their foundations elements: structurals and functionals ones. These elements are found under different conditions due to slope aspect – with different humidity, temperature and rainfall almost as 160 percent in the north slope. The currently study uses some parameters and environmental analysis as: phytosociology, soil phical-chemestry and litterfall production, decomposition and hydrological retention capacity in the understanding of the ecological resultants of the different orientation and topographic sites – soalheira and noruega slope. To investigate the influence of these variables on the forest productivity the litter dynamics were analyzed employing 12 littertraps randomly distributed at the sample site in Camorim basin – St. Agostinho site, and investigating the relation between pluviosity regime using rainfall data from GEORIO Metereological Station of Riocentro. The samples were collected at each 15 days for litter production and at three months for litter stock during one year. The litter production at NE aspect (Camorim Basin) was 10.733,80 kg.ha.ano-1 and greater than that found at Caçambe Basin (SW) - 9.463,88 kg.ha.ano-1, with leaf fraction greater than the others. The results suggest that the past uses - environmental legacy of the use of the coal collectors, quilombolas and traditional agriculture – and the ecological variables – slope aspects, topographic sites, precipitation, and rainforest vegetal condition etc. Despite that, the analytical limits bypass the impossibilities of landscape simplification. The science inaccuracies – common to all epistemological science areas – are written on the coevolutive approache when shows the challenges of landscape standardization and modeling. The rainforest transformation, even in the case of a well known adopted area (Camorim and Caçambe basins), were not easy to an analytical simplification as was demonstrated by the observed results.

A zonation of slope instability hazard levels of the Mount Carmelo region was carried out based on an analysis of the geographical conditions using the Van Westen (2003) heuristic method and GIS. Three levels of instability hazard were established: low hazard areas (no actual harmful phenomena is recorded, although it might occur over the next years), moderate hazard (medium probability that harmful processes might appear over next years) and high hazard (high probability of harmful processes over the next years.) Zonation maps showing hazard areas will be very useful for physical planning and population protection, taking into· consideration   that  these  maps  may  reduce  economic  losses  and  human  casualties due to the above mentioned natural hazards. / Con la intención de establecer una zonificación de los niveles de peligro de inestabilidad  de laderas  de la región  de Monte  Carmelo,  se efectuó  un  análisis de las condiciones geográficas mediante la aplicación del método heurístico de Van Westen (2003) y de un SIG. Los resultados  obtenidos arrojaron tres niveles de peligro  de inestabilidad: peligro  bajo (no se presentan fenómenos dañinos, aunque se podrían presentar en los próximos años), peligro  moderado (moderada probabilidad de que aparezcan  fenómenos  dañinos  que  ocasionen  algún  tipo  de impacto  negativo  en los próximos años) y peligro alto (probabilidad alta de ocurrencia de un fenómeno dañino  para  la población  en  los  próximos  años). Los  mapas  de  zonificación  de áreas de peligro serán de gran utilidad para la planificación de los territorios y para la defensa civil, al contribuir a la reducción  de pérdidas  materiales y humanas que puedan  producirse  ante la ocurrencia  de estos  fenómenos.

[pt] Esta dissertação apresenta uma análise numérica do fluxo não saturado em uma pilha de lixiviação de minério de cobre. Adicionalmente, foi feito também um estudo da estabilidade estática e sísmica da pilha de lixiviação, por sua construção estar planejada em região de alta sismicidade no sul do Peru. A pilha será construída com minério de cobre não tratado sobre base impermeável para evitar a contaminação do meio ambiente por fluxo da solução ácida através da fundação. Os resultados obtidos nas análises numéricas indicam que a pilha de lixiviação apresenta fatores de segurança satisfatórios considerando sismos de magnitude até 7,5 com aceleração máxima de até 0,30g. Da mesma forma, constatou-se que a posição da linha freática formada pela solução de lixiviação não atinge as camadas previstas para proteção das tubulações de drenagem. / [en] This dissertation presents a numerical analysis for the non saturated flow throughout a copper ore heap leach. Additionally, static and dynamic stability analyses were also made because the heap leach is planned to be built in a highly seismic region in the south of Peru. The heap will be constructed with non-treated copper ore (run of mine) on impermeable pad specially devised to avoid any possibility of ground contamination by the flow through the foundation of the acid solution used for the lixiviation process. The numerical results obtained in the stability analyses indicate that the heap leach presents satisfactory safety factors even when considering earthquakes of magnitude 7.5 with maximum acceleration of 0.30g. It has been also observed that the phreatic line formed by the lixiviation fluid does not reach the layers devised to protect the drainage pipes of the lixiviation system.