Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2002. / Includes abstract and vita. "November 2002." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 180-188).

This paper discusses residential water demand in Central Texas, specifically the Cities of Austin and Sunset Valley. Predicting and managing residential water demand is a much researched topic that has gained importance as water has been recognized as a finite resource whose conservation and efficient use becomes more important as population grows and development patterns sprawl. Using monthly water use data from both cities, a statistical analysis was conducted of usage numbers and patterns. Several variables were considered in the modeling process including: monthly precipitation and average temperature, house size (sq. ft.), lot size (sq. ft.), appraised value of homestead, type of landscaping and presence of pool. For the City of Austin, aggregate monthly water distributed to single family residences and climate data that corresponded to each month were used in a linear regression for the fiscal years 2003-07. The results indicate that there is a significant relationship between water use among single family residential Austin Water Utility customers and precipitation and temperature (R² = .456). A more thorough examination of water use in Sunset Valley revealed a somewhat inconclusive relationship between residential water use and the aforementioned independent variables. Both a "fixed effects" panel data model and a simple linear regression model reported extremely low R² results (both .097). Several reasons are proposed in an attempt to explain the results, which differ from previous studies but no clear reason is identifiable. / text

A presentation on the cultural interpretation by American Indian ethnic groups connected with Sunset Crater of volcanic events and products of such. The complete report, which can be found in this collections, is titled 'Traditional Resource Use Of The Flagstaff Area Monuments.'

This study derives a method that seeks a possible relationship between settlement site locations and sunrise-sunset times of those locations using Geographical Information Systems. The method is applied to &Ccedil / ankiri province, which is located at northeast of Ankara and covers approximately an area of 8380 km2. Three main data sets of the study area are used in this thesis: 1) Settlement data containing the coordinates, IDs and names of the 891 settlement points, 2) Topographic data containing the coordinates and digital elevation values of all raster pixels 3) Bright sunshine duration data (BSD) composed of the difference between sunset and sunrise times for all raster pixels. In the first step of this study, sunrise and sunset times of the study area are calculated with an algorithm that uses Digital Elevation Model. This algorithm is developed specifically for computing those times over a topographic surface which may delay the sunrise time or bring forward the sunset time, thus reducing the BSD. In the second step, unsuitable landforms for settlement are clipped out from the study area based on the thresholds derived from elevation, slope and aspect parameters. Then, BSD histograms and statistics of the settlements and study area are compared for each of the 12 months and for the average of 12 months. Finally, neighborhood analysis on settlements is carried out by comparing the BSD values of each settlement with the BSD characteristics of circular buffer surrounding the settlement. The main conclusion derived from above mentioned analysis is that the BSD does not directly affect the selection of the settlement sites.

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2002. / Includes abstract and vita. "November 2002." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 180-188).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2002. / Includes abstract and vita. "November 2002." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 180-188).

Twentieth Century climatology was dominated by two great figures: Wladamir Köppen and C. Warren Thornthwaite. The first carefully developed climatic parameters to match the larger world vegetation communities. The second developed complex formulas of "Moisture Factors" that provided efficient understanding of how evapotranspiration influences plant growth and health, both for native and non-native communities. In the latter half of the Twentieth Century, the Sunset Magazine Corporation develop a purely empirical set of Garden Zones, first for California, then for the thirteen states of the West, now for the entire nation in the National Garden Maps. The Sunset Garden Zones are well recognized and respected in Western States for illustrating the several factors of climate that distinguish zones. But the Sunset Garden Zones have never before been digitized and examined statistically for validation of their demarcations. This thesis examines the digitized zones with reference to PRISM climate data. Variable coverages resembling those described by Sunset are extracted from the PRISM data. These variable coverages are collected for two buffered areas, one in northern California and one in southern California. The coverages are exported from ArcGIS 9.1 to SAS® where they are processed first through a Principal Component Analysis, and then the first five principal components are entered into a Ward's Hierarchical Cluster Analysis. The resulting clusters were translated back into ArcGIS as a raster coverage, where the clusters were climatic regions. This process is quite amenable for further examination of other regions of California / Master of Science

Thesis (MScEng (Civil Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / Multi purpose reefs are a relatively new concept that incorporate functionalities of beach stabilization, breakwater/seawall protection, biological enhancement and recreational amenity. Economic benefits increase their attractiveness. There is, however, some degree of uncertainty in design guidelines as to the predictability of each of these aspects. With regards to recreational amenity enhancement, one such uncertainty exists in the ability to predict the reef configuration required to give a certain degree of surfability of a reef, and more specifically, to predict the shape of a plunging wave. An extensive survey of the relevant literature has been conducted to provide a background on multi purpose reefs and the uncertainties in predicting the success of multi purpose reefs in achieving their design objectives. A study of wave breaking has been done, along with an analysis of existing breaker height and breaker depth formulae. The effects of bottom friction, refraction, shoaling, winds currents and varying water level on wave breaking has been addressed. Surfability aspects were reviewed including a definition of breaking intensity which is defined by the wave profile in terms of vortex shape parameters, and other surfability parameters that influence the surfability of a reef. Background on numerical modelling methods has been given, along with a description and some trial runs of a new and promising method, Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics. Numerical models were run using the open source SPHysics package in order to assess the applicability of the package in measuring vortex shape parameters. The SPHysics package is, however, still in a stage of development, and is not yet suitable for reef studies with very long domains and with high numbers of particles (required for sufficient resolution in the plunging vortex). A theoretical examination was done on the relevant literature in order to gain an insight into the dynamics affecting the development of the plunging vortex shape. A case study of a natural surf reef was carried out in order to give qualitative estimation of the wave dynamics and reef structure required to give good quality surfing waves and high breaking intensity. The West- Cowell surfing reef factor was used as a tool in predicting wave focusing effects of a naturally occurring reef. Extensive two dimensional physical model laboratory studies were conducted in order to quantify the effects of the reef configuration and wave parameters on breaking intensity. Design guidelines were developed in order to assist in the prediction of breaking intensity for reefs constructed with surfing amenity enhancement as one of their design objectives. The results show that large underwater topographic features can significantly affect the shape and size of incoming waves. Refraction, focusing and shoaling can transform ordinary waves into waves deemed suitable for surfing. The West-Cowell surfing reef factor gives reasonable results outside its applicable range. The 2D physical model laboratory tests show significant variations in vortex shape parameters due to interactions between broken and unbroken waves in a wave train and also to the reflections developed in the flume. Results show that the predicted trends agree with the observations. The results also show that the junction between the seaward reef slope and the horizontal crest may have an effect on the wave shape in the form of a secondary crest between the primary crests. Design guidelines based on the results are presented, and show that breaker height formulae for smooth planar slopes show good agreement with the values of breaker heights measured in the physical model tests, and that existing breaker depth formulae show average agreement. The design guidelines could assist with more effective design of artificial reefs for surfing purposes.

Under Cooperative Agreement Number H8601010007, BARA contracted with the NPS to amend the document review with primary data from representatives of the tribes that were found to be historically and culturally affiliated with Sunset Crater Volcano, Walnut Canyon, and Wupatki National Monument. Additionally, this addendum to the affiliation study includes information about traditional uses of park resources as described by tribal representatives. This information is critical to park management and for compliance with various laws, regulations, executive orders, and policies so that park managers can better address tribal requests for continued access and use of park resources. The first purpose of this study is to amend the completed literature search with primary data collected with tribal representatives of the six ethnic groups. This data will provide contemporary validation of the literature search and contribute additional information related to tribal affiliation. The second purpose of this study is to provide primary data about past and present tribal uses of park resources. As a Traditional Use Study of park resources, this effort contributes information essential to park management as well as to compliance with a myriad of laws, regulations, executive orders, and NPS policies. The specific objectives of this study include identification of natural resources at each park that are used for traditional purposes, descriptions of the cultural importance of these resources, and, where possible, links between contemporary resource use and records of historic use.

Sunset clauses are a commonly used statutory provision related to the temporary duration of various laws. Such clauses are scattered throughout the statute books. This thesis aims to shed light on the constitutional value of such clauses, in order to value them from the perspective of the separation of powers and the rule of law. We have an extant amount of literature on sunset clauses, especially regarding their utility in the United States. In the United Kingdom, we have a limited analysis with respect to specific fields, including emergency legislation. However, we lack a comprehensive analysis with regard to their constitutional value. This thesis’s analysis is conducted in three parts, separated into the historical, the positive, and the normative. All three parts of this thesis are interdependent, and the analysis of each subsequent part builds on the conclusion of its antecedent. The first part investigates the historical development of sunset clauses since the first Parliament in England. The positive analysis examines the contemporary utility of sunset clauses. Finally, the normative evaluation examines their interaction with several models of separation of powers as it values their impact on the rule of law. Depending on the separation of power model, such clauses play a role in the system of checks and balances. On the one hand, they impact the institutional relationship between the executive and legislative branches. On the other hand, they influence the interaction between the legislature and the courts. Although I acknowledge that their legislative use in limiting human rights diminishes the rule of law, they might have the exact opposite effect: on several occasions in the past, they were used to advance the rule of law, including the adoption of innovative legislation and the annulment of the death penalty. Indeed, this thesis attests to the constitutional value of sunset clauses.