This study investigates translocation of particulate carbon and nitrogen from burned and unburned catchments within New Mexico's Valles Caldera National Preserve following severe wildfire. My research questions are: (1) how much carbon and nitrogen is eroded from burned slopes and re-deposited in debris fans? and (2) how do these quantities compare to fluvial export of particulate carbon and nitrogen from nearby unburned catchments? Results indicate that the ~200 kg ha⁻¹ of nitrogen per depositional area on the debris fans represents ~50 to 100 years' worth of atmospheric inputs. In total, 124 times more carbon and 21 times more nitrogen were deposited on the two fans than was exported in particulate form from all three unburned catchments combined in water year 2012. My findings suggest that post-fire erosion may increase nitrogen loading to downslope environments, with the potential to alter the biogeochemical budgets of both aquatic and terrestrial systems.

Wastewater generated in the Tucson metropolitan region is conveyed to and treated at the Roger Road Wastewater Reclamation Facility (WRF) and Ina Road WRF. From 2005 to 2012, approximately 15,000 acre-feet per year of effluent was returned to the City of Tucson for additional filtration and reuse in the reclaimed water system. The remaining 48,000+ acre-feet per year of treated effluent was discharged to the Santa Cruz River, where a variable portion of the effluent infiltrates the streambed. The effluent that infiltrates the streambed contributes to recharge credits for participants invested in the Managed Underground Storage Facilities. In the effluent-dependent river, physical, chemical, and biological processes work in combination to develop a clogging layer near the streambed surface, which reduces infiltration. Previous studies have shown that large storm events have the ability to scour away the clogging layer and are the most significant processes contributing to establishing infiltration rates. Without the occurrence of large storm events, other variables such as effluent discharge and effluent concentrations affect infiltration to a lesser degree. Effluent discharge, biochemical oxygen demand, and total suspended solids are monitored and recorded daily at the outfalls of the WRFs. The parameters were investigated individually and in combination using statistical analyses to determine their correlations with streambed infiltration in the Santa Cruz River. The dry spring-early summer seasons from 2005 to 2012 were analyzed. A water balance was constructed for non-stormflow days during each time period. Evapotranspiration was calculated using riparian vegetation surveys and detailed delineations of aerial photography of the surface water and streamside herbaceous vegetation. Infiltration was derived as the residual of the water balance. At the daily time scale, correlations among variables were unobtainable due to the extremely variable characteristics of infiltration. The seasonal time scale analyses demonstrated an inverse relationship between both the effluent concentrations of biochemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids with infiltration and a direct correlation between effluent discharge and infiltration under extreme conditions. Under normal conditions, the distribution of discharge between Roger Road WRF and Ina Road WRF had a critical effect on infiltration as a result of the different deposition and erosive regimes through the Santa Cruz River.

The objective of this thesis was to assess the physical (concentrations, durations, and sedimentation) and biological effects of total suspended solids (TSS) in Arctic lakes following in-lake construction of dikes. TSS concentration and duration estimates were applied in a Severity of Ill Effects model which predicted possible habitat degradation and a reduction of feeding of salmonids with no significant difference between stations (ANOVA, p=0.153). Benthic invertebrates collected inside suspended sediment containment curtains showed a decrease in richness and abundance (Tukey’s, p<0.05), with no effects elsewhere. Stable isotope analysis from lake trout and arctic char muscle tissue suggested no differences in isotopic signatures following TSS exposure, but stable isotope analysis of stomach contents in lake trout had a significant increase in δ15N compared to the reference basin (Tukey’s, p<0.05). These findings suggested that lake trout adapted their food sources under moderate TSS exposure and benthic invertebrates rapidly recovered to pre-disturbance values. / Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited: Meadowbank Division and the University of Guelph; Research approved by Department of Fisheries and Oceans & Nunavut Impact Review Board

Baigiamajame magistro darbe nagrinėjamos komunalinių atliekų sąvartynų keliamos aplinkosaugos problemos. Pagrindinė problema – filtrato susidarymas. Pirmajame skyriuje išnagrinėti savartyno filtrato savybių tyrimai, atlitki kitų mokslininkų Lietuvoje ir užsienyje, aptarta filtrato keliama žala dirvožemiui ir gruntiniams vandenims, išskirta kolmatacijos problema. Taip pat aprašytos sąvartynų filtrato valymo technologijos. Antrojo skyriaus pirmame poskyryje pateikta eksperimentų metodika. Darbe atlikti skendinčiųjų medžiagų, kalcio, magnio, bendrosios organinės anglies (TOC) koncentracijų, pH kitimo eksperimentiniai tyrimai per 12 savaičių. Antrajame antro skyriaus poskyryje išnagrinėti gauti eksperimentų rezultatai, išanalizuotas tirtųjų savybių kitimas ir pastarojo priežastys bei pateiktos poskyrio išvados. Trečiajame skyriuje atliktas sąvartyno filtrato keliamos taršos prognozavimas naudojantis Microsoft Excel skaičiuokle. Darbo pabaigoje pateikiamosa bendrosios išvados, rekomendacijos, literatūros ir autoriaus publikacijų sąrašas. Darbą sudaro 6 dalys: įvadas, 3 skyriai, išvados ir siūlymai, literatūros sąrašas. Darbo apimtis – 90 p. teksto be priedų, 52 iliustr., 14 lent., 91 literatūros šaltinis. / The thesis examines municipal waste landfills pose environmental problems. The main problem - leachate generation. In the first section examine the characteristics of the landfill leachate studies conducted by other researchers in Lithuania and abroad, discussed the filtrate caused damage to the soil and groundwater derived kolmatacijos problem. Also described in landfill leachate treatment technologies. Second the first subsection of the experimental methodology. The work carried out suspended solids, calcium, magnesium, total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations, pH variation of experimental studies of 12 weeks. In the second section of the second chapter to consider to get the results of the experiments, analyzed the changes in properties of the latter, and the reasons for the conclusions section. The third chapter reviews the municipal waste landfill leachate collection system life prediction Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. At the end of the general conclusions, and the author's list of publications. Structure: introduction,3 chapters, conclusions and suggestions, references. Thesis consist of: 80 p. text without appendixes, 52 pictures, 14 tables, 91 bibliographical entries.

In the literary works of the early nineteenth-century German writer Heinrich von Kleist there is little certainty. Kleist’s characters experience catastrophic natural and social disasters – earthquakes, revolution and war – and, as if this were not trauma enough, are subject to extreme behaviours and repeated mishaps. Characters leap from windows and break legs, stumble, faint or fall; incidents which lay bare inner psychological states that are as precarious as the external circumstances in which they find themselves. Yet into these violent events Kleist invariably interjects a suspended moment – a moment that might be considered one of intolerable exposure. Although sudden moments and momentary suspension define almost all of Kleist’s novellas and dramas, nowhere is this phenomenon so visible as in Kleist’s tragedy Penthesilea. Taking into account German critic Karl Bohrer’s concept of ‘suddenness’ (Der romantische Brief: Die Entstehung ästhetischer Subjektivität and Suddenness: On the Moment of Aesthetic Appearance), secondary literature on Kleist, scholarship on gender as well as Kleist’s biography, this project will focus on falling and suspended moment within Penthesilea, paying particular attention to vulnerability.

The urban sprawl creates a gap between producers and consumers and the a sustainable circuitof nutrients and energy is difficult to maintain. Many times the waste that is created in urbanareas is not reused and the circuit is lost. In this project, wastewater treatment is looked atwith the view point that resource recovery is possible through energy production and reuse ofnutrients. In order to optimally run each process step at a wastewater treatment plant forimproved resource recovery, more knowledge is needed in order to not disregard the finaleffluent quality. The goal of this project was to develop a model in MATLAB/Simulink for achemically enhanced primary clarifier at a wastewater treatment plant. The potential ofproducing more biogas and reducing the aeration energy needed in the biological treatmentstep was looked at by focusing on describing the settling velocity of suspended solids.Experimental analysis on settling properties for solids was performed on sampled wastewaterentering the primary settler after changing the addition of chemicals prior in the process line.The wastewater samples were homogenized and then rapidly vacuum pumped up in a column.The solids in the column could thereafter settle and was retained in a cup at the bottom. Themass of total suspended solids (TSS) was classified in five different settling velocity classes,each class assigned a characteristic settling velocity. The experimental procedure followed theViCA's protocol (French acronym for Settling Velocity for Wastewater). A settler, much likethe secondary settler in the Benchmark Simulation Model No. 2 (BSM2), a 10 layer nonreactivetank was modeled. The mass balance in each layer of the settler was decided by thevertical solid flux in the tank and built on the characteristic settling velocity gained from theexperiments. Re-circulation of excess sludge from the subsequent steps at the plant showed toeffect the settling properties of the sludge in the primary settler. The components of TSSshowed to have the largest effect on the distribution of settling velocity. The variation in doseof both coagulant and cationic polymer prior the primary settling tank showed to effect theparticle settling distribution somewhat. A first simulation with an applicable dynamic influentscenario was run. Despite any proper calibration the model gave fairly good predictions ofmeasured TSS in the effluent and sludge outtake water. / När urbana områden växer uppstår svårigheter i att bibehålla ett hållbart kretslopp av energioch näringsämnen. Avståndet mellan producent och konsument ökar och många gångeråteranvänds inte det avfall som städerna producerar och det hållbara kretsloppet bryts. Dettaprojekt har fokuserat på resursåteranvändningen i avloppsvattenhanteringen genommöjligheterna som finns i energiproduktion i form av biogas samt återanvändning avnäringsämnen genom slamåterförsel. Mer kunskap behövs inom varje processteg för attoptimalt använda avloppsreningsverk för förbättrad resurs-återvinning så att inte utgåendevattenkvalitet blir lidande. Målet med projektet var att utveckla en modell iMATLAB/Simulink för primärsedimentering med kemisk fällning. Experimentelltanalyserades sedimentationsegenskaperna hos primärslam genom provtagning avavloppsvatten inkommande till försedimenteringen efter tillsatser av fällnings-kemikalier.Proverna homogeniserades och vakuumpumpades sedan snabbt upp i en kolonn. Detpartikulära materialet i kolonnen kunde därefter sedimentera och fångades upp i en kopp ibotten. Den sedimenterade massan av totalt suspenderat material (TSS) klassificerades i femolika sedimenteringshastighetsklasser och varje klass tilldelades en karakteristisksedimentationshastighet Det experimentella förfarandet följde ViCA’s protokoll (franskförkortning för sedimentationshastigheter för avloppsvatten). En modell av ensedimentationstank, ungefär som för sekundär-sedimenteringen i Benchmark SimulationModel No. 2 (BSM2), utvecklades som en 10 lager icke reaktiv tank. Massbalansen i varjelager bestämdes av det vertikala flödet av partiklar och beräknades med de experimentelltframtagna karakteristiska sedimentationshastigheterna. Återcirkulering av överskottsslam frånde efterföljande reningsstegen visade sig ha stor påverkan på slammetssedimentationsegenskaper i försedimenteringen. Typen av TSS-komponenter hade den störstainverkan på fördelningen av sedimentationshastigheter. Variationen i dos av bådefällningskemikalie och katjonspolymer före primär-sedimenteringstanken hade en visspåverkan på fördelningen. En första simulering med ett sannolikt dynamisk inflödesscenariokördes. Utan någon riktig kalibrering av modellen gav den ändå en relativt realistisk prognospå TSS i utgående vatten och i slamuttaget. / I samarbete med forskningsgruppen ModelEAU, Quebec, Kanada

Graduation date: 1999

Unlicensed driving remains a serious problem for road safety, despite ongoing improvements in traffic law enforcement practices and technology. While it does not play a direct causative role in road crashes, unlicensed driving undermines the integrity of the driver licensing system and is associated with a range of high-risk behaviours. This thesis documents three studies that were undertaken to explore the scope and nature of unlicensed driving, in order to develop more effective countermeasures to the behaviour.----- Study One utilised official road crash data from the Australian state of Queensland to compare the crash involvement patterns of unlicensed drivers with those of licensed drivers. The results confirmed that unlicensed driving is a relatively small, but significant road safety problem. Unlicensed drivers represent over 6% of the drivers involved in fatal crashes and 5% of those in serious injury crashes. Based on a quasi-induced exposure method, unlicensed drivers were found to be almost three times as likely to be involved in a crash than licensed drivers. In the event of a crash, those involving unlicensed drivers were twice as likely to result in a fatality or serious injury. Consistent with these results, the serious crashes involving unlicensed drivers were more likely to feature risky driving behaviours, such as drink driving, speeding and motorcycle use, than those involving licensed drivers.----- Study Two involved a cross-sectional survey of 309 unlicensed driving offenders who were recruited at the Brisbane Central Magistrates Court. The survey involved a face-to-face interview that took approximately 25 minutes to complete and achieved a response rate of 62.4%. A wide range of offenders participated in the study, including: disqualified and suspended drivers; expired licence holders; drivers without a current or appropriate licence; and those who had never been licensed. The results reinforced concerns about the on-road behaviour of unlicensed drivers. Almost one quarter of all the offenders reported driving unlicensed when they thought they might have been over the alcohol limit. Similarly, 25% reported exceeding the speed limit by 10 km/h or more on most or all occasions, while 15% admitted that they didn't always wear their seat belt. In addition, the results indicated that unlicensed drivers should not be viewed as a homogeneous group. Significant differences were found between the offender types in terms of their socio-demographic characteristics (age, education level, prior criminal convictions); driving history (prior convictions for unlicensed driving and other traffic offences); whether they were aware of being unlicensed; the degree to which they limited their driving while unlicensed; and their drink driving behaviour. In particular, a more deviant sub-group of offenders was identified, that included the disqualified, not currently licensed and never licensed drivers, who reported higher levels of prior criminal offending, alcohol misuse and self-reported drink driving. The results of Study Two also highlight the shortcomings of existing police enforcement practices. Almost one-third of the sample reported that they continued to drive unlicensed after being detected by the police (up until the time of the court hearing), while many offenders reported experiences of punishment avoidance. For example, over one third of the participants reported being pulled over by the police while driving unlicensed and not having their licence checked.----- Study Three involved the further analysis of the cross-sectional survey data to explore the factors contributing to unlicensed driving. It examined the influence of various personal, social and environmental factors on three aspects of the offenders' behaviour: the frequency of their driving while unlicensed; whether they continued to drive unlicensed after being detected; and their intentions to drive unlicensed in the future. This study was also designed to assess the capacity of a number of different theoretical perspectives to explain unlicensed driving behaviour, including deterrence theory and Akers' (1977) social learning theory. At an applied level, the results of Study Three indicated that personal and social factors exert the strongest influence over unlicensed driving behaviour. The main personal influences on unlicensed driving were: the need to drive for work purposes; exposure to punishment avoidance; personal attitudes to unlicensed driving; and anticipated punishments for the behaviour. The main social influences reflected the social learning construct of differential association, namely being exposed to significant others who both engage in unlicensed driving (behavioural dimension) and hold positive attitudes to the behaviour (normative dimension). At a theoretical level, the results of Study Three have two important implications for traffic psychology and criminology. Firstly, they provided partial support for Stafford and Warr's (1993) reconceptualisation of deterrence theory by demonstrating that the inclusion of punishment avoidance can improve the overall predictive utility of the perspective. Secondly, they suggested that social learning theory represents a more comprehensive framework for predicting illegal driving behaviours, such as unlicensed driving. This is consistent with Akers' (1977; 1990) assertion that formal deterrence processes can be subsumed within social learning theory.----- Together, the results of the three studies have important implications for road safety. Most importantly, they question the common assumption that unlicensed drivers drive in a more cautious manner to avoid detection. While the findings indicate that many offenders reduce their overall driving exposure in order to avoid detection, this does not appear to result in safer driving. While it remains possible that unlicensed drivers tend to act more cautiously than they would otherwise, it appears that their driving behaviour is primarily designed to reduce their chances of detection. In terms of countermeasures, the research indicates that a multi-strategy approach is required to address the problem of unlicensed driving. Unlicensed drivers do not represent a homogeneous group who are likely to be influenced by the threat of punishment alone. Rather, innovative strategies are required to address the wide range of factors that appear to encourage or facilitate the behaviour. Foremost among these are punishment avoidance and the need to drive for work purposes.

The ability to forecast machinery failure is vital to reducing maintenance costs, operation downtime and safety hazards. Recent advances in condition monitoring technologies have given rise to a number of prognostic models for forecasting machinery health based on condition data. Although these models have aided the advancement of the discipline, they have made only a limited contribution to developing an effective machinery health prognostic system. The literature review indicates that there is not yet a prognostic model that directly models and fully utilises suspended condition histories (which are very common in practice since organisations rarely allow their assets to run to failure); that effectively integrates population characteristics into prognostics for longer-range prediction in a probabilistic sense; which deduces the non-linear relationship between measured condition data and actual asset health; and which involves minimal assumptions and requirements. This work presents a novel approach to addressing the above-mentioned challenges. The proposed model consists of a feed-forward neural network, the training targets of which are asset survival probabilities estimated using a variation of the Kaplan-Meier estimator and a degradation-based failure probability density estimator. The adapted Kaplan-Meier estimator is able to model the actual survival status of individual failed units and estimate the survival probability of individual suspended units. The degradation-based failure probability density estimator, on the other hand, extracts population characteristics and computes conditional reliability from available condition histories instead of from reliability data. The estimated survival probability and the relevant condition histories are respectively presented as “training target” and “training input” to the neural network. The trained network is capable of estimating the future survival curve of a unit when a series of condition indices are inputted. Although the concept proposed may be applied to the prognosis of various machine components, rolling element bearings were chosen as the research object because rolling element bearing failure is one of the foremost causes of machinery breakdowns. Computer simulated and industry case study data were used to compare the prognostic performance of the proposed model and four control models, namely: two feed-forward neural networks with the same training function and structure as the proposed model, but neglected suspended histories; a time series prediction recurrent neural network; and a traditional Weibull distribution model. The results support the assertion that the proposed model performs better than the other four models and that it produces adaptive prediction outputs with useful representation of survival probabilities. This work presents a compelling concept for non-parametric data-driven prognosis, and for utilising available asset condition information more fully and accurately. It demonstrates that machinery health can indeed be forecasted. The proposed prognostic technique, together with ongoing advances in sensors and data-fusion techniques, and increasingly comprehensive databases of asset condition data, holds the promise for increased asset availability, maintenance cost effectiveness, operational safety and – ultimately – organisation competitiveness.

Composite materials are well-renown for their strength to weight ratios and are widely used in many industries where high strength and low weight is required. Although steel is the traditional material of choice in the mining industry, and particularly for conveyor support structures, the strength and weight advantages offered by composite materials has prompted this investigation into the feasibility of using composite materials in underground mining conveyor support structures. The first phase of the project centred on establishing and applying selection criteria for the materials and processes which could be used in such a structure. Key concerns include fire performance, electrical conductivity, cost, availability and manufacturability. Based on these considerations, the project identified a phenolic-glass laminate manufactured using the RTM method (for moulded components) or the pultrusion process (for tube sections) as a possible basis for a composite conveyor support structure. The second phase of the project developed a set of design criteria for the use of composite materials in conveyor support structures and a series of preliminary designs based on current conveyor configurations. After analysing each preliminary design against key design criteria, in particular cost, weight, assembly time, susceptibility to damage and torsional loading, the Linestand Suspended - Beam configuration was selected as the preferred option. The third phase of the project used the findings of the preliminary design analysis and the key design criteria to develop a prototype final design. The prototype design is based on a hybrid style of frame. The majority of the structure is constructed from a custom pultruded beam connected with a composite connection piece, while the interface between the rollers and the frame utilises a steel bracket to reduce the risk of damage to the composite frame. The final design is 12kg lighter than the current smaller steel design of similar function. The project has demonstrated the feasibility of using composite materials in conveyor support structures and the weight savings that may be achieved.