The objective of the study was to geographically model the effects of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influence on remotely sensed global nutrient distribution patterns. The result was a system of digital maps communicating the impact of ENSO on the physical and biological components of the ocean. These maps compare modeled phytoplankton biomass distribution over the ENSO extremes. Chlorophyll a, Aerosol Optical Thickness, and Sea Surface Temperature data, all obtained from remotely sensed sources, were used to develop these predictions. Areas of iron deposition and phytoplankton presence (chlorophyll a < 0.1 mg 1-1) were combined with nutrient distributions (based on the temperature-nutrient relationship) to create a sixteen-category composite phytoplankton ecological factor distribution map for each month in the study. The months included in the study were January, February, March of 1998, an El Niño year, and January, February, March of 1999, a La Niña year. Finally, an educational multimedia tool (CD-ROM) was created based on the research in the study for use in grades 7-16 classrooms. The tool was designed and tested to utilize Geographic Information Systems and the Internet to apply inquiry-based learning to science education.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NCSU/oai:NCSU:etd-04222002-173024 |
| Date | 24 April 2002 |
| Creators | Jason, Allyson Lynne |
| Contributors | Dr. Hugh A. Devine, Dr. Daniel L. Kamykowski, Dr. Yu-Fai Leung |
| Publisher | NCSU |
| Source Sets | North Carolina State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-04222002-173024/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to NC State University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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