Events for February 8, 2018 - November 1, 2018
February 2018
Planetary Geology: Science and Operations
This talk provides an overview of science and operation decision making with examples from the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover, and discusses opportunities to explore engineering and operations in analog planetary environments.
Read MoreProbing Methane in Air with Infrared Sources
Dr. Hans A. Schuessler Department of Physics and Astronomy Professor & Chair of Optical and Biomedical Physics Abstract High resolution spectroscopy in the infra-red has been employed for monitoring atmospheric pollution with a variety of techniques. Here we report on recent advances using broadband mid-infrared frequency combs in dual comb spectroscopy, and narrow band diode lasers in cavity ring-down and wavelength modulation spectroscopies for the detection of methane in ambient…
Read MoreMarch 2018
Balancing Urban Growth and Ecological Conservation: A Geographical Perspective
The location, rate, and magnitude of urban expansion will affect wide-ranging phenomena including ecosystems and biodiversity. A global analysis of urban extent circa 2000 and urban expansion forecasts out to 2030 indicates that the amount of urban land within 50 km of the world’s protected areas will triple by 2030.
Read MoreRe-Framing I: Correcting the Scaling of Spatial Autocorrelation and a New Method to Tackle Big Data
Dr. Thomas J. DeWitt Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Associate Professor Moran’s I is an iconic measure of spatial autocorrelation. It is elegant for its intended basic and intuitive nature, ofen idealized beyond its actual character. Several authors have noticed problems of bias, distribution assumption violations, and scale exception snafus with the original statistic. Still, I is generally treated as its Platonic ideal. Ideally, I ranges with a bell‐curve form…
Read MoreEyes in the Heavens: Satellite Technologies for Remote Site Characterization
This presentation is based on the article ‘Eyes in the Heavens’ (Geostrata, 2017) with a very special theme: “Geotechnics at remote sites”. Installation and maintenance of instrumentation to monitor geotechnical projects in remote locations is usually more challenging than sites in urban areas. In this presentation, Dr. Zhangwei Ning will introduce the roles and applications of three different satellites for remote site monitoring with case studies. These are: telecommunication satellite…
Read MoreApril 2018
Insight Into the Physical Signatures of Marsh Erosion
Salt marshes along the Galveston Bay coast experience a high degree of edge erosion caused by wave impact. The goal of this study was to determine the minimum wave height contributing to marsh erosion.
Read MoreTactical Airborne Oil Spill Remote Sensing: POSEIDON, a New Operational Approach
An overview of currently existing oil spill remote sensing technology such as infrared/ultraviolet line scanners, microwave radiometers, laser fluorosensors and radar systems; and a focus on the operational approach adopted during oil spill detection, that includes three basic steps: synoptic overview of the spill, near range analysis, data processing and data communication.
Read MoreOctober 2018
Autonomous Vehicles and Multi-Platform Coastal Ocean Observatory During Hurricane Harvey (2017)
Dr. Steven F. DiMarco Professor & Ocean Observing Team Lead Dept. of Oceanography, Texas A&M University Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Rockport Texas as a Category 4 storm on 25 August 2017. The ocean observing network in the western Gulf of Mexico, comprised of the Texas Automated Buoy System (TABS), autonomous ocean vehicles, and shipboard observations reported oceanographic conditions throughout the summer of 2017. These include pre-storm conditions, direct storm…
Read MoreHurricane Evacuation Studies: Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley and Coastal Bend Studies
Alex Abuabara PhD Student, Urban Planning Texas A&M University This presentation will briefly show how the demarcation of new hurricane evacuation zones on the Texas coast are developed. In order to minimize the populational exposure to the risk presented by hurricanes, both physical and social vulnerability are considered. In a basic approach, evacuation zones are derived from expected surge inundation due to hurricanes. However, many nuances have to be considered…
Read MoreNovember 2018
Coastal Wave, Surge, and Sediment Transport Predictions over Galveston Bay: Application to Environmental Health
Dr. James Kaihatu Professor & Associate Department Head for Research Zachry Department of Civil Engineering Texas A&M University Abstract: A recently-established Superfund research center at Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine is centered on the toxicological and environmental effects of contaminated sediment movement and deposition in the vicinity of Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel. In such a scenario, sediment from capped sites in Galveston Bay would…
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