Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Remote areas'
To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Remote areas.
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Remote areas.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Fernandoy, Jessica. "Lightweight structures for remote areas." Thesis, University of Bath, 2016. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.690719.
Full textAbstract:
The Antarctic built environment is characterised for its particular occupational regimen and includes whole-year stations, small-scale seasonal station and refuges,and temporary field camps. In recent years,Antarctic construction has begun to be considered of interest for the architectural and engineering communities, and interesting efforts have been made to provide solutions for spanning building, energy efficiency and improvements in indoor habitability. A fascinating array of lightweight constructions can be identified, whose contribution has not, until now, been fully documented and acknowledged. They represent remarkable examples of smart use of structural efficiency and minimal impact strategies enduring one of the harshest environments. This research is design-led and is motivated by the extension of the use of lightweight structures in remote fragile areas. The research validates the concept of polar lightweight design through a sound narrative describing the history and potential of this type of construction. For this, this research looks at the case of the Antarctic built environment. Furthermore, this research proposes that extension in the use lightweight construction could offer a sustainable solution for the predicted increase in the number of settlements being established in Antarctica. Knowledge and solutions achieved in this context can also be applied in other less demanding and fragile scenarios. In this regard, advanced computational design tools have been extensively validated for the realisation of structural surfaces of high geometrical complexity. Parametric design tools, are of particular interest to this research, as they allow the optimisation of a structure, either as a whole, or via its physical components. This research proposes that such tools can be employed for the development of Polar lightweight systems of larger scale and more complex configurations than currently seen. The first part is dedicated to the documentation and systematic characterisation of the vernacular Subantarctic and Antarctic lightweight constructions as structural systems. In the second part, the integration of polar constraints in the design of a generic lightweight structural system using parametric design tools is developed, in order to demonstrate the potential of this field for the creation of novel design methods and solutions. The particular case of a new medium-scale seasonal station is used as a case-study.
2
Maathuis, Ben. "Remote sensing for area reduction of minefield suspect areas." Saarbrücken VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, 2001. http://d-nb.info/991197429/04.
Full text
3
Panchenko, Evgeny. "Sustainable Planning of Linear Infrastructure Corridor in Remote Areas." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1542777301682337.
Full text
4
Taneka, D. "Estimating the performance of rural roads in remote areas." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 1996.
Find full text
5
Cramer, Jennifer H. "Nursing practice in a remote area : an ethnographic study." Thesis, Curtin University, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/32.
Full textAbstract:
The solitary position of nurses who practise in geographically isolated communities to provide direct health care to a predominantly Aboriginal population characterises nursing in remote areas. Munoz & Mann (1982) described this practice as unique. The uniqueness of this practice, however, has remained shrouded in superficial descriptions featuring service delivery at a one or two-nurse-post, the physical distance of nursing posts from hospital facilities and the autonomy with which nursing is performed. Only glimpses of the reality of nursing practice in a remote area have been revealed through the study of the educational needs of remote area nurses (Munoz & Mann 1982, Cameron-Traub 1987, Philp 1988, Kreger 1991a, Bell, Chang & Daly 1995). A key problem is the lack of a systematic description and detailed analysis of nursing as it is practised in a remote area.The purpose of this study was to explore, describe and analyse nursing practice in a remote area. The research was undertaken at Warburton, an isolated community mainly inhabited by the Ngaanyatjarra people in the Central Desert of Western Australia. An ethnographic design was chosen for this exploratory inquiry into the social and cultural pattern of everyday nursing practice. In a pre-entry study a suitable setting and informants were found. Fieldwork was conducted at the Warburton nursing post by the researcher and involved living on site for a year. Data gathering techniques were participant observation together with interviewing, collection of pertinent documents and the daily chronological recording of fieldnotes, memos and a personal journal. Data analysis was performed concurrently with data gathering. The process followed the Developmental Research Sequence Method by Spradley (1980). Through a cyclical process of data collection and analysis the domains, taxonomies and componential variables in the culture of remote area nursing practice emerged.Amorphous practice was the overall theme revealed in the underlying cultural patterns that shaped the practice of nursing in the remote area. The term amorphous practice is defined as the changeable nature of practice from nurse to nurse, from situation to situation, from time to time. This was observed in the recurrent differences between nurses in their knowledge, abilities and attitudes as well as in the variability between nurses in their management of client care. Contributors to the phenomenon of amorphous practice were found in three distinct, but inter-related, tributary themes termed detachment, diffusion and beyond the nursing domain. Detachment explained the nurses' feelings of separateness from the usual professional and organisational structures needed for the enactment of nursing. Diffusion encapsulated the broad spread of the nurses' role in remote area practice. Beyond the nursing domain described an unregulated practice considered to be outside the responsibilities of nursing care. The substantive theory of amorphous practice provided a detailed description of how nursing was practised in the remote area. It also explained why it was so different from nursing as it is generally understood by the profession.
6
Maathuis, Ben. "Remote sensing based detection of landmine suspect areas and minefields." [S.l.] : [s.n.], 2001. http://deposit.ddb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?idn=964432943.
Full text
7
Kolawole, Michael O. "Detection of partial areas using remote sensing and hydrological analyses /." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 1988. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envk81.pdf.
Full text
8
Groves, Michael Anthony. "Remote sensing of air pollution related damage to forested areas." Thesis, Aston University, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.253753.
Full text
9
Saraf, Arun Kumar. "Remote sensing applications in geobotanical exploration : some applications of remote sensing to geological surveying in vegetated areas." Thesis, University of Dundee, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.276975.
Full text
10
Cramer, Jennifer H. "Nursing practice in a remote area : an ethnographic study." Curtin University of Technology, School of Nursing, 1998. http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=11936.
Full textAbstract:
The solitary position of nurses who practise in geographically isolated communities to provide direct health care to a predominantly Aboriginal population characterises nursing in remote areas. Munoz & Mann (1982) described this practice as unique. The uniqueness of this practice, however, has remained shrouded in superficial descriptions featuring service delivery at a one or two-nurse-post, the physical distance of nursing posts from hospital facilities and the autonomy with which nursing is performed. Only glimpses of the reality of nursing practice in a remote area have been revealed through the study of the educational needs of remote area nurses (Munoz & Mann 1982, Cameron-Traub 1987, Philp 1988, Kreger 1991a, Bell, Chang & Daly 1995). A key problem is the lack of a systematic description and detailed analysis of nursing as it is practised in a remote area.The purpose of this study was to explore, describe and analyse nursing practice in a remote area. The research was undertaken at Warburton, an isolated community mainly inhabited by the Ngaanyatjarra people in the Central Desert of Western Australia. An ethnographic design was chosen for this exploratory inquiry into the social and cultural pattern of everyday nursing practice. In a pre-entry study a suitable setting and informants were found. Fieldwork was conducted at the Warburton nursing post by the researcher and involved living on site for a year. Data gathering techniques were participant observation together with interviewing, collection of pertinent documents and the daily chronological recording of fieldnotes, memos and a personal journal. Data analysis was performed concurrently with data gathering. The process followed the Developmental Research Sequence Method by Spradley (1980). Through a cyclical process of data collection and analysis the domains, taxonomies and componential variables in the ++culture of remote area nursing practice emerged.Amorphous practice was the overall theme revealed in the underlying cultural patterns that shaped the practice of nursing in the remote area. The term amorphous practice is defined as the changeable nature of practice from nurse to nurse, from situation to situation, from time to time. This was observed in the recurrent differences between nurses in their knowledge, abilities and attitudes as well as in the variability between nurses in their management of client care. Contributors to the phenomenon of amorphous practice were found in three distinct, but inter-related, tributary themes termed detachment, diffusion and beyond the nursing domain. Detachment explained the nurses' feelings of separateness from the usual professional and organisational structures needed for the enactment of nursing. Diffusion encapsulated the broad spread of the nurses' role in remote area practice. Beyond the nursing domain described an unregulated practice considered to be outside the responsibilities of nursing care. The substantive theory of amorphous practice provided a detailed description of how nursing was practised in the remote area. It also explained why it was so different from nursing as it is generally understood by the profession.
11
González, Sanpedro Mª del Carmen. "Optical and radar remote sensing applied to agricultural areas in europe." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de València, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/9876.
Full textAbstract:
The global population growth, as well as the social and economic importance that the agricultural sector has in many regions of the world, makes it very important to develop methods to monitor the status of crops, to improve their management, as well as to be able to make early estimates of the agricultural production. One of the main causes of uncertainty in the production of crops is due to the weather, for example, in arid and semiarid regions of the world, periods of drought can generate big losses in agricultural production, which may result in famine. Thus, FAO, during their summit in June 2008, stressed the need to increase agricultural production as a measure to strengthen food security and reduce malnutrition in the world.Concern for increasing crop production, has generated, during the last decades, significant changes in agricultural techniques. For example, there has been a widespread use of pesticides, genetically modified crops, as well as an increase in intensive farming. In turn, the market influences crop rotations, and as a consequence, changes in the spatial distribution of crops are very common. Therefore, in order to make estimates of agricultural production, it is also necessary to map regularly the crop fields, as well as their state of development.The aim of this thesis is to develop methods based on remote sensing data, in the radar and optical spectral regions, in order to monitor crops, as well as a to map them. The results of this thesis can be combined with other techniques, especially with models of crop growth, to improve the prediction of crops.The optical remote sensing methods for classifying and for the cartography of crops are well established and can be considered almost operational. The disadvantage of the methods based on optical data is that they are not applicable to regions of the world where cloud coverage is frequent. In such cases, the use of radar data is more advisable. However, the classification methods using radar data are not as well established as the optical ones, therefore, there is a need for more scientific studies in this field. As a consequence, this thesis focuses on the classification of crops using radar data, particularly using AIRSAR airborne data and ASAR satellite data.
12
Gonzalez, Sanpedro Maria del Carmen. "Optical and radar remote sensing applied to agricultural areas in Europe." Toulouse 3, 2008. http://www.theses.fr/2008TOU30228.
Full textAbstract:
L'objectif de la thèse est de développer des méthodes de cartographie et de suivi des cultures basées sur des données de télédétection, radar et optique. Les résultats pourront être combinés avec d'autres techniques, notamment avec des modèles de croissance des cultures, pour améliorer la prévision des récoltes. Quatre instruments différents, 3 sur satellite (LANDSAT-TM, ENVISAT-MERIS, ENVISAT-ASAR) et 1 aéroporté (AIRSAR) sont utilisés dans trois régions d'étude en Europe (Barrax, Toulouse et Flevoland). Les travaux sont présentés en deux parties, optique et radar. Dans la première partie, les données LANDSAT sont utilisées pour l'inversion du LAI à Barrax (Castilla-La Mancha) à l'aide du modèle de transfert radiatif PROSPECT+SAIL. Les résultats sont validés avec des mesures expérimentales acquises au cours de la campagne sur le terrain ESA SPARC-2003, montrant une bonne corrélation. Une méthode est ensuite proposée pour inverser le LAI et la chlorophylle à partir de données MERIS. La méthode implique une inversion du modèle, PROSPECT+SAIL avec une contrainte temporelle (une courbe pour l'ensemble du cycle de culture est inversée). Les résultats montrent que cette méthode fonctionne mieux que les inversions date par date. Toutefois, l'inversion de la chlorophylle nécessite encore une étude plus approfondie. Dans la partie radar, une méthode de classification basée sur les connaissances des mécanismes de rétrodifusion est proposée. Elle utilise des données polarimétriques en bande C de l'instrument AIRSAR. La méthode est appliquée à des images dans le Flevoland (Pays-Bas). Les résultats indiquent que ces méthodes peuvent être plus robustes que les méthodes statistiques usuelles. .El aumento de la población mundial, así como la importancia social y económica que el sector agrícola tiene en muchas regiones del mundo, hace que sea muy importante desarrollar métodos que permitan hacer un seguimiento del estado de los cultivos, mejorar la gestión de los mismos, así como poder realizar una estimación temprana de la producción. La principal causa de incertidumbre en la producción de las cosechas es debida a las condiciones meteorológicas, por ejemplo, en las regiones áridas y semiáridas del mundo los períodos de sequía generan grandes pérdidas en la producción agrícola, la cuales se traducen en hambrunas. Así, la FAO, durante su cumbre de Junio 2008, insistió en la necesidad de aumentar a producción agrícola como una medida para reforzar la seguridad alimentaria y reducir la desnutrición en el mundo. La preocupación por aumentar la producción de cultivos, ha generado, durante las últimas décadas, importantes cambios en las técnicas agrícolas. Por ejemplo, se ha producido un uso generalizado de productos fitosanirios, de cultivos modificados genéticamente, así como un aumento de la agricultura intensiva. A su vez, la rotación de cultivos está cada vez más influenciada por el mercado, siendo los cambios en la distribución espacial de los cultivos muy frecuentes. Por lo tanto, para poder hacer estimaciones de la producción agrícola, es necesario producir eriódicamente mapas de cultivos, así como cartografiar su estado de desarrollo. La presente tesis doctoral tiene como objetivo desarrollar métodos basados en datos de teledetección, en la región del óptico y en la región del radar, que permitan realizar un seguimiento de los cultivos, así como una cartografía de los mismos. Los resultados de esta tesis pueden combinarse con otras técnicas, especialmente con los modelos de crecimiento de cultivo, para mejorar la predicción de las cosechas. Los métodos de teledetección para la clasificación y la cartografía de cultivos utilizando datos en la región del óptico están bien establecidos y pueden considerarse casi operacionales. La desventaja de estos estudios basados en datos ópticos es que no pueden aplicarse a regiones donde la cobertura nubosa es frecuente. En esos casos, la utilización de datos radar es más recomendable. Sin embargo, los métodos de clasificación utilizando datos radar no están tan bien establecidos y es necesario realizar más estudios científicos en este campo. Es por ello, que esta tesis se centra en la clasificación de cultivos mediante datos radar, concretamente datos aerotransportados AIRSAR y datos ASAR del satélite ENVISAT. El seguimiento de los cultivos mediante teledetección se basa en la estimación de parámetros biofísicos y su evolución en el tiempo. Estos parámetros son, entre otros, LAI (índice de área foliar), clorofila y biomasa. En esta tesis se han utilizado datos del satélite LANSAT-TM para la inversión de LAI, y datos ENVISAT-MERIS para la estimación de LAI y clorofila
13
Arceo, Aldrick. "Comparative Sustainability Assessment of Decentralised Power Supply Systems in Remote Areas." Thesis, Curtin University, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/69417.
Full textAbstract:
Electricity generation for remote area power supply (RAPS) has serious environmental and economic implications that need to be addressed. This thesis aimed to integrate these two pillars of sustainability to achieve improvement in the eco-efficiency performance of RAPS in Western Australia. A comprehensive eco-efficiency analysis framework was developed to integrate environmental life cycle assessment (ELCA), life cycle costing (LCC), eco-efficiency strategies and eco-efficiency portfolio analysis for the selection of eco-efficient RAPS options.
14
Kestle, Linda. "Remote Site Design Management." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Gateway Antarctica, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/3579.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this research was to develop and validate a conceptual design management model for international, collaborative remote site projects. In the last decade or so there has been an increasing number of remotely located and often environmentally sensitive sites becoming the focus for development work involving potential investors/entrepreneurs/stakeholders or government and non-government agencies. There were no previously documented empirical examples, nor theoretical models, for remote site design management. Projects on remote sites are frequently government funded, making the approval processes, and timelines for example, subject to political influence, which means that the projects are potentially more difficult to manage, at all levels of involvement. The conceptual model was developed in association with the development of a typology for remote sites, and an investigation of three previously completed eco-resort and Antarctic science projects located on environmentally sensitive world heritage sites. The model responded to and reflected the perceived need for a well-integrated management approach to remote site projects. The research aimed to also demonstrate the potential portability of the model, in terms of offering a basis for a relevant management framework for built environment projects, international scientific drilling projects and international humanitarian aid projects. Grounded theory and case-study methodology were adopted when developing the typology, the conceptual model and when validating the design management model, as it involved empirical enquiry that afforded investigation of the remote site design management phenomenon within a real-life contexts. Two main case studies were undertaken to test the model, one being an historical Antarctic Science Drilling Project and the other, a current UN Humanitarian Project in Sudan. The findings to date support the conceptual design management model as being relevant for not only non-profit and/or Humanitarian Aid projects in the Post-disaster Reconstruction context, but also for commercially based Antarctic Science projects. Subsequently, the model has also been applied to a Post-disaster Reconstruction project in Aceh managed by the Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS).
15
Shahzad, Hamid, and Nishant Jain. "Internet Protocol based Mobile Radio Access Network Architecture for Remote Service Areas." Thesis, KTH, Kommunikationssystem, CoS, 2007. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-91940.
Full textAbstract:
When it comes to their Radio Access Network (RAN) infrastructure, no two Mobile Operators, serving remote service areas, are alike. Despite situations and technologies being diverse, a well designed optimized RAN solution must adapt itself to the existing networking technologies, both with regard to legacy core networks and modern telecommunication networks in order to produce the best network which is possible subject to many constraints. There is a misconception in technical circles that an optimized internet protocol (IP) enabled RAN architecture is more theoretical than practical. On the contrary, the aforesaid is highly dependent on the technology used. Packet optimized IP- GSM Radio Access Network (GRAN) architecture is proposed in this thesis, it uses Internet Protocol (IP) rather than proprietary protocols for communication between Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), Base Station Controllers (BSC), and the Network Switching Subsystem (NSS). This architecture must deliver carrier-grade mobility, scalability, and reliability; while being optimized for efficient roaming, routing and backhauling from remote service areas. In a geographic arena that spans across the globe, classical circuit-switched networks are not cost efficient due to their integrated call control (signaling) and switching architecture. A solution to this may be soft-switching which separates the call control (Media Gateway Controller (MGC)) and switching (Media Gateway (MG)) into separate nodes. This methodology would fundamentally change the way circuit-switched services, such as traditional voice telephony, are handled. For a service provider this enables a much more efficient network, because it allows optimized equipment location for voice termination into other carrier networks. Co-location of media gateways with satellite ground stations enables local termination to the public switched telephone network (PSTN), thus offloading a great deal of the traffic from the backhaul transmission network of the mobile operator. This thesis adopts soft-switching as part of the call routing processes. The thesis considers the problem of transporting voice and signaling from-to the remote service areas, efficient routing and backhaul to the location of most suitable operator’s point of presence. The thesis explores an alternative which uses a packet switched backbone (e.g. IP based) to transport the media as close (geographically) to the dialed party as possible before terminating it at the PSTN network, thus achieving optimal routing of voice and signaling. Considering the aforesaid, the thesis describes a detailed network architecture and an operational system prototype for maritime GSM network deployment, as a befitting and challenging example of remote service area.När det gäller deras Radio access nät, finns det inte två Mobiloperatörer, som betjänar avlägsna områden, som är lika. Trots olika omständigheter och teknologier, ett väl designat optimerat RAN måste anpassa sig till den existerande nätverks teknologin, både med avseende på äldre befintlig teknologi och på moderna telekomnät, för att kunna skapa bästa möjliga nätverk givet många begränsningar. Det är en missuppfattning i tekniska kretsar att en optimerad IP anpassad RAN arkitektur är mer teoretisk än praktisk. Å andra sidan så är det ovan sagda väldigt beroende på vilken teknologi som har använts. En paket optimerad IP-GSM Radio Access Nätverks (IPGRAN) arkitektur är föreslagen i denna masters uppsats, den baseras på Internet Protokollet (IP) snarare än något egenutvecklat proprietärt protokol för komunikation mellan Basstation (BTS), Basstationscontroller (BSC), och nätets switchade subsystem (NSS). Denna arkitektur måste leverera carrier-grade (operatörs klassad) mobilitet, skalbarhet och tillgänglighet och samtidigt vara optimerat för effektiv roaming, routing och anslutning från avlägsna områden. På ett geografiskt område som sträcker sig runt hela jordklotet är inte klassiska kretskopplade nätverk kostnadseffektiva beroende på deras integrerade signallerings och samtals arkitektur. En bättre arkitektur kan vara en sk “softswitch” lösning som separerar samtalet i en (Media Gateway Controller (MGC)) och signaleringen (Media Gateway (MG)) i separata noder. Denna metod skulle på ett fundamentalt vis ändra det sätt på vilket traditionella kretskopplade tjänster som traditionell telefoni hanteras. För en tjänsteleverantör möjliggör detta ett mycket effektivare nätverk då det möjliggör optimerad utplacering av utrustning för terminering av rösttrafik in i andra operatörers nät. Samlokalisering av media gateways (MG:s) med jordstationer för satellitkommunikation möjliggör lokal anslutning till det allmänna telenätet (PSTN), vilket kraftigt minskar den trafik som behöver transporteras genom operatörens stomnät. Denna mastersuppsats behandlar “softswitching” som en del av metoden att växla och transportera samtalstrafik. Uppsatsen behandlar problemet med att skicka samtalstrafik och signalering från avlägsna områden, effektiv routing och transport av trafiken till den operatör som har den närmaste(alt. mest optimala) anslutningspunkten. Uppsatsen undersöker ett alternativ som använder ett paketförmedlat (IP baserat) transportsätt för att transportera trafiken geografiskt sett så nära den uppringda parten som möjligt innan den termineras i det allmänna telenätet (PSTN) varvid man uppnår optimal växling (alt. routing) av rösttrafik och signalering. I beaktande av ovanstående beskriver uppsatsen en detaljerad nätverksarkitektur och en funktionsduglig systemprototyp för ett maritimt GSM nät som ett utmanande exempel på ett avlägset beläget nät.
16
Carroll, John. "Coastal superquarries in Scotland : critical issues of development in remote coastal areas." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.370036.
Full text
17
Browne, Floyd B. "An evaluation of reverse osmosis pretreatment systems for use in remote areas." Thesis, Browne, Floyd B (1991) An evaluation of reverse osmosis pretreatment systems for use in remote areas. Honours thesis, Murdoch University, 1991. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/38391/.
Full textAbstract:
Many Aboriginal and other Remote Communities in Western and Northern Australia have drinking water which fails to meet acceptable health guidelines. These drinking water supplies are obtained from underground bores, many of which have high levels of salinity, nitrates and fluorides.
For may of these communities, the only options are to import water from other areas or move to another location, perhaps away from areas of cultural significance. A newer option is to use reverse osmosis desalination technology powered by alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power.
Before this technology can be widely used, many technical difficulties must be overcome. The major drawback of reverse osmosis systems is the decline of fresh water output with time. This is caused by fouling of the reverse osmosis membranes.
This thesis examines various methods to reduce fouling of a Reverse Osmosis desalination system driven by a standard farm windmill and bore pump. The emphasis is placed on careful design and astute use of construction materials. The modelling of the windmill to various site conditions is examined.
A Windpowered Reverse Osmosis Prototype was designed, built and field tested to assess the utility of the technology for remote areas.
18
Onwe, Christian Akaraka. "Modelling and assessment of renewable energy systems for remote rural areas in Nigeria." Thesis, University of Dundee, 2017. https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/ad464fe8-7241-4dfa-8ff5-e04099711ac3.
Full textAbstract:
Energy production over the years has depended largely on carbon-dense fossil fuels, and these reserves are depleting. Carbon per se is associated with pollution and one of the consequences of over-dependence on this for energy is the observed environmental imbalance causing climate change. There are opportunities to address this situation through widespread adoption of renewable energy (RE), which is a largely environmentally benign means of energy production. Though it has its limitations, RE systems are developing rapidly to tackle these energy and environment issues head-on. RE systems, especially those involving solar and wind energy, depend strongly on weather conditions, and as such they can produce highly variable power outputs. However, due to the limitations, it is crucial that at early RE design stages, that a proper prior study is done to estimate the energy characteristics of the system for the selected location. To do this, it is possible to utilise a computer model and or data monitoring processes. In this research, two RE monitoring and data collection processes have been carried out. From the monitored data, the dynamic system performance characteristics were analysed. A software tool (SOHYSIMO) that can be utilised to simulate, size and estimate the energy performances of a solar-hydrogen system was developed, and this integrated a new approach for calculating the operating and maintenance costs of the system over the lifetime of the project. During abundance solar resource, overproduction usually occurs and the excess energy can be utilised to produce hydrogen as an energy storage medium, which can subsequently produce electricity through a fuel cell or H2 Genset. Alternatively (or additionally) this hydrogen can be efficiently used to meet a cooking demand. For this reason, and unlike other models, the developed software tool integrates a novel loading which goes beyond the realm of electrical load and includes a hydrogen cooking load facility, as an efficient means of utilising the hydrogen produced, and as a means for displacing current unsustainable fuels such as firewood and kerosene. SOHYSIMO has been validated using two relevant and widely used tools, HOMER and iHOGA. A typical village in Nigeria was selected as case study to evaluate the solarhydrogen cooking. The idea of utilising a DC micro-grid system instead of the prevalent AC type was also investigated, and the technical challenges inherent in AC grids in an existing RE system with an AC micro-grid network was assessed, and DC micro-grids appear to present a significant opportunity for efficient future renewable power system integration.
19
Korporal, Kenneth Dean Carleton University Dissertation Geography. "The delineation of census urban areas by computer-assisted mapping and remote sensing." Ottawa, 1985.
Find full text
20
MacLean, Catherine. "Migration and social change in remote rural areas : a Scottish Highland case study." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/28505.
Full textAbstract:
The thesis draws on research carried out in a small village on the west coast of the Scottish Highlands, anonymised here as Bailemor in the parish of Beulach. Whilst there have been considerable numbers of community studies carried out in the Highlands and Islands, the thesis is unusual in its methodological approach, combining a long fieldwork period of participant observation, taped interviews, and the use of data such as the Census Small Area Statistics and Register of Sasines. Furthermore, the thesis deals with issues previously often examined only by means of survey data, principally the process of migration and especially 'rural renaissance'. It is argued that quantitative data alone does not examine these processes adequately, often creating a two dimensional 'snapshot in time'. Instead, the thesis draws upon rich fieldwork data to show how participant observation can add to understanding, and through fieldnotes and qualitative interviews presents the complexities and subtleties of migration in and out of the parish. The thesis consists of a literature review, methodology chapter and descriptive chapter which form the context for the four main data chapters. The central focus of migration provides empirical evidence of demographic and historical change, which is used to analyse the experience of 'rural renaissance' in one small community, leading to the argument that such communities have a critical 'viability threshold'. Examining migration also gives scope for theoretical discussion of 'belonging' and social interaction. Migration decisions over time and social change in the parish are looked at through family history interviews. Contentious issues of belonging and localness are analysed in depth, linked to the gossip, humour and conflict of everyday life. One crofting township is examined in detail as a microcosm of all issues involved. The thesis makes a significant contribution to the field both in its methodological discussion, and in the research findings and associated analysis. As an in-depth micro-level study, it helps to fill an identified gap in the literature. Key findings include that incomer/local statuses are not a dichotomy, nor even simply the more subtle 'continuum' of recent writing. Rather, they are mobilised and deployed selectively, in specific contexts. The thesis also highlights the significance of personal relationships, both in terms of 'belonging' and as the crucial factor underpinning many migration decisions. This aspect of social change and migration has been neglected so far in the literature. Countering the common-sense perception of Highland in-migration, and earlier research into similar communities, the thesis finds that Bailemor is relatively open to newcomers, and that despite the erosion of cross-cutting ties of mutual interdependence, practices such as gossip and nicknaming have survived in social interaction. While the thesis is a community study insofar as it is grounded in a substantial period of fieldwork in one area, it is a study of sociological issues in a community, rather than simply a study of a particular place. It is argued in the conclusion that the future of community studies lies in this direction, and there is much potential for further research building on the work of the current thesis.
21
Zanchetta, Anna <1982>. "Remote Sensing Techniques for Change Detection Analysis in Arid and Semi-arid areas." Doctoral thesis, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, 2017. http://amsdottorato.unibo.it/8134/1/ZANCHETTAAnna_PhDThesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Desertification constitutes a natural hazard for human livelihood, wildlife and vegetation worldwide. Arid and semi-arid areas are the most likely to undergo processes of desertification, and it is a concern of the international community to control, monitor and prevent such a phenomenon.
As a mainly arid region, the Middle East is particularly vulnerable to climate-induced impacts on water resources, challenged by high growth population rates and a water-stressed situation.
Aim of the reasearch is to investigate Remote Sensing (RS) techniques for desertication studies, with a special focus on the Middle East region. RS is an efficient tool for environmental studies on wide areas of the Earth surface, allowing fast and reproducible analysis on regional and continental scales .
For this research two RS methods of change detection analysis have been investigated and further implemented: Change Vector Analysis (CVA), applied to the Tasselled Cap Transform (TCT) outputs, and the Maximum Autocorrelation Factor (MAF) transformation of the Multivariate Alteration Detector (MAD) components (MAD/MAF).
The research introduces improvements in the use of both techniques adapting them to desertification studies and proposes a new RS methodology, which has been proven effective in detecting the surface change in arid and semi-arid areas. An added value of the research is the availability of the source code, implemented for this study, to other users, through GFOSS software.
22
Ramirez, Glaucia Miranda. "Uso de imagens de alta e media resolução espacial no estudo de areas cafeeiras." [s.n.], 2009. http://repositorio.unicamp.br/jspui/handle/REPOSIP/256981.
Full textAbstract:
Orientador: Jurandir Zullo JuniorTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Agricola
Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-13T05:57:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ramirez_GlauciaMiranda_D.pdf: 28885401 bytes, checksum: 676ec9c1c9823ae7accd5e51d3de1035 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009
Resumo: O café sempre foi sinônimo de progresso e contribuiu de maneira decisiva para a industrialização do Brasil sendo, ainda hoje, um dos seus produtos agrícolas mais importantes. A obtenção de informações precisas, em tempo hábil e com baixo custo, sobre a extensão e o rendimento da cultura, são instrumentos valiosos para um planejamento adequado da cultura no país. Dentre as técnicas que podem ser utilizadas, neste caso, o sensoriamento remoto é uma das que possuem um grande potencial de aplicação, principalmente considerando o aumento da disponibilidade de imagens de média resolução espacial e o advento das imagens de alta resolução espacial. Sendo assim, o objetivo geral do trabalho foi compreender as interações existentes entre os parâmetros biofísicos de cafezais e a resposta espectral registrada nas bandas de imagens dos satélites TM/LANDSAT e QUICKBIRD adquiridas em 24/01/2006 e 05/02/2006, respectivamente. Foram utilizados 30 talhões pertencentes a seis propriedades agrícolas, localizadas na região da Alta Mogiana, em São Paulo, entre os municípios de Ribeirão Corrente, Franca e Cristais Paulista. Os parâmetros biofísicos da cultura determinados a partir de dados de campo foram o espaçamento entre linhas e plantas, altura, IAF, diâmetro da copa, porcentagem de cobertura vegetal, rugosidade, variedade e biomassa. Foram utilizados valores de refletância real das bandas espectrais dos dois satélites e quatro índices de vegetação (NDVI, GVI, SAVI e RVI). Foi aplicado o teste de Tukey e realizadas análises de correlação, regressão e fatorial por componentes principais, utilizando os dados biofísicos e remotos disponíveis. Alguns parâmetros biofísicos não puderam ser estimados, mesmo com a melhoria da resolução espacial. Outros foram estimados (IAF, Biomassa e Altura) mesmo utilizando dados remotos de média resolução espacial. A análise de componentes principais permitiu separar plantios em produção, de áreas em formação, para as duas imagens, sendo que a associação dos parâmetros biofísicos "porcentagem de cobertura" e "densidade populacional" foi a principal responsável por estes resultados. Estes agrupamentos podem ser de grande utilidade na classificação automática de imagens. Apesar do avanço tecnológico proporcionado pelas imagens de alta resolução espacial, elas não se mostraram superiores a ponto de substituírem, mas complementarem as informações fornecidas pelas imagens de média resolução.
Abstract: Coffee has been synonymous of progress and has strongly contributed to the industrialization of Brazil. Nowadays, the coffee is still one of the most important Brazilian agricultural products. Precise, on time and low cost information about coffee area and yield are valuable tools for the crop planning in the country. For this purpose, remote sensing techniques show a great potential to be applied, especially considering the increased availability of medium spatial resolution images and the coming of high spatial resolution imagery. Thus, the main objective of this study was to understand the interactions between the biophysical parameters of coffee crops and the spectral response measured by the TM/LANDSAT and QUICKBIRD satellites spectral bands, acquired on 24/01/2006 and 05/02/2006, respectively. We used 30 coffee areas in six farms, located in the region of Alta Mogiana, in the State of São Paulo, between the municipalities Ribeirão Corrente, Franca e Cristais Paulista. The biophysical crop parameters determined from the field survey were the row and plants spacing, height, LAI, crown diameter, percentage of vegetation cover, roughness, variety and biomass. We used real values of reflectance from the spectral bands of both satellites and four vegetation indexes (NDVI, GVI, SAVI and RVI). Tukey test was applied and it was carried out the analysis of correlation, regression and factorial analysis through principal components by using the available remote and biophysical data. Some biophysical parameters could not be estimated, even with improved spatial resolution. Others were estimated (LAI, biomass and height), even using remote data of medium spatial resolution. The analysis of the main components allowed to separate crop lands in production and in formation in the two images. The combination of biophysical parameters "percentage of coverage" and "density" was the main responsible for these results. This technique can be very useful in the automatic classification of images. Despite the technological advances provided by the images of high spatial resolution, these images may not replace, but complement the information provided by medium-resolution images.
Doutorado
Planejamento e Desenvolvimento Rural Sustentável
Doutor em Engenharia Agrícola
23
Nanudorn, Paisal, and nanu0002@flinders edu au. "Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and their roles for narrowing the development gaps in rural and remote areas in Thailand." Flinders University. Flinders Institute of Public Policy and Management, 2006. http://catalogue.flinders.edu.au./local/adt/public/adt-SFU20060522.145455.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis describes a case study of a rural sub district in Thailand, develops a
network model for development and makes policy suggestions that stress the
importance of participatory governance processes. The aim of this thesis is to learn
from a limited case study and explore the extent to which ICT could bridge the gaps
in rural and remote areas and thus aid development and empower those who are
marginalized by virtue of gender inequality, poverty, lack of education and limited
access to resources. The thesis:
- Investigates how a case study of rural and remote communities,
particularly in North Eastern Thailand, can gain more capacity to: i.)
harness and obtain the potential advantages of information and
communication technologies and ii.) promote the interconnectedness and
network partnership across public, private and community sectors.
- Describes the lack of connection across public, private and community
sectors and argues for the need to develop and promote the capacity of
individuals, groups, organizations, and institutions in these rural areas. In
this limited case study, the lack of capacity leads to an inability to use ICT
in many sectors that could support community development goals in
Thailand. Without access to or the ability to share new information and knowledge across the remote and more developed regions, it is difficult to
create success in development projects for individuals and institutions and
to mobilize and allocate tangible and intangible resources from the
workplace, family, and community. Amidst the flood of information and
knowledge globally, including within a nation itself, partnerships among
public and private sectors and other stakeholders both inside and outside a
community can play a substantial role in harnessing the new technologies
to pool information and knowledge, in order to develop the community's
capacity and people's capability to achieve their goals sustainably.
- Argues that the development gaps in these rural and remote areas could be
reduced if the people there are promoted and empowered to be significant
and active partners equally able to share and contribute information and
knowledge to others outside their communities.
The focus of the research is on the powerful knowledge brokers in the society
such as the monks, the village leaders, local government officials and the school
teachers who know about ICTs. The research focus is not the powerless who (in this
case) may not have access to ICT. The thesis points out the way in which the
powerful view the shortcomings and barriers to ordinary people having access to
computers. As such 'the gaze' (in the sense used by Foucault is upwards at the
powerful, not downwards at the powerless. 'Power and knowledge are linked'
(Foucault), according to Foucault and this thesis looks only at the way in which the
powerful see themselves.
Although I argue for participatory governance, my thesis only looks at the
powerful. This is in part as a result of my being a member of the knowledge broker
stakeholders as I am training to be a Buddhist monk and live in the temple.
My thesis makes a contribution, by studying the powerful knowledge brokers, instead
of researching the powerless. I have researched issues with the powerful as I was able
to access them, in my role as a trainee monk and because of my position in and
connections within the community. There are usually two areas in research in Thailand that are not discussed;
they are religion and the role of the state. This thesis addresses some causes or sources
of difficulties or conflicts that have occurred as a part of the obstacles for the
development in selected case study areas, in order to understand what significantly
lies underneath the difficulties.
This thesis does not engage in a discussion on the diverse needs of the
Southern region. Muslims, who live in the five southern provinces adjacent to
Malaysia, see themselves as second class citizens compared to others (in particular
Buddhists who make up about 95% of the population). This is supported by
international criticism of the handling of separatist movements.
This thesis is written from the perspective of a Buddhist monk -to- be who
lives and works in the Northern area and who is concerned with his case study area. I
have been in training to become a monk my entire life as I was brought up in the
Buddhist temple. I acknowledge that my experiences contribute to the way that I see
the world but that I have tried to be as reflexive as possible. Much of the research
draws on my role and position in the society in which I live. I have strived to
understand the wider world. To that end, I was trained in the private and public sector
in leadership skills in Bangkok Life Insurance Company and in Bangkok Business
Administration School including in Naluang Temple, Udorn Thani province. I have
been trained to work with the community leaders such as schools and local
government officers with a view to help with community development as the temple
representative.
This thesis does not argue that information and communication technologies
(ICTs), in and of themselves, are the means to achieving social justice and socioeconomic
being. Instead it argues that they can support and enable the stakeholders to
participate in decision making and greater access to information and resources
amongst and across local stakeholders - village, school, temple and local government
- in the rural areas.
I stress that if there is no political willingness and community spirit (social
capital) to support this, then information and communication technologies (ICTs) are of no value. 'Thick democracy', in the sense used by Edgar, is dependent on better
communication with all the stakeholders. Knowledge management is not about
technology alone it is about pooling and sharing ideas so that development
opportunities can be developed. Technology is the means to achieve joined-up
government. It is not an end in itself. My thesis shows how the lack of ability to work
together, and lack of willingness to cooperate amongst some players, undermine the
potential of people to access information and resources.
I argue that the geographical isolation of rural areas nowadays can be
theoretically bridged by investing in telecommunication infrastructure. It is debatable
if the state could achieve this alone. Local institutions cannot serve, help and work in
partnership with other organizations. They need to be able to work collaboratively, in
order to deal with the complexity of problems. Some temples, for instance, lack
capacity to apply the local, tacit knowledge of people that is needed for balanced
development in the community. A consequence of the isolation of local institutions, in
this case study, is that it can lead to insufficient co-operation across community,
public and private sectors. Also, it can reduce and demote institutional and social
capacity necessary for working together effectively. The aim of this thesis was to
establish to what extent ICT can bridge the gaps in rural and remote areas and thus aid
development and empower those who are marginalized by virtue of gender inequality,
poverty, lack of education and limited access to resources. At the outset the
limitations of the small sample are acknowledge and the analysis is limited to the
discussion of themes that could have potential relevance, but nevertheless the thesis
aims to
- Explore the issue of capacity building (by means of a small purposive
sample) drawn from 7 rural communities, in North Eastern Thailand;
- Consider the themes from the purposive sample to explore the potential
development role for information and communication technologies;
- Consider the extent to which the technologies (as part of a development
process) could support the creation of networks and partnership across
public, private and community sectors; and
- Describe the themes that emerge in the small sample about the lack of
connection across (public, private and community) sectors and argue for
the need to develop and promote the capacity of individuals, groups,
organizations, and institutions in this purposive sample.
The lack of capacity in this small sample indicated that in these communities
there is limited capacity to use ICT in many sectors that could support community
development goals in this part of Thailand. Perhaps the themes that are evident in this
sample could be explored further to assess their more general relevance. It is possible
that without access to or the ability to share new information and knowledge across
the remote and more developed regions, it is difficult to create success in development
projects for individuals and institutions and to mobilize and allocate tangible and
intangible resources from the workplace, family, and community. Amidst the flood of
information and knowledge globally, including within a nation itself, partnerships
among public and private sectors and other stakeholders both inside and outside a
community can play a substantial role in harnessing the new technologies to pool
information and knowledge, in order to develop the community's capacity and
people's capability to achieve their goals sustainably. I argue that the development
gaps in these rural and remote areas could be reduced if the people there are promoted
and empowered to be significant and active partners equally able to share and
contribute information and knowledge to others outside their communities.
24
Van, Drooge Barend L. "Long-range atmospheric transpod and fate of persistent organic pollutants in remote mountain areas." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/3660.
Full text
25
Abd-Elwahed, Mohammed Saifeldeen. "Assessment of Soil Salinity Problems in Agricultural Areas Through Spatial and Temporal Remote Sensing." Diss., Tucson, Arizona : University of Arizona, 2005. http://etd.library.arizona.edu/etd/GetFileServlet?file=file:///data1/pdf/etd/azu%5Fetd%5F1380%5F1%5Fm.pdf&type=application/pdf.
Full text
26
Levy, López Walkiria. "Novel diagnostic tools to detect and monitor persistent organic pollutants in remote mountainous areas." kostenfrei, 2008. http://mediatum2.ub.tum.de/doc/635585/635585.pdf.
Full text
27
Gioia, Rosalinda. "Global Cycling and Dynamics of Persistent Organic Pollutants from Source Regions to Remote Areas." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.504167.
Full text
28
Crane, Eli Ross. "Rotate and Hold and Scan (RAHAS): Structured Light Illumination for Use in Remote Areas." UKnowledge, 2011. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/gradschool_theses/119.
Full textAbstract:
As a critical step after the discovery of material culture in the field, archaeologists have a need to document these findings with a slew of different physical measurements and photographs from varying perspectives. 3-D imaging is becoming increasingly popular as the primary documenting method to replace the plethora of tests and measurements, but for remote areas 3-D becomes more cumbersome due to physical and environmental constraints. The difficulty of using a 3-D imaging system in such environments is drastically lessened while using the RAHAS technique, since it acquires scans untethered to a computer. The goal of this thesis is to present the RAHAS Structured Light Illumination technique for 3-D image acquisition, and the performance of the RAHAS technique as a measurement tool for documentation of material culture on a field trip to the Rio Platano Biosphere in Honduras.
29
Odnoletkova, Natalia. "Improving Energy Efficiency in Petroleum Industryby Effective Utilization of Associated Petroleum Gasin Remote Areas." Thesis, KTH, Energiteknik, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-210219.
Full textAbstract:
In this thesis the analysis of the oil and gas industry was carried out in terms of possibilities of improving its energy efficiency and carbon emission reduction potential. The largest potential is concentrated in pipeline transportation and petroleum extraction (upstream) sectors. Different possibilities of improving energy efficiency in upstream sector were analyzed, as this sector has large energy saving and energy efficiency improving potential due to effective associated petroleum gas (APG) utilization. Calculation model of application of different as novel, as already existing APG utilization methods for remote oil fields was proposed, as remote oil fields especially face to the problem of absence of infrastructure, reliable energy supply and effective APG utilization methods. Calculation was conducted for three APG utilization methods on the remote oil fields: INFRA GTL conversion of APG into synthetic oil, the use of Capstone turbines for APG utilization, and comparison of these two effective methods with APG flaring. Developed calculation model can be used to give fast initial estimate of economic viability of using particular APG utilization energy supply method and carbon emission reduction potential, depending on oil field parameters (gas/oil ratio, energy supply, etc.) andI denna avhandling analysen av olje- och gasindustrin genomfördes i form av möjligheter att förbättra sin energieffektivitet och koldioxid utsläppsminskning potential. Den största potentialen är koncentrerad till transport pipeline och petroleumutvinning (uppströms) sektorer. Olika möjligheter att förbättra energieffektiviteten i uppströms sektorn analyserades, eftersom denna sektor har stor energibesparing och energieffektivitet förbättra potential på grund av effektiv associerad petroleumgas (APG) utnyttjande. Beräkningsmodell för tillämpning av olika som roman, såsom redan existerande APG utnyttjandemetoder för fjärroljefält slogs, som avlägsna oljefält speciellt ansikte mot problemet med frånvaron av infrastruktur, tillförlitlig energiförsörjning och effektiva APG utnyttjandemetoder. Beräkning utfördes under tre APG utnyttjandemetoder på de avlägsna oljefält: INFRA GTL omvandling av APG till syntetisk olja, användning av Capstone turbiner för APG utnyttjande, och jämförelse av dessa två effektiva metoder med APG fackling. Utvecklade beräkningsmodell kan användas för att ge snabb initial uppskattning av ekonomiska bärkraften för användning särskilt APG utnyttjande och energiförsörjning metod och kol potential att minska utsläppen, beroende på oljefältsparametrar (gas / oljeförhållande, energiförsörjnings, etc.)
30
Baeza, Angela. "Indigenous education in rural and remote areas in Chile: Exploring teacher and community experiences." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2022. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/228738/1/Angela_Baeza_Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This qualitative study aimed to understand what skills and knowledge teachers need to teach in Indigenous rural schools. This study contributes to giving voice to those under the colonisation umbrella, who have been marginalised and silenced under the dominant culture. Interviews with teachers, Indigenous community members, and local authorities were the primary source of information. Data of this research allowed the development of a model for identifying the factors influencing teachers' identity in rural Indigenous schools [FITIRIS]. The study's findings could lead to future improvements in teacher education and training to perform adequately in a rural Indigenous setting.
31
Dhar, Tushar. "Communications network technologies for monitoring and control of power supply systems in remote areas." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 1998.
Find full text
32
Sarker, Chandrama. "Automated detection of flooded areas using machine learning methods." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2021. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/211481/1/Chandrama_Sarker_Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis provides an analytical study to develop a generalised classification method for faster detection of flooded areas from multispectral remote sensing images. The method is based on the neighbouring spectral information to obtain flood probability information from images. The project also develops an optimization algorithm for refining the probability measures for pixels occluded by cloud cover or cloud shadows using ancillary elevation information of the Australian landscapes. This project investigated different flooding events that occurred in different parts of Queensland and northern New South Wales.
33
Arie, Naftali Hawu Hede. "Development and application of geobotanical remote sensing methods for mineral exploration in thick vegetation areas." 京都大学 (Kyoto University), 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2433/204588.
Full text
34
Newton, Seth. "Occurrence and fate of emerging and legacy flame retardants : from indoor environments to remote areas." Doctoral thesis, Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för miljövetenskap och analytisk kemi, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-116443.
Full textAbstract:
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are toxic chemicals that can be found in various matrices in all corners of the planet, including remote areas such as the Arctic. Several POPs are known and monitored but given the abundance of new chemicals in commerce about which little is known, chemicals that may be new POPs are constantly being screened for. The use of flame retardants, particularly brominated flame retardants (BFRs), has been increasing for decades. PBDEs and HBCDDs are two types of BFRs that have historically been used in large volumes but recently faced legislative restrictions. However, in order to meet fire safety standards, these BFRs have been replaced by a variety of emerging flame retardants (EFRs) about which little is known especially concerning their toxicity, production volumes, and environmental behavior. The main purpose of this thesis was to investigate the occurrence and fate in indoor and outdoor environments of several EFRs and compare them with PBDEs, HBCDDs, and legacy POPs. Several indoor environments in the city of Stockholm, Sweden were sampled for dust, indoor air, and ventilation system air (Paper II). Results from these samples revealed a number of EFRs that humans are exposed to and that are emitted from buildings through ventilation systems. These included DDC-CO, DBE-DBCH, PBT, HBB, EHTBB, and BEH-TEBP. PBDE levels seem to be declining compared to previous studies in Stockholm. Outdoor air and soil were sampled across transects of Stockholm (Paper II) and Birmingham, United Kingdom (Paper III). Results from these samples showed the presence of many of the same EFRs in the outdoor environment that were found in indoor environments. Urban pulses in air were discovered for PBDEs in both cities and for some EFRs in Stockholm, indicating that the cities are sources of EFRs to the outdoor environment. Atmospheric deposition samples were taken at two sites in northern Sweden (Paper I). Three EFRs (DDC-CO, DBE-DBCH, and BTBPE) and two current-use pesticides (trifluralin and chlorothalonil) were identified, indicating these compounds’ potential for long range transport and global contamination. Other legacy POPs such as HCH, PCBs, and PBDEs were measured in the deposition samples as well. The bulk of deposition was comprised of HCH and PCBs with only minor contributions from PBDEs, chlordanes, and emerging compounds. Finally, passive and active air sampling methods were compared for BFRs in offices in Beijing, China. Some EFRs were identified in indoor air from China; however, BDE-209 was the most predominant compound found (Paper IV). Air samples collected with passive samplers generally had measured FR concentrations within a factor of 2-3 of those collected with active samplers. The use of a GFF in the passive samplers resulted in concentrations of particle-bound contaminants such as BDE-209 that were more comparable to those in active samples. The positioning of the PUF in the passive samplers affected the sampling rates for gaseous compounds and particle retention on PUFs was shown to be a large source of uncertainty in passive sampling.At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript.
35
Zeichen, Marta Manca. "Protection and management of marine areas in the Mediterranean Sea : applications of satellite remote sensing." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2010. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/195605/.
Full textAbstract:
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are recognised globally as effective tools for protecting valuable and vulnerable marine ecosystems (habitats, species and communities), maintaining the biological diversity, and safeguarding the associated historical and cultural resources. MPAs accommodate local communities and regulate the different uses of the sea, fostering more sustainable use of marine resources. Moreover, MPAs are increasingly being used as environmental laboratories, enabling a greater scientific understanding of marine systems. In the Mediterranean Sea about a hundred of MPAs have been designated during the last decades, all but one of which are in coastal areas. This study develops a new way of using RS techniques tailored for the monitoring and management of Mediterranean MPAs. The advance in satellite Remote Sensing (RS) technologies has made possible to look at the MPAs not only by means of discrete in situ surveys but rather on the basis of a “synoptic” and repeated view. The primary aim of this thesis was to establish how the satellite sensors can be successfully used and whether RS provides reliable tools for monitoring and managing Mediterranean MPAs. The study aimed specifically at describing and identifying, by means of passive remote sensors, the spatial and temporal scale of the bio-physical processes occurring in Mediterranean MPAs. Observations retrieved by ocean colour and thermal infra-red sensors, for a range of MPA study sites, were used to depict system functioning by the analysis of the prevailing spatial and temporal variations of the geophysical parameters and biophysical conditions. The seasonal variations of the ecological indicators (i.e. phytoplankton blooms and thermal trends) were analysed over various MPAs located in different regions of the Mediterranean basin, and different biooptical algorithms were tested in a coastal MPA. The short-term and long-term monitoring (interannual) of the ecological indicators is key to elucidating trends and modifications in the biogeochemical balance of the basin possibly caused by environmental changes which could potentially affect the MPA’s resilience. Consequently it is now possible to monitor MPAs easily and at low cost, by integrating RS with the traditional sampling methodologies to work towards safeguarding of valuable marine habitats and species. RS should be considered as key tool that fosters the ecosystem-based management.
36
Dalponte, Michele. "Analysis of forest areas by advanced remote sensing systems based on hyperspectral and LIDAR data." Doctoral thesis, Università degli studi di Trento, 2010. https://hdl.handle.net/11572/368269.
Full textAbstract:
Forest management is an important and complex process, which has significant implications on the envi-ronment (e.g. protection of biological diversity, climate mitigation) and the economy (e.g. estimation of timber volume for commercial usage). An efficient management requires a very detailed knowledge of forest attributes such as species composition, trees stem volume, height, etc. Hyperspectral and LIDAR remote sensing data can provide useful information to the identification of these attributes: hyperspectral data with their dense sampling of the spectral signatures are important for the classification of tree spe-cies, while LIDAR data are important for the study and estimation of quantitative parameters of forests (e.g. stem height, volume).
This thesis presents novel systems for the exploitation of hyperspectral and LIDAR data in forest applica-tion domain. In particular, the novel contributions to the existing literature are on both the development of new systems for data processing and the analysis of the potentialities of these data in forestry. In greater detail the main contribution of this thesis are: i) an empirical analysis on the relationship be-tween spectral resolution, classifier complexity and classification accuracy in the study of complex forest areas. This analysis is very important for the design of future sensors and the better exploitation of the existing ones; ii) a novel system for the fusion of hyperspectral and LIDAR remote sensing data in the classification of forest areas. The system proposed exploits the complementary information of these data in order to obtain accurate and precise classification maps; iii) an analysis on the usefulness of different LIDAR returns and channels (elevantion and intensity) in the classification of forest areas; iv) an empiri-cal analysis on the use of multireturn LIDAR data for the estimation of tree stem volume. This study in-vestigates in detail the potentialities of variables extracted from LIDAR returns (up to four) for the esti-mation of tree stem volume; v) a novel system for the estimation of single tree stem diameter and volume with multireturn LIDAR data. A comparative analysis on the use of three different variable selection me-thods and three different estimation algorithms is also presented; vi) a system for the fusion of hyperspec-tral and LIDAR remote sensing data in the estimation of tree stem diameters. This system is able to ex-ploit hyperspectral and LIDAR data combined and separated: this is very important as the experimental analysis carried out with this system shows that hyperspectral data can be used for rough estimations of stem diameters when LIDAR data are not available.
The effectiveness of all the proposed systems is confirmed by quantitative and qualitative experimental results.
37
Dalponte, Michele. "Analysis of forest areas by advanced remote sensing systems based on hyperspectral and LIDAR data." Doctoral thesis, University of Trento, 2010. http://eprints-phd.biblio.unitn.it/235/1/Dalponte_Michele_PhD-Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Forest management is an important and complex process, which has significant implications on the envi-ronment (e.g. protection of biological diversity, climate mitigation) and the economy (e.g. estimation of timber volume for commercial usage). An efficient management requires a very detailed knowledge of forest attributes such as species composition, trees stem volume, height, etc. Hyperspectral and LIDAR remote sensing data can provide useful information to the identification of these attributes: hyperspectral data with their dense sampling of the spectral signatures are important for the classification of tree spe-cies, while LIDAR data are important for the study and estimation of quantitative parameters of forests (e.g. stem height, volume).
This thesis presents novel systems for the exploitation of hyperspectral and LIDAR data in forest applica-tion domain. In particular, the novel contributions to the existing literature are on both the development of new systems for data processing and the analysis of the potentialities of these data in forestry. In greater detail the main contribution of this thesis are: i) an empirical analysis on the relationship be-tween spectral resolution, classifier complexity and classification accuracy in the study of complex forest areas. This analysis is very important for the design of future sensors and the better exploitation of the existing ones; ii) a novel system for the fusion of hyperspectral and LIDAR remote sensing data in the classification of forest areas. The system proposed exploits the complementary information of these data in order to obtain accurate and precise classification maps; iii) an analysis on the usefulness of different LIDAR returns and channels (elevantion and intensity) in the classification of forest areas; iv) an empiri-cal analysis on the use of multireturn LIDAR data for the estimation of tree stem volume. This study in-vestigates in detail the potentialities of variables extracted from LIDAR returns (up to four) for the esti-mation of tree stem volume; v) a novel system for the estimation of single tree stem diameter and volume with multireturn LIDAR data. A comparative analysis on the use of three different variable selection me-thods and three different estimation algorithms is also presented; vi) a system for the fusion of hyperspec-tral and LIDAR remote sensing data in the estimation of tree stem diameters. This system is able to ex-ploit hyperspectral and LIDAR data combined and separated: this is very important as the experimental analysis carried out with this system shows that hyperspectral data can be used for rough estimations of stem diameters when LIDAR data are not available.
The effectiveness of all the proposed systems is confirmed by quantitative and qualitative experimental results.
38
AFRASINEI, GABRIELA MIHAELA. "Study of land degradation and desertification dynamics in North Africa areas using remote sensing techniques." Doctoral thesis, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11584/266730.
Full textAbstract:
In fragile-ecosystem arid and semi-arid land, climatic variations, water scarcity and human pressure
accelerate ongoing degradation of natural resources. In order to implement sustainable
management, the ecological state of the land must be known and diachronic studies to monitor and
assess desertification processes are indispensable in this respect. The present study is developed in
the frame of WADIS-MAR (www.wadismar.eu). This is one of the five Demonstration Projects
implemented within the Regional Programme “Sustainable Water Integrated Management (SWIM)”
(www.swim-sm.eu ), funded by the European Commission and which aims to contribute to the
effective implementation and extensive dissemination of sustainable water management policies
and practices in the Southern Mediterranean Region. The WADIS-MAR Project concerns the
realization of an integrated water harvesting and artificial aquifer recharge techniques in two
watersheds in Maghreb Region: Oued Biskra in Algeria and wadi Oum Zessar in Tunisia.
The WADIS MAR Project is coordinated by the Desertification Research Center of the University
of Sassari in partnership with the University of Barcelona (Spain), Institut des Régions Arides
(Tunisia) and Agence Nationale des Ressources Hydrauliques (Algeria) and the international
organization Observatorie du Sahara et du Sahel. The project is coordinated by Prof. Giorgio
Ghiglieri. The project aims at the promotion of an integrated, sustainable water harvesting and
agriculture management in two watersheds in Tunisia and Algeria. As agriculture and animal
husbandry are the two main economic activities in these areas, demand and pressure on natural
resources increase in order to cope with increasing population’s needs. In arid and semiarid study
areas of Algeria and Tunisia, sustainable development of agriculture and resources management
require the understanding of these dynamics as it withstands monitoring of desertification
processes.
Vegetation is the first indicator of decay in the ecosystem functions as it is sensitive to any
disturbance, as well as soil characteristics and dynamics as it is edaphically related to the former.
Satellite remote sensing of land affected by sand encroachment and salinity is a useful tool for
decision support through detection and evaluation of desertification indicating features.
Land cover, land use, soil salinization and sand encroachment are examples of such indicators that
if integrated in a diachronic assessment, can provide quantitative and qualitative information on the
ecological state of the land, particularly degradation tendencies. In recent literature, detecting and
mapping features in saline and sandy environments with remotely sensed imagery has been reported
successful through the use of both multispectral and hyperspectral imagery, yet the limitations to
both image types maintain “no agreed-on best approach to this technology for monitoring and
mapping soil salinity and sand encroachment”. Problems regarding the image classification of
features in these particular areas have been reported by several researchers, either with statistical or
neural/connectionist algorithms for both fuzzy and hard classifications methods.
In this research, salt and sand features were assessed through both visual interpretation and
automated classification approaches, employing historical and present Landsat imagery (from 1984
to 2015).
The decision tree analysis was chosen because of its high flexibility of input data range and type,
the easiness of class extraction through non-parametric, multi-stage classification. It makes no a
priori assumption on class distribution, unlike traditional statistical classifiers. The visual
interpretation mapping of land cover and land use was undergone according to acknowledged
standard nomenclature and methodology, such as CORINE land cover or AFRICOVER 2000,
Global Land Cove 2000 etc. The automated one implies a decision tree (DT) classifier and an
unsupervised classification applied to the principal components (PC) extracted from Knepper ratios
composite in order to assess their validity for the change detection analysis. In the Tunisian study
area, it was possible to conduct a thorough ground truth survey resulting in a record of 400 ground
truth points containing several information layers (ground survey sheet information on various land
components, photographs, reports in various file formats) stored within the a shareable standalone
geodatabase. Spectral data were also acquired in situ using the handheld ASD FieldSpec 3 Jr. Full
Range (350 – 2500 nm) spectroradiometer and samples were taken for X-ray diffraction analysis.
The sampling sites were chosen on the basis of a geomorphological analysis, ancillary data and the
previously interpreted land cover/land use map, specifically generated for this study employing
Landsat 7 and 8 imagery. The spectral campaign has enabled the acquisition of spectral reflectance
measurements of 34 points, of which 14 points for saline surfaces (9 samples); 10 points for sand
encroachment areas (10 samples); 3 points for typical vegetation (halophyte and psammophyte) and
7 points for mixed surfaces.
Five of the eleven indices employed in the Decision Tree construction were constructed throughout
the current study, among which we propose also a salinity index (SMI) for the extraction of highly
saline areas. Their application have resulted in an accuracy of more than 80%. For the error
estimation phase, the interpreted land cover/use map (both areas) and ground truth data (Oum
Zessar area only) supported the results of the 1984 to 2014 salt – affected areas diachronic analysis
obtained through both automatic methods. Although IsoDATA classification maps applied to
Knepper ratios Principal Component Analysis has proven its good potential as an approach of fast
automated, user-independent classifier, accuracy assessment has shown that decision tree outstood
it and was proven to have a substantial advantage over the former. The employment of the Decision
Tree classifier has proven to be more flexible and adequate for the extraction of highly and
moderately saline areas and major land cover types, as it allows multi-source information and
higher user control, with an accuracy of more than 80%.
Integrating results with ancillary spatial data, we could argue driving forces, anthropic vs natural, as
well as source areas, and understand and estimate the metrics of desertification processes. In the
Biskra area (Algeria), results indicate that the expansion of irrigated farmland in the past three
decades contributes to an ongoing secondary salinization of soils, with an increase of over 75%. In
the Oum Zessar area (Tunisia), there was substantial change in several landscape components in the
last decades, related to increased anthropic pressure and settlement, agricultural policies and
national development strategies. One of the most concerning aspects is the expansion of sand
encroached areas over the last three decades of around 27%.
39
Liang, Jiayong. "Flood Mapping in Riverine and Coastal Urban Areas Using Multi-sensor Imagery and Multi-source Information." The Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1566165986747865.
Full text
40
França, Helena. "Metodologia de Identificação e Quantificação de Áreas Queimadas no Cerrado com Imagens AVHRR/NOAA." Universidade de São Paulo, 2001. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/41/41134/tde-11032008-140113/.
Full textAbstract:
Desenvolveu-se nesse trabalho uma metodologia para identificar e quantificar quinzenalmente a área queimada na região contínua do Cerrado brasileiro a partir de imagens diárias do sensor AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) do satélite NOAA-14 (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), utilizando as bandas 1 (0.6 um), 2 (0,9 um), 3 (3.7 um) e IVDN (Índice de Vegetação de Diferença Normalizada). A variação temporal de características das áreas queimadas e outras superfícies, obtida de mosaicos quinzenais das imagens AVHRR, foi a base para elaborar um algoritmo de identificação de \"cicatrizes\" de queimadas. Os resultados foram validados e ajustados com dados de alta resolução espacial obtidos em imagens TM/Landsat (Thematic Mapper). A análise estatística de regressão linear entre os dados de queimadas obtidos pela aplicação do algoritmo nos mosaicos AVHRR e aqueles das imagens TM gerou duas equações para estimar a área queimada no Cerrado com r2 = 0,8 e 0,7. Com a aplicação da metodologia desenvolvida, estimou-se em ~429.000 km2 a área queimada (entre 404.000 km2 e 455.000 km2 com intervalo de confiança a 95%) no período de 01/maio/98 a 30/abril/99, correspondendo a 19% (18 a 20%) da área total estudada. A relação entre focos de queimadas obtidos do AVHRR/NOAA-12 e área queimada permitiu cálculos preliminares de área queimada no Cerrado no período de 01/maio/99 a 31/outubro/00. Os dados TM mostraram que as queimadas pequenas, menores que 0,5 km2, embora muito numerosas (53% do total), respondem por apenas ~2 % da área queimada. Por outro lado, as queimadas grandes, maiores que 10 km2, são poucas (8%), mas responsáveis por cerca de 74% da área queimada no Cerrado. Os resultados desse trabalho mostraram pela primeira vez que é possível estimar regularmente a área queimada no Cerrado com erro inferior a 15% no cálculo anual a partir dos dados diários do AVHRR. Tais estimativas poderão subsidiar estudos sobre o papel ecológico do fogo no Cerrado, planejamento ambiental em nível regional, localização das áreas críticas com ocorrências mais freqüentes de queimadas, implantação de planos de uso, manejo e fiscalização do uso do fogo em escala regional, cálculos de emissões de queimadas, etc.This work presents the development of a methodology to identify and quantify the surface burnt in the Brazilian contiguous Cerrado on a bi-weekly basis using daily images of the AVHRR (Advanced Very High resolution Radiometer) sensor on-board the NOAA-14 (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) satellite after its bands 1 (0,6 um), 2 (0,9 um) and 3 (3,7 um), as well as the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index). The temporal variation of the burnt areas and of other surface covers in bi-weekly AVHRR mosaics was the basis for an algorithm to identify the \"scars\" from vegetation fires. The results were validated and adjusted with high resolution data from TM-Landsat (Thematic Mapper). The statistical analysis of linear regression between the fire data obtained with the use of the algorithm and those of the TM produced two equations to estimate burnt area in the Cerrado, with r2 = 0.8 and 0.7. Applying the methodology developed, ~429,000 km2 burned in the period of May/01/98 to April/04/99 (range of 404,000 to 455,000 km2 for the 95% confidence interval), corresponding to 19% (18 to 20 %) of the total study area. The relation between active fires obtained with AVHRR/NOAA-12 and the burnt area supplied preliminary estimates of burnt area in the Cerrado from May/01/99 to Oct/31/00. The TM data showed that small scars, with less than 0.5 km2, although numerous (53 % of the total), account for just ~2 % of the burnt area. Large scars, with more than 10 km2, correspond to a small number (8 %), but to 74 % of the Cerrado burnt area. The results of this work showed for the first time that it is possible to estimate on a regular basis the Cerrado yearly burnt area with an error smaller than 15 %, using daily AVHRR data. These estimates should provide important information to understand the ecological role of fire in the Cerrado, identify areas with higher fire frequency, help environmental planning at regional levels, and plan soil use and control, as well as provide subsidies in biomass burning emission studies. Data from new sensors in satellites to be made available in 2001 should improve even further the methodology developed.
41
Bachour, Roula. "Modeling and forecasting evapotranspiration for better management of irrigation command areas." DigitalCommons@USU, 2013. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/2077.
Full textAbstract:
It has become very crucial to manage water resources to meet the needs of the growing population. In irrigation command areas, and in order to build a better plan to manage service delivery from canals and reservoirs, it is important to build appropriate knowledge of water needs on a field basis. There is often a lag between the order and delivery of water to the field. Knowledge of the crop water requirement at the field level helps the decision maker to make the right choices leading to more efficient handling of the available water. The purpose of this study was to develop methodologies and tools that allow better management of irrigation water and water delivery systems, such as machine learning models that can be used as tools for decision support systems of water management. To achieve better modeling and prediction, wavelet decompositions were explored for their ability to give information about time and frequency changes in the data. Remote sensing approaches were also used for their ability to quantify water requirements at the spatial level. Therefore, this dissertation explored the use of the above-mentioned data tools and techniques to address water management problems. The framework of this dissertation consisted of three components that provide tools to support irrigation system operational decisions. In general, the results for each of the methods developed were satisfactory, relevant, and encouraging. They provided significant potential for improving decision making for real-time applications in irrigation command areas and better management of the water resources.
42
Augusto, Vagney Aparecido. "Processamento de imagens ASTER na detecção de areas com microexsudações de hidrocarbonetos." [s.n.], 2006. http://repositorio.unicamp.br/jspui/handle/REPOSIP/287202.
Full textAbstract:
Orientadores: Carlos Roberto de Souza Filho, Raimundo de Almeida FilhoDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociencias
Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-11T22:06:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Augusto_VagneyAparecido_M.pdf: 16128121 bytes, checksum: 103a9497924f9ff8db4d00402bed3318 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006
Resumo: Escapes gasosos de hidrocarbonetos (HCs) em superfície são processos já documentados em várias partes do mundo. Os reservatórios de petróleo não são completamente selados, permitem escapes de fluidos, principalmente gases, que migram e formam microexsudações em superfície. Este processo ocorre principalmente como resultado de altas pressões diferenciais nos reservatórios. A migração ocorre de distintas formas, através de falhas, fraturas, planos de acamamentos e de rochas com alta porosidade. Os gases, quando próximos ou presentes na superfície, interagem com os solos produzindo um conjunto de alterações físico-químicas. Estas alterações provocam a dissolução e precipitação de minerais, mobilização e imobilização de elementos químicos, conseqüentemente gerando alterações fisiológicas indiretas na vegetação sobrejacente. Os principais fatores resultantes destes processos, e que influenciam o desenvolvimento da vegetação são: disponibilidade de oxigênio; concentração de CO2; disponibilidade de metais pesados e a diminuição da porosidade dos solos. Os efeitos observados nas plantas em solos ricos em HCs são: crescimento debilitado; mudança nas estruturas das folhas, acompanhada de uma variação na coloração; quedas de folhas; menor densidade de plantas; atrofia; em casos extremos, pode ocorrer a morte da vegetação no local. Diante deste contexto, foi feito um estudo através de imagens do sensor multiespectral ASTER/TERRA, de forma integrada com dados geoquímicos de solos, objetivando a caracterização das possíveis modificações da vegetação ao nível espectral. A área de estudo foi restrita a uma cultura de eucalipto na região de Remanso do Fogo, Município de Buritizeiro-MG, que é conhecida historicamente pela varias ocorrências de emanações gasosas naturais de HCs. Geologicamente, a área compreende sedimentos Fanerozóicos da denominada Bacia São Franciscana, incluindo siltitos, folhelhos, calcários, dolomitos, arcósios, recobertos por sedimentos elúvio-coluvionares areno-argilosos e fluviais arenosos. O processamento digital dos dados ASTER consistiu basicamente de duas etapas: (i) caracterização espectral da vegetação nas áreas com anomalia geoquímicas de gás, em conjunto com pontos já conhecidos de ocorrências de exsudações gasosas; (ii) aplicação de técnicas de mapeamento espectral comumente utilizadas em imagens hirperespectrais, denominadas SAM ( Spectral Angle Mapper) e MTMF (Mixture Tuned Matched Filtering), objetivando separar áreas com ocorrências de exsudações de HCs, baseandose nos espectros característicos identificados. A análise espectral dos pixels nas áreas anômalas possibilitou a sua diferenciação de áreas não afetadas pelas microexsudações. A partir dos espectros de referencia identificados como anômalos, observou-se modificações marcantes na reflectância da vegetação nas bandas 2, 3, 4 e 6 do ASTER, demonstrativas da associação espacial entre anomalias geoquímicas e geobotânicas. Este estudo de caso revelou o potencial das técnicas de processamento digital aplicadas à imagens do sensor ASTER, como ferramenta para a detecção e caracterização de exsudações, as quais constituem importantes indícios para ocorrência de recursos de óleo e gás.
Abstract: Escapes of gaseous hydrocarbons (HCs) at surface (i.e., seepages) are processes recorded in several parts of the world. The reservoirs of oil are not completely sealed, allow fluid escapes, mainly gases, which migrate and form seeps at surface. This process occurs mainly as a result of highly distinguishing pressures in the reservoirs. The migration occurs by different means, through faults, fractures, bedding plans and through rocks with high porosity. The gases, when close or at surface, interact with soils producing a set of chemical alterations. These alterations provoke the dissolution and precipitation of minerals, mobilization and immobilization of chemical elements, consequently generating indirect physiological alterations in the superjacent vegetation. The main resultant factors of these processes and that influence the development of the vegetation are: oxygen availability; CO2 concentration; availability of heavy metals and the reduction of the ground porosity. The effects observed in the plants in HCs-rich soils are: weak growth; change in leaf structure followed by a variation in their color; leaf fall; lesser density of plants, which are generally atrophied; and in extreme cases, the death of the vegetation may occur. In this context, this study comprises the integrated use of multispectral images of the ASTER/Terra sensor/satellite and HCs geochemical data, aiming the characterization of possible spectral modifications of vegetation affected by seepages that could be traced by remote sensing techniques. The study area is restricted to a culture of eucalyptus in the region of Remanso do Fogo, City of Buritizeiro-MG, that is known historically by various occurrences of natural gaseous emanations of HCs. Geologically, the area comprises Fanerozoic sediments of the Sao Francisco Basin, including siltstones, black-shale, limestones, dolomites, arkoses, which in turn are covered by areno-argillaceous colluviums and arenaceous fluvial sediments. ASTER data digital image processing involved basically two steps: (i) spectral characterization of the vegetation in geochemically anomalous areas and where occurrences of seepages are known; (ii) application of spectral mapping techniques usually applied to hyperspectral data, such as SAM (Spectral Angle Mapper) and MTMF (Mixture Tuned Matched Filtering), aiming to map sectors with occurrences of seepages, based on their distinctive spectral signature. The spectral analysis of pixels in the anomalous areas made possible the differentiation between areas affected and not affected by the seepages. Steaming from the identified anomalous reference spectra, important modifications were observed in the reflectance of the vegetation in ASTER bands 2, 3, 4 and 6, which were demonstrative of the spatial association between geochemical and geobotanical anomalies in the area. This study case discloses the potential of ASTER data, modelled spectra and the applied image processing techniques, as tools for the detection and characterization of seepages, which constitute an important indication for occurrence of resources of oil and gas.
Mestrado
Geologia e Recursos Naturais
Mestre em Geociências
43
LARROZA, ELIANE G. "Caracterização das nuvens cirrus na região metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP) com a técnica de lidar de retroespalhamento elástico." reponame:Repositório Institucional do IPEN, 2011. http://repositorio.ipen.br:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10057.
Full textAbstract:
Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:34:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:10:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0
Tese (Doutoramento)
IPEN/T
Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP
44
Chance, Curtis Matthew. "Mapping the distributions of two invasive plant species in urban areas with advanced remote sensing data." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/58356.
Full textAbstract:
Invasive plants are increasingly present in ecosystems, producing both positive and negative effects. Proactive management of plant invasions is critical to curbing their spreads, especially in urban areas which often act as centres of invasions. Therefore, municipalities require new tools to map invasions for both management and information. Remote sensing technologies provide opportunities to detect plant invasions over large areas at fine spatial resolutions. In Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Himalayan blackberry (HB; Rubus armeniacus) and English ivy (EI; Hedera helix) are two understory invasive plants that can negatively influence native ecosystems and harm users of urban natural areas. Two remote sensing technologies, hyperspectral imagery and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data, were utilized to map these two species across the entire area of Surrey.
Analysis of spectral characteristics of HB and EI were used with hyperspectral imagery to examine the feasibility of spectrally detecting these species. Spectra were obtained from a ground-based handheld spectrometer from the two species and other common species in Surrey and processed through a spectral channel selection algorithm to identify key wavelengths for distinguishing these species. Once identified, a spectral classification routine used these wavelengths and training plots to detect HB and EI across open areas in Surrey. Results showed accuracies of 76.4% for HB and 80.0% for EI.
Mapping HB and EI across all land covers of Surrey required detecting the two species in forested areas. Field plots, LiDAR-derived topographic and forest structure variables, hyperspectral data, a land cover classification, and a LiDAR-derived irradiance model were all used as inputs into random forest models to detect the species across the entire land base. Model accuracies ranged from 77.8% to 87.8%. Open areas were classified better than forested areas. EI was found more across the city than HB.
The research in the thesis has advanced detection of invasive plants by demonstrating the feasibility of mapping understory invasions of EI and HB in urban areas at fine spatial resolutions and can form the basis for a future monitoring system using data acquired at regular intervals. Future work is recommended to enhance data collection and increase map specificity.Forestry, Faculty of
Graduate
45
Alam, Majbaul. "Decentralized renewable hybrid mini-grid based electrification of rural and remote off-grid areas of Bangladesh." Thesis, De Montfort University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2086/14535.
Full textAbstract:
Like many other developing nations Bangladesh has a very poor electrification rate especially in the rural areas. Millions of people here are excluded from the benefit of globalization because of no access to necessary electricity supply. This research work proposes decentralized renewable hybrid mini-grids as a potential approach for off-grid rural and remote area electrification in Bangladesh. Based on the available renewable resources an area specific resource map has been developed. The characteristics of the bottom of the economic pyramid market including customers’ attitude to switch from liquid fuel to mini-grid based electricity supply, expected load demand and their willingness to pay have been explored through a field study. Different combinations of hybrid systems have been designed and optimized using the HOMER micro-grid design software to cover the whole country. Results suggest that serving the required load over wider hours rather than having the same load concentrated in a short span of time can achieve better hybrid system performance. Initial capital subsidy of 40 percent along with 5 percent interest on loan has been applied in accordance with the renewable energy policy of Bangladesh government. Proposed optimized rice husk-diesel hybrid system in Rangpur, micro hydro-PV system in Rangamati, wind-PV system in Chakaria and PV-diesel system in coastal areas can produce electricity for USD 0.172/kWh, 0.291/kWh, 0.217/kWh and 0.316/kWh respectively while serving loads for 12 to 18 hours a day. Field data analysed by applying the dichotomous choice contingent valuation method revealed that customers are willing to pay maximum of USD 0.43/kWh. The value difference between the cost of electricity generation and the customers’ willingness to pay creates the opportunity to attract the private investors. Suitable business delivery models have been identified and explained for successful mini-grid business by private investment. Optimum hybrid systems have been standardized for replication and a sustainable business model has been suggested for scaling up this electrification approach.
46
Mkhonto, Mkhonto. "THE EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION ACCESSIBILITY SYSTEM FOR A COMMUNITY IN THE REMOTE AREAS OF SOUTH AFRICA." Thesis, Bloemfontein: CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, FREE STATE, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11462/232.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis ( M. Tech. (School of Information Technology )) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2014The aim of this study has been to find out how the community in the remote areas of South Africa access government information. The study is based on four villages, two in the Northern Cape Province (Heuningvlei and Galeshewe) and two in Limpopo Province (The Oaks and Finala). A quantitative design was used. Open and closed-ended questionnaires were used to collect data from the community. Out of 200 questionnaires distributed only 144 responses were received. Responses in the questionnaires were tabulated, coded and processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) programme. Based on the analysis in Table 4.13, the study showed that 44 percent of the sampled community have access to information through Television which they classified as technology. Shortage of telecentres, distance to telecentres, age, lack of education, monthly income, infrastructure and transport cost were some of the important factors contributing to a lack of access to information. Some of the findings are that most of the telecentres are located far from towns, more than 7 kilometres from the village. Ideally, telecentres should be located near the community, within a short walking distance. It is recommended that provision/establishment for easy access to information and communication services by the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA) in the remote areas in the Northern Cape and Limpopo province is strongly considered for implementation. This will overcome the gap that exists between the urban and semi-urban communities regarding access to human rights information such as rights to life, equality, freedom of speech, assembly and access to information. It is also assumed that the implementation of telecentres and Internet Cafes, in order to facilitate the adoption of e-government information by people residing in remote areas (semi-urban areas) such as Heuningvlei, Galeshewe, The Oaks and Finala will contribute to better access to human rights. The study also recommends that the service costs charged by the telecentre and Internet Cafes should not be expensive. This will assist the community to afford to pay Internet services. Information is important for decision-making. For this reason, it is recommended that continued campaigns on awareness about the mportance of access to information through telecentres and Internet Cafes should be conducted.
47
Muñoz, Gamboa Paola Sofía. "Assessing Management of Nicaragua’s Caribbean Region Protected Areas Using Remote Sensing: The Indio Maíz Biological Reserve." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1628265519609002.
Full text
48
Ferreira, João Adriano Teixeira. "Security in remote monitoring devices in critical areas." Master's thesis, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/1822/72018.
Full textAbstract:
Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engineering and Management of Information SystemsThe use of Information Technologies has grown exponentially over the past years affecting many critical sectors from the industrial to the financial, energy, and health sectors. The ability to track and remotely monitor people and objects in real-time is one of the changes made possible by Information Technologies. Although those Information Technologies innovations sprang several significant advantages for people and organizations, there are also some security and privacy concerns regarding the monitoring of people, objects, and processes in critical areas. Every day new and more effective cyberattacks are discovered which steal sensitive information from their holders and affect people and organizations. Computational power is increasing and organizations are emerging whose main objective is to profit from the sale of the stolen information assets. These attacks can impact critical areas, such as health and energy; they may even jeopardize the physical integrity of individuals. In Healthcare, a Critical Area, the number of Remote Patient Monitoring Devices Systems is increasing, and the number of patients using them increases as well. At the same time, there have been identified new security vulnerabilities on high technological medical devices. People privacy is also being called into question. Several privacy gaps have forced governments to take action with the main objective of safeguarding the privacy of their citizens, as was the case with the much-discussed General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union. Standards and Frameworks play an important role in the improvement o security. In this scientific work, it was developed and validated a proposal of a sector-specific Security Framework that can be applied to Remote Patient Monitoring Devices Systems to improve their overall security. That framework is based on the best widely spread Security Standards and Frameworks. The Framework define 30 requirements divided into 5 assets. Each requirement has one or more functions, in a total of 4 available. It was also defined 8 implementation groups. To validate the Framework it was developed a Remote Patient Monitoring Device System Simulator composed by a Micro-controller NodeMCU with an ESP8266 Wi-Fi chip connected to a Heart Rate Analog Sensor, and an Interface. When applied to the Framework, the developed simulator obtained a score of 9 in 29 available requirements for that implementation group device. The selected research method used to guide this scientific research was the Design Science Research.
A utilização das Tecnologias de Informação tem crescido exponencialmente ao longo dos últimos anos afetando vários setores críticos que vão desde a indústria, passando pelo setor financeiro, energético e até mesmo pela saúde. A capacidade de acompanhamento e monitorização remota de pessoas e objetos em tempo real é uma das mudanças potenciadas pelas Tecnologias de Informação. Embora destas inovações ao nível das Tecnologias de Informação advenham um conjunto de vantagens significativas para pessoas e organizações, surgem também algumas preocupações ao nível da segurança e privacidade no que concerne à monitorização de pessoas, objetos e processos em áreas críticas. Diariamente são identificados e descritos novos e mais eficazes ataques cibernéticos, a pessoas e organizações com o intuito de roubar informação sensível para os seus detentores. O poder computacional é crescente e insurgem-se organizações cujo principal objetivo é lucrar com a venda de ativos informacionais roubados. Estes ataques podem atingir áreas tão críticas, como o setor da saúde e energético, podendo mesmo colocar em causa a integridade física de pessoas. Nos cuidados de saúde, uma área crítica, o número de Sistemas de Dispositivos de Monitorização Remota esta a crescer, bem como o número de pacientes que os usam. Ao mesmo tempo, têm sido identificadas novas vulnerabilidades de segurança em dispositivos médicos altamente tecnológicos. A privacidade das pessoas está também a ser comprometida. É possível assistir-se a várias falhas ao nível da privacidade que obrigou os governos a tomar medidas com o principal objetivo de salvaguardar a privacidade dos seus cidadãos como foi o caso do tão falado Regulamento Geral de Proteção de Dados da União Europeia. Standards e Frameworks desempenham um papel importante na melhoria da segurança. Neste trabalho de investigação foi desenvolvida e validada uma proposta de Framework de Segurança específica para o setor da Saúde e que pode ser aplicada em Sistemas de Dispositivos de Monitorização Remota com o objetivo de aumentar a sua segurança. Esta Framework é baseada nas melhores e mais usadas Frameworks e Standards. A Framework define 30 requisitos divididos em 5 ativos. Cada requisito tem uma ou mais funções, de um total de 4. Foi também definido 8 grupos de implementação. Para validar a Framework foi desenvolvido um Simulador composto por um micro controlador NodeMCU com um chip Wi-FI ESP8266 conectado a um Sensor Analógico de Frequência Cardíaca. Quando aplicado à Framework, o simulador obteve um score de 9 em 29 requisitos disponíveis para aquele grupo de implementação. A metodologia de investigação selecionada para guiar este projeto foi a Design Science Research.
49
Liu, Hsiu-Chuan, and 劉秀娟. "The Status of information Literacy of Remote Areas Students." Thesis, 2002. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/58681563452539927215.
Full textAbstract:
碩士國立臺灣師範大學
社會教育學系在職進修碩士班
91
To face the 21st century age coming, information not only has already overcome limited with time and space, but also can increase the teaching resource in remote areas, that transports extremely with Internet or usage of media literacy. This research aims to find out relations among the knowledge of information to individual students background, and usage of related apparatuses, which elements and methods also to influence on students information literacy. The results can also provide some authoritative advices on how to help students to search active and use widely with every information related equipments, and improve positive the information literacy in remote students. In advance, it can supply the policy of curriculum in order to enter through every field with information education. Our ideal educational equality will be come true for raising newest circumstances.
50
Kao, Wan-Ching, and 高婉菁. "Remote areas to build mobile medical information system Study." Thesis, 2011. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/96771766279189919237.
Full textAbstract:
碩士義守大學
資訊管理學系碩士在職專班
99
This research is aimed at understanding the present medical service in remote areas and the medical staff’s awareness to the mobile medical information system. Before the research beginning, five experts were invited and interviewed by author. Then, the author summarized the interview content and formed a structured questionnaire. One hundred and sixty-night personnel from a medical center in south Taiwan were participated in this study. These medical staffs were nurses, administrative staff, physicians, and pharmacists. Regarding the issue of operative process, the major concern is not the same among the personnel. Nurses and administrative staff are most concerned the issues of data files and numbers on the Eisai items used in previous medical service. That information could be a good reference for preparing material needs on next time. Physicians were more concerned the ability to double check of prescriptions which could avoid duplication. Pharmacists were focused on the drugs’ information preparation which should be printed clearly on the medicine bag. Correlation analysis revealed that the awareness between the importance and the need of building information system are positive correlated significantly. The expected benefits of this information system included to establish, save and follow up the medical care record, master the health care indicators, and provide health care to clients in the remote areas.