Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Using remote sensing indices to analyze the influence of bare ground in dust source areas to total dust-on-snow load in the san juan mountains, colorado(Montana State University, 2021) Bilbrey, Christopher Edward; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Scott PowellThe movement of dust across the western United States (US) has increased exponentially over the last 20 to 30 years driving a positive feedback regime altering the timing and magnitude of snowmelt. Dust radiative forcing of snowmelt can potentially exceed present day and likely future greenhouse gas forcing by two orders of magnitude. The semiarid landscape of the Colorado Plateau is one of the largest sources of dust in the western US. MODIS satellite imagery has been used to identify frequent, large-scale dust plumes that originate in the dust source area of northeastern Arizona, US and deposit that dust in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado. My study attempted to distinguish a "tele-link" between vegetation vigor in the dust source area and end of season total dust load in the San Juan Mountains from October 1 to June 30 for the years 2016 to 2021. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a principal index tool used in multitemporal vegetation monitoring, and is commonly used as a direct indicator of vegetation health and growth. NDVI allows us to delineate the distribution of vegetation and bare soil based on the characteristic reflectance patterns of green vegetation. My study compared monthly NDVI mean values acquired by MODIS and Sentinel-2 to evaluate each satellites efficacy at modeling vegetation cover. Results suggest the association between vegetation vigor, bare soil, and total dust load is more complex and a number of factors could influence the inter-annual variability of dust-deposition. Statistical analysis employing ANOVA and multiple means comparison effectively identified pairwise groups who's monthly NDVI mean values were significantly different from others and 95% confidence intervals of the true expected difference, but failed to distinguish a "tele-link" between change in vegetation vigor and end of season total dust load. Finer-spatial resolution imagery captured more local variability in change in vegetation vigor over time and expanded the significant NDVI sampling window from 30 to 60 days. Projected climate change will likely increase aridity in the southwestern US, reduce the amount of vegetation cover, increase the amount of bare soil and enhance dust emission throughout the years.Item The effects of RGGI on mortality outcomes(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2024) Power, Nicholas Markert; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Justin GallagherMost debates around market-based solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions often focus on greenhouse gas emissions reductions and cost-effectiveness. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a cap-and-trade program designed to curb greenhouse gas emissions, and was implemented in 2009 across nine states in the greater New England area. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that over 6.5 million people die from air pollution annually. Particulate Matter of 2.5 microns or less in diameter is a major component in greenhouse gas emissions and has a myriad of deleterious effects to human health. This paper explores whether the RGGI policy had an impact on mortality rates, using a difference-in-differences approach, and estimates reduction in Cardiovascular related mortalities for the age cohort 15-64. I estimate that there are approximately 12 fewer deaths per county effected by the RGGI policy from 2009- 2019.Combined with the 45 counties affected by the policy, there are an estimated 553 fewer cardiovascular related mortalities for the 15-64 age group from 2009-2019 as compared to the counties unaffected by the policy. Robustness checks are run to verify the reliability of this finding.Item Efficient energy modeling : a low carbon source energy assessment of proposed building interconnections based on emerging market modeling tools(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 2014) Talbert, Joshua William; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Kevin AmendeBuilding energy consumption studies based on whole building energy consumption modeling (Energy Modeling) are not widely applied for performance planning and assessment. The origins of energy modeling as a design resource extend back almost 50 years, but recent developments in computing power and international attention to green house gas emission reduction has brought the benefits of energy modeling to the forefront of building designers, managers, and policy makers. The research herein provides a two-fold benefit to the Montana State University and energy modeling communities by providing energy assessment information and proving the efficacy of modern energy modeling tools currently under development. The procedure followed in this research proves that effective energy modeling can be completed with a significant reduction in the time resource required by harnessing the new energy modeling tools and methods. The University also gains ownership of valuable assessment tools for future application towards energy upgrades, building maintenance, and capital expenditure decisions. Features employed in this research include photographic based model development, model calibration, and proposed system component assessment. The University, based on its need for information about the carbon footprint of campus buildings, commissioned this research through Facilities Services. Modeling results support an overall reduction of campus building related green house gas emissions and prove that emerging energy modeling tools can significantly reduce the time spent on accurate model development.