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Title: Simulating past and future mass balance of Place Glacier using a physically-based, distributed glacier mass balance model
Contributors: Raju Aryal (author), Peter Jackson (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The objective of this study is to develop a physically-based distributed glacier mass balance (GMB) model for Place Glacier, British Columbia, Canada, and apply the model to develop the historic and the future mass balance. The model is forced with climate data from Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) mesoscale atmospheric model output from 1979-2008 for developing historic mass balance on Place Glacier. The model is also run in the future (2009-2040) to develop a projection of mass balance. The model simulated the historic glacier-wide summer and winter balance on Place Glacier satisfactorily. For all years, root mean squared error (RMSE) in simulated summer and winter balance are 0.43 m water equivalent (w.e.) and 0.27 m w.e., respectively. Over the period of 29 years, the model simulated a cumulative net mass balance of -33.72 m w.e. The model outperformed both empirical temperature index (TI) and enhanced TI models in simulating summer balance on Place Glacier when forced with the same RAMS variables. A linear regression model based on Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) technique is used for downscaling future climate projections from a suite of Global Climate Models (GCMs). The cross-validation of downscaled daily air temperature showed a strong correlation with the validation dataset (r~ =0.85, p <0.05). However, the RMSE in downscaled daily air temperature is large (=2.4~C). With spatially average correlation of 0.38 and RMSE of 7.5 mm day\u207b~ , the model for daily precipitation performed less satisfactorily in downscaling large-scale precipitation. For all variables, the error statistics improved with the monthly model. Future GCM projections form CanESM2, MIROC-ESM, MPI-ESM-LR, and HadGEM2-ES, are considered for downscaling. CanESM2 predicted a large negative glacier-wide net mass balance of -2.50 m w.e. for Place Glacier in the future. For the remaining GCMs, the average of net mass balance is \u20130.96 m w.e. The average of the cumulative mass loss predicted from GCMs other than CanESM2 is -31 m w.e. From 2009-2040, CanESM2, MIROC, MPI and HadGEM2 predicted an area loss of 52%, 28% and 22%, respectively. Overall, all downscaled GCMs, except CanESM2, performed better in predicting future mass balance for Place Glacier.
Discipline: Natural Resources & Environmental Studies
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2015

$Source apportionment of fine and coarse fraction particulate matter in Prince George and Kelowna, British Columbia.$

Title: Source apportionment of fine and coarse fraction particulate matter in Prince George and Kelowna, British Columbia.
Contributors: Janice Allen (author), Peter Jackson (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This study examined ambient airborne fine and coarse fraction particulate matter collected from sampling locations in Prince George and Kelowna, BC, during the period October 2005 to September, 2006. The samples were analyzed for endotoxin concentration, and a chemical analysis was performed to determine elements present. Endotoxin concentration were found to be greatest at high temperatures and moderate values of relative humidity. Positive matrix factorization was performed on the Kelowna sample set. Six sources were identified for the fine fractions: wood burning, which contributed 38% to total modeled concentration, residential wood burning (27%), vehicle emissions (19%), soil (12%), agricultural dust (3.5%), and secondary particles (0.5%). Five coarse fraction sources were isolated: soil (representing 32% of modeled concentration), agricultural dust (29%), road salt (15%), residential wood burning (13%), and secondary particles (11%). --P. ii.
Discipline: Environmental Science
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2009

Title: Exposure to fine particulate air pollution in Prince George, British Columbia.
Contributors: Melanie Noullett (author), Peter Jackson (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: Natural Resources & Environmental Studies
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2005

Title: Image characterisation of marine explosive cyclogenesis.
Contributors: Barry Glen Pierce (author), Peter Jackson (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: Environmental Science
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2003

Title: Measurement of nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide by satellite and passive monitors in Northeastern British Columbia, Canada.
Contributors: S. M. Nazrul Islam (author), Peter Jackson (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The Peace River district of Northeastern British Columbia (B.C.) Canada is a region of natural gas production that has undergone rapid development since 2005. Both satellite data products and Willems badge passive sampler measurements of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) were used to assess the air quality implications from gas development activities. Both satellite data products between 2005 and 2013 and Willems badge passive samplers during six two-week exposure periods between August and November, 2013 have been considered in this study. All satellite data products and passive monitoring of these two pollutants in Northeastern B.C. found higher values in Taylor, Fort St. John, and Dawson Creek. This spatial distribution of higher values has resulted from the large gas development activities in these areas. The temporal analysis of satellite NO₂ data revealed higher values near Dawson Creek after 2007 with annual increment of 1.7%. It was also found that Taylor is half as polluted as one of the Canada's largest non-urban SO₂ emission source areas (Canadian oil sands areas in Alberta). --Leaf ii.
Discipline: Natural Resources & Environmental Studies
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2015

Title: Remote sensing of snow and its application to hydrometeorological studies in western Canada.
Contributors: Jinjun Tong (author), Stephen Dery (Thesis advisor), Peter Jackson (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Snow plays a vital role in the energy and water budgets of drainage basins of western Canada. Various remote sensors such as Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) and Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) have been launched to map the snow cover extent (SCE), snow cover fraction (SCF), and snow water equivalent (SWE) across the globe. However, the distribution and variability of snow inferred from remote sensing products have not been comprehensively investigated in western Canada owing to its complex topography and harsh environment. So far, little research has been conducted on SCE-streamflow and SCE-SWE-runoff models focusing on Canadian watersheds where snow cover is very important for human well being. Although microwave remote sensing of snow is widely developed and applied in Canada, the retrieval of SWE in western Canada is not as well established owing to the complex topography in this area. Therefore, the Quesnel River Basin (QRB) of British Columbia is selected as a primary test site to develop and test SCE-streamflow and SCE-SWE-runoff models. Then the Mackenzie River Basin (MRB) is chosen as a secondary test site to apply the Environment Canada (EC) SWE retrieval algorithms to upscale the hydrometeorological research. In this thesis, a new approach referred to as the spatial filter (SF) method is developed to decrease the cloud coverage in the MODIS snow products. At the same time, the new snow products are evaluated based on in-situ observations of snow depth in the QRB. Then the relationships between SCF from MODIS, topography, and hydrometeorology of the QRB are explored. In addition, various retrieval algorithms of SWE from microwave remote sensing are tested in the QRB. At last, the Environment Canada algorithms of SWE from SSM/I are adopted to produce new SCF products evaluated with the MODIS snow products. The relationships between SWE and SCF from SSM/I and hydrometeorology are also investigated in the MRB ...The stud
Discipline: Natural Resources & Environmental Studies
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2010

Title: Numerical modelling of airflow within and above forests and forest clearings using computational fluid dynamics.
Contributors: Timothy James Phaneuf (author), Peter Jackson (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The computational fluid dynamics program, FLUENT, was first tested to validate windtunnel measurements of a scaled 10 ha forest clearing in a two dimensional domain. A variety of domain and canopy configurations were examined along with processor settings. Validation of the CFD program produced excellent results for horizontal wind velocity. Conifer shaped tree elements for the forest stands performed well and similar to the more traditional way of representing forest canopies. Turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) values output by the program seem to over predict the values calculated by using wind tunnel statistics. Various sizes of forest clearings were simulated to determine the stress that would be experienced by a forest edge immediately downwind of a clearing. Shorter gaps (<15 tree heights) seem to experience high values of TKE over the downwind forest, compared to the stand upwind of the clearing and lower stress values along the downwind forest edge. Large gaps (>60 tree heights) saw higher stress values but TKE values no larger than those reported upwind of the clearing. From the stress values calculated from various input velocities and gap sizes, a new tool was produced which takes into account a sites endemic wind speed and canopy density to predict stress on forest edges downwind of clearings.
Discipline: Environmental Science
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2009

Title: ENSO ensemble prediction and predictability for the past 148 years from 1856--2003.
Contributors: Yanjie Cheng (author), Youmin Tang (Thesis advisor), Peter Jackson (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Several important issues of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) predictability were studied using the latest version of the Zebiak-Cane model, singular vector (SV) analysis, ensemble hindcast, and information theory for the period of 148 years, e.g., the dominant factors controlling ENSO prediction skills, the useful precursors of forecast skill, ensemble construction and probabilistic verification. --P. i.
Discipline: Natural Resources & Environmental Studies
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2010

Title: Characterizing residential wood smoke at the neighbourhood scale: An evaluation of five communities in British Columbia.
Contributors: Gail Millar (author), Peter Jackson (Thesis advisor), Michael Brauer (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The experience of residential wood burning becoming an increasingly popular space heating method due to rising energy costs and interest in renewable energy resources raises both air quality and public health concerns. This work demonstrates a novel method that incorporates mobile and fixed-site monitoring to characterize the spatial and temporal distribution of residential wood smoke and identify persistent wood smoke hot spots within five communities situated in north-western British Columbia. High density measurements were collected throughout the communities with an integrated nephelometer during evenings (November 2007 and April 2008) when wood smoke was expected to be prevalent. Gravimetric PM[subscript 2.5] samples were collected at the central monitoring station in each community (October 2007 - April 2009) and analyzed for PM[subscript 2.5], levoglucosan (wood smoke tracer), and light absorbance (black carbon indicator). Slash burning activity was also assessed as a potential confounder of residential wood smoke. Measurements at the central monitoring stations confirmed that wood smoke is a prevalent (levoglucosan/PM[subscript 2.5] = 0.06± 0.03) and consistent (levoglucosan-PM[subscript 2.5] r[subscript]spear = 0.78-0.92) source of PM[subscript 2.5] in the communities. Comparisons between the 2007-08 and 2008-09 heating seasons suggest residential wood smoke concentrations may be declining. Persistent wood smoke hotspots were identified via mobile monitoring with mean estimated PM[subscript 2.5] ranging 13-59 μg m⁻³ and maximum values > 200 μg m⁻³. The majority of these areas were associated with single family dwellings followed by housing types typically associated with lower socioeconomic statuses. Central monitoring stations were representative of seasonal average community-wide concentrations for heating season evenings.
Discipline: Natural Resources & Environmental Studies
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2012

Title: Application of high-resolution mesoscale model fields with the CALPUFF dispersion modelling system in Prince George, British Columbia.
Contributors: Bryan Andrew McEwen (author), Peter Jackson (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: Natural Resources & Environmental Studies
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2003

Title: Reduced-rank sigma-point Kalman filter for geophysical data assimilation
Contributors: Manoj K. Kizhakkeniyil (author), Youmin Tang (Thesis advisor), Peter Jackson (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The main goal of my research was to develop a practical scheme for the sigma-point Kalman filter (SPKF) for its application in a realistic climate model. Large computational expense has been an obstacle to applying the SPKF to a high-dimensional system. I addressed this issue by developing an advanced SPKF data-assimilation system. My work also addressed several other factors related to the practical implementation of SPKF. The main objectives of this research were to: (i) investigate two methods to construct a reduced-rank sigma-point unscented Kalman filers (RRSPUKF) (ii) propose a localization scheme for the SPKF and (iii) implement RRSPUKF in a realistic climate model. I present two methods to approximate the error covariance by a reduced-rank approximation. In the first method, truncated singular-value decomposition (TSVD) is applied on the error-covariance matrix calculated in the data space (RRSPUKF(D)) while in the second method TSVD is applied on the error-covariance matrix calculated in the ensemble space (RRSPUKF(E)). The new algorithms are first tested on the Lorenz-96 model, a one-dimensional atmospheric '~toy' model. The performance of both rank-reduction methods are close to that of the full-rank SPKF. I propose a localization method for RRSPUKF(E). The results from numerical experiments on the Lorenz-96 model showed that when the localization and inflation were implemented, the optimal estimate was achieved with a finite number of sigma points. The realistic model I used in this study was the Zebiak-Cane (ZC) model, an intermediate complexity coupled El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) prediction model. The RRSPUKFs are implemented for the ZC model with the assimilation of sea surface temperature anomalies. The results showed that both RRSPUKF(D and E) were able to correctly analyze the phase and intensity of all major ENSO events during the study period with relatively similar estimation accuracy. Furthermore, the RRSPUKF was compared against ensemble square-root filter (EnSR
Discipline: Natural Resources & Environmental Studies
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2015

Title: Automated modelling of digital elevation models for predictive ecosystem mapping in GIS
Contributors: Nancy Doreen Alexander (author), Peter Jackson (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This thesis is an exploratory analysis of automated mapping protocols that can be used to support Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping and Predictive Ecosystem Mapping in British Columbia. This thesis employs neighbourhood analysis of elevation and its derivatives to discriminate the bioterrain elements defined by Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping standards. In achieving these standards, discrimination beyond the basic topographic forms presented in current research is explored. The method developed strives to be - easily implemented by mapping projects employing standard GIS software ; flexible so that the extracted topographic forms can be tailored to varying project objectives ; compatible with the hierarchical procedure employed in Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping ; efficient and accurate in that the process is advantageous over manual mapping methods. The effect of data quality is addressed through an assessment of DEM data interpolation techniques and classification accuracy. Random and systematic artifacts of the DEM that influence the quality of the derivatives are explored. The issue of scale-dependent shape is addressed by the constraints of objective-based mapping in which a map scale is specified and the most basic shape elements are aggregated into contiguous classes by a roving neighbourhood window. The results indicate that basic topographic elements are mapable from relief as well as first and second order elevation derivatives. These results give preliminary accuracy of 80% based on the three classes tested. The procedure requires decisions at every step, but it is felt that this complements the traditional mapping process in that it is hierarchical, and requires a synthesis of extensive knowledge of vegetation and landscape across many scales. Key Words: elevation, digital elevation model, topography, slope, aspect, curvature, Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping, Predictive Ecosystem Mapping, scale, random, systematic error.
Discipline: Natural Resources Management
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2001

Title: Dispersion modelling during particulate matter episode events in Golden, British Columbia.
Contributors: Tyler Abel (author), Peter Jackson (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The CALPUFF modeling system was used to investigate two episodes of high particulate matter (PM) during December 2005 and February 2006. During this time, Golden was a British Columbia Ministry of Environment (BC MOE) intensive observation site for air quality research specific to PM. Observations from 4 meteorological stations were used to characterize the winds and dispersion parameters within CALMET. Emission rates were determined from the existing Golden Emissions Inventory and receptor modeling commissioned by the BC MOE. Statistical comparison of model predicted and observed PM concentrations show that model performance compares well to similar CALPUFF studies at two of the air quality monitoring stations in Golden. The source apportionment of the CALPUFF results identified the major contributors to degraded air quality levels during the two episodes under investigation as space heating, road dust and, intermittently, Louisiana Pacific operations. --P. i.
Discipline: Natural Resources & Environmental Studies
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2011