Paleoenvironment and Paleoecology of a Late Paleocene High-Latitude Terrestrial Succession, Arkose Ridge Formation at Box Canyon, Southern Talkeetna Mountains, Alaska

Paleogene sedimentary rocks of the Arkose Ridge Formation (Talkeetna Mountains, Alaska) preserve a record of a fluvial-lacustrine depositional environment and its forested ecosystem in an active basin among the convergent margin tectonic processes that shaped southern Alaska. An -800 m measured succession at Box Canyon indicates braid-plain deposition with predominantly gravelly deposits low in the exposure to sandy and muddy facies associations below an overlying lava flow sequence. U-Pb geochronology on zircons from a tuff and a sandstone within the measured section, as well as an Ar/Ar date from the overlying lava constrain the age of the sedimentary succession to between similar to 59 Ma and 48 Ma Fossil plant remains occur throughout the Arkose Ridge Formation as poorly-preserved coalified woody debris and fragmentary leaf impressions. At Box Canyon, however, a thin la-custrine depositional lens of rhythmically laminated mudrocks yielded fish fossils and a well-preserved floral assemblage including foliage and reproductive organs representing conifers, sphenopsids, monocots, and dicots. Leaf physiognomic methods to estimate paleoclimate were applied to the dicot leaf collection and indicate warm temperate paleotemperatures (-11-15 +/- -4 degrees C MAT) and elevated paleoprecipitation (-120 cm/yr MAP) estimates as compared to modem conditions; results that are parallel with previously published estimates from the partly coeval Chickaloon Formation deposited in more distal depositional environments in the same basin. The low abundance of leaf herbivory in the Box Canyon dicot assemblage (-9% of leaves damaged) is also similar to the results from assemblages in the meander-plain depositional systems of the Chickaloon. This new suite of data informs models of the tectonostratigraphic evolution of southern Alaska and the developing understanding of terrestrial paleoecology and paleoclimate at high latitudes during the Late Paleocene-Early Eocene greenhouse climate phase. (c) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of one-dimensional and two-dimensional computational tools that simulate steady internal condensing flows in terrestrial and zero-gravity environments

This dissertation presents an effective quasi one-dimensional (1-D) computational simulation tool and a full two-dimensional (2-D) computational simulation methodology for steady annular/stratified internal condensing flows of pure vapor. These simulation tools are used to investigate internal condensing flows in both gravity as well as shear driven environments. Through accurate numerical simulations of the full two dimensional governing equations, results for laminar/laminar condensing flows inside mm-scale ducts are presented. The methodology has been developed using MATLAB/COMSOL platform and is currently capable of simulating film-wise condensation for steady (and unsteady flows). Moreover, a novel 1-D solution technique, capable of simulating condensing flows inside rectangular and circular ducts with different thermal boundary conditions is also presented. The results obtained from the 2-D scientific tool and 1-D engineering tool, are validated and synthesized with experimental results for gravity dominated flows inside vertical tube and inclined channel; and, also, for shear/pressure driven flows inside horizontal channels. Furthermore, these simulation tools are employed to demonstrate key differences of physics between gravity dominated and shear/pressure driven flows. A transition map that distinguishes shear driven, gravity driven, and “mixed” driven flow zones within the non-dimensional parameter space that govern these duct flows is presented along with the film thickness and heat transfer correlations that are valid in these zones. It has also been shown that internal condensing flows in a micro-meter scale duct experiences shear driven flow, even in different gravitational environments. The full 2-D steady computational tool has been employed to investigate the length of annularity. The result for a shear driven flow in a horizontal channel shows that in absence of any noise or pressure fluctuation at the inlet, the onset of non-annularity is partly due to insufficient shear at the liquid-vapor interface. This result is being further corroborated/investigated by R. R. Naik with the help of the unsteady simulation tool. The condensing flow results and flow physics understanding developed through these simulation tools will be instrumental in reliable design of modern micro-scale and spacebased thermal systems.

Evaluation of surface defect detection in reinforced concrete bridge decks using terrestrial LiDAR

Routine bridge inspections require labor intensive and highly subjective visual interpretation to determine bridge deck surface condition. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) a relatively new class of survey instrument has become a popular and increasingly used technology for providing as-built and inventory data in civil applications. While an increasing number of private and governmental agencies possess terrestrial and mobile LiDAR systems, an understanding of the technology’s capabilities and potential applications continues to evolve. LiDAR is a line-of-sight instrument and as such, care must be taken when establishing scan locations and resolution to allow the capture of data at an adequate resolution for defining features that contribute to the analysis of bridge deck surface condition. Information such as the location, area, and volume of spalling on deck surfaces, undersides, and support columns can be derived from properly collected LiDAR point clouds. The LiDAR point clouds contain information that can provide quantitative surface condition information, resulting in more accurate structural health monitoring. LiDAR scans were collected at three study bridges, each of which displayed a varying degree of degradation. A variety of commercially available analysis tools and an independently developed algorithm written in ArcGIS Python (ArcPy) were used to locate and quantify surface defects such as location, volume, and area of spalls. The results were visual and numerically displayed in a user-friendly web-based decision support tool integrating prior bridge condition metrics for comparison. LiDAR data processing procedures along with strengths and limitations of point clouds for defining features useful for assessing bridge deck condition are discussed. Point cloud density and incidence angle are two attributes that must be managed carefully to ensure data collected are of high quality and useful for bridge condition evaluation. When collected properly to ensure effective evaluation of bridge surface condition, LiDAR data can be analyzed to provide a useful data set from which to derive bridge deck condition information.

Extracellular matrix of the charophycean green algae

A comprehensive knowledge of cell wallstructure and function throughout the plant kingdom is essential to understanding cell wall evolution. The fundamental understanding of the charophycean green algal cell wall is broadening. The similarities and differences that exist between land plant and algal cell walls provide opportunities to understand plant evolution. A variety of polymers previously associated with higher plants were discovered in the charophycean green algae (CGA), including homogalacturonans, cross-linking glycans, arabinogalactan protein, β-glucans, and cellulose. The cellulose content of CGA cell walls ranged from 6% to 43%, with the higher valuescomparable to that found in the primary cell wall of land plants (20-30%). (1,3)β-glucans were found in the unicellular Chlorokybus atmophyticus, Penium margaritaceum, and Cosmarium turpini, the unbranched filamentous Klebsormidium flaccidum, and the multicellular Chara corallina. The discovery of homogalacturonan in Penium margaritaceum representsthe first confirmation of land plant-type pectinsin desmids and the second rigorous characterization of a pectin polymer from the charophycean algae. Homogalacturonan was also indicated from the basal species Chlorokybus atmophyticus and Klebsormidium flaccidum. There is evidence of branched pectins in Cosmarium turpini and linkage analysis suggests the presence of type I rhamnogalacturonan (RGI). Cross-linking β-glucans are associated with cellulose microfibrils during land plant cell growth, and were found in the cell wall of CGA. The evidence of mixed-linkage glucan (MLG) in the 11 charophytesis both suprising and significant given that MLG was once thought to be specific to some grasses. The organization and structure of Cosmarium turpini and Chara corallina MLG was found to be similar to that of Equisetumspp., whereas the basal species of the CGA, Chlorokybus atmophyticus and Klebsormidium flaccidum, have unique organization of alternating of 3- and 4-linkages. The significance of this result on the evolution of the MLG synthetic pathway has yet to be determined. The extracellular matrix (ECM) of Chlorokybus atmophyticus, Klebsormidium flaccidum, and Spirogyra spp. exhibits significant biochemical diversity, ranging from distinct “land plant” polymers to polysaccharides unique to these algae. The neutral sugar composition of Chlorokybus atmophyticus hot water extract and Spirogyra extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), combined with antibody labeling results, revealed the distinct possibility of an arabinogalactan protein in these organisms. Polysaccharide analysis of Zygnematales (desmid) EPS, indicated a probable range of different EPS backbones and substitution patterns upon the core portions of the molecules. Desmid EPS is predominately composed of a complex matrix of branched, uronic acid containing polysaccharides with ester sulfate substitutions and, as such, has an almost infinite capacity for various hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interaction and ionic cross-bridging motifs, which characterize their unique function in biofilms. My observations support the hypothesis that members of the CGA represent the phylogenetic line that gave rise to vascular plants and that the primary cell wall of vascular plants many have evolved directly from structures typical of the cell wall of filamentous green algae found in the charophycean green algae.

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF BIOFUEL PRODUCED FROM ALGAE

Algae are considered a promising source of biofuels in the future. However, the environmental impact of algae-based fuel has high variability in previous LCA studies due to lack of accurate data from researchers and industry. The National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts (NAABB) project was designed to produce and evaluate new technologies that can be implemented by the algal biofuel industry and establish the overall process sustainability. The MTU research group within NAABB worked on the environmental sustainability part of the consortium with UOP-Honeywell and with the University of Arizona (Dr. Paul Blowers). Several life cycle analysis (LCA) models were developed within the GREET Model and SimaPro 7.3 software to quantitatively assess the environment viability and sustainability of algal fuel processes. The baseline GREET Harmonized algae life cycle was expanded and replicated in SimaPro software, important differences in emission factors between GREET/E-Grid database and SimaPro/Ecoinvent database were compared, and adjustments were made to the SimaPro analyses. The results indicated that in most cases SimaPro has a higher emission penalty for inputs of electricity, chemicals, and other materials to the algae biofuels life cycle. A system-wide model of algae life cycle was made starting with preliminary data from the literature, and then progressed to detailed analyses based on inputs from all NAABB research areas, and finally several important scenarios in the algae life cycle were investigated as variations to the baseline scenario. Scenarios include conversion to jet fuel instead of biodiesel or renewable diesel, impacts of infrastructure for algae cultivation, co-product allocation methodology, and different usage of lipid-extracted algae (LEA). The infrastructure impact of algae cultivation is minimal compared to the overall life cycle. However, in the scenarios investigating LEA usage for animal feed instead of internal recycling for energy use and nutrient recovery the results reflect the high potential variability in LCA results. Calculated life cycle GHG values for biofuel production scenarios where LEA is used as animal feed ranged from a 55% reduction to 127% increase compared to the GREET baseline scenario depending on the choice of feed meal. Different allocation methods also affect LCA results significantly. Four novel harvesting technologies and two extraction technologies provided by the NAABB internal report have been analysis using SimaPro LCA software. The results indicated that a combination of acoustic extraction and acoustic harvesting technologies show the most promising result of all combinations to optimize the extraction of algae oil from algae. These scenario evaluations provide important insights for consideration when planning for the future of an algae-based biofuel industry.

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS (LCAs) OF PYROLYSIS-BASED GASOLINE AND DIESEL FROM DIFFERENT REGIONAL FEEDSTOCKS: CORN STOVER, SWITCHGRASS, SUGAR CANE BAGASSE, WASTE WOOD, GUINEA GRASS, ALGAE, AND ALBIZIA

Renewable hydrocarbon biofuels are being investigated as possible alternatives to conventional liquid transportation fossil fuels like gasoline, kerosene (aviation fuel), and diesel. A diverse range of biomass feedstocks such as corn stover, sugarcane bagasse, switchgrass, waste wood, and algae, are being evaluated as candidates for pyrolysis and catalytic upgrading to produce drop-in hydrocarbon fuels. This research has developed preliminary life cycle assessments (LCA) for each feedstock-specific pathway and compared the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the hydrocarbon biofuels to current fossil fuels. As a comprehensive study, this analysis attempts to account for all of the GHG emissions associated with each feedstock pathway through the entire life cycle. Emissions from all stages including feedstock production, land use change, pyrolysis, stabilizing the pyrolysis oil for transport and storage, and upgrading the stabilized pyrolysis oil to a hydrocarbon fuel are included. In addition to GHG emissions, the energy requirements and water use have been evaluated over the entire life cycle. The goal of this research is to help understand the relative advantages and disadvantages of the feedstocks and the resultant hydrocarbon biofuels based on three environmental indicators; GHG emissions, energy demand, and water utilization. Results indicate that liquid hydrocarbon biofuels produced through this pyrolysis-based pathway can achieve greenhouse gas emission savings of greater than 50% compared to petroleum fuels, thus potentially qualifying these biofuels under the US EPA RFS2 program. GHG emissions from biofuels ranged from 10.7-74.3 g/MJ from biofuels derived from sugarcane bagasse and wild algae at the extremes of this range, respectively. The cumulative energy demand (CED) shows that energy in every biofuel process is primarily from renewable biomass and the remaining energy demand is mostly from fossil fuels. The CED for biofuel range from 1.25-3.25 MJ/MJ from biofuels derived from sugarcane bagasse to wild algae respectively, while the other feedstock-derived biofuels are around 2 MJ/MJ. Water utilization is primarily from cooling water use during the pyrolysis stage if irrigation is not used during the feedstock production stage. Water use ranges from 1.7 - 17.2 gallons of water per kg of biofuel from sugarcane bagasse to open pond algae, respectively.