Assembly of a crustal seismic velocity database for the western Great Basin
Project Description
This is a sub-project of the "Expanding Geothermal Resource Utilization in Nevada through Directed Research and Public Outreach" project of the Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy at UNR. Its purpose is to assemble a three-dimensional reference model of crustal seismic velocity for the western Great Basin region of Nevada and eastern California. The seismic velocity model consists of simplified rule-based representations of region's crust to 50 km depth, and more detailed characterization of geothermal areas and sedimentary basins. We are compiling velocity information from sources in the literature, results of previous seismic experiments and earthquake-monitoring projects, and data donated from mining, geothermal, and petroleum companies. We also collected (May 2002 and August 2004) two new crustal refraction profiles across western Nevada and the northern and central Sierra.
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Principal
Investigator(s) |
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John N. Louie, Associate Professor of Seismology, Geological Sciences,
Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering. louie@seismo.unr.edu
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| Participants | Students Weston Thelen, James B. Scott, Matthew Clark, Shane B. Smith; Industry collaborator Satish Pullammanappallil, Optim LLC |
| Impact | With the resulting more complete sampling of the crustal geophysical characteristics of geothermal resources in the Great Basin, these measures have contributed to quantitative analyses of the associations between different indicators. Under the Center's goal "(1) Geothermal Resource Assessment and Exploration: B. Identification and Characterization of New Potential Geothermal Resource Targets," this project contributes critical data toward the effective exploration for new geothermal resources. |
| Project Duration | May 2002 - Sept. 2006 |
| Web Site | http://www.seismo.unr.edu/geothermal |
| Outreach Audience | Geothermal industry and applicable regulators. |
| Project Focus |
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Earth Science
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People, Social Sciences, Education, Outreach
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Updated: 3/3/2005
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Historical Photographs of the Tahoe Basin
Project Description
This project seeks to catalog and publish historical photographs of the Tahoe Basin, utilizing significant local archives and repositories. These photographs will include a number of photographs published in earlier editions of other books, but also will include rarely or never before seen photographs of people and places within the Tahoe Basin. The project is slated for publication by Arcadia Publishers in Fall, 2005 or early 2006.
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Principal
Investigator(s) |
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Peter Goin, Professor of Art, Art,
College of Liberal Arts. pgoin@unr.edu
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| Statistics | Faculty Involved: 1
Undergraduates Involved: 4 |
| Outreach Audience | General public and dedicated readers |
| Project Focus |
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Water
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People, Social Sciences, Education, Outreach
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Updated: 1/20/2005
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Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition (LTEEC)
Project Description
Needs Assessment: LTEEC fills the important niche of coordinating outreach education to the general public or the “grass roots” citizens at Lake Tahoe. The role of LTEEC in reaching out to the general public is to get environmental educators at Lake Tahoe working together in a mutually supportive collaboration to increase the overall impact of educational activities. Two surveys were conducted during 2003, including an LTEEC Membership survey (n = 245) and an LTEEC Needs Assessment for Rating Potential Future Programs and Projects (n = 115, using the Delphi Technique).
Program Delivery: LTEEC consists of nine active program areas and a Steering Committee comprised of representatives from the program areas and local agencies. The Steering Committee met twice this year to discuss the focus for LTEEC, program areas, and to provide overall suggestions for the Coordinator. Based on the prioritized workplan developed in 2003, LTEEC is currently addressing 17 out of the top 25 highly rated educational projects. LTEEC outreach included three quarterly newsletters in 2004, upkeep of the LTEEC web site (www.lteec.org), the weekly “Lake Tahoe Report” media campaign, and event promotion through the media and through the LTEEC email network.
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Principal
Investigator(s) |
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John Cobourn, Area Specialist, Water Resources, Western Extension Area - Incline Village,
Cooperative Extension. cobournj@unce.unr.edu
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Heather M Segale, Environmental Education Coordinator, Western Extension Area - Incline Village,
Cooperative Extension. hmsegale@ucdavis.edu
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| Impact | Achievements during 2004 include: (1) coordination of 50 weekly environmental education media campaign news segments on KOLO-TV and corresponding newspaper articles published in 5 local newspapers; (2) publication of three quarterly newsletters for distribution to over 750 contacts each; (3) updating the LTEEC website and calendar of events; (4) publicizing 144 local events and meetings through the LTEEC network; (5) helping to coordinate 57 environmental education events which involved more than 4,883 participants including Erosion Control and Best Management Workshop for Contractors, Biennial Tahoe Research Symposium, Snapshot Day Volunteer Monitoring Event, Snapshot Day Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, Children’s Environmental Science Day, Earth Day, and the LTEEC Annual Meeting; (6) facilitating working group meetings; (7) administration of grants; and (8) receipt of two competitive grants for a total of $126,745 to provide support for the programs of LTEEC.
Outcomes:
Short-Term Outcomes: Outcomes during 2004 include increased awareness and education regarding the following:
• LTEEC newsletter distribution to over 750 LTEEC members increased awareness of the Environmental Improvement Program (EIP), collaborative calendar events, and local environmental issues.
• Awareness of Best Management Practices (BMPs) was increased based on number of site evaluations, Certificates of Completion (in 2004) and Contractor Workshop test scores. The increased awareness was measured by pre- and post-tests at some events such as the Contractors Workshop, but in many cases the short-term impacts are not regularly measured. In 2004, the average scores were 71.5% on the pre-test (n=141) and 83.3% on the post-test (n=135).
Mid-Term Outcomes:
• Actions include installation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) on private properties. During 2004, 2,303 site evaluations (10% increase over 2003) were conducted by Partners in Conservation staff and 1,671 Certificates of Completion (40 % increase over prior year) were issued by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency BMP Retrofit/Erosion Control Program.
• As a result of the Snapshot Day citizen monitoring activities disclosing high nutrient concentrations in various stream locations, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board have pursued continued monitoring at these previously unmonitored sites. Due in part, to Snapshot Day efforts, several areas are now on the “radar screen” for agencies and local jurisdictions to implement water quality improvements.
Long-Term Outcomes: Thirty agencies and non-profit organizations have continued collaboration on environmental education and outreach programs. LTEEC’s overall long-term goals include reduced polluted urban runoff, improved water quality, improved air quality, achievement of Tahoe Regional Planning Agency thresholds, creation of a local population who are extremely well educated and motivated to protect the area, and the long-term protection of Lake Tahoe. |
| Project Duration | LTEEC was formed in 1999 by John Cobourn of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. Heather Segale was hired at the Environmental Education Coordinator in April of 2001 through a collaborative grant between University of California and University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. |
| Outreach Audience | "Grass roots" public, agency staff, non-profit staff, teachers & informal educators |
| Project Focus |
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People, Social Sciences, Education, Outreach
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Updated: 4/18/2008
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Multimedia Explorations at Lake Tahoe
Project Description
As a part of my creative production agenda, and in support of my teaching mission, I create works that explore the ecology of the Lake Tahoe area. Some of these projects were created within my role as webmaster for the Great Basin Sierra Club.
Quaking Aspen and Spawning Salmon
Chickadees at Lake Tahoe Overlook
Merganser Ducks at Emerald Bay
Virtual Reality Panorama at Hidden Beach
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Principal
Investigator(s) |
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Howard Goldbaum, Associate Professor of Journalism,
Reynolds School of Journalism. goldbaum@unr.edu
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| Impact | It is my hope that such projects will increase appreciation for the diversity of natural landscapes in the Lake Tahoe region. |
| Project Duration | ongoing |
| Outreach Audience | Sierra Club; general public |
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People, Social Sciences, Education, Outreach
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Updated: 9/19/2005
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Tahoe Research, Scholarship, & Outreach web site
Project Description
Create a web site to provide information and news about Tahoe Basin Research and Outreach activities by University of Nevada, Reno faculty and staff. The site will be designed for a wide public audience as well as the research community.
To place current research in the context of regional history, the site will include and organize digital media from the collections of the University Libraries, content solicited from University authors and producers, and other sources. The Libraries' DataWorks Department will develop interactive maps that retrieve demographic or other regional data, and host a SharePoint collaborative site for participants.
University faculty and staff may enter their personal profiles and research projects into an SQL Server database via simple web forms. Web pages that display project descriptions and researcher profiles will be generated from the database using ASP.Net. The database will also be a source of organized documentation on Tahoe-related research by the University.
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Principal
Investigator(s) |
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Duncan M. Aldrich, DataWorks Coordinator, University Libraries,
Division of Information Technology. duncan@unr.edu
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| Participants | Bob Blesse, Donnelyn Curtis, Araby Greene, Amy Shannon, Mary Taylor, Glee Willis, Steve Zink |
| Project Duration | Preliminary site to be completed in December, 2004, with ongoing development thereafter. |
| Web Site | http://www.tahoe.unr.edu/ |
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People, Social Sciences, Education, Outreach
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Updated: 12/9/2004
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