Moulay Anwar Sounny-Slitine

River–floodplain interactions are not limited to overbanking and breeching of levees, but can also occur during sub bankfull stage levels. These interactions can happen through depressions in the natural levees or through seepage through the levee. This dynamic interaction is thought of being a major force in controlling biota in river floodplains. Water from within the channel can delivers nutrients, sediments, and organic matter to the floodplain ecosystem.  Modeling the magnitude of these interactions on small overbanking events can be done through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and high resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs).  With the popularization of airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), DEMs can be created with horizontal resolutions of a meter, an order of magnitude better than previous generations of DEMs.  These DEMs allow not only for modeling inundations, but for delineating the natural levees locations and heights. Coupling this information with Remote Sensing datasets such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a link can be established between the river and the surrounding ecosystem’s productivity.

Presentations

2011    Paul F. Hudson and Moulay Anwar Sounny-Slitine, "Complex Inundation along the Lower Mississippi River", International Conference on the Status and Future of the World's Large Rivers, Hydrology & Hydraulics, Vienna, Austria

Much is still unknown about the origin and driving forces of river avulsions and there is much debate amongst fluvial geomorphologist on the conditions that give rise to an avulsion. Most avulsion studies emphasize gradient advantage as the underling driving mechanism for avulsion, but without high-resolution and accurate elevation models it is difficult to link the two process. This research is using the latest techniques and elevation datasets derived from LiDAR to study this linkage.

Presentations

2010    Moulay Anwar Sounny-Slitine, Maraigh B. Leitch, and Paul F. Hudson,  “Avulsions of Texas Coastal Rivers: LiDAR Application in Geomorphology”,  Texas GIS Forum, Elevation Modeling, co-authored with Maraigh B. Lietch and Paul F. Hudson,  Austin, Texas

The rain forest has an important role in hydrology of the Amazon by regulating flooding and storing water to sustain evapotranspiration when air moisture is low.   In the Brazilian Amazon, population growth has taken place in the state capitols, seeing major growths in the last 30 years.  The land development grew urban area without appropriate urban planning and environmental studies.  The City of Rio Branco and the Acre River is an excellent example of an urban area that grew with disregard to environmental hazards.  This resulted in thousands of dwelling reside in the alluvial plain of the Acre River which poses risks to communities through flooding and mass movements.   While the hazards exist determining them is difficult due to incomplete discharge and rainfall records.  This study will interpolate discharge records through the use of historic remote sensing and elevation models, which will result in a better understanding of the flood hazards of Rio Branco.

Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions are changing the Earth’s climate, intensifying climatic events, and affecting biodiversity throughout the world.   These emissions will increase as the world develops.  Business as usual development will only accelerate climate change, and sustainable development is necessary.  Sustainable development is smart development, utilizing natural resources in smart way and reducing environmental impact of progress.   Historic emissions must also be dealt with through Climate Mitigation and Adaptation policy.  Developing tools and studying the environment will lay the foundation for deal with climate change and develop sustainably.

Presentations

2010    “Carbon Outsourcing: How non-uniform regulations of carbon dioxide will result in eco-colonialism”,  Emerging Trends in Globalization and Environment, 33rd Annual Conference of the Society of Educators and Scholars, San Antonio, Texas

Talks

2011    "State of Global Climate Change Policy" presented to the Siempre Sustainable Network,Texas Lutheran University, Seguin, Texas

2010    “Copenhagen: An inside look into the conference and surrounding issues.” presented to UT Geography Society, The University of Texas at Austin

2010    “Geography, Climate Change, and the Copenhagen Negotiations” presented to GAGS Brown Bag Series, Department of Geography and The Environment, The University of Texas at Austin

2009    “Neogeography and GISc 2.0” presented to Geographic Information Science Center, Department of Geography and The Environment, The University of Texas at Austin

Publications

2010    Moulay Anwar Sounny-Slitine (Editor & Co-author) "Energy/Climate Change - Challenges and Opportunities" São Paulo: Secretaria do Meio Ambiente

Renewable energy resources are characteristically geographic and in order to develop them it is necessary to answer the question of ‘where’.  Where do we find wind, solar, geothermal, and bio energies that can power our societies while protecting the environment?  GIS and geographic technologies like Light Ranging and Detection (LiDAR) and Remote Sensing can be utilized as planning tools to better use Earth’s resources.

Presentations

2011    Moulay Anwar Sounny-Slitine, "Mapping the Solar Potentail of UT's Roof-Space: Applications of LiDAR to Renewable Energy Development" Sustainability Symposium, Center for Sustainable Development, School of Architechture, The University of Texas at Austin

2011    Moulay Anwar Sounny-Slitine, "Are solar photovoltaic panels enough? Applications of LiDAR to Renewable energy study for Austin, Texas"  Graduate Portfolio Program in Sustainability Symposium, Center for Sustainable Development, School of Architechture, The University of Texas at Austin.

Publications

2010    Moulay Anwar Sounny-Slitine (Editor & Co-author) "Energy/Climate Change - Challenges and Opportunities" São Paulo: Secretaria do Meio Ambiente

Today GIS and web mapping platforms rely on hard coded addresses and coordinates, but people interacting with these systems do not think in addresses and coordinates.  How can we map out and integrate vernacular geography into these systems, free users to naturally interact with their computerized maps.  Vernacular Geography is the way that we see and talk about our world.  It is the commonly described spaces and places that we use to navigate and use to mental construct our environment.  Research in mapping and describing vernacular geography was pioneered by Wilbur Zelinsky and Terry Jordan-Bychkov in the late 70s and early 80s. Zelinsky’s work complied vernacular regions in the United States by surveying common geographic business names in white pages and urban telephone directories. Through uses of surveys of freshman students throughout Texas, Jordan-Bychkov was able to map with great detail the vernacular regions of Texas showing that the state has complex local regions.  This research is utilizing neogeographic tools to have people map their own vernacular geography, getting more direct view of how people see their world. 

Online Survey

Where is the Southwest? - https://webspace.utexas.edu/ams6682/southwest/