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Sustainability Directory

95 Results

"Modeling"

Research & Initiatives

A Delta Dynamics Collaboratory

An interdisciplinary team of geoscientists, engineers, and ecologists will develop and test high-resolution, quantitative models to predict river delta dynamics spanning shorter-term engineering to longer-term geologic t... More

Courses

Advanced Geographic Information Systems (GRG 470C)

Study of methods of spatial analysis, design and implementation of a geographic information system, vector and raster modeling, and advanced applications of geographic information systems. Three lecture hours and one and... More

Courses

Advanced Remote Sensing (GRG 464K)

Advanced classification techniques for satellite image processing and landscape pattern analysis. Three lecture hours and one and one-half discussion hours a week for one semester. Geography 356 (Topic: Advanced Remote S... More

Faculty & Staff

Allen, David

Dr Allen is the Director of the State of Texas Air Quality Research Program; his research group has been active for decades in performing measurements and modeling of regional air quality; he was one of the lead investig... More

Research & Initiatives

An Inverse Model Study of Abrupt Climate Change

A leading theory of abrupt change invokes the susceptibility of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) and zonally- and depth-integrated heat flux (Fh) in the Atlantic, to glacial meltwater discharges from northern... More

Courses

Atmosphere Transport and Dispersion Model (CE 396L.5 )

Mathematical models of contaminant transport in the atmosphere; atmospheric turbulence and air pollution meteorology; Gaussian plume, gradient transport, and higher-order closure models; theoretical development and pract... More

Faculty & Staff

Banner, Jay

Jay Banner's research and teaching interests center on Earth surface processes with the goal of understanding the interactions that occur between the atmosphere-land-ocean systems, and how these interactions are preserve... More

Research & Initiatives

Bench-Top Modelling of Ice Dynamics

Analogue models have been used extensively in the Earth sciences to improve understanding of natural processes. Here we apply these techniques to simulate water flow under ice sheets and glaciers. Ice deformation is repr... More

Faculty & Staff

Bhat, Chandra

Dr. Bhat's research interests include transportation systems analysis, travel demand modeling, policy evaluation of the effect of transportation control measures on mobility and mobile source emissions, marketing researc... More

Faculty & Staff

Bickel, J. Eric

J. Eric Bickel's research interests include the theory and practice of decision analysis and its application in the energy arena. His research has addressed the modeling of probabilistic dependence, value of information,... More

Faculty & Staff

Blankenship, Donald

Dr. Blankenship's current research vision centers on laying the scientific foundation for diagnosing how properties and processes at the basal interface of ice sheets characterized by beds lying well below sea level (i.e... More

Centers & Institutes

Brackenridge Field Laboratory

Brackenridge Field Laboratory (BFL) is a premier urban field research station for studies in biodiversity, ecosystem change and natural history. The lab is of critical importance to The University of Texas at Austin's to... More

Faculty & Staff

Breecker, Daniel

Breecker is primarily interested in pursuing a process-based understanding of soils and the "critical zone" with the goal of determining how climate influences soils and how soils influence climate. A better understandin... More

Research & Initiatives

Build Carbon Neutral

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and Mithun, a multidisciplinary design practice (www.mithun.com), have joined forces to expand our current understanding of the construction industry\'s role in global warming and ... More

Centers & Institutes

Bureau of Economic Geology

The Bureau of Economic Geology, established in 1909, is the oldest research unit at The University of Texas at Austin. The Bureau, part of The John A. and Katherine G. Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of T... More

Faculty & Staff

Catania, Ginny

Ginny Catania's research interests include understanding ice sheet and glacier changes both from natural variability and climate forced variability, improving the observational data sets, improved understanding of the dy... More

Centers & Institutes

Center for Space Research

The University of Texas at Austin, Center for Space Research was established in 1981 to conduct research in orbit determination, space geodesy, the Earth and its environment, exploration of the solar system, as well as e... More

Centers & Institutes

Center for Subsurface Modeling

The Center for Subsurface Modeling (CSM) investigates high-performance parallel processing as a tool to model the behavior of fluids in permeable geologic formations such as petroleum and natural gas reservoirs, groundwa... More

Research & Initiatives

Changing Sea-Ice Cover in the Bering Sea over the Holocene

Arctic sea ice has shown a substantial decline over recent decades, leading to significant concern over the potentially disasterous feedback effects of these changes on the cliamte system. The ability of sea ice cover to... More

Research & Initiatives

Climate Change Working Group, ESI

UT's Environmental Science Institute's Climate Change Working Group has members focused on all aspects of Climate Change such as history, modeling, impacts, process studies, remediation, and education and outreach. More

Courses

Climate Dynamics (GEO 387D)

The purpose of this course is to develop a physical understanding of the climate system. Processes that determine climate and contribute to its change are discussed, and applications to contemporary climate variability a... More

Courses

Climate System Modeling (GEO 347G; GEO 387G)

Studies the basic theory of climate system modeling using state-of-the-art regional climate models in a variety of applications. Subjects may include paleoclimate study and future climate prediction based on greenhouse g... More

Courses

Climate System Modeling (GEO 387G)

Studies the basic theory of climate system modeling using state-of-the-art regional climate models in a variety of applications. Subjects may include paleoclimate study and future climate prediction based on greenhouse g... More

Courses

Climate System Physics (GEO 371; GEO 391)

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Degree Plans & Curriculum

Climate Systems Science - Geological Science (MA, MS, PhD)

Modern climate change may be the single most important problem humanity has ever faced. The new Climate Systems Science program at the Jackson School of Geosciences is poised to answer some of the most pressing questions... More

Research & Initiatives

Climate Systems Science Research Group

The Jackson School of Geosciences Climate Systems Science group includes researchers from diverse geoscience disciplines coming together to improve our understanding of the Earth\'s climate system. The group is involved ... More

Courses

Climate: Past, Present, Future (GEO 302C)

Designed for nonscience majors. Principal factors that determine Earth's climate, evidence of climate change, causes of climate change, natural climatic variations and human-induced changes, prediction of climate in the ... More

Faculty & Staff

Cook, Kerry

My research centers on improving our physical understanding of climate variability and climate change to improve prediction on all time scales. For the pressing concerns of greenhouse-gas induced climate change, we reco... More

Courses

Corporate Governance (MAN 385 62; MKT 382; LAW 354D)

Introduction to the data and tools used to analyze the business environment and enable marketing decision making. Uses real-world data and problems to evaluate strategic market opportunities and assess the impact of mark... More

Faculty & Staff

Dana, Peter

Dr. Dana's research interests include Geographic Information Science (GIS), Global Positioning Systems, Participatory Mapping, and Ethnogeography.Dr. Dana has supported GPS/GIS projects in Canada, Honduras, Israel, Italy... More

Research & Initiatives

Decadal to Century-Scale Climate Variability in the Southeast Asian Monsoon

Although past variability in the Asian and Indian monsoons have been relatively well-studied, changes in the southeast Asian monsoon is much less well-understood. To address this deficiency, we propose to study a series ... More

Courses

Design for Environment (CHE 341)

Overview of environmental assessment tools for chemical processes and products, including life cycle and risk assessments. Overview of design tools for improving environmental performance of chemical processes, including... More

Faculty & Staff

Dickinson, Robert

Dr. Robert Dickinson joined the Department of Geological Sciences in August of 2008. For the previous 9 years, he was Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and held the Georgia Power/ Georgia Research Alliance Chair at the G... More

Faculty & Staff

Durrenberger, Cyril

Cyril Durrenberger is a Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering and a Research Fellow at the Center for Energy and Environmental Resources at the University of Texas at Austin. His research interests lie in issues relate... More

Research & Initiatives

Dynamics of Ice Sheets: Advanced Simulation Models, Large-Scale Data Inversion, and Quantification of Uncertainty in Sea-Level Rise Projections

Simplified ice sheet models in current use are incapable of accounting for the dynamics of flow transitions that are key to how ice sheets respond to environmental change. It is these regions that are now rapidly changin... More

Research & Initiatives

Dynamics of the West African Westerly Jet

This study focuses on the basic dynamics of the West African monsoon, and the processes that cause its variability on all time scales. It has long been recognized that the low-level flow across the West Coast of Africa ... More

Research & Initiatives

Ecosystem-Climate Interactions in the Tropics on Orbital Timescale

Ecosystem change plays a critical role as a feedback mechanism in the global monsoon systems yet little is known about the role of these feedbacks on glacial-interglacial timescales. Drill cores collected from deep sedim... More

Courses

Energy Simulation in Building Design (ARE 371; ARE 383; CE 397)

Fundamentals of building energy simulations, analytical models for heat transfer in buildings, general numerical methods for solving equations from the analytical models, use of energy simulation tools in building design... More

Courses

Engineering Hydrology: Surface Water (CE 394K.2)

Rainfall runoff processes, hydrograph theory, linear and nonlinear hydrologic system models, hydrologic and hydraulic streamflow routing, rainfall and flood flow frequency analysis, watershed models. More

Courses

Environmental Geographic Information Systems (GRG 360G)

Topics include environmental assessment methods and techniques, the conservation movement, and climate and people. This course introduces basic concepts underlying geographic information systems and science (GIS), inclu... More

Courses

Environmental Isotope Geochemistry (GEO 376E; GEO 388H)

The application of the isotope and trace element geochemistry of natural waters and sediments to studies of the hydrologic cycle. Stable, radiogenic, and cosmogenic isotopes are used as tracers of the evolution of ground... More

Courses

Environmental Modeling (MNS 385F)

Introductory course in modeling, with emphasis on the models used in ecology, oceanography, and earth sciences. Two lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate stan... More

Degree Plans & Curriculum

Environmental Science & Sustainability Option Area - Geological Science (BS)

The Environmental Science and Sustainability option is designed to provide students with the skills and perspectives necessary to engage in an interdisciplinary scientific study of environmental issues, analysis and mana... More

Faculty & Staff

Fu, Rong

Dr. Fu's research aims at understanding the role of the atmospheric hydrological cycle in determining the stability of the Earth's climate. She uses satellite and in situ observations and numerical models to identify the... More

Courses

Geoclimatology (GEO 371)

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Courses

Geographic Information System and Global Positioning System Applications in Earh Sciences (GEO 327G)

For geological sciences majors only. Theory and practice of geographic information system (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies, and their applications to problems in earth sciences. Laboratories and fie... More

Faculty & Staff

Ghattas, Omar

Modeling of dynamics of polar ice sheets; seismic inversion. More

Courses

GIS and Ecological Modeling (GRG 393D)

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Courses

Global Warming (GEO 371C)

The basic science of global warming is presented, and contemporary climate change issues are discussed. More

Research & Initiatives

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission Factor Development Project

Currently, the primary source of information on methane emissions from the natural gas industry is a study conducted in 1996 for the Gas Research Institute (GRI) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While ... More

Faculty & Staff

Holt, Jack

Dr. Jack Holt employs geophysical techniques to study ice-covered regions of Earth and Mars. He has led or co-led seven field expeditions to Antarctica since 1998 to map the ice and features buried beneath the ice. Hol... More

Research & Initiatives

ICECAP: Investigating the Cryospheric Evolution of the Central Antarctic Plate

The Aurora Subglacial Basin and the Wilkes Subglacial Basin represent the weak underbelly of the East Antarctica Ice Sheet. The ICECAP project, supported by the Australian Antarctic Division, the U.S. National Science Fo... More

Research & Initiatives

ICESat repeat-track elevation changes over ice caps in the Canadian High Arctic

Apr. 2007 - Apr. 2010, JSG More

Research & Initiatives

ICESat-2 Science Definition Team

This effort provides input to the Science Definition Team for NASA's ICESat-2 (Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2) which is scheduled to be launched in 2015. One of four top-priority missions listed in the National... More

Research & Initiatives

Improving Estimates of Ancient Atmospheric CO2 Concentration

The goal of this project is to calibrate the paleosol carbonate CO2 barometer for Vertisols in order to improve estimates of the concentration of CO2 in Earth’s ancient atmosphere. If the value(s) determined for the so... More

Centers & Institutes

Institute for Geophysics

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) is known internationally as a leading academic research group in geology and geophysics. Founded in 1972, it is an Organized Research Unit within The University of ... More

Courses

Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (CRP 386)

GIS is a powerful technology that is widely used in urban planning, business and environmental management, and for strategic purposes. This course consists of two major components?the social dimensions of GIS and the tec... More

Courses

Introductory Remote Sensing of the Environment (GRG 462K)

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Faculty & Staff

Jackson, Charles

Charles is interested in the dynamics of a changing climate and how we can gain confidence in model predictions of change given the inherit uncertainites in observational and proxy data and the numerical models of the cl... More

Courses

Land Atmosphere Interaction Dynamics (GEO 391)

Basics of terrestrial surface energy, water and carbon balances. Micrometeorology and atmospheric boundary layer. Ecohydrology, biometeorology, hydrometeorology, and hydroclimatology. Theory, modeling, and observations. ... More

Research & Initiatives

Land Environment and Atmospheric Dynamics Group

The LEAD group consists of graduate research assistants, postdoctoral fellows, research scientists and visiting scholars working to answer a variety of research and science questions such as: How does land shape climate,... More

Courses

Landuse/Landcover Change Practicum (GRG 396T)

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Research & Initiatives

Linking ICESat Observations to Cryosat-2: Elevation Change Detection, Waveform Analysis, and Cross-Calibration

The ICESat (Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite) and Cryosat-2 missions both make global elevation measurements, both with a critical emphasis on the polar regions (Greenland, Antarctica, and sea ice). This research c... More

Faculty & Staff

McDonald-Buller, Elena

Dr. Elena McDonald-Buller is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. She currently oversees a research group at the ... More

Research & Initiatives

Mechanisms of Regional Climate Change and Impacts on Water Availability in Texas from the Last Glacial Maximum to Present-Day

With funding from the National Science Foundation and support from the Environmental Science Institute, Drs. Jay Banner and Liang Yang are exploring the American Southwest and the Edwards Plateau's high sensitivity to cl... More

Research & Initiatives

Millennial-scale Climate Variability in New Zealand Maar Lakes

While the evidence for northern hemisphere-wide propagation of millennial-scale climate events during the last interglacial is well documented, the evidence in the mid to high latitudes of the southern hemisphere, partic... More

Faculty & Staff

Min, Dong-Ha

Dong-Ha Min studies decadal-scale ocean circulation and property changes due to recent climate variability by using chemical tracer observation, data analysis, and modeling. Min has conducted the ocean change research in... More

Faculty & Staff

Neuenschwander, Amy

Amy Neuenschwander works with the Geospatial Laser Applications and Measurements group at the Applied Research Laboratories. Her research interests include scaling relationships between airborne and spacebased sensor sys... More

Research & Initiatives

Paleowetlands in the Southwestern United States - Archives of Paleohydrological Conditions During Past Glacials

Despite the large number of studies of past climate change in the northern hemisphere mid to high latitudes, there are relatively few continuous records of past climate variability from the arid southwestern US. In colla... More

Courses

Physical Climatology (GEO 387H)

Investigates the nature of Earth's climate and examines the physical processes that maintain the climate system. Topics include the energy balance, the hydrological cycle, general atmosphere circulation, and how they all... More

Faculty & Staff

Quinn, Terry

Dr. Quinn teaches a graduate course in Geoclimatology, which examines the geologic record of climate change as recorded in sedimentary archives. Dr. Quinn's research interests focus on using the geochemistry of marine... More

Courses

Remote Sensing of the Environment (GRG 493K)

Imagery generated by remote sensors applied to research and problem solving in the physical and cultural environment. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.... More

Research & Initiatives

Remote Sensing Working Group, ESI

The Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems Working Group seeks to connect multidisciplinary efforts within the field. Group members study and model earth systems using remote sensing technology and geographic... More

Research & Initiatives

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Teachers (RET): Global Change and Its Impacts

ESI's NSF funded REU/RET program on Global Change and Its Impacts provides research experience for Undergraduates and Teachers to learn and do research in the environmental sciences. More

Courses

Research in Climate Dynamics (GEO 394)

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Courses

Research in Climate Physics (GEO 394)

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Courses

Research in Environmental Change (GEO 394)

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Courses

Research in Geoclimatology (GEO 394)

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Courses

Research in Global Change (GEO 394)

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Courses

Severe and Unusual Weather (GRG 333C)

In-depth discussion of inclement weather phenomena (tornadoes, tropical cyclones, floods, drought) and their effects on human beings, as well as the climatology of those types of weather events. More

Faculty & Staff

Shanahan, Timothy

Research Interests I am interested in understanding the nature and cause of past climate changes, and their impact on the environment, particularly as they pertain to future climate change. To do so, I focus primarily on... More

Courses

Spatial Data Analysis for Climate Science (GEO 391)

The course will provide concepts in statistical analysis appropriate for assessing the reliability of interpretations of phenomena that evolve in time and space common to the atmosphere, ocean, ice and solid earth system... More

Faculty & Staff

Sullivan, David

Dr. David W. Sullivan is a Research Associate at The University of Texas at Austin Center for Energy and Environmental Resources, where he has been a staff member since September 2005. Some projects on which he has worke... More

Degree Plans & Curriculum

Sustainability Track - Geography and the Environment (BA)

The Environmental Resource Management track, within the Bachelor of Arts degree program in Geography, allows students to develop technical skills in the discipline of geography. The goal is to produce graduates with a fe... More

Research & Initiatives

Synthesis of Thwaites Glacier Dynamics: Diagnostic and Prognostic Sensitivity Studies of a West Antarctic Outlet System

This is a three-year study to isolate essential physical processes affecting Thwaites Glacier (TG) in the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) of West Antarctica using a suite of existing numerical models in conjunction with exi... More

Faculty & Staff

Taylor, Frederick

Taylor is involved in using the geochemistry of the annual density bands in living and fossil corals to infer late Quaternary paleoclimate. His main geographic research area is the western tropical Pacific, known as t... More

Research & Initiatives

Texas Climate Change and Drought History

Beginning in May, 2009, the Environmental Science Institute at The University of Texas at Austin (UT) partnered with the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority (GBRA) and the University of Arkansas Tree Ring Lab (UA) to study ... More

Research & Initiatives

The African Humid Period: A Regional Modeling Study

During the last glacial period, dry conditions prevailed over Saharan and Sahelian Africa, somewhat drier than today. But beginning around 14,500 years ago (14.5 kyr), the region became progressively more moist. Numerous... More

Research & Initiatives

The Economics of Climate Engineering

This work addresses possible responses to climate change. More

Faculty & Staff

Urban, Timothy

Dr. Urban's research includes the design, application, and analysis of a variety of satellite and other geodetic techniques. Global sea level research includes radar altimetry (TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason, etc.), tide gauges, ... More

Faculty & Staff

Vizy, Edward (Ned)

Dr. Vizy's research interests include prediction of African climate variability, nderstanding drought/climate change,abrupt climate change, and understanding Atlantic Hurricane development. More

Degree Plans & Curriculum

Water Resources Emphasis - Environmental and Water Resources Engineering (MSE/PhD)

Current research within the Water Resources major area of emphasis, within the EWRE program, encompasses surface and ground water hydrology and water resources planning and management. Applications include hydrologic mod... More

Courses

Weather and Climate (GRG 301K)

Our study of weather and climate is intended for Geography majors and all others interested in a broad brush examination of the atmospheric and climatic sciences. This study will be introductory in nature with only a ver... More

Faculty & Staff

Yang, Zong-Liang

Dr. Yang teaches undergraduate courses in climate change and graduate courses in global physical climatology and hydroclimatology. He has also taught introductory geological courses (Earth, Wind & Fire and Living with a ... More

Faculty & Staff

Young, Duncan

Dr. Young's research interests include radar sounding of ice sheets and icy bodies, basal properties of ice sheets, and the influence of geology on ice sheet structure. More