Student Spotlight
Geography offers a wide array of opportunities for exploration and study.
Wondering just what type of topics you can explore and research in our
courses? Here on our Student Spotlight page, take a look at some of the
projects our students have recently completed.
Note: Most projects have been created using
either Adobe, MS Word, or MS Powerpoint. If needed, software viewers can
be found at the following locations:
Adobe
Reader (pdf)
MS Word Viewer (doc)
MS Powerpoint Viewer (ppt)
Course - Geography 485: Advanced Geographic Information Systems
Project Title - Site Suitability Analysis for Wind Turbine Farms in
Southeastern Wyoming
Author(s) - Rusty Daines
Abstract -
Impacts of traditional power generating methods involving non-renewable
fossil fuels have lead to a radical rethinking of how our energy of the
future is to be generated. New
sustainable energy practices are being taken into account, and recently
harnessing wind power through wind turbine sites has become a sought
after option. The state of
Wyoming is unique as it has traditionally been one of the nations
largest producers of coal and natural gas, but also has one of the most
abundant amounts of wind energy in the country. An area of high wind
energy extends across southern Wyoming from the Utah border on the west
to the Nebraska border on the east. This zone of high wind energy can be
attributed to a major gap, about 150 km (90 mi) wide, in the north-south
barrier of the Rocky Mountains. Prevailing westerly and southwesterly
winds blow with little resistance through this gap across the relatively
high plains and uplands of southern Wyoming. As a result, this is the
largest region of inter-mountainous terrain in the Northwest with a high
wind energy resource.
Project Link(s):
Wyoming Wind Energy (ppt)
Course - Geography 485: Advanced Geographic Information Systems
Project Title - Nuclear Waste Storage: High Risk Areas in Wisconsin
Author(s) - Samantha Lawien & Carrie Wisinski
Abstract - Nuclear power is a form of energy that the United
States government has been investing research and funding into in order
to provide the Nation with an alternative to fossil fuels over the
years. Information from the
state of Wisconsin as well as nation wide is going to be analyzed for
purposes of locating high risk areas in the state for the possibility of
placing a nuclear waste storage plant within the Wisconsin state
boundary. Site selection in
Wisconsin will be based on the ease of acquisition of lands in a
predefined area that are predominately public and without much
environmental manipulation.
Federal and county lands will be taken into consideration such as the
Menominee and Stockbridge Munsee Reservations as well as the Nicolet
State Forest and local county forests.
Other natural resources will be investigated in order to narrow
the high risk areas down by using the hydrographic features of the area;
lakes, rivers and the Wolf River Watershed.
Transportation routes in the nation as well as the state will be
highlighted to show the network of nuclear waste transportation with a
final destination in Wisconsin.
The aim for this analysis is to be able to present this
information to the local communities and state legislators to raise
awareness of nuclear waste in order to prevent the possibility of a
storage site.
Project Link(s):
Nuclear Storage in
Wisconsin (ppt)