Dr. Phillip P Schmutz

Recent studies have begun to explore the role of wrack in dune development, acting as a sediment trap, facilitating dune growth. Research demonstrates that beaches with natural wrack accumulation exhibit more developed dunes and better vegetation cover compared to those where wrack was removed. Despite these findings, there remains a gap in understanding how wrack influences the wind field and sediment deposition on a smaller scale.

This project is intended to measure the spatial-temporal trends of submarine groundwater discharge in Escambia Bay using a thermal imaging drone. Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is groundwater that flows from the land into bays and seas. One important reason to monitor SGD relates to its ability to bring nutrients into estuarine systems which can cause harmful algal blooms and dead zones. Understanding the range and frequency of SDG zones allow for better management of eutrophication.

Surface Moisture content is the amount of water held in the top layer of soil; it is important to aeolian geomorphology and dune development as water acts as an adhesive increasing the force of wind required to transport the sand. Accurate measurement of surface moisture content can help to determine at what point sand transport may begin to occur.
Measuring surface moisture content has long been studied using a variety of Remote Sensing techniques including aerial, pole-mounted, or handheld cameras using both traditional RBG and Infrared imagery. However, never before have scientists attempted to measure surface moisture content with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). UAV’s have been used in variety of other forms of environmental research, however not for measuring surface moisture content.
UAVs have many potential advantages compared to the other surface moisture measurement methods. They are cheaper than aerial mounted cameras, can cover a larger spatial area than both pole-mounted and handheld cameras, and temporal measurements can be controlled by the researcher. Despite UAVs many perceived advantages, the accuracy and viability as a measurement method must be verified.