UNC Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC) is a boundary organization facilitating the interaction between science producers and users. We specialize in science communication and the development of decision support tools for local, regional, and national decision makers, planners, and the public. NEMAC is an applied research center of UNC Asheville. As an applied research center, we implement science in real-world settings. As a center of UNC Asheville, we promote collaborations among the university’s students, faculty, and staff and the community by fostering active partnerships with academic, public, private, and community organizations.
Operating as usual
Often thought as just a problem for forests, invasive insects harm trees in urban areas too. After losing 13 million trees to the Emerald Ash Borer, the city of Chicago took action to replace this loss with a more #resilient species for the future. Read more at http://bit.ly/TTchicago #ToolkitTuesday
📷: Michael Collins
Stained glass or a map? (It's a map.)
This map is showing preliminary data for a current project we are working on that attempts to identify areas to prioritize for improving access to broadband internet in Buncombe County. Each shape represents a single address. #GIS #mapping #MappingMonday
Ian Johnson is next up on our staff #featurefriday! He is our resident lover of Halloween and in his college years he spent his free time surfing the rain. He was a student intern at NEMAC while earning his second Bachelor's degree (in Environmental Studies) and, like many of us, upon graduation joined the team as a full-time staff member.
"Fox says that too often, individual departments and sectors see risk and vulnerability through their own lenses. In order to help them consider climate vulnerability — which pertains to all departments — Patel says the team asked representatives many different questions regarding their assets and services. While NCDEQ and the Department of Emergency Management have been thinking about climate vulnerability for a long time, she says it’s a new way of thinking for some departments."
Check out this new Medium press hot off the press from The Collider! http://bit.ly/ClimateNC
"As the threat of coastal erosion increases along the thousands of miles of western Alaska’s coastline, communities, resource managers, and agencies that serve as stewards of the land need a way to monitor coastal change." Read more about what happens next in this week's #toolkittuesday! http://bit.ly/AKerosion
📷: Sue Evanoff
Any ideas what we're lookin' at here? Your hints are: it has to do with people and how close they live together.
If you guessed population density in Guam, you nailed it! We have started preliminary data discovery on our Phase III regions for the Coastal Resilience Assessment, which includes Guam, American Samoa, the Great Lakes, and Alaska coast. Keep an eye out for more!
#FeatureFriday Here's Matthew and his partner Zehl posing for their band Ladyblood. Matthew is one of the many UNCA alumni on staff. He was a student intern for 2 years before graduating and becoming a fully fledged NEMACian.
What is the best way to plan for #resilience when almost all of your drinking water comes from rainfall? This makes monitoring and understanding future drought that much more important, as you'll learn in this #toolkittuesday case study! http://bit.ly/ASh2o
📷: Chris Shuler
"Beyond the challenge migration poses to affordability, Fox worries that continued growth could eventually make Asheville’s population less resilient to the impacts of climate change. As existing housing stock in the area’s flatlands gets bought up, developers are more likely to build on forested mountainsides, which he says are susceptible to landslides and wildfires."
This map shows land cover change over the past two decades in Buncombe County, with purple areas indicating change in urban areas. Check out this article in the Mountain Xpress about climate migration in WNC, featuring our former Director Jim Fox. What do you think the future holds for open space in WNC? http://bit.ly/AVLmigration
Did you see the recent NY Times article "How Decades of Racist Housing Policy Left Neighborhoods Sweltering"? One of our favorite urban heat studies comes up (again), but with a twist! Check out the NY Times article, then head over toolkit.climate.gov and type "Heat" in the search bar to find tools and case studies on the topic! #ToolkitTuesday
📷: Neal E. Johnson
https://nyti.ms/2EOkxWf
#MappingMonday We were recently working with some Landslide Susceptibility data from USGS for one of our regions in the Coastal Resilience Assessment. Any guesses where this could be?
(Hint: it's in the Pacific Ocean)
The next #featurefriday is the one and only Karin Rogers! After getting her Masters in Geology at University of Georgia, Karin took a job in 2006 at this little place called UNC Asheville's NEMAC. Fourteen years later, Karin finds herself as Interim Director and Research Scientist at NEMAC, living in West Asheville with her husband, her 4-year-old son and their terrier-of-all-terriers, Auggie-doggie. This photo was taken in 1998 in Naples, FL when Karin was a junior at Union College.
You may have heard about what people are saying might be the hottest recorded temperature on Earth ever at Death Valley National Park (129.9F). So, what about extreme heat? How are we planning for it? Who is going to be most affected by it? Check out this case study in the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit that is all about building resilience to extreme heat: http://bit.ly/TTheat #ToolkitTuesday
📷: Minnesota Dept. of Health
#MappingMonday! Everyone's got the Gulf of Mexico on their minds as Tropical Storms Laura and Marco make their way toward the coast. Curious about storm surge and what types of community assets might be exposed? Head over to resilientcoasts.org to check out the Coastal Resilience Assessment and learn more about this region (and many others)!
Jeff graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 2009. After discovering his love for the outdoors in the Adirondacks of New York, he hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2014 and moved down to Western North Carolina shortly afterward. He joined NEMAC in December 2019 and enjoys being at a place that intersects his love for both the outdoors and technology all in one. #FeatureFriday
Did you hear the news? We're on the hunt for a part-time Marketing and Design student intern! Details are all on Handshake!
Are you passionate about communications and have experience with or want to know more about scientific messaging? We are looking for you! The selected applicant will work with NEMAC staff to deliver messaging related to identity and project branding throughout print and web materials, as well as on social media platforms. Not sure if you're a good candidate or want to know more before you apply? We'll be at the virtual part-time job fair tomorrow!
Learn more about the position and apply on Handshake. UNC Asheville Career Center
#MappingMonday! Rain, rain, go away. But, will it? Turns out Asheville is the driest place in the whole state, boasting an average of 37 inches of precipitation per year. In contrast, just 50 miles away is the wettest place in the state: Lake Toxaway in Transylvania County. More maps like this can be found at wncvitalityindex.org (proceed with caution, however, some of this information may be out-of-date)
Nina is up next for our staff #FeatureFriday! From reports to website content, Nina is the queen of editing all things NEMAC. If you've seen any of our Toolkit Tuesday posts, you've seen her work in the CRT. Nina is well-traveled and has been all over the place, including these lava tubes in her former home state of Oregon!
When you think of flooding, do you think about the Intermountain West? In 2013, Boulder, Colorado received more than 8 inches of rain and Boulder Creek crested at a record 7.78 feet. This event, along with other disasters such as wildfire, provided the perfect opportunity for building #resilience. Read more about how they made it to Step 3 in the #StepsToResilience: https://bit.ly/BoulderTT #ToolkitTuesday
#MappingMonday! Remember this fire near Lake Lure in 2016? Using HiForm, forest scientists at U.S. Forest Service - Research and Development can assess changes in a vegetation-sensitive measure called the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). This can help with understanding likely impacts to different types of vegetation.
Today we are starting a new #FeatureFriday series, featuring... ourselves! We like to spend more time talking about our work, but over the next few weeks we are pulling back the curtain and taking it way back to our college years. First up is Kim Rhodes (the one on the left), one of our resident Francophiles, in charge of social media, and self-proclaimed map nerd. Kim graduated from UNC Asheville with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies in 2016 and essentially stumbled into NEMAC as a student. In this photo she is hanging out with Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France. Stay tuned over the next few weeks for more staff features!
Wondering what research is like in the midst of COVID-19? Check out this article from the U.S. Forest Service - Research and Development about the use of satellite imagery in a tool we developed in partnership with EFETAC called HiForm. HiForm allows critical work to continue during the pandemic. Check it out: https://bit.ly/SRSHiForm
📷: Dave Hoefler
#MappingMonday! If you've heard of our National Coastal Resilience Assessment (resilientcoasts.org), keep an eye out for the roll out of Phase II of the Assessment featuring Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Shown here is a map for the Spanish translation of the Puerto Rico regional report. #GIS #maps #resilience
ICYMI: Last month UNC Asheville featured us and The Collider in a story about our #resilience work, collaborations, and what a few of our former student interns have been up to. It's a well-crafted story with a ton of info, so take a few minutes and go check it out! https://bit.ly/UNCAstory
Fire can make room for new growth and help to ensure the quality of traditional foods, such as Tanoak acorns, for the Karuk Tribe in northern California. However, High-severity wildfires exacerbated by #climatechange generate a range of negative human health outcomes. Read more about it in the CRT! https://bit.ly/TTkaruk #toolkittuesday
📷: Lisa Hillman
#MappingMonday! One of our old projects, circa 2016, is the Southern Appalachian Vitality Index. This project looks at 4 different areas when considering sustainable growth and natural resource protection in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. It's been a while but the website is still active and many of the topics are still relevant. 🚧 PROCEED WITH CAUTION, however, many of the datasets are old or out of date: southernappalachianvitalityindex.org
Usually for #toolkittuesday we share case studies, but did you know that the Climate Resilience TOOLKIT also has a list of TOOLS?? Makes sense, doesn't it? They've got tools for all kinds of stuff from air quality to extreme heat to stormwater calculators. Need I say more? Head over to toolkit.climate.gov/tools to check 'em all out!
Happy #MappingMonday! When it comes to #GIS, there's a lot of data out there. Here is a map from the Coastal Resilience Assessment showing the erosion potential of soils in coastal California. After downloading this data from NRCS, a little bit of prep work will allow you to visualize various soil characteristics. Head over to resilientcoasts.com to check out this and other Assessment inputs and products!
#ThrowbackThursday! This time last year we were at the Esri User Conference in sunny San Diego. We've been enjoying a virtual conference this year, but can't wait to get back to seeing everyone in person next year!
Have you ever heard of aquifer storage and recovery? An interagency committee was formed in Puerto Rico to address prolonged drought conditions and a declining aquifer that had become so infiltrated by salt water that the concentration was at the upper limit recommended for drinking. Read more about how they did it in the CRT! https://bit.ly/TTaquifer #toolkittuesday 📷: U.S. Drought Monitor
#MappingMonday! Here is a snapshot of a 3D visualization we created that shows flooding from storm surge in Florida. 3D modeling is one of the most satisfying things to put together because there is a lot to consider to get to the final product! We have found that sometimes it is easier to communicate hazards to stakeholders and help them make informed decisions using 3D mapping. #GIS #maps
Are you following us on our other platforms? Don't miss out on anything we are doing or sharing! Let's be friends. #FollowFriday
The North Carolina Climate Risk Assessment and Resilience Plan is the result of 11 months of stakeholder engagement and collaborative work. This plan is a framework to guide state action, engage policy-makers and stakeholders, and facilitate collaboration across the state and focus the state’s attention on climate resilience actions and address underlying stressors such as the changing climate, aging infrastructure, socio-economic disparities, and competing development priorities. We are proud to have been a collaborator on this huge project! Check out the full report:https://files.nc.gov/ncdeq/climate-change/resilience-plan/2020-Climate-Risk-Assessment-and-Resilience-Plan.pdf
Happy #MappingMonday! This is a precipitation map from a 2013 technical report for the 2014 National Climate Assessment. On the left are projections for percent change under lower emissions scenarios and the right shows higher emissions scenarios. For similar maps, check out nca2014.globalchange.gov and nca2018.globalchange.gov! #GIS #climatechange #maps
One University Heights, Robinson 246, CPO #2345
Asheville, NC
28804-8511
| Monday | 08:00 - 17:00 |
| Tuesday | 08:00 - 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 08:00 - 17:00 |
| Thursday | 08:00 - 17:00 |
| Friday | 08:00 - 17:00 |
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when UNC Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC) posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to UNC Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC):
National Solar Appreciation Day was earlier this week. Check out this tool, the Solar Roadmap, highlighted in the Climate Resilience Toolkit! If your community is interested in solar energy, the Solar RoadMap is an excellent resource! This interactive map gives communities ways to find actionable steps to increase cost-effective installation of solar systems. #resilience #solarappreciation http://bit.ly/CRTsolarroadmap
It's time to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of The Collider! If you haven't registered for it already, head over to their website and RSVP for the open house on March 11! There will be food and beverage, members will be showing off projects (including our very own Dave Michelson), and staff can show you around the floor! Until then, please enjoy this video tour of The Collider renovation! https://thecollider.org/event/the-colliders-open-house/
Come explore internship opportunities with us on October 8th at 11-2pm! We have multiple internship slots open and are excited to meet everyone at NextFest! #unca #uncasheville #internship
Merry Almost Christmas from our offices on the beautiful UNC Asheville campus! ❄️
When it comes to coastal erosion and storm surge, some coastal communities are recognizing the benefits of preserving or enhancing the natural infrastructure that dune systems offer, instead of pursuing costly engineering solutions or beach replenishment programs. Read the story in the #USClimateToolkit: http://toolkit.climate.gov/taking-action/restoring-natural-dunes-enhance-coastal-protection
Myron Johnson, owner of Double J Farms in Alabama, takes a gamble every time he puts a crop in the ground. Using Climate Outlooks to inform his decisions about crop types and timing on the farm gives him an added benefit over the long term, and ultimately means a more stable future for his farm and his family. Read his story at toolkit.climate.gov. #USClimateToolkit
UNC Asheville ACS Student Chapter
Zeis Hall, 1 University HeightsAsheville Campus Entertainment UNCA
2500 University Heights - Highsmith 251UNC Asheville On Campus Housing
One University Heights - Governors HallAlpha Psi Omega at UNC-Asheville
2500 University HeightsUNC Asheville Jumpstart Program
One University HeightsUNC-Asheville University Ambassadors
UNC Asheville AdmissionsUNC Asheville EmBark Orientation
1 University Hts, # 1200UNC Asheville Alumni Association
1 University Hts
Asheville Campus Entertainment UNCA
2500 University Heights - Highsmith 251
Mass Communication at UNC Asheville
1 University Hts
UNC Asheville On Campus Housing
One University Heights - Governors Hall
The Cr.AFT Studio at Ramsey Library
One University Heights
