Real-time storm detection and weather forecast activation through data mining and events processing

Each year across the USA, destructive weather events disrupt transportation and commerce, resulting in both loss of lives and property. Mitigating the impacts of such severe events requires innovative new software tools and cyberinfrastructure through which scientists can monitor data for specific severe weather events such as thunderstorms and launch focused modeling computations for prediction and forecasts of these evolving weather events. Bringing about a paradigm shift in meteorology research and education through advances in cyberinfrastructure is one of the key research objectives of the Linked Environments for Atmospheric Discovery (LEAD) project, a large-scale, interdisciplinary NSF funded project spanning ten institutions. In this paper we address the challenges of making cyberinfrastructure frameworks responsive to real-time conditions in the physical environment driven by the use cases in mesoscale meteorology. The contribution of the research is two-fold: on the cyberinfrastructure side, we propose a model for bridging between the physical environment and e-Science¹ workflow systems, specifically through events processing systems, and provide a proof of concept implementation of that model in the context of the LEAD cyberinfrastructure. On the algorithmic side, we propose efficient stream mining algorithms that can be carried out on a continuous basis in real time over large volumes of observational data. ¹ e-Science is used to describe computationally intensive science that is typically carried out in highly distributed network     

Impact of ancient metal smelting on arsenic pollution in the Pecora River Valley,Southern Tuscany,Italy

A significant As anomaly has been reported in the literature for stream sediments and unlithified Quaternary deposits of the Pecora River valley in Southern Tuscany, extending from the “Colline Metallifere” pyrite-base metals district to the Tyrrhenian Sea. The As anomaly spreads over several square kilometers around a core that exceeds 500 ppm. Several source contributions (from natural to anthropogenic) have been invoked to explain the observed As distribution in the Pecora Valley, including the metal-working industry which was active in this area, particularly in Etrusco-Roman times and in the Middle Ages. In order to evaluate the contribution of ancient mining and metallurgical activities in the Pecora Valley to elevated As concentrations in the environment, a detailed mineralogical and geochemical survey of metallurgical slags and smelted ore minerals was undertaken from six different sites through the Pecora Valley: Poggio Butelli (Etrusco-Roman iron slags); Sata Creek, Arialla, Marsiliana, Forra and Cascata sites (all Medieval base metals slags). The As content of Etrusco-Roman slags is relatively low (few tens of ppm), whereas Medieval slags show variable, but higher amounts of base metals (±Ag) (ranging from tens to tens of thousands ppm) and As (up to 267 ppm, with average contents of about 40 ppm). Arsenic is mostly partitioned in sulfides disseminated through the glassy groundmass rather than in solid solution with the glassy matrix. Remnants of the ore used for base metal and Ag smelting during the Middle Ages had the highest As contents (up to about 1000 ppm).     

Paralic parasequences associated with Eocene sea-level oscillations in an active margin setting: Trihueco Formation of the Arauco Basin, Chile

The Eocene Trihueco Formation is one of the best exposed successions of the Arauco Basin in Chile. It represents a period of marine regression and transgression of second-order duration, during which barrier island complexes developed on a muddy shelf. The strata are arranged in classical shoaling-upward parasequences of shoreface and beach facies capped by coal-bearing, back-barrier lagoon deposits. These fourth-order cycles are superimposed upon third-order cycles which caused landward and seaward shifts of the coastal facies belts. The final, punctuated rise in sea level is represented by shelf mudrocks with transgressive incised shoreface sandstones. Relative sea-level oscillations as revealed in the stratigraphy of the Trihueco Formation show a reasonable correlation with published Eocene eustatic curves.     

Performance of microbial-induced carbonate precipitation on wind erosion control of sandy soil

Wind erosion is a serious problem throughout the world which results in soil and environment degradation and air pollution. The main objective of this study was to evaluate feasibility of microbial-induced carbonate precipitation, as a novel soil-strengthening technique, to reduce wind erosion risk of a sandy soil. For this purpose, the erosion of biocemented soil samples was investigated experimentally in a wind tunnel under the condition of wind velocity of 45 km h^?1. The weight loss of treated samples relative to the weight loss of control treatment was 1.29 and 0.16 % for low and high bacterial mix concentrations, respectively, indicating a significant improvement in erosion control in biologically treated samples. The effect of biological treatment on wind erosion control was even superior at the higher velocities. Thereafter, the penetration resistance of the surface layers as a simple index of resistance against wind erosion was measured. Significant improvements in the penetration resistance of the treated soil samples were observed. Although low bacterial mix concentrations did not significantly improve the penetration resistance of the samples, significant improvements in the penetration resistance of the treated soil samples were observed reaching to the highest measured strength (56 kPa) in high bacterial mix concentrations samples. Finally, the morphology of precipitated CaCO₃ crystals using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction analysis showed that the CaCO₃ was mainly precipitated as vaterite crystals forming point-to-point contacts between the sand granules.     

Diel feeding of the transparent goby Aphia minuta (Pisces,Gobiidae) in the Northwestern Adriatic Sea in spring time

The present study provides the first estimate of the daily ration for a goby species in the Mediterranean Sea, using a new approach to determine the mass of fish stomach contents through the sum of individual prey dry mass derived indirectly from prey size. Diel feeding activity and daily ration of the pelagic goby Aphia minuta were studied under natural conditions in the coastal waters off Comacchio (Northwestern Adriatic Sea) during the spring season. A total of 318 individuals of A. minuta, collected by 14 trawls carried out on 4 consecutive days, was examined for gut contents. The diel pattern of the vacuity index and the stomach fullness index indicated that A. minuta has nocturnal feeding behaviour. The daily ration, computed over a period of 16 h, was equivalent to 2.23% wet body mass.     

The saturation of calcite and aragonite in the Arctic Ocean

We report on the chemical saturation of CaCO₃ in the waters of the Arctic Ocean calculated from total alkalinity (A_T) and total dissolved inorganic carbon (C_T). Data based on four different expeditions are presented: International Arctic Ocean Expedition (IAOE-91), Arctic Ocean Section 94 (AOS94), Polarstern Arctic '96 expedition (ACSYS 96), and Joint Ocean Ice Study 97 (JOIS 97). The results show a lysocline at around 3500 m for aragonite and that most of the Arctic Ocean sea floor lies above the lysocline for calcite. The only anomaly is the low degree of saturation at the shelf break depth in the Canadian Basin seen in the sections of the AOS94 and JOIS 97 cruises, correlated with nutrient maxima and very low O₂ concentration, suggesting decomposition of organic matter. The insignificant variability in degree of saturation between the deep waters of the different basins in the Arctic Ocean indicates a very low sedimentation/remineralisation of organic soft matter.     

Structure and Stability of Non-Transform Discontinuities on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between 24° N and 30° N

Observations of the median valley within the 24–30° N area ofthe Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), using the IOSDL high resolutionside-scan sonar instrument TOBI, image four separate areas of themedian valley, containing part or all of nine spreading segments, and fivenon-transform discontinuities between spreading segments (NTDs).These high resolution side scan images were interpreted in parallel withmultibeam bathymetry (Purdy et al., 1990), giving a greater degree ofstructural precision than is possible with the multibeam data alone. Threedistinct types of NTD were identified, corresponding in part to typespreviously identified from the multibeam bathymetric survey of the area.Type 1 NTDs are termed septal offsets, and are marked by a topographic ridgeseparating the two spreading segments. The offset between the spreadingsegments ranges from 9 to 14 km. These can be further subdivided into Type1A in which the septa run parallel to the overall trend of the MAR and Type1B in which the septa lie at a high angle to the bulk ridge trend. Type 1ANTDs are characterised by overlap of the neovolcanic zones of the segmentson each side, and strong offaxis traces, while Type 1B NTDs show no overlapof neovolcanic zones, and weak offaxis traces. Type 2 NTDs arebrittle/ductile extensional shear zones, marked by oblique extensionalfractures, and associated with rotation of tectonic and volcanic structuresaway from the overall trend of the MAR. Type 3 NTDs are associated withoffsets of less than 5 km, and show no sign of any accommodating structure.In this type of NTD, the offset zone is covered with undeformed volcanics.The type of NTD developed at any locality along the ridge axis appears todepend on the amount of segment offset and segment overlap, the overalltrend of the mid-ocean ridge, the width of the zone of discontinuity, themedian valley offset and the longevity of the offset. These factorsinfluence the mechanical properties of the lithosphere across thediscontinuity, and ultimately the tectonic style of the NTD that can besupported. Thus brittle/ductile extensional shear zones are long-livedstructures favoured by large segment offsets, and small or negative segmentoverlaps. Septa can be short or long lived, and are associated with largesegment offsets. Segment overlaps vary from negative (an along axis gap) tozero, for Type 1B septal offsets, or positive to zero for Type 1A septaloffsets. Non-tectonised NTDs are generally short lived structures,characterised by small segment offsets and zero or positive overlaps.     

Antioxidant efficiency and detoxification enzymes in spotted dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula

Although elasmobranchs are widely distributed species, commonly found on sandy, gravely or muddy bottoms, several biological aspects of their metabolism still remain poorly investigated. In this work the efficiency of antioxidant system and detoxification enzymes were investigated in the coastal spotted dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula and in the red mullet Mullus barbatus for comparison with a teleost species. Organisms were sampled during a bottom trawl survey and analyzed for the biotransformation activity (EROD), levels of metallothioneins, catalase, glutathione S-transferases and total oxyradical scavenging capacity (TOSC) toward peroxyl radicals and hydroxyl radicals. EROD activity in the elasmobranchs was more than one order of magnitude lower than in the red mullets, while similar levels of metallothioneins were measured in these species. S. canicula showed significantly lower antioxidant enzymes and a more reduced efficiency in neutralizing *OH; on the other hand the scavenging capability toward ROO* was comparable in S. canicula and M. barbatus.     

Grazing preferences of marine isopods and amphipods on three prominent algal species of the Baltic Sea

Preference tests were performed over a two-week period in September 2001 in which isopods (Idotea baltica) and amphipods (Gammarus oceanicus) were offered choices of three common species of algae from the Baltic Sea: Enteromorpha intestinalis, Cladophora spp., and Fucus vesiculosus. After a 48-hour starvation period, 20 individuals of each grazer species were placed in aquaria containing approximately 1.0 g of each algal species. Fifteen trials for each grazer species were run for 20 hours. We found that G. oceanicus ate significantly more Cladophora spp. and E. intestinalis than F. vesiculosus (p<0.001), with a preference order of: Cladophora spp.>E. intestinalis>F. vesiculosus. Similarly, I. baltica ate significantly more of both the filamentous green algae than F. vesiculosus (p<0.001), with a preference order of: E. intestinalis>Cladophora spp.>F. vesiculosus. Given the preference of isopods and amphipods for filamentous green algae, we might expect these algae to be maintained at low biomass levels. However, this is clearly not the case in the Baltic Sea. Nutrient enrichment (bottom-up effects) is the accepted dominant reason for the non-controlling impact of algal grazers, but other reasons may include cascading trophic effects resulting from the removal of large piscivorous fish (top-down effects).