Pressure image assimilation for atmospheric motion estimation

The complexity of the laws of dynamics governing 3-D atmospheric flows associated with incomplete and noisy observations make the recovery of atmospheric dynamics from satellite image sequences very difficult. In this paper, we address the challenging problem of estimating physical sound and time-consistent horizontal motion fields at various atmospheric depths for a whole image sequence. Based on a vertical decomposition of the atmosphere, we propose a dynamically consistent atmospheric motion estimator relying on a multilayer dynamic model. This estimator is based on a weak constraint variational data assimilation scheme and is applied on noisy and incomplete pressure difference observations derived from satellite images. The dynamic model is a simplified vorticity-divergence form of a multilayer shallow-water model. Average horizontal motion fields are estimated for each layer. The performance of the proposed technique is assessed using synthetic examples and using real world meteorological satellite image sequences. In particular, it is shown that the estimator enables exploiting fine spatio-temporal image structures and succeeds in characterizing motion at small spatial scales.     

The effects of suspended sediment on brown trout (Salmo trutta) feeding and respiration after macrophyte control

Sediment resuspension during and after mechanical excavation of macrophytes may have a significant impact on resident fish populations. Unfortunately, little is known about the influence of this sediment on the respiratory performance and feeding abilities of fishes in New Zealand waterways. We examined the effects of suspended sediment (SS) concentrations previously observed after a large-scale macrophyte removal operation on oxygen consumption (MO₂) and feeding rates of brown trout (Salmo trutta). MO₂ at 0 mg L^?1, 150 mg L^?1, 300 mg L^?1, 450 mg L^?1 and 600 mg L^?1 of SS was measured using semi-closed respirometry. Feeding rates at the same SS concentrations were also measured using laboratory tank experiments. Results suggest that SS concentrations up to 600 mg L^?1 have no effect on MO₂. Conversely, feeding rates were significantly reduced at 450 mg L^?1 (22% reduction) and 600 mg L^?1 (31% reduction), indicating that sediment concentrations above 450 mg L^?1 may negatively affect brown trout populations.     

Introduction of geospatial perspective to the ecology of fish-habitat relationships in Indonesian coral reefs: A remote sensing approach

Coral reef ecosystems worldwide are now being harmed by various stresses accompanying the degradation of fish habitats and thus knowledge of fish-habitat relationships is urgently required. Because conventional research methods were not practical for this purpose due to the lack of a geospatial perspective, we attempted to develop a research method integrating visual fish observation with a seabed habitat map and to expand knowledge to a two-dimensional scale. WorldView-2 satellite imagery of Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia obtained in September 2012 was analyzed and classified into four typical substrates: live coral, dead coral, seagrass and sand. Overall classification accuracy of this map was 81.3% and considered precise enough for subsequent analyses. Three sub-areas (CC: continuous coral reef, BC: boundary of coral reef and FC: few live coral zone) around reef slopes were extracted from the map. Visual transect surveys for several fish species were conducted within each sub-area in June 2013. As a result, Mean density (Ind. / 300 m²) of Chaetodon octofasciatus, known as an obligate feeder of corals, was significantly higher at BC than at the others (p < 0.05), implying that this species’ density is strongly influenced by spatial configuration of its habitat, like the “edge effect.” This indicates that future conservation procedures for coral reef fishes should consider not only coral cover but also its spatial configuration. The present study also indicates that the introduction of a geospatial perspective derived from remote sensing has great potential to progress conventional ecological studies on coral reef fishes.

     

(137)Cs baseline levels in the Mediterranean and Black Sea: a cross-basin survey of the CIESM Mediterranean Mussel Watch programme

The common mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was selected as unique biomonitor species to implement a regional monitoring programme, the CIESM Mediterranean Mussel Watch (MMW), in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. As of today, and upon standardization of the methodological approach, the MMW Network has been able to quantify (137)Cs levels in mussels from 60 coastal stations and to produce the first distribution map of this artificial radionuclide at the scale of the entire Mediterranean and Black Seas. While measured (137)Cs levels were found to be very low (usually < 1 Bq kg(-1) wet wt) (137)Cs activity concentrations in the Black Sea and North Aegean Sea were up to two orders of magnitude higher than those in the western Mediterranean Basin. Such effects, far from representing a threat to human populations or the environment, reflect a persistent signature of the Chernobyl fallout in this area.     

AN APPROACH TO THE MEASUREMENT OF THE POTENTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OF EARTHQUAKE GROUND MOTIONS

The quantification and prediction of damage due to different seismic actions to structure types of different strength is an important problem not yet solved in the Earthquake Engineering field. In addition, owing to the fact that macroseismic information cannot be used directly in dynamic calculations, a new problem appears when these are the only kind of data available. Thus, there is a need to estimate a parameter to relate the energy of the ground motion and the damage occurrence, and eventually achieve a better seismic risk assessment. After the study and review of some representative potential damage parameters, attention has been paid to the Arias intensity (unfiltered and filtered in certain frequency ranges) and the Cumulative Absolute velocity (CAV) as the parameters to evaluate the energy of movement, and to relate them with the observed damage. The data used to infer these correlations have been provided by the ENEA-ENEL (Italy). The information consists of strong motion records from the Campano Lucano (1980), Umbria (1984) and Lazio-Abruzzo (1984) earthquakes, and data of damage to buildings in the vicinity of recording instruments (within a maximum radius of 300 m, where the soil conditions remain constant). In this paper, some relations have been obtained to quantify the damage level for different seismic inputs. The results suggest that unfiltered Arias intensity and CAV (for calculation threshold 20 cm/s²) correlate well with the macroseismic information used. Best fits are obtained between the quoted parameters and the observed damage in type A structures. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cs baseline levels in the Mediterranean and Black Sea: A cross-basin survey of the CIESM Mediterranean Mussel Watch programme

The common mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was selected as unique biomonitor species to implement a regional monitoring programme, the CIESM Mediterranean Mussel Watch (MMW), in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. As of today, and upon standardization of the methodological approach, the MMW Network has been able to quantify ¹³⁷Cs levels in mussels from 60 coastal stations and to produce the first distribution map of this artificial radionuclide at the scale of the entire Mediterranean and Black Seas. While measured ¹³⁷Cs levels were found to be very low (usually <1 Bq kg⁻¹ wet wt) ¹³⁷Cs activity concentrations in the Black Sea and North Aegean Sea were up to two orders of magnitude higher than those in the western Mediterranean Basin. Such effects, far from representing a threat to human populations or the environment, reflect a persistent signature of the Chernobyl fallout in this area.