Coastal upwelling off the southwest coast of India: observations and simulations

Spatial hydrographic data collected from August 2007 through May 2008 and the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) are utilized to explain and document the upwelling in the south eastern Arabian Sea (SEAS). The decrease in the magnitude of winds towards the coast favors local anti-cyclonic vorticity, resulting in the formation of cyclonic eddy and reversal of coastal currents. The Ekman transport due to alongshore winds, Ekman pumping due to wind stress curl, cyclonic eddy and southward West Indian Coastal Currents play different roles in the SEAS upwelling. In the offshore, wind stress curl leads to the formation of meso-scale eddies, resulting in Ekman pumping at the center and consequent upwelling. The rapid depth variation on the western side of Quilon Mount intensifies upwelling in the offshore. The upwelling Kelvin waves generated at the equator terminates in the Bay of Bengal and do not contribute to the SEAS upwelling. The possible role of local and remote winds, especially around Sri Lanka on the upwelling dynamics of SEAS is described utilizing POM. The Kelvin waves generated off the coast of Sri Lanka during the active phase of the summer monsoon also contribute to the upwelling dynamics off the west coast of India.     

Variability of SeaWiFS-derived chlorophyll-a concentrations in waters off central east coast of India, 1998–2003

Seasonal and inter-annual variability in satellite-derived estimates of near-surface chlorophyll-a concentration off the central east coast of India from 1998 to 2003 is examined. Wind-induced upwelling predominates in late spring and winter, coinciding with the maximum in solar radiation, leading to increased accumulations of phytoplankton biomass. Chlorophyll concentrations varied from 2 to 10 mg/m³ over the central east coast of India and were generally lower in June and maximal in March. Chlorophyll concentrations along the coast followed a similar seasonal pattern (ranging from 0.5 to 6 mg/m³); however, concentrations were always greater on the Machilipatnam and Nellore compared with the Visakhapatnam and Chennai. The lack of upwelling favorable conditions results in the majority of the southern side of the central east coast of India waters being insufficient, which is reflected in low or moderate productivity. The possible reasons and observed correlations between chlorophyll-a and upwelling index during the study period was discussed.     

View on Bay of Bengal upwelling area on the basis of 19-years of satellite sea surface temperature

Abstract

The seasonal and interannual variation of upwelling along the east coast of India between 6°N and 22°N was studied for the period 1985–2003 using NOAA–AVHRR sea surface temperature data. The seasonal migration of pronounced upwelling, which follows the seasonal shift of the winds in transition period and northeast monsoon, was confined. The temporal mean sea surface temperature images clearly show the upwelling season, as does the seasonal sea surface temperature anomaly. These dominant features of the upwelling system are also the most variable, with most of the variance being explained by the seasonal cycle. Quasi-cyclic behaviour of sea surface temperature on interannual scales has also been observed.     

Optical classification of waters in the eastern arabian sea

The optical properties in a non-spectral mode covering Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) was estimated in the Arabian Sea in the west coast of India. The attenuation coefficients, light transmittance and K/c ratio were found useful for classification of water bodies in the coastal and offshore region. High values of turbidity and Chlorophyll-a in coastal waters associated with comparatively higher values of diffusive attenuation coefficients for upwelling and downwelling irradiances. On the basis of attenuation coefficients and K/c ratio derived from upwelling and downwelling irradiances, the water bodies were classified as defincd by Jerlov (1976). The coastal waters are classified under Jerlov water types of 3 to 9, whereas those of offshore are falling under the categories Ia, Ib and II.     

Sea Surface Height Variability in the Tropical Indian Ocean: Steric Contribution

Variability of Sea level and its steric contribution in the Tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) was studied based on 15?years (1993?C2007) satellite altimeter observations of sea surface height (SSH) anomaly and steric height (STH) anomaly computed using temperature and salinity fields obtained from Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) product. Complex Empirical Orthogonal Function (CEOF) analysis was carried out to decompose variability of SSH and STH into various modes to examine the coherency between them. It is revealed that both the parameters exhibit variability in all the time scales. First three major modes of CEOF corresponds to 90% and 84% of the total variability of SSH and STH respectively. There exists strong coherence between the respective CEOF modes of SSH and STH. The first mode of CEOF contributes around ~50% of the total signal corresponds to the annual cycle exhibit large variability in the western Arabian Sea along the Somali and Arabia Coast, latitudinal strip between 2 and 10°N extending from Somali-coast to the west coast of India, coastal oceans around India, and the south eastern TIO. The second CEOF with 25% of total signal contains mixed signature of intra-seasonal and inter-annual periodicities. This exhibit large amplitude in the central south TIO, western and eastern parts of Equatorial Indian Ocean (EIO). Computed long term linear growth rate of sea level anomaly suggests that increase of sea level varies from small (1?C3?mm?yr^?1) in the north TIO to large (8?mm?yr^?1) in the south TIO. Further analysis suggests that SSH trend in the south TIO was mostly governed by steric contribution while the variability of SSH trend in the north TIO could be explained partially by the variability in STH.     

Study of drainage pattern of Jharia Coalfield (Bihar), India, through Remote Sensing technology

Study of drainage pattern of Jharia Coalfield as observed on IRS-IA LISS II image shows that the region is drained by 11 streams with general flow direction to north east to south east and ultimately joining to trunk river Damodar. The perennial river Damodar flows from west to east and approximately marks the southern limit of the famous Jharia Coalfied. The average stream length in the region varies from 15 km to 110 km with average hasin area from 10 km² to 150 km². The general pattern is essentially a coarse dendritc with very gentle (0 to 1%) to sluggish stream flow condition over a gentle sloping (1 to 3%) topographic surface characteristic of old age streams in matured erosion terrain (Paleo-pediplain).     

Assessment of chlorophyll variability along the Louisiana coast using multi-satellite data

Variability in surface chlorophyll (Chl) concentrations derived from the Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) were examined in conjunction with river discharge, QuikSCAT satellite-derived winds, and sea surface height (SSH) anomaly data along the Louisiana coast, USA. Surface Chl distributions exhibited rapid response to strong northerly winds following a frontal passage. A comparison of time series (1998–2010) river discharge and monthly Chl data indicated Chl variability to be well correlated to seasonal river discharge only for locations near the two river deltas, while offshore, enhancements in Chl during fall–winter was likely due to cross-shelf transport or mixing associated with strong northerly wind stress. Variance in Chl examined using wavelet analysis applied to nearly 10 years (1998–2007) of SeaWiFS data indicated patterns of significant Chl variability due to combined enhanced wind and river discharge, offshore flows associated with Ekman transport and coastal wind convergence, and the effect of Hurricane Rita in 2005. Instances of significant Chl variance were also observed to occur during years of large hypoxic zone size suggesting potential linkages to hypoxia. SSH anomaly imagery indicated the presence of warm-core eddies that were responsible for the offshore dispersal of elevated Chl observed in the monthly SeaWiFS imagery. Overall, the use of multi-satellite data better described the forcing and patterns of Chl distributions along the river-dominated Louisiana coast and shelf.     

中国大陆主要块体现今变形状态的反演研究

本文利用中国大陆的GPS运动速度场,研究了其中的7个亚板块和14个构造块体的变形状态,并做了动力学解释。研究中,构造了一种运动-变形模型来提取观测数据中的变形信息。结果表明:南北构造带东西两侧应变状态表现出显著的差异,西部各亚板块或块体的主应变量值从约4.5×10-8.a-1到约1.3×10-8.a-1,东部则从约3.0×10-.8a-1到约0.4×10-.8a-1,表明东西两部应变量值有较大的落差,并且主压应变方向从西部的北北东向逐步转到东部北东东向。南北构造带表现为其不同段落的各块体的变形趋势和量级都有显著不同。川滇块体是东部与西部的结合部位,变形量较大,主压应变为3.4×10-8.a-1,反映了印度板块向北的推挤在川滇块体造成了较大变形。中国北部地区向东西两个方向运动,塔里木块体、准噶尔块体、天山块体向西,柴达木-祁连山块体、阿拉善块体向东。这种推挤力和太平洋板块阻碍、遏制作用,造成了华北块体、鄂尔多斯块体以拉张为主的应变和逆时针旋转。     

中国西部地壳现今变形特征及其机制探讨

以中国大陆及周边10年来近400个GPS测站的复测资料为基础，获取并绘制了现今地壳水平运动与变形图像，结果表明：青藏块体内西半部南北向只存在微弱的缩短变化（5mm/a左右），东半部南北向则没有缩短的迹象，南北缩短的区域主要位于青藏块体南缘的喜马拉雅条带（约15mm/a），北缘中部的柴达木西区（约15mm/a）和青藏块体北面的天山块体及周围地区（约15mm/a）；青藏块体大约有10mm/a的东西拉张，但不均匀，自西向东经历了由弱到强再有所减弱的过程，整个西部地区东边缘的东向运动表现为南强北弱的左旋特征；川滇菱形块体不是逃逸块体而是变形块体；青藏块体东缘及附近地区是东向运动的消减区带，面应变结果显示，青藏块体周边以面收缩为主，内部则以面膨胀为主；其以北的地区以面收缩为主（但压中有张），面应变的量级为10^-8/a。这样的变形结果，若只靠来处于印度板块的北向挤压是无法解释的。由此并结合最新的地球物理研究成果可推断或证实，地壳下部来自南向的物质涌入是控制青藏块体乃至中国大陆形变的另一大动力源，甚至可能是主导动力源；或者具有深、浅立体活动的某种协同性。     

Utilization of high-resolution EGM2008 gravity data for geological exploration over the Singhbhum-Orissa Craton,India

High-resolution EIGEN6C4 and EGM2008 Bouguer gravity data of 2190 degree spherical harmonic over the Singhbhum-Orissa Craton, India, have been generated from the International Centre for Global Earth Models. The Bouguer gravity anomaly difference maps of (i) in situ and EIGEN6C4, (ii) in situ and EGM2008 and iii) EIGEN6C4 and EGM2008 of the study area are compared. It reveals that EIGEN6C4 has lesser systematic error than EGM2008. However, from different profile plots of Bouguer gravity, east–west horizontal derivative and north–south horizontal derivative anomalies of the in situ, EIGEN6C4 and EGM2008, it is observed that most of the signatures of lithounits and geological structural elements are delineated very well by EGM2008 and match 94–98% with those of EIGEN6C4. Further, the Bouguer gravity, east–west horizontal derivative and north–south horizontal derivative anomalies of EGM2008 data over the study area have been used effectively for identifying various lithounits and geological structural elements.     

REPORT ON THE PRIMARY TRIANGULATION ALONG THE NORTH SHORE OF THE GULF OF ST LAWRENCE, 1941

Abstract

One of the longest projected loops of triangulation in Canada is the network encircling the Gulf of St Lawrence. This 1200-mile loop involves the triangulation system along the Gaspe coast, across Chaleur Bay, through eastern New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, across Cabot Strait to Newfoundland, northward along the west coast of this island to the Strait of Belle Isle, from the strait of Belle Isle along the north shore of the Gulf of St Lawrence as far as Anticosti Island, and from there southerly to the Gaspe coast.     

Assessment of coastal wetland resources of central west coast, India, using LANDSAT data

The part of central west coast (Maharashtra and Goa) of India has been classified and quantified for coastal wetlands using LANDSAT data of 1985-86. The classification accuracy of the maps and area estimates achieved was 84% at 90% confidence level and the planimetric accuracy at 1:2,50,000 scale was 0.3 mm. The total coastal wetland areas in Maharashtra and Goa, have been estimated to be 1567 and 115 km:2, respectively. The estuarine and backwater regions contribute 44.6% of the wetland, followed by open mudflats (32%), mangroves (8.8%) and beach/spit (7.8%). Mangroves comprised of 17 species and are dominated by Rhizophora mucronata, Avicennia officinalis, A. marina, Sonneralia alba, Excoecaria agallocha and Acanthus ilicifolius. The sand-dune flora comprised of 63 species while rocky intertidal regions harboured > 100 species of marine algae. Erosional changes have been noticed to be predominant along the Maharashtra coast while progradation of beaches is noticed in Goa.     

Morphology and land systems of a part of visakhapatnam district,Andhra Pradesh from air photo studies

Landforms in an area of 1667 sq.km in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh along the east coast of India has been mapped with the aid of aerial photographs. Simultaneously the current land use has been noted and the data collected in the field of the nature of surficial deposits, drainage and erosion. An attempt is made to classify the area into land systems designated as (1) hill and hillocks, (2) rolling plains, (3) fluvial plain and (4) coastal zone and give details of their characteristic features. Recommendations are made for better landuse of some of the areas taking into consideration the knowledge of their total potential.     

Photogeomorphology of the Andman Coast

Photogeomorphic studies of the Andaman coast reveal several landforms suggestive of coastal emergence and submergence in the recent past. Elevated reefel terrace, planation surfaces and escarpments indicate that the west coast is rising associated with a corresponding tilt of the islands in general to the east. Offshore structures in the west coast shelf and a few exposed structures in the main land are recommended for future exploration.     

Evaluation of Air Pollution Trend Using GIS and RS Applications in South West of Iran

In this paper, remote sensing and GIS have been used to assess the status of NO₂ at the south west of Iran. 221 data about concentration of NO₂ was extracted from Ozone Monitoring Instrument. Ordinary kriging and inverse distance weighting interpolation methods was used to interpolate data. Results showed that ordinary kriging method using cross-validation have had less error. North east of the study area has the highest concentration of NO₂ (329 molecule/cm²) and the concentration of NO₂ decreases from north east to South west of the study area. On the other hand, data trend results showed that the data seems to exhibit a fairly strong trend in the east west direction and a weaker one in the north–south direction.     

Shoreline oscillation of Dhanushkodi,Rameswaram, India

Rameswaram Island located on the southeast coast of India bounded by Gulf of Mannar (GoM) on the south and Palk Bay (PB) on the north, respectively, is unique in nature. The southeastern part of Rameswaram Island known as Dhanushkodi foreland is a long sand spit of about 20?km length. Shoreline erosion/accretion rates are computed based on End-Point Rate, Linear Regression Rate and Net Shoreline Change from Indian Remote sensing Satellite, Linear Imaging Self scanning Sensor III images from 1998 to 2012. Along the PB coast of Dhanushkodi foreland, eroding shorelines are dominant except Arichamunai, whereas it is reversing along GoM. Inter-annual shoreline change revealed that changing trend and stability of Island are affirmed with statistical approaches. An equilibrium shoreline trend is noticed on both the sides of Dhanushkodi foreland. Annual shoreline change rate indicates erosion and accretion in northern and southern coastline of Dhanushkodi foreland varies, respectively.     

Coastal geomorphology and sediment distribution mapping using Landsat—TM digital data —A study in Coastal area of parts of Orissa,India

An area of about 1100 sq.km forming a part of east coast of India was taken for digital analysis using the VAX 11/780 image analysis computer system. The data used for the analysis is Thematic mapper data of Landsat 5. By using the maximum likelihood algorithm and the existing ground truth, the area was classified geomorphologicall.. In addition a qualitative mapping of suspended sediments of coastal waters in Bay of Bengal around the estuary of Dhamra river in Orissa has been carried out. In seventeen classes, eleven correspond to geomorphic units and six belongs to different categories of sediments concentration in Coastal waters.     

川滇地块现今地壳运动速度场解算与分析

利用GAMIT10.4和BERNESE5.2软件,分别对川滇地区中国地壳运动观测网络51个GNSS基准站2010—2014年的观测数据进行处理。两者解算所得单日解基线和坐标时间序列离散度优于10mm,且变化趋势一致,吻合度较高。基线重复率水平向优于1+4×10-9 L;垂向优于4+6×10-9 L(单位mm,其中L表示基线长度,单位m)。利用PL+VW噪声模型进行了速度估计,获取了川滇地区相对欧亚板块地壳运动速度场。结果显示:除滇西南地区呈现出由西向东的增大趋势外,川滇块体其它区域地壳运动特征由北往南、由西往东呈逐渐衰减趋势;运动方向持续围绕喜马拉雅东结点作顺时针旋转,且仍然存在着南北向强烈的挤压特征。以安宁河-则木河断裂、小江断裂和红河断裂为界,选用了两侧能反映震间断裂构造特征的GPS测站,分析了断裂两侧的速度差异。并利用平行断层的速度剖面,拟合反正切函数变化趋势,获取了断裂带可能的变形宽度。     

Shoreline Change Analysis along the Coast of South Gujarat,India, Using Digital Shoreline Analysis System

Shoreline changes along the south Gujarat coast has been analyzed by using USGS Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 4.3. Multi-temporal satellite images pertaining to 1972, 1990, 2001 and 2011 were used to extract the shoreline. The High water line (HTL) is considered as shoreline and visual interpretation of satellite imageries has been carried out to demarcate the HTL based on various geomorphology and land use & land cover features. The present study used the Linear Regression Method (LRR) to calculate shoreline change rate. Based on the rate of shoreline changes, the coastal stretches of study area has been classified in to high erosion, low erosion, stable, low accretion and high accretion coast. The study found that about 69.31 % of the South Gujarat coast is eroding, about 18.40 % of coast is stable and remaining 12.28 % of the coast is accreting in nature. Field investigation was carried out which confirmed the coastal erosion/accretion derived from the analysis. The high erosion area are mostly found along the Umergaon (near Fansa, Maroli, Nargol, Varili river mouth, Umergaon light house) and Pardi (Kolak, Udwara)Taluka in Valsad district. Stable coastal length of the study area is 21.59 km and mostly found in Nani Dandi and near Onjal. High accretion (3.70 %) was only found near Hajira and low accretion (8.58 %) are distributed the study area. The main causes of coastal erosion of the study area were the strong tidal currents accompanied by wave action and reduced the sediment load of the river.     

Coastal Validation of Ultra-high Resolution Wind Vector Retrieval From QuikSCAT in the Gulf of Maine

An experimental 2.5-km ultrahigh-resolution (UHR) wind product provided by NASA's QuikSCAT scatterometer offers the potential for new access to coastal surface wind dynamics at the mesoscale level and below. To give future users the best indication of the value of these data, the UHR wind retrievals must be fully validated in nearshore areas. Comparison with meteorological buoys and standard QuikSCAT products allows detailed investigation of UHR winds. Speed and direction residuals are calculated between all scatterometer products and collocated buoys. An ambiguity selection routine improves wind direction agreement between the UHR winds and the other products. Magnitude residuals follow the patterns of the standard QuikSCAT winds, with a 1–2 m/s positive bias in light winds (below 4 m/s) and high winds (above 16 m/s) and standard deviations consistently below 3 m/s. After application of a land contamination removal algorithm, the UHR product provides extended coverage near the coast. An example of a specific wind event illustrates the potential benefits of improved resolution measurements for examining ocean–atmosphere dynamics.