Estimation of the Aerial Cover of Seagrasses of Lakshadweep Islands (India) Using Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS P6 LISS IV)

Seagrasses ecosystems are fragile yet highly productive ecosystems of the world showing declining trend throughout the world due to natural and anthropogenic pressures. Effective conservation and management plan is thus required to protect these resources, to aid with conservation need mapping and monitoring of seagrasses using high resolution remote sensing data is very much required. Hence, the present study was made to record the seagrass aerial cover in the Lakshadweep islands using IRS P6 LISS IV satellite data. The suitability of LISS IV sensor for seagrass mapping was tested for the first time with an overall accuracy of 73.16%. The study found an area of 2590.2?ha of seagrasses in Lakshadweep islands with 1310.8?ha and 1279.4?ha dense and sparse seagrass cover respectively. The study recommends the use of LISS IV data for mapping the shallow water seagrasses, as mapping efficiency increases nearly 4 times more than the LISS III data, as the former (LISS IV) picks up the small patches of seagrasses and delineates the coral and reef vegetation patches from seagrass class.     

解决斯里兰卡Puttalam输变电工程坐标系统参数求取的难题

对斯里兰卡Puttalam输变电工程的基本情况进行了介绍,针对缺少测量已知数据和测量基准的情况,制定了解决方案。外业校测证明本工程求取的坐标系统参数完全正确。     

Evaluation and integration of ERS-1-SAR and optical sensor data (TM and IRS) for geological investigations

The C-band imaging radar of ERS-1, due to its high sensitivity to terrain surface features, holds tremendous potential in topographic terrain mapping for various applications. This is being examined for geological applications, mainly structural and lithological mapping in a mineral belt of Bihar and Orissa, India. The high image contrast that facilitates structural interpretation and highlights topography on the SAR images, reflects the high sensitivity of the ERS-1-SAR to change in terrain slope in the study area. Extensive lineaments, fold structure and major lithological contacts are easily mappable from the SAR imagery. Many of the lineaments, lithological contacts and fold pattern are mapped equally from optical data (Landsat-TM and IRS-1B FCC). The close association of fold pattern and mineral deposits in the region has necessitated the study of those structures carefully from various remote sensing data products. Synergism between SAR and TM provided useful results regarding structure and lithology of the region. The advantage of SAR in highlighting topography and detecting lineaments are affected to a great extent by the speckle noise and low pixel resolution. The present study shows that future geologic interpretation demands high spatial resolution and efficient data processing technique which reduces the speckle noise more significantly.     

Evaluation of the spatial changes in seagrass cover in the lagoons of Lakshadweep islands,India, using IRS LISS III satellite images

A study was conducted in Lakshadweep islands to determine the feasibility of using Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites for detecting changes in the seagrass from other coastal features. IRS ID and IRS P6 LISS III having spatial resolution of 23.5 m with lower cost compared to all other contemporary satellites with the same spatial resolution have not been widely used for monitoring the changes in seagrass cover. In this context, the present study attempted to explore the effectiveness of LISS III data for mapping seagrasses and to inform the international community about the usefulness of these low-cost imageries for coastal resource monitoring. Supervised classification and change detection studies found a significant decrease in seagrass cover of 73.03 ha in the Lakshadweep group of islands. An overall accuracy of 67.5% was obtained for the change maps, and seagrass cover and its changes vary at different islands.     

Landscape characterization of Sariska National Park (India) and its surroundings

Landscape characterization gives an overall information on the status of Land Use and Land Cover(LULC),changes in its composition and the impact of natural and human influences operating at different spatial and temporal scales.This information can be used to monitor changes in natural forest resources and protected areas,delineate potential conservation areas and can serve in effective management of ecologically fragile landscapes.In the present study,geo-spatial tools were used to characterize the landscape of Sariska National Park and its surroundings.Satellite data was used to prepare LULC maps for 1989 and 2000,change detection analysis and computation of landscape metrics.Climatic data,field records and modeling tools were used to map the po-tential spread of two invasive species,Prosopis juliflora and Adhatoda vasica.The results show that the forest area increased from 1989 to 2000,indicating better management practices.Landscape metrics(PAFRAC,PLADJ and AI)also support this argument.Improvements in the degraded forest can further enhance this effect.The entire reserve however is suitable for the invasion of P.juliflora and A.vasica but is more pronounced in Boswellia serrata and Anogeissus pendula-Acacia catechu(open)forests.A detailed landscape characterization map can help forest managers to make important policy decisions concerning issues such as in-vasive species.     

Geomorphology and Petroleum Prospects of Cauvery Basin,Tamilnadu, Based on Interpretation of Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) Data

Geomorphological studies of the Cauvery basin, Tamilnadu were carried out using IRS images with special emphasis on identification of zones of hydrocarbon occurrences. The basin exhibits landforms of fluvial and fluvio-marine plains. Two major trends of lineaments and 15 circular anomalies have been identified. The NW-SE trend appears to be younger and might have played an important role in migration and entrapment of hydrocarbons. Six circular anomalies are associated with known oil/gas wells. The study has identified probable zones of hydrocarbon occurrences.     

Study of drainage pattern of Raniganj Coalfield (Burdwan district) as observed on Landsat-TM/IRS LISS II imagery

Drainage pattern of Raniganj Coalfield basin has been mapped as observed on false colour composites of Landsat TM and IRS-LISS II imagery and their characteristics have been interpreted in terms of basin morphology, surface materials and underlying rock types. The drainage system of the region is composed of 3 perennial rivers with 15 ephemeral nalas and jhors which as a whole flows on recent peneplain basin. Although, on an average, nalas and jhors of the area have smaller stream length and with smaller basinal area but they hold sufficient amount of water during monsoon and therefore by effective planning and management, surface water resources could be enhanced in the region.     

Palaeo-path investigation of the lower Ajay River (India) using archaeological evidence and applied remote sensing

Numerous palaeochannels, oxbow lakes and elongated sediment fills in Eastern India, particularly along the lower Ajay River, provide a record of channel shifting during the Late Quaternary. Proper characterization of these features is useful for discussing the dynamic evolution of the river system in the Ajay-Damodar Interfluve region. Remote sensing data, archaeological evidence and sedimentology aid in reconstructing the geomorphic history of the lower Ajay River. Archaeological studies help in calculating the rate and direction of channel migration. The channel migration rate varies from 0.32 to 3.41 m/year in the study area. Bouguer gravity anomalies suggest that the rate of channel migration may be controlled by the density variations of the basement rocks. Furthermore, neotectonics activity played a significant role in the migration of Ajay River towards north-east direction.     

Tropical rain forest mapping and community analysis of South Andaman Islands (India)

Present study deals with the vegetation type mapping, structure and composition analysis of the tropical forests, spread over 1,294 km² area in South Andaman Islands. Seventeen vegetation classes spreading over 89.92% forested area of the islands were mapped with the overall accuracy of 88.89%. Evergreen, semi-evergreen and mangrove forests were reasonably well distributed forests, while moist deciduous and littoral evergreen were narrowly restricted. The stocking was quite variable across the forest types. 60.04% of forested area was under medium to high canopy density. Secondary and degraded forest types were mapped. Information on floristic composition, structure and diversity of various forest types were obtained from 84 field sample plots. An inventory of 423 species of plants from 101 families included 155 trees, 84 shrubs, 150 herbs and 84 climbers. Tree density and mean basal area ranged from 517 to 900 stems ha⁻¹ and 36.15 to 53.58 m² ha⁻¹ respectively. Evergreen forests accounted for highest diversity followed almost equally by semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests.     

Landslide risk analysis between Giri and Tons Rivers in Himachal Himalaya (India)

The area around Sataun in the Sirmur district of Himachal Pradesh, India (falling between the rivers Giri and Tons; both tributaries of the Yamuna River) was studied for landslide vulnerability on behalf of the inhabitants. The study was made using extensive remote sensing data (satellite and airborne). It is well supported by field evidence, demographic and infrastructural details and aided by Geographic Information System (GIS) based techniques. Field observations testify that slope, aspect, geology, tectonic planes, drainage, and land use all influence landslides in the region. These parameters were taken into consideration using the statistical approach of landslide hazard zonation. Using the census data of 1991, vulnerability of the populace to the landslide hazard was accessed. As most of the infrastructure in the region is concentrated around population centres, population data alone was used for vulnerability studies.     

The Lost Natural Wetlands of Punjab (India): An Inventory

Wetlands play a vital role in maintaining groundwater levels in an area. This is true for Punjab that was bestowed with several natural wetlands in the flood plains of its rivers. These natural wetlands have never been mapped and their existence has not been acknowledged. The large scale agricultural development in the state has made it India's leading food producing state. This development was done at the cost of certain ecologically sensitive parts, mainly the flood plains thus leading to the demise of wetlands. This paper is an attempt to retrace the lost wetlands that were existed in the flood plains of the three major rivers: Satluj, Beas and Ravi in the present day Punjab at the beginning of 20th century. A majority of these wetlands have not been documented so far and do not even have names. The purpose is to emphasize their elimination in addition to establishing a baseline dataset that can be a tool for wetland planning and management.     

Moraine-Dammed Lakes study in the chenab and The Satluj River Basins using IRS data

Moraine-dammed lakes are normally formed near glacier terminus. These lakes can burst due to excessive melting and can cause floods in the valleys. Many such floods have been reported in the Himalayas and other parts of the World. In this paper, an inventory of these lakes in the Satluj and the Chenab basins has been reported. During the investigation, 22 lakes in the Satluj and 31 lakes in the Chenab basin were mapped. In the Chenab basin, two lakes are of very large size, their areal extent is 105 and 55 ha, located in toposheet number 52 HI 1 and 52H02, respectively. These lakes were selected for detail monitoring. The lake near the Geepang glacier, is located in toposheet number 52H 02 and its area was 27 ha in 1976. Using the satellite data, areal extent of the lake was monitored. The lake area was almost doubled to 55 ha in 2001. This suggested that, lake size is constantly increasing and it can cause outburst flood. The maximum possible depth of lake was estimated by taking the average difference of maximum and minimum height of moraine dam from the Survey of India toposheet. By considering the average depth, the volume of the lake water and the instantaneous discharge of 350 mVsec were estimated. This is large discharge for a small stream like the Geepang Gath and it can damage many civilian and defense establishments. Therefore, further detail field investigations of this lake are needed to assess threat potential and to develop strategy to avoid this flash flood.     

Monitoring drought dynamics in the Aravalli region (India) using different indices based on ground and remote sensing data

The hard-rock hilly Aravalli terrain of Rajasthan province of India suffers with frequent drought due to poor and delayed monsoon, abnormally high summer-temperature and insufficient water resources. In the present study, detailed analysis of meteorological and hydrological data of the Aravalli region has been carried out for the years 1984–2003. Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) has been used to quantify the precipitation deficit. Standardised Water-Level Index (SWI) has been developed to assess ground-water recharge-deficit. Vegetative drought indices like Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) and Temperature Condition Index (TCI) and Vegetation Health Index (VHI) have been computed using NDVI values obtained from Global Vegetation Index (GVI) and thermal channel data of NOAA AVHRR satellite. Detailed analyses of spatial and temporal drought dynamics during monsoon and non-monsoon seasons have been carried out through drought index maps generated in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment. Analysis and interpretation of these maps reveal that negative SPI anomalies not always correspond to drought. In the Aravalli region, aquifer-stress shifts its position time to time, and in certain pockets it is more frequent. In comparison to hydrological stress, vegetative stress in the Aravalli region is found to be slower to begin but quicker to withdraw.     

润扬大桥北汊桥施工控制网测量及分析

通过对润扬大桥北汊桥施工控制网三种测量方案的设计，并对实测成果进行分析比较。根据实践成果得出大型桥梁控制网测量采用测边网或边角网方案可以达到精密施工控制网的精度要求，边角网平差计算采用验后定权法较合理。在精密测距边角网中，通过增加方向观测值方法来提高控制网的精度作用不明显。     

Morphotectonic analysis in Anandpur Sahib area,Punjab (India) using remote sensing and gis approach

Anandpur Sahib area of Rupnagar district (Punjab) was investigated using an integrated multi-disciplinary approach of geomorphological, structural, drainage and morphotectonic analysis through satellite data and GIS. Most commonly used geomorphic indices viz., channel sinuosity, drainage basin asymmetry, basin elongation ratio, mountain front sinuosity and valley floor to valley width ratio index have been used to identify the geomorphic indicators of active tectonics in the area. Existence of fluvial anomalies viz., abrupt changes in flow direction, flow against gradient, beheaded streams and river terraces reflect the strong structural control on the fluvial features. Asymmetric nature of drainage basin, elongated nature of the sub-watersheds, straight to curvilinear mountain fronts and narrow incised valley floors further substantiate the role of active tectonics in the region.     

Validations of suspended sediment concentration (ssc) derived using ocean colour monitor (ocm) data off Chennai coast, India

Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) — P4 Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM) data were used to estimate Suspended Sediment Concentration (SSC) in the coastal waters off Chennai and to study the distribution along the coast. Surface water samples were collected during May and October 2000 synchronized with satellite overpass, and quantitative estimates of Suspended Sediment Concentration (SSC) were done. OCM — Data Analysis System (DAS) software developed by the Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad was used for OCM data processing and analysis. The field data and OCM derived SSC showed a correlation of r = 0.85 and r = 0.95 for the months of May and October respectively.     

Application of Landsat data in determining the range biomass in Jodhpur district,Westren Rajasthan (India)

The range biomass in three different soil types of Jodhpur district has been estimated from the computer print out of Landsat imagery. The total biomass in the younger alluvial soil varies from 36.1 to 35910.0 kg; in pipar soils it ranges between 23.2 to 21541.2 kg, and in Chirai soils total biomass varies from 26.6 to 6852.7 kg.     

Geo-spatial approach for phytodiversity characterization in Panna National Park (part), M.P. (India)

Panna National Park is situated in the north-central part of Madhya Pradesh, India. Landscape parameters like fragmentation, porosity, patchiness and jaxtaposition have been analysed for disturbance gradient characterization. Disturbance on biodiversity due to human activities has been studied both qualitatively and quantitatively. The species richness is highest in northern mixed dry deciduous forest followed by dry deciduous open scrub and southern tropical dry deciduous teak forest. Species richness of the open thorny dry deciduous forest with grasses is found to be the lowest. Disturbance analysis indicates that 22.02% of the southern slightly moist teak forests are highly disturbed whereas Anogeissus forest and Riverine forest have 17.04% and 12.41% of the area under high disturbance, respectively. A total of 88 field sample plots were laid to enumerate trees, shrubs, herbs, climbers, etc. Biological richness parameters such as Shannon-Wiener biodiversity index, biodiversity value, ecosystem uniqueness were derived from field data. High biological richness is found in northern mixed dry deciduous forest and mixed dry deciduous forest with bamboo. More than 99% of such areas are falling under medium to high biological richness. Nearly 55% of the gentle and flat to gentle, slope categories were found to have low biological richness. Phytosociological analysis of sampled field data indicated that the number of trees per unit area is the lowest in the Savannah. In inaccessible areas, the species richness and number of trees per unit area is very high. Main forces causing disturbance are search for diamonds, dams on river Ken, settlements in and around the park, grazing and resource utilization by villagers for fodder, animal grazing, fuel-wood, timber, etc.     

Retrieval and Validation of Chlorophyll-a Concentrations in the Coastal Waters Off Yanam and Kakinada (Godavari) Basin Along East Coast of India

In this study chlorophyll measurements were made during March 2012 in the estuarine waters of Off Kakinada and Yanam coast, Bay of Bengal onboard a coastal vessel. In-situ water samples and optical data was collected at 21 stations (surface to 150 m depth) using Underwater radiometer (Hyperpro-II). In-vivo chlorophyll profiles were collected using wet labs fluorometer integrated with underwater Hyperspectral radiometer. Chlorophyll-a concentrations were estimated using HPLC by collecting the water samples at each sampling location. And also chlorophyll-a concentrations were retrieved from the OCM-2 data of OCEANSAT-2 satellite, processed using SeaDAS v.6.2 with the available global ocean colour algorithms namely, OC2 and OC4V4. A total of 33 samples used covering all the stations for chlorophyll-a estimation, and surface water samples of all the stations only being used for direct comparison among chlorophyll concentrations of HPLC, in-situ (fluorometrically integrated to Hyperpro-II) and retrieved from OCM-2. A good correlation found between the Fluorometer derived and HPLC measured chlorophyll-a concentration with an R² value of 0.78. The relation between Chlorophyll-a concentration measured from HPLC and retrieved from OCM-2 (OC2 and OC4V4 algorithms) using SeaDASv.6.2 for 10 samples has been compared for validation and obtained an R² value of 0.6. Also comparisons done with the in-situ measured (fluorometer) Chlorophyll-a concentration with OCM-2 chlorophyll data (OC4-V4 and OC2 algorithms) and validation with 10 concurrent in-situ surface measurements showed a significant overestimation by OCM-2 at low chlorophyll-a concentrations and underestimation at high chlorophyll-a concentrations.     

Linking remotely sensed Urban Green Space (UGS) distribution patterns and Socio-Economic Status (SES) - A multi-scale probabilistic analysis based in Mumbai,India

Urban Green Spaces (UGS) offer social and environmental benefits that enhance quality of life of the residents. However, due to the underlying social and economic disparities, different sections of urban population have disproportionate level of access to UGS. The environmental inequity owing to the varied UGS distribution poses a challenge to urban planners in efficient resource allocation. This study attempts to counter this challenge using a novel remote sensing-based approach. The variations in UGS distribution (in terms of quantity, quality and accessibility) across the neighbourhoods in Mumbai vis-à-vis the socio-economic status (SES) of neighbourhood residents are assessed using remote sensing-based indicators. Further, as these indicators are susceptible to the effect of changing scales, a multi-scale approach is adopted to study the potential variations in the relationship between SES and spatial metrics of UGS with spatial resolution. The neighbourhood SES was assessed using the newly developed Socio-Economic Status Index (SESI) and the neighbourhoods were classified into multiple SES categories. The UGS were extracted from remotely sensed data using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and their spatial distribution aspects were characterized using indicators at neighbourhood level. The variations in indicators of UGS distribution in the neighbourhoods belonging to different SES categories were analysed using a logistic regression model. The results showed that, while quantity of UGS is not statistically associated with neighbourhoods SES, the quality and accessibility aspects of UGS share a statistically significant relation with SES. Also, this relation was found to vary significantly with spatial resolutions. Further, it was found that the neighbourhoods with higher SES in Mumbai have a better access to green spaces, indicating spatial inequities in UGS distribution in Mumbai. This study has important implications for planning equitable green spaces in cities that are currently in urbanization transition.