Digital photogrammetry based automatic measurement of sandstone roof of a mine

Automatic close range photogrammetric measurements are of immense importance for a hazardous industry like mining. Unfortunately, available stereomatching techniques fail for high resolution close range images due to the large variation of object depth. In this paper a diffraction grating based laser dot-matrix projector along with a CCD camera is used for automatic close range measurement of a textureless and featureless object like massive sand stone strata. Targeting of object’s surface with large number of laser dots simultaneously solved two major problems: identification of conjugate points and precise image co-ordinate measurement. Least squares based template matching is used for centroid location of images of laser dots which provided 0.03 (mean) pixels accuracy. Using analytical techniques, camera model of the projector was developed by placing it rigidly on the teleseope of a geodimeter Bundle adjustment procedure is adopted for accurate estimation of interior orientation parameters of the projector which resulted precise co-ordinates of the object space during a test scan by the developed system.     

Investigation into the Behaviour of a Support System and Roof Strata During Sublevel Caving of a Thick Coal Seam

Monitoring of strata control parameters and behaviour of a powered support was carried out during an experimental trial of a mechanized longwall sublevel caving face for exploitation of a 7.5m thick coal seam. Field observations indicated that the requirement of support density for underwinning of top coal by sublevel caving under intact strata is different from that for underwinning under broken and fractured rock mass. Analysis of the leg closure observations and support resistance variations during different mining cycles showed rapid increase of the setting load density of the support in relation to the yield load density. This resulted in a large amount of leg closure during mining cycles of the sub level caving face under broken rock strata. Due to operational constraints, the field observations could not provide enough information to visualize the behaviour of the overlying rock strata. Simulation of the field conditions was therefore performed on a physical model to bridge this gap of information. Results of laboratory investigations on the physical model are combined with those of the field to explain the critical behaviour of the support system during sublevel caving under broken rock strata.     

Comparative evaluation of water quality zonation within Dwarka River Basin,India

This study evaluates the thematic representation of drinking water quality of 211 habitations along the Dwarka River Basin (DRB), West Bengal, India. The dominant water type is Ca–Mg–HCO₃. Statistical analysis of the spatial dataset indicates a clustering pattern (with a nearest-neighbour ratio of 0.368 and Z score of 29.774). Two different techniques, spatial interpolation of water quality index (WQI) and composite water quality index (WQI_C) of physico-chemical constituents, were implemented to compare their performance. The WQI_C indicates approximately 11.68% of the total study area is at non-permissible levels, whereas the normal WQI technique predicts about 1.64% of the area is in non-permissible zones. Spatial water quality zonation by means of the overlay technique was superior to the conventional WQI technique in precisely distinguishing the characteristics of the permissible area with respect to even a single WHO recommended water quality parameter.     

A concise overview on historical black carbon in ice cores and remote lake sediments in the northern hemisphere

Black Carbon(BC),as a driver of environmental change,could significantly impact the snow by accelerating melting and decreasing albedo.Systematic documentation ...     

Assessing future changes in seasonal climatic extremes in the Ganges river basin using an ensemble of regional climate models

Using an ensemble of four high resolution (~25 km) regional climate models, this study analyses the future (2021–2050) spatial distribution of seasonal temperature and precipitation extremes in the Ganges river basin based on the SRES A1B emissions scenario. The model validation results (1989–2008) show that the models simulate seasonality and spatial distribution of extreme temperature events better than precipitation. The models are able to capture fine topographical detail in the spatial distribution of indices based on their ability to resolve processes at a higher regional resolution. Future simulations of extreme temperature indices generally agree with expected warming in the Ganges basin, with considerable seasonal and spatial variation. Significantly warmer summers in the central part of the basin along with basin-wide increase in night temperature are expected during the summer and monsoon months. An increase in heavy precipitation indices during monsoon, coupled with extended periods without precipitation during the winter months; indicates an increase in the incidence of extreme events.     

Combining climatological and participatory approaches for assessing changes in extreme climatic indices at regional scale

This paper combines the climatological and societal perspectives for assessing future climatic extremes over Kangasabati River basin in India using an ensemble of four high resolution (25 km) regional climate model (RCM) simulations from 1970 to 2050. The relevant extreme indices and their thresholds are defined in consultation with stakeholders and are then compared using RCM simulations. To evaluate the performance of RCM in realistically representing atmospheric processes in the basin, model simulations driven with ERAInterim global re-analysis data from 1989 to 2008 are compared with observations. The models perform well in simulating seasonality, interannual variability and climatic extremes. Future climatic extremes are evaluated based on RCM simulations driven by GCMs, for present (1970–1999) and for the SRES A1B scenario for future (2021–2050) period. The analysis shows an intensification of majority of extremes as projected by future ensemble mean. The study suggests that there is a marked consistency in stakeholder observed changes in climate extremes and future predicted trends.     

Evolving coronal holes and interplanetary erupting stream disturbances

Coronal holes and interplanetary disturbances are important aspects of the physics of the Sun and heliosphere. Interplanetary disturbances are identified as an increase in the density turbulence compared with the ambient solar wind. Erupting stream disturbances are transient large-scale structures of enhanced density turbulence in the interplanetary medium driven by the high-speed flows of low-density plasma trailing behind for several days. Here, an attempt has been made to investigate the solar cause of erupting stream disturbances, mapped by Hewish & Bravo (1986) from interplanetary scintillation (IPS) measurements made between August 1978 and August 1979 at 81.5 MHz. The position of the sources of 68 erupting stream disturbances on the solar disk has been compared with the locations of newborn coronal holes and/or the areas that have been coronal holes previously. It is found that the occurrence of erupting stream disturbances is linked to the emergence of new coronal holes at the eruption site on the solar disk. A coronal hole is indicative of a radial magnetic field of a predominant magnetic polarity. The newborn coronal hole emerges on the Sun, owing to the changes in magnetic field configuration leading to the opening of closed magnetic structure into the corona. The fundamental activity for the onset of an erupting stream seems to be a transient opening of pre-existing closed magnetic structures into a new coronal hole, which can support highspeed flow trailing behind the compression zone of the erupting stream for several days.