Simulating potential yields of Chinese super hybrid rice in Bangladesh,India and Myanmar with EPIC model

In this study, information is collected on the weather, soils, field management and agricultural statistics in the Bangladesh, India and Myanmar (BIM) region. Crop growth parameters within the EPIC (Environmental Policy Integrated Climate) model are calibrated using cultivar data and regional experimental records of indica hybrid rice Fyou498 and Fengliangyou4 in China. Potential yields of rice are then simulated in the BIM region from 1996 to 2005. The effects of local irrigation and fertilization levels on super hybrid rice yield are examined. The potential yields of Chinese hybrid rice at local irrigation and fertilization levels in 2000 and at full irrigation and rational fertilization levels are found to be 10.22 t/ha and 11.33 t/ha, respectively. The potential for increasing monsoon rice production in the study region is 227.71 million tons. The eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain in India, the southeast coast of India Peninsula and the Ayeyarwady Delta in Myanmar have the largest potentials for monsoon rice production. The northeastern and southwestern areas of the Deccan Plateau and the northwestern region of the Indo-Gangetic Plain need to improve irrigation equipment to meet the water-use requirements of high-yield rice. The central and southern plains in Myanmar and northeastern India need greater access to nitrogen fertilization for high-yield rice.     

Group velocity dispersion analysis in northern Peninsular Malaysia

The crustal structure beneath three seismic stations over Malaysia has been investigated with the application of the group velocity dispersion analysis of the northern Sumatra earthquake data which occurred on 06 April 2010. Eighteen crustal layer models are constructed to assess the structure. Group velocity dispersions have been computed for the recorded earthquake data using a graphical method and modified Haskell matrix method for the models. Both dispersions have been presented for the interpretation of crustal layers. Findings have shown four major crustal layers having thicknesses of 2.5–4.0, 2.0–5.5, 5.0–8.0, and 8.5–9.0 km, while in Terengganu, it has shown three layers. Density, shear, and compressional wave velocities used in models have suggested that the crustal structure of the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia is crystalline. Major crustal minerals are of quartz, plagioclase, and mica. Most layers seem to have upward directions toward Perak from Kedah and Terengganu.     

Regionalisation of the parameters of the log‐Pearson 3 distribution: a case study for New South Wales,Australia

The index flood method is widely used in regional flood frequency analysis (RFFA) but explicitly relies on the identification of ‘acceptable homogeneous regions’. This paper presents an alternative RFFA method, which is particularly useful when ‘acceptably homogeneous regions’ cannot be identified. The new RFFA method is based on the region of influence (ROI) approach where a ‘local region’ can be formed to estimate statistics at the site of interest. The new method is applied here to regionalize the parameters of the log‐Pearson 3 (LP3) flood probability model using Bayesian generalized least squares (GLS) regression. The ROI approach is used to reduce model error arising from the heterogeneity unaccounted for by the predictor variables in the traditional fixed‐region GLS analysis. A case study was undertaken for 55 catchments located in eastern New South Wales, Australia. The selection of predictor variables was guided by minimizing model error. Using an approach similar to stepwise regression, the best model for the LP3 mean was found to use catchment area and 50‐year, 12‐h rainfall intensity as explanatory variables, whereas the models for the LP3 standard deviation and skewness only had a constant term for the derived ROIs. Diagnostics based on leave‐one‐out cross validation show that the regression model assumptions were not inconsistent with the data and, importantly, no genuine outlier sites were identified. Significantly, the ROI GLS approach produced more accurate and consistent results than a fixed‐region GLS model, highlighting the superior ability of the ROI approach to deal with heterogeneity. This method is particularly applicable to regions that show a high degree of regional heterogeneity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A modi?ed failure criterion for transversely isotropic rocks

A modified failure criterion is proposed to determine the strength of transversely isotropic rocks. Me-chanical properties of some metamorphic and sedimentary rocks including gneiss, slate, marble, schist, shale, sandstone and limestone, which show transversely isotropic behavior, were taken into consider-ation. Afterward, introduced triaxial rock strength criterion was modified for transversely isotropic rocks. Through modification process an index was obtained that can be considered as a strength reduction parameter due to rock strength anisotropy. Comparison of the parameter with previous anisotropy in-dexes in literature showed reasonable results for the studied rock samples. The modified criterion was compared to modified Hoek-Brown and Ramamurthy criteria for different transversely isotropic rocks. It can be concluded that the modified failure criterion proposed in this study can be used for predicting the strength of transversely isotropic rocks.     

Contribution of diffuse sources to the sediment and phosphorus budgets in Ben Chifley Catchment,Australia

Relative contribution of different diffuse sources to the sediment and phosphorous (P) budgets in the Ben Chifley Reservoir was estimated using a multivariate mixing model and geochemical indices and tracers. The influence of the underlying geology on land use characteristics and the dynamics of sediment and P in the catchment were discussed. Sediments currently in transport to the reservoir are derived mainly from areas underlain by Quaternary alluvium, accounting for 33% of the reservoir sediment budget. A major portion of the sediments from the Quaternary alluvium originates from pasture land which also contributes about 60% of sediment-bound P in the reservoir, followed by cropland (30%) and forest area (10%). Phosphorus-based fertiliser contributes more than 50% of the soil P in pasture and cropland and more than 60% in forest plantation area. The remaining P reaching the reservoir originates from natural soils (native sources). Phosphate from both fertiliser and native sources are transported to the water courses and ultimately the reservoir as a consequence of gully, stream bank and surface erosion. Erosion control, trapping of fertiliser runoff, establishing riparian vegetation and reducing application of P-based fertiliser by increasing native pasture cultivation in the risk areas should be considered as management options for controlling the impact of P and sediment in the reservoir.     

Morphology and evolution of simulated and optical clusters: a comparative analysis

We have made a comparative study of morphological evolution in simulated dark matter (DM) haloes and X-ray brightness distribution, and in optical clusters. Samples of simulated clusters include star formation with supernovae feedback, radiative cooling and simulation in the adiabatic limit at three different redshifts,   z = 0.0, 0.10  and 0.25. The optical sample contains 208 Abell, Corwin & Olowin (ACO) clusters within redshift,   z ≤ 0.25  . Cluster morphology, within 0.5 and 1.0 h ⁻¹ Mpc from cluster centre, is quantified by multiplicity and ellipticity.
We find that the distribution of the DM haloes in the adiabatic simulation appears to be more elongated than the galaxy clusters. Radiative cooling brings halo shapes in excellent agreement with observed clusters; however, cooling along with feedback mechanism makes the haloes more flattened.
Our results indicate relatively stronger structural evolution and more clumpy distributions in observed clusters than in the structure of simulated clusters, and slower increase in simulated cluster shapes compared to those in the observed one.
Within   z ≤ 0.1  , we note an interesting agreement in the shapes of clusters obtained from the cooling simulations and observation. We also note that the different samples of observed clusters differ significantly in morphological evolution with redshift. We highlight a few possibilities responsible for the discrepancy in morphological evolution of simulated and observed clusters.     

Mineral chemistry and geochemical aspects of Gebel Filat granites, South Eastern Desert, Egypt

Gebel Filat granites form one of Egyptian younger granite intrusions in Wadi Allaqi region, South Eastern Desert of Egypt. They are perthitic monzogranites composed mainly of K-feldspars, plagioclase, and quartz with minor biotite. Plagioclase feldspars are Na-rich and have low anorthite content (An_2–3). Potash feldspars are mainly perthitic microcline and have chemical formula as (Or_96–96.6 Ab_3.4–4 An₀). Biotite is Mg-rich and seems to be derived from calc-alkaline magma. Chlorite is pycnochlorite with high Mg content, revealing its secondary derivation from biotite. The estimated formation temperatures of biotite and chlorite are (689–711°C) and (602–622°C), respectively. Gebel Filat monzogranites are metaluminous, high-K calc-alkaline, I-type granites. They are late orogenic granites related to subduction-related volcanic arc magmatism. They are enriched in LILE and depleted in HSFE indicating highly differentiation character. The REE patterns display an enrichment in LREE due to presence of zircon and allanite as accessories and depletion in HREE with slight negative Eu anomaly $ \left( {{\text{Eu}}/{\text{Eu}} * = 0.51 - 0.97} \right) $ . The parent magma of Gebel Filat monzogranites were emplaced at moderate depths (20–30 km) under moderate conditions of water-vapor pressure (1–5 kbar) and crystallization temperature [700–750°C]. The source magma of these granites seems to be derived from partial melting of lower crust material rather than upper mantle. The geochemical characteristics of pegmatites revealed that they are related to post orogenic within plate magmatism and not genetically related to the parent magma of Gebel Filat monzogranites. Distribution of radioactive elements (U and Th) in the studied rocks indicates normal U–Th contents for Filat monzogranites and U–Th bearing pegmatites. The positive correlations of each of Zr and Y versus U and Th are attributed to presence of zircon and allanite as accessories which incorporate U and Th in their crystal lattice.