Bioremediation of salt affected soils using cyanobacteria in terms of physical structure,nutrient status and microbial activity

In present investigation, consortia of two indigenous heterocystous cyanobacteria, Nostoc ellipsosporum HH-205 and Nostoc punctiforme HH-206 isolated from a salt affected area of Hisar, Haryana (India) were used as biofertilizer in bioremediation of salt affected soils having high electrical conductivity (13.5 dS/m) and pH (8) with poor organic carbon (0.3%) as well as nitrogen content (0.008%). The experiments were conducted in a pot house for the period of 240 days. There was a significant (P < 0.05) increase in carbon, phosphate, nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, cation exchange capacity, mean weight diameter and hydraulic conductivity of soil with biofertilizer treatment whereas sodium ion and electrical conductivity were found to be decreased. Improvement in soil aggregation and stability due to increased soil microbial activities (dehydrogenase, invertase and phosphomonoesterase) were also observed. Significant increase in growth and yield of pearl millet–wheat crop was observed in amended pots even under low water regime. Thus, the indigenous cyanobacterial species show promise in effective exploitation for phytoremediation and improved productivity of saline soils under semi-arid condition.     

Field Treatment of MTBE‐Contaminated Groundwater Using Ozone/UV Oxidation

Methyl‐tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) is often found in groundwater as a result of gasoline spills and leaking underground storage tanks. An extrapolation of occurrence data in 2008 estimated at least one detection of MTBE in approximately 165 small and large public water systems serving 896,000 people nationally (United States Environmental Protection Agency [U.S. EPA] 2008). The objective of this collaborative field study was to evaluate a small groundwater treatment system to determine the effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV)/ozone treatment in removing MTBE from contaminated drinking water wells. A pilot‐scale advanced oxidation process (AOP) system was tested to evaluate the oxidation efficiency of MTBE and intermediates under field conditions. This system used ozone as an oxidizer in the presence of UV light at hydraulic retention times varying from 1 to 3 min. MTBE removal efficiencies approaching 97% were possible with this system, even with low retention times. The intermediate t‐butyl alcohol (TBA) was removed to a lesser extent (71%) under the same test conditions. The main intermediate formed in the oxidation process of the contaminated groundwater in these studies was acetone. The concentrations of the other anticipated intermediates t‐butyl formate (TBF), isopropyl alcohol (IPA), methyl acetate (MAc), and possible co‐occurring aromatics (BTEX) in the effluent were negligible.     

Stomach contents of cetaceans incidentally caught along Mangalore and Chennai coasts of India

The stomachs of 32 individuals of seven cetacean species incidentally caught in gill net and purseseine fisheries along Mangalore and Chennai coasts (India) between 2004 and 2006 were examined. The whole stomach (fore-gut, mid-gut and hind-gut) was examined in all cases. Prey remains (666 prey items comprising six species of teleosts, one crustacean and one squid species) were found in the stomachs of eight individuals (the remaining 24 stomachs were found to be empty). All cetaceans were found to feed mostly on teleosts with wide range of trophic levels. Based on an index that included frequency of occurrence, percentage by number and by weight, the oil sardine Sardinella longiceps was the main prey in the sample. Cetaceans appear to favour both pelagic as well as demersal prey, possibly indicating surface and benthic feeding habits.     

Pre-processing considerations of IRS-P6 LISS-4 imagery

Wide image swath with a high geometric resolution is required for photogrammetric applications. Both demands can be satisfied using staggered line arrays. Different bands of IRS-P6 LISS-4 sensor use staggered arrays for imaging. This paper describes a method for computing the offset for geometric alignment of odd and even lines of the staggered array of IRS-P6 LISS-4 imagery. The odd and even pixel rows are separated by 35 μm (equal to 5 pixels) in the focal plane in the along-track direction. Slightly different viewing angles of both lines of a staggered array can result in a variable sampling pattern on the ground because of the attitude fluctuations, satellite movement, terrain topography, PSM steering and small variations in the angular placement of the CCD lines (from the pre-launch values) in the focal plane. Non-accounting of this variable sampling value during the video data alignment will introduce deterioration of image quality and geometric discontinuity of features. The stagger parameters can be computed by the reconstruction of the viewing geometry with a calibrated camera geometry model and a public domain DEM. The impact of the line separation in the focal plane during imaging for different viewing configurations and terrain heights are studied and reported in this paper. Computed values from the model are in good agreement with what is observed in the raw image for different view angles. The results verify the model and are representative of the stability of the platform.     

基于Worldview-3与Sentinel-1 SAR数据的草原矿区复垦植被生物量反演方法研究

利用多源遥感数据定量反演矿区复垦植被生物量是高效、动态、大面积监测土地复垦和生态恢复效果的必要手段之一.本文以内蒙古草原露天煤矿为研究区,联合遥感光学与雷达数据各自的优势,探索基于Worldview-3(WV-3)与Sentinel-1 SAR数据的矿区复垦植被生物量反演方法,选择主成分-小波变换(W-PCA)算法对W...     

Spatial distribution of altered minerals in the Gadag Schist Belt (GSB) of Karnataka,Southern India using hyperspectral remote sensing data

Spatial distribution of altered minerals in rocks and soils in the Gadag Schist Belt (GSB) is carried out using Hyperion data of March 2013. The entire spectral range is processed with emphasis on VNIR (0.4–1.0 μm) and SWIR regions (2.0–2.4 μm). Processing methodology includes Fast Line-of-sight Atmospheric Analysis of Spectral Hypercubes correction, minimum noise fraction transformation, spectral feature fitting (SFF) and spectral angle mapper (SAM) in conjunction with spectra collected, using an analytical spectral device spectroradiometer. A total of 155 bands were analysed to identify and map the major altered minerals by studying the absorption bands between the 0.4–1.0-μm and 2.0–2.3-μm wavelength regions. The most important and diagnostic spectral absorption features occur at 0.6–0.7 μm, 0.86 and at 0.9 μm in the VNIR region due to charge transfer of crystal field effect in the transition elements, whereas absorption near 2.1, 2.2, 2.25 and 2.33 μm in the SWIR region is related to the bending and stretching of the bonds in hydrous minerals (Al-OH, Fe-OH and Mg-OH), particularly in clay minerals. SAM and SFF techniques are implemented to identify the minerals present. A score of 0.33–1 was assigned for both SAM and SFF, where a value of 1 indicates the exact mineral type. However, endmember spectra were compared with United States Geological Survey and John Hopkins University spectral libraries for minerals and soils. Five minerals, i.e. kaolinite-5, kaolinite-2, muscovite, haematite, kaosmec and one soil, i.e. greyish brown loam have been identified. Greyish brown loam and kaosmec have been mapped as the major weathering/altered products present in soils and rocks of the GSB. This was followed by haematite and kaolinite. The SAM classifier was then applied on a Hyperion image to produce a mineral map. The dominant lithology of the area included greywacke, argillite and granite gneiss.     

Climate change adaptation cost in the US: what do we know?

Researchers and policy makers increasingly recognize the need to adapt to future changes in climate, given that past emissions of greenhouse gases have already committed the world to some level of climate change. However, the current understanding of the costs and benefits of adaptation measures is still fairly rudimentary, and far from comprehensive. An assessment is presented of the current state of knowledge on the magnitude of adaptation costs in the United States. While incomplete, the studies suggest that adaptation cost could be as high as tens or hundreds of billions of dollars per year by the middle of this century. Key studies are identified in each sector, and the cost estimates and approaches to cost estimation are surveyed. Methodological issues are highlighted in interpreting, comparing, and aggregating adaptation cost estimates. Policy recommendations are made along with appropriate steps to make future adaptation cost studies more comparable within and across sectors and more accessible and relevant to policy and decision makers.

Policy relevance

Designing and implementing climate change adaptation policy requires good information about the effectiveness and cost of available adaptive options. The current state of knowledge on adaptation costs in the United States is assessed and significant gaps in the literature are highlighted – particularly in terms of sectoral and geographic coverage – as well as inconsistencies in methodologies and assumptions that hamper comparison across studies. Critical steps are identified that can be taken to make adaptation cost studies more accessible and useful to decision makers. The findings and recommendations are relevant to adaptation cost studies globally, not just in the United States.     

Skill assessment of global climate model wind speed from CMIP5 and CMIP6 and evaluation of projections for the Bay of Bengal

Climate Dynamics - Atmospheric and oceanic parameters derived from global climate model (GCM) simulations have received wide global attention and importance in representing the future world under...     

River and basin morphometric indexes to detect tectonic activity: a case study of selected river basins in the South Indian Granulite Terrain (SIGT)

Abstract

The effects and influence of tectonic processes on the Anjarakandy, Thalassery, Mahe, and Kuttiyadi watersheds and rivers of the South Indian Granulite Terrain in Kerala were examined to determine their spatial heterogeneity. Drainage basin asymmetry (Af), transverse topographic symmetry factor (T), hypsometric integral and curve (HI), longitudinal profile, stream length gradient index (SL), and stream concavity index (SCI) suggest heterogeneity in tectonic influence. Clusters of geomorphic anomalies in similar lithology rule out lithologic control on drainage development. However, the orientations of the drainage networks and predominant fractures/lineaments compare closely and reveal strong tectonic influence. Though the watersheds are considered to be in an advanced stage of erosion by the low HI (<30) and high values of SCI, variations in the shape of the hypsometric curves and differences in the SCI values indicate the different influence of tectonic process from watersheds in the north to the south. Among the watersheds, the Mahe and Kuttiyadi are more sensitive to tectonic processes than the Anjarakandy and Thalassery and indicate spatial heterogeneity in the influence of tectonic activity, confirming the grouping of watersheds based on structural and drainage patterns.     

Recognizing Correlated Patterns from Remotely Sensed Images: A New Learning Rule Based on Spin Glass Theory

Classification of remotely sensed images is a rich research field wherein techniques from conventional statistics to recent developments such as Artificial Neural Network, Fuzzy logic etc. has wide applications. Conventionally remotely sensed image classification referred to pixel classification based on broad categories such as vegetation and water bodies. With the availability of high-resolution imageries, shape analysis of macro structures contained in images becomes an important and difficult task. Although conventional statistical pattern recognition techniques give a reasonable result, Artificial neural network methods seem to be giving better results. In this paper, we give a survey of feed-forward neural network used for shape classification and a Hopfield model with an improved learning rule, for a typical shape analysis problem.