Remote sensing and GIS based comparative morphometric study of two sub-watershed of different physiographic conditions,West Godavari District,A.P.

In this present study, Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques were used to update drainage and surface water bodies and to evaluate linear, relief and aerial morphometric parameters of the two sub-watersheds viz. Jilugumilli and Regulapadu in the northern part of West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. The area of Jilugumilli and Regulapadu watersheds spread over about 110 & 80 sq. km respectively. The morphometric analysis of the drainage networks of Regulapadu and Jilugumilli sub-watersheds exhibit sub-dendritic and sub parallel drainage pattern. The variation in stream length ratio changes due to change in slope and topography. It was inferred from the study that the streams are in a mature stage in Regulapadu and Jilugumilli watersheds, which indicated the geomorphic development. The variations in bifurcation ratio values among the sub-watersheds are described with respect to topography and geometric development. The stream frequencies for both sub-watersheds exhibit positive correlation with the drainage density, indicating increase in stream population with respect to increase in drainage density. The Jilugumilli watershed has a coarse drainage texture and Regulapadu sub-watershed is a fine drainage texture in nature. In the present study an attempt has been made to analyse the morphometric analysis of two sub-watersheds under different physiographic conditions. Morphometric analysis is one of the essential analyses required for development and management of watershed.     

A Hybrid Spatio-Temporal Data Model and Structure (HST-DMS) for Efficient Storage and Retrieval of Land Use Information

While the incorporation of geographical and environmental modeling with GIS requires software support for storage and retrieval of spatial information that changes over time, it continues to be an unresolved issue with modern GIS software. Two complementary approaches have been used to manage the spatial and temporal heterogeneity within datasets that use a field‐based representation of the world. Some researchers have proposed new data models that partition space into discrete elements on an as‐needed basis following each temporal event, while others have focused on eliminating duplication of repeated data elements present in spatio‐temporal information. It is proposed in this paper that both approaches have merit and can be combined to create a Hybrid Spatio‐Temporal Data Model and Structure (HST‐DMS) that efficiently supports spatio‐temporal data storage and querying. Specifically, Peuquet and Duan's (1995) Event‐based Spatio‐Temporal Data Model (ESTDM) and the Overlapping R‐tree (Guttman 1984, Tzourmanis et al. 2000) are utilized to create a prototype used to store information about urban expansion for the town of Carbondale, Illinois.     

Spatial Scale and Population Assignment Choices in Environmental Justice Analyses1

Environmental justice laws protect certain populations against discriminatory actions that may result from a myriad of enterprises, including transportation activities. Previous environmental equity studies examining the effects of transportation‐engendered externalities have been criticized on several points, including (1) that the choice of a reference population for comparison to the criterion variable may influence the outcome of research results and (2) that the selection and use of inappropriate methodologies intended to identify and characterize populations may foreordain research outcomes. This article examines the potentially confounding effects of selected spatial scale and population assignment strategies as applied to a study of excessive noise levels at a large Midwestern airport, finding that reported outcomes can vary significantly as a function of methodological choices.     

Assessment of heavy metal pollution from the sediment of Tupilipalem Coast,southeast coast of India

Sediment from twelve stations was sampled from the Tupilipalem Coast, southeast coast of India, and the presence of a set of heavy metals was established including iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd). The heavy metals were assessed by factor analysis, the results of which showed positive and/or negative correlations among Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Cd. Factor analysis also indicated that heavy metals in the sediments of the study area have different natural and anthropogenic sources. Similarly, a sediment pollution assessment was done using the Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), Enrichment Factor (EF), and Pollution Load Index (PLI). The Geoaccumulation Index indicated that the surface sediment of the Tupilipalem Coast was extremely contaminated with Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn. The calculation of enrichment factors showed a significant enrichment with respect to Pb, Zn, and Cd and a moderate enrichment with Cr, Cu, and Ni. The falling trend of average contents’ enrichment factors is Cd> Pb> Zn> Cu> Cr> Ni> Mn> Fe. The PLI values of the Cd show higher (>1) values due to the influence of distinct external sources like agricultural runoff, industrial activities, and other anthropogenic inputs. Ninety two percent of heavy metals under study showed the highest concentrations at station TP-5 where the Buckingham Canal and other agricultural and aquacultural effluents connect with the Bay of Bengal. This location is the second inlet which is periodically closed and it seemed that these parts of the study area are heavily affected by anthropogenic pollution.     

Problems concerning the magnetic behaviour and determination of curie points of certain basalts

Summary Magnetic hysteresis studies at different fields and temperatures have been carried out on several basalts. From such studies it would be often possible to delineate the single or multidomain character of the sample and in some cases to identify the magnetic minerals in them. However, in determining the Curie temperatures of the basalts, especially of those containing predominantly single domain grains, several difficulties arise, which are discussed.     

Correction to: Landslide susceptibility mapping of the Sera River Basin using logistic regression model

Natural Hazards - The article “Landslide susceptibility mapping of the Sera River Basin using logistic regression model,” written by Nussaïbah B. Raja, Ihsan Çiçek, Necla...     

Variation of lunar and solar geomagnetic tides with sunspot and geomagnetic activity

Summary Solar and lunar geomagnetic tides inH at Alibag have been determined by spectral analysis of discrete Fourier transforms following the method of Black and the well-known Chapman-Miller method. The seasonal variation inL ₂(H) is opposite to that inL ₂(D) with maximum in thed season and minimum in thej season. In bothH andD the enhancement due to sunspot activity is larger in lunar tide than in solar tide. Surprisingly, the enhancement due to magnetic activity is greater inL ₂(H) than inS ₁(H), while the contrary is true for declination. It is inferred that there is a local time component of the storm time variation contrary to the view expressed by Green and Malin. The enhancements in amplitudesL ₂ andS ₁ inH andD, due to sunspot activity and due to magnetic activity, have been separated. The results show that the amplitude at zero sunspot number increases with magnetic activity in all the four parameters, while the enhancement due to sunspot activity at different levels of magnetic activity decreases with increase ofK _p. But if bothK _p andR are increasing, whenK _p increases enhancement due toR decreases and whenR increases enhancement due toK _p decreases.