A focusing approach to ground water detection by means of electrical and EM methods: the case of Paliouri, Northern Greece

In this paper the main results from the implementation and interpretation of a geophysical survey carried out in Chalkidiki (Northern Greece) are presented. The objective of the geophysical survey was to study the general geological conditions of the area (stratigraphy and tectonism) and to focus on the hydrogeological behaviour of the geological formations in the area. The ultimate target was to point out the most promising locations for the successful construction of hydro wells. Since direct hydrogeological information was not available, three different geophysical techniques were applied in order to follow a step by step approach to the exploration of the study area. Firstly, the Very Low Frequency (VLF) electromagnetic method was applied since the majority of the area was dominated by the formation of ophiolites and water flow was possibly expected only in fractured zones at a relatively small depth. Secondly, at the locations of the conductive zones detected by the VLF survey additional Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) sections at different scales were measured to provide more detailed information about the geometrical characteristics of them. Finally, Self-Potential (SP) measurements along the same profiles were conducted in order to provide supplementary information concerning the nature of the conductive zones such as the possible relation with electrokinetic sources. The combined interpretation of the geophysical data proved very efficient for deciding the most promising locations for the construction of hydro wells.     

Evaluating trophic status and restoration procedures of a polluted lake,Lake Kastoria,Greece

Lake Kastoria is a shallow lake with many anthropogenic activities concentrated in its catchment area. Surficial runoff rich in agricultural waste and underground seepage from urban and rural areas enrich the lake with nutrients intensifying the eutrophication problem of the water.Restoration techniques, with different approach, each one are proposed to restore the lake water. Treatment with alum is very effective but needs special care during the application. Reeds harvesting is an inexpensive and effective way and in combination with the city sewage redirection will improve the water quality and the trophic status of the lake sufficiently.     

Climate change and agricultural pollution effects on the trophic status of a Mediterranean lake

Trichonis Lake is the largest natural freshwater body in Greece with a surface area of 97 km². It receives pollutants from numerous anthropogenic activities, especially from intensive agricultural practices, urban sewages, stock grazing land and small industries. In this study, hydrologic and chemical parameters are assessed during two periods (1990–1991) and (2001–2002) to evaluate the effects of the climatic changes on phosphorous trends and consequently on the trophic status of Trichonis Lake. Even though large quantities of fertilizers are applied in the lake's catchment, phosphorus loads are still in the permissible level as estimated according to Vollenweider's relationship based on total phosphorus concentration. Due to relatively higher rainfall precipitation during the last years, an increased amount of the phosphorus entering into the lake system is flushed out, thus keeping the trophic status of the lake in oligotrophic levels. In contrast, lower rainfall rates during the first period (1990–1991) have led to the decrease in phosphorus flush out and its detainment into the lake water and sediment resulting to mesotrophic conditions. As the trophic status of the lake is mainly hydrologically dependent and thus unpredictable, effective management plans targeting the elimination of nutrient pollution loadings are necessary.     

Cloud cover classification through simultaneous ground-based measurements of solar and infrared radiation

Simultaneous measurements of downwelling short-wave solar irradiance and incoming total radiation flux were performed at the Reeves Nevè glacier station (1200 m MSL) in Antarctica on 41 days from late November 1994 to early January 1995, employing the upward sensors of an albedometer and a pyrradiometer. The downwelling short-wave radiation measurements were analysed following the Duchon and O'Malley [J. Appl. Meteorol. 38 (1999) 132] procedure for classifying clouds, using the 50-min running mean values of standard deviation and the ratio of scaled observed to scaled clear-sky irradiance. Comparing these measurements with the Duchon and O'Malley rectangular boundaries and the local human observations of clouds collected on 17 days of the campaign, we found that the Duchon and O'Malley classification method obtained a success rate of 93% for cirrus and only 25% for cumulus. New decision criteria were established for some polar cloud classes providing success rates of 94% for cirrus, 67% for cirrostratus and altostratus, and 33% for cumulus and altocumulus.The ratios of the downwelling short-wave irradiance measured for cloudy-sky conditions to that calculated for clear-sky conditions were analysed in terms of the Kasten and Czeplak [Sol. Energy 24 (1980) 177] formula together with simultaneous human observations of cloudiness, to determine the empirical relationship curves providing reliable estimates of cloudiness for each of the three above-mentioned cloud classes. Using these cloudiness estimates, the downwelling long-wave radiation measurements (obtained as differences between the downward fluxes of total and short-wave radiation) were examined to evaluate the downwelling long-wave radiation flux normalised to totally overcast sky conditions. Calculations of the long-wave radiation flux were performed with the MODTRAN 3.7 code [Kneizys, F.X., Abreu, L.W., Anderson, G.P., Chetwynd, J.H., Shettle, E.P., Berk, A., Bernstein, L.S., Robertson, D.C., Acharya, P., Rothman, L.S., Selby, J.E.A., Gallery, W.O., Clough, S.A., 1996. In: Abreu, L.W., Anderson, G.P. (Eds.), The MODTRAN 2/3 Report and LOWTRAN 7 MODEL. Contract F19628-91-C.0132, Phillips Laboratory, Geophysics Directorate, PL/GPOS, Hanscom AFB, MA, 261 pp.] for both clear-sky and cloudy-sky conditions, considering various cloud types characterised by different cloud base altitudes and vertical thicknesses. From these evaluations, best-fit curves of the downwelling long-wave radiation flux were defined as a function of the cloud base height for the three polar cloud classes. Using these relationship curves, average estimates of the cloud base height were obtained from the three corresponding sub-sets of long-wave radiation measurements. The relative frequency histograms of the cloud base height defined by examining these three sub-sets were found to present median values of 4.7, 1.7 and 3.6 km for cirrus, cirrostratus/altostratus and cumulus/altocumulus, respectively, while median values of 6.5, 1.8 and 2.9 km were correspondingly determined by analysing only the measurements taken together with simultaneous cloud observations.     

Using the SyNaRMa system as a disaster management tool

Natural disasters have a considerable effect in human, infrastructure and economy. In the case of a, e.g., catastrophic earthquake that happens and affects the urban environment, immediate and efficient actions are required that ensure the minimization of the damage and loss of human lives. Local and national authorities should respond in order to meet the above objective. Nowadays, one of the most appropriate tools for this purpose is the web-based geographic information systems (GIS). Such a system, named SyNaRMa (Information System for Natural Risk Management in the Mediterranean), has been developed in the frame of an INTERREG IIIB ArchiMED project (2006?C2008). The present paper aims at addressing the role of the SyNaRMa system as a tool for facilitating disaster management. It is argued that the development of a web-based GIS can assist disaster management agencies to improve the quality of their decision making and increase efficiency and effectiveness in all levels of disaster management activities. This research is primarily based on the findings of the abovementioned project that resulted in the development of an information system for natural risk management in the Mediterranean that can facilitate sharing, access and usage of spatial data in disaster management, i.e., preparedness, response and recovery activities.     

Speleothem evidence for late Holocene climate variability and floods in Southern Greece

We present stable isotope data (δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C) from a detrital rich stalagmite from Kapsia Cave, the Peloponnese, Greece. The cave is rich in archeological remains and there are reasons to believe that flooding of the cave has directly affected humans using the cave. Using a combination of U–Th and ¹⁴C dating to constrain a site-specific correction factor for (²³²Th/²³⁸U) detrital molar ratio, a linear age model was constructed. The age model shows that the stalagmite grew during the period from ca. 950 BC to ca. AD 830. The stable oxygen record from Kapsia indicates cyclical changes of close to 500 yr in precipitation amount, with rapid shifts towards wetter conditions followed by slowly developing aridity. Superimposed on this signal, wetter conditions are inferred around 850, 700, 500 and 400–100 BC, and around AD 160–300 and AD 770; and driest conditions are inferred to have occurred around 450 BC, AD 100–150 and AD 650. Detrital horizons in the stalagmite indicate that three major floods took place in the cave at 500 BC, 70 BC and AD 450. The stable carbon isotope record reflects changes in biological activity being a result of both climate and human activities.     

Optimal orbits for temporal gravity recovery regarding temporal aliasing

The temporal changes of the Earth’s gravity field can be observed on a global scale with low–low satellite-to-satellite tracking (SST) missions. One of the largest restrictions of the quality of low–low SST gravity fields is temporal aliasing. This study investigates the design of optimal satellite orbits for temporal gravity retrieval regarding temporal aliasing. We present a method with which optimal altitudes for the orbit of a gravity satellite mission with the goal of temporal gravity retrieval can be identified. The two basic orbit frequencies, the rates of the argument of the latitude and the ascending node, determine the mapping of the signal measured along the orbit onto the spherical harmonic (SH) spectrum. The main spectral characteristics of temporal aliasing are maxima at specific SH orders. The magnitude of the effects depends on the basic frequencies. This is analyzed with numerical low–low SST closed-loop simulations including both tidal and non-tidal background models and GRACE-like observation noise. Analyses of actual monthly GRACE solutions show that these characteristics do not depend on the low–low SST processing method. Optimal orbits are found in specific altitude bands. The best altitude bands regarding temporal aliasing for polar low Earth orbiters (LEOs) are around 301, 365, 421 and 487 km. In these bands, major aliasing effects do not occur for SH degrees and orders below 70. This study gives unique and in-depth insights into the mechanism of temporal aliasing. As it provides an important orbit design approach, it is independent of any (post-) processing method to reduce temporal aliasing.     

Scale- and orientation-invariant scene similarity metrics for image queries

In this paper we extend our previous work on shape-based queries to support queries on configurations of image objects. Here we consider spatial reasoning, especially directional and metric object relationships. Existing models for spatial reasoning tend to rely on pre-identified cardinal directions and minimal scale variations, assumptions that cannot be considered as given in our image applications, where orientations and scale may vary substantially, and are often unknown. Accordingly, we have developed the method of varying baselines to identify similarities in direction and distance relations. Our method allows us to evaluate directional similarities without a priori knowledge of cardinal directions, and to compare distance relations even when query scene and database content differ in scale by unknown amounts. We use our method to evaluate similarity between a user-defined query scene and object configurations. Here we present this new method, and discuss its role within a broader image retrieval framework.