Numerical Simulation of North Indian Ocean State Prior to the Onset of SW Monsoon Using SSM/I Winds

The Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) and currents are simulated over the north Indian Ocean, during the onset phase of southwest monsoon for the three years 1994, 1995, and 1996, using daily Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) winds and National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) heat fluxes as forcings in the 2½ layer thermodynamic numerical ocean model. The results are discussed for the 30-day period from 16 May to 13 June for all the three years, to determine the ocean state during the onset phase of SW monsoon. The maximum variability in the simulated SST is found along the Somali coast, Indian coasts, and equatorial regions. The maximum SST in the North Arabian Sea is found to be greater than 30°C and minimum SST in the west equatorial region is 25°C during the onset phase of all three years. Model SSTs are in agreement with Reynolds SST. SST gradients in the north-south as well as in the east-west directions, west of 80°E are found to change significantly prior to the onset. It can be inferred from the study that the SST gradient of 2.5°C/2000 km is seen due north and due west of the region 2° - 7°S, 60° - 65°E, about 8 to 10 days prior to the arrival of SW monsoon near Kerala coast. Upper and lower layer circulation fields do not show prominent interannual variability.     

Variability of Nonionellina labradorica Dawson in Surface Sediments from Kongsfjorden, West Spitsbergen

Kongsfjorden is a fjord in Spitsbergen (Svalbard archipelago) that lies adjacent to both Arctic and Atlantic water masses and is therefore a suitable site to understand the effects of climate change on ecosystems. To decipher the effect of the lateral advection of transformed Atlantic water (TAW) within the fjord, spatial variations of foraminiferal tests, their test size variations and stable isotopic composition (δ13C and δ18O) in the surface sediments were studied. Total organic carbon and textural analyses were also carried out. The dominant benthic foraminifera included Nonionellina labradorica, Elphidium excavatum, Cassidulina reniforme, Quinqueloculina stalkeri and Islandiella islandica. Nonionellina labradorica was the predominant species in the outer fjord, whereas Elphidium excavatum and Cassidulina reniforme were dominant in the inner fjord. Total organic carbon and the test size of Nonionellina labradorica within the fjord were highly correlated (r2?=?0.97) and both showed a decreasing trend towards the inner fjord. Based on the distribution and abundance of Nonionellina labradorica as well as temperature profiles, we suggest that there was little or no major change in the lateral advection of TAW within the fjord in the immediate past.     

Comments on Placenticeras mintoi (Vredenburg, 1906) from the Bagh Beds (Late Cretaceous), central India with special reference to Turonian Nodular Limestone Horizon

The Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian to Coniacian) marine sediments of central India prevalently known as ‘Bagh Beds,’ have been deposited in the E-W extending Narmada Basin. The stratigraphy of these Cenomanian — Coniacian sediments has been reviewed and summarized. The Bagh Beds have been found to consist of three formations: Nimar Sandstone, Nodular Limestone and Corallian Limestone in ascending order. Main emphasis has been given to Nodular Limestone Formation (Turonian), which is the most fossiliferous horizon of the Bagh Beds. Nodular Limestone Formation has more or less alternating bands of varying thickness of nodular limestone and marl. It yielded numerous ammonoid specimens, which have been found to belong to a morphologically highly variable ammoniod taxon Placenticeras mintoi Vredenburg.     

Morphological Features of Co-Rich Manganese Deposits and Their Relation to Seabed Slopes

The morphological features associated with Co-rich manganese deposits, the size variations of nodules, and the occurrence of different substrates have been analyzed, to evaluate the influence of various seabed slope angles on the distribution of these features. The coverage and size of the crusts depend on their surface morphology and seabed topography, resulting in cobble-type, lineated, or step-like outcrops. Small nodules (1 - 4 cm in diameter) dominate all seabed slopes, with a few locations having nodules ranging from 1 to 8 or 1 to 10 cm. Sediments invariably occur as substrates for nodules and as cover for crusts, their coverage being inversely proportional to that of the nodules and crust outcrops. Steeper seafloor areas have large crust outcrops exposed with no or few nodules and sediments associated with them. The intermediate slopes have a combination of nodules, sediments, and crusts in various proportions, depending on topography and gradient. Large-scale nodule occurrences, followed by sediment fields and crust outcrops on seabed slopes of greater than 3 degrees, 3 - 7 degreees, and less than 15 degrees, respectively, represent typical morphological distribution zones of the Co-rich manganese deposits on a seamount in the central Pacific Ocean. A transition zone between nodule-dominated fields and large crust outcrops occurs for slopes from 7 degrees to 15 degrees. This detailed study on distribution of Co-rich deposits gives a better understanding for purposes of their exploitation.     

Real-time storm detection and weather forecast activation through data mining and events processing

Each year across the USA, destructive weather events disrupt transportation and commerce, resulting in both loss of lives and property. Mitigating the impacts of such severe events requires innovative new software tools and cyberinfrastructure through which scientists can monitor data for specific severe weather events such as thunderstorms and launch focused modeling computations for prediction and forecasts of these evolving weather events. Bringing about a paradigm shift in meteorology research and education through advances in cyberinfrastructure is one of the key research objectives of the Linked Environments for Atmospheric Discovery (LEAD) project, a large-scale, interdisciplinary NSF funded project spanning ten institutions. In this paper we address the challenges of making cyberinfrastructure frameworks responsive to real-time conditions in the physical environment driven by the use cases in mesoscale meteorology. The contribution of the research is two-fold: on the cyberinfrastructure side, we propose a model for bridging between the physical environment and e-Science¹ workflow systems, specifically through events processing systems, and provide a proof of concept implementation of that model in the context of the LEAD cyberinfrastructure. On the algorithmic side, we propose efficient stream mining algorithms that can be carried out on a continuous basis in real time over large volumes of observational data. ¹ e-Science is used to describe computationally intensive science that is typically carried out in highly distributed network     

Thermogravimetric and model-free kinetic studies on CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> gasification of low-quality,high-sulphur Indian coals

Coal gasification with CO₂ has emerged as a cleaner and more efficient way for the production of energy, and it offers the advantages of CO₂ mitigation policies through simultaneous CO₂ sequestration. In the present investigation, a feasibility study on the gasification of three low-quality, high-sulphur coals from the north-eastern region (NER) of India in a CO₂ atmosphere using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-DTA) has been made in order to have a better understanding of the physical and chemical characteristics in the process of gasification of coal. Model-free kinetics was applied to determine the activation energies (E) and pre-exponential factors (A) of the CO₂ gasification process of the coals. Multivariate non-linear regression analyses were performed to find out the formal mechanisms, kinetic model, and the corresponding kinetic triplets. The results revealed that coal gasification with CO₂ mainly occurs in the temperature range of 800^°–1400^°C and a maximum of at around 1100^°C. The reaction mechanisms responsible for CO₂ gasification of the coals were observed to be of the ‘nth order with autocatalysis (CnB)’ and ‘nth order (Fn) mechanism’. The activation energy of the CO₂ gasification was found to be in the range 129.07–146.81 kJ mol^?1.     

Living planktonic foraminifera during the late summer monsoon period in the Arabian Sea

During the late summer monsoon living planktonic foraminifera were collected in the southeastern Arabian Sea between 3°N and 15°N by using six vertical plankton tows. Sixteen species of planktonic foraminifera were identified. Among them, Globigerinoides ruber and Globigerinoides sacculifer are the most abundant species, while the ecologically most important species Globigerina bulloides is very rare. The low abundance of G. bulloides can be explained by the warming of the surface water in combination with deepening of the mixed layer, since this species preferentially dwells in nutrient-rich upwelling waters. The population density of planktonic foraminifera ranges between 31 and 185 specimens per 10⁻³ m³. The low absolute numbers of planktonic foraminifera are similar to the numbers which were reported before from the non-upwelling areas in the Arabian Sea. The low absolute numbers and the collected foraminiferal assemblages are therefore highly indicative of the Arabian Sea non-upwelling areas. Particularly significant are the low absolute and relative numbers of the non-spinose species Globorotalia menardii and Neogloboquadrina dutertrei. The absence of these species indicate the relatively low nutrient levels in this area at the tail end of the summer monsoon period.     

Methods of computation of suspended load from bed materials and flow parameters

Computation of the grain-size distribution of the suspended load above a sand bed must take into consideration: (1) sorting processes from the bed to the bed layer and (2) sorting between the bed layer and suspension. Grain-size distributions of the bed layers above sand beds of three different types have been computed in this work, both by the Einstein and the Gessler methods. Using these as references, suspended load distributions have been obtained in each case by the Rouse suspension equation. A new formula has also been developed in partial modification of Hunt's method for direct computation of bed load and suspended load from a bed's grain-size distribution and flow parameters. Comparison of the computed data with actual observations in laboratory flumes show that no one method is particularly superior to the others, but the present method is advantageous because it affords direct computation of the suspended load from a bed's grain-size distribution, without going through an intermediate stage (bed load). The possible sources of error in each of the methods have been discussed.     

Geomorphological study of sundarban deltaic estuary

Study of landforms in Sundarbans deltaic estuary is necessary in regular basis due to its importance and impact on ecology, climate and economy. Remote sensing has proved as an important tool to study this. Multi-temporal satellite data helps to delineate the various geomorphic classes in different time domain and also provide inputs to study the coastal erosion and accretion. Finer spatial and better temporal resolution will be an added adventure for this kind of study.     

Seismic Hazard Assessment of Dhanbad City,India, by deterministic approach

Natural Hazards - Dhanbad is the largest producer of coal in the state of Jharkhand, India, and hence, it is one of the most important cities in the country. Considering the present-day importance...