Storm surge vulnerability along Chennai–Cuddalore coast due to a severe cyclone THANE

A very severe cyclonic storm ‘Thane’ developed over the Bay of Bengal during 25–30 December 2011, crossed the Tamilnadu coast between Pondicherry and Cuddalore (southeast coast of India) in early hours of 30 December with a wind speed 120–140 km/h. The offshore tide record reveals that the surge started to generate around 1100 hours on 29 December 2011 with a height 0.4 m and later raised to 0.68 m at the time of land fall, that is, early hours (0000 hours) of 30 December 2011. Field reconnaissance survey on surge run-up and inundation distance at 15 selected locations of cyclone affected areas reveals that the vulnerability levels are highly variable along the coast. The inundation distance extended up to 30–230 m landward from the shoreline and run-up reached to 1.6–3.2 m above chart datum depending upon the cross-shore geometry of the location. In the areas (Verranampattinam, Chinamudaliyar kuppam and Silver beach) near cyclone landfall, the run-up was up to 2.5–3.2 m and the inundation distance extended up to a maximum of 230 m. However, in the areas located about 150 km north of cyclone landfall, the run-up limited from 1.6 to 1.7 m and the inundation distance extended up to only a maximum of 169 m. The inundation distance is mainly influenced by the slope of the beach. In the areas having beach slope between 1 in 135 and 1 in 220, the inundation distance was 210–230 m. However, in the areas having beach slope 1 in 17 to 1 in 34, the inundation distance is restricted between 35 and 50 m.     

Enhancement of Biogas Generation by Addition of Lipase in the Co‐Digestion of Tannery Solid Wastes

Co‐digestion studies were carried out for biogas generation using fleshings as the primary substrate and a mixture of primary and secondary sludge generated during the treatment of tannery wastewater as the co‐substrate. Steapsin, a commercial grade lipase, was added to enhance the hydrolysis in anaerobic co‐digestion. The lipase dosages used were ranging between 0.25 and 1.0 g for a volatile solids input of 7.5 g. The performance of the co‐digestion was assessed from the volume of biogas generated. Experimental results revealed an optimum lipase dosage of about 0.75 g. At this dosage, the biogas generation was observed to increase by about 15% compared to that in the control without adding lipase. Further, the digestion with lipase addition was observed faster since the digestion period was reduced about 30%. This means that the capacity of the digester could also be reduced about 30% leading to savings in its installation cost.     

An Evaluation of Possible Mechanisms for Anomalous Resistivity in the Solar Corona

A wide variety of transient events in the solar corona seem to require explanations that invoke fast reconnection. Theoretical models explaining fast reconnection often rely on enhanced resistivity. We start with data derived from observed reconnection rates in solar flares and seek to reconcile them with the chaos-induced resistivity model of Numata and Yoshida (Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 045003, 2002) and with resistivity arising out of the kinetic Alfvén wave (KAW) instability. We find that the resistivities arising from either of these mechanisms, when localized over length scales of the order of an ion skin depth, are capable of explaining the observationally mandated Lundquist numbers.     

Post-flare pulsations in the 54–78 MHz frequency band

Solar Physics - Quasi-periodic pulsations with periods mostly around 13&;nbsp;s in the frequency range of 54–78&;nbsp;MHz have been observed following the first X2&;nbsp;flare...     

Interaction Between Two CMEs During 14 – 15 February 2011 and Their Unusual Radio Signature

We report a detailed analysis of an interaction between two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that were observed on 14?–?15 February 2011 and the corresponding radio enhancement, which was similar to the “CME cannibalism” reported by Gopalswamy et al. (Astrophys. J. 548, L91, 2001). A primary CME, with a mean field-of-view velocity of 669 km?s^?1 in the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)/Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO), was more than as twice as fast as the slow CME preceding it (326 km?s^?1), which indicates that the two CMEs interacted. A radio-enhancement signature (in the frequency range 1 MHz?–?400 kHz) due to the CME interaction was analyzed and interpreted using the CME data from LASCO and from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) HI-1, radio data from Wind/Radio and Plasma Wave Experiment (WAVES), and employing known electron-density models and kinematic modeling. The following results are obtained: i) The CME interaction occurred around 05:00?–?10:00 UT in a height range 20?–?25 R_⊙. An unusual radio signature is observed during the time of interaction in the Wind/WAVES dynamic radio spectrum. ii) The enhancement duration shows that the interaction segment might be wider than 5 R_⊙. iii) The shock height estimated using density models for the radio enhancement region is 10?–?30 R_⊙. iv) Using kinematic modeling and assuming a completely inelastic collision, the decrease of kinetic energy based on speeds from LASCO data is determined to be 0.77×10²³ J, and 3.67×10²³ J if speeds from STEREO data are considered. vi) The acceleration, momentum, and force are found to be a=?168 m?s^?2, I=6.1×10¹⁸ kg?m?s^?1, and F=1.7×10¹⁵ N, respectively, using STEREO data.     

A new investigation of microbursts at meter-decameter wavelengths

We report on a new investigation of microbursts at meter-decameter wavelengths observed using the Broad Band Array at Gauribidanur Radio Observatory. This is an independent set of observations of microbursts: previous observations had been obtained only by the Clark Lake multifrequency radioheliograph. We confirm several properties of microbursts reported earlier. In addition, we have studied some new properties of microbursts such as time profile characteristics, flux density and energy spectra for comparison with the corresponding properties of normal type III bursts. The present study supports the idea that the microbursts and the normal type III bursts are generated by electron beams of similar characteristics. We interpret the low brightness temperature of microbursts as follows: plasma waves generated by the electron beams through beam-plasma instability are quickly isotropized as they scatter on the density fluctuations in the corona. The resulting low levels of plasma waves are converted into transverse radiation of low brightness temperature. One important consequence of the isotropization is that the second harmonic plasma emission dominates the fundamental and hence the microbursts are expected to be predominantly a harmonic plasma emission.