Growth and photosynthetic rates of Chlamydomonas plethora and Nitzschia frustula cultures isolated from Kuwait Bay, Arabian Gulf, and their potential as live algal food for tropical mariculture

With a view to utilize local algae as food organisms in mariculture, the green alga Chlamydomonas plethora and the diatom Nitzschia frustula were isolated and studied from the unique coastal waters arid zone off Kuwait. Batch cultures of C. plethora and N. frustula had maximum division rates (μ_max) of 2.5 and 3.4 day^?1, respectively. Cultures grown for 36 h yielded comparable growth rates. Photosynthesis‐irradiance relationships in cultures harvested at various phases of growth showed that cultures attained log phase after 1‐day growth and yielded the highest assimilation numbers (P: μg C [μg Chl a]^?1 h^?1): 22.8 for C. plethora and 18.1 for N. frustula. Their initial slopes (α^B: ng C [μg Chl a]^?1 h^?1 [μmol m^?2 s^?1]^?1 were also the highest observed so far: 79.5 for C. plethora and 39.6 for N. frustula. Photoinhibition was low. Compared with these, assimilation numbers in senescent cultures of 20‐day growth were <8% of the maximum for both species, and the initial slope decreased to 17 and 13% in C. plethora and N. frustula, respectively. Two polyunsaturated fatty acids (20:5n‐3 eicosapentaenoic acid and 22:6n‐3 docosahexaenoic acid) that are essential in many marine animal diets constituted up to 24% and 1.9% of the total fatty acids, respectively. Of the two algae, N. frustula contained higher levels of 16:1n‐7, 20:5n‐3 and comparatively low levels of 22:6n‐3 fatty acids. Due to its rapid growth, high photosynthetic rate and presence of the amino acids leucine, lysine, glutamic acid and arginine N. frustula has good potential as a feed organism in mariculture applications. The capacity of these algae to produce a wide range of size groups (nano and net plankton) is an additional bonus for mariculture operations.     

Axis Translation and Negative Water Column Techniques for Suction Control

Negative water column and axis translation techniques are conventionally used experimental techniques for obtaining data to interpret the engineering behavior of unsaturated soils. The negative or the hanging water column technique is used as a suction control method in the low suction range (i.e., 0–30 kPa). The axis translation technique is used in the suction range 0 to 500 kPa or higher. This technique is particularly useful for testing specimens with suction values greater than 100 kPa avoiding problems associated with cavitation. While the axis-translation technique has been commonly used, the limitations associated with this technique related to air diffusion, water volume change and evaporation are not discussed in greater detail in the literature. This paper highlights some of the key aspects related to the negative water column and axis translation technique that are of interest both to the researchers and practicing engineers.     

In-season time series analysis of Resourcesat-1 AWiFS data for estimating irrigation water requirement

AWiFS sensor on board IRS-P6 (Resourcesat-1), with its unique features—wide swath and 5-day revisit capability provides excellent opportunities to carry out in-season analysis of irrigated agriculture. The study carried out in Hirakud command area, Orissa State indicated that the progression of rice crop acreage could be mapped through analysis of time series AWiFS data set. The spectral emergence pattern of rice crop was found useful to identify the period of rice transplantation and its variability across the command area. This information, integrated with agro-meteorological data, was used to quantify 10-daily canal-wise irrigation water requirement. A comparison with field measured actual irrigation supplies indicated an overall supply adequacy of 88% and showed wide variability at lateral canal level ranging between 18% and 109%. The supply pattern also did not correspond with the chronological variations associated with crop water requirement, supplies were 15% excess during initial part of season (December and January) and were 20.1% deficit during later part of season (February to April). Rescheduling the excess supplies of the initial period could have reduced the deficit to 15% during peak season. The study has demonstrated the usefulness of AWiFS data to generate the irrigation water requirement by mid-season, subsequent to which 38% supplies were yet to be allocated. This would support the irrigation managers to reschedule the irrigation water supplies to achieve better synchronization between requirement and supply leading to improved water use efficiency.     

Tomographic imaging of high seismic activities in underground island longwall face

Anomalous information identification is a key issue for seismic hazard prevention in underground mining. Velocity tomograms can image the stress redistribution around coal face and provide better understanding of strata failure mechanisms. In this paper, based on microseismic events recorded during mining operation, passive tomographic imagings have been presented to assess strong tremor hazard and locate high seismic activity zones around an island coal face under super-thick strata. The zones of high velocity or velocity gradient anomalies have been found to correlate well with the distribution of strong tremors, indicating that velocity tomography is feasible for seismic hazard assessment and risk region division in underground mining.     

新安江产流模型与改进的BP汇流模型耦合应用

为提高新安江模型的汇流计算精度并减少经验因素对参数率定的影响,将新安江产流模型与改进的BP汇流模型相耦合,建立XBK(XAJ-BP-KNN)模型。该模型以前期模拟流量和新安江产流模型计算的产流量作为BP网络的输入,出口断面流量作为网络输出,拟合汇流的非线性关系,代替新安江模型的分水源、线性水库及河道马斯京根法的汇流计算;采用相似原理和K-最近邻算法,基于历史样本的模拟误差及相应影响要素对网络输出进行误差修正,实现了无前期实测流量的连续模拟;模型使用SCE-UA算法与遗传早停止LM算法相结合的全局优化方法进行参数优选。在呈村流域的验证表明XBK模型的模拟精度高于新安江模型,全局优化方法能找到最优参数,降低了模型的使用难度。     

豫西火神庙矽卡岩型钼矿床成矿流体研究

豫西火神庙中型矽卡岩型钼矿床位于华北陆块南缘栾川矿集区西部,赋存于火神庙岩体与新元古界三川组大理岩接触带的矽卡岩中。成矿过程可分为矽卡岩期(包括矽卡岩阶段和退化蚀变阶段)和石英_硫化物期(包括石英_钾长石阶段、石英_辉钼矿阶段、石英_黄铁矿阶段和石英_方解石阶段)。为查明成矿流体的性质、演化以及与成矿的关系,通过岩相学、显微测温和激光拉曼探针等实验对不同阶段、不同矿脉(物)发育的流体包裹体进行分析。结果表明:火神庙钼矿床主要发育气液两相包裹体、含子晶多相包裹体和H2O_CO2包裹体。流体包裹体均一温度介于102~600℃或者更高,盐度w(Na Cleq)介于0~62%,密度介于0.46~1.31 g/cm3,成矿系统压力介于20~170 MPa,成矿古深度介于2~6.2 km。成矿流体主要为高温、中高盐度流体,总体属于H2O_Na Cl±CO2±CH4体系。在大约5.4~6.2 km的古深度,火神庙岩体开始出溶成矿流体,在大约2~4.3 km的古深度,成矿流体经历了多次沸腾作用、混合作用及水_岩反应,逐渐由早阶段高温(600℃)、中盐度〔w(Na Cleq)16.2%~18.3%〕的岩浆热液向晚阶段低温(102~253℃)、低盐度〔w(Na Cleq)0~2.6%〕的大气降水热液演化。成矿流体的多次沸腾和水_岩反应是导致辉钼矿沉淀的主要机制。     

Occurrence of uranium in metasedimentary enclaves within basement granite, near Peddur and Kottur, Karimnagar District, Andhra Pradesh

Several radioactive anomalies due to uranium and thorium, associated with the mesedimentary enclaves (Archaean) within granite (Archaean to Early-Proterozoic) have been recorded in parts of Karimnagar Granulite Terrain, Karimnagar Dist. At Peddur and Kottur, Uraninite has been identified in the samples of metasediments. The metasediment from these two places have been subjected to granulite facies of metamorphism and host high values of uranium with negligible thorium. In Peddur, samples of metasediments have assayed as high as 1.96% U₃O₈ with negligible thorium, and in Kottur up to 0.059% U₃O₈. Leaching studies on these samples have indicated that most of the U₃O₈ present is leachable. This discovery has opened up the possibility of finding uranium mineralisation in Archaean metasediments and thus provides a thrust for uranium exploration in similar geological environs in India. Further, the basement granite along with the metasedimentary enclaves has the potential to act as a provenance for a possible unconformity type or sandstone type U-deposit in the rocks of overlying Pakhal and Gondwana Supergroup, in Pranhita-Godavari Basin, situated to the east of this area.     

Influence of rain infiltration on the stability of compacted soil slopes

Stability analyses for a homogeneous compacted embankment were undertaken considering infiltration of water into the embankment. The analyses include several different practical scenarios: (i) saturated condition, (ii) ponding (or runoff) along with saturated condition, (iii) short term analysis for unsaturated conditions, and (iv) long term analysis for unsaturated conditions. The appropriate shear strength parameters of the compacted soil required for analyzing different practical scenarios were determined using conventional and modified triaxial shear apparatus. The results of the study show that typically shallow circular failures above water front occur due to infiltration rather than the conventional infinite slope type failures.     

Modelling the flood vulnerability of deltaic Kuching City,Malaysia

The main objective of this writing is to present a practical way to envisage the flood vulnerability in deltaic region, particularly on the concern of sea level rise. Kuching city of Malaysia is established on banks of Sarawak River, 30 km from the sea. Therefore, it is subjected to fluvial and tidal floods. Kuching Bay experiences the highest King Tides in Southeast Asia region. These tide magnitudes could be a glimpse of future sea level rise. By means of modelling these tides, it provides an understanding and preparation for the impacts of sea level rise on the flood mitigation infrastructures and the city itself. The modelling efforts had created an illustration that a 10% rise in tide levels would result in increase of flooding areas up to 6% relative to existing tide levels.     

A kinematic‐wave‐based distributed watershed model using FEM,GIS and remotely sensed data

For the appropriate management of water resources in a watershed, it is essential to calculate the time distribution of runoff for the given rainfall event. In this paper, a kinematic‐wave‐based distributed watershed model using finite element method (FEM), geographical information systems (GIS) and remote‐sensing‐based approach is presented for the runoff simulation of small watersheds. The kinematic wave equations are solved using FEM for overland and channel flow to generate runoff at the outlet of the watershed concerned. The interception loss is calculated by an empirical model based on leaf area index (LAI). The Green‐Ampt Mein Larson (GAML) model is used for the estimation of infiltration. Remotely sensed data has been used to extract land use (LU)/land cover (LC). GIS have been used to prepare finite element grid and input files such as Manning's roughness and slope. The developed overland flow model has been checked with an analytical solution for a hypothetical watershed. The model has been applied to a gauged watershed and an ungauged watershed. From the results, it is seen that the model is able to simulate the hydrographs reasonably well. A sensitivity analysis of the model is carried out with the calibrated infiltration parameters, overland flow Manning's roughness, channel flow Manning's roughness, time step and grid size. The present model is useful in predicting the hydrograph in small, ungauged watersheds. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.