Iterative selective spatial variance reduction of MYD11A2 LST data

The aim of this research effort is to develop a method that will allow to map and evaluate thermal anomalies in SW USA from the MYD11A2 night land surface temperature (LST) imagery being available for the year 2014, that present higher spatial (1 km) and temporal (46 images per year) resolution than the MYD11C3 LST data (12 images per year at 5.6 km spatial resolution). The fact that is MYD11A2 LST imagery is projected to a rectangular grid did not affect the X, Y and elevation (H) spatial decorrelation stretch. Principal component analysis and linear regression models isolated and removed the X, Y, H (spatial) dependent variance included in the data while metrics devised verified the selective spatial variance reduction. The reconstructed 46 LST images represent the amount the LST deviates from the X, Y and H predicted for the year 2014. The thematic information content of the reconstructed LST images is verified by cluster analysis and mapped the spatial extend and the temporal variability of thermal anomalies within the study area. The positive thermal anomaly clusters are spatially arranged mainly west of Sierra Nevada in Great Basin Section where extensional tectonics create a series of titled elongated mountain blocks along the N to S direction in between basins bounded by normal faults, while the negative thermal anomaly clusters are spatially arranged along the coastal region, further north and in the western region far from the tilted mountain tectonic blocks of the Great Basin Section. The spatial maps that define regions with (positive or negative) thermal anomalies and distinct mean land response could assist landcover studies and support urban and rural planning in the context of emerging climatic change.     

Textural studies on red sediments of Bhimunipatnam,Andhra Pradesh,east coast of India

The study presents the textural characteristics of late Quaternary red sediments of Bhimunipatnam to understand the process of formation of these sediments. The red sediments are classified into (a) yellow sediments (b) reddish brown sediments (c) brick red sediments and (d) light yellow sediments sequence in the vertical litho section. The yellow sediments, rests on the khondalite basement, comprises of medium grained, moderate to poorly sorted and positively skewed. The rounded pebble beds with trough cross bedding indicate high energy turbulent conditions of deposition. The fining upward sequences indicate sediments were deposited under decreasing energy conditions under fluvial regime.The iron bearing minerals like garnets and pyriboles have undergone chemical weathering under high oxidizing environment resulting in addition of silt and clay to the reddish brown and brick red sediments and concretions were formed by carbonate precipitation. These processes caused changes in the mean grain size and sorting nature of these sediments which are originally aeolian in origin. The light yellow sediments were medium to fine grained, well sorted and similar to modern dune sands in terms of textural parameters. These sediments were deposited under low oxidation environmental conditions and acquired yellow colour due to Fe hydroxides.     

Complex site effects and building codes: Making the leap

The engineering community is aware of the importance of site effects, but it lags behind seismological studies when it comes to incorporating site effect considerations in design spectra for seismic norms. This lag is reflected in the conspicuous fact that current building codes make allowance for 1D site effects but ignore complex site effects. The purpose of this paper is to explore a way for including complex site effects in a building code environment. We take as example Eurocode 8, which is a modern code that exemplifies the current approach to site effect consideration. We examine the restrictions that we have imposed to make the problem of a feasible size and discuss the approach we have taken. We propose a strategy to incorporate a class of complex site effects in a design elastic spectrum.     

Grim4-C1, -C2p: combination solutions of the global earth gravity field

On the basis of the GRIM4-S1 satellite-only Earth gravity model, being accomplished in a common effort by DGFI and GRGS, a combination solution, called GRIM4-C1, has been derivcd using 1° × 1° mean gravity anomalies and 1° × 1° Seasat altimeter derived mean geoid undulations. In the meantime improvements could be achieved by incorporating more tracking data (GEOSAT, SPOT2-DORIS) into the solution, resulting in the two new parallel versions, the satellite-only gravity model GRIM4-S2 and the combined solution GRIM4-C2p (preliminary). All GRIM4 Earth gravity models cover the spectral gravitational constituents complete up to degree and order 50.In this report the emphasis is on the discussion of the combined gravity models: combination and estimation techniques, capabilities for application in precise satellite orbit computation and accuracies in long wavelength geoid representation. It is shown that with the new generation of global gravity models general purpose satellite-only models are no longer inferior to combination solutions if applied to satellite orbit restitution.     

Thermomagnetic analysis of magnetite parts of serpentinite samples and results of other investigations

Summary The normal type of serpentinites consists of chrysotile. The magnetite parts are essential parts of the structure of chrysotile serpentinites (primary magnetite). Chrysotile is changed to antigorite by mechanical deformations. The magnetite parts of rock structure are lost and they sat down in the veins of serpentinite rocks (secondary magnetite). In this paper the thermomagnetic diagrams and the results of X-ray investigations of secondary and primary magnetite are described. Some results of susceptibility measurements are given. The secondary magnetite is characterized by a region of oxydation in the interval 280–400° C (secondary magnetite-Fe₂O₃-Fe₂O₃). The oxydation to -Fe₂O₃ is remarkably. On the thermomagnetic diagrams of primary magnetite no typical oxydation region is to be seen. The oxydation: primary magnetite-Fe₂O₃ is very small. The interval of measured susceptibility values amounts to (10–1500)·10^–6 cgs units. The essential variability of the main parts of serpentinite samples is characterized by the great changes of susceptibility values from point to point.The determined values of specific saturation magnetization (Gauss. cm³ g^–1), the X-ray powder data, and some results on remanent magnetization are given.

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Zusammenfassung Die Normaltypserpentinite bestehen aus Chrysotil. Der Magnetit ist Bestandteil der Struktur der Chrysotilserpentinite (primärer Magnetit). Unter dem Einfluß mechanischer Deformationen geht Chrysotil in Antigorit über. Die Magnetitanteile der Gesteinsstruktur gehen verloren und scheiden sich auf Klüften ab (sekundärer Magnetit). In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden die thermomagnetischen Abhängigkeiten und die Ergebnisse von Röntgenuntersuchungen des sekundären und primären Magnetits beschrieben. Es werden einige Ergebnisse der Suszeptibilitätsmessungen angeführt. Der sekundäre Magnetit wird durch einen Oxydationsbereich im Temperaturintervall 280–400° C charakterisiert (sekundärer Magnetit-Fe₂O₃-Fe₂O₃). Die Oxydation zu -Fe₂O₃ ist beträchtlich. Die thermomagnetischen Diagramme des primären Magnetits zeigen keinen typischen Oxydationsbereich. Die Oxydation: primärer Magnetit-Fe₂O₃ ist sehr gering. Das Intervall der gemessenen Suszeptibilitätswerte beträgt (10–1500)·10^–6 CGS-Einheiten. Die starke Veränderlichkeit der Hauptbestandteile der Serpentinitproben wird durch die großen Änderungen der Suszeptibilitätswerte von Punkt zu Punkt gekennzeichnet.Die gemessenen Werte der Sättigungsmagnetisierung (Gauss.cm³ g^–1), der Röntgenuntersuchungen und einige Ergebnisse über die remanente Magnetisierung werden gegeben.

     

Detailed seismicity analysis revealing the dynamics of the southern Dead Sea area

Within the framework of the international DESIRE (DEad Sea Integrated REsearch) project, a dense temporary local seismological network was operated in the southern Dead Sea area. During 18 recording months, 648 events were detected. Based on an already published tomography study clustering, focal mechanisms, statistics and the distribution of the microseismicity in relation to the velocity models from the tomography are analysed. The determined b value of 0.74 leads to a relatively high risk of large earthquakes compared to the moderate microseismic activity. The distribution of the seismicity indicates an asymmetric basin with a vertical strike-slip fault forming the eastern boundary of the basin, and an inclined western boundary, made up of strike-slip and normal faults. Furthermore, significant differences between the area north and south of the Bokek fault were observed. South of the Bokek fault, the western boundary is inactive while the entire seismicity occurs on the eastern boundary and below the basin-fill sediments. The largest events occurred here, and their focal mechanisms represent the northwards transform motion of the Arabian plate along the Dead Sea Transform. The vertical extension of the spatial and temporal cluster from February 2007 is interpreted as being related to the locking of the region around the Bokek fault. North of the Bokek fault similar seismic activity occurs on both boundaries most notably within the basin-fill sediments, displaying mainly small events with strike-slip mechanism and normal faulting in EW direction. Therefore, we suggest that the Bokek fault forms the border between the single transform fault and the pull-apart basin with two active border faults.     

Microclimatological characteristics of a miscanthus (Miscanthus cv. giganteus) stand during stable conditionsat night in the nonvegetative winter period

Summary ?Microclimatological data obtained during a field experiment in the nongrowing winter period were used to study the microclimatologically stable night conditions of a 200 × 150 m miscanthus (Miscanthus cv. giganteus) stand and compared to open field conditions. The microclimatological pattern within the miscanthus canopy was characterized by long-wave radiative cooling of the plant stand and by an established temperature inversion within the canopy at calm nights. The results show that there are significant differences in air temperature and energy balance components between the open field and the miscanthus field during calm and clear nights. In general, net radiation difference during the cold and calm nights was relatively constant and about 20 W m⁻² less negative in miscanthus (because of lower surface temperatures) than at the open field. Air temperature differences also remained fairly constant and were up to 3 °C lower than at the open field (at the height of 1 m). Through thermal inversion cold air accumulated in the lower parts of the canopy as shown by the vertical air temperature profiles. They showed a greater amplitude within the diurnal cycle in the miscanthus stand than in the open field. Through the onset of wind, temperature profiles changed rapidly and differences diminished. Vertical katabatic air drainage into the canopy layers was estimated indirectly by using the energy balance approach. It was calculated from the significant energy balance closure gap and showed a mean air exchange rate of up to 22 m³ m⁻² h⁻¹, related to a stand volume of 1 m² area and 4 m height, during the mostly calm and clear nights, depending on the canopy net radiation and turbulent heat exchange forced by slight wind spells. Quantitative uncertainties in calculated cold air drainage which are introduced by the measurement method and certain assumptions in the calculations, were considered in a sensitivity analysis. In spite of these uncertainties evidence of katabatic cold air flow is given. Received July 29, 1999; revised June 11, 2001; accepted March 14, 2002