Forbush Decrease: A New Perspective with Classification

Sudden short-duration decreases in cosmic ray flux, known as Forbush decreases (FDs), are mainly caused by interplanetary disturbances. A generally accepted view is that the first step of an FD is caused by a shock sheath and the second step is due to the magnetic cloud (MC) of the interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME). This simplistic picture does not consider several physical aspects, such as whether the complete shock sheath or MC (or only part of these) contributes to the decrease or the effect of internal structure within the shock-sheath region or MC. We present an analysis of 16 large (\({\geq}\,8 \%\)) FD events and the associated ICMEs, a majority of which show multiple steps in the FD profile. We propose a reclassification of FD events according to the number of steps observed in their respective profiles and according to the physical origin of these steps. This study determines that 13 out of 16 major events (\({\sim}\,81\%\)) can be explained completely or partially on the basis of the classic FD model. However, it cannot explain all the steps observed in these events. Our analysis clearly indicates that not only broad regions (shock sheath and MC), but also localized structures within the shock sheath and MC have a significant role in influencing the FD profile. The detailed analysis in the present work is expected to contribute toward a better understanding of the relationship between FD and ICME parameters.     

Drifting and Meandering of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in the Bay of Bengal: Role of Oceanic Rossby Waves

Olive Ridley turtles in the Bay of Bengal are previously thought to migrate southward from their nesting ground, along the east coast of India (Orissa coast), towards Sri Lanka. Surprisingly, three of the four Platform Transmitter Terminal (PTT) attached turtles in April-June 2001 meandered off the east coast of India for about two months. It is found that these turtles meandered at the peripherals of cold core cyclonic eddy surrounded by warm core eddies on either side. Concentrations of prey for the turtles in those frontal regions are known to be abundant. Only one of the four PTT attached turtles migrated to the south along the frontal regions in the direction of geostrophic currents. It is found that the locations of these thermal fronts in the Bay of Bengal are primarily determined by the Oceanic Rossby waves and local Ekman pumping.     

Assessment of land use land cover change impact on hydrological regime of a basin

The sustainability of water resources mainly depends on planning and management of land use; a small change in it may affect water yield largely, as both are linked through relevant hydrological processes, explicitly. However, human activities, especially a significant increase in population, in-migration and accelerated socio-economic activities, are constantly modifying the land use and land cover (LULC) pattern. The impact of such changes in LULC on the hydrological regime of a basin is of widespread concern and a great challenge to the water resource engineers. While studying these impacts, the issue that prevails is the selection of a hydrological model that may be able to accommodate spatial and temporal dynamics of the basin with higher accuracy. Therefore, in the present study, the capabilities of variable infiltration capacity hydrological model to hydrologically simulate the basin under varying LULC scenarios have been investigated. For the present analysis, the Pennar River Basin, Andhra Pradesh, which falls under a water scarce region in India, has been chosen. The water balance components such as runoff potential, evapotranspiration (ET) and baseflow of Pennar Basin have been simulated under different LULC scenarios to study the impact of change on hydrological regime of a basin. Majorly, increase in built-up (13.94% approx.) and decrease in deciduous forest cover (2.44%) are the significant changes observed in the basin during the last three decades. It was found that the impact of LULC change on hydrology is balancing out at basin scale (considering the entire basin, while routing the runoff at the basin outlet). Therefore, an analysis on spatial variation in each of the water balance components considered in the study was done at grid scale. It was observed that the impact of LULC is considerable spatially at grid level, and the maximum increase of 265 mm (1985–2005) and the decrease of 48 mm (1985–1995) in runoff generation at grid were estimated. On the contrary, ET component showed the maximum increase of 400 and decrease of 570 mm under different LULC change scenario. Similarly, in the base flow parameter, an increase of 70 mm and the decrease of 100 mm were observed. It was noticed that the upper basin is showing an increasing trend in almost all hydrological components as compared to the lower basin. Based on this basin scale study, it was concluded that change in the land cover alters the hydrology; however, it needs to be studied at finer spatial scale rather than the entire basin as a whole. The information like the spatial variation in hydrological components may be very useful for local authority and decision-makers to plan mitigation strategies accordingly.     

Letter to the editor Electric field fluctuations (25–35 min) in the midnight dip equatorial ionosphere

Measurements with a HF Doppler sounder at Kodaikanal (10.2°N, 77.5°E, geomagnetic latitude 0.8°N) showed conspicuous quasi-periodic fluctuations (period 25/35 min) in F region vertical plasma drift, V_z in the interval 0047/0210 IST on the night of 23/24 December, 1991 (A_p = 14, K_p < 4^–). The fluctuations in F region vertical drift are found to be coherent with variations in B_z (north-south) component of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), in geomagnetic H/X components at high-mid latitude locations both in the sunlit and dark hemispheres and near the dayside dip equator, suggestive of DP2 origin. But the polarity of the electric field fluctuations at the midnight dip equator (eastward) is the same as the dayside equator inferred from magnetic variations, contrary to what is expected of equatorial DP2. The origin of the coherent occurrence of equatorial electric field fluctuations in the DP2 range of the same sign in the day and night hemispheres is unclear and merits further investigations.     

Easy method of interpreting dyke anomalies

Summary An entirely new procedure is proposed in this paper for interpreting anomalies of dykes. This reduces the ambiguity in magnetic interpretation. Measurements of the first vertical derivative simplifies the problem of interpretation and also supplies additional information concerning the parameters of a dyke. The first vertical derivative profile cuts the distance axis at two points whose separation is related to the depth and direction of magnetisation of a dyke.     

A Fourier transform method for the interpretation of self-potential anomalies due to two-dimensional inclined sheets of finite depth extent

The self-potential anomaly due to a two-dimensional inclined sheets of finite depth extent has been analysed in the frequency domain using the Fourier transform. Expression for the Fourier amplitude and phase spectra are derived. The Fourier amplitude and phase spectra are analysed so as to evaluate the parameters of the sheet. Application of this method on two anomalies (synthetic and field data) has given good results.     

A method for rapid evaluation of magnetic anomalies over thin sheets

A method for rapid evaluation of magnetic anomalies over thin sheets is presented. This method is based on characteristic distancesX _3/4,X _1/2,X _1/4 at which the anomaly falls off to 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4 of the total (peak to peak) amplitude, respectively. Simple mathematical relations using these characteristic distances are presented to estimate the death and dip of the sheet. This method is fast and does not require prior knowledge of the base level and the origin. A few field examples are included to show the applicability and efficacy of the method.     

The structure of the natural stratosphere and the impact of chlorofluoromethanes on the ozone layer investigated in a 2-D time dependent model

two-dimensional time dependent model of the stratosphere incorporating the major interactions between radiative-photochemical and dynamical processes is described. The main prognostic equations considered are the thermodynamic equation and the general conservation equation for the minor chemical constituents representing the odd oxygen (O _x =O+('D)+O₃), odd hydrogen (HO _x =HO+HO₂), N₂O, odd nitrogen (NO _x =NO+NO₂+HNO₃), CF₂Cl₂, CFCl₃ and odd chlorine (Cl _x =Cl+ClO+HCl). The zonal wind and mean meridional circulations are determined diagnostically by the integration of the thermal wind equation and the stream function equation in the meridional plane espectively. The large scale eddy processes are parameterized in terms of zonal mean quantities using the generalized diffusion formulation on a sloping surface. The radiative heating and cooling and the hotochemical sources and sinks are incorporated in a form which allows for the major interactions among the minor trace constituents, temperature and mean circulation.Two integrations consisting of natural stratosphere and a stratosphere contaminated by the chlorofluoromethanes through lower boundary fluxes are carried out for 23 model years by changing the declination of the sun every day and using 6-hour time step. The model simulations of temperature, mean circulation, ozone, HO _x , N₂O and NO _x in the meridional plane for the normal stratosphere, show satisfactory agreement with the available observations. Based on the results of second integration it is found that the injection of chlorofluoromethanes in the atmosphere at the estimated current production rates can lead to significant changes in the meridional distribution of ozone, temperature and NO _x in the middle and upper stratosphere. The results also indicate that the percentage total ozone depletion increases from tropics to high latitudes and from summer to winter high latitudes. Also discussed are the results of additional experiments incorporating the reaction of HO₂ with NO and the reactions involving ClNO₃.     

川滇地区电离层多参量异常监测系统的设计与实现

介绍了川滇地区电离层多参量异常监测系统的设计思路与功能实现,并将该系统应用于2019年6月17日四川长宁MS6.0地震的监测试验.结果表明:该系统实现了全球和中国区域垂直总电子含量VTEC、站点VTEC和F2层临界频率foF2异常变化的实时监测,有助于开展示范性地震电离层异常监测工作,其图形及数据结果可为地震-电离层异...