Modeling of local ionospheric time varying characteristics based on singular value decomposition over low-latitude GPS stations

Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) model is implemented to recognize the Total Electron Content (TEC) time series of daily, temporal as well as seasonal characteristics throughout the 24th solar cycle period of the year 2015 in the study. The Vertical (vTEC) analysis has been carried out with Global Positioning System (GPS) data sets collected from five stations from India namely GNT, Guntur (16.44^° N, 80.62^° E), and IISC, Bangalore (12.97^° N, 77.59^° E), LCK2, Lucknow (26.76^° N, 80.88^° E), one station from Thailand namely AITB, Bangkok (14.07^° N, 100.61^° E), and one station from South Andaman Island namely PBR, Port Blair (11.43^° N, 92.43^° E), located in low latitude region. The first five singular value modes constitute about 98% of the total variance, which are linearly transformed from the observed TEC data sets. So it is viable to decrease the number of modeling parameters. The Fourier Series Analysis (FSA) is carried out to characterize the solar-cycle, annual and semi-annual dependences through modulating the first three singular values by the solar (F10.7) and geomagnetic (Ap) indices. The positive correlation coefficient (0.75) of daily averaged GPS–TEC with daily averaged F10.7 strongly supports the temporal variations of the ionospheric features depends on the solar activity. Further, the significance and reliability of the SVD model is evaluated by comparing it with GPS–TEC data and the standard global model (Standard Plasma-Spherical Ionospheric Model, SPIM and International Reference Ionosphere, IRI 2016).     

Source Parameters of the Deadly M<Subscript>w</Subscript> 7.6 Kashmir Earthquake of 8 October, 2005

During the last six years, National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad has established a semi-permanent seismological network of 5–8 broadband seismographs and 10–20 accelerographs in the Kachchh seismic zone, Gujarat with a prime objective to monitor the continued aftershock activity of the 2001 M_w 7.7 Bhuj mainshock. The reliable and accurate broadband data for the 8 October M_w 7.6 2005 Kashmir earthquake and its aftershocks from this network as well as Hyderabad Geoscope station enabled us to estimate the group velocity dispersion characteristics and one-dimensional regional shear velocity structure of the Peninsular India. Firstly, we measure Rayleigh-and Love-wave group velocity dispersion curves in the period range of 8 to 35 sec and invert these curves to estimate the crustal and upper mantle structure below the western part of Peninsular India. Our best model suggests a two-layered crust: The upper crust is 13.8 km thick with a shear velocity (Vs) of 3.2 km/s; the corresponding values for the lower crust are 24.9 km and 3.7 km/sec. The shear velocity for the upper mantle is found to be 4.65 km/sec. Based on this structure, we perform a moment tensor (MT) inversion of the bandpass (0.05–0.02 Hz) filtered seismograms of the Kashmir earthquake. The best fit is obtained for a source located at a depth of 30 km, with a seismic moment, Mo, of 1.6 × 10²⁷ dyne-cm, and a focal mechanism with strike 19.5°, dip 42°, and rake 167°. The long-period magnitude (M_A ~ M_w) of this earthquake is estimated to be 7.31. An analysis of well-developed sPn and sSn regional crustal phases from the bandpassed (0.02–0.25 Hz) seismograms of this earthquake at four stations in Kachchh suggests a focal depth of 30.8 km.     

Experimental and modeling study on Cr(VI) transfer from soil into surface runoff

With the development of modern agriculture, large amount of fertilizer and pesticide outflow from farming land causes great waste and serious pollution to surface water and groundwater, and threatens ecological environment and even human life. In this paper, laboratory experiments are conducted to simulate adsorbed Cr(VI) transfer from soil into runoff. A two-layer in-mixing analytical model is applied to analyze laboratory experimental results. A data assimilation (DA) method via the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) is used to update parameters and improve modeling results. In comparison with the experimental data, DA updated modeling results are much better than those without the updating. To make predictions better, the inflation method with a constant inflation factor via DA method was used to compensate the fast decrease of ensemble spread partially related to filter inbreeding. Based on the used rainfall and relevant physical principles, the updated value of the incomplete mixing coefficient γ is about 14.0 times of the value of the incomplete mixing coefficient α in experiment 1 and about 7.4 times in experiment 2, while the difference between the flow rate of runoff and infiltration is not so large even after reaching stable infiltration condition. The results indicate the loss of Cr(VI) in soil solute is mainly due to infiltration, rather than surface runoff. With the increase of mixing layer depth, soil adsorption capacity will increase and the loss of soil solute will decrease. The study results provide information for reducing and even preventing the agricultural nonpoint source pollution.     

The Paleo－Environmental Significance of Sr and Ca Contained in Acid－Soluble Fraction of Plateau Loess Deposits in Xining Basin

The Xining Basin,located on northeastern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau,is adjacent to the Qaidam Bsim and Gobi-desert.Therefore,thick,integrated deposits of loess or paleo-sol sequence were well developed.As is well known,there is much paleo-environmental information recorded in loess and plaeo-sol.So if we deal with paleo-environmental index from different an gles ,especially from loess geochemistry,some important and detailed paleo-environmental evolutional information will be acquired.Based on this,the authors determined the contents of Sr and Ca contained in acid-soluble fraction from the bottom to the top of the Panzishan section.This section was obtained through making a well about 17 m in depth,including S1 paleo-sol that was developed during the last interglacial period.According to the results,it is found that variations in contents of Sr and Ca are well correlated with conversion of loess and paleo-sol.In loess deposits,the contents of Sr and Ca are higher than those in paleo-sol deposits.It is known that loess was deposited under cold-dry climate conditions and paleo-sol was developed during warm-humid climate episodes.It is concluded that due to their mobile behaviors,under cold-dry climate conditions,Sr and Ca are stagnant during weak weathering,but under warm-humid climate conditions,Sr and Ca are easily leached and transported in aqueous solution.Therefore,they can be utilized as indicatiors of climate changes.Moreover,variations in contents of Sr and Ca are more sensitive than susceptibility.The mobile behaviors of Sr and Ca contained in acid-soluble fraction can serve as a new quantitative index to evaluate paleo-environmental changes on the plateau.     

The influence of the Three Gorges Reservoir regulation on a typical tributary heat budget

Reservoir regulation and local climate both affect the heat budget of tributary bay. It is difficult for traditional methods to identify the influence of different factors on heat budget quantitatively. In this paper, for analysis of the control mechanisms of the heat budget of a large reservoir tributary, the water temperature distribution, and heat budget processes of the Meixi River, a typical tributary to the Three Gorges Reservoir was measured, and a new method was used to calculate the heat content composition of the tributary bay and identify the key factor of the heat balance. The result shows significant variation in the spatial and temporal distributions of water temperatures in the Meixi River, ranging from 12.4 to 28.9 °C on the surface and 12.0 to 24.4 °C at the bottom. The total heat exchange across the air–water interface that ranges from 0.1 to 6% of the budget is not the primary control factor of the annual tributary heat budget. Rather, the change in water depth produced by regulation of the Three Gorges Reservoir is the primary control factor of the tributary heat budget in the whole year, which ranges from 72 to 99% of the budget. The water temperature difference between the main stream and tributary is the not key factor of the heat budget, which ranges from 0.1 to 28% of the heat budget.     

Discrimination of Spectrally-Close Crops Using Ground-Based Hyperspectral Data

Hyperspectral remote sensing, because of its large number of narrow bands, has shown possibility of discriminating the crops. Current study was carried out to select the optimum bands for discrimination among pulses, cole crops and ornamental plants using the ground-based Hyperspectral data in Patha village, Lalitpur district, Uttar Pradesh state and Kolkata, West Bengal state. The field observations of reflectance were taken using a 512-channel spectroradiometer with a range of 325–1075 nm. The stepwise discriminant analysis was carried out and separability measures, such as Wilks’ lambda and F-Value were used as criteria for identifying the narrow bands. The analysis showed that, the best four bands for pulse crop discrimination lie mostly in NIR and early MIR regions i.e. 750, 800, 940 and 960 nm. Within cole crops discrimination is primarily determined by the green, red and NIR bands of 550, 690, 740, 770 and 980 nm. The separability study showed the bands 420,470,480,570,730,740, 940, 950, 970, 1030 nm are useful for discriminating flowers.     

Global ionosphere map constructed by using total electron content from ground-based GNSS receiver and FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC GPS occultation experiment

Effects of rapidly changing ionospheric weather are critical in high accuracy positioning, navigation, and communication applications. A system used to construct the global total electron content (TEC) distribution for monitoring the ionospheric weather in near-real time is needed in the modern society. Here we build the TEC map named Taiwan Ionosphere Group for Education and Research (TIGER) Global Ionospheric Map (GIM) from observations of ground-based GNSS receivers and space-based FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC (F3/C) GPS radio occultation observations using the spherical harmonic expansion and Kalman filter update formula. The TIGER GIM (TGIM) will be published in near-real time of 4-h delay with a spatial resolution of 2.5° in latitude and 5° in longitude and a high temporal resolution of every 5 min. The F3/C TEC results in an improvement on the GIM of about 15.5%, especially over the ocean areas. The TGIM highly correlates with the GIMs published by other international organizations. Therefore, the routinely published TGIM in near-real time is not only for communication, positioning, and navigation applications but also for monitoring and scientific study of ionospheric weathers, such as magnetic storms and seismo-ionospheric anomalies.     

A method for generating uniform size-segregated pyrite particle fractions

Background  

Standardized sample preparation techniques allow comparison of pyrite dissolution experiments under diverse conditions. Our objective was to assess dry and wet sieving preparation methodologies, and to develop a reproducible technique that yields uniformly size-distributed material within a limited size range of interest.     

Experimental study on the vertical deformation of aquifer soils under conditions of withdrawing and recharging of groundwater in Tongchuan region,China

Land subsidence due to aquifer-system compaction accompanying groundwater extraction is a global hazard. Rising urban construction and groundwater demand necessitate increased awareness and better understanding of the geological problem. Motivated by the lack of laboratory-scale studies on this issue, an experimental investigation on the newly developed Tongchuan region, China, is presented. The study addresses the deformation behaviors of three soil samples, with the lithology of silty clay, silt, and fine sand, under the conditions of groundwater withdrawal and recharge using the GDS Consolidation Testing System. Results indicate that all three samples were characterized by elastic–plastic deformation under the conditions of withdrawing and recharging. The vertical deformation of the silty clay in the aquitard above the first confined aquifer was larger than those of the other two samples, and its deformation is a gradual and long process; thus, considerable attention should be paid to deformation in this aquitard due to the apparent creep effect and tiny rebound deformation. However, the settlement of the fine sand in the second confined aquifer cannot be ignored due to the great thickness of the aquifer. For the same soil, as the pore-water pressure declined, the unit rate of vertical deformation decreased gradually, whereas the creep effect of deformation in the later declining stage of pore-water pressure was more apparent than that in the former declining stage. These observations are highly important to the local government, which is developing measures to prevent and control subsidence.     

Investigating a Hierarchy of Eulerian Closure Models for Scalar Transfer Inside Forested Canopies

Modelling the transfer of heat, water vapour, and CO₂ between the biosphere and the atmosphere is made difficult by the complex two-way interaction between leaves and their immediate microclimate. When simulating scalar sources and sinks inside canopies on seasonal, inter-annual, or forest development time scales, the so-called well-mixed assumption (WMA) of mean concentration (i.e. vertically constant inside the canopy but dynamically evolving in time) is often employed. The WMA eliminates the need to model how vegetation alters its immediate microclimate, which necessitates formulations that utilize turbulent transport theories. Here, two inter-related questions pertinent to the WMA for modelling scalar sources, sinks, and fluxes at seasonal to inter-annual time scales are explored: (1) if the WMA is to be replaced so as to resolve this two-way interaction, how detailed must the turbulent transport model be? And (2) what are the added predictive skills gained by resolving the two-way interaction vis-à-vis other uncertainties such as seasonal variations in physiological parameters. These two questions are addressed by simulating multi-year mean scalar concentration and eddy-covariance scalar flux measurements collected in a Loblolly pine (P. taeda L.) plantation near Durham, North Carolina, U.S.A. using turbulent transport models ranging from K-theory (or first-order closure) to third-order closure schemes. The multi-layer model calculations with these closure schemes were contrasted with model calculations employing the WMA. These comparisons suggested that (i) among the three scalars, sensible heat flux predictions are most biased with respect to eddy-covariance measurements when using the WMA, (ii) first-order closure schemes are sufficient to reproduce the seasonal to inter-annual variations in scalar fluxes provided the canonical length scale of turbulence is properly specified, (iii) second-order closure models best agree with measured mean scalar concentration (and temperature) profiles inside the canopy as well as scalar fluxes above the canopy, (iv) there are no clear gains in predictive skills when using third-order closure schemes over their second-order closure counterparts. At inter-annual time scales, biases in modelled scalar fluxes incurred by using the WMA exceed those incurred when correcting for the seasonal amplitude in the maximum carboxylation capacity (V _{cmax, 25}) provided its mean value is unbiased. The role of local thermal stratification inside the canopy and possible computational simplifications in decoupling scalar transfer from the generation of the flow statistics are also discussed.

“The tree, tilting its leaves to capture bullets of light; inhaling, exhaling; its many thousand stomata breathing, creating the air”. Ruth Stone, 2002, In the Next Galaxy