Assessing prospects for shrimp culture in the Indian Sundarbans: A combined simulation modelling and choice experiment approach

India's Sundarbans region lies within the state of West Bengal and is part of the world's largest mangrove ecosystem. Low-intensity shrimp aquaculture is present, but the potential exists for more intensive development. We argue for avoiding environmental damage and social conflict by adopting appropriate policies now. In this study, we combine ecological simulations and a choice experiment to evaluate several policy scenarios. Such comparative evaluations combining different disciplinary tools are rare. While our ecological modelling supports severe restrictions on shrimp farming activities, local stakeholders prefer a more diverse strategy. Both models indicate that large-scale commercial shrimp aquaculture is least desirable.     

Model of photoelectron impact ionization within the high latitude ionosphere at Mars: Comparison of calculated and measured electron density

The production rate, ion density and electron density are calculated between longitudes 0° and 360° E due to incident radiation of wavelength range 1-102.57 nm in the dayside atmosphere of Mars. These calculations are made by using global analytical yield spectrum (AYS) model at solar zenith angle 80° between latitudes 50° and 70° N for spring equinox and medium solar activity condition. These conditions are appropriate for Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Phase 2 aerobraking period during which both the accelerometer and the radio occultation data are used. The calculated results are compared with MGS radio occultation measurements carried out at different latitudes (64.7°-67.3° N) and longitudes (0°-360° E) in December 1998 between solar zenith angle 78° and 81°. This measurement shows primary and secondary ionization peaks, which are varying with longitudes. Our calculation suggests that first peak is produced by photoionization and photoelectron impact ionization processes due to absorption of solar EUV radiation (9-102.57 nm). The second peak is produced by photoelectron impact ionization of soft X-ray photon (1-9 nm). There is a good agreement between our calculation and measurement as far as the maximum and the minimum values of primary peak altitude/peak density of electrons are concerned. However, the calculated values of secondary peak density and peak altitude are higher than the measured values by a factor of 1.5-2.0 and 1.1, respectively. The secondary peak is brought into agreement with the measurement using low X-ray flux by a factor of 2 to 3 below 9 nm. The longitudinal distribution of calculated and measured peak density and peak altitude are fitted by least-square method with 0.95 confidence limits.     

Characteristics of major and trace elements in surface sediments of the Makran Accretionary Prism,Pakistan and their implications for natural gas hydrates

To accurately identify the natural gas hydrates (NGH) in the sea area of the Makran Accretionary Prism, Pakistan, this paper presents the testing and analysis of major and trace elements in sediment samples taken from two stations (S₂ and S₃) in the area by the China Geological Survey. As shown by testing results, all major elements are slightly different in content between the two stations except SiO₂ and CaO. This also applies to the trace elements that include Sr and Ba primarily and Cr, Ni and Zn secondarily. It can be concluded in this study that the tectonic setting of the Makran Accretionary Prism is dominated by oceanic island arc and that provenance of the Makran Accretionary Prism is dominated by felsic igneous provenance, which is at the initial weathering stage and mainly consists of granodiorite. Besides terrigenous detritus, there are sediments possibly originating from Makran-Bela Ophiolite from the northwestern part and Murray Ridge igneous rocks from the southeastern part. The V/Cr, Ni/Co, and V/(V+Ni) ratios indicate that sediments of the two stations are in an oxidation-suboxidation environment. However, the authors infer that the sedimentary environment of the sediments 3.0 m below the seafloor tends to be gradually transformed into a reduction environment by comparison with the Qiongdongnan Basin in the South China Sea where NGH has been discovered. The sediments in the Makran Accretionary Prism are rich in organic matter, with total organic carbon (TOC) content greater than 1%. According to comprehensive research, the organic matter in the sediments mainly originates from marine algae and has high TOC content, which is favorable for the formation of NGH.     

Sorptive Potential of Beach Sand to Remove Ni(II) Ions: An Equilibrium Isotherm Study

The potential to remove Ni(II) ions from aqueous solutions using sea beach sand, a carbonate‐quartz mineral, was thoroughly investigated. The effects of relevant parameters such as solution pH, adsorbent dose, metal ions concentration, and temperature on Ni(II) sorption onto beach sand were examined. The sorption data followed the Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin‐Radushkevich (D‐R) isotherms. The adsorption was endothermic in nature at ambient temperature and the computation of the parameters, ΔH, ΔS and ΔG indicated the interactions between sorbate and sorbent to be thermodynamically favorable. Equilibrium was achieved very quickly within 30 min of shaking. A pseudo‐first order Lagergren equation was used to test the adsorption kinetics. Other kinetic models, e. g., the Morris‐Weber and Reichenberg equations, were used to calculate the rate constant of intraparticle diffusion and the fate of the diffusion process, respectively. The influence of some of the common cations and anions were also a subject of this study.     

Radial distribution of production rates, loss rates and densities corresponding to ion masses ?40 amu in the inner coma of Comet Halley: Composition and chemistry

In this paper we have studied the chemistry of C, H, N, O, and S compounds corresponding to ions of masses ?40 amu in the inner coma of the Comet 1P/Halley. The production rates, loss rates, and ion mass densities are calculated using the Analytical Yield Spectrum approach and solving coupled continuity equation controlled by the steady state photochemical equilibrium condition. The primary ionization sources in the model are solar EUV photons, photoelectrons, and auroral electrons of the solar wind origin. The chemical model couples ion-neutral, electron-neutral, photon-neutral and electron-ion reactions among ions, neutrals, electrons, and photons through over 600 chemical reactions. Of the 46 ions considered in the model the chemistry of 24 important ions (viz., CH₃OH⁺₂, H₃CO⁺, NH⁺₄, H₃S⁺, H₂CN⁺, H₂O⁺, NH⁺₃, CO⁺, C₃H⁺₃, OH⁺, H₃O⁺, CH₃OH⁺, C₃H⁺₄, C₂H⁺₂, C₂H⁺, HCO⁺, S⁺, CH⁺₃, H₂S⁺, O⁺, C⁺, CH⁺₄, C⁺₂, and O⁺₂) are discussed in this paper. At radial distances <1000 km, the electron density is mainly controlled by 6 ions, viz., NH⁺₄, H₃O⁺, CH₃OH⁺₂, H₃S⁺, H₂CN⁺, and H₂O⁺, in the decreasing order of their relative contribution. However, at distances >1000 km, the 6 major ions are H₃O⁺, CH₃OH⁺₂, H₂O⁺, H₃CO⁺, C₂H⁺₂, and NH⁺₄; along with ions CO⁺, OH⁺, and HCO⁺, whose importance increases with further increase in the radial distance. It is found that at radial distances greater than ∼1000 km (±500 km) the major chemical processes that govern the production and loss of several of the important ions in the inner coma are different from those that dominate at distances below this value. The importance of photoelectron impact ionization, and the relative contributions of solar EUV, and auroral and photoelectron ionization sources in the inner coma are clearly revealed by the present study. The calculated ion mass densities are compared with the Giotto Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS) and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (NMS) data at radial distances 1500, 3500, and 6000 km. There is a reasonable agreement between the model calculation and the Giotto measurements. The nine major peaks in the IMS spectra between masses 10 and 40 amu are reproduced fairly well by the model within a factor of two inside the ionopause. We have presented simple formulae for calculating densities of the nine major ions, which contribute to the nine major peaks in the IMS spectra, throughout the inner coma that will be useful in estimating their densities without running the complex chemical models.     

Lithological mapping with multispectral data–setup and application of a spectral database for rocks in the Balakot area,Northern Pakistan

In the frame of landslide susceptibility assessment, a spectral library was created to support the identification of materials confined to a particular region using remote sensing images. This library, called Pakistan spectral library (pklib) version 0.1, contains the analysis data of sixty rock samples taken in the Balakot region in Northern Pakistan. The spectral library is implemented as SQLite database. Structure and naming are inspired by the convention system of the ASTER Spectral Library. Usability, application and benefit of the pklib were evaluated and depicted taking two approaches, the multivariate and the spectral based. The spectral information were used to create indices. The indices were applied to Landsat and ASTER data to support the spatial delineation of outcropping rock sequences in stratigraphic formations. The application of the indices introduced in this paper helps to identify spots where specific lithological characteristics occur. Especially in areas with sparse or missing detailed geological mapping, the spectral discrimination via remote sensing data can speed up the survey. The library can be used not only to support the improvement of factor maps for landslide susceptibility analysis, but also to provide a geoscientific basis to further analyze the lithological spot in numerous regions in the Hindu Kush.     

Origin and regional significance of late Precambrian and early Palaeozoic granitoids in the Pan-African belt of Somalia

Granitoids within the Precambrian basement of north-eastern and southern Somalia are subdivided on the basis of geology, geochronology and petrology into three different assemblages. The post-kinematic assemblage in north-eastern Somalia ( 630 Ma) comprises granodiorites and granites which belong to a medium-K calc-alkaline suite. Average initial Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic ratios [Sr_i = 0.7048, _Nd = –1.8,²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb(i) = 17.704 and²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb(i) = 15.611] indicate that these melts were derived from a mantle or juvenile crustal source with only slight involvement of pre-existing crust as a contaminant. Two different assemblages are found in southern Somalia. The older assemblage is composed of crustal anatectic, synkinematic, parautochthonous granites ( 600 Ma) related to amphibolite facies retrogression of an intensively reworked pre-Pan-African crust [Sr_i = 0.7100, _Nd = –8.4,²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb(i) = 15.403 and²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb(i) = 15.259]. These monzo- and syenogranites are moderately potassic and peraluminous. The younger assemblage ( 470 Ma) consists of post-kinematic monzonites to syenogranites with A-type affinities. Initial Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic data for this metaluminous assemblage [Sr_i = 0.7114, _Nd = –13.1,²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb(i) = 16.913 and²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb(i) = 15.512] indicate a significant lower crustal component but, however, also a mantle signature. The late Proterozoic to early Palaeozoic granitoids in Somalia thus express contrasting regimes, characterized by strong juvenile input in the north, close to the Arabian-Nubian Shield, whereas intense crustal reworking with little addition of juvenile material prevailed in the south. Somalia was definitively not a cratonic area during the Pan-African, but a zone of high crustal mobility.     

Amateur decision-making in avalanche terrain with and without a decision aid: a stated choice survey

Avalanches pose a serious threat to recreational backcountry travelers in mountainous terrain. This study explores how the three main amateur user groups of avalanche terrain in western Canada (backcountry skiers, out-of-bound skiers, and snowmobile riders) balance recreational goals with safety concerns when choosing backcountry destinations under varying avalanche conditions. Using a discrete choice experiment (DCE), a stated preference technique, the study first examines the strengths and weaknesses in the decision process of the three amateur groups by comparing their responses with the choice patterns of professional mountain guides. The results show that the decision-making strategies employed by the respective amateur groups vary considerably in their level of complexity and the degree to which avalanche safety considerations are incorporated. Second, we examine the effects of a decision aid that preprocesses the most crucial pieces of avalanche hazard information on the decision preferences of the amateur groups in the DCE. The results show that a relatively simple decision aid can influence the decision-making process considerably and steer users towards more avalanche hazard sensitive behaviour.     

Using multivariate statistical analyses to evaluate groundwater contamination in the northwestern part of Saudi Arabia

Chemical characteristics of groundwater in the Midyan Basin (northwestern Saudi Arabia) were investigated and evaluated. A total of 72 water samples were collected from existing shallow wells and analyzed for different elements. Two multivariate statistical methods, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal components analysis (PCA), were applied to a subgroup of the data set in terms of their usefulness for groundwater classification, and to identify the processes controlling groundwater geochemistry. The subgroup consisted of 46 water samples out of 72 samples and 24 variables included major elements (Ca²⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, Cl^?, HCO₃ ^?, NO₃ ^?, SO₄ ^2?), minor and trace element (SiO₂, Al, As, B, Ba, Cd, Cr, F, Fe, Mo, P, Pb, Sb, Sn, Ti, and V). For water samples, four geochemically distinct clusters (i.e., C1, C2, C3 and C4) have been observed by hierarchical cluster analysis. Cr, F and Pb are the dominant ions in cluster C2. Al, As, Cd, Mo, Sb and Ti are the dominant ions in cluster C3, while B, Ca, Cl, HCO₃, K, Mg, Na, SO₄ and V are identified as dominant ions in the cluster C4. In the PCA, a total of five components are extracted form the data set, which explained 73.37 % of the total data variability. Among them the first component reveals strong associations between As, B, Cd, Cr, F, Mo, Pb, Sb and Ti. The second component reveals the associations between Ca, Cl, HCO₃, Mg, Na, SO₄ and V.