Accounting for the missing carbon-sink with the CO2-fertilization effect

A terrestrial-biosphere carbon-sink has been included in global carbon-cycle models in order to reproduce past atmospheric CO₂, ¹³C and ¹⁴C concentrations. The sink is of large enough magnitude that its effect on projections of future CO₂ levels should not be ignored. However, the cause and mechanism of this sink are not well understood, contributing to uncertainty of projections. The estimated magnitude of the biospheric sink is examined with the aid of a global carbon-cycle model. For CO₂ emissions scenarios, model estimates are made of the resulting atmospheric CO₂ concentration. Next, the response of this model to CO₂-emission impulses is broken down to give the fractions of the impulse which reside in the atmosphere, oceans, and terrestrial biosphere - all as a perturbation to background atmospheric CO₂ concentration time-profiles that correspond to different emission scenarios. For a biospheric sink driven by the CO₂-fertilization effect, we find that the biospheric fraction reaches a maximum of roughly 30% about 50 years after the impulse, which is of the same size as the oceanic fraction at that time. The dependence of these results on emission scenario and the year of the impulse are reported.     

Forest cover monitoring using remote sensing and GIS — A case study in Dhaulkhand range of Rajaji National Park,Uttar pradesh

Rajaji National Park in U.P. is a protected area where large number of nomad population live within the park area. Their dependence on the forest for cattle rearing and firewood has caused degradation of the forests. Proximity to settlements outside the park further adds to the problems. In the present study, forest cover and river, bed changes have been attempted by using temporal aerospace data of the year 1960 and 1993. Subsequently, PAMAP GIS package has been used for the change detection analysis. The study indicates that the land cover changes are mainly due to biotic factors. Some of the important changes in forest cover are: (i) transformation of mixed forest to scrub forest in 67 ha (ii) the sal mixed and mixed sal forest categories have replaced sal forest in 262 ha (iii) significant increase in forest plantation i.e. 2075 ha in the year 1960 to 3793 ha in 1993 (iv) eighteen times increase in Chirpine area, it increased from 13 ha in 1960 to 230 ha in 1993. The land cover changes in 6663 ha (45%) out of 14962 ha of the study area. The consequential changes in the river beds due to the change in the forest cover was also analyzed. During this period river beds with boulders have increased by 87 ha. These river bed changes include lengthening and broadening of river and change in river course.     

Dynamic behavior of offshore spar platforms under regular sea waves

Many innovative floating offshore structures have been proposed for cost effectiveness of oil and gas exploration and production in water depths exceeding one thousand meters in recent years. One such type of platform is the offshore floating Spar platform. The Spar platform is modelled as a rigid body with six degrees-of-freedom, connected to the sea floor by multi-component catenary mooring lines, which are attached to the Spar platform at the fairleads. The response dependent stiffness matrix consists of two parts (a) the hydrostatics provide restoring force in heave, roll and pitch, (b) the mooring lines provide the restoring force which are represented here by nonlinear horizontal springs. A unidirectional regular wave model is used for computing the incident wave kinematics by Airy’s wave theory and force by Morison’s equation. The response analysis is performed in time domain to solve the dynamic behavior of the moored Spar platform as an integrated system using the iterative incremental Newmark’s Beta approach. Numerical studies are conducted for sea state conditions with and without coupling of degrees-of-freedom.     

Dynamic behaviour of square and triangular offshore tension leg platforms under regular wave loads

Among compliant platforms, the tension leg platform (TLP) is a hybrid structure. With respect to the horizontal degrees of freedom, it is compliant and behaves like to a floating structure, whereas with respect to the vertical degrees of freedom, it is stiff and resembles a fixed structure and is not allowed to float freely. The greatest potential for reducing costs of a TLP in the short term is to go through previously applied design approaches, to simplify the design and reduce the conservatism that so far has been incorporated in the TLP design to accommodate for the unproven nature of this type of platform. Dynamic analysis of a triangular model TLP to regular waves is presented, considering the coupling between surge, sway, heave, roll, pitch and yaw degrees of freedom. The analysis considers various nonlinearities produced due to change in the tether tension and nonlinear hydrodynamic drag force. The wave forces on the elements of the pontoon structure are calculated using Airy's wave theory and Morison's equation, ignoring the diffraction effects. The nonlinear equation of motion is solved in the time domain using Newmark's beta integration scheme. Numerical studies are conducted to compare the coupled response of a triangular TLP with that of a square TLP and the effects of different parameters that influence the response are then investigated.     

Triangular Configuration Tension Leg Platform behaviour under random sea wave loads

This study investigates the dynamic response of a Triangular Configuration Tension Leg Platform (TLP) under random sea wave loads. The random wave has been generated synthetically using the Monte-Carlo simulation with the Peirson–Moskowitz (P–M) spectrum. Diffraction effects and second-order wave forces have not been considered. The evaluation of hydrodynamic forces is carried out using the modified Morison equation with water particle kinematics evaluated using Airy's linear wave theory. Wave forces are taken to be acting in the surge degree-of-freedom. The effect of coupling of various structural degrees-of-freedom (surge, sway, heave, roll, pitch and yaw) on the dynamic response of the TLP under random wave loads is studied. Parametric studies for random waves with different H_s and T_z under the presence of current have also been carried out. For the orientation of the TLP, surge, heave and pitch degrees-of-freedom responses are influenced significantly. The surge power spectral density function (PSDF) indicates that the mean square response is affected by the amplification at the natural frequency of the surge degree-of-freedom and also at the peak frequency of the wave loading. The PSDF of the heave response shows higher peak values near the surge frequency and near the peak frequency of the wave loading. Surge response, therefore, influences heave response to the maximum. Variable submergence seems to be a major source of nonlinearity and significantly enhances the responses in surge, heave and pitch degrees-of-freedom. In the presence of current, the response behaviour of the TLP is altered significantly introducing a non-zero mean response in all degrees-of-freedom.     

Influence of wave approach angle on TLP's response

The current study focuses on the response analysis of triangular tension leg platform (TLP) for different wave approach angles varying from 0° through 90° and its influence on the coupled dynamic response of triangular TLPs. Hydrodynamic loading is modeled using Stokes fifth-order nonlinear wave theory along with various other nonlinearities arising caused by change in tether tension and change in buoyancy caused by set down effect. Low frequency surge oscillations and high frequency tension oscillations of tethers are ignored in the analysis. Results show that wave approach angle influences the coupled dynamic response of triangular TLP in all degrees of freedom except heave. Response in roll and sway degrees of freedom are activated which otherwise are not present in TLP's response to unidirectional waves. Pitch and roll responses are highly stochastic in nature indicating high degree of randomness. Variation in surge, sway and heave responses are nonlinear and are not proportional to change in wave height for the same period.     

Prediction of the Amplitude of Sunspot Cycle 23

A few prediction methods have been developed using the precursor techniques and are found to be successful. On the basis of geomagnetic activity aa indices during the descending phase of the preceding cycle, we have established an expression which predicts the maximum annual mean sunspot number in cycle 23 to be 166.2. This indicates that cycle 23 would be a highly active and historic cycle. The average geomagnetic activity aa index during the ascending phase of cycle 23 would be about 24.9, comparable to 22.2 and 24.8 in cycles 21 and 22, respectively. This further indicates that during the ascending phase of cycle 23 energetic two-ribbon flares will be produced so as to give rise to strong proton events.     

Geomorphic characterization and diversity of the fluvial systems of the Gangetic Plains

The extensive Gangetic alluvial plains are drained by rivers which differ strongly in terms of hydrological and sediment transport characteristics. These differences are manifested in the geomorphic diversity of the plains. The Western Gangetic Plains (WGP) are marked by a degradational topography with incised channels and extensive badland development in some parts, while the Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP) are characterized by shallow, aggrading channels with frequent avulsions and extensive flooding. We interpret such geomorphic diversity in terms of differences in stream power and sediment supply from the catchment areas. The rivers draining the western plains are marked by higher stream power and lower sediment yield that result in degradation. In comparison, the rivers draining the eastern Gangetic Plains have lower stream power and higher sediment yield that result in aggradation. The variation of stream power, a function of channel slope and high sediment yield, is attributed to differences in rainfall and rate of uplift in the hinterland. It is suggested that such differences have resulted in a marked geomorphic diversity across the plains. It is also suggested that such diversity has existed for a fairly long time because of climatic and tectonic variance.     

Detection of Hα Intensity Oscillations in Solar Flares

We report here the first direct evidence for detection of H intensity oscillations in two extended flares of 15 November 1989 and 20 April 1991. The relative intensity variations measured with time at 18 different flare and chromospheric locations were analysed to obtain the oscillation modes. The analysis shows prominent 5- and 3-min modes in flares in addition to their existence in the chromosphere. However, there exists a frequency difference between the flare and chromospheric modes. This frequency deviation of about 300 µHz is proposed as an influence of higher magnetic field, location of the measurements (height) in chromosphere, and high temperature in the flare.