An automated algorithm for river ice monitoring over the Susquehanna River using the MODIS data

Reliable and prompt information on river ice condition and extent is needed to make accurate hydrological forecasts to predict ice jams breakups and issue timely flood warnings. This study presents a technique to detect and monitor river ice using observations from the MODIS instrument onboard the Terra satellite. The technique incorporates a threshold‐based decision tree image classification algorithm to process MODIS data and to determine the extent of ice. To differentiate between ice‐covered and ice‐free pixels within the riverbed, the algorithm combines observations in the visible and near‐infrared spectral bands. The developed technique presents the core of the MODIS‐based river ice mapping system, which has been developed to support National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NWS's operations. The system has been tested over the Susquehanna River in northeastern USA, where ice jam events leading to spring floods are a frequent occurrence. The automated algorithm generates three products: daily ice maps, weekly composite ice maps and running cloud‐free composite ice maps. The performance of the system was evaluated over nine winter seasons. The analysis of the derived products has revealed their good agreement with the aerial photography and with in situ observations‐based ice charts. The probability of ice detection determined from the comparison of the product with the high‐resolution Landsat imagery was equal to 91%. A consistent inverse relationship was found between the river discharge and the ice extent. The correlation between the discharge and the ice extent as determined from the weekly composite product reached 0.75. The developed CREST River Ice Observation System has been implemented at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration–Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology Center as an operational Web tool allowing end users and forecasters to assess ice conditions on the river. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Potential of Electrical Resistivity Tomography to Detect Fault Zones in Limestone and Argillaceous Formations in the Experimental Platform of Tournemire, France

The Experimental platform of Tournemire (Aveyron, France) developed by IRSN (French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety) is located in a tunnel excavated in a clay–rock formation interbedded between two limestone formations. A well-identified regional fault crosscuts this subhorizontal sedimentary succession, and a subvertical secondary fault zone is intercepted in the clay–rock by drifts and boreholes in the tunnel at a depth of about 250 m. A 2D electrical resistivity survey was carried out along a 2.5 km baseline, and a takeout of 40 m was used to assess the potential of this method to detect faults from the ground surface. In the 300 m-thick zone investigated by the survey, electrical resistivity images reveal several subvertical low-resistivity discontinuities. One of these discontinuities corresponds to the position of the Cernon fault, a major regional fault. One of the subvertical conductive discontinuities crossing the upper limestone formation is consistent with the prolongation towards the ground surface of the secondary fault zone identified in the clay–rock formation from the tunnel. Moreover, this secondary fault zone corresponds to the upward prolongation of a subvertical fault identified in the lower limestone using a 3D high-resolution seismic reflection survey. This type of large-scale electrical resistivity survey is therefore a useful tool for identifying faults in superficial layers from the ground surface and is complementary to 3D seismic reflection surveys.     

POTASSIUM—ARGON AGE OF THE RACO METEORITE (ARGENTINA)

The Raco meteorite fell in Raco, a small village in the Province of Tucumán, Argentina, on November 17, 1957. In the Centro de Pesquisas Geocronologicas of the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), the authors determined its K-Ar age: 4.400±28 m.y.     

Performance of a broad-band acoustic Doppler current profiler

A new broadband acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) is described, with a useful range comparable to that of a commercially available narrowband (incoherent) system of the same acoustic frequency, but having enhanced performance. The extra performance may be traded off among (1) reduced velocity variance, (2) reduced averaging time, and (3) finer depth resolution. This improvement permits the observation of phenomena with smaller time and space scales than is now possible with available ADCPs. An expression predicting r.m.s. velocity error in terms of system parameters and the measured acoustic data is given and is shown to be consistent with the independently measured velocity error among redundant beams. Two major sources of bias error in incoherent ADCPs are shown to be much reduced for the broadband system. Field data demonstrating the improved performance over the existing incoherent ADCP are shown for cases of both strong and weak shear     

Paleo-deviatoric stress magnitudes from calcite twins and related structural permeability evolution in minor faults: Example from the toarcian shale of the French Causses Basin, Aveyron, France

The relationship between deformation and so-called fluid paleotransfers in minor faults has been analysed in an argillaceous formation located in the Causses Basin in France. The fluid paleotransfers are related to the fault activity to a large extent. We attempt to estimate the intensity of paleo-deviatoric stress magnitudes under which the fault activity may have occurred and consequently, the change in the structural fault permeability. The paleo-deviatoric stress magnitudes were calculated with the inverse method of Etchecopar applied to calcite twinning. The measured crystals are contained within the core zone of minor faults and this study is based on a previous complete microtectonic and microstructural analysis of the faults. In this paper, analysis of calcite twinning has been applied for the first time to vein fillings associated small faults in a context of relatively weak deformation, a condition ensured by the tectonic and structural analysis. Calculation and discussion of the paleo-deviatoric stress tensors in relation to the evolution of the structural fault permeability and to the hydraulic behaviour of the faults are the aim of this paper. The analysed faults, created and active during the same tectonic event, were permeable under a (σ₁–σ₃) mean value of 40–50 MPa. On the other hand, the reactivation of faults during a second tectonic event implies mean (σ₁–σ₃) value higher than 40–50 MPa, especially for the faults that are poorly oriented with respect to the principal tectonic stress directions. The core zone of these faults remained sealed and impermeable or became permeable by development of microcracks inside the pre-existing fillings.