Implementation of Solute Transport in the Vadose Zone into the “HYDRUS Package for MODFLOW”

The “HYDRUS package for MODFLOW” is an existing MODFLOW package that allows MODFLOW to simultaneously evaluate transient water flow in both unsaturated and saturated zones. The package is based on incorporating parts of the HYDRUS-1D model (to simulate unsaturated water flow in the vadose zone) into MODFLOW (to simulate saturated groundwater flow). The coupled model is effective in addressing spatially variable saturated-unsaturated hydrological processes at the regional scale. However, one of the major limitations of this coupled model is that it does not have the capability to simulate solute transport along with water flow and therefore, the model cannot be employed for evaluating groundwater contamination. In this work, a modified unsaturated flow and transport package (modified HYDRUS package for MODFLOW and MT3DMS) has been developed and linked to the three-dimensional (3D) groundwater flow model MODFLOW and the 3D groundwater solute transport model MT3DMS. The new package can simulate, in addition to water flow in the vadose zone, also solute transport involving many biogeochemical processes and reactions, including first-order degradation, volatilization, linear or nonlinear sorption, one-site kinetic sorption, two-site sorption, and two-kinetic sites sorption. Due to complex interactions at the groundwater table, certain modifications of the pressure head (compared to the original coupling) and solute concentration profiles were incorporated into the modified HYDRUS package. The performance of the newly developed model is evaluated using HYDRUS (2D/3D), and the results indicate that the new model is effective in simulating the movement of water and contaminants in the saturated-unsaturated flow domains.     

Wet and dry spell analysis of Global Climate Model-generated precipitation using power laws and wavelet transforms

Climate model simulations for the twenty-first century point toward changing characteristics of precipitation. This paper investigates the impact of climate change on precipitation in the Kansabati River basin in India. A downscaling method, based on Bayesian Neural Network (BNN), is applied to project precipitation generated from six Global Climate Models (GCMs) using two scenarios (A2 and B2). Wet and dry spell properties of monthly precipitation series at five meteorologic stations in the Kansabati basin are examined by plotting successive wet and dry durations (in months) against their number of occurrences on a double-logarithmic paper. Straight-line relationships on such graphs show that power laws govern the pattern of successive persistent wet and dry monthly spells. Comparison of power-law behaviors provides useful interpretation about the temporal precipitation pattern. The impact of low-frequency precipitation variability on the characteristics of wet and dry spells is also evaluated using continuous wavelet transforms. It is found that inter-annual cycles play an important role in the formation of wet and dry spells.     

On estimating gravity anomalies— A comparison of least squares collocation with conventional least squares techniques

The least squares collocation algorithm for estimating gravity anomalies from geodetic data is shown to be an application of the well known regression equations which provide the mean and covariance of a random vector (gravity anomalies) given a realization of a correlated random vector (geodetic data). It is also shown that the collocation solution for gravity anomalies is equivalent to the conventional least-squares-Stokes' function solution when the conventional solution utilizes properly weighted zero a priori estimates. The mathematical and physical assumptions underlying the least squares collocation estimator are described.     

Improvement of the geoid in local areas by satellite gradiometry

Summary Satellite gradiometry is studied as a means to improve the geoid in local areas from a limited data coverage. Least-squares collocation is used for this purpose because it allows to combine heterogeneous data in a consistent way and to estimate the integrated effect of the attenuated spectrum. In this way accuracy studies can be performed in a general and reliable manner. It is shown that only three second-order gradients contribute significantly to the estimation of the geoidal undulations and that it is sufficient to have gradiometer data in a 5°×5° area around the estimation point. The accuracy of the geoid determination is strongly dependent on the degree and order of the reference field used. An accuracy of about ±1 m can be achieved with a reference field of (12, 12). There is an optimal satellite altitude for each reference field and this altitude may be higher than 300 km for a field of low degree and order. The influence of measuring errors is discussed and it is shown that only gradiometer data with accuracies better than ±0.05 E will give a significant improvement of the geoid. Finally, some results on the combination of satellite gradiometry and terrestrial gravity measurements are given. The proposed method seems to be well suited for local geoid determinations down to the meter range. It is especially interesting for unsurveyed and difficult areas because no terrestrial measurements are necessary. Furthermore, it has the practical advantage that only a local data coverage is needed.     

Visual comparison of computer aided landsat map and air photo map : A case study from Karimnagar district Andhra Pradesh

The use of aerial photo-interpretation technique in preparing an applied hydromorphological map is discussed. The practical utility of the map for ground water exploration in granitic terrain is presented. An attempt to prepare a similar map using LANDSAT CCT by analysis through a Multispectral Data Analysis System and the relative merits of computer aided map and aerial photo map are discussed. The details available in aerial photo map have been found to be lacking in computer aided map. Visual interpretation of LANDSAT imagery can improve the computer aided classification results.     

Performance analysis of the spaceborne laser ranging system

The Spaceborne Laser Ranging System is a proposed short pulse laser on board an orbiting spacecraft.^1,2,3,4 It measures the distance between the spacecraft and many laser retroreflectors (targets) deployed on the Earth’s surface. The precision of these range measurements is assumed to be about ±2 cm (M. W. Fitzmaurice, private communication). These measurements are then used together with the orbital dynamics of the spacecraft, to derive the relative position of the laser ground targets. Assuming a six day observing period with 50% cloud cover, uncertainties in the baseline for target separations of 50 km to 1200 km were estimated to be on the order of 1 to 3 cm and the corresponding values in the vertical direction, ranged from 1 cm to 12 cm. By redetermining the measurements of the relative target positions, the estimated precision in the baseline for a target separation of 50 km is less than 0.3 cm and for a separation of 1200 km is less than 1 cm. In the vertical direction, the estimated precision ranged from 0.4 cm to 4.0 cm respectively. As a result of the repeated estimation of the relative laser target positions, most of the non-temporal effects of error sources as exemplified by the errors in geopotential are reduced. The Spaceborne Laser Ranging System’s capability of determining baselines to a high degree of precision provides a measure of strain and strain rate as shown byCohen, 1979. These quantities are essential for crustal dynamic studies which include determination and monitoring of strain near seismic zones, land subsidence, and edifice building preceding volcanic eruptions. It is evident that such a system can also be used for geodetic surveys where such precisions are more than adquate.     

3D segmentation of single trees exploiting full waveform LIDAR data

This paper highlights a novel segmentation approach for single trees from LIDAR data and compares the results acquired both from first/last pulse and full waveform data. In a first step, a conventional watershed-based segmentation procedure is set up, which robustly interpolates the canopy height model from the LIDAR data and identifies possible stem positions of the tallest trees in the segments calculated from the local maxima of the canopy height model. Secondly, this segmentation approach is combined with a special stem detection method. Stem positions in the segments of the watershed segmentation are detected by hierarchically clustering points below the crown base height and reconstructing the stems with a robust RANSAC-based estimation of the stem points. Finally, a new three-dimensional (3D) segmentation of single trees is implemented using normalized cut segmentation. This tackles the problem of segmenting small trees below the canopy height model. The key idea is to subdivide the tree area in a voxel space and to set up a bipartite graph which is formed by the voxels and similarity measures between the voxels. Normalized cut segmentation divides the graph hierarchically into segments which have a minimum similarity with each other and whose members (= voxels) have a maximum similarity. The solution is found by solving a corresponding generalized eigenvalue problem and an appropriate binarization of the solution vector. Experiments were conducted in the Bavarian Forest National Park with conventional first/last pulse data and full waveform LIDAR data. The first/last pulse data were collected in a flight with the Falcon II system from TopoSys in a leaf-on situation at a point density of 10 points/m². Full waveform data were captured with the Riegl LMS-Q560 scanner at a point density of 25 points/m² (leaf-off and leaf-on) and at a point density of 10 points/m² (leaf-on). The study results prove that the new 3D segmentation approach is capable of detecting small trees in the lower forest layer. So far, this has been practically impossible if tree segmentation techniques based on the canopy height model were applied to LIDAR data. Compared to a standard watershed segmentation procedure, the combination of the stem detection method and normalized cut segmentation leads to the best segmentation results and is superior in the best case by 12%. Moreover, the experiments show clearly that using full waveform data is superior to using first/last pulse data.     

Space based disaster management of 2008 Kosi floods,North Bihar,India

One of the most important elements in flood disaster management is the availability of timely information for taking decisions and actions by the authorities. During the August 18, 2008 Kosi floods which impacted India and Nepal and affected more than three million people, aero-space technology proved to be a critical input for providing vital information on flood inundation. The satellite based flood inundation maps were extensively used for identifying marooned villages, submerged roads and railway tracks and carrying out the relief and rescue operations by the state agencies. Decision Support Centre (DSC) at National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) kept a constant watch on the flood situation. More than 200 flood inundation maps, using about 30 satellite datasets were generated and provided in near real time mode to the state agencies during August to October, 2008. DSC efforts were primarily focused in providing an overall picture of the flood situation in a short span of time to the state agencies. The present paper discusses about the operational use of remote sensing technology for near real time flood mapping, monitoring of Kosi floods and the satellite based observations made for the Kosi river breach.     

Ridge development as revealed by sub-bottom profiles on the central New Jersey shelf

Closely-spaced 3.5 kHz seismic profiles were collected over the north-easterly trending ridge and swale system 50 km east-southeast of Atlantic City, New Jersey. They yield information on the Late Quaternary depositional history of the area, and on the origin of the ridge system. Four of the sub-bottom reflectors identified were sufficiently persistent to warrant investigation and interpretation. These reflectors, which have been cored, lithologically identified, and radiocarbon dated, are stratigraphically higher than the reflectors dealt with by the majority of previous studies. The upper three reflectors are definitely mid- and post-Wisconsin in age and present a record of the most recent glacial cycle. The upper three units associated with the observed reflectors appear to exert a pronounced influence on the bathymetry. The gently corrugated ridge system of Holocene sand is formed over the regionally flat-lying upper unit, an Early Holocene lagoonal silty clay. The characteristically flat, broad depressions of the area are floored by this lagoonal material. Locally, however, marine scour has cut through the silty clay into an underlying unit of unconsolidated fine Pleistocene sand. Several stages of trough development appear to be represented. After penetrating the lagoonal clay, troughs are initially narrow, but when incised through the sand into a lower, Pleistocene, silty-clay unit, the troughs become notably wider. As downcutting is inhibited by the lower clay, the upper clay is undercut as the trough widens in a fashion similar to a desert blowout.

The sub-bottom reflectors indicate that ridge development on the central shelf has involved aggradation as well as erosion. Some ridges seem to have grown by vertical and lateral accretion from small cores. The internal structure of other ridges suggests that they formed by the coalescence of several small ridges. Others appear to have undergone appreciable lateral migration.

The ridges appear to be in a state of continuing adjustment to the hydraulic regime of the deepening post-Pleistocene water column.