The response of the marine boundary layer to mesoscale variations in sea-surface temperature

The effects of variations in sea-surface temperature on the surface fluxes of the marine atmospheric boundary layer have been investigated. The boundary model developed by Brown and Brown and Liu has been used to estimate these effects for near neutral conditions. Data taken on September 1, 1978, during the JASIN experiment have been used to corroborate the results obtained with Brown's model. Some speculations on secondary effects of the sea-surface temperature are given.     

Revisiting sustainable development: Russian cultural and scientific traditions and the concept of sustainable development

The World Summit on Sustainable Development (26 August–4 September 2002), held in Johannesburg on the tenth anniversary of the first Earth Summit, provides the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the sustainable development concept. This paper uses the case study of the Russian Federation to explore the relationship between official interpretations of sustainable development and alternative understandings concerned with the betterment of humankind, which draw on Russia's cultural and scientific heritage. It is suggested that there is much to be gained from reopening the sustainable development debate to incorporate such cultural particularities, both at the national and international levels.     

A simple and direct method to analyse the influences of sampling fractions on modelling intra-city human mobility

Sampling fraction is crucial to sampling-related studies and applications, especially in the big data era when most data are neither originally designed nor controllable in the data collection process. A common concern among researchers is ‘what’s the modelling accuracy when using a sample?’. Taking intra-city human mobility as the study objective, this study utilizes a simple and direct method to analyse the influences of various sampling fractions on modelling accuracy. Five common intra-city human mobility indicators (travel distance, travel time, travel frequency, radius of gyration and movement entropy) are evaluated considering mean value, median and probability distribution. Experimental results demonstrate that the representativeness of each considered indicator converges to 1 in its own unique rate and variances. The minimum required sampling fractions to satisfy specific accuracies differ for various indicators and evaluation measures. To further investigate how related factors influence the modelling accuracy of sampling fractions, additional experiments are conducted considering multiple sampling methods, study scopes, and data sources. Several interesting general findings are observed. This study provides a reference for other sampling-based applications.     

Geomorphological evolution of a debris-covered glacier surface

There exists a need to advance our understanding of debris-covered glacier surfaces over relatively short timescales due to rapid, climatically induced areal expansion of debris cover at the global scale, and the impact debris has on mass balance. We applied unpiloted aerial vehicle structure-from-motion (UAV-SfM) and digital elevation model (DEM) differencing with debris thickness and debris stability modelling to unravel the evolution of a 0.15 km² region of the debris-covered Miage Glacier, Italy, between June 2015 and July 2018. DEM differencing revealed widespread surface lowering (mean 4.1 ± 1.0 m a^-1; maximum 13.3 m a^-1). We combined elevation change data with local meteorological data and a sub-debris melt model, and used these relationships to produce high resolution, spatially distributed maps of debris thickness. These maps were differenced to explore patterns and mechanisms of debris redistribution. Median debris thicknesses ranged from 0.12 to 0.17 m and were spatially variable. We observed localized debris thinning across ice cliff faces, except those which were decaying, where debris thickened. We observed pervasive debris thinning across larger, backwasting slopes, including those bordered by supraglacial streams, as well as ingestion of debris by a newly exposed englacial conduit. Debris stability mapping showed that 18.2–26.4% of the survey area was theoretically subject to debris remobilization. By linking changes in stability to changes in debris thickness, we observed that slopes that remain stable, stabilize, or remain unstable between periods almost exclusively show net debris thickening (mean 0.07 m a^-1) whilst those which become newly unstable exhibit both debris thinning and thickening. We observe a systematic downslope increase in the rate at which debris cover thickens which can be described as a function of the topographic position index and slope gradient. Our data provide quantifiable insights into mechanisms of debris remobilization on glacier surfaces over sub-decadal timescales, and open avenues for future research to explore glacier-scale spatiotemporal patterns of debris remobilization. © 2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd     

Dual mechanisms for the formation of fluvial silcretes in the distal reaches of the Okavango Delta fan,Botswana

Silcretes exposed within river-marginal or valley settings have been described in a number of studies, but few models have been suggested for the development of these ‘fluvial’ silcretes. An exception is that proposed by McCarthy and Ellery (Journal of Sedimentary Research, 1995, Vol. A65, pp. 77–90) to describe mechanisms of early stage near-surface silica diagenesis in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. This paper describes the characteristics and possible origins of massive surface and sub-surface silcretes at Samedupe and Boro Junction, beyond the distal margin of the Okavango Delta and further downstream than the sites described by McCarthy and Ellery. Morphological and petrological evidence from surface exposures and three sedimentary cores suggests that other modes of formation may also be applicable. A dual model of formation is proposed: surface silcretes are suggested to have developed by silica accumulation in seasonal pools remaining after the annual Okavango flood, whilst sub-surface horizons appear to have formed under conditions of varying pH associated with fluctuating groundwater levels beneath the channel floor. This model is reviewed in the context of the fluvial silcrete debate. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic Hazard Assessment of Dhanbad City,India, by deterministic approach

Natural Hazards - Dhanbad is the largest producer of coal in the state of Jharkhand, India, and hence, it is one of the most important cities in the country. Considering the present-day importance...     

Basin‐scale stream‐flow forecasting using the information of large‐scale atmospheric circulation phenomena

It is well recognized that the time series of hydrologic variables, such as rainfall and streamflow are significantly influenced by various large‐scale atmospheric circulation patterns. The influence of El Niño‐southern oscillation (ENSO) on hydrologic variables, through hydroclimatic teleconnection, is recognized throughout the world. Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) has been proved to be significantly influenced by ENSO. Recently, it was established that the relationship between ISMR and ENSO is modulated by the influence of atmospheric circulation patterns over the Indian Ocean region. The influences of Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) mode and equatorial Indian Ocean oscillation (EQUINOO) on ISMR have been established in recent research. Thus, for the Indian subcontinent, hydrologic time series are significantly influenced by ENSO along with EQUINOO. Though the influence of these large‐scale atmospheric circulations on large‐scale rainfall patterns was investigated, their influence on basin‐scale stream‐flow is yet to be investigated. In this paper, information of ENSO from the tropical Pacific Ocean and EQUINOO from the tropical Indian Ocean is used in terms of their corresponding indices for stream‐flow forecasting of the Mahanadi River in the state of Orissa, India. To model the complex non‐linear relationship between basin‐scale stream‐flow and such large‐scale atmospheric circulation information, artificial neural network (ANN) methodology has been opted for the present study. Efficient optimization of ANN architecture is obtained by using an evolutionary optimizer based on a genetic algorithm. This study proves that use of such large‐scale atmospheric circulation information potentially improves the performance of monthly basin‐scale stream‐flow prediction which, in turn, helps in better management of water resources. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.