Toward petascale earthquake simulations

Earthquakes are among the most complex terrestrial phenomena, and modeling of earthquake dynamics is one of the most challenging computational problems in science. Computational capabilities have advanced to a state where we can perform wavefield simulations for realistic three-dimensional earth models, and gain more insights into the earthquakes that threaten California and many areas of the world. The Southern California Earthquake Center initiated a major earthquake research program called TeraShake to perform physics-based numerical simulations of earthquake processes for large geographical regions, at high resolution, and for high frequencies. For a large scale simulation such as TeraShake, optimization problems tend to emerge that are not significant in smaller scale simulations. This involves both large parallel computation and also massive data management and visualization coordination. In this paper, we describe how we performed single-processor optimization of the TeraShake AWM application, optimization of the I/O handling, and optimization of initialization. We also look at the challenges presented by run-time data archive management and visualization. The improvements made to the TeraShake AWM code enabled execution on the 40k IBM Blue Gene processors and have created a community code that can be used by seismologists to perform petascale earthquake simulations.     

The outcome of the protoplanetary disk of very massive stars

We suggest that planets, brown dwarfs, and even low mass stars can be formed by fragmentation of protoplanetary disks around very massive stars (M ? 100 M_⊙). We discuss how fragmentation conditions make the formation of very massive planetary systems around very massive stars favorable. Such planetary systems are likely to be composed of brown dwarfs and low mass stars of ～0.1–0.3 M_⊙, at orbital separations of ～ few × 100–10⁴ AU. In particular, scaling from solar-like stars suggests that hundreds of Mercury-like planets might orbit very massive stars at ～10³ AU where conditions might favor liquid water. Such fragmentation objects can be excellent targets for the James Webb Space Telescope and other large telescopes working in the IR bands. We predict that deep observations of very massive stars would reveal these fragmentation objects, orbiting in the same orbital plane in cases where there are more than one object.     

Analysis of stability of earthen dams in kachchh region, Gujarat, India

The Kachchh region of Gujarat, India bore the brunt of a disastrous earthquake of magnitude M_w = 7.6 that occurred on January 26, 2001. The major cause of failure of various structures including earthen dams was noted to be the presence of liquefiable alluvium in the foundation soil. Results of back-analysis of failures of Chang, Tappar, Kaswati and Rudramata earth dams using pseudo-static limit equilibrium approach presented in this paper confirm that the presence of liquefiable layer contributed to lesser factors of safety leading to a base type of failure that was also observed in the field. Following the earthquake, earth dams have been rehabilitated by the concerned authority and it is imperative that the reconstructed sections of earth dams be reanalyzed. It is also increasingly realized that risk assessment of dams in view of the large-scale investment made and probabilistic analysis is necessary. In this study, it is demonstrated that the probabilistic approach when used in conjunction with deterministic approach helps in providing a rational solution for quantification of safety of the dam and in the estimation of risk associated with the dam construction.     

Galactic vs. extragalactic origin of the peculiar transient SCP 06F6

We study four scenarios for the SCP 06F6 transient event that was announced recently. Some of these were previously briefly discussed as plausible models for SCP 06F6, in particular with the claimed detection of a z=0.143 cosmological redshift of a Swan spectrum of a carbon rich envelope. We adopt this value of z for extragalactic scenarios. We cannot rule out any of these models, but can rank them from most to least preferred. Our favorite model is a tidal disruption of a CO white dwarf (WD) by an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH). To account for the properties of the SCP 06F6 event, we have to assume the presence of a strong disk wind that was not included in previous numerical simulations. If the IMBH is the central BH of a galaxy, this explains the non-detection of a bright galaxy in the direction of SCP 06F6. Our second favorite scenario is a type Ia-like SN that exploded inside the dense wind of a carbon star. The carbon star is the donor star of the exploded WD. Our third favorite model is a Galactic source of an asteroid that collided with a WD. Such a scenario was discussed in the past as the source of dusty disks around WDs, but no predictions exist regarding the appearance of such an event. Our least favorite model is of a core collapse SN. The only way we can account for the properties of SCP 06F6 with a core collapse SN is if we assume the occurrence of a rare type of binary interaction.     

Modeling of a jointed rock mass under triaxial conditions

One of the most important aspects of designing a structure on or in a rock mass is based on the strength response of a jointed rock mass. Understanding this important aspect, the present study was undertaken to understand the strength response of a jointed rock mass with the help of a finite difference package FLAC^3D. In the present work, an attempt has been made to understand the effect of discontinuity angle on the failure mode and strength of the rock mass. For this purpose, stress and displacement in the model were studied and various stress–strain histories were recorded at constant strain loading rate. Rock discontinuity plays a critical and vital role to understand physico-mechanical characteristics of a rock mass. It has wider application in the rock excavation engineering, e.g., caverns, tunnels, slope stability, dams, etc. Simulated rock results are compared with the analytically calculated results of the jointed rock mass and found in good agreement.     

Study of land surface temperature and spectral emissivity using multi-sensor satellite data

In this study, an attempt has been made to estimate land surface temperatures (LST) and spectral emissivities over a hard rock terrain using multi-sensor satellite data. The study area, of about 6000 km², is a part of Singhbhum-Orissa craton situated in the eastern part of India. TIR data from ASTER, MODIS and Landsat ETM+ have been used in the present study. Telatemp Model AG-42D Portable Infrared Thermometer was used for ground measurements to validate the results derived from satellite (MODIS/ASTER) data. LSTs derived using Landsat ETM+ data of two different dates have been compared with the satellite data (ASTER and MODIS) of those two dates. Various techniques, viz., temperature and emissivity separation (TES) algorithm, gray body adjustment approach in TES algorithm, Split-Window algorithms and Single Channel algorithm along with NDVI based emissivity approach have been used. LSTs derived from bands 31 and 32 of MODIS data using Split-Window algorithms with higher viewing angle (50°) (LST1 and LST2) are found to have closer agreement with ground temperature measurements (ground LST) over waterbody, Dalma forest and Simlipal forest, than that derived from ASTER data (TES with AST 13). However, over agriculture land, there is some uncertainty and difference between the measured and the estimated LSTs for both validation dates for all the derived LSTs. LST obtained using Single Channel algorithm with NDVI based emissivity method in channel 13 of ASTER data has yielded closer agreement with ground measurements recorded over vegetation and mixed lands of low spectral contrast. LST results obtained with TIR band 6 of Landsat ETM+ using Single Channel algorithm show close agreement over Dalma forest, Simlipal forest and waterbody with LSTs obtained using MODIS and ASTER data for a different date. Comparison of LSTs shows good agreement with ground measurements in thermally homogeneous area. However, results in agriculture area with less homogeneity show difference of LST up to 2°C. The results of the present study indicate that continuous monitoring of LST and emissivity can be undertaken with the aid of multi-sensor satellite data over a thermally homogeneous region.     

Development of machine vision-based ore classification model using support vector machine (SVM) algorithm

The product of the mining industry (ore) is considered to be the raw material for the metal industry. The destination policy of the raw materials of iron mine is highly dependent on the class of iron ores. Thus, regular monitoring of iron ore class is the urgent need at the mine for accurately assigning the destination policy of raw materials. In most of the iron ore mines, decisions on ore class are made based on either visual inspection by the geologist or laboratory analyses of the ores. This process of ore class estimation is time consuming and also challenging for continuous monitoring. Thus, the present study attempts to develop an online vision-based technology for classification of iron ores. A laboratory-scale transportation system is designed using conveyor belt for online image acquisition. A multiclass support vector machine (SVM) model was developed to classify the iron ores. A total of 2200 images were captured for developing the ore classification model. A set of 18 features (9-histogram-based colour features in red, green and blue (RGB) colour space and 9-texture features based on intensity (I) component of hue, saturation and intensity (HSI) colour space) were extracted from each image. The performance of the SVM model was evaluated using four confusion matrix parameters (sensitivity, accuracy, misclassification and specificity). The SVM model performance was also compared with the other methods like K-nearest neighbour, classification discriminant, Naïve Bayes, classification tree and probabilistic neural network. It was observed that the SVM classification model performs better than the other classification methods.     

Sugarcane crop identification from LISS IV data using ISODATA,MLC, and indices based decision tree approach

Image classification is one of the crucial techniques in detecting the crops from remotely sensed data. Crop identification and discrimination provide an important basis for many agricultural applications with various purposes, such as cropping pattern analysis, acreage estimation, and yield estimation. Accurate and faster estimation of crop area is very essential for projecting yearly agriculture production for deciding agriculture policies. Remote sensing is a technique that allows mapping of large areas in a fast and economical way. In many applications of remote sensing, a user is often interested in identifying the specific crop only while other classes may be of no interest. Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS-P6) LISS IV sensor image of spatial resolution 5.8 m has been used to identify the sugarcane crop for the Chhapar village of Muzaffarnagar District, India. Classification of satellite data is one of the primary steps for information extraction for crop land identification. In recent years, decision tree approach to image analysis has been developed for the assessment and improvement of traditional statistically based image classification. In this study, ISODATA, MLC, and vegetation indices based decision tree approaches are used for classifying LISS IV imagery. The 11 vegetation index images have been generated for decision tree classification. All the three methods are compared and it is found that the best performance is given by the decision tree method. Vegetation indices based decision tree method for sugarcane classification, the user’s accuracy, producer’s accuracy, overall accuracy, and kappa coefficient were found 88.17, 86.59, and 87.93% and 0.86 respectively.     

Generation of emissivity and land surface temperature maps using MODIS TIR data for lithological mapping over the Singhbhum-Orissa Craton

The present study was undertaken with four fold objectives, namely, (i) to estimate land surface temperature using MODIS TIR data; (ii) to calculate relative emissivities from MODIS TIR data; (iii) to identify various lithologies based on relative emissivity and land surface temperature estimation; and finally, (iv) to carry out comparative assessment analysis between the prepared lithological map and the published lithological map. The land surface temperatures for different pixels were estimated using two methods, viz., Reference Channel and Emissivity Normalization; whereas, relative emissivities were calculated by applying three methods, viz., Reference Channel, Emissivity Normalization and Alpha Residual. Lithological maps were subsequently prepared based on the estimated land surface temperatures and relative emissivity values. The present study shows that the Emissivity Normalization method gives the best results for land surface temperature estimation and also for lithological discrimination based on emissivity estimation. Twenty-four lithounits demarcated by the present study match with those of the published map, while four lithounits of the published map could not be identified in the present study. On the other hand, six additional unclassified lithounits could be demarcated in the present study, which need to be crosschecked by field study.     

Enigmatic association of the carbonatite and alkali-pyroxenite along the Northern Shear Zone,Purulia, West Bengal: A saga of primary magmatic carbonatite

The Purulia carbonatite, ‘carbonatite’-‘alkali-pyroxenite’-‘apatite-magnetite rock’ association, is located at Beldih area of Purulia district, West Bengal and falls within the 100 km long Northern Shear Zone (NSZ). Published literature suggests that the Purulia carbonatite was formed by the process of liquid immiscibility from under-saturated silicate parent magma. However, no silica under-saturated rocks like ijolite, nepheline-syenite etc. is known from the area. The trace element geochemistry (Ba/La, Nb/Th, Nb/Pb and Y/Ce ratios in the present study) also does not support this view. Present study indicates that the Purulia carbonatite is enriched in ΣREE and incompatible elements but the carbonatite is also poorer in Nb, Th and Pb compared to the world average of calicocarbonatites. The lower value of Nb is characteristics of carbo(hydro)thermal carbonatite where carbonatite is associated with alkali-pyroxenite and suggests probable origin of the carbonatite as carbothermal residua evolved from an unknown parentage. However, the field, petrographic and geochemical data indicate the genesis of this carbonatite from a primary carbonatitic magma of mantle decent. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of the carbonatite and apatite separated from the carbonatite (～0.703) implies primary magmatic derivation of the Purulia carbonatite. Close similarity of the apatite of the apatite-magnetite rock with the mantle apatite (of type Apatite B) indicates that they are also of primary magmatic origin. The present work portrays a unique example where primary magmatic carbonatite is associated with the alkali-pyroxenite.