Bringing globalization to the countryside: Special Economic Zones in India

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are important vectors of neoliberal globalization in India. Despite facing widespread resistance against the proposed land acquisition for these zones, they are still being promoted across the country. We argue that the wealth redistribution to the country's elites and the fractured resistance movements enable neoliberalism and its practices to grow in the countryside. Using a private sector SEZ in Gurgaon as a case study, this article explores how special economic zoning, as a neoliberal policy, has been implicated in the spatialized production of poverty. We also show that the main actors who promote neoliberalism in India (the state and the large‐scale urban private sector) have found a seemingly unlikely ally in rural India in the form of farmers with large landholdings, rural elites who are willing to let go of their land under certain conditions. The data for the article was collected in India in 2009–10.     

Three-dimensional discontinuous deformation analysis (3-D DDA) using a new contact resolution algorithm

This paper presents a new contact calculating algorithm for contacts between two polyhedra with planar boundaries in the three-dimensional discontinuous deformation analysis (3-D DDA). In this algorithm, all six type contacts in 3-D (vertex-to-face, vertex-to-edge, vertex-to-vertex, face-to-face, edge-to-edge, and edge-to-face) are simply transformed into the form of point-to-face contacts. The presented algorithm is a simple and efficient method and it can be easily coded into a computer program. In this paper, formulations of normal contact, shear contact and frictional force submatrices based on the new method are derived and the algorithm has been programmed in VC⁺⁺. Examples are provided to demonstrate the new contact rule between two blocks.     

The Impact of Geology of Recharge Areas on Groundwater Quality: A Case Study of Zhob River Basin,Pakistan

Groundwater is a major source of water supply for domestic and irrigation uses in semiarid, remote but rapidly developing Kilasaifullah district part of Zhob River Basin, located at Pakistan–Afghanistan Border. Zhob River is among few major rivers of perennial nature in Balochistan, which flows from WSW to ENE and falls in Gomal River, a tributary of Indus River. Keeping in view the important geopolitical position and rapid development of the region, this study is primarily focused on groundwater chemistry for contamination sources as well as agriculture development. Water samples from open and tube wells are analyzed and calculated for electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, pH, K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, HCO, Cl^?, NO, SO, PO, sodium percent (Na%), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), Kelly's index (KI), and heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Cr, Zn, Pb, and Mn). On the basis of the chemical constituents two zones within the study area are identified and possible causes of the contaminants are pointed out. Two recharge areas were responsible for the different chemical results in groundwater, e.g., zone A was recharged from NNW saline geological formations (Nisai, Khojak, Multana, Bostan formations, and Muslim Bagh ophiolites), which are concentrated with high sodium and chloride. On the other hand Zone B was sourced from SSW from carbonate rich rocks (Alozai, Loralai, Parh formations, and Muslim Bagh ophiolites). The groundwater is classified as C2–S1, C3–S1, C3–S2, C4–S2 on the basis of EC and SAR values which indicate that most of the water of both zones can be used for irrigation safely except the samples plotted in C3–S2 and C4–S2 categories which could be dangerous for soil and crops. Groundwater samples are plotted in good to permissible limits with some samples excellent to good and few samples belong to doubtful category based on sodium percent. Groundwater of zone A is unsuitable for irrigation use due to higher values of KI (more than one) but water of zone B are good for irrigation based on KI. In general, water of both zones is suitable for irrigation but care should be taken during the selection of crops which are sensitive to alkalinity or sodium hazards particularly in zone A.     

The use of geomorphological elements for evaluation of visual quality of Israeli coast

This study describes a method for quantitative evaluation of visual resources of the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The method used visual characteristics of contrast, variety, competition, composition and harmony to identify visually preferred sites. Various coastal physical elements were used as a measurement scale of the characteristics. The study also examined the use of photographic slides vs. filed visit as a tool for visual resources evaluation of the Israeli coast. Findings were based on data gathered from a questionnaire given to two groups in the laboratory and in the field. Statistical analysis of the findings indicated that the proposed method could be used effectively to measure visual preference of the Israeli coast using physical elements and quantitative values. The data also show that the use of photographic slides in laboratory conditions is as effective a tool as field observation for the evaluation of observer's visual preference of the coast.     

Lithology-dependent seismic anisotropic amplitude variation with offset correction in transversely isotropic media

Analysis of amplitude variation with offset is an essential step for reservoir characterization. For an accurate reservoir characterization, the amplitude obtained with an isotropic assumption of the reservoir must be corrected for the anisotropic effects. The objective is seismic anisotropic amplitude correction in an effective medium, and, to this end, values and signs of anisotropic parameter differences (Δδ and Δε) across the reflection interfaces are needed. These parameters can be identified by seismic and well log data. A new technique for anisotropic amplitude correction was developed to modify amplitude changes in seismic data in transversely isotropic media with a vertical axis of symmetry. The results show that characteristics of pre-stack seismic data, that is, amplitude variation with offset gradient, can be potentially related to the sign of anisotropic parameter differences (Δδ and Δε) between two layers of the reflection boundary. The proposed methodology is designed to attain a proper fit between modelled and observed amplitude variation with offset responses, after anisotropic correction, for all possible lithofacies at the reservoir boundary. We first estimate anisotropic parameters, that is, δ and ε, away from the wells through Backus averaging of elastic properties resulted from the first pass of isotropic pre-stack seismic inversion, on input data with no amplitude correction. Next, we estimate the anisotropic parameter differences at reflection interfaces (values and signs of Δδ and Δε). We then generate seismic angle gather data after anisotropic amplitude correction using Rüger's equation for the P-P reflection coefficient. The second pass of isotropic pre-stack seismic inversion is then performed on the amplitude-corrected data, and elastic properties are estimated. Final outcome demonstrates how introduced methodology helps to reduce the uncertainty of elastic property prediction. Pre-stack seismic inversion on amplitude-corrected seismic data results in more accurate elastic property prediction than what can be obtained from non-corrected data. Moreover, a new anisotropy attribute (ν) is presented for improvement of lithology identification.     

Forecasting flood-prone areas using Shannon’s entropy model

With regard to the lack of quality information and data in watersheds, it is of high importance to present a new method for evaluating flood potential. Shannon’s entropy model is a new model in evaluating dangers and it has not yet been used to evaluate flood potential. Therefore, being a new model in determining flood potential, it requires evaluation and investigation in different regions and this study is going to deal with this issue. For to this purpose, 70 flooding areas were recognized and their distribution map was provided by ArcGIS10.2 software in the study area. Information layers of altitude, slope angle, slope aspect, plan curvature, drainage density, distance from the river, topographic wetness index (TWI), lithology, soil type, and land use were recognized as factors affecting flooding and the mentioned maps were provided and digitized by GIS environment. Then, flood susceptibility forecasting map was provided and model accuracy evaluation was conducted using ROC curve and 30% flooding areas express good precision of the model (73.5%) for the study area.     

Temporal structures of the North Atlantic Oscillation and its impact on the regional climate variability

In this study, the temporal structure of the variation of North Atlantic Oscillation （NAO） and its impact on regional climate variability are analyzed using various datasets. The results show that blocking formations in the Atlantic region are sensitive to the phase of the NAO. Sixty-seven percent more winter blocking days are observed during the negative phase compared to the positive phase of the NAO. The average length of blocking during the negative phase is about 11 days, which is nearly twice as long as the 6-day length observed during the positive phase of the NAO. The NAO-related differences in blocking frequency and persistence are associated with changes in the distribution of the surface air temperature anomaly, which, to a large extent, is determined by the phase of the NAO. The distribution of regional cloud amount is also sensitive to the phase of the NAO. For the negative phase, the cloud amounts are significant, positive anomalies in the convective zone in the Tropics and much less cloudiness in the mid latitudes. But for the positive phase of the NAO, the cloud amount is much higher in the mid-latitude storm track region. In the whole Atlantic region, the cloud amount shows a decrease with the increase of surface air temperature. These results suggest that there may be a negative feedback between the cloud amount and the surface air t.emperature in the Atlantic region.