The effect of filtering on drift and anisotropy parameters determined by full correlation analysis

Ionospheric drift records obtained by the closely spaced receiver technique at Udaipur are subjected to low and high pass filtering with varying cutoff frequencies and the effects of filtering on various drift and anisotropy parameters as determined by full correlation analysis are studied. Limits in which filtering could be employed are suggested on the basis of results obtained.     

Dynamic response of multistoreyed brick buildings

The paper presents the seismic response analysis of a typical multistoreyed brick building. A number of variables representing the physical properties of the structural system, namely, number of storeys from one to four, wall thickness in various storeys from one to one and a half brick thick and damping from 5 per cent to 15 per cent of critical value are considered. A shear beam type multi-degree-of-freedom oscillator is taken to represent these buildings mathematically in which the masses of the floors and walls are assumed as lumped at the floor levels and the floors are assumed as rigid diaphragms. Koyna and El Centro earthquake accelerograms, representing two seismicity levels, are used for computing dynamic response of the buildings. Overturning and torsional effects have been included in the determination of timewise net stresses in the building elements and their seismic capabilities have been examined. From this study the critical sections for providing reinforcing have been identified and the minimum amount of necessary steel has been estimated.     

Distribution of sulphur in the tertiary coals of Meghalaya,India

The distribution pattern of the different forms of sulphur in the coal seams of Meghalaya has been worked out. In general, the total sulphur content is found to increase from the base to the top of a seam. There is also a general trend of upward increase of sulphur content in the seam-wise sequence, i.e. the upper seam is found to contain more sulphur than the seam lying below. Pyritic sulphur shows an upward increasing tendency both intraseam- and interseam-wise. Variation in organic sulphur shows an apparent parallelism with that of total sulphur. A gradual decrease in total sulphur content is also seen in the coals of Meghalaya from east to west within the basin of deposition. This regional lateral variation in sulphur content was due to the more marine nature of the peat-forming swamps of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills (eastern Meghalaya) as compared to that of the Garo Hills (western Maghalaya).     

Integrated studies for characterization of lineaments used to locate groundwater potential zones in a hard rock region of Karnataka, India

An integrated study was carried out to investigate the subsurface geological conditions in a hard rock environment, with the aim of identifying zones with groundwater resource potential. The study, in Bairasagara watershed, Karnataka, India, considered geomorphology, water level, resistivity imaging, self potential, total magnetic field and susceptibility. The signatures due to lineaments have been clearly identified and their role in groundwater movement has been documented. Synthetic simulation methods were used to model the electrical response of the lineament using finite differential modeling scheme. The inverted image of the field data is compared with the synthetic image and iteration were performed on the initial model until a best match was obtained resulting on the generation of the calibrated resistivity image of the subsurface. Resistivity imaging revealed that the dykes are weathered/fractured to a depth of 6–8 m and are compact at deeper levels, and that they behave as barriers to groundwater movement, yet facilitate a good groundwater potential zone on the upgradient side. The results of magnetic surveys were utilized in differentiating granites and dolerite dykes with an insignificant resistivity contrast. Geomorphological expression alone cannot reveal the groundwater potential associated with a lineament. However, characterizing the nature of the feature at depth with integrated geophysical methods provides essential information for assessing that potential.The online version of the original article can be found at     

Accumulation of Metals in Naturally Grown Weeds (Aquatic Macrophytes) Grown on an Industrial Effluent Channel

The ability of seven hyperaccumulator macrophytes which grow naturally in the heavy metal contaminated channels of three different industries (Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd., Eveready Ltd., and Scooter India Ltd.) to accumulate heavy metals was recorded. All these industries use electroplating processes in their manufacturing and are located in the inner area of Lucknow City, U.P., India. Of the three industries monitored, effluent released from Eveready Ltd. contained the highest concentration of heavy metals. In general, accumulations of heavy metals depend upon the plant species and the metal concentration in the media. All plant samples showed heterogeneous metal accumulations, except for Fe or Cd. It was observed that some plant species accumulated high level of metals, e. g., Eichhornnia crassipes for Fe (4052.44 μg/g), Mn (788.42 μg/g), and Cu (315.50 μg/g), and Spirodela polyrhiza for Cd (12.75 μg/g), Pb (20.25 μg/g), and Cr (128.27 μg/g), even when the metal concentrations were not high in the effluent. In summary, these two plants were found to be the best accumulators at each contaminated site. The results will be helpful in the selection of plant species which can be used as bioaccumulators or bioindicators.     

Supernovae effects on the terrestrial atmosphere

The first effects of a nearby (～ 10 parsec) supernova on the Earth's atmosphere will be caused by ultraviolet radiation dissociating molecular oxygen. The event will be of about one month's duration. Several months later nuclear gamma radiation may arrive, causing a decrease in atmospheric ozone. Cosmic radiation from the supernova remnant will not intercept the Earth for at least 1000 years at which time ozone will be seriously depleted.Supernova ultraviolet radiation increases column ozone and atomic oxygen. Atmospheric thermal structure is modified with a large temperature increase in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere and a decrease at higher altitudes caused by enhanced heat loss due to atomic oxygen radiation and conduction.     

List of forthcoming papers

Other Index

List of forthcoming papers     

Satellite Measurements of Tropospheric Column O<Subscript>3</Subscript> and NO<Subscript>2</Subscript> in Eastern and Southeastern Asia: Comparison with a Global Model (MOZART-2)

Satellite measurements of tropospheric column O₃ and NO₂ in eastern and southeastern Asia are analyzed to study the spatial and seasonal characteristics of pollution in these regions. Tropospheric column O₃ is derived from differential measurements of total column ozone from Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS), and stratospheric column ozone from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instrument on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). The tropospheric column NO₂ is measured by Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME). A global chemical and transport model (Model of Ozone and Related Chemical Tracers, version 2; MOZART-2) is applied to analyze and interpret the satellite measurements. The study, which is based on spring, summer, and fall months of 1997 shows generally good agreement between the model and satellite data with respect to seasonal and spatial characteristics of O₃ and NO₂ fields. The analysis of the model results show that the industrial emission of NO_x (NO + NO₂) contributes about 50%–80% to tropospheric column NO₂ in eastern Asia and about 20%–50% in southeastern Asia. The contribution of industrial emission of NO_x to tropospheric column O₃ ranges from 10% to 30% in eastern Asia. Biomass burning and lightning NO_x emissions have a small effect on tropospheric O₃ in central and eastern Asia, but they have a significant impact in southeastern Asia. The varying effects of NO_x on tropospheric column ozone are attributed to differences in relative abundance of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with respect to total nitrogen in the two regions.     

Analysis of WRCC of Fly Ash-Bentonite Mixes Based on Combined Shrinkage and Suction Measurement

Sand-Bentonite mixtures are used in landfill liner application in appropriate proportions. However, effort has been made to replace the sand by some waste materials like fly ash without compromising the required properties for liner construction. In recent years, many studies were carried out to determine the suitability of different fly ashes for using with bentonite based on different geotechnical parameters. On the other hand, limited studies were found in determining the unsaturated characteristics i.e. Water Retention Characteristics Curve (WRCC) of fly ash-bentonite mixes. The determination of WRCC in case of bentonite is very complexed compared to other types of clay soil due to its high shrinkage and swelling characteristics upon drying and wetting. In this study, a combined shrinkage and suction measurement was carried out in fly ash-bentonite mixes to accurately represent the WRCC under drying condition only. The shrinkage measurement was carried out using balloon method and suction measurement was carried out with the help of WP4 dew point potentiameter device. Both the shrinkage and suction results were finally used to obtain the WRCC for the different mixes. Further, the study on the variability of WRCCs for the different mixes indicates that WRCC can be represented by a generalized plot with 20% variation.

     

Automatic Tree Identification and Diameter Estimation Using Single Scan Terrestrial Laser Scanner Data in Central Indian Forests

Forest inventory parameters, primarily tree diameter and height, are required for several management and planning activities. Currently, Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) is a promising technology in automated measurements of tree parameters using dense 3D point clouds. In comparison with conventional manual field inventory methods, TLS systems would supplement field data with detailed and relatively higher degree of accurate measurements and increased measurement frequency. Although, multiple scans from TLS captures more area, they are resource and time consuming to ensure proper co-registration between the scans. On the other hand, Single scans provide a fast and recording of the data but are often affected by occlusions between the trees. The current study evaluates potential of single scan TLS data to (1) develop an automatic method for tree stem identification and diameter estimation (diameter at breast height—DBH) using random sample consensus (RANSAC) based circle fitting algorithm, (2) validate using field based measurements to derive accuracy estimates and (3) assess the influence of distance to scanner on detection and measurement accuracies. Tree detection and diameter measurements were validated for 5 circular plots of 20 m radius using single scans in dry deciduous forests of Betul, Madhya Pradesh. An overall tree detection accuracy of 85 and 70% was observed in the scanner range of 15 and 20 m respectively. The tree detection accuracies decreased with increased distance to the scanner due to the decrease in visible area. Also, estimated stem diameter using TLS was found to be in agreement with the field measured diameter (R² = 0.97). The RMSE of estimated DBH was found to be 3.5 cm (relative RMSE ~20%) over 202 trees detected over 5 plots. Results suggest that single scan approach suffices the cause of accuracy, reducing uncertainty and adds to increased sampling frequency in forest inventory and also implies that TLS has a seemingly high potential in forest management.