Matching INSPIRE Quality of Service Requirements with Hybrid Clouds

A lot of effort has been invested in Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) during the last decade regarding interoperable standards for services and data. But still the scalability and performance of SDI services is reported to be crucial especially if they are accessed concurrently by a high number of users. Furthermore, laws and provisions such as the INSPIRE directive specify challenging requirements regarding the performance, availability and scalability of SDI services. This article presents a Hybrid Cloud architecture for matching INSPIRE‐related Quality of Service (QoS) requirements, without investing in rarely used hardware in advance, by occupying external third‐party resources on a pay‐as‐you‐go basis. The presented Hybrid Cloud is a composition of a local IT‐infrastructure (Private Cloud) and the computational resources of third‐party vendors (Public Cloud). The local infrastructure is laid out to handle the average main load of a service and in lasting peak times additional resources of external providers are allocated and integrated on demand into the local infrastructure to provide sufficient service quality automatically. A proof‐of‐concept implementation of the proposed Hybrid Cloud approach is evaluated and benchmarked with respect to INSPIRE‐related QoS requirements.     

Thermospheric/mesospheric temperatures on Venus: Results from ground-based high-resolution spectroscopy of CO2 in 1990/1991 and comparison to results from 2009 and between other techniques

We report temperatures in Venus’ upper mesosphere/lower thermosphere, deduced from reanalyzing very high resolution infrared spectroscopy of CO₂ emission lines acquired in 1990 and 1991. Kinetic temperatures at ～110 km altitude (0.15 Pa) are derived from the Doppler width of fully-resolved single line profiles measured near 10.4 μm wavelength using the NASA GSFC Infrared Heterodyne Spectrometer (IRHS) at the NASA IRTF on Mauna Kea, HI, close to Venus inferior conjunction and two Venus solstices. Measured temperatures range from ～200 to 240 K with uncertainty typically less than 10 K. Temperatures retrieved from similar measurement in 2009 using the Cologne Tuneable Heterodyne Infrared Spectrometer (THIS) at the NOAO McMath Telescope at Kitt Peak, AZ are 10–20 K lower. Temperatures retrieved more recently from the SOIR instrument on Venus EXpress are consistent with these results when the geometry of observation is accounted for. It is difficult to compare ground-based sub-mm retrievals extrapolated to 110 km due to their much larger field of view, which includes the night side regions not accessible to infrared heterodyne observations. Temperature variability appears to be high on day-to-day as well as longer timescales. Observed short term and long term variability may be attributed to atmospheric dynamics, diurnal variability and changes over solar activity and seasons. The Venus International Reference Atmosphere (VIRA) model predicts cooler temperatures at the sampled altitudes in the lower thermosphere/upper mesosphere and is not consistent with these measurements.     

Strength enhancement in particulate solids under high loading rates

The so-called ‘strain-rate effect’ in any material has been investigated here from a structural dynamics point of view. Starting with lumped-mass models (SDOF and 2-DOF) and assuming a rate-independent failure criterion, it is shown here how a high loading rate produces an effect of strength enhancement in any massive elastic material and how failure takes place in a stronger component of a system as the loading rate increases. Extrapolating the concept of an equivalent elastic modulus as introduced in lumped-mass models and extending the analysis to a semi-infinite elastic continuum, an algorithm has been schematized to evaluate an overall equivalent elastic modulus of a concrete body under the influence of high loading rate treating the concrete as a two-component solid mixture consisting of cement paste matrix and aggregates.     

Temporal and Spatial Variabilities of Chemical and Physical Parameters on the Heron Island Coral Reef Platform

Globally, coral reefs are threatened by ocean warming and acidification. The degree to which acidification will impact reefs is dependent on the local hydrodynamics, benthic community composition, and biogeochemical processes, all of which vary on different temporal and spatial scales. Characterizing the natural spatiotemporal variability of seawater carbonate chemistry across different reefs is critical for elucidating future impacts on coral reefs. To date, most studies have focused on select habitats, whereas fewer studies have focused on reef scale variability. Here, we investigate the temporal and spatial seawater physicochemical variability across the entire Heron Island coral reef platform, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, for a limited duration of six days. Autonomous sensor measurements at three sites across the platform were complemented by reef-wide boat surveys and discrete sampling of seawater carbonate chemistry during the morning and evening. Variability in both temporal and spatial physicochemical properties were predominantly driven by solar irradiance (and its effect on biological activity) and the semidiurnal tidal cycles but were influenced by the local geomorphology resulting in isolation of the platform during low tide and rapid flooding during rising tides. As a result, seawater from previous tidal cycles was sometimes trapped in different parts of the reef leading to unexpected biogeochemical trends in space and time. This study illustrates the differences and limitations of data obtained from high-frequency measurements in a few locations compared to low-frequency measurements at high spatial resolution and coverage, showing the need for a combined approach to develop predictive capability of seawater physicochemical properties on coral reefs.

     

Using the SDIlight Approach in Teaching a Geoinformatics Master

ITC, the Faculty of Geo–Information Science and Earth Observation of the University of Twente, is an institute that aims at capacity building and institutional development, specifically in developing countries. In our Geoinformatics curriculum, we emphasise two principles. The first addresses the systematics of purposeful spatial data production and uptake into computerised systems; the second addresses the methodical construction of these computerised systems, applying principles of model – driven architecture, formal specification and transformational design of SDI nodes. The term Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) usually denotes large, complex systems, but its principles can also be applied in simple and cost–effective ways. This approach we have called SDI^light and it is of particular interest to our students that come from developing countries. We work with and build a software stack consisting of free and open source components. To achieve interoperability, we emphasise the use of open standards from the Open Geospatial Consortium and others. In this paper, we explain how our students apply the SDI^light approach in the GeoinformaticsMaster degree course. An important part of that course is a Case Study Application Building & Programming, in which students apply their knowledge in a ‘real–world’ project, with a focus on geo–information engineering skills. We conclude with a section that evaluates the effectiveness of using the SDI^light concept in teaching our Geoinformatics Master, and on the more general applicability of the methodology.     

Relativistic Rotational Darkening of Lightlike Radiation and Von Zeipel's Theorem for Radially Emitting Spheroids

It is shown that an outgoing null radiation field in the outer space of a Kerr-Newman black hole is darkened by the rotation of the black hole. This rotational darkening is calculated for a spheroid emitting null radiation normally to its surface, yielding the von Zeipel-like effectthat the equatorial region is darkened more strongly than the polar regions.This effect is not confined to the case of black holes but is also observable for relativistically rotating fluid spheroids such as atmospheres of pulsars or neutron stars. Moreover, application to Hawking radiation suggests that the black hole cannot be viewed as a classical black body but that the Hawking radiationis a global geometric effect. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Comparison of HIPWAC and Mars Express SPICAM observations of ozone on Mars 2006-2008 and variation from 1993 IRHS observations

Ozone is a tracer of photochemistry in the atmosphere of Mars and an observable used to test predictions of photochemical models. We present a comparison of retrieved ozone abundances on Mars using ground-based infrared heterodyne measurements by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Heterodyne Instrument for Planetary Wind And Composition (HIPWAC) and space-based Mars Express Spectroscopy for the Investigation of the Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Mars (SPICAM) ultraviolet measurements. Ozone retrievals from simultaneous measurements in February 2008 were very consistent (0.8 μm-atm), as were measurements made close in time (ranging from <1 to >8 μm-atm) during this period and during opportunities in October 2006 and February 2007. The consistency of retrievals from the two different observational techniques supports combining the measurements for testing photochemistry-coupled general circulation models and for investigating variability over the long-term between spacecraft missions. Quantitative comparison with ground-based measurements by NASA/GSFC’s Infrared Heterodyne Spectrometer (IRHS) in 1993 reveals 2-4 times more ozone at low latitudes than in 2008 at the same season, and such variability was not evident over the shorter period of the Mars Express mission. This variability may be due to cloud activity.     

Time Analysis of the CO+ COMA OF COMET P/HALLEY BY IMAGE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES

Photographic and photoelectric observations of comet P/Halley's ion gas coma from CO⁺ at 4250 ? were part of the Bochum Halley Monitoring Program, conducted from 1986 February 17, to April 17 at the European Southern Observatory on La Silla (Chile). In this spectral range it is possible to watch the continuous formation, motion and expansion of plasma structures. To observe the morphology of these structures 32CO⁺ photos (glass plates) from P/Halley's comet have been analysed. They have a field of view of 28°.6× 28°.6 and were obtained from 1986 March 29, to April 17 with exposure times between 20 and120 minutes. All photos were digitized with a PDS 2020 GM (Photometric Data System) microdensitometer at the Astronomisches Institut derWestf?lischen Wilhelms-Universit?t in Münster (one pixel= 25 μm × 25 μm ≈ 46′.88×46′.88). After digitization the data were reduced to relative intensities, and the part with proper calibrations were also converted to absolute intensities, expressed in terms of column densities using the image data systems MIDAS (Munich Image Data Analysis System; ESO – Image Processing Group, 1988) and IHAP (Image Handling And Processing; Middleburg, 1983). With the help of the Stellingwerf-Theta-Minimum-Method (Stellingwerf, 1978) a period of (2.22 ± 0.09) days results from analysis of structures in the plasma-coma by subtracting subsequent images. This method is also compared with the Fourier method. There may be a second cycle with a period of about 3.6 days. The idea behind subtracting subsequent images is that rotation effects are only 10% phenomena on gas distribution. Difference images are than used to suppress the static component of the gas cloud. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Temporal Behavior of Stratospheric Ammonia Abundance and Temperature Following the SL9 Impacts

Infrared emission lines of stratospheric ammonia (NH₃) were observed following the collisions of the fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter in July of 1994 at the impact sites of fragments G and K. Infrared heterodyne spectra near 10.7 μm were obtained by A. Betz et al. (in Abstracts for Special Sessions on Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, The 26th Meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences, Washington DC, 31 Oct.-4 Nov. 1994, p. 25) using one of the Infrared Spatial Interferometer telescope systems on Mount Wilson. Lineshapes of up to three different NH₃ emission lines were measured at a resolving power of ∼10⁷ at multiple times following the impacts. We present here our radiative transfer analysis of the fully resolved spectral lineshapes of the multiple rovibrational lines. This analysis provides information on temperature structure and NH₃ abundance distributions and their temporal changes up to 18 days after impact. These results are compared to photochemical models to determine the role of photochemistry and other mechanisms in the destruction and dilution of NH₃ in the jovian stratosphere after the SL9 impacts.One day following the G impact, the inferred temperature above 0.001 mbar altitude is 283±13 K, consistent with a recent plume splashback model. Cooling of the upper stratosphere to 204 K by the fourth day and to quiescence after a week is consistent with a simple gray atmosphere radiative flux calculation and mixing with cold jovian air. During the first 4 days after impact, NH₃ was present primarily at altitudes above 1 mbar with a column density of (7.7±1.6)×10¹⁷ cm⁻² after 1 day and (3.7±0.8)×10¹⁷ cm⁻² after 4 days. (Errors represent precision.) We obtained >2.5 times more NH₃ than can be supplied by nitrogen from a large cometary fragment, suggesting a primarily jovian source for the NH₃. By 18 days postimpact, a return to quiescent upper stratospheric temperature is retrieved for the G region, with an NH₃ column density of 7.3×10¹⁷ cm⁻² or more in the lower stratosphere, possibly supplied by NH₃ upwelling across an impact-heated and turbulent tropopause, which may have been masked by initial dust and haze. Above the 1-mbar level, the maximum retrieved column density decreased to 6.5×10¹⁶ cm⁻². Comparison to photochemical models indicates that photolysis alone is not sufficient to account for the loss of NH₃ above 1 mbar by that time, even when chemical reformation of NH₃ is ignored. We speculate that the dispersion of plume material at high altitudes (above 1 mbar) is responsible for the change in the spectra observed a few days postimpact. Data on the K impact region provide qualitatively consistent results.     

Fractal analysis of normal faults in northwestern Aegean area, Greece

Normal faults within the Ptolemais coal field and large seismogenic faults in the northwestern Aegean remain fractal for displacement values larger than about 1m. The kinematic parameters on reverse drag profiles such as length of rollover, footwall uplift and wavelength of footwall uplift show that all three parameters have a power law relationship, expressed by a c exponent of about 1, with the maximum displacement which take place across the fault. Footwall uplift/hanging wall subsidence ratio is about 1/2.The displacement analysis help us to propose a growth model for larger seismogenic faults in the NW Aegean, as is the ‘Hepiros fault set’ and the ‘Aliakmon fault zone’. Faults within the ‘Aliakmon fault zone’ were independently developed, at the first stages of deformation, by tip line deformation and out-of plane bifurcation, whereas later, deformation continued by segment linkage. One of these faults the ‘Sarakina fault’ was reactivated during the 1995 earthquake to produce a 25 km long surface rupture. A long term slip rate of about 0.3 mm a⁻¹ has been estimated by taking into consideration that over the past 6 Ma a maximum displacement of 1700 m across this fault has taken place.