Dynamic ray tracing on Lagrangian manifolds

Summary. We show that Maslov's extension of the WKBJ method allows an extension of the dynamic ray tracing to wavefields involving caustics of arbitrary form. If the receiver lies off the caustics, then the synthetic seismogram can be obtained by integrating the DRT system along a single ray joining the receiver to the source which may touch caustics. If the receiver-lies in the vicinity of a caustic then DRT has to be carried out along a bunch of rays covering a neighbourhood of the receiver. Our approach encompasses pre-stressed and/or anisotropic media. Initial boundary conditions for a point source embedded in an anisotropic elastic medium are also presented.     

The eastern continuation of the Cadomian orogen: U–Pb zircon evidence from Saxo-Thuringian granitoids in south-western Poland and the northern Czech Republic

We report U–Pb single zircon ages from three pre-Variscan granitoids in the NE part of the Bohemian Massif. The Platerówka granodiorite from the Lausitz-Izera Unit, the Polish Sudetes, has been dated at 533±9 Ma. The Bitouchov granite form the SW part of the South Krkonoe Unit, the Czech Sudetes, gave an age of 540+11/–10 Ma, and the Wdroe granodiorite in the Fore-Sudetic Block yielded 548±9 Ma. All these latest Vendian/Early Cambrian granitoids represent the post-tectonic expression of a late Proterozoic Cadomian orogenic cycle and demonstrate the eastward extent of the Cadomian basement into the Variscan orogen. Granodiorites of similar age have so far been reported from Brittany and especially from the Saxo-Thuringian Terrane to the NE and SW of the Elbe Fault Zone. We conclude that the Saxo-Thuringian Terrane extends across the Elbe and Sudetic Marginal Fault Zones into the Fore-Sudetic Block.     

A comparison of MODIS-derived cloud amount with visual surface observations

Two main sources for global cloud climatologies are visual surface observations and observations made by spaceborne sensors. Satellite observations compared with surface data show in most cases differences ranging from − 15% up to − 1%, depending on sensor and observation conditions. These differences are partially controlled by sensors' cloud detection capabilities — a higher number of spectral bands and higher spatial resolution are believed to allow discrimination of clouds from land/ocean/snow background. A Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) produces images of the atmosphere in 36 spectral bands with a spatial resolution of 250–1000 m, thus having a capacity for cloud detection far more advanced than other operating sensors. In this study, instantaneous MODIS cloud observations were compared with surface data for Poland for January (winter) and July (summer) 2004. It was found that MODIS observed 4.38% greater cloud amount in summer conditions and 7.28% in winter conditions. Differences were greater at night (7–8%) than in daytime (0.5–7%) and correlations ranged between 0.577 (winter night) and 0.843 (winter day, summer day and night).     

X-ray spectrophotometer SphinX and particle spectrometer STEP-F of the satellite experiment CORONAS-PHOTON. Preliminary results of the joint data analysis

A joint analysis is carried out of data obtained with the help of the solar X-ray SphinX spectrophotometer and the electron and proton satellite telescope STEP-F in May 2009 in the course of the scientific space experiment CORONAS-PHOTON. In order to determine the energies and particle types, in the analysis of spectrophotometer records data are used on the intensities of electrons, protons, and secondary γ-radiation, obtained by the STEP-F telescope, which was located in close proximity to the SphinX spectrophotometer. The identical reaction of both instruments is noted at the intersection of regions of the Brazilian magnetic anomaly and the Earth’s radiation belts. It is shown that large area photodiodes, serving as sensors of the X-ray spectrometer, reliably record electron fluxes of low and intermediate energies, as well as fluxes of the secondary gamma radiation from construction materials of detector modules, the TESIS instrument complex, and the spacecraft itself. The dynamics of electron fluxes, recorded by the SphinX spectrophotometer in the vicinity of a weak geomagnetic storm, supplements the information about the processes of radial diffusion of electrons, which was studied using the STEP-F telescope.     

Global ionosphere map constructed by using total electron content from ground-based GNSS receiver and FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC GPS occultation experiment

Effects of rapidly changing ionospheric weather are critical in high accuracy positioning, navigation, and communication applications. A system used to construct the global total electron content (TEC) distribution for monitoring the ionospheric weather in near-real time is needed in the modern society. Here we build the TEC map named Taiwan Ionosphere Group for Education and Research (TIGER) Global Ionospheric Map (GIM) from observations of ground-based GNSS receivers and space-based FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC (F3/C) GPS radio occultation observations using the spherical harmonic expansion and Kalman filter update formula. The TIGER GIM (TGIM) will be published in near-real time of 4-h delay with a spatial resolution of 2.5° in latitude and 5° in longitude and a high temporal resolution of every 5 min. The F3/C TEC results in an improvement on the GIM of about 15.5%, especially over the ocean areas. The TGIM highly correlates with the GIMs published by other international organizations. Therefore, the routinely published TGIM in near-real time is not only for communication, positioning, and navigation applications but also for monitoring and scientific study of ionospheric weathers, such as magnetic storms and seismo-ionospheric anomalies.     

Automatic estimation of olive tree dendrometric parameters based on airborne laser scanning data using alpha-shape and principal component analysis

The aim of this study is to present an automatic approach for olive tree dendrometric parameter estimation from airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. The proposed method is based on a unique combination of the alpha-shape algorithm applied to normalized point cloud and principal component analysis. A key issue of the alpha-shape algorithm is to define the α parameter, as it directly affects the crown delineation results. We propose to adjust this parameter based on a group of representative trees in an orchard for which the classical field measurements were performed. The best value of the α parameter is one whose correlation coefficient of dendrometric parameters between field measurements and estimated values is the highest. We determined crown diameters as principal components of ALS points representing a delineated crown. The method was applied to a test area of an olive orchard in Spain. The tree dendrometric parameters estimated from ALS data were compared with field measurements to assess the quality of the developed approach. We found the method to be equally good or even superior to previously investigated semi-automatic methods. The average error is 19% for tree height, 53% for crown base height, and 13% and 9% for the length of the longer diameter and perpendicular diameter, respectively.     

Sea water surface energy balance in the Arctic fjord (Hornsund,SW Spitsbergen) in May–November 2014

Maize is grown by millions of smallholder farmers in South Asia (SA) under diverse environments. The crop is grown in different seasons in a year with varying exposure to weather extremes, including high temperatures at critical growth stages which are expected to increase with climate change. This study assesses the impact of current and future heat stress on maize and the benefit of heat-tolerant varieties in SA. Annual mean maximum temperatures may increase by 1.4–1.8 °C in 2030 and 2.1–2.6 °C in 2050, with large monthly, seasonal, and spatial variations across SA. The extent of heat stressed areas in SA could increase by up to 12 % in 2030 and 21 % in 2050 relative to the baseline. The impact of heat stress and the benefit from heat-tolerant varieties vary with the level of temperature increase and planting season. At a regional scale, climate change would reduce rainfed maize yield by an average of 3.3–6.4 % in 2030 and 5.2–12.2 % in 2050 and irrigated yield by 3–8 % in 2030 and 5–14 % in 2050 if current varieties were grown under the future climate. Under projected climate, heat-tolerant varieties could minimize yield loss (relative to current maize varieties) by up to 36 and 93 % in 2030 and 33 and 86 % in 2050 under rainfed and irrigated conditions, respectively. Heat-tolerant maize varieties, therefore, have the potential to shield maize farmers from severe yield loss due to heat stress and help them adapt to climate change impacts.     

Methods of searching for planets around pulsars

We analyse different methods of searching for planets around neutron stars by timing observations of pulsars. To this end, we study a few interesting models describing TOA residual variations that are observed, or could be observed, and which can mimic planets. We carry out a detailed theoretical analysis of the behaviour of these methods in the situations mentioned. We show that it is very helpful to look at these phenomena as some kind of quasi-periodic variations of residuals of time of arrival of pulsar pulses. We demonstrate that such a model-independent approach leads to promising conclusions that can be useful when analysing timing observations of pulsars to find planets or to prove that observed phenomena are of planetary origin.     

Sensing underground coal gasification by ground penetrating radar

The paper describes the results of research on the applicability of the ground penetrating radar (GPR) method for remote sensing and monitoring of the underground coal gasification (UCG) processes. The gasification of coal in a bed entails various technological problems and poses risks to the environment. Therefore, in parallel with research on coal gasification technologies, it is necessary to develop techniques for remote sensing of the process environment. One such technique may be the radar method, which allows imaging of regions of mass loss (voids, fissures) in coal during and after carrying out a gasification process in the bed. The paper describes two research experiments. The first one was carried out on a large-scale model constructed on the surface. It simulated a coal seam in natural geological conditions. A second experiment was performed in a shallow coal deposit maintained in a disused mine and kept accessible for research purposes. Tests performed in the laboratory and in situ conditions showed that the method provides valuable data for assessing and monitoring gasification surfaces in the UCG processes. The advantage of the GPR method is its high resolution and the possibility of determining the spatial shape of various zones and forms created in the coal by the gasification process.