Segmentation algorithm for long time series analysis

Time series analysis is an important issue in the earth science-related engineering applications such as hydrology, meteorology and environmetrics. Inconsistency and nonhomogeneity that might arise in a time series yield segments with different statistical characteristics. In this study, an algorithm based on the first order statistical moment (average) of a time series is developed and applied on five time series with length ranging from 84 items to nearly 1,300. Comparison to the existing segmentation algorithms proves the applicability and usefulness of the proposed algorithm in long hydrometeorological and geophysical time series analysis.     

Assessment of three temperature reconstruction methods in the virtual reality of a climate simulation

The performance of statistical climate reconstruction methods in the pre-instrumental period is uncertain, as they are calibrated in a short instrumental period but applied to much longer reconstructions time spans. Here, the virtual reality created by a climate simulation of the past millennium with the model ECHO-G is used as a test bed of three methods to reconstruct the annual Northern Hemisphere temperature. The methods are Composite plus Scaling, the inverse regression method of Mann et al. (Nature 392:779–787, 1998) and a direct principal-components regression method. The testing methodology is based on the construction of pseudo-proxies derived from the climate model output, the application of each of these methods to pseudo-proxy timeseries, and the comparison of their result with the simulated mean temperature. Different structures of the noise have been used to construct pseudo-proxies, ranging from the simulated grid-point precipitation. Also, one sparse and one denser pseudo-proxy network, co-located with two real networks, have been considered. All three methods underestimate the simulated variations of the Northern Hemisphere temperature, but the Composite plus Scaling method clearly displays a better performance and is robust against the different noise models and network size. The most relevant factor determining the skill of the reconstruction appears to be the network size, whereas the different noise models tend to yield similar results.     

Uranium (U) concentration and its genetic significance in the phosphorites of the Paleoproterozoic Bijawar Group of the Lalitpur district,Uttar Pradesh,India

The paper presents the uranium (U) concentration and distribution pattern in the Paleoproterozoic phosphorites of Lalitpur district of Uttar Pradesh. The study of thin sections, SEM and XRD reveal that apatite is the essential phosphate mineral while quartz and feldspars are the dominant gangue in the phosphorites of the investigated area. The collophane is observed to be mostly oolitic in form and microspherulitic in texture. The major element geochemistry indicated that the phosphorite samples are rich in P₂O₅, CaO, SiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ whereas depletion of MgO, MnO, K₂O and Al₂O₃ was observed. The CaO/P₂O₅ ratio ranges from 1.13 to 1.46 which is slightly lower than that of cations and anions substituted francolite (1.621) and close to that of carbonate-fluorapatite (1.318). The trace element geochemistry indicates that the phosphorites of Lalitpur have the significant range of U concentration (1.67 to 129.67 μg/g) which is more than that of Th (0.69 to 0.09 μg/g) among the analysed trace elements in the phosphorite samples of the area. The positive correlation of U with P₂O₅, CaO and U/P₂O₅ indicates a close association of U with phosphate minerals like collophane (apatite), whereas negative correlation of U with SiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ may be due to mutual replacement. The antipathetic relationship of U with Ni may be an indication of high oxidizing conditions, whereas sympathetic relationship of U with K₂O points towards higher alkaline conditions of the basin of deposition during phosphatization. The variable concentration of U and its relationship with significant major and trace elements in most of the phosphorite samples lead one to believe that the deposition of these phosphorites might have taken place in highly alkaline medium during fairly oxidizing to weakly reducing environmental conditions of geosynclinal basin.     

Geomorphological, geochemical and geo-environmental aspects of karstification in the urban areas of Kerman city, southeastern, Iran

Kerman city has a semiarid-arid climate with an average annual precipitation of about 158 mm. The area is underlain by soluble subsoil and alluvial deposits, overlying highly fractured Cretaceous limestones. Geo-environmental studies indicate that both paleokarst and active karst features are developed in the area. The paleokarsts were developed in the Upper Cretaceous limestone during the cold, humid periods of Post Cretaceous and probably Early Quaternary time and include honeycombs, solution flutes, rillenkarren, caverns, and solution collapse dolines. Active karst landforms occur by combined piping-induced and limestone solution at depth in subsoils, and alluvial deposits and bajada that overly potent karstic limestones and cover subsidence sinkholes and subjacent alluvial karst collapse dolines. Many factors, such as soluble compounds (salt and gypsum), desiccation cracks, and Qanat (dug water wells), could contribute to the development of karstic landforms. The most immediate cause for active karst landforms is considered to be the drawdown of the water table in the area. There is an increasing demand for groundwater consumption to irrigate pistachio fields. Excessive pumping of the groundwater lowers the water table about 80 cm per year. This rate of drawdown accelerates land subsidence (about 6 cm per year), creates circular patterns of fractures in the ground and in buildings, disrupts agricultural work and urbanization projects, and tilts foundations. These geohazards indicate that ground sinking and karstification are in progress in the alluvial deposits and underlying limestones. The disturbance and expense caused by the geohazards could be mitigated by the application of overhead sprinkler irrigation for pistachio fields or by planting less thirsty plants.     

Solution of H2O in diopside melts: a thermodynamic model

Structural similarities between dry diopside melt and superhydrous albite melt (X _w >0.5) — both lack three-dimensional silicate units — suggest that thermodynamic relations may be similar. A model based on that assumption successfully predicts diopside melting relations and H₂O solubilities. For the model, the three partial differential equations describing solution of H₂O in albite melt for X _w >0.5 have been integrated for diopside melt from X _w =0 to X _w at least as large as 0.76, with two exceptions: an alternative partial differential equation for Henrian solution of H₂O in dilute melts was applied for X _w <0.20, and an alternative differential equation for the pressure dependence of a _w at pressures below 2 kbar was developed. The latter alternative equation yields relatively small ¯V_w's at low pressures rather than the large ¯V_w's calculated from the equation from the albite system. Available experimental solubility data are not precise enough to offer a choice between the small-¯V_w and large-¯V_w equations. Integration of all the partial differential equations was constrained solely by the P and T of a single experimentally-determined point on the H₂O-saturated solidus.Solubilities calculated by a Henrian-analogue solution model (a _di=X _di ² ) from the experimental H₂O saturated solidus lie outside experimental solubility constraints for dilute melts. On the other hand, a Henrian model (a _di=X_di) successfully predicts solubilities in dilute melts. The formulation of the Henrian model and magnitudes of model molar entropies of solution are consistent with the hypothesis that H₂O dissolves in diopside melt as an essentially undissociated species with little ordering on melt structural sites. That species could in turn be consistently, if not uniquely, interpreted to be molecular H₂O or a hydroxylation (OH^–) complex formed from nonbridging oxygens.     

Monitoring Large-Scale Tests for Nuclear Waste Disposal

Two large-scale “in situ” demonstration experiments and their instrumentation are described. The first test (FEBEX Experiment) involves the hydration of a compacted bentonite barrier under the combined effect of an inner source of heat and an outer water flow from the confining saturated granite rock. In the second case, the progressive de-saturation of Opalinus clay induced by maintained ventilation of an unlined tunnel is analyzed. The paper shows the performance of different sensors (capacitive cells, psychrometers, TDR’s) and a comparison of fill behaviour with modelling results. The long term performance of some instruments could also be evaluated specially in the case of FEBEX test. Capacitive sensors provide relative humidity data during long transient periods characterised by very large variations of suction within the bentonite.     

香港一富营养河港内的底泥耗氧和营养盐释放

Tolo Harbour has received massive discharges of municipal sewage, agricultural wastes and cottage industrial effluents, via three river systems, in the past two decades before the mid Eighties. The Harbour is almost land locked and poorly flushed. The soft sediment acted as a sink for nutrients and organic pollutants. After a decade of efforts in establishing and enforcing water pollution control legislations and upgrading wastewater treatment facilities, the sediments have turned into sources of nutrients and exert a measurable oxygen demand upon the overlying waters. In vitro measurements showed that the sediments oxygen demand (SOD) was between 17.6 and 54.3 mgo₂ · m^-2 · h^-1. The maximum rates of release of ortho-phosphate phosphorus and ammonia nitrogen were 15.0 and 206.0 mg · m^-2 · h^-1, respectively.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments,mussels and crustacea around a former gasworks site in Shoreham-by-Sea,UK

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been determined in sediments, mussels and crustacea in the vicinity of a former gasworks site by Shoreham Harbour, UK. Very high concentrations of PAH were found in the substrate, an ash-like material deposited on the former gasworks site, which exhibited a profile consistent with the major source of contamination being coal or coke tar produced during the period of gas production at the site. Elevated PAH concentrations were also found in mussels both from the beach below the former gasworks site, and from sites further to the east in Portslade and Hove. The significance of these concentrations were assessed using an approach which involved the calculation of benzo[a]pyrene equivalent conoentrations (BaPEs), summing concentrations of individual PAH on the basis of their comparative potency as carcinogens. BaPE ranged from values of, or close to, zero for crustacea, to 336 microg kg(-1) wet weight in mussels from Southwick Beach. The contaminated mussels are not exploited commercially but may be taken by casual gatherers, and notices have been posted to warn potential consumers.     

Buchbesprechungen

Ohne Zusammenfassung Technische Hochschule Karlsruhe     

Funkortung und Wellenausbreitung

Zusammenfassung Die Arbeit will auf die heutigen funktechnischen Hilfsmittel der Navigation hinweisen und die Möglichkeit ihrer Beeinflussung durch die Ausbreitung der Funkwellen aufzeigen. Sowohl auf dem Gebiete des Funkmeßverfahrens (Radar) wie auf den weniger bekannten Gebieten der Hyperbelnavigation und der Richtfunkfeuer sind noch viele Einzelheiten über die Brechung der Funkstrahlen, über die Interferenz und Störungen durch Raumwelleneinflüsse und über die effektive Ausbreitungsgeschwindigkeit zu klären, ehe die Schiffahrt den vollen Nutzen aus allen diesen Methoden ziehen kann.

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Radio direction finding and radio wave propagation

Summary The paper outlines to-day's radio aids to navigation and their eventual dependency on the propagation of radio waves. In the field of radar as well as in the less familiar fields of hyperbolic navigation and radio range many details remain to be cleared with regard to refraction of radio rays, interference and disturbance by sky waves, and the effective velocity of propagation until navigation will be able to derive the full benefit from all these methods.

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Radio navigation et propagation des ondes radioélectriques

Résumé Ce travail a pour but d' exposer le radio guidage pour navigation ainsi que sa dépendance eventuelle de la propagation des ondes radioélectriques. Non seulement dans le domaine du radar mais encore dans les domaines moins connus de la navigation hyperbolique et des radiophares directionels il reste beaucoup de détails à éclaircir, détails qui se rapportent à la réfraction du rayon radioélectrique, à l'interférence et aux perturbations causées par des ondes d'espace et, enfin, à la vitesse effective de propagation. Tous ces problèmes doivent être résolus avant que la navigation puisse tirer tout le profit de ces méthodes.

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Vortrag auf der 3. Hamburger geophysikalischen Tagung, 28. 8. 1952.