Cassini imaging of Saturn's rings: II. A wavelet technique for analysis of density waves and other radial structure in the rings

We describe a powerful signal processing method, the continuous wavelet transform, and use it to analyze radial structure in Cassini ISS images of Saturn's rings. Wavelet analysis locally separates signal components in frequency space, causing many structures to become evident that are difficult to observe with the naked eye. Density waves, generated at resonances with saturnian satellites orbiting outside (or within) the rings, are particularly amenable to such analysis. We identify a number of previously unobserved weak waves, and demonstrate the wavelet transform's ability to isolate multiple waves superimposed on top of one another. We also present two wave-like structures that we are unable to conclusively identify. In a multi-step semi-automated process, we recover four parameters from clearly observed weak spiral density waves: the local ring surface density, the local ring viscosity, the precise resonance location (useful for pointing images, and potentially for refining saturnian astrometry), and the wave amplitude (potentially providing new constraints upon the masses of the perturbing moons). Our derived surface densities have less scatter than previous measurements that were derived from stronger non-linear waves, and suggest a gentle linear increase in surface density from the inner to the mid-A Ring. We show that ring viscosity consistently increases from the Cassini Division outward to the Encke Gap. Meaningful upper limits on ring thickness can be placed on the Cassini Division (3.0 m at r∼118,800 km, 4.5 m at r∼120,700 km) and the inner A Ring (10-15 m for r<127,000 km).     

Reionization and the Cosmic Dawn with the Square Kilometre Array

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will have a low frequency component (SKA-low) which has as one of its main science goals the study of the redshifted 21 cm line from the earliest phases of star and galaxy formation in the Universe. This 21 cm signal provides a new and unique window both on the time of the formation of the first stars and accreting black holes and the subsequent period of substantial ionization of the intergalactic medium. The signal will teach us fundamental new things about the earliest phases of structure formation, cosmology and even has the potential to lead to the discovery of new physical phenomena. Here we present a white paper with an overview of the science questions that SKA-low can address, how we plan to tackle these questions and what this implies for the basic design of the telescope.     

Decolorisation of exhausted reactive dye bath using ozonator for reuse

Exhausted Reactive dye bath samples of Turquoise Blue, Olive Green and Navy Blue shades were collected from cotton knit wear dyeing units in Tirupur. Ozonation was conducted in a column reactor system fed with ozone at the rate of 0.16 g/min to assess its efficiency in reducing the color, chemical oxygen demand and total organic carbon. Complete decolorization of the effluent was achieved in 10 min contact time and ozone consumption of 153 mg/ L for Turquoise Blue, 128 for Olive Green and 143 for Navy Blue shades effluents respectively. The corresponding COD removal was 43%, 44% and 43% for the three shades while TOC removal efficiency was 45%, 45% and 40% respectively. The results from the reusability studies indicate that the dyeing quality was not affected by the reuse of decolorized dye bath for two successive cycles. It is concluded that ozonation is efficient in decolorization of exhausted dye bath effluents containing conventional reactive dyes. However, the corresponding removal of COD from the textile effluent was not significant.     

Heat flow in the Ozark Plateau, Arkansas and Missouri: relationship to groundwater flow

Heat flow values were calculated from direct measurements of temperature and thermal conductivity at thirteen sites in the Arkansas-Missouri Ozark Plateau region. These thirteen values are augmented by 101 estimates of heat flow, based on thermal conductivity measurements and temperature gradients extrapolated from bottom-hole temperatures. The regional heat flow profile ranges from 9 mW m⁻² to over 80 mW m⁻², but at least two distinct thermal regimes have been identified. Seven new heat flow determinations are combined with three previously published values for the St. Francois Mountains (SFM), a Precambrian exposure of granitic and rhyolitic basement rocks, average 47 mW m⁻². Radioactive heat production of 76 samples of the exposed rocks in the SFM averages 2.4 μW m⁻² and a typical continental basement contribution of 14 mW m⁻² is implied. Conversely, the sedimentary rock sequence of the plateau is characterized by an anomalously low heat flow, averaging approximately 27 mW m⁻². Groundwater transmissivity values that are based on data from 153 wells in deep regional aquifers demonstrate an inverse relationship to the observed heat flow patterns. The areas of high transmissivity that correspond to areas of low total heat flux suggest that the non-conservative vertical heat flow within the Ozark sedimentary sequence can be attributed to the effects of groundwater flow.     

Effect of earth media on the seismic motion of embedded rigid structures

A finite element analysis is performed to determine the influence of the choice of a constitutive model for the earth medium upon the response to seismic waves of an embedded rigid structure. The seismic forcing function is characterized by Rayleigh waves with amplitude parameters adjusted to provide identical free-field motion at a surface reference point for one particular sand represented with elastic, plastic and viscoelastic models. Within the limitations of the analysis, the result is that the steady-state rigid body motions of the embedded structure are essentially identical for these constitutive relations and, consequently, it is appropriate to use an elastic representation for the earth medium.     

Role of aeolian sediment accretion in the formation of heuweltjie earth mounds,western South Africa

The action of organisms in shaping landforms is increasingly recognized; the field of biogeomorphology and the conceptual framework of ecosystem engineering have arisen in response to the need for integrated studies of the interactions between biotic and abiotic components of landscapes. Pathways by which organisms influence landscape development may be complex. For example, primary change initiated by one biotic element may initiate a cascade of other changes that eventually produce a significant landscape modification. Mound‐like landforms in North America and southern Africa are widely cited examples of biogenic structures, yet there is considerable controversy regarding the processes responsible for their formation. Heuweltjies (Afrikaans for little hills) are circular mounds ranging from 10–30 m diameter and 0.5–2 m height and are widespread in western South Africa. Colonies of the termite (Microhodotermes viator) are typically associated with heuweltjies and some investigators have attributed heuweltjie formation to the direct action of termites in redistributing earthen materials. However, rather than being directly responsible in this way, termites simply create nutrient‐rich islands, which support denser vegetation, thereby inducing the localized accretion of aeolian sediments and upward growth of mounds. Contrasting soil features in heuweltjies in one locale indicate these processes have occurred throughout the late Quaternary. Geographic variation in sizes of mounds is explained in part by the local availability of sediments that can be mobilized and redistributed by the wind. Recognition of the operation of aeolian processes in the formation of heuweltjies has important implications for conservation. Any land use that diminishes the sediment‐trapping effect of vegetation on heuweltjies truncates the very process by which new aeolian materials can accrue and may promote irreversible erosion and landscape degradation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterizing and classifying urban watersheds with compositional and structural attributes

Current land-use classifications used to assess urbanization effects on stream water quality date back to the 1980s when limited information was available to characterize watershed attributes that mediate non-point source pollution. With high resolution remote sensing and widely used GIS tools, there has been a vast increase in the availability and precision of geospatial data of built environments. In this study, we leverage geospatial data to expand the characterization of developed landscapes and create a typology that allows us to better understand the impact of complex developed landscapes across the rural to urban gradient. We assess the ability of the developed landscape typology to reveal patterns in stream water chemistry previously undetected by traditional land-cover based classification. We examine the distribution of land-cover, infrastructure, topography and geology across 3876 National Hydrography Dataset Plus catchments in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, USA. From this dataset, we generate metrics to evaluate the abundance, density and position of landscape features relative to streams, catchment outlets and topographic wetness metrics. While impervious surfaces are a key distinguishing feature of the urban landscape, sanitary infrastructure, population density and geology are better predictors of baseflow stream water chemistry. Unsupervised clustering was used to generate a distinct developed landscape typology based on the expanded, high-resolution landscape feature information. Using stream chemistry data from 37 developed headwater catchments, we compared the baseflow water chemistry grouped by traditional land-cover based classes of urbanization (rural, low, medium and high density) to our composition and structure-based classification (a nine-class typology). The typology based on 22 metrics of developed landscape composition and structure explained over 50% of the variation in NO₃⁻-N, TDN, DOC, Cl⁻, and Br⁻ concentration, while the ISC-based classification only significantly explained 23% of the variation in TDN. These results demonstrate the importance of infrastructure, population and geology in defining developed landscapes and improving discrete classes for water management.     

Evolution of the late Pleistocene Mojanda–Fuya Fuya volcanic complex (Ecuador), by progressive adakitic involvement in mantle magma sources

The Mojanda–Fuya Fuya Volcanic Complex consists of two nearby volcanoes, Mojanda and Fuya Fuya. The older one, Mojanda volcano (0.6 to 0.2 Ma), was first constructed by andesites and high-silica andesites forming a large stratovolcano (Lower Mojanda). This edifice was capped by a basaltic andesite and andesitic cone (Upper Mojanda), which collapsed later to form a 3-km-wide summit caldera, after large phreatomagmatic eruptions. The Lower Fuya Fuya edifice was constructed by the extrusion of viscous Si-rich andesitic lavas and dacitic domes, and the emission of a thick sequence of pyroclastic-flow and fallout deposits which include two voluminous rhyolitic layers. An intermediate construction phase at Fuya Fuya is represented by a mainly effusive cone, andesitic in composition (San Bartolo edifice), the construction of which was interrupted by a major sector collapse in the Late Pleistocene. Finally, a complex of thick siliceous lavas and domes was emplaced within the avalanche amphitheatre, forming the Upper Fuya Fuya volcanic centre. This paper shows that the general evolution from an effusive to an explosive eruptive style is related to a progressive adakitic contribution to the magma source. Although all the rocks of the complex are included in the medium-K field of continental arcs, the Fuya Fuya suite (61–75 wt.% SiO₂) shows depletion in Y and HREE and high Sr/Y and La/Yb values, compared to the less silicic Mojanda suite (55–66.5 wt.% SiO₂). The Mojanda calc-alkaline suite was generated by partial melting of an adakite-metasomatised mantle source that left a residue with 2% garnet, followed by fractional crystallization of dominant plagioclase + pyroxene + olivine at shallow, intra-crustal depths. For Fuya Fuya, geochemical and mineralogical data suggest either (1) partial melting of a similar metasomatised mantle with more garnet in the residue (4%), followed by fractional crystallization involving plagioclase, amphibole and pyroxene, or (2) mixing of mafic mantle-derived magma from the Mojanda suite and slab melts, followed by the same fractional crystallization process.     

A nutrient loading budget for Biscayne Bay, Florida

The water quality in Biscayne Bay has been significantly affected by past and continuing coastal and watershed development. The nutrient concentrations in the Bay have been dramatically changed by the conversion of natural creeks and sheet flow freshwater inputs to rapid and episodic canal inputs from the large and rapidly expanding Miami metropolitan area. This study is an evaluation of nutrient loadings to Biscayne Bay for 1994-2002 from canal, atmospheric, and groundwater sources. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN, as nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium) and total phosphorus (TP) loadings by the canals were influenced by their geographic locations relative to discharge amount, watershed land use, stormwater runoff, and proximity to landfills. Annual budgets showed that canals contributed the bulk of N loading to the bay as 1687.2 metric ton N yr(-1) (88% total load). Direct atmospheric DIN load for Biscayne Bay was only 231.7 ton N yr(-1), based on surface area. Of the canal DIN load, nitrate+nitrite (NO(x)(-)) loading (1294.5 ton N yr(-1)) made up a much greater proportion than that of ammonium (NH(4)(+), 392.6 ton N yr(-1)). In the urbanized north and central Bay, canal DIN load was evenly split between NO(x)(-) and NH(4)(+). However, in the south, 95% of the DIN load was in the form of NO(x)(-), reflecting the more agricultural land use. Contrary to N, canals contributed the only 66% of P load to the bay (27.5 ton P yr(-1)). Atmospheric TP load was 14 ton Pyr(-1). In the north, canal P load dominated the budget while in the south, atmospheric load was almost double canal load. Groundwater inputs, estimated only for the south Bay, represented an important source of N and P in this zone. Groundwater input of N (141 ton N yr(-1)) was about equal to atmospheric load, while P load (5.9 ton P yr(-1)) was about equal to canal load.