A Long-Term Forecast Model of Spring Runoff: The Case of the Belaya River

Doklady Earth Sciences - The results of long-term forecasting of the spring runoff in the Belaya River basin based on the water-balance model are presented. The structure and parameters of the...     

Interaction between a circular opening and fractures originating from its boundary in a piecewise homogeneous plane

The complex variables boundary element method (CVBEM) is used to study interaction between a circular opening and fractures originating from its boundary in a piecewise homogeneous plane. A new complex hypersingular equation for piecewise homogeneous media with a circular opening is obtained. The equation is solved using the CVBEM technique with circular and straight boundary elements and polynomial approximations (with square root asymptotics for crack tip elements) for the unknown functions. The algorithm is verified through comparison with known semi‐analytical and numerical solutions that involve interaction between a circular opening and specific systems of cracks or other openings. New numerical results concerning the interaction of the circular opening with the cracks and circular inclusions are presented. The method is applied to an important problem in the petroleum industry: modelling propagation of hydraulic fractures in the vicinity of a borehole. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mineral waters of the projected specially protected natural territory “Istoki Amura”

We examine the various types of mineral waters occurring on the projected specially protected transboundary natural territory “Istoki Amura”, on the Hentei-Dauria neotectonic high. We suggest the pattern of rational utilization of the mineral springs according to the nature conservation status of the terrain (nature reserves, national parks, and public access areas).     

The Impact Of Urban Development On Recharge And Groundwater Quality In A Coastal Aquifer Near Perth,Western Australia

AbstractNear Perth, Western Australia, thirty boreholes were drilled at eleven sites in similar hydrogeological settings. The sites represent three levels of urban development: an uncleared area, a new residential area (less than 20 years old) and an old residential area (more than 60 years old). The objective was to assess the impact of sewered urban development on recharge and groundwater quality. Tritium data suggest that a greater proportion of recharge in the urban areas is from point sources, and this probably caused high redox potentials (up to 291 mV) in groundwater in the old residential area. Recharge in the new urban area is estimated to be about 37 percent of the average annual rainfall of about 0.8 m, and this value is probably greater than recharge in undeveloped areas. Concentrations of sulphate increase progressively with the age of urban development, from an average of 8 mg/L to 69 mg/L, probably as a result of fertilizer input and the oxidation of soil-held sulphides with land clearing. Nitrate concentrations are significantly higher in urban areas (average concentration >1 mg/L as N) than in the non-urban areas (average concentration <0.5 mg/L as N). However, the measured concentrations are all lower than expected from current fertilizer inputs in sewered urban areas of about 80 kg/ha, indicating that denitrification is taking place. A limited reservoir of reducing agents may be available from denitrification, and this may have implications for the sustained use of groundwater as a potable supply in coastal suburbs of Perth. RÉSUMÉ: Près de Perth, en Australie occidentale, 30 forages ont été réalisés en 11 sites dans les mêmes conditions hydrogéologiques. Ces sites présentent trois degrés de développement urbain: une zone non aménagée, une zone résidentielle nouvelle (de moins de 20 ans), une zone résidentielle ancienne (de plus de 60 ans). L'objectif était de déterminer l'impact de l'assainissement urbain sur la recharge et sur la qualité des eaux souterraines. Les données de tritium indiquent qu'une recharge plus importante se produit ponctuellement dans les zones construites, ce qui est probablement responsable des potentiels redox élevés (jusqu'à 291 mV) dans l'eau souterraine à long temps de séjour. La recharge dans la zone nouvellement urbanisée est d'environ 37% des précipitations moyennes annuelles (800 mm); cette valeur parait supérieure à celle de la recharge dans les zones non urbanisées. Les concentrations en sulfates augmentent progressivement avec l'âge du développement urbain, de 8 à 69 mg/l en moyenne, probablement à cause des apports d'engrais et de l'oxydation des sulfures lors du lessivage des sols. Les teneurs en nitrates sont significativement plus fortes en zones urbanisées (concentration moyenne supérieure à 1 mg/l en N) qu'en zones non urbanisées (concentration moyenne inférieure à 0.5 mg/l en N). Ces teneurs restent cependant nettement inférieurs à celles que produiraient, comme on le connait, des apports continus d'engrais de 80 kg/ha en zone urbanisée avec assainissement, ce qui prouve qu'une dénitrification se produit. Un réservoir limité d'agents réducteurs doit donc intervenir dans la d'énitrification, ce qui peut avoir des implications pour une utilisation durable des eaux souterraines pour l'alimentation en eau potable dans la banlieue côtière de Perth. RESUMEN: Cerca de Perth, Australia Occidental, se perforaron treinta sondeos en once localizaciones con similares características hidrogeológicas. Las localizaciones representan tres niveles de desarrollo urbano: un area no desarrollada, un area residencial moderna (menos de veinte años de edad) y un área residencial antigua (más de 60 años). El objetivo era evaluar el impacto del desarrollo en las redes de saneamiento urbanas en la recarga y calidad de las aguas subterráneas. Los datos de tritio sugieren que una gran proporción de la recarga en áreas urbanas procede de focos puntuales; esto es una posible causa de los altos potenciales redox (hasta 291 mV) de las aguas subterráneas en el área residencial antigua. La recarga en el área urbana moderna se estima sobre el 37% de la precipitación anual media, de alrededor de 0.8 m, y este valor es probablemente mayor que la recarga en áreas no desarrolladas. Las concentraciones de sulfato aumentan progresivamente con la edad del desarrollo urbano, desde una media de 8 mg/l hasta 69 mg/l, probablemente como resultado del aporte de fertilizantes y de la oxidación de los sulfuros retenidos durante la explanación del terreno. Las concentraciones de nitratos son significativamente más altas en áreas urbanas (concentración media > 1mg/l en forma de N) que en áreas no urbanas (concentración media < 0.5 mg/l en forma de N). Sin embargo, las concentraciones medidas son todas menores que las esperadas a partir de los valores de aporte de fertilizantes habituales en áreas urbanas con red de saneamiento, que son del orden de 80 kg/ha. Esto indica que está teniendo lugar un proceso de desnitrificación. Esta desnitrificación puede ser posible por la presencia de una acumulación limitada de agentes reductores, lo que puede tener implicaciones para el uso sostenido del agua subterránea como suministro de agua potable en los suburbios costeros de Perth.     

The fine structure of the geomagnetic field

It was shown in our previous works that the dipole part of the geomagnetic field direction is mainly represented by the 1200-yr variation. According to some indications, the residual of the dipole part of the field, the so-called δ variation, may be classified as standing waves. Average values of δ are calculated for each hemisphere. In this work, the difference values equal to the δ variations for each territory minus δ averages over hemispheres (western or eastern) are calculated. The resulting values, fine structure (FS) variations, characterize the FS of the geomagnetic field. The study of the activity of the FS variations and specific features of their N-S and E-W behavior and the comparative analysis of dynamic characteristics (activity and rate) give grounds to classify the FS variations (as well as the δ variations) as standing waves of the nondipole field.     

Distribution of arsenic and mercury in subtropical coastal beachrock,Gulf of Mannar,India

An assessment of coastal pollution was made on the basis of trace element concentrations (arsenic — As, mercury — Hg) in the Gulf of Mannar. The beachrock samples were collected along the coastal tracts between Rameswaram and Kanyakumari. The samples were dried and digested to determine the As and Hg using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS-air-acetylene and nitrous oxide method). The As and Hg accumulation status of the beachrock was assessed using geo-accumulation index values (I _geo). The accumulation of As and Hg in the beachrock ranges from 2.75 to 20.72 μg g⁻¹ and from 0.06 to 0.31 μg g⁻¹, respectively. The As and Hg concentrations in the beachrocks are compared with crustal average values and average of other region sediments. The possible source of the contamination is from atmospheric deposition and anthropogenic activities.     

Accuracy Assessment of Digital Elevation Model Generated by SAR Stereoscopic Technique Using COSMO-Skymed Data

Radargrammetry technique using the stereoscopic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is used for the generation of a digital elevation model (DEM) of a region requires only the amplitude images. SAR stereoscopic technique is analogous to the stereo-photogrammetric technique where the optical stereoscopic images are used for DEM generation. While the advantages of the SAR images are their indifference to atmospheric transparency and solar illumination conditions, the side-looking geometry of the SAR increases the complexity in the SAR stereo analysis. The availability of high spatial and temporal resolution SAR data in recent years has facilitated generation of high-resolution DEM with greater vertical accuracy using radargrammetric technique. In the present study, attempt has been made to generate the DEM of Dehra Dun region, India, from the COSMO-Skymed X-band SAR data-pair acquired at 8 days interval through the radargrammetry technique. Here, radargrammetric orientation approach has been adopted to generate the DEM and various issues and processing steps with the radargrammetry technique have been discussed. The DEM was validated with ground measured elevation values using a differential global positioning system and the root-mean-square error of the DEM was found as 7.3 m. The DEM was compared with the reference DEM of the study area generated from the Cartosat-1 stereo data with a model accuracy of 4 m.     

Comparison of Vegetation Indices from Two Ground Based Sensors

The best and commonly used ground-based sensor to monitor crop growth, ASD FieldSpecPro Spectroradiometer (Analytical Spectral Devices, Boulder, CO, USA) is a passive sensor, which can be used under adequate light condition. However, now-a-days active sensors such as GreenSeeker? (GS) handheld crop response (Trimble Agriculture division, USA) are used for monitoring crop growth and are flexible in terms of timeliness and illumination conditions besides being cheaper than the ASD. Before its wide use, the suitability and accuracy of GS should be assessed by comparing the NDVI measured by this instrument with that by ASD, under diverse wheat growing conditions of India. Keeping this in view, the present experiment was undertaken with the following objectives: (1) to find out the temporal variation of NDVI measured both by ASD and GS treatments, (2) to find out relationship between the NDVI measured through ASD and GS and, (3) to evaluate the suitability of GS for NDVI measurements. It was observed that the numerical value of NDVI as measured by GS was always significantly (P < 0.05) lower than that measured by ASD for all the experiments under study. The NDVI-ASD and NDVI-GS were significantly positively correlated (P < 0.01) with the correlation coefficients being +0.94, +0.88 and +0.87 for irrigation and nitrogen experiment, irrigation and cultivars experiment, and tillage, residue and nitrogen experiments, respectively. Further, the regression equation developed between the NDVI-ASD and NDVI-GS: [NDVI-GS = 1.070 × (NDVI-ASD ? 0.292] can be successfully used to compute the NDVI of ASD from that computed by GS.     

Estimation of Partial Pressure of Carbon Dioxide and Air-Sea Fluxes in Hooghly Estuary Based on In Situ and Satellite Observations

An empirical model is developed and used with remotely sensed predictors: sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a), to compute surface water partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO_2w) and air-sea fluxes of CO₂ in the Hooghly estuary and its adjacent coastal oceans. In situ observations used here were based on measurements carried out in this region during winter and summer periods in 2008. The estimated pCO_2w compares well with the in situ observations at root mean square error ±18 μatm. In winter, estimated pCO_2w ranges between 320 and 500 μatm with large values (>400 μatm) on the south-western and south-eastern flanks of the coastal domain and lower values (340–375 μatm) on the main-channel. In summer, it remained spatially uniform at 450 μatm. Extrapolation of the results over the study region based on the Moderate Imaging Specroradiometer (MODIS) measured SST and Chl-a suggests that the region is a strong source of atmospheric CO₂ during the summer with net release of 0.095 Tg C year^?1 (equivalent to mean flux of 90 molC m^?2 year^?1) and is a weak source during the winter with net release of 0.006 Tg C yr^?1 (0.5 molC m^?2 year^?1) from the geographical extent of 6000 Km² area.