Einstein A-coefficients for rotational transitions in cyclopropenylidene

Einstein A-values are given for the electric dipole transitions in the C₃ H₂-molecule between the rotational levels of the vibrational ground state up to 85cm^-1. The mean radiation life-times of the levels are calculated from the Einstein A-values. These values can be used as input parameters for analysing the spectra of C₃H₂     

An assessment of the merits of remote sensing techniques for environmental mapping: A case study from Kerala

For a proper analysis of any ecosystem and the assessment of environment impact on it, the bearing of data on distribution properties and characteristics of land-form, water, vegetation, soil and rock and even of the typology of cultural pattern are to be evaluated on the basis of the everchanging anthropogenic involvement. The extent to which the techniques of Remote Sensing alone could attain this is yet to be ascertained. The direct method for this would be to conduct the resource surveys of specific regions exclusively and separately by remote sensing as well as by field-studies and then compare the results. An extract of a major study pursued in this line in the Coastal Zone of Kerala, India has indicated an authenticity of about seventy percent through remote sensing. Weighing on the comparative time factor involved, the procedure of mapping through remore sensing alone may be advocated.     

Experimental p-y curves for liquefied soils from centrifuge tests

The present study aims to obtain p-y curves(Winkler spring properties for lateral pile-soil interaction) for liquefied soil from 12 comprehensive centrifuge test cases where pile groups were embedded in liquefiable soil. The p-y curve for fully liquefied soil is back-calculated from the dynamic centrifuge test data using a numerical procedure from the recorded soil response and strain records from the instrumented pile. The p-y curves were obtained for two ground conditions:(a) lateral spreading of liquefied soil, and(b) liquefied soil in level ground. These ground conditions are simulated in the model by having collapsing and non-collapsing intermittent boundaries, which are modelled as quay walls. The p-y curves back-calculated from the centrifuge tests are compared with representative reduced API p-y curves for liquefied soils(known as p-multiplier). The response of p-y curves at full liquefaction is presented and critical observations of lateral pile-soil interaction are discussed. Based on the results of these model tests, guidance for the construction of p-y curves for use in engineering practice is also provided.     

Vertical profiles of aerosol black carbon in the atmospheric boundary layer over a tropical coastal station: Perturbations during an annular solar eclipse

Altitude profiles of aerosol black carbon (BC) in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) over a tropical coastal station, Trivandrum have been examined on two days using an aethalometer attached to a tethered balloon. One of these days (15th January, 2010) coincided with a (annular) solar eclipse, the longest of this century at this location, commenced at 11:05 local time and ended by 15:05, lasting for 7 min and 15 s (from 13:10:42), with its maximum contact occurring at ~ 13:14 IST with ~ 92% annularity, thereby providing an opportunity to understand the eclipse induced perturbations. Concurrent measurements of the ABL parameters such as air temperature, relative humidity and pressure were also made on these days to describe the response of the ABL to the eclipse. BC profiles, in general, depicted similar features up to an altitude of ~ 200 m on the eclipse day and control day, above which it differed conspicuously with profiles on eclipse day showing increasingly lower concentration as we moved to higher altitudes. Examination of the meteorological profiles showed that the altitude of maximum convection rapidly fell down during the eclipse period compared to that on control day indicating a rather shallow convection on eclipse day. Comparison of diurnal variations of BC at the surface level showed that the rate of decrease in BC during daytime on the eclipse day was smaller than that on the control day due to the reduced convection, shallow ABL and consequent reduction in the ventilation coefficient. Moreover the time of the nocturnal increase has advanced by ~ 1:30 h on the eclipse day, occurred at around 19:30 IST in contrast to all the other days of January 2010, where this increase usually occur well after 20:30 IST, with a mean value of 21:00 IST. This is attributed to the weak sea-breeze penetration during the eclipse day, which led to an early onset of the land breeze.     

K-rich titanate from the Jharia ultrapotassic rock, Gondwana coal fields, eastern India, and its petrological significance

We report a rare accessory groundmass mineral of K-rich titanate, having a composition close to that of potassium triskaidecatitanate (K₂Ti₁₃O₂₇), from an underground drill-core sample of ultrapotassic rock from southwestern part of the Jharia coal field in the Damodar valley, at the northern margin of the Singhbhum craton, Eastern India. Potassium triskaidecatitanate is regarded as a typomorphic mineral of orangeites (Group II kimberlites) of Kaapvaal craton, southern Africa, and its occurrence in the Jharia ultrapotassic rock is significant since ultrapotassic suite of rocks elsewhere from the Damodar valley have been recently suggested to be peralkaline lamproites based on mineral-genetic classification. The important role played by a unique geodynamic setting (involving a thinned metasomatised lithospheric mantle and inheritance of an Archaean subduction component) at the northern margin of the Singhbhum craton in deciding the petrological diversity of the early Cretaceous ultrapotassic intrusives from the Damodar valley is highlighted in this study.     

Assessment of Metals Concentration and Ecotoxicology of the Sediment Core of Rehri Creek, Karachi Coast, Pakistan

Trace metal concentrations were investigated in a recent sediment core collected from the Rehri Creek area of the Karachi coast,Sindh-Pakistan.The core was sliced horizontally at 2.5-cm intervals to determine grain size,sediment composition,pH,organic matter,and acid-leachable trace metals:cadmium,chromium,copper,lead,and zinc.The trace metals were analyzed by ICP.To separate anthropogenic from geogenic input,several approaches were made,including comparison with sediment quality guidelines—ecotoxicological sense of heavy metal contamination and classification by quantitative indexes.Grain-size analysis and sediment composition of core sample show a sandy nature with neutral pH.Elemental sequence(ES)of the trace metals is in the order of Zn(19.2-109.56 ppm)>Si(66.46-101.71 ppm)>Ba(12.05-26.86 ppm)>As(8.18-17.36 ppm)>Ni(4.2-14.69 ppm)>Cr(3.02-9.62 ppm)>Pb(2.79-6.83 ppm)>Cu(2.2-5.29 ppm)>Co(0.9-2.05 ppm).Thus it is likely that the area may face a serious threat of metal pollution with the present deposition rates unless stringent pollution control norms are adopted.The Sediment Geo-accumulation Index shows that there is no Cr,Cu,Ni,Pb,Zn,or Fe pollution;however,the former index and the Pollution Load Index indicate arsenic pollution in the sediments.     

Geospatial Approach in Assessing Agro-Climatic Suitability of Soybean in Rainfed Agro-Ecosystem

The present study demonstrated the methodology to assess agro-climatic suitability of the soybean crop through integration of crop suitability based on FAO framework of land evaluation and biophysical (water limited) yield potential in the rainfed agro-ecosystem. A long term climatic database (1980–2003) was prepared to compute decadal rainfall and temperature variations of 13 IMD stations in part of Madhya Pradesh state. The climatic database was used in soil water balance software–BUDGET to compute crop specific length of growing period (LGP) and biophysical production potential such as water limited crop yield potential of each soil types for soybean crop. Water limited crop yield potential of soils were found to be varied from 33 to 100 and LGP ranged from 65 to 180 days in the area. FAO based land suitability was analyzed in association with the water limited yield potential for better appraisal of land potential and assess their suitability in rainfed area. FAO based land suitability indicated 2.45 % area as highly suitable and 57.49 % area as moderately suitable. However, integration of water limited crop yield potential with FAO based land suitability lead to agro-climatic suitability analysis indicated 17.60 % and 40.03 % area, respectively as highly suitable and moderately suitable. FAO based land evaluation showed 88.13 % of plains as moderately suitable whereas agro-climatic suitability indicated only 47.79 %. Agro-climatic suitability analysis revealed undulating plateau and undulating plains as most suitable for soybean crop.     

IMPACTS OF URBANIZATION ON SURFACE HYDROLOGY,LITTLE EAGLE CREEK,INDIANA, AND ANALYSIS OF LTHIA MODEL SENSITIVITY TO DATA RESOLUTION

Land-use change in urbanizing areas can significantly alter the hydrology of a watershed and can have serious impacts on wetland water balances, downstream flooding, and groundwater recharge. Most currently available models used in determining the hydrologic impacts of urbanization are not well suited to long-term hydrologic analysis or are too complex and data intensive for widespread practical application. The Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment (LTHIA) model run on a Geographic Information System (GIS) is a relatively simple, user-friendly model that uses the Curve Number method to estimate changes in surface runoff between different stages of development. Application of the model to a large, rapidly urbanizing watershed near Indianapolis, Indiana, suggests that average annual runoff depths increased by more than 60% from 1973 to 1991, with even greater increases for some individual sub-basins. These results are consistent with runoff changes estimated from historical stream flow data in the watershed. A sensitivity analysis to determine minimum data requirements shows that a precipitation record length of 15 years or more is required to produce consistent results with LTHIA and that the highest possible resolution land-use and soils data should be used. The LTHIA model is now available on the Internet at http://www.ecn.purdue.edu/runoff. [Key words: hydrology, urbanization, modeling, GIS.]     

A Comparative Evaluation of the Geotechnical Index Properties of Clayey Sediments along the West Coast of India

Sediment core samples collected during geotechnical surveys along the West Coast of India in the near shore areas of Arabian Sea have generated data on the geotechnical index properties of clayey sediments up to nearly 5 m depth below seafloor. A comparative study of three sectors within themselves is attempted before carrying out a final evaluation between the sectors. Cohesive clayey sediments of Gujarat sector are comparable though widely variant in a few aspects; in the Maharashtra-Goa-Karnataka sector though, plasticity levels and clay type vary, and activity and consistency levels are quite similar. Though broadly comparable, the clayey sediments of Kerala-Tamilnadu sector have quite diverse characteristics that fail to conform to any particular pattern as each area has an exclusive set of geotechnical properties.     

Black carbon and chemical characteristics of PM<Subscript>10</Subscript> and PM<Subscript>2.5</Subscript> at an urban site of North India

The concentrations of PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and their water-soluble ionic species were determined for the samples collected during January to December, 2007 at New Delhi (28.63° N, 77.18° E), India. The annual mean PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentrations (± standard deviation) were about 219 (± 84) and 97 (±56) μgm⁻³ respectively, about twice the prescribed Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards values. The monthly average ratio of PM_2.5/PM₁₀ varied between 0.18 (June) and 0.86 (February) with an annual mean of ∼0.48 (±0.2), suggesting the dominance of coarser in summer and fine size particles in winter. The difference between the concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5, is deemed as the contribution of the coarse fraction (PM_10−2.5). The analyzed coarse fractions mainly composed of secondary inorganic aerosols species (16.0 μgm⁻³, 13.07%), mineral matter (12.32 μgm⁻³, 10.06%) and salt particles (4.92 μgm⁻³, 4.02%). PM_2.5 are mainly made up of undetermined fractions (39.46 μgm⁻³, 40.9%), secondary inorganic aerosols (26.15 μgm⁻³, 27.1%), salt aerosols (22.48 μgm⁻³, 23.3%) and mineral matter (8.41 μgm⁻³, 8.7%). The black carbon aerosols concentrations measured at a nearby (∼300 m) location to aerosol sampling site, registered an annual mean of ∼14 (±12) μgm⁻³, which is significantly large compared to those observed at other locations in India. The source identifications are made for the ionic species in PM₁₀ and PM_2.5. The results are discussed by way of correlations and factor analyses. The significant correlations of Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, NO₃⁻ and Mg²⁺ with PM_2.5 on one hand and Mg²⁺ with PM₁₀ on the other suggest the dominance of anthropogenic and soil origin aerosols in Delhi.