Rainfall over Oman and its teleconnection with El Niño Southern Oscillation

The Sultanate of Oman is located in the south-eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula and covers the larger part of the southern coasts of the Arabian Peninsula in both arid and semi-arid environments except for the southern part which is swept by the monsoon affecting the Arabian Sea during the period from June to September. The summer rainfall over Oman shows year-to-year variability, and this is caused by oceanic and atmospheric influences. In the present study, we tried to explore the influence of El Niño on the rainfall over Oman using different data sets. The empirical orthogonal function (EOF) technique employed to the zonal wind at 850 hPa for the 30-year period shows that the second and third modes of EOF are showing high variability over the Oman regions. The corresponding PCs were subjected to FFT analysis, and it showed a peak about 5–6 years. In addition to this, the zonal wind over the Oman regions is correlated with the global zonal wind and found a significant correlation (1 % significant level). It has already been proved that the wind and rainfall during summer monsoon is in phase. Moreover, the spectral analysis of rainfall at Masirah station and the Niño3.4 index show the similar mode of variability indicating a direct relationship. The correlation between rainfall and the Niño3.4 index is also showing a positive significant value, and therefore, it can be concluded that the El Niño in the Pacific favours rainfall over the Oman region.     

Crustacean decapod assemblages associated with fragmented Posidonia oceanica meadows in the Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean Sea): composition,temporal dynamics and influence of meadow structure

The decapod assemblage associated with a Posidonia oceanica meadow located near its western limit of biogeographic distribution was studied over an annual cycle. Fauna samples were taken seasonally over a year (five replicates per season) in two sites located 7 km apart, using a non‐destructive sampling method (airlift sampler) for the seagrass. The dominant species of the assemblage, Pisidia longimana, Pilumnus hirtellus and Athanas nitescens, were associated with the protective rhizome stratum, which is mainly used as a nursery. The correlations between decapod assemblage structure and some phenological parameters of the seagrass shoots and wave height were negative or null, which reflects that species associated with the rhizome had a higher importance than those associated with the leaf stratum. The abundance and composition of the decapod assemblage as well as the ecological indexes displayed a seasonality trend with maximum values in summer‐autumn and minimum in winter‐spring, which were related to the seawater temperature and the recruitment periods of the dominant species. The spatial differences found in the structure and dynamics of the assemblages may be due to variations in the recruitment of the dominant species, probably as a result of the influence of local factors (e.g. temperature, currents) and the high dispersal ability of decapods, together with the patchy configuration and the surrounding habitats. The studied meadows are fragmented and are integrated within a mosaic of habitats (Cymodocea nodosa patches, algal meadows, rocky and sandy bottoms), which promotes the movement of individuals and species among them, maintaining a high species richness and evenness.     

Effects of linear and exponential heterogeneity on the dynamic response of a moving load in an irregular isotropic half-space: a comparative study

Heterogeneity, being a trivial feature inside the earth or in a geostructure, makes a strong basis for its consideration in the study of geomechanics. Inclusion of the concept of heterogeneity along with irregularity in the medium brings a novelty to the existing literature related to the study of the moving load. The present study investigates the effects of linear and exponential heterogeneity on the dynamic response due to a normal load moving with constant velocity on a rough irregular heterogeneous isotropic half-space in a comparative approach. Expressions for both normal and shear stresses for either case of heterogeneity have been established in closed form. Substantial effects of the affecting parameters such as depth, irregularity factor, maximum depth of irregularity, frictional coefficient, linear heterogeneity parameter and exponential heterogeneity parameter on normal and shear stresses for both the cases of heterogeneity have been observed. Numerical computation has been carried out and the effects of said parameters have been meticulously examined by means of graphs. Moreover, different cases of heterogeneity and homogeneity along with various types of irregularity namely rectangular, parabolic and no irregularity are compared which serve as a focal theme of the study.