Diurnal atmospheric forcing and temporal variations of the nutation amplitudes

A 29-year time-series of four-times-daily atmospheric effective angular momentum (EAM) estimates is used to study the atmospheric influence on nutation. The most important atmospheric contributions are found for the prograde annual (77 μas), retrograde annual (53 as), prograde semiannual (45 as), and for the constant offset of the pole (δψsinɛ₀=−86 as, δɛ=77 as). Among them only the prograde semiannual component is driven mostly by the wind term of the EAM function, while in all other cases the pressure term is dominant. These are nonnegligible quantities which should be taken into account in the new theory of nutation. Comparison with the VLBI corrections to the IAU 1980 nutation model taking into account the ocean tide contribution yields good agreement for the prograde annual and semiannual nutations. We also investigated time variability of the atmospheric contribution to the nutation amplitudes by performing the sliding-window least-squares analysis of both the atmospheric excitation and VLBI nutation data. Almost all detected variations of atmospheric origin can be attributed to the pressure term, the biggest being the in-phase annual prograde component (about 30 as) and the retrograde one (as much as 100200 as). These variations, if physical, limit the precision of classical modeling of nutation to the level of 0.1 mas. Comparison with the VLBI data shows significant correlation for the retrograde annual nutation after 1989, while for the prograde annual term there is a high correlation in shape but the size of the atmospherically driven variations is about three times less than deduced from the VLBI data. This discrepancy in size can be attributed either to inaccuracy of the theoretical transfer function or the frequency-dependent ocean response to the pressure variations. Our comparison also yields a considerably better agreement with the VLBI nutation data when using the EAM function without the IB correction for ocean response, which indicates that this correction is not adequate for nearly diurnal variations. Received: 10 September 1997 / Accepted: 5 March 1998     

Fast integration of low orbiter's trajectory perturbed by the earth's non-sphericity

A fast algorithm is proposed to integrate the trajectory of a low obiter perturbed by the earth's non-sphericity. The algorithm uses a separation degree to define the low-degree and the high-degree acceleration components, the former computed rigorously, and the latter interpolated from gridded accelerations. An FFT method is used to grid the accelerations. An optimal grid type for the algorithm depends on the trajectory's permissible error, speed, and memory capacity. Using the non-spherical accelerations computed from EGM96 to harmonic degree 360, orbit integrations were performed for a low orbiter at an altitude of 170 km. For a separation degree of 50, the new algorithm, together with the predict-pseudo correct method, speeds up the integration by 145 times compared to the conventional algorithm while keeping the errors in position and velocity below 10⁻⁴ m and 10⁻⁷ m/s for a 3-day arc. Received: 28 July 1997 / Accepted: 1 April 1998     

Image Sources for Informal Settlement Management

Informal settlements are a common feature of developing countries. In South Africa the improvement of living conditions in these settlements and the upgrading to formal housing types are regarded as being of central importance to the nation's development. Effective settlement improvement and upgrading activities, which we here term "management", require adequate spatial data. To date, the acquisition of spatial models of informal settlements has been based on conventional mapping techniques, and mostly on photogrammetry. Data are compiled using analogue or analytical methods. These are manual and hence require both considerable expertise and expensive equipment. Moreover, these methods are uneconomical over the often relatively small, densely populated areas covered by informal settlements and are also too expensive to employ with a regularity required to support such tasks as change detection. Alternative imaging sources and mapping techniques are therefore needed.
In this article we examine the problem of spatial information acquisition for informal settlement management from three perspectives: spatial information requirements, the role which imagery can play in satisfying these spatial information requirements, and effective imaging options. We focus on the potential of high resolution satellite imaging, small format digital aerial imagery and digital multispectral video systems for rapid mapping. We also discuss the example of automated shack extraction from aerial imagery.     

Reference frame stability and nonlinear distortion in minimum-constrained network adjustment

The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of the minimum constraints (MCs) on the reference frame parameters in a free-net solution. The non-estimable part of these parameters (which is not reduced by the available data) is analysed in terms of its stability under a numerical perturbation of the constrained datum functionals. In practice, such a perturbation can be ascribed either to hidden errors in the known coordinates/velocities that participate in the MCs or to a simple change of their a priori values due to a datum switch on a different fiducial dataset. In addition, a perturbation of this type may cause a nonlinear variation to the estimable part of the reference frame parameters, since it theoretically affects the adjusted observations that are implied by the network’s nonlinear observational model. The aforementioned effects have an impact on the quality of a terrestrial reference frame (TRF) that is established via a minimum-constrained adjustment, and our study shows that they are both controlled through a characteristic matrix which is inherently linked to the MC system (the so-called TRF stability matrix). The structure of this matrix depends on the network’s spatial configuration and the ‘geometry’ of the datum constraints, while its main role is the filtering of any MC-related errors into the least-squares adjustment results. A number of examples with different types of geodetic networks are also presented to demonstrate the theoretical findings of our study.     

Validation of Chlorophyll-a Algorithms in the Coastal Waters of Bay of Bengal Initial Validation Results from OCM-2

In this paper we report chlorophyll measurements made during an ocean colour validation cruise in April 2011 of the research vessel, Sagar Paschimi in the coastal waters of Northern Bay of Bengal. The chlorophyll-a concentration in these waters range from 0.2 to 4.0 mg/m³. Chlorophyll-a concentration from OCM-2 was estimated using the global ocean colour algorithms namely, OC2, OC3, OC4 and Chl-a algorithms respectively. OCM data was processed using the global SeaWiFS Data Analysis System (SeaDAS) in which all the above mentioned algorithms are embedded for estimating the chlorophyll-a concentration. A comparative study was made between and in-situ and satellite derived chlorophyll-a concentration. Although the matchups between in-situ and satellite data from OCM-2 were sparse, it indicates that direct application of the standard SeaWiFS algorithm-the OC4-V4 algorithm—in the coastal waters of the Bay of Bengal will underestimate chlorophyll-a by up to 30%. The results show a good correlation with an R value of 0.61 using OC2 algorithm. However, all the other global algorithms over estimate the chlorophyll-a concentration even in low chlorophyll concentration range. The comparison between in-situ and all the existing chlorophyll algorithms shows the efficiency of these algorithms for quantification of chlorophyll in coastal waters and hence the need to develop regional algorithms and fluorescence based algorithms for better quantification.     

Flood inundation modeling using MIKE FLOOD and remote sensing data

A coupled 1D-2D hydrodynamic model, MIKE FLOOD was used to simulate the flood inundation extent and flooding depth in the delta region of Mahanadi River basin in India. Initially, the 1D model MIKE 11 was calibrated using river water level and discharge data of various gauging sites for the monsoon period (June to October) of the year 2002. Subsequently, the calibrated set up was validated using both discharge and water level data for the same period of the year 2001. The performance of calibration and validation results of MIKE 11 were evaluated using different performance indices. A bathymetry of the study area with a spatial resolution of 90m was prepared from SRTM DEM and provided as an input to the 2D model, MIKE 21. MIKE 11 and MIKE 21 models were then coupled using lateral links to form the MIKE FLOOD model set up for simulating the two dimensional flood inundations in the study area. Flood inundation is simulated for the year 2001 and the maximum flood inundation extent simulated by the model was compared with the corresponding actual inundated area obtained from IRS-1D WiFS image.     

The IGS VTEC maps: a reliable source of ionospheric information since 1998

The International GNSS Service (IGS) Working Group on Ionosphere was created in 1998. Since then, the Scientific community behind IGS, in particular CODE, ESA, JPL and UPC, have been continuosly contributing to reliable IGS combined vertical total electron content (VTEC) maps in both rapid and final schedules. The details on how these products are being generated, performance numbers, proposed improvement as far as VTEC evolution trends during near one Solar Cycle, are summarized in this paper. The confirmation of (1) the good performance of the IGS combined VTEC maps, and (2) the characteristic VTEC variability periods, are two main results of this work.