Predicting Wheat Grain and Biomass Yield Using Canopy Reflectance of Booting Stage

Field experiment was conducted in a sandy loam soil of Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi during the year 2011–13 to see the effect of irrigation, mulch and nitrogen on canopy spectral reflectance indices and their use in predicting the grain and biomass yield of wheat. The canopy reflectances were measured using a hand held ASD FieldSpec Spectroradiometer at booting stage of wheat. Four spectral reflectance indices (SRIs) viz. RNDVI (Red Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), GNDVI (Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), SR (Simple Ratio) and WI (Water Index) were computed using the spectral reflectance data. Out of these four indices, RNDVI, GNDVI and SR were significantly and positively related with the grain and biomass yield of wheat whereas WI was significantly and negatively related with the grain and biomass yield of wheat. Calibration with the second year data showed that among the SRIs, WI could account for respectively, 85 % and 86 % variation in grain and biomass yield of wheat with least RMSE (395 kg ha^?1 (15 %) for grain yield and 1609 kg ha^?1 (20 %) for biomass yield) and highest d index (0.95 for grain yield and 0.91 for biomass yield). Therefore it can be concluded that WI measured at booting stage can be successfully used for prediction of grain and biomass yield of wheat.     

Tectonic process analysis in Zagros Mountain with the aid of drainage networks and topography maps dated 1950–2001 in GIS

In this study, a digital elevation model was used for hydrological study/watershed management, topography, geology, tectonic geomorphology, and morphometric analysis. Geographical information system provides a specialized set of tools for the analysis of topography, watersheds, and drainage networks that enables to interpret the tectonic activities of an area. The drainage system maps of Zagros Mountains in southwest Iran have been produced using multi-temporal datasets between 1950 and 2001 to establish the changes between geomorphic signatures and geomorphic aspect during time and to correlate them with recent neo-tectonics. This paper discusses the role of drainage for interpreting the scenario of the tectonic processes as one of important signatures. The study shows variation in drainage network derived from topography maps. Thus, changes in drainage pattern, stream length, stream gradient, and the number of segment drainage order from 1950 to 2001 indicate that Zagros Mountain has been subjected to recent neo-tectonic processes and emphasized to be a newly active zone.     

Semi-automated procedures for shoreline extraction using single RADARSAT-1 SAR image

Coastline identification is important for surveying and mapping reasons. Coastline serves as the basic point of reference and is used on nautical charts for navigation purposes. Its delineation has become crucial and more important in the wake of the many recent earthquakes and tsunamis resulting in complete change and redraw of some shorelines. In a tropical country like Malaysia, presence of cloud cover hinders the application of optical remote sensing data. In this study a semi-automated technique and procedures are presented for shoreline delineation from RADARSAT-1 image. A scene of RADARSAT-1 satellite image was processed using enhanced filtering technique to identify and extract the shoreline coast of Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. RADSARSAT image has many advantages over the optical data because of its ability to penetrate cloud cover and its night sensing capabilities. At first, speckles were removed from the image by using Lee sigma filter which was used to reduce random noise and to enhance the image and discriminate the boundary between land and water. The results showed an accurate and improved extraction and delineation of the entire coastline of Kuala Terrenganu. The study demonstrated the reliability of the image averaging filter in reducing random noise over the sea surface especially near the shoreline. It enhanced land-water boundary differentiation, enabling better delineation of the shoreline. Overall, the developed techniques showed the potential of radar imagery for accurate shoreline mapping and will be useful for monitoring shoreline changes during high and low tides as well as shoreline erosion in a tropical country like Malaysia.     

Einstein-Maxwell field equations in isotropic coordinates: an application to neutron star and quark star

The photogravitational restricted three bodies within the framework of the post-Newtonian approximation is carried out. The mass of the primaries are assumed changed under the effect of continuous radiation process and oblateness effects of the two primaries. New perturbed locations of the triangular points are computed. In order to introduce a semi-analytical view, A Mathematica program is constructed so as to draw the locations of triangular points versus the whole range of the mass ratio μ taking into account the photo-gravitational effects, the relativistic corrections and/or oblateness effects. All the obtained figures are analyzed.     

String black holes as particle accelerators to arbitrarily high energy

We show that an extremal Gibbons-Maeda-Garfinkle-Horowitz-Strominger black hole may act as a particle accelerator with arbitrarily high energy when two uncharged particles falling freely from rest to infinity on the near horizon. We show that the center of mass energy of collision is independent of the extreme fine tuning of the angular momentum of the colliding particles. We further show that the center of mass energy of collisions of particles at the ISCO (r _ISCO ) or at the photon orbit (r _ph ) or at the marginally bound circular orbit (r _mb ) i.e. at r≡r _ISCO =r _ph =r _mb =2M could be arbitrarily large for the aforementioned space-time, which is quite different from the Schwarzschild and the Reissner-Nordstrøm space-time. For non-extremal GMGHS space-time the CM energy is finite and depends upon the asymptotic value of the dilation field (? ₀).     

The Kα complex of He-like iron with dielectronic satellites

It is shown that the dielectronic satellites (DES) dominate X-ray spectral formation in the 6.7-keV K α complex of Fe  xxv at temperatures below that of maximum abundance in collisional ionization equilibrium T _m. Owing to their extreme temperature sensitivity, the DES are excellent spectral diagnostics for     in photoionized, collisional or hybrid plasmas; whereas the forbidden, intercombination and resonance lines of Fe  xxv are not. A diagnostic line ratio GD ( T ) is defined including the DES and the lines, with parameters from new relativistic atomic calculations. The DES absorption resonance strengths may be obtained from differential oscillator strengths, possibly to yield the     column densities. The DES contribution to highly ionized Fe should be of interest for models of redward broadening of K α features, ionized accretion discs, accretion flows and K α temporal-temperature variability in AGN.     

Earthquake risk assessment in NE India using deep learning and geospatial analysis

Earthquake prediction is currently the most crucial task required for the probability, hazard, risk mapping, and mitigation purposes. Earthquake prediction attracts the researchers' attention from both academia and industries. Traditionally, the risk assessment approaches have used various traditional and machine learning models. However, deep learning techniques have been rarely tested for earthquake probability mapping. Therefore, this study develops a convolutional neural network (CNN) model for earthquake probability assessment in NE India. Then conducts vulnerability using analytical hierarchy process (AHP), Venn's intersection theory for hazard, and integrated model for risk mapping. A prediction of classification task was performed in which the model predicts magnitudes more than 4 Mw that considers nine indicators. Prediction classification results and intensity variation were then used for probability and hazard mapping, respectively. Finally, earthquake risk map was produced by multiplying hazard, vulnerability, and coping capacity. The vulnerability was prepared by using six vulnerable factors, and the coping capacity was estimated by using the number of hospitals and associated variables, including budget available for disaster management. The CNN model for a probability distribution is a robust technique that provides good accuracy. Results show that CNN is superior to the other algorithms, which completed the classification prediction task with an accuracy of 0.94, precision of 0.98, recall of 0.85, and F1 score of 0.91. These indicators were used for probability mapping, and the total area of hazard (21,412.94 km²), vulnerability (480.98 km²), and risk (34,586.10 km²) was estimated.     

Einstein–Maxwell Field Equation in Isotropic Coordinates: An Application to Modeling Superdense Star

We present a charged analogue of Pant et al. (2010, Astrophys. Space Sci., 330, 353) solution of the general relativistic field equations in isotropic coordinates by using simple form of electric intensity E that involve charge parameter K. Our solution is well behaved in all respects for all values of X lying in the range 0 <X≤ 0.11, K lying in the range 4 <K≤ 6.2 and Schwarzschild compactness parameter u lying in the range 0 <u≤ 0.247. Since our solution is well behaved for wide ranges of the parameters, we can model many different types of ultra-cold compact stars like quark stars and neutron stars. We have shown that corresponding to X = 0.077 and K = 6.13 for which u = 0.2051 and by assuming surface density ρ _b =4.6888×10¹⁴ g cm ^?3 the mass and radius are found to be 1.509M _⊙, 10.906 km respectively which match with the observed values of mass 1.51M _⊙ and radius 10.90 km of the quark star XTE J1739-217. The well behaved class of relativistic stellar models obtained in this work might have astrophysical significance in the study of more realistic internal structures of compact stars.     

Shoreline Change Analysis at Chilika Lagoon Coast,India Using Digital Shoreline Analysis System

Shoreline is the dynamic interfaces of both terrestrial and marine environment, which constantly affected by natural coastal processes includes wave, tide, littoral drift and cyclonic storms as well as coastal development. Wave induced littoral drift and fluvial discharge causing the gradual inlet migration and has the concurrent impact on shoreline of Chilika lagoon. This study is to determine the long-term shoreline changes along the coast of Chilika lagoon. Historical satellite images were used to analyse the shoreline erosion and accretion based on statistical approach. The satellite data from 1975 to 2015 were processed by using ERDAS Imagine and the shorelines are extracted. The shoreline oscillation was analysed at an interval of 100 m along the coast of Chilika lagoon using DSAS software. Most commonly used statistical methods such as end point rate and linear regression rate are used. The shoreline change analysis for entire coast of the lagoon since 40 years (1975–2015) indicates that 62% is of accretion, 25% is under stable coast and erosion is 13%. The result reveals that the lagoon coast shows high accretion of 9.12 m/year at updrift side of the lagoon inlet whereas the downdrift side shows high erosion of ??10.73 m/year due to the wave induced northeasterly longshore sediment transport round the year and riverine discharge. This study would provide the potential erosion and accretion area at Chilika lagoon coast and would help in adaptive shoreline management plan.     

Finite element modelling of landslide prone slopes around Rudraprayag and Agastyamuni in Uttarakhand Himalayan terrain

Himalayan mountain chains are neo-tectonically active and significantly susceptible to frequent geohazards like landslides, earthquakes, cloudburst and flash floods, etc. Himalayan slopes are characterized by highly fractured, jointed and sheared rock mass. This affects the strength of the rocks and thus largely influences the stability characteristic of slopes which have been aggravated by human intervention. The ongoing developmental activities, particularly in the last two decades, are responsible for large-scale destabilization of slopes. In rugged terrain, safer designs along hill-cut roads must be ensured. Despite extensive geotechnical works for slope stabilization done in the Himalayan range, slope sections evolve due to various natural and man-made factors are need to be understood in greater details. Proper evaluation and treatment were done on the cut slopes that are severely affected during Kedarnath disaster of June 2013. One of such roads is national highway from Rudraprayag to Gaurikund near Kedarnath. In this study, the stability of vulnerable road cut slopes from Rudraprayag to Agastmuni was investigated. Three key road cut slopes were considered. Finite element analysis was conducted using PLAXIS simulator. Factors of safety, stress, strain, horizontal and vertical displacement have been determined for each slope. The most unstable slope had a factor of safety (FoS) equal to 0.935, while the most stable slope had FoS equal to 2.56. Outcomes from simulation are in good agreement with the prevailing field conditions. Slope stability evaluation must be performed to ensure better safety and to achieve disaster mitigated design.