Agricultural drought assessment at disaggregated level using AWiFS/WiFS data of Indian Remote Sensing satellites

Spatial differences in drought proneness and intensity of drought caused by differences in cropping patterns and crop growing environments within a district indicate the need for agricultural drought assessment at disaggregated level. The objective of this study is to use moderate resolution satellite images for detailed assessment of the agricultural drought situation at different administrative units (blocks) within a district. Monthly time composite NDVI images derived from moderate resolution AWiFS (60 m) and WiFS (180 m) images from Indian Remote Sensing satellites were analysed along with ground data on rainfall and crop sown areas for the kharif seasons (June – November) of 2002 (drought year), 2004 (early season drought) and 2005 (good monsoon year). The impact of the 2002 meteorological drought on crop area in different blocks of the district was assessed. The amplitude of crop condition variability in a severe drought year (2002) and a good year (2005) was used to map the degree of vulnerability of different blocks in the district to agricultural drought. The impact of early season deficit rainfall in 2004 on the agricultural situation and subsequent recovery of the agricultural situation was clearly shown. Agricultural drought assessment at disaggregated level using moderate resolution images is useful for prioritizing the problem areas within a district to undertake, in season drought management plans, such as alternate cropping strategies, as well as for end of the season drought relief management actions. The availability of ground data on rainfall, cropping pattern, crop calendar, irrigation, soil type etc., is very crucial in order to interpret the seasonal NDVI patterns at disaggregated level for drought assessment. The SWIR band of AWiFS sensor is a potential data source for assessing surface drought at the beginning of the season.     

Effects of three-dimensionality on seismic response of Gaussian-shaped hills for simple incident pulses

In this paper the boundary element algorithm which uses the time-convoluted traction kernels is applied to a numerical parametric study on the seismic behavior of three-dimensional Gaussian-shaped hills subjected to vertically propagating incident waves. All calculations were executed in the time-domain and the medium was assumed to have a linear elastic constitutive behavior. Results are discussed in both time and frequency domain with respect to the dimensionless parameters. It was shown that wave length and site geometry, including shape and dimension ratios and, to some extent, wave type are the key independent parameters governing hill amplification behavior. Comparing two- and three-dimensional hills with similar shape ratios, two-dimensional hill had greater characteristic periods, where the three-dimensional hill had greater maximum amplification potential. Three-dimensionality has a strong effect on the seismic responses of the hill; however the rate of seismic response variation with the three-dimensionality factor depends on the shape ratio. It was shown that two-dimensional behavior was dominant in low height three-dimensional hills, however, as the shape ratio increased, three-dimensionality effects appeared and the seismic response of the hill tends toward the axisymmetric three-dimensional hill.     

Preliminary results of strong ground motion simulation for the Lushan earthquake of 20 April 2013, China

The earthquake occurred in Lushan County on 20 April, 2013 caused heavy casualty and economic loss. In order to understand how the seismic energy propagates during this earthquake and how it causes the seismic haz- ard, we simulated the strong ground motions from a rep- resentative kinematic source model by Zhang et al. （Chin J Geophys 56（4）：1408-1411, 2013） for this earthquake. To include the topographic effects, we used the curved grids finite difference method by Zhang and Chen （Geophys J Int 167（1）：337-353, 2006）, Zhang et al. （Geophys J Int 190（1）：358-378, 2012） to implement the simulations. Our results indicated that the majority of seismic energy con- centrated in the epicentral area and the vicinal Sichuan Basin, causing the XI and VII degree intensity. Due to the strong topographic effects of the mountain, the seismic intensity in the border area across the northeastern of Boxing County to the Lushan County also reached IX degree. Moreover, the strong influence of topography caused the amplifications of ground shaking at the moun- tain ridge, which is easy to cause landslides. These results are quite similar to those observed in the Wenchuan earthquake of 2008 occurred also in a strong topographic mountain area.     

VS30, site amplifications and some comparisons: The Adapazari (Turkey) case

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of V_S30 in site amplifications in the Adapazari region, Turkey. To fulfil this aim, amplifications from V_S30 measurements were compared with earthquake data for different soil types in the seismic design codes. The Adapazari area was selected as the study area, and shear-wave velocity distribution was obtained by the multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASWs) method at 100 sites for the top 50 m of soil. Aftershock data following the Mw 7.4 Izmit earthquake of 17 August 1999 gave magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.6 at six stations installed in and around the Adapazari Basin, at Babalı, Şeker, Genç, Hastane, Toyota and Imar. This data was used to estimate site amplifications by the reference-station method. In addition, the fundamental periods of the station sites were estimated by the single station method. Site classifications based on V_S30 in the seismic design codes were compared with the fundamental periods and amplification values. It was found that site amplifications (from earthquake data) and relevant spectra (from V_S30) are not in good agreement for soils in Adapazari (Turkey).     

The effects of grazing on the endangered Sinai Thyme (Thymus decussatus) in a hyper-arid environment

Herbivores play a key role in determining plant community composition. Historically grazing has been deemed detrimental for plants, but recent theoretical and empirical studies suggest that grazing may in fact be beneficial. Grazing is more likely to improve primary productivity in areas with a grazing history, where the plants are adapted to tolerate grazing, and also in arid environments because water stress and grazing select for comparable plant traits. Sinai Thyme (Thymus decussatus) in the arid St Katherine Protectorate of South Sinai has high apparent mortality rates and poor condition, both of which have detrimental consequences for its associated herbivores, particularly the Critically Endangered Sinai Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes sinaicus) whose larval stage feeds exclusively upon this plant. One recent conservation action banned grazing but there has been no obvious improvement in the thyme with continued high mortality, and local Bedu claim that grazing is in fact advantageous for plant health. We carried out a factorial experiment that manipulated simulated grazing, fertilizing and watering of thyme. This showed no evidence of any negative response to grazing or that watering or fertilizing had any effect either, presumably their impact is smaller than the current inter-annual variability caused by climatic fluctuations.     

ENVIRONMENTS OF AEOLIAN DEPOSITION IN SOUTH-CENTRAL NEBRASKA DURING THE LAST GLACIAL MAXIMUM

The Peoria Loess of south-central Nebraska, deposited approximately during the Last Glacial Maximum, can be subdivided into three zones: an upper laminated loess and a lower massive loess, separated by a dark gley zone in which bison bones and spruce charcoal are found. The lower Peoria unit is characterized by high organic matter content, relatively high bulk density, and common root channels. The upper Peoria unit has rhythmic patterns of two orders: strongly gleyed and weakly gleyed zones alternating in couplets about 2–5 m thick, and coarse- and fine-grained laminae of second order, about 2–4 mm thick. The strongly gleyed zones are relatively low in magnetic susceptibility and contain lenses with abundant fossil plant debris. They may have formed in active zones on top of permafrost during relatively cold and probably moist intervals, with magnetic susceptibility secondarily lowered in the redox environment. Magnetic susceptibility also indicates the possible existence of first-order rhythmic patterns in the lower massive loess. Each of the ten susceptibility oscillations within Peoria Loess has a mean duration of about 1000 years, assuming that the loess was deposited between approximately 20,000–22,000 and 10,000–10,500 yr BP. The second-order laminae, close to the expected mean annual accumulation rate of Peoria Loess, may be due to seasonal variation in wind intensity or to secondary grain sorting of niveoeolian deposits. [Key words: Peoria Loess, dust, Great Plains, Last Glacial Maximum.]     

DEM resolution dependencies of terrain attributes across a landscape

This paper documents resolution dependencies in terrain analysis and describes how they vary across landform location. Six terrain attributes were evaluated as a function of DEM resolution—slope, plan curvature, profile curvature, north–south slope orientation, east–west slope orientation, and topographic wetness index. The research highlights the effect of varying spatial resolution through a spatial sampling/resampling scheme while maintaining sets of indexed sample points at various resolutions. Tested sample points therefore coincide exactly between two directly compared resolutions in terms of their location and elevation value. An unsupervised landform classification procedure based on statistical clustering algorithms was employed to define landform classes in a reproducible manner. Correlation and regression analyses identified sensitive and consistent responses for each attribute as resolution was changed, although the tested terrain attributes responded in characteristically different ways. These responses displayed distinguishable patterns among various landform classes, a conclusion that was further verified by a series of two‐sample, two‐tailed t‐tests.     

Reinforcement effects of ground treatment with dynamic compaction replacement in cold and saline soil regions

The mechanical property of saline soils varies with moisture and climate in the cold and salt lake region of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which influences project construction. In order to improve foundation reinforcement effect of the Qarhan–Golmud Highway, Qinghai Province, China, dynamic compaction replacement (DCR) composite foundation was applied in saline soils. A field experiment was conducted in this area, where strength and working mechanism of pier-soil and deformation modulus of the composite foundation was analyzed after reinforcement. This paper presents methods for determining the coefficient on the bearing capacity evaluation and deformation modulus of composite foundation with DCR. Reinforcement case of DCR is highly effective in saline soils of the salt lake regions, which helps the migration of water and salt in saline soils.     

现浇X形混凝土桩沉桩挤土效应现场试验研究

挤土型桩的挤土效应一直是工程界研究和关注的热点问题之一。结合南京长江四桥北接线段现浇X形桩软基处理工程,首次开展现浇X形混凝土桩（简称X形桩）沉桩过程现场试验,测得不同X形横截面方向、不同距离及深度处的水平位移、侧向土压力以及孔隙水压力的分布规律,研究X形桩挤土效应规律。研究结果表明,最大水平位移发生在桩顶,距离5倍等效桩径处的土体水平位移可以忽略不计;随着桩中心距的增加,挤土压力和孔隙水压力逐渐减小,并且尖角方向的挤土压力大于凹弧方向的挤土压力。现场试验数据为X形桩的布置形式以及桩间距的选择提供有力的设计参考依据。     

城市创意旅游资源空间效应及发展模式——以苏州市中心城区为例

随着创意经济的兴起和旅游者需求的变化,发展创意旅游日益成为消费热点和推动旅游业转型升级的有效途径。创意旅游资源是创意旅游发展的基础,其产生的空间效应是区域旅游研究的重要内容,对提升区域旅游竞争力具有重要意义。以苏州中心城区为例,综合运用最近邻指数、不平衡指数、核密度分析和使用者温度计量模型等方法,深入研究城市创意旅游资源空间效应。结果显示：① 创意旅游资源的融入使苏州中心城区整体和各区域的旅游资源空间分布集聚度增大,但各区域增大程度和资源空间分布状态变化不同;② 融入创意旅游资源后苏州中心城区整体旅游资源区域分布呈集中态势,且分布的均衡度降低;③ 创意旅游资源的融入促进了区域旅游资源空间效应的发挥,苏州中心城区由以姑苏区为“单核心”的“众星拱月”空间格局转变为以姑苏区—工业园区为“双核心”的“日月同辉”空间格局,从而实现苏州中心城区“双核”旅游空间发展模式。