Risk-based decision-making for drilling waste discharges using a fuzzy synthetic evaluation technique

Offshore petroleum drilling wastes contain toxic substances that are potentially harmful to the marine ecosystem. Despite environmentally benign characteristics, wastes associated with synthetic-based fluids still contain a certain amount of pollutants due to contamination with formation oil and the presence of trace heavy metals in barite, which may pose risk when discharged into the marine environment. A framework is presented here for a decision support system for the selection of the best drilling waste discharge option. Uncertainties in the quantification of risk, cost and technical feasibility are expressed by fuzzy numbers. An analytical hierarchy process with a technique called fuzzy synthetic evaluation is employed to determine the best management alternative (discharge scenario).     

Third order contribution to the wave-making resistance of a ship at finite depth of water

This paper presents a potential based boundary element method for solving a nonlinear free surface flow problem for a ship moving with a uniform speed in finite depth of water. The free surface boundary condition is linearized by the systematic method of perturbation in terms of a small parameter up to third order. The surfaces are discretized into flat quadrilateral elements and the influence coefficients are calculated by Morino's analytical formula. Dawson's upstream finite difference operator is used in order to satisfy the radiation condition. The second order solution gives better result than the first or third order solution. So the present method with the second order solution can be adopted as a powerful tool for the hydrodynamic analysis of the thin ship in finite depth of water.     

Cross inoculation studies: Response of Vigna mungo to inoculation with rhizobia from tree legumes growing under arid Environment

Cross-inoculation experiments were conducted in the greenhouse to test the rhizobia isolated from nodules of seven tree legumes for their effectiveness in Vigna mungo plants. The tree legumes included Albizia lebbeck, Dalbergia sissoo, Leucaena leucocephala, Pithecellobium dulce, Prosopis cineraria, Prosopis glandulosa and Prosopis juliflora, all growing under arid environment. Rhizobia from these legumes formed nodules on the roots of Vigna mungo except isolates from Albizia lebbeck. Dry weight and nitrogen contents of Vigna mungo plants increased significantly (P<0.05) in response to cross inoculation as compared to uninoculated control. Rhizobia from Leucaena leucocephala and Prosopis glandulosa showed significant increase in dry weight (P<0.05) and nitrogen contents (P<0.05) than other inoculated treatments. The natural rhizobia of wild tree legumes growing under arid environment show higher tolerance to prevailing adverse conditions like salt stress, elevated temperatures and drought. These rhizobia may be used to inoculate wild as well as crop legumes cultivated in reclaimed desert lands. These rhizobia may have specific traits that can be transferred to other rhizobia through genetic engineering tools. The cross infection of agriculturally important legumes with isolates from wild legumes may prove a useful means of increasing nitrogen contents within these plants.     

Destroying hills in the northeastern part of Bangladesh: A qualitative assessment of extent of the problem and its probable impact

Indiscriminate cutting of hills in the Sylhet region has become a major environmental issue. The nature and life style of Sylhet intimately related with the hills are thus under the threat of a drastic imbalance in its ecosystem. Due to such hill cutting the mostly affected sectors of this region will be its weather and climate, geomorphology and hydrology, and the indigenous flora and fauna. As a result the frequency of natural calamities like earthquake, flash flooding etc may increase considerably. Deforestation and resulting increased soil erosion, decreased ground water recharge and deteriorated water quality might also be as consequences of such hill cutting. This paper investigates the cause and extent of the problem along with its probable impact and finally suggests actions for conservation of hills for ecological balance of the region.     

Impact of Southern Oscillation on the Frequency of Monsoon Depressions in the Bay of Bengal

The impact of Southern Oscillation on thecyclogenesis over the Bay of Bengal duringthe summer monsoon has been investigated.The analysis of correlation coefficients(CCs) between the frequency of monsoondepressions and the Southern OscillationIndex (SOI) reveals that more depressionsform during July and August of El Niñoyears. Due to this, the seasonal frequencyof monsoon depressions remains little higherduring El Niño epochs even though thecorrelations for June and September are notsignificant. The CCs for July and August aresignificant at the 99% level.The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)is known to affect Indian MonsoonRainfall (IMR) adversely. The enhancedcyclogenesis over the Bay of Bengal duringJuly and August is an impact of ENSO whichneeds to be examined closely. Increasedcyclogenesis over the Bay of Bengal may bereducing the deficiency in IMR duringEl Niño years by producing more rainfallover the eastern parts of India duringJuly and August. Thus there is a considerablespatial variation in the impact of ENSOon the monsoon rainfall over India and El Niñoneed not necessarily imply a monsoonfailure everywhere in India.The area of formation of monsoon depressionsshifts eastward during El Niño years.Warmer sea surface temperature (SST) anomaliesprevail over northwest and adjoiningwestcentral Bay of Bengal during premonsoon andmonsoon seasons of El Niño years.May minus March SOI can provide useful predictionsof monsoon depression frequencyduring July and August.     

Effect of salinity on chlorophyll concentration, leaf area, yield and yield components of rice genotypes grown under saline environment

Salt tolerance in eighteen advanced rice genotypes was studied under an artificially salinized (EC=8.5 dSm^?1) soil conditions after 90 days of transplanting. The results showed that the yield per plant, chlorophyll concentrations, fertility percentage, and number of productive tillers, panicle length and number of primary braches per panicle of all the genotypes were reduced by salinity. However, genotypes viz. Jhona-349 x Basmati-370, NR-1, DM-59418, DM-63275, DM-64198 and DM-38-88 showed better salinity tolerance than others.     

Spatial pattern of variation in populations of Acacia nilotica in semi-arid environment

Variability among populations was analyzed in five provenances of Acacia nilotica from spatially variable habitats. Populations of A. nilotica developed in response to their habitat conditions. The level of variability was significantly high among the populations. Phenotypic variability was extremely high for leaf and stipular spine characteristics. The nature of morphological variability for vegetative traits appeared environmentally controlled. The differentiation of leaf and stipular spine expression seems to have an adaptive significance for the species in terms of water economy. Although, seed and pod characteristics are genetically controlled showing a lower proportion of variability but these traits supported r and k-selection that may allow the species to survive under a wide array of contrasting habitats. The study suggested that populations of A. nilotica are differentiated in relation to the heterogeneity of environment. These populations became adapted to their habitat through the variability of morphological expressions. The morphologically differentiated populations of the species had allowed them to maintain themselves in a wide array of environmental situations enabling A. nilotica to occupy ample ecological ranges.