Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphodynamics of Tidal Channels In the Open Coast Macrotidal Flat, Southern Ganghwa Island In Gyeonggi Bay, West Coast of Korea

Abstract Morphodynamics of intertidal channels were monitored in order to understand their implication on the architecture of inclined heterolithic stratification (IHS) in the open-coast Yeochari macro tidal flat on southern Ganghwa Island in Gyeonggi Bay, west coast of Korea. The tidal flat is divisible into narrow salt marshes in the upper intertidal zone, a concave-up upper to middle intertidal zone with small tidal creeks, and a channelized lower intertidal zone. Channels in the lower intertidal zone are 200–600 m wide and 1–2.5 m deep at bankful stage. They are sinuous in planform and have well-defined point bars and cutbanks. IHS is exposed along the cutbanks. High-precision leveling of the tidal channel bank unveiled that a point bar in the lower intertidal zone migrated about 400 m in 39 months. Channel migration is pronounced during the summer rainy season, when the point bar migrated as fast as 40 m per month, which led to rapid sediment accumulation of as much as 40 cm per month. In contrast, channel migration rate during winter is notably reduced, down to less than 1 m per month. Point-bar geometry alternates between a concave-up profile in summertime and a convex-up profile during the remainder of the year. Enhanced ebb currents during the rainy season, due to increased runoff discharge caused by heavy precipitation, accelerated point-bar migration. Remarkable rill erosion induced by heavy precipitation especially during low tide led to the rapid accumulation of sediment at the lower part of the point bar and the channel base, creating concave-up point-bar geometry. During the remainder of the year, the point bar retains a convex-up profile by continued sedimentation with insignificant rill erosion. Wave activity, particularly during winter, seems to facilitate deposition in the upper part of the point bar by providing more sediment into the channel. The present study illuminates the fact that the stratigraphic architecture of IHS of intertidal origin is controlled largely by monsoonal weather and to a lesser degree by tidal process even in a macrotidal environment. Careful examination of IHS geometry may hint at the depositional setting in terms of tidal frame (intertidal versus subtidal) and climate regime (monsoonal versus non-monsoonal).
Taphonomy and Paleoecology of the Middle Miocene oysters from Wadi Sudr, Gulf of Suez, Egypt

The Upper Rudeis Formation (Middle Miocene, Langhian) of Wadi Sudr, Gulf of Suez, Egypt contains thick-bedded deposits of oysters. The oyster shells are large and massive. The paleoecological study of these oyster beds has revealed a nearshore shallow marine origin of the Upper Rudeis Formation with storm influence during the accumulation of their oyster shells. Taphonomic observations indicate that these shells are highly altered by disarticulation, bioerosion and encrustation. Abrasion, breakage and high fragmentation of shells are generally lacking. In addition, the studied oyster shells provide some traces of predation. Thicker shells and faster growth rates in oysters may reflect the greater exposure to fully marine predation and bioerosion, as well as to the conditions associated with higher salinity. Borings occur on the external and internal surfaces of their shells during the pre and/or post-mortem. They can be regarded as relatively diverse, being represented by the following ichnotaxa ; Oichnus (O.) paraboloides BROMLEY, 1981, O. simplex BROMLEY, 1981, Entobia isp. , Rogerella isp. and Radulichnus isp.
USING SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION FOR ALFALFA 1

ABSTRACT: A test of the suitability of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) for alfalfa (Medicago sativa L) compared to a sprinkler, was conducted on a Kansas producer's field where the soil is loam. The treatments included drip tape spacing of 60, 40, and 30 inches placed at depths of 18 and 12 inches. A nearby plot irrigated by a center pivot sprinkler was seeded to alfalfa and used for comparison. Seedling emergence and yield were adversely affected at 60 inch spacing, while the depth of placement of drip tapes (18 and 12 inches) showed no effect on yield. The site served for education and allowed comparison between SDI tape spacing and center pivot system.
Longitudinal coupling in ice flow across a subglacial ridge

A transverse bedrock ridge, or riegel, in the bedrock topography under Storglaciären, northern Sweden, induces a drastic change in flow regime. The part of the glacier located downstream of the riegel exhibits velocity variations correlated to water-pressure variations under this part of the glacier. Similar velocity variations are also observed up-glacier from the riegel despite a lack of significant water-pressure variations there. Field data and a numerical model suggest that the variations in surface velocity observed on the glacier upstream of the riegel are a result of pulling from down-glacier through longitudinal coupling across the riegel.
Seismic response of fractures by numerical simulation

SUMMARY Fractures occur on a wide range of scales and are important in the study of hydrocarbon reservoirs. Seismic simulation by finite-difference modelling using an equivalent medium method can devise the elastic parameters of a cell intersected by a fracture as those of a medium with an equivalent seismic response. Numerical experiments confirm that diffractions from the fracture tips are a strong component of the total wavefield. However, a comparison of boxcar, linear, angular and elliptic tapering suggests that there is little dependence on shape because the energy involved in a single diffraction is much lower than the incident energy. An open, fluid filled fracture has stronger effect on the wavefield than the wet and dry, multiple crack models, because an open fracture would have a stronger dissimilarity to the background rock. The density of microcracks within a fracture also has strong effect on the seismic response, however the properties of those cracks are not significant to the overall seismic response. Considering a distribution of a large number of fractures, even when the overall density of fractures is held constant, longer fractures attenuate seismic energy more than smaller ones. For the orientation effect, fractures oriented in the direction of propagation seem to affect the wavefield more than those perpendicular because of the incident wave striking the fracture at an angle greater than the critical angle. Experiments on clustering of the fractures indicate that although clusters which are large compared to the wavelength may attenuate and ‘shield’ more than for a uniform distribution, smaller ones in fact attenuate less, because of the ‘healing’ effect. These are important results when trying to characterize the fracture properties including density, clustering, size and orientation of a fractured reservoir from field seismic data.
Stable isotope composition of precipitation over southeast Asia

Spatial and temporal variability of the stable isotope composition of precipitation in the southeast Asia and western Pacific region is discussed, with emphasis on the China territory, based on the database of the International Atomic Energy Agency/World Meteorological Organization Global Network Isotopes in Precipitation and the available information on the regional climatology and atmospheric circulation patterns. The meteorological and pluviometric regime of southeast Asia is controlled by five different air masses: (1) polar air mass originating in the Arctic, (2) continental air mass originating over central Asia, (3) tropical-maritime air mass originating in the northern Pacific, (4) equatorial-maritime air mass originating in the western equatorial Pacific, and (5) equatorial-maritime air mass originating in the Indian Ocean. The relative importance of different air masses in the course of a given year is modulated by the monsoon activity and the seasonal displacement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Gradual rain-out of moist, oceanic air masses moving inland, associated with monsoon circulation, constitutes a powerful mechanism capable of producing large isotopic depletions in rainfall, often completely overshadowing the dependence of δ 18 O and δ 2 H on temperature. For instance, precipitation at Lhasa station (Tibetan Plateau) during rainy period (June-September) is depleted in 18 O by more than 6 ‰ with respect to winter rainfall, despite of 10°C higher surface air temperature in summer. This characteristic isotopic imprint of monsoon activity is seen over large areas of the region. The oceanic air masses forming the two monsoon systems, Pacific and Indian monsoon, differ in their isotope signatures, as demonstrated by the average δ 18 O of rainfall, which in the south of China (Haikou, Hong Kong) is about 2.5‰ more negative than in the Bay of Bengal (Yangoon). Strong seasonal variations of the deuterium excess values in precipitation observed in some areas of the studied region result from a complete reversal of atmospheric circulation over these areas and changing source of atmospheric moisture. High d-excess values observed at Tokyo and Pohang during winter (15-25‰) result from interaction of dry air masses from the northern Asian continent passing the Sea of Japan and the China Sea and picking up moisture under reduced relative humidity. The isotopic composition of precipitation also provides information about the maximum extent of the ITCZ on the continent during summer.
Modelling the radiation budget of alpine snowfields with remotely sensed data: model formulation and validation

A model for estimating the radiation balance of alpine snowfields is presented. Shortwave and longwave downward flux densities are computed for sloping surfaces using a modified version of the two-stream radiative transfer scheme of Zdunkowski and others (1982). Surface albedo and thermal exitance values are estimated using Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery and digital terrain data. The LOWTRAN7 radiative transfer code is utilized in order to remove atmospheric effects in satellite imagery as well as calculating solar irradiance within TM spectral bands, for the determination of the near-nadir reflectance of snow. Under a Lambertian assumption, near-nadir reflectance measurements obtained from a few TM bands are used to calculate the total hemispherical reflectance (albedo) of snow. The net all-wave radiation of snowfields is then simulated for the complete day on the same date as that of the Landsat overflight. The model is tested using Landsat TM data acquired in late June 1984, and results compared with field measurements acquired on Niwot Ridge, Colorado, U.S.A. Preliminary results are very encouraging but problems remain in the estimation of surface albedo from near-nadir satellite reflectance measurements of TM. These problems are discussed and recommendations for future model improvements are given.
K-Ar and 40Ar/39Ar dating of the hominid-bearing Pliocene-Pleistocene sequence at Koobi Fora, Lake Turkana, northern Kenya

In the Koobi Fora region, east of Lake Turkana, northern Kenya, there occurs a sequence ∼500 m thick of lacustrine, fluvial, and deltaic sediments that contains abundant vertebrate fossils, including hominids, as well as stone tools. Rhyolitic tuffs within the sedimentary sequence have facilitated stratigraphic mapping. Some of the tuffs contain pumice clasts, from which anorthoclase phenocrysts have been separated, providing ideal material for K-Ar and 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating. Seven tuffs have been dated, generally yielding concordant ages on multiple samples from each tuff. Results are consistent with the stratigraphic sequence. The 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age spectra give nearly ideal flat patterns, indicating that the feldspars have remained undisturbed since crystallization and cooling, with no evidence of thermal overprinting. As the pumice clasts are considered to have been deposited very soon after their eruption, the measured ages provide a close approximation to that of deposition of the tuffs. The Moiti Tuff, ∼30 m above the base of the sequence, has a maximum age of 4.10 ± 0.07 Ma. The Toroto Tuff, some 70 m higher in the sequence, is very securely dated at 3.32 ± 0.02 Ma. Stratigraphically higher tuffs and their ages include the Ninikaa Tuff, 3.06 ± 0.03 Ma; the KBS Tuff, 1.88 ± 0.02 Ma; the Malbe Tuff, 1.86 ± 0.02 Ma; the Chari Tuff, 1.39 ± 0.02 Ma, and the Silbo Tuff, 0.74 ± 0.01 Ma, near the top of the sequence. The geochronology and geological data indicate at least three hiatuses in the sequence, each on the order of 0.5 to 0.7 Ma duration. Conventional K-Ar age measurements on basalts from the basin margin suggest that deposition of the Koobi Fora Formation began no earlier than ∼4.3 Ma ago in the early Pliocene. These results provide a well-documented numerical time framework for the sedimentary sequence in the Koobi Fora region and for the hominids and other fossils contained therein. Most of the hominid fossils, including forms assigned to the Homo lineage and a coexisting Australopithecus lineage, occur within sediments deposited in the basin over the interval from ∼2.0 to 1.4 Ma ago in the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene.
USE OF HYDRAULIC MODELLING TO ASSESS PASSAGE FLOW CONNECTIVITY FOR SALMON IN STREAMS

The maintenance of hydrologic connectivity in river networks has become an important principle for guiding management and conservation planning for threatened salmon populations, yet our understanding of how fish movement is impaired by spatial and temporal variation in connectivity remains limited. In this study, a two‐dimensional hydraulic modelling approach is presented to evaluate flow connectivity in relation to passage requirements of adult steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in coastal California streams. High‐resolution topographic data of stream reaches with distinct channel morphology were collected using terrestrial light detection and ranging surveys and linked with water surface measurements to calibrate hydraulic model simulations. Quantitative metrics of longitudinal flow connectivity were developed to assess fish passage suitability in relation to stream discharge. Measured flow data from the 2008–2009 winter season and simulated long‐term records indicated that suitable passage flows occur with relatively low frequency and duration at all sites, suggesting that instream flow protections for fish passage are warranted. Results from the hydraulic modelling simulations were then compared with two alternative methods for assessing passage flows. A regional formula used by the State of California to identify minimum instream flow needs provided conservative estimates of passage flow requirements, whereas an approach based on riffle crest water depths underestimated flow needs. The hydraulic modelling approach appears well suited for simulating flows for fish passage studies and may be particularly useful for testing alternative environmental flow assessment methods and evaluating habitat–flow relationships in stream reaches of importance, such as critical habitat for threatened fish species. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nutrient management in Nagpur mandarin: frontier developments.

Citrus is considered highly nutrient responsive crop. Occurrence of multiple nutrient deficiencies makes the redressal of such nutrient deficiencies all the more complex exercise. Site specific nutrient management studies find a greater weightage over conventional but classical progressive fertilization response studies, if constraint specific fertilization is to be worked out. Simultaneously use of integrated strategies viz., soil application of macronutrients (NPKS) and foliar application of micronutrients (Fe Mn Zn B); fertigation and integrated nutrient management (INM) using rationale of organic manures fortified with microbial consortium based microbial reactor through isolation and characterization of native and dual purpose microbes and inorganic fertilizers have produced encouraging responses to improve production dividends underlying their undeniable utility. But, fertilizer requirement experiments have generated a vast variation in their recommendations depending upon orchard age, soil type and climatic features besides very limited information on micronutrients requirement. Application of these nutrients was substantially reduced (25-30%) using fertigation, thereby, adding an additional component of fertilizer use efficiency which could be effectively achieved through INM as well. There is a still a bigger constraint in form of non-availability of reproducible nutrient diagnostics to determine frequency distribution of nutrient constraints duly verifiable at orchard level. Countrywide studies on development of nutrient diagnostics have suggested optimum range of nutrients based on leaf and soil analysis. For the optimum yield using DRIS (diagnosis and recommendation integrated system) based interpretation tool. Development of morphological descriptors and juice nutrient norms have further aid in defining the nutrient constraint more precisely. Such studies strongly warrant refining diagnostics at regional, and still finer at orchard level, so that once the correct diagnosis of nutrient constraint is made, management becomes a comparatively easier task. Such management study starts with intervention of microbially loaded substrate as a part of rooting medium (rhizosphere engineering) in pre-bearing plants so that an adequate microbial pool of nutrients is built-up by the time plants enter into bearing stage in order to sustain quality production on one hand, and improve orchard longevity on the other hand.
Effect of Different Spacing and Urea Application Rates on Fruit Nutrient Composition, Growth and Yield of Tomato in Derived Savannah Vegetation of Kogi State, Nigeria

Experiments were located at Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Ejiba and Horticultural Section College of Agriculture, Kabba in 2014 cropping season to investigate the effect of different spacing and urea application rates on fruit nutrient composition, growth and fruit yield of tomato in derived savanna vegetation of Nigeria. Field experiments were arranged in a randomized complete block design in factorial fashion with three replications. The row spacing were 75 × 40 cm (33,333 plant·ha-1, 75 × 50 cm (26,666 plant·ha-1) and 75 × 60 cm (22,222 plant·ha-1) while the urea rates comprised control (0 kg urea·ha-1), 54.3 and 108.6 kg urea·ha-1. Growth and yield parameters taken were as follows: average plant height, stem girth, leaf area (m2) and yield per land area. Data were collected from ten randomly selected plants in each plot. The data were statistically analyzed using GENSTAT. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to find out the significance of variation among the treatments while the significant difference between mean treatments was separated using least significance Difference at 5% level of probability. The result obtained from this study indicated that urea application and spacing affected significantly growth parameters of tomato and yield per land area. It could be concluded that there was a significant increase in plant height, number of leaves, number of fruits per plant and final fruit weight of tomato as a result of urea fertilizer application at the rate of 108.6 kg urea/ha. However, this was not significantly better than plots with urea application at 54.8 kg/ha in both Ejiba and Kabba. Row spacing of 75 × 50 cm showed better performance in number of fruit and fruit yield per plots. Farmers in Ejiba and Kabba should apply urea at the rate of 54.8 kg per hectare and plant the crop at a row spacing of 75 × 50 cm for optimum yield and for a more profitable production of tomato.
Annual variation of rainfall over Brazil and water vapor characteristics over South America

A large region in central Brazil is characterized by summer rainfall and winter dry conditions. During the 6-month period of September, October, November, December, January, and February (SONDJF) this region receives 70% or more of its annual rainfall. Calculations of vertically integrated water vapor flux and its divergence are made for South America. The results suggest that the Amazon basin is the principal source of moisture for central Brazil during the period SONDJF. Water vapor flux from the equatorial Atlantic associated with trade winds is the main moisture source for the Amazon basin.
Arctic Ocean water mass balance from isotope data

The distributions of the oxygen 18 and tritium isotopes, and of salinity, yield a residence time of 10 years for the surface and halocline waters of the Arctic Basin. We find a yearly net production of 0.59 m of sea ice and an input of 1.16 m of freshwater from continental river runoff, local precipitation, and Bering Strait salinity deficiency. Using the basin area value with these numbers gives long-term average total net production and transport rates of 0.15 Sv of ice and 0.18 Sv of meteoric component, Bering Strait water not included. If, in addition, a reasonable depth profile of relative current velocity is assumed for the outflow, a yearly input of 2.8 Sv of Atlantic and Bering Strait water is needed to replenish the upper and halocline waters. These numbers should be good to ±20% and are multiyear averages. The isotope data clearly indicate that the Barents Sea is an inflow area for Atlantic water to the basin, but that net export of ice occurs there.
The Role of Interocean Exchanges on Decadal Variations of the Meridional Heat Transport in the South Atlantic

The interocean exchange of water from the South Atlantic with the Pacific and Indian Oceans is examined using the output from the ocean general circulation model for the Earth Simulator (OFES) during the period 1980‐2006. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the role of the interocean exchanges in the variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) and its associated meridional heat transport(MHT)in theSouthAtlantic.ThemeridionalheattransportfromOFESshowsasimilarresponseto AMOC variations to that derived from observations: a 1 Sv (1 Sv [ 10 6 m 3 s 21 ) increase in the AMOC strength would cause a 0.054 6 0.003 PW increase in MHT at approximately 348S. The main feature in the AMOC and MHT across 348S is their increasing trends during the period 1980‐93. Separating the transports into boundary currents and ocean interior regions indicates that the increase in transport comes from the oceaninteriorregion,suggestingthatitisimportanttomonitortheoceaninteriorregiontocapturechangesin the AMOC and MHT on decadal to longer time scales. The linear increase in the MHT from 1980 to 1993 is duetotheincreaseinadvectiveheatconvergedintotheSouthAtlanticfromthePacificandIndianOceans.Of the total increase in the heat convergence, about two-thirds is contributed by the Indian Ocean through the AgulhasCurrentsystem,suggestingthatthewarm-waterroutefromtheIndianOceanplaysamoreimportant role in the northward-flowing water in the upper branch of the AMOC at 348S during the study period.