bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The P-T-X dependent water and carbon dioxide saturation in silicate melts of virtually any composition
Authors: Papale Paolo
Published: March 2024

Volatile components, especially water and carbon dioxide, play a controlling role on practically any process and any property related to magmas and their dynamics, influencing to a first order volcanic eruptions and their related hazards. Consequently, knowing the partitioning of water and carbon dioxide among silicate melts and coexisting gas phases is one major objective in a variety of disciplines such as petrology, rock and fluid geochemistry, and magma and volcano physics and dynamics. Here I present the most updated, most comprehensive model of water and carbon dioxide solubility and saturation in silicate melts of virtually any composition spanning from two-component metal slags to natural magmas from the most iron and magnesium –rich, silica under-saturated, to the most chemically evolved ones found on Earth, the Moon, or Mars. The model rests on rigorous thermodynamic modelling, and on a robust calibration involving nearly 2000 individual saturation data – the entire set of appropriate existing data to my knowledge. Pressure and temperature of calibration also span wide ranges from one bar to several GPa, and from just above liquidus to above 2000 °C, respectively. I show here the capability of the model to properly account for virtually any aspect previously described from the experiments and related to the compositional-dependent water and carbon dioxide saturation surface in silicate melts; its capability to extend further that knowledge by revealing additional aspects not yet experimentally highlighted; and some examples of the use of the model to explore the characteristics of real magmatic systems and simulate their dynamics.
Revisiting the relationships between maize root elongation and penetrometer resistance, air-filled porosity and macro- porosity on a clay loam Mollisol
Authors: Qin Shijie , Liu Lingling , Whalley W. Richard , Zhou Hu , Ren Tusheng , Gao Weida
Published: March 2024

Analysis of the effects of soil penetrometer resistance (PR) on root elongation and relative classic prediction models mostly ignore the role of macropores, which are important for root to penetrate compacted soils. In this study, undisturbed soil samples were collected from an 11-years tillage experiment (no-tillage and conventional tillage) in Northeast China, and their bulk density (BD), PR, air-filled porosity (AFV), and pore-size distribution were determined. Root elongation of maize seedlings was determined on each soil cores following equilibration at -20 kPa. Our results showed root elongation is significant negatively correlated with BD, PR, and the volume of Pores < 6 µm, while positively correlated with the AFV and macropores (Pores > 60 µm) (P < 0.001). Root elongation rate exhibited a 50% reduction when PR was over 1.3 MPa or AFV was below 10%. A new model has been developed to estimate the rate of root elongation that taken into account the interaction between PR and macropores. The new model had a better performance than previous ones and the root mean square error (RMSE) was 0.13.
Seeing doldrums from space
Authors: George Geet , Windmiller Julia
Published: March 2024

Doldrums — the bane of sailors in ages past — are mesoscale regions of calm winds, usually seen dividing two zonal bands of convective clouds near the thermal equator. These features, together often manifest as the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ), particularly over the Atlantic. The terms "ITCZ" and "doldrums" are often incorrectly used inter-changeably. With satellite observations, we show that they are in fact not the same meteorological feature. Although the doldrums seemed to have departed from current discussions, recent cross-equatorial ship-borne observations in the Atlantic have brought back attention to them and their role in shaping the distribution of convection. We use satellite measurements spanning more than 15 years to report statistics of doldrums over the Atlantic and the East Pacific. Along with their spatial extents, we document their zonal and meridional positioning as well as the seasonal and inter-annual variability therein. We also record the vertical extents of these calm horizontal winds, albeit with a shorter period of sampling. Co-located measurements of column moisture, surface rain rate and cloud liquid water provide an idea of the environmental conditions that are associated with the presence of doldrums. Particularly, we see an anomalously dry atmospheric column over the doldrums compared to that over the adjacent convergence bands, which is similar to those observed from the ship-based observations. We also find long periods (ca. 1 month) of westward propagation of doldrums, but there can be large differences in their spatio-temporal persistence among different years. Our characterization enables frameworks attempting to explain the physical mechanism of doldrums as well as their role in the mesoscale organization of the ITCZ.
Towards a GEOSS Digital Ecosystem: the GEOSS Platform Plus Vision
Authors: Santoro Mattia , Scremin Alessandro , Giuliani Gregory , van Bemmelen Joost , Li Santi Eliana , Giordani Daniele , Herman Małgorzata , Marczuk Aleksandra , Krupa Piotr
Published: March 2024

The GEOSS Platform Plus (GPP) project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, aims to contribute to the implementation of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) by evolving the European GEOSS Platform components to allow access to tailor-made information and actionable knowledge.In this context, the GPP project is defining a vision for evolving GEOSS based on the concept of Digital Ecosystem (DE). Designing GEOSS as a Digital Ecosystem (DE) requires, first, the identification of its ecosystem service(s). As advocated in several documents, including the “Concept Paper for the Next Phase of the GEOSS Infrastructure” released by GEOSS Infrastructure Development Task Team (GIDTT) and concept of Earth Intelligence as introduced in the GEO Post 2025 Strategy, GEOSS should shift from the traditional data sharing paradigm to a model where knowledge generation and sharing is facilitated.Therefore, we can identify, but not limiting to, the GEOSS Ecosystem Service as the Provisioning of trusted EO-based knowledge for decision-making. Considering the GEO mission and users basin, if such an ecosystem service is provided by GEOSS, a virtuous cycle can be initiated. End-users will utilize tools and services of the GEOSS DE because they find what they need and can use the desired information to obtain actionable knowledge; intermediate users (e.g., developers, scientists, data intermediaries, etc.) will build new tools on top of (and contributing to) the DE to attract new end users and contribute to the GEO communities benefits; providers will have more interest in participating (belonging) to the DE to spread the use of their resources and enlarge their users basin.Such a framework enables a more flexible environment, which facilitates (and encourages) the extension of GEOSS capabilities through new components, and strengthen the involvement and contribution of GEO communities at large. To demonstrate this concept with practical examples, in this presentation we will introduce some of the use cases developed by the GPP project: (i) the SDG 15.3.1 for the Land Degradation use case, and (ii) the Nutrient Pollution in European Inland and Coastal Waters use case. Such use cases use (and extend) the current GEOSS Platform for the generation of actionable knowledge (and beyond, towards Earth Intelligence).
Volcano-Tectonic seismicity during the 2021-2023 unrest phase at Vulcano island (Italy) and its connection with the regional geodynamic context
Authors: Cocina Ornella , Barberi Graziella , Barreca Giovanni , Falsaperla Susanna , Scarfì Luciano , Spampinato Salvatore
Published: March 2024

The island of Vulcano, in the South-Eastern Tyrrhenian Sea (Southern Italy), is the southernmost out-of-water part of a larger submerged volcanic edifice of the Aeolian archipelago. Since its last explosive eruption (1888-1890), relevant episodes of volcanic unrest unfollowed by eruptive activity have been documented. These episodes were characterized by notable increase in geochemical parameters, ground deformation, and local seismicity related to fluid dynamics within the shallower part of the hydrothermal system. Volcano-Tectonic (VT) seismicity located on the island did not play a major role during these unrest phases, except for the 1985 and 1988 seismic sequences that preceded and accompanied a significant increase in temperature and gas flux at the fumaroles causing a depletion of the shallow hydrothermal source. The last phase of unrest occurred from mid-September 2021 to December 2023. A climax in high temperature, CO2 flux, fumarolic gas emissions, ground deformation together with LP and VLP seismicity was achieved in early November 2021. In the following months, after a period of stability of the major anomalies, a gradual decrease was observed. Conversely, VT seismicity showed a moderate increase in the time intervals 30/10/2021-31/12/2021, 31/03/2022-30/04/2022 and 04/12/2022-31/12/2022.In this work, the application of the tomoDDPS algorithm to relocate the seismicity occurred from January 2020 to December 2022, points to the identification of three seismogenic volumes. The space-time distribution and energy release of the relocated seismicity together with waveform correlation analysis enabled us to infer a connection between the unrest process and the activation, at different depth ranges, of a NW-SE trending wrench faults system and associated NE-SW structures. 
Assessing the predictability of Euro-Mediterranean droughts through seasonal forecasts
Authors: Dal Monte Thomas , Alessandri Andrea , Cherchi Annalisa , Gaetani Marco
Published: March 2024

Droughts are characterized by prolonged and severe deficits in precipitation that can extend in time, over a season, a year or more. They are confined to specific climatic zones but can manifest in both high and low rainfall regions. Contributing factors include temperatures, strong winds, low relative humidity, and the characteristics of rainfall. Drought events are characterized through indices that can be categorized based on the specific impacts they are associated with, such as meteorological, agricultural, or hydrological effects. Using such indices for drought characterization serves multiple purposes, including detection, assessment, and representation of drought conditions within a particular region. Seasonal precipitatio is essential for social and economic development and activities, hence. Reliable seasonal forecasts, especially regarding extreme precipitation events, become crucial for sectors like agriculture and insurance. Europe, and in particular the Mediterranean region, is expected to be considerably affected under climate change. The northern regions are anticipated to exhibit higher variability, increasing the risk of floods, while the southern areas may face decreased rainfall, prolonged dry spells, and intensified evaporation, potentially leading to more frequent drought occurrences.
This research aims to evaluate the prediction skill for extreme drought events at the seasonal time-scale using the SPI and SPEI indices over the EURO-Mediterranean area. The use of SPEI also takes into account the effect of temperature on the water balance, given by the calculation of potential evapotranspiration within it, which can be crucial in a context of global warming. We consider the seasonal forecasts provided by the Copernicus multi-system and we use the Brier Skill Score metric for the assessment of the performance. The objective is to understand potential predictability factors of these indices within the study area. The results show a positive performance for most of the areas examined, between 60 and 80 percent of the entire area for both indices. This led us to investigate possible optimization strategies to increase the skill in the area.
Using the multi-model approach we optimize the prediction skill obtaining considerable performance in forecasting drought conditions. Different multi-model strategies are compared, including the selection or aggregation of available forecasts to achieve the best overall performance in the area. We show that multi-model optimization can indeed provide valuable probabilistic predictions of seasonal drought events in many areas of the Euro-Mediterranean that could be useful for the decision-making process of the affected end users.
Do earthquakes start with precursory slow aseismic slip?
Authors: Bletery Quentin , Nocquet Jean-Mathieu
Published: March 2024

The existence of an observable precursory phase of aseismic slip on the faults before large earthquakes has been debated for decades. We conducted a global search for short-term precursory slip in GPS data. We summed the displacements measured by 3026 high-rate (5-minutes sample) GPS time series—projected onto the displacements expected from precursory slip at the hypocenter—during 48 hours before 90 (moment magnitude ≥7) earthquakes. Our approach revealed a ≈2-hour-long exponential acceleration of slip before the ruptures, suggesting that large earthquakes do start with a precursory phase of slip acceleration. The results have since been questioned as being due to an unfortunate combination of common mode noise in GPS time series. We investigate this possibility along with complementary tests to quantify the likelihood of the proposed pre-slip and the common mode hypotheses.
Toward Commissioning Solar Observations with MeerKAT: Opening a New Frontier in Solar Radio Physics
Authors: Oberoi Divya , Kansabanik Devojyoti , Gouws Marcel , Buchner Sarah , Mondal Surajit
Published: March 2024

Solar radio emissions provide several unique diagnostics tools of the solar corona, which are otherwise inaccessible. However, imaging the very dynamic coronal emissions spanning a large range of angular scales at radio wavelengths is extremely challenging. Due to large numbers of antennas, at GHz frequencies, MeerKAT radio telescope is possibly globally the best-suited instrument at present for providing high-fidelity spectroscopic snapshot solar images. At GHz frequencies the Sun has much higher flux density than any other astronomical sources in the sky. Hence, observing the Sun with sensitive radio telescopes like MeerKAT requires one to attenuate the solar signal suitably for optimum operation of the instrument. We embarked on our voyage of  MeerKAT solar observation using the sidelobes of the primary beam. The images show extremely good morphological similarities with the EUV images as well as the simulated radio images at MeerKAT frequencies demonstrating the high-fidelity of these images. Although this approach was successful, it is naturally better to observe the Sun in the main lobe of the primary beam using suitable attenuation in the signal chain to keep the system in the linear regime. We have been working towards this and will present the current status of our efforts toward commissionsing solar observations with the MeerKAT. Once commissioned, this will enable a host of novel studies, open the door to a large unexplored phase space with significant discovery potential, and also pave the way for solar science with the upcoming Square Kilometre Array-Mid telescope, for which MeerKAT is a precursor.
Understanding the long-term 4D Dynamics of the Seismic Velocity at Mount St Helens, WA, USA
Authors: Makus Peter , Denolle Marine , Sens-Schönfelder Christoph , Köpfli Manuela , Tilmann Frederik
Published: March 2024

Mt. St. Helens is an explosively erupting volcano located in close vicinity to major metropolitan centres on the US West Coast. In recent history, Mt. St. Helens (MSH) erupted twice, in 2004 and 1980, causing more than 50 fatalities and over one billion USD of damage. Here, we present a seismic velocity change time series (dv/v) of an unprecedented length covering the years 1998-2023 recovered from seismic ambient noise. We discuss challenges arising from the very heterogeneous nature of the dataset recorded on a variety of seismic stations and discuss methods to address them. To reconcile measurements from different periods, we rely on an approach that simultaneously normalises our measurements and allows us to locate our dv/v estimates in space. Finally, we compare our obtained results to a multitude of auxiliary measurements, including GPS, earthquake, and meteorological data.  By employing models that link dv/v to these mechanisms, we attempt to unravel the contribution of each mechanism to our velocity change estimate. At volcanoes like MSH, our ultimate goal is to reliably isolate the volcanic contribution to dv/v, thereby aiding the identification of potential volcanic precursors.
Understanding the paleogeographic evolution of the North Axial Channel, Southern North Sea 
Authors: Vervoort Morgan , Kyriakoudi Despina , Plets Ruth , Mestdagh Thomas , Missiaen Tine , De Batist Marc
Published: March 2024

During the last 500 000 years, ice sheets occupied parts of the North Sea during three major glaciations. The existence of these ice sheets was accompanied by a large fall in sea level, causing the Southern North Sea to emerge and become isolated from the Atlantic. In this area a complex drainage system was created by river water of the West-European rivers (e.g., Thames, Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt) and glacial meltwater. Furthermore, most offshore studies support the idea of the formation of large proglacial lakes in front of these ice sheets, which may have caused high-magnitude outburst floods at the end of each glacial period. The existence of such a proglacial lake is used in the argument that glacial outburst floods during the Elsterian (500-450 ka) created erosional features still preserved nowadays in the Dover Strait.A remnant of this large, complex fluvial and glacial drainage system is the (North) Axial Channel, a prominent geomorphological feature seen on the present-day sea floor of the Southern North Sea. Its formation and evolution, however, are still uncertain. Previous studies state that the Axial Channel forms the northern extension of the Lobourg Channel, located in the Strait of Dover, which was formed during Middle Miocene times. Further erosion is assumed to have occurred during the Pliocene and Pleistocene, as sediments within the Murray Pit (located in the Axial Channel, about 100 km northeast of the Lobourg Channel) are assumed to be Early Pliocene, and no Quaternary infilled sediments have been identified. A series of NE-SW oriented scarps are identifiable from bathymetric and seismic reflection data and have been attributed to different Pleistocene incisional events. However, currently only a relative chronology of potential events has been established, with large uncertainties. Understanding the paleogeographic changes that affected the region also increases the knowledge on how early humans may have settled in and/or migrated through the region. In the framework of the WALDO project (“Where are All the (proglacial) Lake seDiments in the NOrth Sea Basin?”), a survey has been conducted in October 2023 during which high-resolution geophysical data (multibeam bathymetry and backscatter, acoustic and seismic data) combined with ground-truth data (vibrocores) have been acquired. One of the reflection-seismic grids was conducted ~40 km east of the East of England coast, over the western edge of the North Axial Channel, where also four sediment cores were taken. Here, we present the first interpretation of these new data, which allow us to evaluate, update and improve the relative chronology of the formation of the (North) Axial Channel.  
Glaciological and meteorological monitoring at LTER sites Mullwitzkees and Venedigerkees, Austria, 2006–2022
Authors: Hartl Lea , Seiser Bernd , Stocker-Waldhuber Martin , Baldo Anna , Lauria Marcela Violeta , Fischer Andrea
Published: March 2024

Abstract. Glaciers in the Alps are losing mass at unprecedented and accelerating rates. Monitoring of glacier mass change as well as relevant atmospheric parameters plays an important role in improving understanding of local and downstream impacts. We present subseasonal, seasonal, and annual glaciological mass balance data and meteorological observations from Mullwitzkees and Venedigerkees, two glacier monitoring sites in the Hohe Tauern range of the Austrian Alps. Ablation stake networks were established on Mullwitzkees in 2006/07 and on Venedigerkees in 2011/12. Monitoring is ongoing. In addition to stake readings at subseasonal intervals, accumulation measurements (snow pits and probing) are carried out seasonally. The glaciological data set consists of subseasonal floating date measurements as well as fixed date seasonal and annual values. Fixed date glacier wide mass balance was derived from annual point mass balance values. Automatic weather stations measuring standard meteorological parameters were installed near Mullwitzkees and Venedigerkees in 2020 and 2019, respectively. Meteorological data is provided in 10 minute intervals. Uncertainties for individual point mass balance measurements were computed following the approach of the Swiss glacier monitoring service (GLAMOS), taking into account estimated density and reading errors. The subseasonal mass balance records highlight shorter term variability in mass loss and the linkage with meteorological conditions. The most negative annual point mass balance recorded in the period of record was -5.8 ± 0.66 m w.e. at an elevation of 2536 on Venedigerkees. 2022 stands out as the most negative mass balance year to date in both time series, particularly at higher elevations. The cumulative specific mass balance (glacier wide) over the period of record was -14.68 m w.e. at Mullwitzkees and -8.79 m w.e. at Venedigerkees. Data is available in PANGAEA publication series and the associated datasets. The main publication series are updated annually. The Mullwitzkees mass balance datasets can be found at: doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.965660 and doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.965719. The Venedigerkees data can be found at doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.965648 and doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.965729.
HBIM AND EXTENDED REALITY FOR CULTURAL MEDIATION OF HISTORICAL HERITAGE: A REVIEW
Authors: El Barhoumi N. , Hajji R.
Published: March 2024

Abstract. In the realm of Cultural Heritage, emergent technologies such as HBIM (Historical Building Information Modeling) and Extended Reality (XR) are becoming instrumental in creating immersive Virtual Heritage experiences. A review of relevant literature indicates that these technologies have been utilized to build 3D HBIM models and highlight them on immersive platforms for purposes of cultural dissemination and promotion. Technological progress now accommodates the assimilation of historical data via HBIM methodology, which opens avenues for novel communication forms and the distribution of information through extended reality techniques. This, in turn, ensures cultural mediation and heritage site promotion. This study aims to present a comprehensive survey of research surrounding the application of HBIM in heritage site preservation and management. Moreover, this paper intends to provide an overview of the concepts and the role of XR within HBIM, in supporting the cultural mediation and promotion of historical heritage. This research further delineates a pathway for future endeavours concerning the integration of XR technologies within the policies of architectural and built heritage conservation and assessment.
ENHANCEMENT OF UNDERWATER IMAGES WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Authors: Ertan Z. , Korkut B. , Gördük G. , Kulavuz B. , Bakırman T. , Bayram B.
Published: March 2024

Abstract. Camera systems using optical sensors have made great progress in recent years in obtaining underwater images. Very high-resolution images can be obtained with underwater cameras. However, it becomes difficult to process the image obtained due to many distorting factors such as inhomogeneous underwater lighting, low contrast, blur, sea snow. For this purpose, image enhancement algorithms are used to minimise the problems in the captured images. The physical characteristics of the underwater environment cause degradation effects that are not found in normal images captured in air. Due to the effects such as colour distortion, low contrast and brightness, blurred details in images captured in this type of environment, the usage area of these images is very limited. This project aims to use artificial intelligence methods for colour enhancement of underwater images. In addition, one of the main objectives of the project is to examine the effect of colour enhancement applied to images on other areas of use. Within the scope of the project, An Underwater Image Enhancement Benchmark Dataset and Beyond Dataset and Large Scale Underwater Image Dataset datasets were used. In our study, U-Shape Transformer architecture and Pix2Pix architecture were tested for their usability for image enhancement. According to the results obtained, Pix2Pix architecture achieved the highest accuracy. Accuracy results were obtained as 22.5884 and 0.8764 for PSNR and SSIM, respectively using UIEB dataset. The accuracy values for LSUI dataset are 25.1010 and 0.8440 for PSNR and SSIM, respectively.
SEMANTIC POINT CLOUD SEGMENTATION IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS WITH 1D CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORKS
Authors: González-Collazo S. M. , Canedo-González N. , González E. , Balado J.
Published: March 2024

Abstract. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have been widely recognized for their efficacy in image analysis tasks. This paper investigates the application of the 1D-CNN variant CNNs for the semantic segmentation of urban point clouds obtained through Mobile Laser Scanning. Ten well-known local geometric features of point clouds were used as input for the 1D CNN. Through an empirical analysis on the Santiago Urban Dataset, the 1D CNN was optimized in terms of numbers of convolution layers, neurons, pooling layers, dropout layers, dense layers, training epochs, and batch size. The performance of the proposed 1D CNN was compared with Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and PointNet++. Despite demonstrating a F1-score weighted at 70.3%, outperforming SVM but slightly lagging RF (71.6%) and significantly trailing PointNet++ (90.3%), the proposed 1D-CNN showcases a cost-effective potential for the segmentation of road and building classes. The relative computational requirements of the models were also discussed, highlighting the practical advantages and limitations of each approach.
DEEP LEARNING-BASED SCENE CLASSIFICATION OF VERY HIGH-RESOLUTION SATELLITE IMAGERY FOR POST-EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT: A CASE STUDY OF THE 2023 KAHRAMANMARAŞ EARTHQUAKES
Authors: Ilmak D. , Iban M. C. , Seker D. Z.
Published: March 2024

Abstract. Following the devastating earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş province, Türkiye, on February 6, 2023, which resulted in the loss of over 50,000 lives and damage to more than 84,000 buildings, the pressing need for efficient damage assessment and response became apparent. Traditional on-site assessments are time-consuming and perilous. Most existing research leans towards segmentation and object detection methods for earthquake damage assessment using remotely sensed data, which demand substantial training data, computational resources, and time. A more practical approach can be classifying image patches to identify earthquake-affected areas with damaged buildings. This scene classification method categorizes image patches based on their content. Remote sensing scene classification assigns labels to such images using deep learning various algorithms. In this work, we developed a fully automated system utilizing Maxar’s very high-resolution post-earthquake satellite imagery to classify and map the scenes (image patches) involving collapsed and non-collapsed buildings in Antakya and Iskenderun city centers. Our approach involved two key scene classifiers: Classifier #1, employing deep learning models like ResNet-101, effectively detected building presence within the image scene with remarkable accuracy (99.17%). This classifier served as the foundation for identifying the scenes involving buildings for entire city in order to filter the non-urban land use. Then, Classifier #2, classified building scenes into collapsed and non-collapsed categories. The DenseNet-121 model excelled, achieving an accuracy of 93.33% in this task. In the end, Classifier #2 categorized 2,429 non-collapsed and 449 collapsed scenes in Antakya and 2,291 non-collapsed and 290 collapsed scenes in Iskenderun.
WEBGPU: A NEW GRAPHIC API FOR 3D WEBGIS APPLICATIONS
Authors: Usta Z.
Published: March 2024

Abstract. As smart city applications increase today, the importance of web-based representations of data that serve as inputs for these applications, such as 3D city models and digital twins, is growing. Since 2011, GPU hardware has greatly advanced, and detailed 3DCMs and digital twins have increased the size of the data to be displayed, which in turn increases performance requirements. WebGL, which couldn’t fully harness the capabilities and power of modern GPUs, began to struggle to meet the increasing performance demands over time and become a bit outdated. Consequently, a new graphic API named WebGPU was developed by W3C as a response to limitations of WebGL and went live with Chrome 113. Now, we have a brand-new graphic API called WebGPU which harness the full power of modern GPUs and more performant than WebGL. As WebGPU is a new graphic API, its potential enhancements and what it can bring over WebGL in the terms of WebGIS have not been examined yet. Hence, the main idea and contribution of this work is to investigate WebGPU in real-world use cases for WebGIS applications and discuss what it brings over WebGL. For this purpose, a side-by-side performance comparison has been made. The comparisons have been made in the terms of API differences and performance. And finally, an experiment has been carried out how much data can be rendered can be rendered at minimum 60fps in both APIs. The experiments show that WebGPU is more low-level and way more performant than WebGL and it has a lot to offer in the terms of WebGIS applications.
Studies on Pre-cooling and Storage of Banana for Extension of Shelf Life
Authors: J.S. Doshi  , R. F. Sutar
Published: March 2024

Pre-cooling of banana can contribute to a great extent in increasing the shelf life. Banana bunches harvested at 3/4th of full maturity and hands with blemish free uniform fingers were cut, washed, weighed, marked and given precooling (forced air cooling, hydro-cooling, dipping each at 50C, 80C and 100C), waxed and control treatments. The temperature of cooling media and fruit pulp centre was measured. Immediately after pre-cooling, light drying and fungicidal application of Bavistin, the samples were shifted to three storage environments viz. ambient condition (30 ± 30C), zero energy cool chamber (25 ± 10C at 90 – 95 % RH), and cold storage (13.5 ± 0.50C, at 85-90 % RH). The stored samples were evaluated periodically for physiological loss in weight (PLW), spoilage, ripeness and quality (appearance, firmness, shrivelling). The wax treatment was better for banana storage at ambient temperature and in zero energy cool chamber, and at par with pre-cooling treatments for banana for cold storage. Only deciding factor was cost of waxing or pre-cooling versus shelf life extension. Pre-cooling of banana, by any of the three methods, at temperature of 50C, 80C or 100C gave additional 5 days of shelf life in cold storage. Alternatively, shelf life advantage of 3 days could also be obtained if pre-cooled using either forced air cooling or hydro cooling at temperature of 50C, 80C or 100C and stored under evaporative storage conditions.
Biodiesel Making from Waste Vegetable Oils: A Case Study of Lab to Plant Technology Transfer
Authors: N.G. Shah  , Shoyeb Khan  , S.M.Mahajani
Published: March 2024

Great deals of efforts are being made to promote bio-diesel as an environment-friendly alternative to the petrodiesel to meet the increasing demands. Two important issues which are hindering the dissemination of the technology are: raw material availability at an affordable cost, and the acceptable quality of the bio-diesel satisfying the BIS standards. The study was undertaken with the duel objectives to make bio-diesel from cheaper unconventional raw materials, as well as to demonstrate a process at a pilot plant scale at users’ site. Wastes of vegetable oil refining such as acid oil as well as waste cooking oils were processed for making biodiesel. Process reported here used esterification, followed by transesterification of oil using methanol, and a chosen catalyst. The processes were initially studied on laboratory scale conversion units (20 l/batch), which enabled to determine the process parameters for the pilot field-unit (400 l/batch). The process flow design, mass balance, process time for the batch processes were established and are reported along with the important fuel properties of biodiesel such as density, viscosity, moisture content and flash point. The technology has been demonstrated for its technical performance at a Village Industry Centre, where the bio-diesel produced is used in-situ for electricity generation.
Modelling of Milk Absorption Characteristics of Popped Gorgon Nut (Euryale ferox)
Authors: S N Jha  , Rajiv Sharma
Published: March 2024

The milk absorption kinetics of popped gorgon nut was studied at different soaking temperatures (30, 50, 70 and 90°C) and time interval of 5s up to 90 seconds. Nine model equations for each measured parameter viz milk absorption (g/g dry matter) and geometric mean diameter (mm) were fitted and compared using their coefficients of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE) and chi square (c2) to estimate the best fit. The quantity of milk absorbed was higher at 30°C than at any other soaking temperatures studied. The rate of absorption was initially much pronounced, and got declined at later stage. The geometric mean diameter increased linearly at all the soaking temperatures and time. The effect of temperature and time, individually or in combination (interactions) thereof, significantly affected the absorption characteristics of popped gorgon nut.
Performance Evaluation of a Cotton Heaping Machine
Authors: S.K. Shukla  , V.G. Arude  , Jyoti M. Nath  , P.G. Patil
Published: March 2024

A cotton loading/unloading machine for heaping operation was developed and evaluated for its capacity and fibre parameters. A centrifugal fan with open impeller was modified as Rembert fan by attaching a conical disc over the fan impeller. The major components of the machine were inlet flexible pipe, casing, impeller, perforated conical disc, electric motor, outlet GI pipe and trolley. Three conical discs of different perforation sizes were tested to optimize the output and efficiency of the developed machine. A conical disc with 3 mm perforation size was found as optimum size, without choking, for attachment at the inlet side of impeller. The capacity of the developed machine for heaping was 2400 kg cotton/h. The average fine trash content removal efficiency was 20.8 percent. No measurable fibre damage was observed during conveying of cotton.
Ergonomic Assessment of a Manual Fodder Cutter
Authors: Adarsh Kumar  , J K Singh  , Charanjit Singh
Published: March 2024

Experiments were conducted to determine the human energy expenditure in operating a manual chaff cutter. Three operators of different age groups were selected for the study. Three different types of fodder crops viz. maize, pearl millet and sorghum were selected for the experiments. Calibration was done for all the three operators on bicycle ergometer and calibration equations were determined. There was increase in energy expenditure with increase in feeding rate. Energy consumption was much higher than the sustainable level of 35% VO2 max for all the dry and green fodder. Specific energy increased with increase in diameter of stalk. Specific energy also varied with material, and was lower in case of dried material of similar diameter. There was mismatch between the energy expenditure by an operator and the energy requirement for cutting of the crops for sustainable operation.
Studies on Mechanical Washing of Ginger Rhizomes
Authors: E. Jayashree  , R. Visvanathan
Published: March 2024

Experiments on washing of ginger rhizomes in a rotary mechanical vegetable washer were conducted at three peripheral washing drum speeds of 2.83, 3.45 and 4.08 m.s-1 for three varying washing durations of 5, 10 and 15 min. The performance of ginger washer was evaluated based on bruise index, mechanical washing efficiency, microbial washing efficiency and colour of washed ginger. For microbial washing efficiency to be above 80%, washing speed of 3.45 m.s-1 for 5 min duration corresponding to microbial washing efficiency of 92% was considered as optimum. At the optimum washing condition, the bruise index and mechanical washing efficiency were 7.5% and 97.8%, respectively. The colour values ‘L’, ‘a’ and ‘b’ of ginger washed at optimized conditions were 46.34,
Evaluation of the MIKE SHE Model in a Cold Region
Authors: Shalini Oogathoo  , Shiv O. Prasher  , Ramesh P. Rudra  , Ramanbhai M. Patel
Published: March 2024

Given its rapid urbanization, the Canagagigue Creek watershed, located in Grand River Basin (Ontario, Canada), is subjected to shifting hydrological patterns. Consequently, surface runoff was simulated using a watershed-scale model MIKE SHE. The model was calibrated with four years of data and validated with another four years data. Satisfactory levels of overall correlation (R2) between monitored and model-simulated monthly runoff were: 0.87 and 0.77 for the calibration and validation periods, respectively. Corresponding values of the Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient, 0.86 and 0.75, were similar. The model was also used to simulate different management scenarios, urbanization, deforestation, conversion of pastureland into agriculture, diversification of corn system into cash crops, and application of tile drainage. Urbanization showed little impact on surface runoff as increase in urbanized area was a small fraction of the watershed area. Deforestation considerably increased (11%) the total flow. Change in cropping patterns and installation of drainage system had marginal impacts on the surface runoffs. Overall, the model was able to simulate surface runoff reasonably well on monthly and annual basis, although slightly poorer on daily basis. It was concluded that the model could be used to investigate hydrological behaviour of the watersheds in cold climate.
Effect of Moisture Content on Physical Properties of Black Pepper
Authors: Murlidhar Meghwal  , T K Goswami
Published: March 2024

Effect of moisture content on major physical properties of black pepper (Piper nigrum) was studied in moisture content range of 5 to 25% (db). It was observed that the physical properties viz., average length, width, thickness and equivalent diameter increased with increase in moisture content. The surface area, seed volume, thousand seed mass and true density increased from 66.67 to 72.52 mm2, 46.38 to 52.43 mm3, 47.34 to 54.44 g and 1108 to 1509 kg.m-3, respectively, with increase in moisture content. However, in case of sphericity and specific surface area of black pepper, reverse trend was obtained. Similarly, angle of repose, terminal velocity and porosity increased from 30.86° to 38.23°, 8.8 to 10.5 m.s-1 and 52 to 67%, respectively, with increase in moisture content. The bulk density increased initially from 534.6 to 562.8 kg.m-3, and then decreased from 562 to 504.6 kg.m-3 with increase in moisture content.
Hydraulic Performance of Drip Irrigation System with Municipal Wastewater
Authors: Vinod Kumar Tripathi  , T.B.S. Rajput  , Neelam Patel  , Lata
Published: March 2024

Generation of wastewater in huge amounts is putting a lot of pressure on irrigation engineers for its safe disposal or reuse in agriculture. Though wastewater could contribute to major and minor nutritional requirement of crops, but the presence of microbial contaminants and toxic elements limits its use. Utilization of wastewater for irrigation through drip irrigation system seems to be a good choice to reduce the chances of contamination due to restricted quantity of water application. Since clogging in such a situation would be the main problem, its remediation is required for enhanced utilization of wastewater through drip irrigation system. Physical and chemical characteristics of wastewater were determined and compared with ground water. While higher EC, pH, Mg, and carbonate were observed in ground water, wastewater contained higher turbidity, total solids, HCO3 , and Ca. Population of total coliforms (2.72x104 to 5.2x107) and E. coli. (1.8x103 to 2.64x106) were detected in wastewater. The hydraulic performance of drip emitters was studied for two years (2009 and 2010) with municipal wastewater and ground water using gravel media (F1), disk filter (F2) and combination of gravel and disk filters (F3). Filtration using F3 gave emitter discharge exponent close to 0.5 with R2 value of 0.99. Emitter flow rate decreased with increase in time of operation of the system. Coefficient of variation less than 4% with wastewater and ground water showed excellent performance in surface placed drip lateral after two years of operation. After filtration with F3, coefficient of variation (CVq) of 4.0 % with wastewater and 6.46 % with ground water was observed under subsurface (15 cm deep) placement of laterals.
Gasification of Crop Residue Briquettes in an Open Core Down-draft Gasifier
Authors: Devendra Pareek  , Sunil Narnaware  , Asim Joshi  , Vikas K. Verma
Published: March 2024

Gasification of crop residue briquettes was studied in an open core, throatless, down-draft gasifier of 1800 MJ.h-1 capacity. Briquettes of 25, 35 and 55 mm diameters were prepared using sugarcane baggase, cotton stalk and ground nut shell, separately, in a piston press briquetting machine. Series of experiments were conducted to study performance of the gasifier in terms of fuel consumption rate, calorific value of producer gas and gasification efficiency using briquettes of selected crop residue. The performance was compared with the performance data already available for babul wood. The gasifier was found working satisfactorily with the babul wood and briquettes of all the three crop residues of three sizes. The gasification efficiency was highest for groundnut shell briquettes, followed by babul wood, sugarcane baggase briquettes and cotton stalk briquettes. The study revealed that clinker formation was lower and calorific value of the gas higher for gasification of smaller sized biomass briquettes.
Studies on Some Engineering Properties of Peanut Pod and Kernel
Authors: S. Balasubramanian  , R. Sharma  , V. Sardana
Published: March 2024

Physical properties viz. dimension (D1, D2, D3), arithmetic mean diameter (AMD), geometric mean diameter (GMD), square mean diameter (SMD), equivalent diameter (EQD), sphericity (Sp) and aspect ratio (AR) of nine different varieties of peanut and its kernel were determined at the moisture content of 4.5±1% db. Dimensions D1,D2,D3 varied between 16.8-34.6, 11.04-14.9, 11.0-14.4 mm for peanut pod, and 11.9-19.8, 8.03-11.65 and 6.82-9.96 mm for peanut kernel, respectively. AMD, GMD, SMD and EQD were 15.9-21.2, 14.6-19.4, 26.1-34.9 and 18.9-25.2 mm for peanut pod and 8.9-13.5, 8.7-12.8, 15.2-22.8 and 10.9-16.4 mm for peanut kernel, respectively. Sp and AR ranged between 0.6-0.7 and 0.4-0.7 for peanut pod and its kernel, respectively. Bulk density for peanut pod and its kernel were 199-329 and 443-619 g/ml, respectively. Thousand kernel mass of nine varieties studied were lowest for M4 (158 g) and highest for IC2 (1594 g) for peanut pod, and lowest for S1 (446 g) and highest for IC2 (784)
Irrigation Performance Assessment in Krishna Western Delta Using Remote Sensing and GIS
Authors: L. M. Nagendra Kumar M  , D. Sai Gangadhara Rao  , P. Venu  , H. V. Hema Kumar  , P. R. K. Prasad
Published: March 2024

Satellite provides a convenient platform to observe earth features, capable of giving spatial data, which is continuous in nature. Satellite imageries at regular intervals are useful in generating information on the status of irrigation commands at different time intervals for performance evaluation. The present study was carried out in Krishna Western Delta (KWD), with the data of IRS P6 (Resource Sat-I) LISS III to evaluate the overall performance of irrigation during Kharif 2005 in Modukur command using performance indicators and comparing with historical values using Earth Resource Data Analysis System (ERDAS) 9.0 and Model Crop Irrigation Water Requirement (CRIWAR). Irrigation performance assessment was judged by arriving at different performance indicators like uniformity of water application index (2.11-3.26) indicating highly non-uniform water distribution and water
Design, Development and Evaluation of Barnyard Millet Dehuller
Authors: K.P. Singh  , H.N. Mishra  , S. Saha
Published: March 2024

Barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea L.), is presently dehulled manually. A 40-50 kg/h capacity dehuller driven by a 3.7 PS electric motor was designed, developed and optimized for process and machine parameters. The dehulling efficiency of 88.3±2.8% with 6.1±1.1% broken grain were obtained at optimized machine parameters (9 canvas strips over periphery of impeller and over hanging 3 mm width of canvas strip) and process parameters
Effect of In-situ Soil Moisture Conservation Practices on Growth, Moisture Use Efficiency and Kusmi Lac Yield of Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) under Rainfed Condition in Jharkhand
Authors: R.K. Singh  , Balram Singh  , Bangali Baboo
Published: March 2024

Soil moisture conservation practices have favourable effect on surface soil moisture conditions and consequently on the crop growth. For commercial lac host plants, which are generally grown under rainfed condition, the importance of soil moisture conservation remains high especially during its establishment stage. A field experiment was carried out at Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums Farm, Ranchi, during 2005-2009 to find out the effect of different in-situ soil moisture conservation practices on plant growth and kusmi winter season lac yield of ber (Ziziphus mauritiana), which is one of the most important lac hosts alongside kusum (Schleichera oleosa) and palas (Butea monosperma). The moisture conservation treatments imposed were: half moon terracing, mulching with locally available grasses, compartmental bunding, cover crop (black gram)
Modelling of Thermal Environment in Covered and Plinth Storage of Wheat as Effect of Colour of Plastic Sheet
Authors: Dilip Jain  , R.T. Patil
Published: March 2024

Traditional temporary storage methods used for crops are Cover-and-plinth (CAP), flexible silos, pit storage and bunker storage. The CAP is commonly adopted in India for storage of bumper crops. In India, about 16.8 Mt of wheat grains are stored in CAP storage due to insufficient indoor storage facilities. Black coloured plastic covers (250 micron) are used for CAP storage structures, which are exposed to open sun, get heated up due to characteristics of black colour resulting in build up of higher temperature of air surrounding the grain and higher grain temperatures. A solar energy based thermal model was developed for predicting wheat grain temperature while stored in CAP. The model was solved for the climatic conditions representing northern India (Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh). Around 10 to 12°C rise in yearly grain temperature from mean monthly ambient temperature could be observed with black cover. The model was validated with the two months of experimental data of CAP storage with black cover, which showed fair agreement with the experimental values. A white colour plastic cover was proposed with simulated results indicating to reduce the grain temperature by 6 to 8 oC.