Stochastic characteristics of different duration annual maximum rainfall and its spatial difference in China based on information entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X.; Sang, Y. F.

2017-12-01

Mountain torrents, urban floods and other disasters caused by extreme precipitation bring great losses to the ecological environment, social and economic development, people's lives and property security. So there is of great significance to floods prevention and control by the study of its spatial distribution. Based on the annual maximum rainfall data of 60min, 6h and 24h, the paper generate long sequences following Pearson-III distribution, and then use the information entropy index to study the spatial distribution and difference of different duration. The results show that the information entropy value of annual maximum rainfall in the south region is greater than that in the north region, indicating more obvious stochastic characteristics of annual maximum rainfall in the latter. However, the spatial distribution of stochastic characteristics is different in different duration. For example, stochastic characteristics of 60min annual maximum rainfall in the Eastern Tibet is smaller than surrounding, but 6h and 24h annual maximum rainfall is larger than surrounding area. In the Haihe River Basin and the Huaihe River Basin, the stochastic characteristics of the 60min annual maximum rainfall was not significantly different from that in the surrounding area, and stochastic characteristics of 6h and 24h was smaller than that in the surrounding area. We conclude that the spatial distribution of information entropy values of annual maximum rainfall in different duration can reflect the spatial distribution of its stochastic characteristics, thus the results can be an importantly scientific basis for the flood prevention and control, agriculture, economic-social developments and urban flood control and waterlogging.

Identification of "ever-cropped" land (1984-2010) using Landsat annual maximum NDVI image composites: Southwestern Kansas case study.

PubMed

Maxwell, Susan K; Sylvester, Kenneth M

2012-06-01

A time series of 230 intra- and inter-annual Landsat Thematic Mapper images was used to identify land that was ever cropped during the years 1984 through 2010 for a five county region in southwestern Kansas. Annual maximum Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) image composites (NDVI(ann-max)) were used to evaluate the inter-annual dynamics of cropped and non-cropped land. Three feature images were derived from the 27-year NDVI(ann-max) image time series and used in the classification: 1) maximum NDVI value that occurred over the entire 27 year time span (NDVI(max)), 2) standard deviation of the annual maximum NDVI values for all years (NDVI(sd)), and 3) standard deviation of the annual maximum NDVI values for years 1984-1986 (NDVI(sd84-86)) to improve Conservation Reserve Program land discrimination.Results of the classification were compared to three reference data sets: County-level USDA Census records (1982-2007) and two digital land cover maps (Kansas 2005 and USGS Trends Program maps (1986-2000)). Area of ever-cropped land for the five counties was on average 11.8 % higher than the area estimated from Census records. Overall agreement between the ever-cropped land map and the 2005 Kansas map was 91.9% and 97.2% for the Trends maps. Converting the intra-annual Landsat data set to a single annual maximum NDVI image composite considerably reduced the data set size, eliminated clouds and cloud-shadow affects, yet maintained information important for discriminating cropped land. Our results suggest that Landsat annual maximum NDVI image composites will be useful for characterizing land use and land cover change for many applications.

On the Trend of the Annual Mean, Maximum, and Minimum Temperature and the Diurnal Temperature Range in the Armagh Observatory, Northern Ireland, Dataset, 1844 -2012

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert M.

2013-01-01

Examined are the annual averages, 10-year moving averages, decadal averages, and sunspot cycle (SC) length averages of the mean, maximum, and minimum surface air temperatures and the diurnal temperature range (DTR) for the Armagh Observatory, Northern Ireland, during the interval 1844-2012. Strong upward trends are apparent in the Armagh surface-air temperatures (ASAT), while a strong downward trend is apparent in the DTR, especially when the ASAT data are averaged by decade or over individual SC lengths. The long-term decrease in the decadaland SC-averaged annual DTR occurs because the annual minimum temperatures have risen more quickly than the annual maximum temperatures. Estimates are given for the Armagh annual mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures and the DTR for the current decade (2010-2019) and SC24.

24 CFR 883.604 - Maximum annual commitment and project account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... annual commitment. The maximum annual contribution that may be contracted for in the ACC is the total of... annual commitment exceeds the amount actually paid out under the ACC each year. Payments will be made... specifically approved by the Secretary. (2) Whenever a HUD-approved estimate of required payments under the ACC...

24 CFR 883.604 - Maximum annual commitment and project account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... annual commitment. The maximum annual contribution that may be contracted for in the ACC is the total of... annual commitment exceeds the amount actually paid out under the ACC each year. Payments will be made... specifically approved by the Secretary. (2) Whenever a HUD-approved estimate of required payments under the ACC...

Scarcity of ecosystem services: an experimental manipulation of declining pollination rates and its economic consequences for agriculture.

PubMed

Sandhu, Harpinder; Waterhouse, Benjamin; Boyer, Stephane; Wratten, Steve

2016-01-01

Ecosystem services (ES) such as pollination are vital for the continuous supply of food to a growing human population, but the decline in populations of insect pollinators worldwide poses a threat to food and nutritional security. Using a pollinator (honeybee) exclusion approach, we evaluated the impact of pollinator scarcity on production in four brassica fields, two producing hybrid seeds and two producing open-pollinated ones. There was a clear reduction in seed yield as pollination rates declined. Open-pollinated crops produced significantly higher yields than did the hybrid ones at all pollination rates. The hybrid crops required at least 0.50 of background pollination rates to achieve maximum yield, whereas in open-pollinated crops, 0.25 pollination rates were necessary for maximum yield. The total estimated economic value of pollination services provided by honeybees to the agricultural industry in New Zealand is NZD $1.96 billion annually. This study indicates that loss of pollination services can result in significant declines in production and have serious implications for the market economy in New Zealand. Depending on the extent of honeybee population decline, and assuming that results in declining pollination services, the estimated economic loss to New Zealand agriculture could be in the range of NZD $295-728 million annually.

Scarcity of ecosystem services: an experimental manipulation of declining pollination rates and its economic consequences for agriculture

PubMed Central

Waterhouse, Benjamin; Wratten, Steve

2016-01-01

Ecosystem services (ES) such as pollination are vital for the continuous supply of food to a growing human population, but the decline in populations of insect pollinators worldwide poses a threat to food and nutritional security. Using a pollinator (honeybee) exclusion approach, we evaluated the impact of pollinator scarcity on production in four brassica fields, two producing hybrid seeds and two producing open-pollinated ones. There was a clear reduction in seed yield as pollination rates declined. Open-pollinated crops produced significantly higher yields than did the hybrid ones at all pollination rates. The hybrid crops required at least 0.50 of background pollination rates to achieve maximum yield, whereas in open-pollinated crops, 0.25 pollination rates were necessary for maximum yield. The total estimated economic value of pollination services provided by honeybees to the agricultural industry in New Zealand is NZD $1.96 billion annually. This study indicates that loss of pollination services can result in significant declines in production and have serious implications for the market economy in New Zealand. Depending on the extent of honeybee population decline, and assuming that results in declining pollination services, the estimated economic loss to New Zealand agriculture could be in the range of NZD $295–728 million annually. PMID:27441108

Moderate climate signature in cranial anatomy of late holocene human populations from Southern South America.

PubMed

Paula Menéndez, Lumila

2018-02-01

The aim of this study is to analyze the association between cranial variation and climate in order to discuss their role during the diversification of southern South American populations. Therefore, the specific objectives are: (1) to explore the spatial pattern of cranial variation with regard to the climatic diversity of the region, and (2) to evaluate the differential impact that the climatic factors may have had on the shape and size of the diverse cranial structures studied. The variation in shape and size of 361 crania was studied, registering 62 3D landmarks that capture shape and size variation in the face, cranial vault, and base. Mean, minimum, and maximum annual temperature, as well as mean annual precipitation, but also diet and altitude, were matched for each population sample. A PCA, as well as spatial statistical techniques, including kriging, regression, and multimodel inference were employed. The facial skeleton size presents a latitudinal pattern which is partially associated with temperature diversity. Both diet and altitude are the variables that mainly explain the skull shape variation, although mean annual temperature also plays a role. The association between climate factors and cranial variation is low to moderate, mean annual temperature explains almost 40% of the entire skull, facial skeleton and cranial vault shape variation, while annual precipitation and minimum annual temperature only contribute to the morphological variation when considered together with maximum annual temperature. The cranial base is the structure less associated with climate diversity. These results suggest that climate factors may have had a partial impact on the facial and vault shape, and therefore contributed moderately to the diversification of southern South American populations, while diet and altitude might have had a stronger impact. Therefore, cranial variation at the southern cone has been shaped both by random and nonrandom factors. Particularly, the influence of climate on skull shape has probably been the result of directional selection. This study supports that, although cranial vault is the cranial structure more associated to mean annual temperature, the impact of climate signature on morphology decreases when populations from extreme cold environments are excluded from the analysis. Additionally, it shows that the extent of the geographical scales analyzed, as well as differential sampling may lead to different results regarding the role of ecological factors and evolutionary processes on cranial morphology. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Trends in annual minimum exposed snow and ice cover in High Mountain Asia from MODIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rittger, Karl; Brodzik, Mary J.; Painter, Thomas H.; Racoviteanu, Adina; Armstrong, Richard; Dozier, Jeff

2016-04-01

Though a relatively short record on climatological scales, data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) from 2000-2014 can be used to evaluate changes in the cryosphere and provide a robust baseline for future observations from space. We use the MODIS Snow Covered Area and Grain size (MODSCAG) algorithm, based on spectral mixture analysis, to estimate daily fractional snow and ice cover and the MODICE Persistent Ice (MODICE) algorithm to estimate the annual minimum snow and ice fraction (fSCA) for each year from 2000 to 2014 in High Mountain Asia. We have found that MODSCAG performs better than other algorithms, such as the Normalized Difference Index (NDSI), at detecting snow. We use MODICE because it minimizes false positives (compared to maximum extents), for example, when bright soils or clouds are incorrectly classified as snow, a common problem with optical satellite snow mapping. We analyze changes in area using the annual MODICE maps of minimum snow and ice cover for over 15,000 individual glaciers as defined by the Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI) Version 5, focusing on the Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Upper Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra River basins. For each glacier with an area of at least 1 km2 as defined by RGI, we sum the total minimum snow and ice covered area for each year from 2000 to 2014 and estimate the trends in area loss or gain. We find the largest loss in annual minimum snow and ice extent for 2000-2014 in the Brahmaputra and Ganges with 57% and 40%, respectively, of analyzed glaciers with significant losses (p-value<0.05). In the Upper Indus River basin, we see both gains and losses in minimum snow and ice extent, but more glaciers with losses than gains. Our analysis shows that a smaller proportion of glaciers in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya are experiencing significant changes in minimum snow and ice extent (3.5% and 12.2%), possibly because more of the glaciers in this region are smaller than 1 km2 than in the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra making analysis from MODIS (pixel area ~0.25 km2) difficult. Overall, we see 23% of the glaciers in the 5 river basins with significant trends (in either direction). We relate these changes in area to topography and climate to understand the driving processes related to these changes. In addition to annual minimum snow and ice cover, the MODICE algorithm also provides the date of minimum fSCA for each pixel. To determine whether the surface was snow or ice we use the date of minimum fSCA from MODICE to index daily maps of snow on ice (SOI), or exposed glacier ice (EGI) and systematically derive an equilibrium line altitude (ELA) for each year from 2000-2014. We test this new algorithm in the Upper Indus basin and produce annual estimates of ELA. For the Upper Indus basin we are deriving annual ELAs that range from 5350 m to 5450 m which is slightly higher than published values of 5200 m for this region.

Analysis of trends in selected streamflow statistics for the Concho River Basin, Texas, 1916-2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barbie, Dana L.; Wehmeyer, Loren L.; May, Jayne E.

2012-01-01

Six U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations were selected for analysis. Streamflow-gaging station 08128000 South Concho River at Christoval has downward trends for annual maximum daily discharge and annual instantaneous peak discharge for the combined period 1931-95, 2002-9. Streamflow-gaging station 08128400 Middle Concho River above Tankersley has downward trends for annual maximum daily discharge and annual instantaneous peak discharge for the combined period 1962-95, 2002-9. Streamflow-gaging station 08128500 Middle Concho River near Tankersley has no significant trends in the streamflow statistics considered for the period 1931-60. Streamflow-gaging station 08134000 North Concho River near Carlsbad has downward trends for annual mean daily discharge, annual 7-day minimum daily discharge, annual maximum daily discharge, and annual instantaneous peak discharge for the period 1925-2009. Streamflow-gaging stations 08136000 Concho River at San Angelo and 08136500 Concho River at Paint Rock have downward trends for 1916-2009 for all streamflow statistics calculated, but streamflow-gaging station 08136000 Concho River at San Angelo has an upward trend for annual maximum daily discharge during 1964-2009. The downward trends detected during 1916-2009 for the Concho River at San Angelo are not unexpected because of three reservoirs impounding and profoundly regulating streamflow.

Intra- and interannual dynamics of dinoflagellate bloom species in the James River, an urban tidal estuary in Virginia, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Echevarria, M. A.; Mulholland, M. R.; Filippino, K.; Egerton, T.

2016-02-01

Algal blooms occur throughout the year in the tidal tributaries of Chesapeake Bay. The James River is the largest river in Virginia and third largest tributary of the Bay. Of the nearly 1500 species found in the estuary, two dinoflagellates; Heterocapsa triquetra and Cochlodinium polykrikoides have historically formed large seasonal algal blooms in spring and summer respectively, lasting several weeks to months annually. Additionally, the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium monilatum has emerged as an annual late summer bloom producer with increasing abundance in the region over the last nine years. These blooms have occurred in the lower James River, including meso- and polyhaline waters. Presented here are comparisons of the temporal and spatial extent and magnitude of these three dinoflagellate species over a two-year period (2014-2015). In 2014 dinoflagellate abundance was low compared to prior years. In contrast, massive spring and summer blooms occurred in 2015 with extended durations. In 2015, H. triquetra reached a maximum concentration of >84,000 cells/ml, with densities >103 cells/mL observed over a six week period, compared to no visible bloom the year before and a maximum of only 6200 cells/ml. Similarly in 2015, C. polykrikoides reached maximum cell densities of >41,000 cells/ml, with densities >103 cells/mL observed over a seven week period, compared to a maximum the year before of <11,000 cells/ml. A. monilatum reached a maximum of >7,500 cells/ml over a three week period in August 2015, with no bloom recorded in 2014. Multiple environmental parameters likely contributed to the interannual variability in bloom formation and duration. Temperature appeared to be a significant factor, with cooler than average surface water during the summer of 2014. In addition, the effect of prevailing wind patterns, precipitation, salinity, nutrient concentrations and sediment re-suspension were examined.

Remotely Sensed Spatio-Temporal Variability of Snow Cover in Himalayan Region with Perspective of Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhakal, S.; Ojha, S.

2017-12-01

Climate change and its impact of water resource have gained tremendous attention among scientific committee, governments and other stakeholders since last couple of decades, especially in Himalayan region. In this study, we purpose remotely sensed measurements to monitor snow cover, both spatially and temporal, and assess climate change impact on water resource. The snow cover data from MODIS satellite (2000-2010) have been used to analyze some climate change indicators. In particular, the variability in the maximum snow extent with elevations, its temporal variability (8-day, monthly, seasonal and annual), its variation trend and its relation with temperature have been analyzed. The snow products used in this study are the maximum snow extent and fractional snow covers, which come in 8-day temporal and 500m and 0.05 degree spatial resolutions, respectively. The results showed a tremendous potential of the MODIS snow product for studying the spatial and temporal variability of snow as well as the study of climate change impact in large and inaccessible regions like the Himalayas. The snow area extent (SAE) (%) time series exhibits similar patterns during seven hydrological years, even though there are some deviations in the accumulation and melt periods. The analysis showed relatively well inverse relation between the daily mean temperature and SAE during the melting period. Some important trends of snow fall are also observed. In particular, the decreasing trend in January and increasing trend in late winter and early spring may be interpreted as a signal of a possible seasonal shift. However, it requires more years of data to verify this conclusion.

7 CFR 4280.126 - Guarantee/annual renewal fee percentages.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Guarantee/annual renewal fee percentages. 4280.126... renewal fee percentages. (a) Fee ceilings. The maximum guarantee fee that may be charged is 1 percent. The maximum annual renewal fee that may be charged is 0.5 percent. The Agency will establish each year the...

Evaluating the relationship between wildfire extent and nitrogen dry deposition in a boreal forest in interior Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagano, Hirohiko; Iwata, Hiroki

2017-03-01

Alaska wildfires may play an important role in nitrogen (N) dry deposition in Alaskan boreal forests. Here we used annual N dry deposition data measured by CASTNET at Denali National Park (DEN417) during 1999-2013, to evaluate the relationships between wildfire extent and N dry deposition in Alaska. We established six potential factors for multiple regression analysis, including burned area within 100 km of DEN417 (BA100km) and in other distant parts of Alaska (BAAK), the sum of indexes of North Atlantic Oscillation and Arctic Oscillation (OI), number of days with negative OI (OIday), precipitation (PRCP), and number of days with PRCP (PRCPday). Multiple regression analysis was conducted for both time scales, annual (using only annual values of factors) and six-month (using annual values of BAAK and BA100km, and fire and non-fire seasons' values of other four factors) time scales. Together, BAAK, BA100km, and OIday, along with PRCPday in the case of the six-month scale, explained more than 92% of the interannual variation in N dry deposition. The influence of BA100km on N dry deposition was ten-fold greater than from BAAK; the qualitative contribution was almost zero, however, due to the small BA100km. BAAK was the leading explanatory factor, with a 15 ± 14% contribution. We further calculated N dry deposition during 1950-2013 using the obtained regression equation and long-term records for the factors. The N dry deposition calculated for 1950-2013 revealed that an increased occurrence of wildfires during the 2000s led to the maximum N dry deposition exhibited during this decade. As a result, the effect of BAAK on N dry deposition remains sufficiently large, even when large possible uncertainties (>40%) in the measurement of N dry deposition are taken into account for the multiple regression analysis.

Response of Vegetation Greenness to Climate Change in Meadows of the Sierra Nevada Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Kaenel, M.

2016-12-01

Wet meadows in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range provide crucial ecological and hydrological services such as groundwater recharge and habitat to both wildlife and human communities, yet they are one of the most at-risk landscapes of the Sierra Nevada, with 40-60% of meadows impacted by degradation. These meadows also face the threat of global climate warming, which will bring earlier snowmelt and a greater proportion of precipitation as rain rather than snow in the Sierra Nevada, leading to shifts in the hydrology that governs meadow health and function. To assess the vulnerability of meadows to potential climate-driven degradation, this research relied on remote sensing to track maximum annual vegetation greenness as an indicator for vegetation health and consequentially meadow function in 2,512 Sierra Nevada meadows from 1989 to 2015, and correlated these fluctuations with changes in local climate. Peak snow water content, April 1st snowpack depth, and total annual precipitation are all positively correlated with maximum meadow greenness, with precipitation being the best predictor of greenness. The extent to which meadow greenness varies with changes in climate differs significantly across elevation, latitude, vegetation type, and dominant rock type. Based on data-derived sensitivities, I conclude that restoration should be prioritized in grassland meadows and meadows at high elevations, due to their high vulnerability to changes in climate and a high risk of global warming induced hydrological shifts.

Twenty-four year record of Northern Hemisphere snow cover derived from passive microwave remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, Richard L.; Brodzik, Mary Jo

2003-04-01

Snow cover is an important variable for climate and hydrologic models due to its effects on energy and moisture budgets. Seasonal snow can cover more than 50% of the Northern Hemisphere land surface during the winter resulting in snow cover being the land surface characteristic responsible for the largest annual and interannual differences in albedo. Passive microwave satellite remote sensing can augment measurements based on visible satellite data alone because of the ability to acquire data through most clouds or during darkness as well as to provide a measure of snow depth or water equivalent. It is now possible to monitor the global fluctuation of snow cover over a 24 year period using passive microwave data (Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) 1978-1987 and Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I), 1987-present). Evaluation of snow extent derived from passive microwave algorithms is presented through comparison with the NOAA Northern Hemisphere snow extent data. For the period 1978 to 2002, both passive microwave and visible data sets show a smiliar pattern of inter-annual variability, although the maximum snow extents derived from the microwave data are consistently less than those provided by the visible statellite data and the visible data typically show higher monthly variability. During shallow snow conditions of the early winter season microwave data consistently indicate less snow-covered area than the visible data. This underestimate of snow extent results from the fact that shallow snow cover (less than about 5.0 cm) does not provide a scattering signal of sufficient strength to be detected by the algorithms. As the snow cover continues to build during the months of January through March, as well as on into the melt season, agreement between the two data types continually improves. This occurs because as the snow becomes deeper and the layered structure more complex, the negative spectral gradient driving the passive microwave algorithm is enhanced. Trends in annual averages are similar, decreasing at rates of approximately 2% per decade. The only region where the passive microwave data consistently indicate snow and the visible data do not is over the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding mountain areas. In the effort to determine the accuracy of the microwave algorithm over this region we are acquiring surface snow observations through a collaborative study with CAREERI/Lanzhou. In order to provide an optimal snow cover product in the future, we are developing a procedure that blends snow extent maps derived from MODIS data with snow water equivalent maps derived from both SSM/I and AMSR.

Floods in Central Texas, September 7-14, 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winters, Karl E.

2012-01-01

Severe flooding occurred near the Austin metropolitan area in central Texas September 7–14, 2010, because of heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Hermine. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Upper Brushy Creek Water Control and Improvement District, determined rainfall amounts and annual exceedance probabilities for rainfall resulting in flooding in Bell, Williamson, and Travis counties in central Texas during September 2010. We documented peak streamflows and the annual exceedance probabilities for peak streamflows recorded at several streamflow-gaging stations in the study area. The 24-hour rainfall total exceeded 12 inches at some locations, with one report of 14.57 inches at Lake Georgetown. Rainfall probabilities were estimated using previously published depth-duration frequency maps for Texas. At 4 sites in Williamson County, the 24-hour rainfall had an annual exceedance probability of 0.002. Streamflow measurement data and flood-peak data from U.S. Geological Survey surface-water monitoring stations (streamflow and reservoir gaging stations) are presented, along with a comparison of September 2010 flood peaks to previous known maximums in the periods of record. Annual exceedance probabilities for peak streamflow were computed for 20 streamflow-gaging stations based on an analysis of streamflow-gaging station records. The annual exceedance probability was 0.03 for the September 2010 peak streamflow at the Geological Survey's streamflow-gaging stations 08104700 North Fork San Gabriel River near Georgetown, Texas, and 08154700 Bull Creek at Loop 360 near Austin, Texas. The annual exceedance probability was 0.02 for the peak streamflow for Geological Survey's streamflow-gaging station 08104500 Little River near Little River, Texas. The lack of similarity in the annual exceedance probabilities computed for precipitation and streamflow might be attributed to the small areal extent of the heaviest rainfall over these and the other gaged watersheds.

Flood frequency analysis for nonstationary annual peak records in an urban drainage basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Villarini, G.; Smith, J.A.; Serinaldi, F.; Bales, J.; Bates, P.D.; Krajewski, W.F.

2009-01-01

Flood frequency analysis in urban watersheds is complicated by nonstationarities of annual peak records associated with land use change and evolving urban stormwater infrastructure. In this study, a framework for flood frequency analysis is developed based on the Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale and Shape parameters (GAMLSS), a tool for modeling time series under nonstationary conditions. GAMLSS is applied to annual maximum peak discharge records for Little Sugar Creek, a highly urbanized watershed which drains the urban core of Charlotte, North Carolina. It is shown that GAMLSS is able to describe the variability in the mean and variance of the annual maximum peak discharge by modeling the parameters of the selected parametric distribution as a smooth function of time via cubic splines. Flood frequency analyses for Little Sugar Creek (at a drainage area of 110 km2) show that the maximum flow with a 0.01-annual probability (corresponding to 100-year flood peak under stationary conditions) over the 83-year record has ranged from a minimum unit discharge of 2.1 m3 s- 1 km- 2 to a maximum of 5.1 m3 s- 1 km- 2. An alternative characterization can be made by examining the estimated return interval of the peak discharge that would have an annual exceedance probability of 0.01 under the assumption of stationarity (3.2 m3 s- 1 km- 2). Under nonstationary conditions, alternative definitions of return period should be adapted. Under the GAMLSS model, the return interval of an annual peak discharge of 3.2 m3 s- 1 km- 2 ranges from a maximum value of more than 5000 years in 1957 to a minimum value of almost 8 years for the present time (2007). The GAMLSS framework is also used to examine the links between population trends and flood frequency, as well as trends in annual maximum rainfall. These analyses are used to examine evolving flood frequency over future decades. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd.

Annual, semi-annual and ter-annual variations of gravity wave momentum flux in 13 years of SABER data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Dan; Preusse, Peter; Ern, Manfred; Strube, Cornelia

2017-04-01

In this study, the variations at different time scales such as the annual cycle, the semiannual oscillation (SAO), the ter-annual cycle (about four monthly) and the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in zonal mean GW amplitudes and GW momentum flux (GWMF) have been investigated using satellite observations from 2002-2014 and combining ECMWF high resolution data with the GORGRAT model. The global distribution (patterns) of spectral amplitudes of GW momentum flux in stratosphere and mesosphere (from 30 km to 90 km) show that the annual cycle is the most predominant variation, and then are SAO, ter-annual cycle and QBO. For annual components, two relatively isolated amplitude maxima appear in each hemisphere: a subtropical maximum is associated with convective sources in summer, a mid and high latitude maximum is associated with the polar vortex in winter. In the subtropics, GWs propagate upward obliquely to the higher latitudes. The winter maximum in the southern hemisphere has larger momentum flux than that one in the northern hemisphere. While on the SH the phase (i.e. time corresponding to the maximum GWMF) continuously descends with the maximum in July in the upper mesosphere and in September in the lower stratosphere, on the northern hemisphere, the phase has no visible altitude dependence with a maximum in December. For semiannual variations, in the MLT (70-80 km) region, there is an obvious enhancement of spectral amplitude at equatorial latitudes which relate to the dissipation of convectively forced GWs. The SAO in absolute momentum flux and the annual cycle in zonal momentum flux indicated that the variations at mid-latitudes (about from 30°-40°) are not a SAO signals but rather an annual cycle when the direction of GWMF is considered. The ter-annual cycle may be related to the duration of active convection in subtropical latitudes (from June to Sep. in north hemisphere) Indications for QBO are found latitude extension to mid-latitudes in stratosphere of both hemispheres and equatorial mesopause. Using these four dominant components of time scales and performing sinusoidal fits of GWMF we find that the patterns also at high latitudes are consistent with the range of 50°S to 50°N continuously covered by SABER.

Quantification of surface water volume changes in the Mackenzie Delta using satellite multi-mission data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Normandin, Cassandra; Frappart, Frédéric; Lubac, Bertrand; Bélanger, Simon; Marieu, Vincent; Blarel, Fabien; Robinet, Arthur; Guiastrennec-Faugas, Léa

2018-02-01

Quantification of surface water storage in extensive floodplains and their dynamics are crucial for a better understanding of global hydrological and biogeochemical cycles. In this study, we present estimates of both surface water extent and storage combining multi-mission remotely sensed observations and their temporal evolution over more than 15 years in the Mackenzie Delta. The Mackenzie Delta is located in the northwest of Canada and is the second largest delta in the Arctic Ocean. The delta is frozen from October to May and the recurrent ice break-up provokes an increase in the river's flows. Thus, this phenomenon causes intensive floods along the delta every year, with dramatic environmental impacts. In this study, the dynamics of surface water extent and volume are analysed from 2000 to 2015 by combining multi-satellite information from MODIS multispectral images at 500 m spatial resolution and river stages derived from ERS-2 (1995-2003), ENVISAT (2002-2010) and SARAL (since 2013) altimetry data. The surface water extent (permanent water and flooded area) peaked in June with an area of 9600 km2 (±200 km2) on average, representing approximately 70 % of the delta's total surface. Altimetry-based water levels exhibit annual amplitudes ranging from 4 m in the downstream part to more than 10 m in the upstream part of the Mackenzie Delta. A high overall correlation between the satellite-derived and in situ water heights (R > 0.84) is found for the three altimetry missions. Finally, using altimetry-based water levels and MODIS-derived surface water extents, maps of interpolated water heights over the surface water extents are produced. Results indicate a high variability of the water height magnitude that can reach 10 m compared to the lowest water height in the upstream part of the delta during the flood peak in June. Furthermore, the total surface water volume is estimated and shows an annual variation of approximately 8.5 km3 during the whole study period, with a maximum of 14.4 km3 observed in 2006. The good agreement between the total surface water volume retrievals and in situ river discharges (R = 0.66) allows for validation of this innovative multi-mission approach and highlights the high potential to study the surface water extent dynamics.

A framework for the case-specific assessment of Green Infrastructure in mitigating urban flood hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schubert, Jochen E.; Burns, Matthew J.; Fletcher, Tim D.; Sanders, Brett F.

2017-10-01

This research outlines a framework for the case-specific assessment of Green Infrastructure (GI) performance in mitigating flood hazard in small urban catchments. The urban hydrologic modeling tool (MUSIC) is coupled with a fine resolution 2D hydrodynamic model (BreZo) to test to what extent retrofitting an urban watershed with GI, rainwater tanks and infiltration trenches in particular, can propagate flood management benefits downstream and support intuitive flood hazard maps useful for communicating and planning with communities. The hydrologic and hydraulic models are calibrated based on current catchment conditions, then modified to represent alternative GI scenarios including a complete lack of GI versus a full implementation of GI. Flow in the hydrologic/hydraulic models is forced using a range of synthetic rainfall events with annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs) between 1-63% and durations from 10 min to 24 h. Flood hazard benefits mapped by the framework include maximum flood depths and extents, flow intensity (m2/s), flood duration, and critical storm duration leading to maximum flood conditions. Application of the system to the Little Stringybark Creek (LSC) catchment shows that across the range of AEPs tested and for storm durations equal or less than 3 h, presently implemented GI reduces downstream flooded area on average by 29%, while a full implementation of GI would reduce downstream flooded area on average by 91%. A full implementation of GI could also lower maximum flow intensities by 83% on average, reducing the drowning hazard posed by urban streams and improving the potential for access by emergency responders. For storm durations longer than 3 h, a full implementation of GI lacks the capacity to retain the resulting rainfall depths and only reduces flooded area by 8% and flow intensity by 5.5%.

Transportation statistics annual report 2000

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-01-01

The Transportation Statistics Annual Report (TSAR) is a Congressionally mandated publication with wide distribution. The TSAR provides the most comprehensive overview of U.S. transportation that is done on an annual basis. TSAR examines the extent of...

Unraveling climate influences on the distribution of the parapatric newts Lissotriton vulgaris meridionalis and L. italicus.

PubMed

Iannella, Mattia; Cerasoli, Francesco; Biondi, Maurizio

2017-01-01

Climate is often considered as a key ecological factor limiting the capability of expansion of most species and the extent of suitable habitats. In this contribution, we implement Species Distribution Models (SDMs) to study two parapatric amphibians, Lissotriton vulgaris meridionalis and L. italicus , investigating if and how climate has influenced their present and past (Last Glacial Maximum and Holocene) distributions. A database of 901 GPS presence records was generated for the two newts. SDMs were built through Boosted Regression Trees and Maxent, using the Worldclim bioclimatic variables as predictors. Precipitation-linked variables and the temperature annual range strongly influence the current occurrence patterns of the two Lissotriton species analyzed. The two newts show opposite responses to the most contributing variables, such as BIO7 (temperature annual range), BIO12 (annual precipitation), BIO17 (precipitation of the driest quarter) and BIO19 (precipitation of the coldest quarter). The hypothesis of climate influencing the distributions of these species is also supported by the fact that the co-occurrences within the sympatric area fall in localities characterized by intermediate values of these predictors. Projections to the Last Glacial Maximum and Holocene scenarios provided a coherent representation of climate influences on the past distributions of the target species. Computation of pairwise variables interactions and the discriminant analysis allowed a deeper interpretation of SDMs' outputs. Further, we propose a multivariate environmental dissimilarity index (MEDI), derived through a transformation of the multivariate environmental similarity surface (MESS), to deal with extrapolation-linked uncertainties in model projections to past climate. Finally, the niche equivalency and niche similarity tests confirmed the link between SDMs outputs and actual differences in the ecological niches of the two species. The different responses of the two species to climatic factors have significantly contributed to shape their current distribution, through contractions, expansions and shifts over time, allowing to maintain two wide allopatric areas with an area of sympatry in Central Italy. Moreover, our SDMs hindcasting shows many concordances with previous phylogeographic studies carried out on the same species, thus corroborating the scenarios of potential distribution during the Last Glacial Maximum and the Holocene emerging from the models obtained.

Approaching the 2015 Arctic Sea Ice Minimum

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

As the sun sets over the Arctic, the end of this year’s melt season is quickly approaching and the sea ice cover has already shrunk to the fourth lowest in the satellite record. With possibly some days of melting left, the sea ice extent could still drop to the second or third lowest on record. Arctic sea ice, which regulates the planet’s temperature by bouncing solar energy back to space, has been on a steep decline for the last two decades. This animation shows the evolution of Arctic sea ice in 2015, from its annual maximum wintertime extent, reached on February 25, to September 6. Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio DOWNLOAD THIS VIDEO HERE: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=11999 NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Changes in Land Surface Water Dynamics since the 1990s and Relation to Population Pressure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prigent, C.; Papa, F.; Aires, F.; Jimenez, C.; Rossow, W. B.; Matthews, E.

2012-01-01

We developed a remote sensing approach based on multi-satellite observations, which provides an unprecedented estimate of monthly distribution and area of land-surface open water over the whole globe. Results for 1993 to 2007 exhibit a large seasonal and inter-annual variability of the inundation extent with an overall decline in global average maximum inundated area of 6% during the fifteen-year period, primarily in tropical and subtropical South America and South Asia. The largest declines of open water are found where large increases in population have occurred over the last two decades, suggesting a global scale effect of human activities on continental surface freshwater: denser population can impact local hydrology by reducing freshwater extent, by draining marshes and wetlands, and by increasing water withdrawals. Citation: Prigent, C., F. Papa, F. Aires, C. Jimenez, W. B. Rossow, and E. Matthews (2012), Changes in land surface water dynamics since the 1990s and relation to population pressure, in section 4, insisting on the potential applications of the wetland dataset.

40 CFR 464.34 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards and maximum day and maximum for monthly average concentration (mg/l) standards shall apply. Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.34 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards and maximum day and maximum for monthly average concentration (mg/l) standards shall apply. Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

40 CFR 464.34 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...-continuous dischargers, annual average mass standards and maximum day and maximum for monthly average concentration (mg/l) standards shall apply. Concentration standards and annual average mass standards shall only... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false New source performance standards. 464...

Vegetative Succession in Recently Deglaciated Land in Kenai Fjords National Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, C.; Klein, A. G.; Cairns, D. M.

2017-12-01

Poleward vegetation expansion has affected Alaska for decades and due to recently increased rates of warming, the expansion will accelerate. Glacial recession in Kenai Fjords National Park has exposed previously ice-covered land with vegetation succession occurring just a few years following glacial retreat. Land cover changes in recently deglaciated areas are affected by surface-air interactions, temperature gradients, and ecosystem development. Using satellite images from Landsat 5, 7, and 8 and the previous extents of four retreating glaciers from 1985 to 2015 within Kenai Fjords National Park, this study examines the relationship between deglaciation rates and vegetation greening. The glaciers, Exit (-15.04 m/yr), Petrof (-31.12 m/yr), Lowell (-33.14 m/yr), and Yalik (-51.32 m/yr) were selected based on their location, whether they were land or lake terminating, and their average retreat rate measured between 1985 and 2015. These glaciers have also been extensively studied. Combining historic glacier extents with 371 summer (JJA) Landsat images gathered from Google's Earth Engine platform we identified annual summer changes in NDVI of locations that were deglaciated between 1985, 1995, 2005, and 2015. Summer temperature maximums were determined to be more correlated with deglaciation, as measured using NDSI, than mean summer temperatures. Using NDVI, heightened deglaciation rates were found to be reasonably correlated with vegetation succession. The faster retreating glaciers, Lowell and Yalik, exhibited higher mean and maximum rates of increase of NDVI in their terminus areas than Exit and Petrof, the two slower retreating glaciers.

Transportation statistics annual report 1994

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-01-01

The Transportation Statistics Annual Report (TSAR) provides the most comprehensive overview of U.S. transportation that is done on an annual basis. TSAR examines the extent of the system, how it is used, how well it works, how it affects people and t...

50 CFR 259.34 - Minimum and maximum deposits; maximum time to deposit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... B objective. A time longer than 10 years, either by original scheduling or by subsequent extension... OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AID TO FISHERIES CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION FUND...) Minimum annual deposit. The minimum annual (based on each party's taxable year) deposit required by the...

Richness, diversity and evenness of vegetation upon rehabilitation of gypsum mine spoiled lands in the Indian arid zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kumar, S.; Sharma, K.D.; Sharma, U.K.; Gough, L.P.

1998-01-01

Richness, diversity and evenness of vegetation, after rehabilitation of gypsum mine spoils at Barmer were investigated in plots protected and planted one year and four years ago. There were four water harvesting treatments, viz., half-moon terraces, micro-catchments with 5% slope, ridge and furrow and control, wherein, indigenous and exotic trees and shrubs were planted at 5 ?? 5 m spacing. Sampling of the planted and natural vegetation, using quadrats and transacts, revealed much less species richness in unplanted control as compared to all treatments and in all the years. The species richness that increased initially (within one year) gradually declined over time (during four year), though the extent varied in different treatments. The water harvesting treatment showing maximum initial increase in richness also showed maximum decline over time, though decline was more in annual species. Two perennial species increased in richness with time. This was further proved from the trends in diversity and evenness indices. It was concluded that natural successional process was accelerated by rehabilitation providing stability to the habitat.

Probabilistic properties of the date of maximum river flow, an approach based on circular statistics in lowland, highland and mountainous catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutkowska, Agnieszka; Kohnová, Silvia; Banasik, Kazimierz

2018-04-01

Probabilistic properties of dates of winter, summer and annual maximum flows were studied using circular statistics in three catchments differing in topographic conditions; a lowland, highland and mountainous catchment. The circular measures of location and dispersion were used in the long-term samples of dates of maxima. The mixture of von Mises distributions was assumed as the theoretical distribution function of the date of winter, summer and annual maximum flow. The number of components was selected on the basis of the corrected Akaike Information Criterion and the parameters were estimated by means of the Maximum Likelihood method. The goodness of fit was assessed using both the correlation between quantiles and a version of the Kuiper's and Watson's test. Results show that the number of components varied between catchments and it was different for seasonal and annual maxima. Differences between catchments in circular characteristics were explained using climatic factors such as precipitation and temperature. Further studies may include circular grouping catchments based on similarity between distribution functions and the linkage between dates of maximum precipitation and maximum flow.

25 CFR 1000.4 - Policy statement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... inclusion of programs in each annual funding agreement authorized, and enter into such annual funding... consistent with their diverse demographic, geographic, economic, cultural, health, social, religious, and... inclusion in an annual funding agreement. (7) It is the policy of the Secretary, to the extent of the...

Extreme daily precipitation: the case of Serbia in 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tošić, Ivana; Unkašević, Miroslava; Putniković, Suzana

2017-05-01

The extreme daily precipitation in Serbia was examined at 16 stations during the period 1961-2014. Two synoptic situations in May and September of 2014 were analysed, when extreme precipitation was recorded in western and eastern Serbia, respectively. The synoptic situation from 14 to 16 May 2014 remained nearly stationary over the western and central Serbia for the entire period. On 15 May 2014, the daily rainfall broke previous historical records in Belgrade (109.8 mm), Valjevo (108.2 mm) and Loznica (110 mm). Precipitation exceeded 200 mm in 72 h, producing the most catastrophic floods in the recent history of Serbia. In Negotin (eastern Serbia), daily precipitation of 161.3 mm was registered on 16 September 2014, which was the maximum value recorded during the period 1961-2014. The daily maximum in 2014 was registered at 6 out of 16 stations. The total annual precipitation for 2014 was the highest for the period 1961-2014 at almost all stations in Serbia. A non-significant positive trend was found for all precipitation indices: annual daily maximum precipitation, the total precipitation in consecutive 3 and 5 days, the total annual precipitation, and number of days with at least 10 and 20 mm of precipitation. The generalised extreme value distribution was fitted to the annual daily maximum precipitation. The estimated 100-year return levels were 123.4 and 147.4 mm for the annual daily maximum precipitation in Belgrade and Negotin, respectively.

Impacts of Climate Change on Surface Ozone and Intercontinental Ozone Pollution: A Multi-Model Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doherty, R. M.; Wild, O.; Shindell, D. T.; Zeng, G.; MacKenzie, I. A.; Collins, W. J.; Fiore, A. M.; Stevenson, D. S.; Dentener, F. J.; Schultz, M. G.;

Innovative trend analysis of annual and seasonal air temperature and rainfall in the Yangtze River Basin, China during 1960-2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Lifang; Wang, Lunche; Lai, Zhongping; Tian, Qing; Liu, Wen; Li, Jun

2017-11-01

The variation characteristics of air temperature and precipitation in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB), China during 1960-2015 were analysed using a linear regression (LR) analysis, a Mann-Kendall (MK) test with Sen's slope estimator and Sen's innovative trend analysis (ITA). The results showed that the annual maximum, minimum and mean temperature significantly increased at the rate of 0.15°C/10yr, 0.23°C/10yr and 0.19°C/10yr, respectively, over the whole study area during 1960-2015. The warming magnitudes for the above variables during 1980-2015 were much higher than those during 1960-2015:0.38°C/10yr, 0.35°C/10yr and 0.36°C/10yr, respectively. The seasonal maximum, minimum and mean temperature significantly increased in the spring, autumn and winter seasons during 1960-2015. Although the summer temperatures also increased at some extent, only the minimum temperature showed a significant increasing trend. Meanwhile, the highest rate of increase of seasonal mean temperature occurred in winter (0.24°C/10yr) during 1960-2015 and spring (0.50°C/10yr) during 1980-2015, which indicated that the significant warming trend for the whole YRB could be attributed to the remarkable temperature increases in winter and spring months. However, both the annual and seasonal warming magnitudes showed large regional differences, and a higher warming rate was detected in the eastern YRB and the western source region of the Yangtze River on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Additionally, annual precipitation increased by approximately 12.02 mm/10yr during 1960-2015 but decreased at the rate of 19.63 mm/10yr during 1980-2015. There were decreasing trends for precipitation in all four seasons since 1980 in the YRB, and a significant increasing trend was only detected in summer since 1960 (12.37 mm/10yr). Overall, a warming-wetting trend was detected in the south-eastern and north-western YRB, while there was a warming-drying trend in middle regions.

Effect of wildfire and fireline construction on the annual depth of thaw in a black spruce permafrost forest in interior Alaska: a 36-year record of recovery

Treesearch

Leslie A. Viereck; Nancy R. Werdin-Pfisterer; Phyllis C. Adams; Kenji Yoshikawa

2008-01-01

Maximum thaw depths were measured annually in an unburned stand, a heavily burned stand, and a fireline in and adjacent to the 1971 Wickersham fire. Maximum thaw in the unburned black spruce stand ranged from 36 to 52 cm. In the burned stand, thaw increased each year to a maximum depth of 302 cm in 1995. In 1996, the entire layer of seasonal frost remained, creating a...

Combining ground-based measurements and satellite-based spectral vegetation indices to track biomass accumulation in post-fire chaparral

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uyeda, K. A.; Stow, D. A.; Roberts, D. A.; Riggan, P. J.

2015-12-01

Multi-temporal satellite imagery can provide valuable information on patterns of vegetation growth over large spatial extents and long time periods, but corresponding ground-referenced biomass information is often difficult to acquire, especially at an annual scale. In this study, I test the relationship between annual biomass estimated using shrub growth rings and metrics of seasonal growth derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) spectral vegetation indices (SVIs) for a small area of southern California chaparral to evaluate the potential for mapping biomass at larger spatial extents. The site had most recently burned in 2002, and annual biomass accumulation measurements were available from years 5 - 11 post-fire. I tested metrics of seasonal growth using six SVIs (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Enhanced Vegetation Index, Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Water Index, Normalized Difference Infrared Index 6, and Vegetation Atmospherically Resistant Index). While additional research would be required to determine which of these metrics and SVIs are most promising over larger spatial extents, several of the seasonal growth metrics/ SVI combinations have a very strong relationship with annual biomass, and all SVIs have a strong relationship with annual biomass for at least one of the seasonal growth metrics.

78 FR 19029 - Joint Industry Plan; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Amendment No. 27 to the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-28

... metric by which the Participants calculate the annual increase in the Enterprise Maximum. Pursuant to... the mechanisms of, a national market system or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act... metric by which the Participants calculate the annual increase in the Enterprise Maximum. Paragraph (e...

24 CFR 880.503 - Maximum annual commitment and project account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... may be contracted for in the ACC is the total of the contract rents and utility allowances for all... commitment exceeds the amount actually paid out under the Contract or ACC each year. Payments will be made... the Contract or ACC for a fiscal year exceeds the maximum annual commitment and would cause the amount...

24 CFR 880.503 - Maximum annual commitment and project account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... may be contracted for in the ACC is the total of the contract rents and utility allowances for all... commitment exceeds the amount actually paid out under the Contract or ACC each year. Payments will be made... the Contract or ACC for a fiscal year exceeds the maximum annual commitment and would cause the amount...

Ship accessibility predictions for the Arctic Ocean based on IPCC CO2 emission scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Jai-Ho; Woo, Sumin; Yang, Sin-Il

2017-02-01

Changes in the extent of Arctic sea ice, which have resulted from climate change, offer new opportunities to use the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and Northwest Passage (NWP) for shipping. However, choosing to navigate the Arctic Ocean remains challenging due to the limited accessibility of ships and the balance between economic gain and potential risk. As a result, more precise and detailed information on both weather and sea ice change in the Arctic are required. In this study, a high-resolution global AGCM was used to provide detailed information on the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice. For this simulation, we have simulated the AMIP-type simulation for the present-day climate during 31 years from 1979 to 2009 with observed SST and Sea Ice concentration. For the future climate projection, we have performed the historical climate during 1979-2005 and subsequently the future climate projection during 2010-2099 with mean of four CMIP5 models due to the two Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios (RCP 8.5 and RCP 4.5). First, the AMIP-type simulation was evaluated by comparison with observations from the Hadley Centre sea-ice and Sea Surface Temperature (HadlSST) dataset. The model reflects the maximum (in March) and minimum (in September) sea ice extent and annual cycle. Based on this validation, the future sea ice extents show the decreasing trend for both the maximum and minimum seasons and RCP 8.5 shows more sharply decreasing patterns of sea ice than RCP 4.5. Under both scenarios, ships classified as Polar Class (PC) 3 and Open-Water (OW) were predicted to have the largest and smallest number of ship-accessible days (in any given year) for the NSR and NWP, respectively. Based on the RCP 8.5 scenario, the projections suggest that after 2070, PC3 and PC6 vessels will have year-round access across to the Arctic Ocean. In contrast, OW vessels will continue to have a seasonal handicap, inhibiting their ability to pass through the NSR and NWP.

20 CFR 211.14 - Maximum creditable compensation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Maximum creditable compensation. 211.14... CREDITABLE RAILROAD COMPENSATION § 211.14 Maximum creditable compensation. Maximum creditable compensation for calendar years after 1984 is the maximum annual taxable wage base defined in section 3231(e)(2)(B...

[Temporal change in annual air temperature and heat island effect in a coastal city and an inland city at mid-latitude in China during 1956-1998].

PubMed

Chao, Lu-men; Sun, Jian-xin

2009-12-01

Temporal changes in air temperature and urban heat island (UHI) effects during 1956-1998 were compared between a coastal city, Ji' nan, and an inland city, Xi' an, which were similar in latitude, size and development. During 1956-1978, except that the annual mean minimum temperature in Ji' nan increased by 0.37 degrees C x 10 a(-1), the temperature variables in the two cities did not display any apparent trend. During 1979-1998, all temperature variables of the two cities showed an increasing trend. Comparing with that in Ji' nan, the increasing rate of annual mean maximum temperature and annual mean temperature in Xi' an was greater, but that of annual mean minimum temperature was smaller. In the two cities, heat island effect occurred during 1956-1978 but without any apparent trend, whereas during 1979-1998, this effect increased with time, especially in Xi' an where the annual mean minimum temperature and annual mean temperature increased by 0.22 degrees C x 10 a(-1) and 0.32 degrees C x 10 a(-1), respectively. Both the level and the inter-annual variation of the heat island effect were much greater in Ji' nan than in Xi' an, but the increasing rate of this effect was greater in Xi' an than in Ji' nan. Obvious differences were observed in the increasing rate of annual mean maximum air temperature, annual mean air temperature, and annual mean minimum temperature as well as the heat island effect in Ji' nan, whereas negligible differences were found in Xi' an. Among the three temperature variables, annual mean minimum temperature displayed the most obvious increasing trend and was most affected by heat island effect, while annual mean maximum temperature was most variable inter-annually. Geographical location not only affected the magnitude of urban warming, but also affected the mode of urban warming and the strength of heat island effect.

Sahelian springtime heat waves and their evolution over the past 60 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbier, Jessica; Guichard, Françoise; Bouniol, Dominique; Couvreux, Fleur; Roehrig, Romain

2017-04-01

The Sahel is a semi-arid region which experiences very high temperature both during day- and night-times: monthly-mean temperatures in Spring typically oscillate between 30 and 40°C. At the same time a strong climatic warming has been observed over the past 60 years in this region: it reaches +1,5°C over April-May. Thus heat waves in this region have severe impacts on health, ecosystem, agriculture and more broadly economical activities, which will probably worsen in the context of climate change. However, heat waves in the Sahel remain poorly studied. The present work documents Sahelian heat waves and assesses their evolution across the last 60 years. Properties of heat waves are sensitive to the way they are detected. Here, we use a methodology based on anomalies that allows to filter the seasonal, inter-annual and climatic evolutions, using a percentile-type threshold. It is applied separately to daily maximum and minimum temperatures and leads to two types of heat waves: day- and night-time ones. This separation matters because physical processes linked to minimum and maximum temperatures can be quite distinct. The changes in both types of heat wave were studied over the period 1950-2012 using the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature gridded product: several heat wave characteristics were investigated, including morphological ones such as the length and the spatial extent of the event, the heat wave intensity and the associated warming trends. We found no significant trends in the frequency, duration and spatial extent of both types of heat waves, while on the other hand their maximum and minimum temperatures displayed significant positive trends. They were mainly explained by the regional warming. By contrast, with a standard climatic heat index using percentile-threshold on raw temperatures, both day- and night-time heat wave frequencies were increasing, and while the day-time heat waves were getting longer and larger, the night-time heat waves were getting hotter. The explanations for the differences between the heat indexes will be discussed. The ability of the three reanalyses ERA-Interim, NCEP2 and MERRA to reproduce Sahelian heat wave properties and their associated trends was further assessed on the period 1979-2010. At this shorter scale, we did not find any significant heat wave trend. Furthermore, reanalyses strongly differed in the representation of the heat wave inter-annual variability. These results raise concern about the utilization of meteorological reanalyses for the study of heat wave trends in West Africa.

Transportation statistics annual report 2001

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-01-01

This eighth Transportation Statistics Annual Report (TSAR), like : those before it, provides data and analysis on the U.S. transportation : system: its extent and condition, relationship to the : nation's security and economic growth, safety aspects,...

76 FR 79579 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-22

... posting of the availability of the submittal on EPA's Adequacy Web site (at http://www.epa.gov/otaq... average annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone concentration), if it had a 1-hour design... ozone standard is attained when the three-year average of the annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour...

Flood Extent Mapping for Namibia Using Change Detection and Thresholding with SAR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Long, Stephanie; Fatoyinbo, Temilola E.; Policelli, Frederick

2014-01-01

A new method for flood detection change detection and thresholding (CDAT) was used with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery to delineate the extent of flooding for the Chobe floodplain in the Caprivi region of Namibia. This region experiences annual seasonal flooding and has seen a recent renewal of severe flooding after a long dry period in the 1990s. Flooding in this area has caused loss of life and livelihoods for the surrounding communities and has caught the attention of disaster relief agencies. There is a need for flood extent mapping techniques that can be used to process images quickly, providing near real-time flooding information to relief agencies. ENVISAT/ASAR and Radarsat-2 images were acquired for several flooding seasons from February 2008 to March 2013. The CDAT method was used to determine flooding from these images and includes the use of image subtraction, decision based classification with threshold values, and segmentation of SAR images. The total extent of flooding determined for 2009, 2011 and 2012 was about 542 km2, 720 km2, and 673 km2 respectively. Pixels determined to be flooded in vegetation were typically <0.5 % of the entire scene, with the exception of 2009 where the detection of flooding in vegetation was much greater (almost one third of the total flooded area). The time to maximum flooding for the 2013 flood season was determined to be about 27 days. Landsat water classification was used to compare the results from the new CDAT with SAR method; the results show good spatial agreement with Landsat scenes.

Sea Ice off the Princess Astrid Coast

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-04-08

On April 5, 2015, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this natural-color image of sea ice off the coast of East Antarctica’s Princess Astrid Coast. White areas close to the continent are sea ice, while white areas in the northeast corner of the image are clouds. One way to better distinguish ice from clouds is with false-color imagery. In the false-color view of the scene here, ice is blue and clouds are white. The image was acquired after Antarctic sea ice had passed its annual minimum extent (reached on February 20, 2015), and had resumed expansion toward its maximum extent (usually reached in September). Credit: NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response. Caption by Kathryn Hansen via NASA's Earth Observatory Read more: www.nasa.gov/content/sea-ice-off-east-antarcticas-princes... NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Statistical downscaling of CMIP5 outputs for projecting future maximum and minimum temperature over the Haihe River Bain, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Tiezhu; Shen, Zhenyao; Heng, Lee; Dercon, Gerd

2016-04-01

Future climate change information is important to formulate adaptation and mitigation strategies for climate change. In this study, a statistical downscaling model (SDSM) was established using both NCEP reanalysis data and ground observations (daily maximum and minimum temperature) during the period 1971-2010, and then calibrated model was applied to generate the future maximum and minimum temperature projections using predictors from the two CMIP5 models (MPI-ESM-LR and CNRM-CM5) under two Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5) during the period 2011-2100 for the Haihe River Basin, China. Compared to the baseline period, future change in annual and seasonal maximum and minimum temperature was computed after bias correction. The spatial distribution and trend change of annual maximum and minimum temperature were also analyzed using ensemble projections. The results shows that: (1)The downscaling model had a good applicability on reproducing daily and monthly mean maximum and minimum temperature over the whole basin. (2) Bias was observed when using historical predictors from CMIP5 models and the performance of CNRM-CM5 was a little worse than that of MPI-ESM-LR. (3) The change in annual mean maximum and minimum temperature under the two scenarios in 2020s, 2050s and 2070s will increase and magnitude of maximum temperature will be higher than minimum temperature. (4) The increase in temperature in the mountains and along the coastline is remarkably high than the other parts of the studies basin. (5) For annual maximum and minimum temperature, the significant upward trend will be obtained under RCP 8.5 scenario and the magnitude will be 0.37 and 0.39 ℃ per decade, respectively; the increase in magnitude under RCP 2.6 scenario will be upward in 2020s and then decrease in 2050s and 2070s, and the magnitude will be 0.01 and 0.01℃ per decade, respectively.

Modelling of extreme rainfall events in Peninsular Malaysia based on annual maximum and partial duration series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zin, Wan Zawiah Wan; Shinyie, Wendy Ling; Jemain, Abdul Aziz

2015-02-01

In this study, two series of data for extreme rainfall events are generated based on Annual Maximum and Partial Duration Methods, derived from 102 rain-gauge stations in Peninsular from 1982-2012. To determine the optimal threshold for each station, several requirements must be satisfied and Adapted Hill estimator is employed for this purpose. A semi-parametric bootstrap is then used to estimate the mean square error (MSE) of the estimator at each threshold and the optimal threshold is selected based on the smallest MSE. The mean annual frequency is also checked to ensure that it lies in the range of one to five and the resulting data is also de-clustered to ensure independence. The two data series are then fitted to Generalized Extreme Value and Generalized Pareto distributions for annual maximum and partial duration series, respectively. The parameter estimation methods used are the Maximum Likelihood and the L-moment methods. Two goodness of fit tests are then used to evaluate the best-fitted distribution. The results showed that the Partial Duration series with Generalized Pareto distribution and Maximum Likelihood parameter estimation provides the best representation for extreme rainfall events in Peninsular Malaysia for majority of the stations studied. Based on these findings, several return values are also derived and spatial mapping are constructed to identify the distribution characteristic of extreme rainfall in Peninsular Malaysia.

31 CFR 351.45 - What happens if I purchase definitive Series EE savings bonds in excess of the maximum annual...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What happens if I purchase definitive Series EE savings bonds in excess of the maximum annual amount? 351.45 Section 351.45 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY...

Geographic, geologic, and hydrologic summaries of intermontane basins of the northern Rocky Mountains, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kendy, Eloise; Tresch, R.E.

1996-01-01

This report combines a literature review with new information to provide summaries of the geography, geology, and hydrology of each of 32 intermontane basins in western Montana. The summary of each intermontane basin includes concise descriptions of topography, areal extent, altitude, climate, 1990 population, land and water use, geology, surface water, aquifer hydraulic characteristics, ground-water flow, and ground-water quality. If present, geothermal features are described. Average annual and monthly temperature and precipitation are reported from one National Weather Service station in each basin. Streamflow data, including the drainage area, period of record, and average, minimum, and maximum historical streamflow, are reported for all active and discontinued USGS streamflow-gaging stations in each basin. Monitoring-well data, including the well depth, aquifer, period of record, and minimum and maximum historical water levels, are reported for all long-term USGS monitoring wells in each basin. Brief descriptions of geologic, geophysical, and potentiometric- surface maps available for each basin also are included. The summary for each basin also includes a bibliography of hydrogeologic literature. When used alone or in conjunction with regional RASA reports, this report provides a practical starting point for site-specific hydrogeologic investigations.

Wetland inventory and variability over the last two decades at a global scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prigent, C.; Papa, F.; Aires, F.; Rossow, W. B.; Matthews, E.

2011-12-01

Remote sensing techniques employing visible, infrared, and microwave observations offer varying success in estimating wetlands and inundation extent and in monitoring their natural and anthropogenic variations. Low spatial resolution (e.g., 30 km) limits detection to large wetlands but has the advantage of frequent coverage. High spatial resolution (e.g., 100 m), while providing more environmental information, suffers from poor temporal resolution, with observations for just high/low water or warm/cold seasons. Most existing wetland data sets are limited to a few regions, for specific times in the year. The only global inventories of wetland dynamics over a long period of time is derived from a remote-sensing technique employing a suite of complementary satellite observations: it uses passive microwave land-surface microwave emissivities, scatterometer responses, and visible and near infrared reflectances. Combining observations from different instruments makes it possible to capitalize on their complementary strengths, and to extract maximum information about inundation characteristics. The technique is globally applicable without any tuning for particular environments. The satellite data are used to calculate monthly-mean inundated fractions of equal-area grid cells (0.25°x0.25° at the equator), taking into account the contribution of vegetation to the passive microwave signal (Prigent et al., 2001, 2007). Several adjustments to the initial technique have been applied to account for changes in satellite instruments (Papa et al., 2010). The resulting data set now covers 1993-2008 and has been carefully evaluated. We will present the inter-annual variability of the water surface extents under different environments, and relate these variations to other hydrological variables such as river height, precipitation, water runoff, or Grace data. Natural wetlands are the world's largest methane source and dominate the inter-annual variability of atmospheric methane concentrations, with up to 90% of the global methane flux anomalies related to variations in the wetland extent from some estimation. Our data set quantifying inundation dynamics throughout the world's natural wetlands provides a unique opportunity to reduce uncertainties in the role of natural wetlands in the inter-annual variability of the growth rate of atmospheric methane. Papa, F., C. Prigent, C. Jimenez, F. Aires, and W. B. Rossow, Interannual variability of surface water extent at global scale, 1993-2004, JGR, 115, D12111, doi:10.1029/2009JD012674, 2010. Prigent, C., F. Papa, F. Aires, W. B. Rossow, and E. Matthews, Global inundation dynamics inferred from multiple satellite observations, 1993-2000, JGR, 112, D12107, doi:10.1029/2006JD007847, 2007. Prigent, C., E. Matthews, F. Aires, and W. B. Rossow, Remote sensing of global wetland dynamics with multiple satellite data sets, GRL, 28 , 4631-4634, 2001.

Storm Water Data 10-27-2016 for Upload to State Database.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holland, Robert C.

In the California Industrial General Permit (IGP) 2014-0057-DWQ for storm water monitoring, effective July 1, 2015, there are 21 contaminants that have been assigned NAL (Numeric Action Level) values, both annual and instantaneous. For annual NALs, an exceedance occurs when the average of all analytical results from all samples taken at a facility during a reporting year for a given parameter exceeds an annual NAL value listed in Table 2 of the General Permit. For instantaneous maximum NALs, an exceedance occurs when two or more analytical results from samples taken for any parameter within a reporting year exceed the instantaneousmore » maximum NAL value (for TSS and O&G), or are outside of the instantaneous maximum NAL range (for pH) listed in Table 2. Table 2 is attached here for your review.« less

Arctic lake physical processes and regimes with implications for winter water availability and management in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska.

PubMed

Jones, Benjamin M; Arp, Christopher D; Hinkel, Kenneth M; Beck, Richard A; Schmutz, Joel A; Winston, Barry

2009-06-01

Lakes are dominant landforms in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA) as well as important social and ecological resources. Of recent importance is the management of these freshwater ecosystems because lakes deeper than maximum ice thickness provide an important and often sole source of liquid water for aquatic biota, villages, and industry during winter. To better understand seasonal and annual hydrodynamics in the context of lake morphometry, we analyzed lakes in two adjacent areas where winter water use is expected to increase in the near future because of industrial expansion. Landsat Thematic Mapper and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus imagery acquired between 1985 and 2007 were analyzed and compared with climate data to understand interannual variability. Measured changes in lake area extent varied by 0.6% and were significantly correlated to total precipitation in the preceding 12 months (p < 0.05). Using this relation, the modeled lake area extent from 1985 to 2007 showed no long-term trends. In addition, high-resolution aerial photography, bathymetric surveys, water-level monitoring, and lake-ice thickness measurements and growth models were used to better understand seasonal hydrodynamics, surface area-to-volume relations, winter water availability, and more permanent changes related to geomorphic change. Together, these results describe how lakes vary seasonally and annually in two critical areas of the NPRA and provide simple models to help better predict variation in lake-water supply. Our findings suggest that both overestimation and underestimation of actual available winter water volume may occur regularly, and this understanding may help better inform management strategies as future resource use expands in the NPRA.

Arctic lake physical processes and regimes with implications for winter water availability and management in the national petroleum reserve alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Benjamin M.; Arp, C.D.; Hinkel, Kenneth M.; Beck, R.A.; Schmutz, J.A.; Winston, B.

2009-01-01

Lakes are dominant landforms in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA) as well as important social and ecological resources. Of recent importance is the management of these freshwater ecosystems because lakes deeper than maximum ice thickness provide an important and often sole source of liquid water for aquatic biota, villages, and industry during winter. To better understand seasonal and annual hydrodynamics in the context of lake morphometry, we analyzed lakes in two adjacent areas where winter water use is expected to increase in the near future because of industrial expansion. Landsat Thematic Mapper and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus imagery acquired between 1985 and 2007 were analyzed and compared with climate data to understand interannual variability. Measured changes in lake area extent varied by 0.6% and were significantly correlated to total precipitation in the preceding 12 months (p < 0.05). Using this relation, the modeled lake area extent from 1985 to 2007 showed no long-term trends. In addition, high-resolution aerial photography, bathymetric surveys, water-level monitoring, and lake-ice thickness measurements and growth models were used to better understand seasonal hydrodynamics, surface area-to-volume relations, winter water availability, and more permanent changes related to geomorphic change. Together, these results describe how lakes vary seasonally and annually in two critical areas of the NPRA and provide simple models to help better predict variation in lake-water supply. Our findings suggest that both overestimation and underestimation of actual available winter water volume may occur regularly, and this understanding may help better inform management strategies as future resource use expands in the NPRA. ?? 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Recalculated Areas for Maximum Ice Extents of the Baltic Sea During Winters 1971-2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niskanen, T.; Vainio, J.; Eriksson, P.; Heiler, I.

2009-04-01

Publication of operational ice charts in Finland was started from the Baltic Sea in a year 1915. Until year 1993 all ice charts were hand drawn paper copies but in the year 1993 ice charting software IceMap was introduced. Since then all ice charts were produced digitally. Since the year 1996 IceMap has had an option that user can calculate areas of single ice area polygons in the chart. Using this option the area of the maximum ice extent can be easily solved fully automatically. Before this option was introduced (and in full operation) all maximum extent areas were calculated manually by a planimeter. During recent years it has become clear that some areas calculated before 1996 don't give the same result as IceMap. Differences can come from for example inaccuracy of old coastlines, map projections, the calibration of the planimeter or interpretation of old ice area symbols. Old ice charts since winter 1970-71 have now been scanned, rectified and re-drawn. New maximum ice extent areas for Baltic Sea have now been re-calculated. By these new technological tools it can be concluded that in some cases clear differences can be found.

40 CFR Appendix to Subpart G of... - Applicant Questionnaire for Modification of Secondary Treatment Requirements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... upon which your application for a modification is based: —BOD5 ___ mg/L —Suspended solids ___ mg/L —pH... dry weather —average wet weather —maximum —annual average BOD5 (mg/L) for the following plant flows: —minimum —average dry weather —average wet weather —maximum —annual average Suspended solids (mg/L) for the...

40 CFR Appendix to Subpart G of... - Applicant Questionnaire for Modification of Secondary Treatment Requirements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... upon which your application for a modification is based: —BOD5 ___ mg/L —Suspended solids ___ mg/L —pH... dry weather —average wet weather —maximum —annual average BOD5 (mg/L) for the following plant flows: —minimum —average dry weather —average wet weather —maximum —annual average Suspended solids (mg/L) for the...

75 FR 62136 - Notice of Maximum Amount of Assistance Under the Individuals and Households Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-07

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency Notice of Maximum Amount of.... ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: FEMA gives notice of the maximum amount for assistance under the Individuals and.... 5174, prescribes that FEMA must annually adjust the maximum amounts for assistance provided under the...

34 CFR 682.204 - Maximum loan amounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum loan amounts. 682.204 Section 682.204 Education..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FEDERAL FAMILY EDUCATION LOAN (FFEL) PROGRAM General Provisions § 682.204 Maximum... a full academic year, the maximum annual amount that the student may receive may not exceed the...

78 FR 64523 - Notice of Maximum Amount of Assistance Under the Individuals and Households Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-29

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency Notice of Maximum Amount of.... ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: FEMA gives notice of the maximum amount for assistance under the Individuals and....C. 5174, prescribes that FEMA must annually adjust the maximum amount for assistance provided under...

34 CFR 674.12 - Loan maximums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Loan maximums. 674.12 Section 674.12 Education..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FEDERAL PERKINS LOAN PROGRAM General Provisions § 674.12 Loan maximums. (a) The maximum annual amount of Federal Perkins Loans and NDSLs an eligible student may borrow is— (1) $5,500 for...

77 FR 61425 - Notice of Maximum Amount of Assistance Under the Individuals and Households Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-09

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency Notice of Maximum Amount of.... ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: FEMA gives notice of the maximum amount for assistance under the Individuals and....C. 5174, prescribes that FEMA must annually adjust the maximum amount for assistance provided under...

36 CFR 20.3 - Maximum number of permittees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Maximum number of permittees... INTERIOR ISLE ROYALE NATIONAL PARK; COMMERCIAL FISHING § 20.3 Maximum number of permittees. Commercial fishermen to whom the annual revocable permits may be granted shall not exceed the maximum number of persons...

The impact of land ownership, firefighting, and reserve status on fire probability in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starrs, Carlin Frances; Butsic, Van; Stephens, Connor; Stewart, William

2018-03-01

The extent of wildfires in the western United States is increasing, but how land ownership, firefighting, and reserve status influence fire probability is unclear. California serves as a unique natural experiment to estimate the impact of these factors, as ownership is split equally between federal and non-federal landowners; there is a relatively large proportion of reserved lands where extractive uses are prohibited and fire suppression is limited; and land ownership and firefighting responsibility are purposefully not always aligned. Panel Poisson regression techniques and pre-regression matching were used to model changes in annual fire probability from 1950-2015 on reserve and non-reserve lands on federal and non-federal ownerships across four vegetation types: forests, rangelands, shrublands, and forests without commercial species. Fire probability was found to have increased over time across all 32 categories. A marginal effects analysis showed that federal ownership and firefighting was associated with increased fire probability, and that the difference in fire probability on federal versus non-federal lands is increasing over time. Ownership, firefighting, and reserve status, played roughly equal roles in determining fire probability, and were found to have much greater influence than average maximum temperature (°C) during summer months (June, July, August), average annual precipitation (cm), and average annual topsoil moisture content by volume, demonstrating the critical role these factors play in western fire regimes and the importance of including them in future analysis focused on understanding and predicting wildfire in the Western United States.

24 CFR 884.105 - Maximum total ACC commitment and project account (private-owner/PHA projects).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Maximum total ACC commitment and..., Scope and Basic Policies § 884.105 Maximum total ACC commitment and project account (private-owner/PHA projects). (a) Maximum total ACC commitment. The maximum total annual contribution that may be contracted...

24 CFR 884.105 - Maximum total ACC commitment and project account (private-owner/PHA projects).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Maximum total ACC commitment and..., Scope and Basic Policies § 884.105 Maximum total ACC commitment and project account (private-owner/PHA projects). (a) Maximum total ACC commitment. The maximum total annual contribution that may be contracted...

Increasing Dengue Incidence in Singapore over the Past 40 Years: Population Growth, Climate and Mobility

PubMed Central

Struchiner, Claudio Jose; Rocklöv, Joacim; Wilder-Smith, Annelies; Massad, Eduardo

2015-01-01

In Singapore, the frequency and magnitude of dengue epidemics have increased significantly over the past 40 years. It is important to understand the main drivers for the rapid increase in dengue incidence. We studied the relative contributions of putative drivers for the rise of dengue in Singapore: population growth, climate parameters and international air passenger arrivals from dengue endemic countries, for the time period of 1974 until 2011. We used multivariable Poisson regression models with the following predictors: Annual Population Size; Aedes Premises Index; Mean Annual Temperature; Minimum and Maximum Temperature Recorded in each year; Annual Precipitation and Annual Number of Air Passengers arriving from dengue-endemic South-East Asia to Singapore. The relative risk (RR) of the increase in dengue incidence due to population growth over the study period was 42.7, while the climate variables (mean and minimum temperature) together explained an RR of 7.1 (RR defined as risk at the end of the time period relative to the beginning and goodness of fit associated with the model leading to these estimates assessed by pseudo-R2 equal to 0.83). Estimating the extent of the contribution of these individual factors on the increasing dengue incidence, we found that population growth contributed to 86% while the residual 14% was explained by increase in temperature. We found no correlation with incoming air passenger arrivals into Singapore from dengue endemic countries. Our findings have significant implications for predicting future trends of the dengue epidemics given the rapid urbanization with population growth in many dengue endemic countries. It is time for policy-makers and the scientific community alike to pay more attention to the negative impact of urbanization and urban climate on diseases such as dengue. PMID:26322517

Increasing Dengue Incidence in Singapore over the Past 40 Years: Population Growth, Climate and Mobility.

PubMed

Struchiner, Claudio Jose; Rocklöv, Joacim; Wilder-Smith, Annelies; Massad, Eduardo

2015-01-01

In Singapore, the frequency and magnitude of dengue epidemics have increased significantly over the past 40 years. It is important to understand the main drivers for the rapid increase in dengue incidence. We studied the relative contributions of putative drivers for the rise of dengue in Singapore: population growth, climate parameters and international air passenger arrivals from dengue endemic countries, for the time period of 1974 until 2011. We used multivariable Poisson regression models with the following predictors: Annual Population Size; Aedes Premises Index; Mean Annual Temperature; Minimum and Maximum Temperature Recorded in each year; Annual Precipitation and Annual Number of Air Passengers arriving from dengue-endemic South-East Asia to Singapore. The relative risk (RR) of the increase in dengue incidence due to population growth over the study period was 42.7, while the climate variables (mean and minimum temperature) together explained an RR of 7.1 (RR defined as risk at the end of the time period relative to the beginning and goodness of fit associated with the model leading to these estimates assessed by pseudo-R2 equal to 0.83). Estimating the extent of the contribution of these individual factors on the increasing dengue incidence, we found that population growth contributed to 86% while the residual 14% was explained by increase in temperature. We found no correlation with incoming air passenger arrivals into Singapore from dengue endemic countries. Our findings have significant implications for predicting future trends of the dengue epidemics given the rapid urbanization with population growth in many dengue endemic countries. It is time for policy-makers and the scientific community alike to pay more attention to the negative impact of urbanization and urban climate on diseases such as dengue.

Detours in long-distance migration across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: individual consistency and habitat associations.

PubMed

Liu, Dongping; Zhang, Guogang; Jiang, Hongxing; Lu, Jun

2018-01-01

Migratory birds often follow detours when confronted with ecological barriers, and understanding the extent and the underlying drivers of such detours can provide important insights into the associated cost to the annual energy budget and the migration strategies. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is the most daunting geographical barrier for migratory birds because the partial pressure of oxygen is dramatically reduced and flight costs greatly increase. We analyzed the repeated migration detours and habitat associations of four Pallas's Gulls Larus ichthyaetus across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau over 22 migration seasons. Gulls exhibited notable detours, with the maximum distance being more than double that of the expected shortest route, that extended rather than reduced the passage across the plateau. The extent of longitudinal detours significantly increased with latitude, and detours were longer in autumn than in spring. Compared with the expected shortest routes, proximity to water bodies increased along autumn migration routes, but detour-habitat associations were weak along spring migration routes. Thus, habitat availability was likely one, but not the only, factor shaping the extent of detours, and migration routes were determined by different mechanisms between seasons. Significant between-individual variation but high individual consistency in migration timing and routes were revealed in both seasons, indicating a stronger influence of endogenous schedules than local environmental conditions. Gulls may benefit from repeated use of familiar routes and stopover sites, which may be particularly significant in the challenging environment of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Re-assessing the flood risk in Scotland.

PubMed

Black, Andrew R; Burns, John C

2002-07-22

This paper presents a review of changes in flood risk estimation on Scottish rivers resulting from re-analysis of flood records or from the application of new methods. The review arises at a time when flood damages have received recent prominence through the occurrence of a number of extreme floods in Scotland, and when the possible impacts of climate change on flood risk are receiving considerable attention. An analysis of the nine longest available peaks-over-threshold (POT) flood series for Scottish rivers reveals that, for thresholds yielding two events per year on average, annual POT frequencies on western rivers have increased in the 1980s/1990s to maximum recorded values, while in the east, values were highest in the 1950s/1960s. These results support the results of flood modelling work based on rainfall and temperature records from the 1870s, which indicate that, in western catchments, annual POT frequencies in the 1980s/1990s are unprecedented. No general trends in flood magnitude series were found, but an unexpected cluster of extreme floods is identified as having occurred since 1988, resulting in eight of Scotland's 16 largest gauged rivers producing their maximum recorded flows since then. These shifts are related to recent increases in the dominance of westerly airflows, share similarities with the results of climate change modelling, and collectively point to increases in flood risk in many parts of Scotland. The paper also reviews advances in flood risk estimation arising from the publication of the UK Flood Estimation Handbook, developments in the collection and use of historic flood estimation and the production of maps of 100-year flood areal extent. Finally the challenges in flood risk estimation posed by climate change are examined, particularly in relation to the assumption of stationarity.

40 CFR 464.13 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... copper, lead, zinc, and total phenols. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass limitations....0771 0.0421 Lead (T) 0.0791 0.039 Zinc (T) 0.114 0.0431 Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average Annual average 1 (mg/l) 2 (mg/l) 2 Copper (T) 0.77 0.42 0.017 Lead (T) 0.79 0.39 0.022 Zinc (T) 1...

40 CFR 464.13 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... copper, lead, zinc, and total phenols. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass limitations....0771 0.0421 Lead (T) 0.0791 0.039 Zinc (T) 0.114 0.0431 Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average Annual average 1 (mg/l) 2 (mg/l) 2 Copper (T) 0.77 0.42 0.017 Lead (T) 0.79 0.39 0.022 Zinc (T) 1...

Formation, distribution and variability in snow cover on the Asian territory of the USSR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pupkov, V. N.

1985-01-01

A description is given of maps compiled for annual and average multiple-year water reserves. The annual and average multiple-year maximum snow cover height for winter, extreme values of maximum snow reserves, and the average height and snow reserves at the end of each decade are shown. These maps were made for the entire Asian territory of the USSR, excluding Central Asia, Kamchatka Peninsula, and the Sakhalin Islands.

Blending in: The Extent and Promise of Blended Education in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, I. Elaine; Seaman, Jeff; Garrett, Richard

2007-01-01

"Blending In: The Extent and Promise of Blended Education in the United States" builds on the series of annual reports on the state of online education in U.S. Higher Education. This study, like the previous reports, is aimed at answering some of the fundamental questions about the nature and extent of education in the United States.…

24 CFR 982.151 - Annual contributions contract.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Contract and PHA Administration of Program § 982.151 Annual contributions contract. (a) Nature of ACC. (1) An annual contributions contract (ACC) is a written contract between HUD and a PHA. Under the ACC... owners and for the PHA administrative fee. The ACC specifies the maximum payment over the ACC term. The...

24 CFR 982.151 - Annual contributions contract.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Contract and PHA Administration of Program § 982.151 Annual contributions contract. (a) Nature of ACC. (1) An annual contributions contract (ACC) is a written contract between HUD and a PHA. Under the ACC... owners and for the PHA administrative fee. The ACC specifies the maximum payment over the ACC term. The...

The Significance of the Record Length in Flood Frequency Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senarath, S. U.

2013-12-01

Of all of the potential natural hazards, flood is the most costly in many regions of the world. For example, floods cause over a third of Europe's average annual catastrophe losses and affect about two thirds of the people impacted by natural catastrophes. Increased attention is being paid to determining flow estimates associated with pre-specified return periods so that flood-prone areas can be adequately protected against floods of particular magnitudes or return periods. Flood frequency analysis, which is conducted by using an appropriate probability density function that fits the observed annual maximum flow data, is frequently used for obtaining these flow estimates. Consequently, flood frequency analysis plays an integral role in determining the flood risk in flood prone watersheds. A long annual maximum flow record is vital for obtaining accurate estimates of discharges associated with high return period flows. However, in many areas of the world, flood frequency analysis is conducted with limited flow data or short annual maximum flow records. These inevitably lead to flow estimates that are subject to error. This is especially the case with high return period flow estimates. In this study, several statistical techniques are used to identify errors caused by short annual maximum flow records. The flow estimates used in the error analysis are obtained by fitting a log-Pearson III distribution to the flood time-series. These errors can then be used to better evaluate the return period flows in data limited streams. The study findings, therefore, have important implications for hydrologists, water resources engineers and floodplain managers.

50 CFR 403.02 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... largest supportable within the ecosystem to the population level that results in maximum net productivity. Maximum net productivity is the greatest net annual increment in population numbers or biomass resulting...

The impact of inter-annual variability of annual cycle on long-term persistence of surface air temperature in long historical records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Qimin; Nian, Da; Fu, Zuntao

2018-02-01

Previous studies in the literature show that the annual cycle of surface air temperature (SAT) is changing in both amplitude and phase, and the SAT departures from the annual cycle are long-term correlated. However, the classical definition of temperature anomalies is based on the assumption that the annual cycle is constant, which contradicts the fact of changing annual cycle. How to quantify the impact of the changing annual cycle on the long-term correlation of temperature anomaly variability still remains open. In this paper, a recently developed data adaptive analysis tool, the nonlinear mode decomposition (NMD), is used to extract and remove time-varying annual cycle to reach the new defined temperature anomalies in which time-dependent amplitude of annual cycle has been considered. By means of detrended fluctuation analysis, the impact induced by inter-annual variability from the time-dependent amplitude of annual cycle has been quantified on the estimation of long-term correlation of long historical temperature anomalies in Europe. The results show that the classical climatology annual cycle is supposed to lack inter-annual fluctuation which will lead to a maximum artificial deviation centering around 600 days. This maximum artificial deviation is crucial to defining the scaling range and estimating the long-term persistence exponent accurately. Selecting different scaling range could lead to an overestimation or underestimation of the long-term persistence exponent. By using NMD method to extract the inter-annual fluctuations of annual cycle, this artificial crossover can be weakened to extend a wider scaling range with fewer uncertainties.

Temporal variations in the potential hydrological performance of extensive green roof systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De-Ville, Simon; Menon, Manoj; Stovin, Virginia

2018-03-01

Existing literature provides contradictory information about variation in potential green roof hydrological performance over time. This study has evaluated a long-term hydrological monitoring record from a series of extensive green roof test beds to identify long-term evolutions and sub-annual (seasonal) variations in potential hydrological performance. Monitoring of nine differently-configured extensive green roof test beds took place over a period of 6 years in Sheffield, UK. Long-term evolutions and sub-annual trends in maximum potential retention performance were identified through physical monitoring of substrate field capacity over time. An independent evaluation of temporal variations in detention performance was undertaken through the fitting of reservoir-routing model parameters. Aggregation of the resulting retention and detention variations permitted the prediction of extensive green roof hydrological performance in response to a 1-in-30-year 1-h summer design storm for Sheffield, UK, which facilitated the comparison of multi and sub-annual hydrological performance variations. Sub-annual (seasonal) variation was found to be significantly greater than long-term evolution. Potential retention performance increased by up to 12% after 5-years, whilst the maximum sub-annual variation in potential retention was 27%. For vegetated roof configurations, a 4% long-term improvement was observed for detention performance, compared to a maximum 63% sub-annual variation. Consistent long-term reductions in detention performance were observed in unvegetated roof configurations, with a non-standard expanded-clay substrate experiencing a 45% reduction in peak attenuation over 5-years. Conventional roof configurations exhibit stable long-term hydrological performance, but are nonetheless subject to sub-annual variation.

Semi-annual Sq-variation in solar activity cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pogrebnoy, V.; Malosiev, T.

The peculiarities of semi-annual variation in solar activity cycle have been studied. The data from observatories having long observational series and located in different latitude zones were used. The following observatories were selected: Huancayo (magnetic equator), from 1922 to 1959; Apia (low latitudes), from 1912 to 1961; Moscow (middle latitudes), from 1947 to 1965. Based on the hourly values of H-components, the average monthly diurnal amplitudes (a difference between midday and midnight values), according to five international quiet days, were computed. Obtained results were compared with R (relative sunspot numbers) in the ranges of 0-30R, 40-100R, and 140-190R. It was shown, that the amplitude of semi-annual variation increases with R, from minimum to maximum values, on average by 45%. At equatorial Huancayo observatory, the semi-annual Sq(H)-variation appears especially clearly: its maximums take place at periods of equinoxes (March-April, September-October), and minimums -- at periods of solstices (June-July, December-January). At low (Apia observatory) and middle (Moscow observatory) latitudes, the character of semi-annual variation is somewhat different: it appears during the periods of equinoxes, but considerably less than at equator. Besides, with the growth of R, semi-annual variation appears against a background of annual variation, in the form of second peaks (maximum in June). At observatories located in low and middle latitudes, second peaks become more appreciable with an increase of R (March-April and September-October). During the periods of low solar activity, they are insignificant. This work has been carried out with the support from International Scientific and Technology Center (Project #KR-214).

Coccolithophore surface distributions in the North Atlantic and their modulation of the air-sea flux of CO2 from 10 years of satellite Earth observation data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shutler, J. D.; Land, P. E.; Brown, C. W.; Findlay, H. S.; Donlon, C. J.; Medland, M.; Snooke, R.; Blackford, J. C.

2013-04-01

Coccolithophores are the primary oceanic phytoplankton responsible for the production of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). These climatically important plankton play a key role in the oceanic carbon cycle as a major contributor of carbon to the open ocean carbonate pump (~50%) and their calcification can affect the atmosphere-to-ocean (air-sea) uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) through increasing the seawater partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2). Here we document variations in the areal extent of surface blooms of the globally important coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi, in the North Atlantic over a 10-year period (1998-2007), using Earth observation data from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS). We calculate the annual mean sea surface areal coverage of E. huxleyi in the North Atlantic to be 474 000 ± 104 000 km2, which results in a net CaCO3 carbon (CaCO3-C) production of 0.14-1.71 Tg CaCO3-C per year. However, this surface coverage (and, thus, net production) can fluctuate inter-annually by -54/+8% about the mean value and is strongly correlated with the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate oscillation index (r=0.75, p<0.02). Our analysis evaluates the spatial extent over which the E. huxleyi blooms in the North Atlantic can increase the pCO2 and, thus, decrease the localised air-sea flux of atmospheric CO2. In regions where the blooms are prevalent, the average reduction in the monthly air-sea CO2 flux can reach 55%. The maximum reduction of the monthly air-sea CO2 flux in the time series is 155%. This work suggests that the high variability, frequency and distribution of these calcifying plankton and their impact on pCO2 should be considered if we are to fully understand the variability of the North Atlantic air-to-sea flux of CO2. We estimate that these blooms can reduce the annual N. Atlantic net sink atmospheric CO2 by between 3-28%.

Record low lake ice thickness and bedfast ice extent on Alaska's Arctic Coastal Plain in 2017 exemplify the value of monitoring freshwater ice to understand sea-ice forcing and predict permafrost dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arp, C. D.; Alexeev, V. A.; Bondurant, A. C.; Creighton, A.; Engram, M. J.; Jones, B. M.; Parsekian, A.

2017-12-01

The winter of 2016/2017 was exceptionally warm and snowy along the coast of Arctic Alaska partly due to low fall sea ice extent. Based on several decades of field measurements, we documented a new record low maximum ice thickness (MIT) for lakes on the Barrow Peninsula, averaging 1.2 m. This is in comparison to a long-term average MIT of 1.7 m stretching back to 1962 with a maximum of 2.1 m in 1970 and previous minimum of 1.3 m in 2014. The relevance of thinner lake ice in arctic coastal lowlands, where thermokarst lakes cover greater than 20% of the land area, is that permafrost below lakes with bedfast ice is typically preserved. Lakes deeper than the MIT warm and thaw sub-lake permafrost forming taliks. Remote sensing analysis using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a valuable tool for scaling the field observations of MIT to the entire freshwater landscape to map bedfast ice. A new, long-term time-series of late winter multi-platform SAR from 1992 to 2016 shows a large dynamic range of bedfast ice extent, 29% of lake area or 6% of the total land area over this period, and adding 2017 to this record is expected to extend this range further. Empirical models of lake mean annual bed temperature suggest that permafrost begins to thaw at depths less than 60% of MIT. Based on this information and knowledge of average lake ice growth trajectories, we suggest that future SAR analysis of lake ice should focus on mid-winter (January) to evaluate the extent of bedfast ice and corresponding zones of sub-lake permafrost thaw. Tracking changes in these areas from year to year in mid-winter may provide the best landscape-scale evaluation of changing permafrost conditions in lake-rich arctic lowlands. Because observed changes in MIT coupled with mid-winter bedfast ice extent provide much information on permafrost stability, we suggest that these measurements can serve as Essential Climate Variables (EVCs) to indicate past and future changes in lake-rich arctic regions. The strong linkage between declining sea ice and terrestrial freshwater ice thickness, lake ice regimes, and sub-lake permafrost stability suggest more rapid degradation of landscape-wide permafrost than some observations and models might suggest, warranting a targeted program to indicate such arctic land-sea linkages.

Global patterns in endemism explained by past climatic change.

PubMed

Jansson, Roland

2003-03-22

I propose that global patterns in numbers of range-restricted endemic species are caused by variation in the amplitude of climatic change occurring on time-scales of 10-100 thousand years (Milankovitch oscillations). The smaller the climatic shifts, the more probable it is that palaeoendemics survive and that diverging gene pools persist without going extinct or merging, favouring the evolution of neoendemics. Using the change in mean annual temperature since the last glacial maximum, estimated from global circulation models, I show that the higher the temperature change in an area, the fewer endemic species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and vascular plants it harbours. This relationship was robust to variation in area (for areas greater than 10(4) km2), latitudinal position, extent of former glaciation and whether or not areas are oceanic islands. Past climatic change was a better predictor of endemism than annual temperature range in all phylads except amphibians, suggesting that Rapoport's rule (i.e. species range sizes increase with latitude) is best explained by the increase in the amplitude of climatic oscillations towards the poles. Globally, endemic-rich areas are predicted to warm less in response to greenhouse-gas emissions, but the predicted warming would cause many habitats to disappear regionally, leading to species extinctions.

Magnitude and frequency of flooding on small urban watersheds in the Tampa Bay area, west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lopez, M.A.; Woodham, W.M.

1983-01-01

Hydrologic data collected on nine small urban watersheds in the Tampa Bay area of west-central Florida and a method for estimating peak discharges in the study area are described. The watersheds have mixed land use and range in size from 0.34 to 3.45 square miles. Watershed soils, land use, and storm-drainage system data are described. Urban development ranged from a sparsely populated area with open-ditch storm sewers and 19% impervious area to a completely sewered watershed with 61% impervious cover. The U.S. Geological Survey natural-basin and urban-watershed models were calibrated for the nine watersheds using 5-minute interval rainfall data from the Tampa, Florida, National Weather Service rain gage to simulate annual peak discharge for the period 1906-52. A log-Pearson Type III frequency analysis of the simulated annual maximum discharge was used to determine the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-year flood discharges for each watershed. Flood discharges were related in a multiple-linear regression to drainage area, channel slope, detention storage area, and an urban-development factor determined by the extent of curb and gutter street drainage and storm-sewer system. The average standard error for the regional relations ranged from + or - 32 to + or - 42%. (USGS)

HIV/AIDS information by African companies: an empirical analysis.

PubMed

Barako, Dulacha G; Taplin, Ross H; Brown, Alistair M

2010-01-01

This article investigates the extent of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Disclosures (HIV/AIDSD) in online annual reports by 200 listed companies from 10 African countries for the year ending 2006. Descriptive statistics reveal a very low level of overall HIV/AIDSD practices with a mean of 6 per cent disclosure, with half (100 out of 200) of the African companies making no disclosures at all. Logistic regression analysis reveals that company size and country are highly significant predictors of any disclosure of HIV/AIDS in annual reports. Profitability is also statistically significantly associated with the extent of disclosure.

Mapping Daily and Maximum Flood Extents at 90-m Resolution During Hurricanes Harvey and Irma Using Passive Microwave Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galantowicz, J. F.; Picton, J.; Root, B.

2017-12-01

Passive microwave remote sensing can provided a distinct perspective on flood events by virtue of wide sensor fields of view, frequent observations from multiple satellites, and sensitivity through clouds and vegetation. During Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, we used AMSR2 (Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2, JAXA) data to map flood extents starting from the first post-storm rain-free sensor passes. Our standard flood mapping algorithm (FloodScan) derives flooded fraction from 22-km microwave data (AMSR2 or NASA's GMI) in near real time and downscales it to 90-m resolution using a database built from topography, hydrology, and Global Surface Water Explorer data and normalized to microwave data footprint shapes. During Harvey and Irma we tested experimental versions of the algorithm designed to map the maximum post-storm flood extent rapidly and made a variety of map products available immediately for use in storm monitoring and response. The maps have several unique features including spanning the entire storm-affected area and providing multiple post-storm updates as flood water shifted and receded. From the daily maps we derived secondary products such as flood duration, maximum flood extent (Figure 1), and flood depth. In this presentation, we describe flood extent evolution, maximum extent, and local details as detected by the FloodScan algorithm in the wake of Harvey and Irma. We compare FloodScan results to other available flood mapping resources, note observed shortcomings, and describe improvements made in response. We also discuss how best-estimate maps could be updated in near real time by merging FloodScan products and data from other remote sensing systems and hydrological models.

Trends in precipitation, streamflow, reservoir pool elevations, and reservoir releases in Arkansas and selected sites in Louisiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma, 1951–2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wagner, Daniel M.; Krieger, Joshua D.; Merriman, Katherine R.

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) conducted a statistical analysis of trends in precipitation, streamflow, reservoir pool elevations, and reservoir releases in Arkansas and selected sites in Louisiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma for the period 1951–2011. The Mann-Kendall test was used to test for trends in annual and seasonal precipitation, annual and seasonal streamflows of 42 continuous-record USGS streamflow-gaging stations, annual pool elevations and releases from 16 USACE reservoirs, and annual releases from 11 dams on the Arkansas River. A statistically significant (p≤0.10) upward trend was observed in annual precipitation for the State, with a Sen slope of approximately 0.10 inch per year. Autumn and winter were the only seasons that had statistically significant trends in precipitation. Five of six physiographic sections and six of seven 4-digit hydrologic unit code (HUC) regions in Arkansas had statistically significant upward trends in autumn precipitation, with Sen slopes of approximately 0.06 to 0.10 inch per year. Sixteen sites had statistically significant upward trends in the annual mean daily streamflow and were located on streams that drained regions with statistically significant upward trends in annual precipitation. Expected annual rates of change corresponding to statistically significant trends in annual mean daily streamflows, which ranged from 0.32 to 0.88 percent, were greater than those corresponding to regions with statistically significant upward trends in annual precipitation, which ranged from 0.19 to 0.28 percent, suggesting that the observed trends in regional annual precipitation do not fully account for the observed trends in annual mean daily streamflows. Trends in annual maximum daily streamflows were similar to trends in the annual mean daily streamflows but were only statistically significant at seven sites. There were more statistically significant trends (28 of 42 sites) in the annual minimum daily streamflows than in the annual means or maximums. Statistically significant trends in the annual minimum daily streamflows were upward at 18 sites and downward at 10 sites. Despite autumn being the only season that had statistically significant upward trends in seasonal precipitation, statistically significant upward trends in seasonal mean streamflows occurred in every season but spring. Trends in the annual mean, maximum, and minimum daily pool elevations of USACE reservoirs were consistent between metrics for reservoirs in the White, Arkansas, and Ouachita River watersheds, while trends varied between metrics at DeQueen Lake, Millwood Lake, and Lake Chicot. Most of the statistically significant trends in pool elevation metrics were upward and gradual—Sen slopes were less than 0.37 foot per year—and were likely the result of changes in reservoir regulation plans. Trends in the annual mean and maximum daily releases from USACE reservoirs were generally upward in all HUC regions. There were few statistically significant trends in the annual mean daily releases because the reservoirs are operated to maintain a regulation stage at a downstream site according to guidelines set forth in the regulation plans of the reservoirs. The annual number of low-flow days was both increasing and decreasing for reservoirs in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri and generally increasing for reservoirs in southern Arkansas.

Sea-ice evaluation of NEMO-Nordic 1.0: a NEMO-LIM3.6-based ocean-sea-ice model setup for the North Sea and Baltic Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pemberton, Per; Löptien, Ulrike; Hordoir, Robinson; Höglund, Anders; Schimanke, Semjon; Axell, Lars; Haapala, Jari

2017-08-01

The Baltic Sea is a seasonally ice-covered marginal sea in northern Europe with intense wintertime ship traffic and a sensitive ecosystem. Understanding and modeling the evolution of the sea-ice pack is important for climate effect studies and forecasting purposes. Here we present and evaluate the sea-ice component of a new NEMO-LIM3.6-based ocean-sea-ice setup for the North Sea and Baltic Sea region (NEMO-Nordic). The setup includes a new depth-based fast-ice parametrization for the Baltic Sea. The evaluation focuses on long-term statistics, from a 45-year long hindcast, although short-term daily performance is also briefly evaluated. We show that NEMO-Nordic is well suited for simulating the mean sea-ice extent, concentration, and thickness as compared to the best available observational data set. The variability of the annual maximum Baltic Sea ice extent is well in line with the observations, but the 1961-2006 trend is underestimated. Capturing the correct ice thickness distribution is more challenging. Based on the simulated ice thickness distribution we estimate the undeformed and deformed ice thickness and concentration in the Baltic Sea, which compares reasonably well with observations.

Bringing the Institution into Focus. Annual Results 2014

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Survey of Student Engagement, 2014

2014-01-01

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational…

Statistical summaries of streamflow data for selected gaging stations on and near the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho, through September 1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stone, M.A.J.; Mann, Larry J.; Kjelstrom, L.C.

1993-01-01

Statistical summaries and graphs of streamflow data were prepared for 13 gaging stations with 5 or more years of continuous record on and near the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Statistical summaries of streamflow data for the Big and Little Lost Rivers and Birch Creek were analyzed as a requisite for a comprehensive evaluation of the potential for flooding of facilities at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The type of statistical analyses performed depended on the length of streamflow record for a gaging station. Streamflow statistics generated for stations with 5 to 9 years of record were: (1) magnitudes of monthly and annual flows; (2) duration of daily mean flows; and (3) maximum, median, and minimum daily mean flows. Streamflow statistics generated for stations with 10 or more years of record were: (1) magnitudes of monthly and annual flows; (2) magnitudes and frequencies of daily low, high, instantaneous peak (flood frequency), and annual mean flows; (3) duration of daily mean flows; (4) exceedance probabilities of annual low, high, instantaneous peak, and mean annual flows; (5) maximum, median, and minimum daily mean flows; and (6) annual mean and mean annual flows.

Stream gage descriptions and streamflow statistics for sites in the Tigris River and Euphrates River Basins, Iraq

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saleh, Dina K.

2010-01-01

Statistical summaries of streamflow data for all long-term streamflow-gaging stations in the Tigris River and Euphrates River Basins in Iraq are presented in this report. The summaries for each streamflow-gaging station include (1) a station description, (2) a graph showing annual mean discharge for the period of record, (3) a table of extremes and statistics for monthly and annual mean discharge, (4) a graph showing monthly maximum, minimum, and mean discharge, (5) a table of monthly and annual mean discharges for the period of record, (6) a graph showing annual flow duration, (7) a table of monthly and annual flow duration, (8) a table of high-flow frequency data (maximum mean discharge for 3-, 7-, 15-, and 30-day periods for selected exceedance probabilities), and (9) a table of low-flow frequency data (minimum mean discharge for 3-, 7-, 15-, 30-, 60-, 90-, and 183-day periods for selected non-exceedance probabilities).

Streamflow simulation studies of the Hillsborough, Alafia, and Anclote Rivers, west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Turner, J.F.

1979-01-01

A modified version of the Georgia Tech Watershed Model was applied for the purpose of flow simulation in three large river basins of west-central Florida. Calibrations were evaluated by comparing the following synthesized and observed data: annual hydrographs for the 1959, 1960, 1973 and 1974 water years, flood hydrographs (maximum daily discharge and flood volume), and long-term annual flood-peak discharges (1950-72). Annual hydrographs, excluding the 1973 water year, were compared using average absolute error in annual runoff and daily flows and correlation coefficients of monthly and daily flows. Correlations coefficients for simulated and observed maximum daily discharges and flood volumes used for calibrating range from 0.91 to 0.98 and average standard errors of estimate range from 18 to 45 percent. Correlation coefficients for simulated and observed annual flood-peak discharges range from 0.60 to 0.74 and average standard errors of estimate range from 33 to 44 percent. (Woodard-USGS)

Measurement of doses to the extremities of nuclear medicine staff

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shousha, Hany A.; Farag, Hamed; Hassan, Ramadan A.

2010-01-01

Medical uses of ionizing radiation now represent>95% of all man-made radiation exposure, and is the largest single radiation source after natural background radiation. Therefore, it is important to quantify the amount of radiation received by occupational individuals to optimize the working conditions for staff, and further, to compare doses in different departments to ensure compatibility with the recommended standards. For some groups working with unsealed sources in nuclear medicine units, the hands are more heavily exposed to ionizing radiation than the rest of the body. A personal dosimetry service runs extensively in Egypt. But doses to extremities have not been measured to a wide extent. The purpose of this study was to investigate the equivalent radiation doses to the fingers for five different nuclear medicine staff occupational groups for which heavy irradiation of the hands was suspected. Finger doses were measured for (1) nuclear medicine physicians, (2) technologists, (3) nurses and (4) physicists. The fifth group contains three technicians handling 131I, while the others handled 99mTc. Each staff member working with the radioactive material wore two thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) during the whole testing period, which lasted from 1 to 4 weeks. Staff performed their work on a regular basis throughout the month, and mean annual doses were calculated for these groups. Results showed that the mean equivalent doses to the fingers of technologist, nurse and physicist groups were 30.24±14.5, 30.37±17.5 and 16.3±7.7 μSv/GBq, respectively. Equivalent doses for the physicians could not be calculated per unit of activity because they did not handle the radiopharmaceuticals directly. Their doses were reported in millisieverts (mSv) that accumulated in one week. Similarly, the dose to the fingers of individuals in Group 5 was estimated to be 126.13±38.2 μSv/GBq. The maximum average finger dose, in this study, was noted in the technologists who handled therapeutic 131I (2.5 mSv). In conclusion, the maximum expected annual dose to extremities is less than the annual limit (500 mSv/y).

20 CFR 30.811 - How will OWCP calculate the duration and extent of a covered Part E employee's initial period of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... exceed 50 percent of his or her average annual wage, OWCP will pay the employee $15,000 as compensation... did not exceed 75 percent of such average annual wage, OWCP will pay the employee $10,000 as... EEOICPA Determinations of Average Annual Wage and Percentages of Loss § 30.811 How will OWCP calculate the...

20 CFR 30.811 - How will OWCP calculate the duration and extent of a covered Part E employee's initial period of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... exceed 50 percent of his or her average annual wage, OWCP will pay the employee $15,000 as compensation... did not exceed 75 percent of such average annual wage, OWCP will pay the employee $10,000 as... EEOICPA Determinations of Average Annual Wage and Percentages of Loss § 30.811 How will OWCP calculate the...

48 CFR 44.402 - Policy requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... simplified acquisition threshold, the contractor shall, to the maximum extent practicable, conduct market research to determine— (1) If commercial items or, to the extent commercial items suitable to meet the...

Simulation of Groundwater Mounding Beneath Hypothetical Stormwater Infiltration Basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carleton, Glen B.

2010-01-01

Groundwater mounding occurs beneath stormwater management structures designed to infiltrate stormwater runoff. Concentrating recharge in a small area can cause groundwater mounding that affects the basements of nearby homes and other structures. Methods for quantitatively predicting the height and extent of groundwater mounding beneath and near stormwater Finite-difference groundwater-flow simulations of infiltration from hypothetical stormwater infiltration structures (which are typically constructed as basins or dry wells) were done for 10-acre and 1-acre developments. Aquifer and stormwater-runoff characteristics in the model were changed to determine which factors are most likely to have the greatest effect on simulating the maximum height and maximum extent of groundwater mounding. Aquifer characteristics that were changed include soil permeability, aquifer thickness, and specific yield. Stormwater-runoff variables that were changed include magnitude of design storm, percentage of impervious area, infiltration-structure depth (maximum depth of standing water), and infiltration-basin shape. Values used for all variables are representative of typical physical conditions and stormwater management designs in New Jersey but do not include all possible values. Results are considered to be a representative, but not all-inclusive, subset of likely results. Maximum heights of simulated groundwater mounds beneath stormwater infiltration structures are the most sensitive to (show the greatest change with changes to) soil permeability. The maximum height of the groundwater mound is higher when values of soil permeability, aquifer thickness, or specific yield are decreased or when basin depth is increased or the basin shape is square (and values of other variables are held constant). Changing soil permeability, aquifer thickness, specific yield, infiltration-structure depth, or infiltration-structure shape does not change the volume of water infiltrated, it changes the shape or height of the groundwater mound resulting from the infiltration. An aquifer with a greater soil permeability or aquifer thickness has an increased ability to transmit water away from the source of infiltration than aquifers with lower soil permeability; therefore, the maximum height of the groundwater mound will be lower, and the areal extent of mounding will be larger. The maximum height of groundwater mounding is higher when values of design storm magnitude or percentage of impervious cover (from which runoff is captured) are increased (and other variables are held constant) because the total volume of water to be infiltrated is larger. The larger the volume of infiltrated water the higher the head required to move that water away from the source of recharge if the physical characteristics of the aquifer are unchanged. The areal extent of groundwater mounding increases when soil permeability, aquifer thickness, design-storm magnitude, or percentage of impervious cover are increased (and values of other variables are held constant). For 10-acre sites, the maximum heights of the simulated groundwater mound range from 0.1 to 18.5 feet (ft). The median of the maximum-height distribution from 576 simulations is 1.8 ft. The maximum areal extent (measured from the edge of the infiltration basins) of groundwater mounding of 0.25-ft ranges from 0 to 300 ft with a median of 51 ft for 576 simulations. Stormwater infiltration at a 1-acre development was simulated, incorporating the assumption that the hypothetical infiltration structure would be a pre-cast concrete dry well having side openings and an open bottom. The maximum heights of the simulated groundwater-mounds range from 0.01 to 14.0 ft. The median of the maximum-height distribution from 432 simulations is 1.0 ft. The maximum areal extent of groundwater mounding of 0.25-ft ranges from 0 to 100 ft with a median of 10 ft for 432 simulations. Simulated height and extent of groundwater mounding associ

Seasonal and interannual variability of fast ice extent in the southeastern Laptev Sea between 1999 and 2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selyuzhenok, V.; Krumpen, T.; Mahoney, A.; Janout, M.; Gerdes, R.

2015-12-01

Along with changes in sea ice extent, thickness, and drift speed, Arctic sea ice regime is characterized by a decrease of fast ice season and reduction of fast ice extent. The most extensive fast ice cover in the Arctic develops in the southeastern Laptev Sea. Using weekly operational sea ice charts produced by Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI, Russia) from 1999 to 2013, we identified five main key events that characterize the annual evolution of fast ice in the southeastern Laptev Sea. Linking the occurrence of the key events with the atmospheric forcing, bathymetry, freezeup, and melt onset, we examined the processes driving annual fast ice cycle. The analysis revealed that fast ice in the region is sensitive to thermodynamic processes throughout a season, while the wind has a strong influence only on the first stages of fast ice development. The maximal fast ice extent is closely linked to the bathymetry and local topography and is primarily defined by the location of shoals, where fast ice is likely grounded. The annual fast ice cycle shows significant changes over the period of investigation, with tendencies toward later fast ice formation and earlier breakup. These tendencies result in an overall decrease of the fast ice season by 2.8 d/yr, which is significantly higher than previously reported trends.

[The epidemiological validation of the MPEL for grain dust in the atmosphere].

PubMed

Pinigin, M A; Cherepov, E M; Safiulin, A A; Petrova, I V; Mukhambetova, L Kh; Osipova, E M; Veselov, A P

1998-01-01

The use of calculating and gravimetric methods for examining the grain dust pollution of the ambient air at the site of an elevator determined the maximum single, mean daily, and mean annual concentrations at different distances from the source of dust emission. The mean ratio of these concentrations was 12.1:4.3:1, respectively. The calculated concentration-effect and concentration-time relationships provided evidence for the maximum single, mean daily, and mean annual allowable concentrations for grain dust in the ambient air.

Regional peculiarities in the inter-annual distribution of the red 630.0 nm line nightglow intensities over Abastumani

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toriashvili, L.; Didebulidze, G. G.; Todua, M.

2017-12-01

Peculiarities of the inter-annual distribution of atomic oxygen red OI 630.0 nm line nightglow intensity observed from Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory (41.75 N; 42.82 E) are considered, using the long-term dataset. This distribution demonstrates semi-annual and annual-like variations which occur during solar minimum, as well as maximum phases. The maximum values of the red line intensities are in Summer, however in June it is lower than in May and July, which may be due to regional effects. This phenomenon is considered as a the possible result of regional dynamical processes influencing the behavior of the ionosphere F2 layer which cause changes of electrons/ions densities in the 630.0 nm line luminous region (maximum luminous layer is at about 230-280 km). Using the red line intensities and ionosphere F2 layer electron density data of the IRI-12 model, the changes of meridional thermospheric wind velocities are estimated for this mid-latitude region. These meridional and vertical wind field changes causes of variations of the red line intensities in June can be caused by tidal wind and accompanied by atmospheric gravity waves activities.

34 CFR 674.12 - Loan maximums.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FEDERAL PERKINS LOAN PROGRAM General Provisions § 674.12 Loan maximums. (a) The maximum annual amount of Federal Perkins Loans and NDSLs an eligible student may borrow is— (1) $5,500 for... professional student. (b) The aggregate unpaid principal amount of all Federal Perkins Loans and NDSLs received...

Experiences That Matter: Enhancing Student Learning and Success. Annual Report 2007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Survey of Student Engagement, 2007

2007-01-01

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational…

Annual maximum and minimum lake levels for Indiana, 1942-85

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fowler, Kathleen K.

1988-01-01

Indiana has many natural and manmade lakes. Lake-level data are available for 217 lakes. These data were collected during water years 1942-85 by use of staff gages and, more recently, continuous recorders. The period of record at each site ranges from 1 to 43 years. Data from the lake stations have been compiled, and maximum and minimum lake levels for each year of record are reported. In addition to annual maximum and minimum lake levels, each lake station is described by gage location, surface area, drainage area, period of record, datum of gage, gage type, established legal level, lake level control, inlets and outlets, and extremes for the period of record. 

Estimation and prediction of maximum daily rainfall at Sagar Island using best fit probability models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandal, S.; Choudhury, B. U.

2015-07-01

Sagar Island, setting on the continental shelf of Bay of Bengal, is one of the most vulnerable deltas to the occurrence of extreme rainfall-driven climatic hazards. Information on probability of occurrence of maximum daily rainfall will be useful in devising risk management for sustaining rainfed agrarian economy vis-a-vis food and livelihood security. Using six probability distribution models and long-term (1982-2010) daily rainfall data, we studied the probability of occurrence of annual, seasonal and monthly maximum daily rainfall (MDR) in the island. To select the best fit distribution models for annual, seasonal and monthly time series based on maximum rank with minimum value of test statistics, three statistical goodness of fit tests, viz. Kolmogorove-Smirnov test (K-S), Anderson Darling test ( A 2 ) and Chi-Square test ( X 2) were employed. The fourth probability distribution was identified from the highest overall score obtained from the three goodness of fit tests. Results revealed that normal probability distribution was best fitted for annual, post-monsoon and summer seasons MDR, while Lognormal, Weibull and Pearson 5 were best fitted for pre-monsoon, monsoon and winter seasons, respectively. The estimated annual MDR were 50, 69, 86, 106 and 114 mm for return periods of 2, 5, 10, 20 and 25 years, respectively. The probability of getting an annual MDR of >50, >100, >150, >200 and >250 mm were estimated as 99, 85, 40, 12 and 03 % level of exceedance, respectively. The monsoon, summer and winter seasons exhibited comparatively higher probabilities (78 to 85 %) for MDR of >100 mm and moderate probabilities (37 to 46 %) for >150 mm. For different recurrence intervals, the percent probability of MDR varied widely across intra- and inter-annual periods. In the island, rainfall anomaly can pose a climatic threat to the sustainability of agricultural production and thus needs adequate adaptation and mitigation measures.

User’s manual to update the National Wildlife Refuge System Water Quality Information System (WQIS)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chojnacki, Kimberly A.; Vishy, Chad J.; Hinck, Jo Ellen; Finger, Susan E.; Higgins, Michael J.; Kilbride, Kevin

2013-01-01

National Wildlife Refuges may have impaired water quality resulting from historic and current land uses, upstream sources, and aerial pollutant deposition. National Wildlife Refuge staff have limited time available to identify and evaluate potential water quality issues. As a result, water quality–related issues may not be resolved until a problem has already arisen. The National Wildlife Refuge System Water Quality Information System (WQIS) is a relational database developed for use by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff to identify existing water quality issues on refuges in the United States. The WQIS database relies on a geospatial overlay analysis of data layers for ownership, streams and water quality. The WQIS provides summary statistics of 303(d) impaired waters and total maximum daily loads for the National Wildlife Refuge System at the national, regional, and refuge level. The WQIS allows U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff to be proactive in addressing water quality issues by identifying and understanding the current extent and nature of 303(d) impaired waters and subsequent total maximum daily loads. Water quality data are updated bi-annually, making it necessary to refresh the WQIS to maintain up-to-date information. This manual outlines the steps necessary to update the data and reports in the WQIS.

78 FR 18249 - Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Annual Specifications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-26

... limit (ACL), harvest guideline (HG), annual catch target (ACT) and associated annual reference points... Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The 2012-2013 ACL or maximum HG for Pacific... difference between the ACL and ACT (10,128 mt) as a set aside for incidental landings in other CPS fisheries...

77 FR 36192 - Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Annual Specifications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-18

... limit (ACL), harvest guideline (HG), annual catch target (ACT) and associated annual reference points... year season of July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012. NMFS establishes the ACL, HG, and ACT under the... off the Pacific coast. The ACL (or maximum HG) for the 2011- 2012 Pacific mackerel fishing year is 40...

An analysis of annual maximum streamflows in Terengganu, Malaysia using TL-moments approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, Ummi Nadiah; Shabri, Ani; Zakaria, Zahrahtul Amani

2013-02-01

TL-moments approach has been used in an analysis to determine the best-fitting distributions to represent the annual series of maximum streamflow data over 12 stations in Terengganu, Malaysia. The TL-moments with different trimming values are used to estimate the parameter of the selected distributions namely: generalized pareto (GPA), generalized logistic, and generalized extreme value distribution. The influence of TL-moments on estimated probability distribution functions are examined by evaluating the relative root mean square error and relative bias of quantile estimates through Monte Carlo simulations. The boxplot is used to show the location of the median and the dispersion of the data, which helps in reaching the decisive conclusions. For most of the cases, the results show that TL-moments with one smallest value was trimmed from the conceptual sample (TL-moments (1,0)), of GPA distribution was the most appropriate in majority of the stations for describing the annual maximum streamflow series in Terengganu, Malaysia.

Modeling spatiotemporal dynamics of global wetlands: comprehensive evaluation of a new sub-grid TOPMODEL parameterization and uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhen; Zimmermann, Niklaus E.; Kaplan, Jed O.; Poulter, Benjamin

2016-03-01

Simulations of the spatiotemporal dynamics of wetlands are key to understanding the role of wetland biogeochemistry under past and future climate. Hydrologic inundation models, such as the TOPography-based hydrological model (TOPMODEL), are based on a fundamental parameter known as the compound topographic index (CTI) and offer a computationally cost-efficient approach to simulate wetland dynamics at global scales. However, there remains a large discrepancy in the implementations of TOPMODEL in land-surface models (LSMs) and thus their performance against observations. This study describes new improvements to TOPMODEL implementation and estimates of global wetland dynamics using the LPJ-wsl (Lund-Potsdam-Jena Wald Schnee und Landschaft version) Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (DGVM) and quantifies uncertainties by comparing three digital elevation model (DEM) products (HYDRO1k, GMTED, and HydroSHEDS) at different spatial resolution and accuracy on simulated inundation dynamics. In addition, we found that calibrating TOPMODEL with a benchmark wetland data set can help to successfully delineate the seasonal and interannual variation of wetlands, as well as improve the spatial distribution of wetlands to be consistent with inventories. The HydroSHEDS DEM, using a river-basin scheme for aggregating the CTI, shows the best accuracy for capturing the spatiotemporal dynamics of wetlands among the three DEM products. The estimate of global wetland potential/maximum is ˜ 10.3 Mkm2 (106 km2), with a mean annual maximum of ˜ 5.17 Mkm2 for 1980-2010. When integrated with wetland methane emission submodule, the uncertainty of global annual CH4 emissions from topography inputs is estimated to be 29.0 Tg yr-1. This study demonstrates the feasibility of TOPMODEL to capture spatial heterogeneity of inundation at a large scale and highlights the significance of correcting maximum wetland extent to improve modeling of interannual variations in wetland area. It additionally highlights the importance of an adequate investigation of topographic indices for simulating global wetlands and shows the opportunity to converge wetland estimates across LSMs by identifying the uncertainty associated with existing wetland products.

Constraining continuous rainfall simulations for derived design flood estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woldemeskel, F. M.; Sharma, A.; Mehrotra, R.; Westra, S.

2016-11-01

Stochastic rainfall generation is important for a range of hydrologic and water resources applications. Stochastic rainfall can be generated using a number of models; however, preserving relevant attributes of the observed rainfall-including rainfall occurrence, variability and the magnitude of extremes-continues to be difficult. This paper develops an approach to constrain stochastically generated rainfall with an aim of preserving the intensity-durationfrequency (IFD) relationships of the observed data. Two main steps are involved. First, the generated annual maximum rainfall is corrected recursively by matching the generated intensity-frequency relationships to the target (observed) relationships. Second, the remaining (non-annual maximum) rainfall is rescaled such that the mass balance of the generated rain before and after scaling is maintained. The recursive correction is performed at selected storm durations to minimise the dependence between annual maximum values of higher and lower durations for the same year. This ensures that the resulting sequences remain true to the observed rainfall as well as represent the design extremes that may have been developed separately and are needed for compliance reasons. The method is tested on simulated 6 min rainfall series across five Australian stations with different climatic characteristics. The results suggest that the annual maximum and the IFD relationships are well reproduced after constraining the simulated rainfall. While our presentation focusses on the representation of design rainfall attributes (IFDs), the proposed approach can also be easily extended to constrain other attributes of the generated rainfall, providing an effective platform for post-processing of stochastic rainfall generators.

Biogeographical drivers of ragweed pollen concentrations in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matyasovszky, István; Makra, László; Tusnády, Gábor; Csépe, Zoltán; Nyúl, László G.; Chapman, Daniel S.; Sümeghy, Zoltán; Szűcs, Gábor; Páldy, Anna; Magyar, Donát; Mányoki, Gergely; Erostyák, János; Bodnár, Károly; Bergmann, Karl-Christian; Deák, Áron József; Thibaudon, Michel; Albertini, Roberto; Bonini, Maira; Šikoparija, Branko; Radišić, Predrag; Gehrig, Regula; Rybníček, Ondřej; Severova, Elena; Rodinkova, Victoria; Prikhodko, Alexander; Maleeva, Anna; Stjepanović, Barbara; Ianovici, Nicoleta; Berger, Uwe; Seliger, Andreja Kofol; Weryszko-Chmielewska, Elżbieta; Šaulienė, Ingrida; Shalaboda, Valentina; Yankova, Raina; Peternel, Renata; Ščevková, Jana; Bullock, James M.

2017-06-01

The drivers of spatial variation in ragweed pollen concentrations, contributing to severe allergic rhinitis and asthma, are poorly quantified. We analysed the spatiotemporal variability in 16-year (1995-2010) annual total (66 stations) and annual total (2010) (162 stations) ragweed pollen counts and 8 independent variables (start, end and duration of the ragweed pollen season, maximum daily and calendar day of the maximum daily ragweed pollen counts, last frost day in spring, first frost day in fall and duration of the frost-free period) for Europe (16 years, 1995-2010) as a function of geographical coordinates. Then annual total pollen counts, annual daily peak pollen counts and date of this peak were regressed against frost-related variables, daily mean temperatures and daily precipitation amounts. To achieve this, we assembled the largest ragweed pollen data set to date for Europe. The dependence of the annual total ragweed pollen counts and the eight independent variables against geographical coordinates clearly distinguishes the three highly infected areas: the Pannonian Plain, Western Lombardy and the Rhône-Alpes region. All the eight variables are sensitive to longitude through its temperature dependence. They are also sensitive to altitude, due to the progressively colder climate with increasing altitude. Both annual total pollen counts and the maximum daily pollen counts depend on the start and the duration of the ragweed pollen season. However, no significant changes were detected in either the eight independent variables as a function of increasing latitude. This is probably due to a mixed climate induced by strong geomorphological inhomogeneities in Europe.

Trends and annual cycles in soundings of Arctic tropospheric ozone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christiansen, Bo; Jepsen, Nis; Kivi, Rigel; Hansen, Georg; Larsen, Niels; Smith Korsholm, Ulrik

2017-08-01

Ozone soundings from nine Nordic stations have been homogenized and interpolated to standard pressure levels. The different stations have very different data coverage; the longest period with data is from the end of the 1980s to 2014. At each pressure level the homogenized ozone time series have been analysed with a model that includes both low-frequency variability in the form of a polynomial, an annual cycle with harmonics, the possibility for low-frequency variability in the annual amplitude and phasing, and either white noise or noise given by a first-order autoregressive process. The fitting of the parameters is performed with a Bayesian approach not only giving the mean values but also confidence intervals. The results show that all stations agree on a well-defined annual cycle in the free troposphere with a relatively confined maximum in the early summer. Regarding the low-frequency variability, it is found that Scoresbysund, Ny Ålesund, Sodankylä, Eureka, and Ørland show similar, significant signals with a maximum near 2005 followed by a decrease. This change is characteristic for all pressure levels in the free troposphere. A significant change in the annual cycle was found for Ny Ålesund, Scoresbysund, and Sodankylä. The changes at these stations are in agreement with the interpretation that the early summer maximum is appearing earlier in the year. The results are shown to be robust to the different settings of the model parameters such as the order of the polynomial, number of harmonics in the annual cycle, and the type of noise.

5 CFR 9701.312 - Maximum rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Maximum rates. 9701.312 Section 9701.312... MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Pay and Pay Administration Overview of Pay System § 9701.312 Maximum rates. (a) DHS may not pay any employee an annual rate of basic pay in excess of the rate for level III of the Executive...

5 CFR 9701.312 - Maximum rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Maximum rates. 9701.312 Section 9701.312... MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Pay and Pay Administration Overview of Pay System § 9701.312 Maximum rates. (a) DHS may not pay any employee an annual rate of basic pay in excess of the rate for level III of the Executive...

5 CFR 9701.312 - Maximum rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Maximum rates. 9701.312 Section 9701.312... MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Pay and Pay Administration Overview of Pay System § 9701.312 Maximum rates. (a) DHS may not pay any employee an annual rate of basic pay in excess of the rate for level III of the Executive...

Variability of maximum systolic amplitude of ΔZ/Δt curve in pregnancy. Perennial observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilyin, I.; Karpov, A.; Korotkova, M.

2010-04-01

Maximum systolic amplitude is quite an important component of the impedance cardiogram ΔZ/Δt curve. Its values make it possible to calculate many hemodynamic indices. Therefore it is necessary to keep informed about monthly, annual and perennial maximum systolic amplitude trend. We can produce the measuring data of the maximum systolic amplitude for a fifteen-year period (from 1994 to 2009). The impedance cardiograms were obtained with the help of an electric impedance analyzer "RA-5" (1 mA, 70 kHz) with disk ECG electrodes. The data analyzed were taken from the pregnant women with non-complicated pregnancy (n=5709). We have analyzed the average monthly and annual changes of the maximum systolic amplitude ΔZ/Δt curve. It allowed us to reveal the six-year periodicity of the maximum systolic amplitude changes. There were discovered statistically significant peak values difference of the amplitude (p>0.001). The data obtained should be taken into consideration when using impedance cardiography in clinical practice. The article is supplied with tables and diagrams.

Student Engagement in Law Schools: A First Look. Annual Survey Results, 2004

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Law School Survey of Student Engagement, 2004

2004-01-01

The Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) documents dimensions of quality in legal education and provides information and assistance to law schools and other organizations to improve student learning. LSSSE annually surveys law students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational practices associated with high levels of…

24 CFR 2700.310 - Fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... equal to the annual premium for flood insurance required by § 2700.101(a)(4) (the lender shall pay the homeowner's flood insurance premium for that year to the extent it collects such an amount); and (4) An amount equal to the annual mortgage insurance premium required under § 2700.315. (b) Subsequent to the...

Promoting Student Learning and Institutional Improvement: Lessons from NSSE at 13. Annual Results 2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Survey of Student Engagement, 2012

2012-01-01

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational…

Wood Energy Potential in Northwestern South Carolina

Treesearch

James W. McMinn

1986-01-01

The quantity of unused wood in an Ill-county area in northwestern South Carolina was projected to be more than 16 million tons annually. Wood that is unsuitable for products other than fuel amounts to nearly 9 million tons annually.The most likely energy demand by industrial plants that are good candidates for wood fuel systems is 1.5 million tons annually.Maximum...

Borrowing at the Maximum: Undergraduate Stafford Loan Borrowers in 2007-08. Stats in Brief. NCES 2012-161

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wei, Christina Chang; Skomsvold, Paul

2011-01-01

Using data from the 2007-08 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:08), this Statistics in Brief examines the extent to which undergraduate students borrow the maximum possible within the limits of the Stafford loan program (the program maximum) and their own financial need and student budgets (the individual maximum). Students who…

9 CFR 318.303 - Critical factors and the application of the process schedule.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... container; (3) Container orientation during thermal processing; (4) Product formulation; (5) Particle size; (6) Maximum thickness for flexible, and to some extent semirigid containers during thermal processing; (7) Maximum pH; (8) Percent salt; (9) Ingoing (or formulated) nitrite level (ppm); (10) Maximum water...

77 FR 32089 - Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval to the Office of Management and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-31

... Burden: 21,465 hours. Total Annual Cost: None. Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Confidentiality is... the SORN. Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Some assurances of confidentiality are being provided... would be economically burdensome: (i) The nature and cost of the closed captions for the programming...

Mapping hurricane rita inland storm tide

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berenbrock, C.; Mason, R.R.; Blanchard, S.F.

2009-01-01

Flood-inundation data are most useful for decision makers when presented in the context of maps of affected communities and (or) areas. But because the data are scarce and rarely cover the full extent of the flooding, interpolation and extrapolation of the information are needed. Many geographic information systems provide various interpolation tools, but these tools often ignore the effects of the topographic and hydraulic features that influence flooding. A barrier mapping method was developed to improve maps of storm tide produced by Hurricane Rita. Maps were developed for the maximum storm tide and at 3-h intervals from midnight (00:00 hours) through noon (12:00 hours) on 24 September 2005. The improved maps depict storm-tide elevations and the extent of flooding. The extent of storm-tide inundation from the improved maximum storm-tide map was compared with the extent of flood inundation from a map prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The boundaries from these two maps generally compared quite well especially along the Calcasieu River. Also a cross-section profile that parallels the Louisiana coast was developed from the maximum storm-tide map and included FEMA high-water marks. ?? 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Mapping Hurricane Rita inland storm tide

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berenbrock, Charles; Mason, Jr., Robert R.; Blanchard, Stephen F.; Simonovic, Slobodan P.

2009-01-01

Flood-inundation data are most useful for decision makers when presented in the context of maps of effected communities and (or) areas. But because the data are scarce and rarely cover the full extent of the flooding, interpolation and extrapolation of the information are needed. Many geographic information systems (GIS) provide various interpolation tools, but these tools often ignore the effects of the topographic and hydraulic features that influence flooding. A barrier mapping method was developed to improve maps of storm tide produced by Hurricane Rita. Maps were developed for the maximum storm tide and at 3-hour intervals from midnight (0000 hour) through noon (1200 hour) on September 24, 2005. The improved maps depict storm-tide elevations and the extent of flooding. The extent of storm-tide inundation from the improved maximum storm-tide map was compared to the extent of flood-inundation from a map prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The boundaries from these two maps generally compared quite well especially along the Calcasieu River. Also a cross-section profile that parallels the Louisiana coast was developed from the maximum storm-tide map and included FEMA high-water marks.

Conceptual Model of Hydrologic and Thermal Conditions of the Eastbank Aquifer System near Rocky Reach Dam, Douglas County, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

van Heeswijk, Marijke; Cox, Stephen E.; Huffman, Raegan L.; Curran, Christopher A.

2008-01-01

The Lower and Combined Aquifers of the Eastbank Aquifer system, located in a river-terrace deposit along the Columbia River near Rocky Reach Dam, Washington, are primarily recharged by the Columbia River and provide water to the Eastbank Hatchery and the regional water system servicing the cities of Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, and parts of unincorporated Chelan and Douglas Counties. In 2006, mean annual pumpage from the aquifers by the hatchery and regional water system was about 43 and 16 cubic feet per second, respectively. Reportedly, temperatures of ground water pumped by the hatchery have been increasing, thereby making water potentially too warm for salmonid fish production. An evaluation of hourly ground-water and river temperatures from January 1991 through August 2007 indicates increasing interannual trends in temperatures in most of the Lower and Combined Aquifers from 1999 through 2006 that correspond to increasing trends in the annual mean and annual maximum river temperatures during the same period of 0.07 and 0.17?C per year, respectively. There were no trends in the annual minimum river temperatures from 1999 through 2006, and there were no trends in the annual minimum, mean, and maximum river temperatures from 1991 through 1998 and from 1991 through 2007. Increases in river temperatures from 1999 through 2006 are within the natural variability of the river temperatures. Most of the Lower and Combined Aquifers reached thermal equilibrium?defined by constant time lags between changes in river temperatures and subsequent changes in ground-water temperatures?during 1991?98. The only exceptions are the Combined Aquifer north of the well field of the regional water system, which had not reached thermal equilibrium by 2006, and the Lower Aquifer west of the well fields of the hatchery and the regional water system, which reached thermal equilibrium prior to 1991. Because most of the Lower and Combined Aquifers were in thermal equilibrium from 1999 through 2006 and seasonal pumpage patterns were relatively stable, reported trends of increasing temperatures of water pumped by the hatchery well field are most likely explained by increasing trends in river temperatures. Most of the water pumped by the hatchery well field recharges in an area west to southwest of the well field about 2 months prior to the time it is pumped from the aquifer. The northern extent of the hatchery well field may pump some colder water from a bedrock depression to the north and west of the well field. The conceptual model of hydrologic and thermal conditions is supported by analyses of historical water temperatures, water-level data collected on July 18, 2007, and dissolved-constituent and bacterial concentrations in samples collected on August 20?22, 2007.

FOREST-BGC, A general model of forest ecosystem processes for regional applications. II. Dynamic carbon allocation and nitrogen budgets.

PubMed

Running, Steven W.; Gower, Stith T.

1991-01-01

A new version of the ecosystem process model FOREST-BGC is presented that uses stand water and nitrogen limitations to alter the leaf/root/stem carbon allocation fraction dynamically at each annual iteration. Water deficit is defined by integrating a daily soil water deficit fraction annually. Current nitrogen limitation is defined relative to a hypothetical optimum foliar N pool, computed as maximum leaf area index multiplied by maximum leaf nitrogen concentration. Decreasing availability of water or nitrogen, or both, reduces the leaf/root carbon partitioning ratio. Leaf and root N concentrations, and maximum leaf photosynthetic capacity are also redefined annually as functions of nitrogen availability. Test simulations for hypothetical coniferous forests were performed for Madison, WI and Missoula, MT, and showed simulated leaf area index ranging from 4.5 for a control stand at Missoula, to 11 for a fertilized stand at Madison, with Year 50 stem carbon biomasses of 31 and 128 Mg ha(-1), respectively. Total nitrogen incorporated into new tissue ranged from 34 kg ha(-1) year(-1) for the unfertilized Missoula stand, to 109 kg ha(-1) year(-1) for the fertilized Madison stand. The model successfully showed dynamic annual carbon partitioning controlled by water and nitrogen limitations.

Spatial correlation in precipitation trends in the Brazilian Amazon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buarque, Diogo Costa; Clarke, Robin T.; Mendes, Carlos Andre Bulhoes

2010-06-01

A geostatistical analysis of variables derived from Amazon daily precipitation records (trends in annual precipitation totals, trends in annual maximum precipitation accumulated over 1-5 days, trend in length of dry spell, trend in number of wet days per year) gave results that are consistent with those previously reported. Averaged over the Brazilian Amazon region as a whole, trends in annual maximum precipitations were slightly negative, the trend in the length of dry spell was slightly positive, and the trend in the number of wet days in the year was slightly negative. For trends in annual maximum precipitation accumulated over 1-5 days, spatial correlation between trends was found to extend up to a distance equivalent to at least half a degree of latitude or longitude, with some evidence of anisotropic correlation. Time trends in annual precipitation were found to be spatially correlated up to at least ten degrees of separation, in both W-E and S-N directions. Anisotropic spatial correlation was strongly evident in time trends in length of dry spell with much stronger evidence of spatial correlation in the W-E direction, extending up to at least five degrees of separation, than in the S-N. Because the time trends analyzed are shown to be spatially correlated, it is argued that methods at present widely used to test the statistical significance of climate trends over time lead to erroneous conclusions if spatial correlation is ignored, because records from different sites are assumed to be statistically independent.

Climate sensitivity of Tibetan Plateau glaciers - past and future implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heyman, Jakob; Hubbard, Alun; Stroeven, Arjen P.; Harbor, Jonathan M.

2013-04-01

The Tibetan Plateau is one of the most extensively glaciated, non-Polar regions of the world, and its mountain glaciers are the primary source of melt water for several of the largest Asian rivers. During glacial cycles, Tibetan Plateau glaciers advanced and retreated multiple times, but remained restricted to the highest mountain areas as valley glaciers and ice caps. Because glacier extent is dominantly controlled by climate, the past extent of Tibetan glaciers provide information on regional climate. Here we present a study analyzing the past maximum extents of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau with the output of a 3D glacier model, in an effort to quantify Tibetan Plateau climate. We have mapped present-day glaciers and glacial landforms deposited by formerly more extensive glaciers in eight mountain regions across the Tibetan Plateau, allowing us to define present-day and past maximum glacier outlines. Using a high-resolution (250 m) higher-order glacier model calibrated against present-day glacier extents, we have quantified the climate perturbations required to expand present-day glaciers to their past maximum extents. We find that a modest cooling of at most 6°C for a few thousand years is enough to attain past maximum extents, even with 25-75% precipitation reduction. This evidence for limited cooling indicates that the temperature of the Tibetan Plateau remained relatively stable over Quaternary glacial cycles. Given the significant sensitivity to temperature change, the expectation is perhaps that a future warmer climate might result in intense glacier reduction. We have tested this hypothesis and modeled the future glacier development for the three mountain regions with the largest present-day glacier cover using a projected warming of 2.8 to 6.2°C within 100 years (envelope limits from IPCC). These scenarios result in dramatic glacier reductions, including 24-100% ice volume loss after 100 years and 77-100% ice volume loss after 300 years.

Response of changes in seasonal soil freeze/thaw state to climate change from 1950 to 2010 across china

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Xiaoqing; Frauenfeld, Oliver W.; Cao, Bin; Wang, Kang; Wang, Huijuan; Su, Hang; Huang, Zhe; Yue, Dongxia; Zhang, Tingjun

2016-11-01

Variations in seasonal soil freeze/thaw state are important indicators of climate change and influence ground temperature, hydrological processes, surface energy, and the moisture balance. Previous studies mainly focused on the active layer and permafrost, while seasonally frozen ground research in nonpermafrost regions has received less attention. In this study, we investigate the response of changes in seasonal soil freeze/thaw state to changes in air temperatures by combining observations from more than 800 stations with gridded mean monthly air temperature data across China. The results show that mean annual air temperature (MAAT) increased statistically significantly by 0.29 ± 0.03°C/decade from 1967 to 2013, with greater warming on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. There is a statistically significant decrease in the freeze/thaw cycle (FTC) at 0.39 ± 0.05 cycles/decade. In addition, there are strong negative correlations between FTC and MAAT. Estimating the soil freeze/thaw state classification based on the number of days in the month, we find that changes of mean annual area extent of seasonal soil freeze/thaw state decreased significantly for completely frozen (CF) ground, while the area extent of partially frozen (PF) and unfrozen (UF) ground both increased. Changes in mean monthly area extent of seasonal soil freeze/thaw state indicate that the extent of CF and UF area was decreasing and increasing, respectively. But for the extent of PF areas, both increasing and decreasing trends were observed. Quantifying the spatial pattern of the seasonal soil freeze/thaw, we find that CF and PF areas are located in northern China and the Tibetan Plateau from December to March, and UF areas are located in southern China. The variations of mean annual area extent departure of soil freeze/thaw states are consistent with MAAT changes in different land cover types across China.

Optical ages indicate the southwestern margin of the Green Bay Lobe in Wisconsin, USA, was at its maximum extent until about 18,500 years ago

USGS Publications Warehouse

Attig, J.W.; Hanson, P.R.; Rawling, J.E.; Young, A.R.; Carson, E.C.

2011-01-01

Samples for optical dating were collected to estimate the time of sediment deposition in small ice-marginal lakes in the Baraboo Hills of Wisconsin. These lakes formed high in the Baraboo Hills when drainage was blocked by the Green Bay Lobe when it was at or very near its maximum extent. Therefore, these optical ages provide control for the timing of the thinning and recession of the Green Bay Lobe from its maximum position. Sediment that accumulated in four small ice-marginal lakes was sampled and dated. Difficulties with field sampling and estimating dose rates made the interpretation of optical ages derived from samples from two of the lake basins problematic. Samples from the other two lake basins-South Bluff and Feltz basins-responded well during laboratory analysis and showed reasonably good agreement between the multiple ages produced at each site. These ages averaged 18.2. ka (n= 6) and 18.6. ka (n= 6), respectively. The optical ages from these two lake basins where we could carefully select sediment samples provide firm evidence that the Green Bay Lobe stood at or very near its maximum extent until about 18.5. ka.The persistence of ice-marginal lakes in these basins high in the Baraboo Hills indicates that the ice of the Green Bay Lobe had not experienced significant thinning near its margin prior to about 18.5. ka. These ages are the first to directly constrain the timing of the maximum extent of the Green Bay Lobe and the onset of deglaciation in the area for which the Wisconsin Glaciation was named. ?? 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Soil and Water Assessment Tool model predictions of annual maximum pesticide concentrations in high vulnerability watersheds.

PubMed

Winchell, Michael F; Peranginangin, Natalia; Srinivasan, Raghavan; Chen, Wenlin

2018-05-01

Recent national regulatory assessments of potential pesticide exposure of threatened and endangered species in aquatic habitats have led to increased need for watershed-scale predictions of pesticide concentrations in flowing water bodies. This study was conducted to assess the ability of the uncalibrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to predict annual maximum pesticide concentrations in the flowing water bodies of highly vulnerable small- to medium-sized watersheds. The SWAT was applied to 27 watersheds, largely within the midwest corn belt of the United States, ranging from 20 to 386 km 2 , and evaluated using consistent input data sets and an uncalibrated parameterization approach. The watersheds were selected from the Atrazine Ecological Exposure Monitoring Program and the Heidelberg Tributary Loading Program, both of which contain high temporal resolution atrazine sampling data from watersheds with exceptionally high vulnerability to atrazine exposure. The model performance was assessed based upon predictions of annual maximum atrazine concentrations in 1-d and 60-d durations, predictions critical in pesticide-threatened and endangered species risk assessments when evaluating potential acute and chronic exposure to aquatic organisms. The simulation results showed that for nearly half of the watersheds simulated, the uncalibrated SWAT model was able to predict annual maximum pesticide concentrations within a narrow range of uncertainty resulting from atrazine application timing patterns. An uncalibrated model's predictive performance is essential for the assessment of pesticide exposure in flowing water bodies, the majority of which have insufficient monitoring data for direct calibration, even in data-rich countries. In situations in which SWAT over- or underpredicted the annual maximum concentrations, the magnitude of the over- or underprediction was commonly less than a factor of 2, indicating that the model and uncalibrated parameterization approach provide a capable method for predicting the aquatic exposure required to support pesticide regulatory decision making. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:358-368. © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Potentiometric surface in the Central Oklahoma (Garber-Wellington) aquifer, Oklahoma, 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mashburn, Shana L.; Magers, Jessica

2011-01-01

A study of the hydrogeology of the Central Oklahoma aquifer was started in 2008 to provide the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) hydrogeologic data and a groundwater flow model that can be used as a tool to help manage the aquifer. The 1973 Oklahoma water law requires the OWRB to do hydrologic investigations of Oklahoma's aquifers (termed 'groundwater basins') and to determine amounts of water that may be withdrawn by permitted water users. 'Maximum annual yield' is a term used by OWRB to describe the total amount of water that can be withdrawn from a specific aquifer in any year while allowing a minimum 20-year life of the basin (Oklahoma Water Resources Board, 2010). Currently (2010), the maximum annual yield has not been determined for the Central Oklahoma aquifer. Until the maximum annual yield determination is made, water users are issued a temporary permit by the OWRB for 2 acre-feet/acre per year. The objective of the study, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, was to study the hydrogeology of the Central Oklahoma aquifer to provide information that will enable the OWRB to determine the maximum annual yield of the aquifer based on different proposed management plans. Groundwater flow models are typically used by the OWRB as a tool to help determine the maximum annual yield. This report presents the potentiometric surface of the Central Oklahoma aquifer based on water-level data collected in 2009 as part of the current (2010) hydrologic study. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Investigations Atlas HA-724 by Christenson and others (1992) presents the 1986-87 potentiometric-surface map. This 1986-87 potentiometric-surface map was made as part of the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment pilot project for the Central Oklahoma aquifer that examined the geochemical and hydrogeological processes operating in the aquifer. An attempt was made to obtain water-level measurements for the 2009 potentiometric-surface map from the wells used for the 1986-87 potentiometric-surface map. Well symbols with circles on the 2009 potentiometric-surface map (fig. 1) indicate wells that were used for the 1986-87 potentiometric-surface map.

26 CFR 1.457-4 - Annual deferrals, deferral limitations, and deferral agreements under eligible plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... the next, so that in any single year an employee may have a maximum of four weeks' vacation time. At... agreement providing for the deferral), the value of any unused vacation time from the prior year in excess... amount is the lesser of two times the basic annual limitation ($30,000) or the sum of the basic annual...

26 CFR 1.457-4 - Annual deferrals, deferral limitations, and deferral agreements under eligible plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... the next, so that in any single year an employee may have a maximum of four weeks' vacation time. At... agreement providing for the deferral), the value of any unused vacation time from the prior year in excess... amount is the lesser of two times the basic annual limitation ($30,000) or the sum of the basic annual...

5 CFR 575.507 - What is the maximum extended assignment incentive that may be paid for a period of service?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... greater of— (1) An amount equal to 25 percent of the annual rate of basic pay of the employee at the... periods equals 546 days, and 546 days divided by 365 days equals 1.50 years. ... rate employees who do not have a scheduled annual rate of basic pay, the annual rate in paragraph (a...

Variation of maximum tree height and annual shoot growth of Smith fir at various elevations in the Sygera Mountains, southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

PubMed

Wang, Yafeng; Čufar, Katarina; Eckstein, Dieter; Liang, Eryuan

2012-01-01

Little is known about tree height and height growth (as annual shoot elongation of the apical part of vertical stems) of coniferous trees growing at various altitudes on the Tibetan Plateau, which provides a high-elevation natural platform for assessing tree growth performance in relation to future climate change. We here investigated the variation of maximum tree height and annual height increment of Smith fir (Abies georgei var. smithii) in seven forest plots (30 m×40 m) along two altitudinal transects between 3,800 m and 4,200/4,390 m above sea level (a.s.l.) in the Sygera Mountains, southeastern Tibetan Plateau. Four plots were located on north-facing slopes and three plots on southeast-facing slopes. At each site, annual shoot growth was obtained by measuring the distance between successive terminal bud scars along the main stem of 25 trees that were between 2 and 4 m high. Maximum/mean tree height and mean annual height increment of Smith fir decreased with increasing altitude up to the tree line, indicative of a stress gradient (the dominant temperature gradient) along the altitudinal transect. Above-average mean minimum summer (particularly July) temperatures affected height increment positively, whereas precipitation had no significant effect on shoot growth. The time series of annual height increments of Smith fir can be used for the reconstruction of past climate on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. In addition, it can be expected that the rising summer temperatures observed in the recent past and anticipated for the future will enhance Smith fir's growth throughout its altitudinal distribution range.

Global Analysis of Empirical Relationships Between Annual Climate and Seasonality of NDVI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, C. S.; Brooks, V.

1997-01-01

This paper describes the use of satellite data to calibrate a new climate-vegetation greenness relationship for global change studies. We examined statistical relationships between annual climate indexes (temperature, precipitation, and surface radiation) and seasonal attributes If the AVHRR Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series for the mid-1980's in order to refine our understanding of intra-annual patterns and global abiotic controls on natural vegetation dynamics. Multiple linear regression results using global 1o gridded data sets suggest that three climate indexes: degree days (growing/chilling), annual precipitation total, and an annual moisture index together can account to 70-80 percent of the geographic variation in the NDVI seasonal extremes (maximum and minimum values) for the calibration year 1984. Inclusion of the same annual climate index values from the previous year explains no substantial additional portion of the global scale variation in NDVI seasonal extremes. The monthly timing of NDVI extremes is closely associated with seasonal patterns in maximum and minimum temperature and rainfall, with lag times of 1 to 2 months. We separated well-drained areas from lo grid cells mapped as greater than 25 percent inundated coverage for estimation of both the magnitude and timing of seasonal NDVI maximum values. Predicted monthly NDVI, derived from our climate-based regression equations and Fourier smoothing algorithms, shows good agreement with observed NDVI for several different years at a series of ecosystem test locations from around the globe. Regions in which NDVI seasonal extremes are not accurately predicted are mainly high latitude zones, mixed and disturbed vegetation types, and other remote locations where climate station data are sparse.

Environmental Scanning Activities in Higher Education as Reported at the 1986 Annual Meetings of AAHE, AIR, and SCUP.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, James L.

Environmental scanning activities in higher education were described in forums at the 1986 annual meetings of the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE), the Association for Institutional Research (AIR), and the Society of College and University Planning (SCUP). The forums were held to determine the extent of environmental scanning…

Geo-spatial analysis of temporal trends of temperature and its extremes over India using daily gridded (1°×1°) temperature data of 1969-2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Abhishek; Seshasai, M. V. R.; Rao, S. V. C. Kameswara; Dadhwal, V. K.

2017-10-01

Daily gridded (1°×1°) temperature data (1969-2005) were used to detect spatial patterns of temporal trends of maximum and minimum temperature (monthly and seasonal), growing degree days (GDDs) over the crop-growing season ( kharif, rabi, and zaid) and annual frequencies of temperature extremes over India. The direction and magnitude of trends, at each grid level, were estimated using the Mann-Kendall statistics ( α = 0.05) and further assessed at the homogeneous temperature regions using a field significance test ( α=0.05). General warming trends were observed over India with considerable variations in direction and magnitude over space and time. The spatial extent and the magnitude of the increasing trends of minimum temperature (0.02-0.04 °C year-1) were found to be higher than that of maximum temperature (0.01-0.02 °C year-1) during winter and pre-monsoon seasons. Significant negative trends of minimum temperature were found over eastern India during the monsoon months. Such trends were also observed for the maximum temperature over northern and eastern parts, particularly in the winter month of January. The general warming patterns also changed the thermal environment of the crop-growing season causing significant increase in GDDs during kharif and rabi seasons across India. The warming climate has also caused significant increase in occurrences of hot extremes such as hot days and hot nights, and significant decrease in cold extremes such as cold days and cold nights.

Hydrological Responses to Changes in the Rainfall Regime are Less Pronounced in Forested Basins: an Analysis of Southern Brazil, 1975-2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chagas, V. B. P.; Chaffe, P. L. B.

2017-12-01

It is unknown to what extent the hydrological responses to changes in the rainfall regime vary across forested and non-forested landscapes. Southern Brazil is approximately 570000 km² and was naturally covered mostly by tropical and subtropical forests. In the last century, a large proportion of forests were replaced by agricultural activities. The rainfall regime has also changed substantially in the last decades. The annual rainfall, number and magnitude of extreme events, and number of non-rainy days have increased in most of the area. In this study, we investigated the changes in the regime of 142 streamflow gauges and 674 rainfall gauges in Southern Brazil, from 1975 to 2010. The changes in the regime were analyzed for forested basins (i.e., with more than 50% forest coverage) and non-forested basins (i.e., with less than 20% forest coverage). The area of the river basins ranged from 100 to 60000 km². We analyzed a total of six signatures that represent the regime, including annual averages, seasonality, floods, and droughts. The statistical trends of the signatures were calculated using the Mann-Kendall test and the Sen's slope. The results showed that the majority of basins with opposing signal trends for mean annual streamflow and rainfall are non-forested basins (i.e., basins with higher anthropogenic impacts). Forested basins had a lower correlation between trends in the streamflow and rainfall trends for the seasonality and the average duration of drought events. There was a lower variability in the annual maximum 1-day streamflow trends in the forested basins. Additionally, despite a decrease in the 31-day rainfall minima and an increase in the seasonality, in forested basins the 7-day streamflow minima increases were substantially larger than in non-forested basins. In summary, the forested basins were less responsive to the changes in the precipitation 1-day maxima, seasonality, number of dry days, and 31-day minima.

The Annual Cycle of Water Vapor on Mars as Observed by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Michael D.; Vondrak, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Spectra taken by the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) have been used to monitor the latitude, longitude, and seasonal dependence of water vapor for over one full Martian year (March 1999-March 2001). A maximum in water vapor abundance is observed at high latitudes during mid-summer in both hemispheres, reaching a maximum value of approximately 100 pr-micrometer in the north and approximately 50 pr-micrometer in the south. Low water vapor abundance (<5 pr-micrometer) is observed at middle and high latitudes in the fall and winter of both hemispheres. There are large differences in the hemispheric (north versus south) and seasonal (perihelion versus aphelion) behavior of water vapor. The latitudinal and seasonal dependence of the decay of the northern summer water vapor maximum implies cross-equatorial transport of water to the southern hemisphere, while there is little or no corresponding transport during the decay of the southern hemisphere summer maximum. The latitude-longitude dependence of annually-averaged water vapor (corrected for topography) has a significant positive correlation with albedo and significant negative correlations with thermal inertia and surface pressure. Comparison of TES results with those retrieved from the Viking Orbiter Mars Atmospheric Water Detectors (MAWD) experiments shows some similar features, but also many significant differences. The southern hemisphere maximum observed by TES was not observed by MAWD and the large latitudinal gradient in annually-averaged water vapor observed by MAWD does not appear in the TES results.

25 CFR 1000.277 - To what extent shall the Tribe/Consortium cooperate with the Federal government in connection...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... OF THE INTERIOR ANNUAL FUNDING AGREEMENTS UNDER THE TRIBAL SELF-GOVERNMENT ACT AMENDMENTS TO THE INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ACT Federal Tort Claims § 1000.277 To what extent shall the Tribe... employees that relates to performance of a self-governance AFA or subcontract. (c) The Tribe/Consortium...

25 CFR 1000.277 - To what extent shall the Tribe/Consortium cooperate with the Federal government in connection...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... OF THE INTERIOR ANNUAL FUNDING AGREEMENTS UNDER THE TRIBAL SELF-GOVERNMENT ACT AMENDMENTS TO THE INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ACT Federal Tort Claims § 1000.277 To what extent shall the Tribe... employees that relates to performance of a self-governance AFA or subcontract. (c) The Tribe/Consortium...

25 CFR 1000.277 - To what extent shall the Tribe/Consortium cooperate with the Federal government in connection...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... OF THE INTERIOR ANNUAL FUNDING AGREEMENTS UNDER THE TRIBAL SELF-GOVERNMENT ACT AMENDMENTS TO THE INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ACT Federal Tort Claims § 1000.277 To what extent shall the Tribe... employees that relates to performance of a self-governance AFA or subcontract. (c) The Tribe/Consortium...

25 CFR 1000.277 - To what extent shall the Tribe/Consortium cooperate with the Federal government in connection...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... OF THE INTERIOR ANNUAL FUNDING AGREEMENTS UNDER THE TRIBAL SELF-GOVERNMENT ACT AMENDMENTS TO THE INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ACT Federal Tort Claims § 1000.277 To what extent shall the Tribe... employees that relates to performance of a self-governance AFA or subcontract. (c) The Tribe/Consortium...

Hydrothermal extremes at the South-West Pribaikalie during the current climate changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voropay, Nadezhda

2017-04-01

Climatic extremes of air temperature and precipitation were analyzed for the Tunka Intermountain Depression (South-West Pribaikalie, Buryatia, Russian Federation). Intermountain depressions occupy a quarter of the territory of the Baikal region. The specific climatic conditions in the depressions are formed due to the geographic location and the influence of latitudinal zonation and altitudinal gradients. Air temperature and precipitation data records from at weather stations for the period 1940-2015 were analyzed. Long-term average annual temperature is negative and varies from -0.8 °C to -2.4 °C. Air temperature absolute minimum is -48 °C, absolute maximum is +36 °C. The long-term average annual precipitation is 370-480 mm, but in some years annual precipitation reach 760 mm. The summer months have about 70% of the total annual precipitation, in July and August the sum may reach 340 mm. Maximum daily sum of rainfalls is 80 mm. The contribution of the global and regional circulation characteristics into the variability of regional climatic characteristics was estimated.

Global-scale analysis of satellite-derived time series of naturally inundated areas as a basis for floodplain modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, L.; Döll, P.; Prigent, C.; Papa, F.

2010-08-01

Floodplains play an important role in the terrestrial water cycle and are very important for biodiversity. Therefore, an improved representation of the dynamics of floodplain water flows and storage in global hydrological and land surface models is required. To support model validation, we combined monthly time series of satellite-derived inundation areas (Papa et al., 2010) with data on irrigated rice areas (Portmann et al., 2010). In this way, we obtained global-scale time series of naturally inundated areas (NIA), with monthly values of inundation extent during 1993-2004 and a spatial resolution of 0.5°. For most grid cells (0.5°×0.5°), the mean annual maximum of NIA agrees well with the static open water extent of the Global Lakes and Wetlands database (GLWD) (Lehner and Döll, 2004), but in 16% of the cells NIA is larger than GLWD. In some regions, like Northwestern Europe, NIA clearly overestimates inundated areas, probably because of confounding very wet soils with inundated areas. In other areas, such as South Asia, it is likely that NIA can help to enhance GLWD. NIA data will be very useful for developing and validating a floodplain modeling algorithm for the global hydrological model WGHM. For example, we found that monthly NIAs correlate with observed river discharges.

Spatial and temporal variability of groundwater recharge in Geba basin, Northern Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yenehun, Alemu; Walraevens, Kristine; Batelaan, Okke

2017-10-01

WetSpa, a physically based, spatially distributed watershed model, has been used to study the spatial and temporal variation of recharge in the Geba basin, Northern Ethiopia. The model covers an area of about 4, 249 km2 and integrates elevation, soil and land-use data, hydrometeorological and river discharge data. The Geba basin has a highly variable topography ranging from 1000 to 3280 m with an average slope of 12.9%. The area is characterized by a distinct wet and long dry season with a mean annual precipitation of 681 mm and temperatures ranging between 6.5 °C and 32 °C. The model was simulated on daily basis for nearly four years (January 1, 2000 to December 18, 2003). It resulted in a good agreement between measured and simulated streamflow hydrographs with Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency of almost 70% and 85% for, respectively, the calibration and validation. The water balance terms show very strong spatial and temporal variability, about 3.8% of the total precipitation is intercepted by the plant canopy; 87.5% infiltrates into the soil (of which 13% percolates, 2.7% flows laterally off and 84.2% evapotranspired from the root zone), and 7.2% is surface runoff. The mean annual recharge varies from about 45 mm (2003) to 208 mm (2001), with average of 98.6 mm/yr. On monthly basis, August has the maximum (73 mm) and December the lowest (0.1 mm) recharge. The mean annual groundwater recharge spatially varies from 0 to 371 mm; mainly controlled by the distribution of rainfall amount, followed by soil and land-use, and to a certain extent, slope. About 21% of Geba has a recharge larger than 120 mm and 1% less than 5 mm.

Summary of annual mean, maximum, minimum, and L-scale statistics of daily mean streamflow for 712 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging Stations in Texas Through 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asquith, William H.; Vrabel, Joseph; Roussel, Meghan C.

2007-01-01

Analysts and managers of surface-water resources might have interest in selected statistics of daily mean streamflow for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations in Texas. The selected statistics are the annual mean, maximum, minimum, and L-scale of daily meanstreamflow. Annual L-scale of streamflow is a robust measure of the variability of the daily mean streamflow for a given year. The USGS, in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, initiated in 2006a data and reporting process to generate annual statistics for 712 USGS streamflow-gaging stations in Texas. A graphical depiction of the history of the annual statistics for most active and inactive, continuous-record gaging stations in Texas provides valuable information by conveying the historical perspective of streamflow for the watershed. Each figure consists off our time-series plots of the annual statistics of daily mean streamflow for each streamflow-gaging station. Each of the four plots is augmented with horizontal lines that depict the mean and median annual values of the corresponding statistic for the period of record. Monotonic trends for each of the four annual statistics also are identified using Kendall's T. The history of one or more streamflow-gaging stations could be used in a watershed, river basin, or other regional context by analysts and managers of surface-water resources to guide scientific, regulatory, or other inquiries of streamflow conditions in Texas.

Quantitative Generalizations for Catchment Sediment Yield Following Plantation Logging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bathurst, James; Iroume, Andres

2014-05-01

While there is a reasonably clear qualitative understanding of the impact of forest plantations on sediment yield, there is a lack of quantitative generalizations. Such generalizations would be helpful for estimating the impacts of proposed forestry operations and would aid the spread of knowledge amongst both relevant professionals and new students. This study therefore analyzed data from the literature to determine the extent to which quantitative statements can be established. The research was restricted to the impact of plantation logging on catchment sediment yield as a function of ground disturbance in the years immediately following logging, in temperate countries, and does not consider landslides consequent upon tree root decay. Twelve paired catchment studies incorporating pre- and post-logging measurements of sediment yield were identified, resulting in forty-three test catchments (including 14 control catchments). Analysis yielded the following principal conclusions: 1) Logging generally provokes maximum annual sediment yields of less than a few hundred t km-2 yr-1; best management practice can reduce this below 100 t km-2 yr-1. 2) At both the annual and event scales, the sediment yield excess of a logged catchment over a control catchment is within one order of magnitude, except with severe ground disturbance. 3) There is no apparent relationship between sediment yield impact and the proportion of catchment logged. The effect depends on which part of the catchment is altered and on its connectivity to the stream network. 4) The majority of catchments delivered their maximum sediment yield in the first two years after logging. The logging impacts were classified in terms of the absolute values of specific sediment yield, the values relative to those in the control catchments for the same period and the values relative both to the control catchment and the pre-logging period. Most studies have been for small catchments (< 10 km2) and temperate regions; the impact at large catchment scales and in tropical regions requires further research.

Combining ground-based measurements and MODIS-based spectral vegetation indices to track biomass accumulation in post-fire chaparral

Treesearch

Kellie A. Uyeda; Douglas A. Stow; Dar A. Roberts; Philip J. Riggan

2017-01-01

Multi-temporal satellite imagery can provide valuable information on the patterns of vegetation growth over large spatial extents and long time periods, but corresponding ground-referenced biomass information is often difficult to acquire, especially at an annual scale. In this study, we test the relationship between annual biomass estimated using shrub growth rings...

45th Annual Survey Report on State-Sponsored Student Financial Aid, 2013-2014 Academic Year

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, 2014

2014-01-01

This report provides data regarding state-funded expenditures for student financial aid and illustrates the extent of efforts made by the states to assist postsecondary students. Information in this report is based on academic year 2013-14 data from the 45th Annual NASSGAP survey. Data highlights include: (1) In the 2013-14 academic year, the…

Stability of the Martian climate system under the seasonal change condition of solar radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, Takasumi; Tajika, Eiichi

2002-11-01

Previous studies on stability of the Martian climate system used essentially zero-dimensional energy balance climate models (EBMs) under the condition of annual mean solar radiation income. However, areal extent of polar ice caps should affect the Martian climate through the energy balance and the CO2 budget, and results under the seasonal change condition of solar radiation will be different from those under the annual mean condition. We therefore construct a one-dimensional energy balance climate model with CO2-dependent outgoing radiation, seasonal changes of solar radiation income, changes of areal extent of CO2 ice caps, and adsorption of CO2 by regolith. We have investigated behaviors of the Martian climate system and, in particular, examined the effect of the seasonal changes of solar radiation by comparing the results of previous studies under the condition of annual mean solar radiation. One of the major discrepancies between them is the condition for multiple solutions of the Martian climate system. Although the Martian climate system always has multiple solutions under the annual mean condition, under the seasonal change condition, existence of multiple solutions depends on the present amounts of CO2 in the ice caps and the regolith.

Estimation of peak discharge quantiles for selected annual exceedance probabilities in northeastern Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Over, Thomas M.; Saito, Riki J.; Veilleux, Andrea G.; Sharpe, Jennifer B.; Soong, David T.; Ishii, Audrey L.

2016-06-28

This report provides two sets of equations for estimating peak discharge quantiles at annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs) of 0.50, 0.20, 0.10, 0.04, 0.02, 0.01, 0.005, and 0.002 (recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 500 years, respectively) for watersheds in Illinois based on annual maximum peak discharge data from 117 watersheds in and near northeastern Illinois. One set of equations was developed through a temporal analysis with a two-step least squares-quantile regression technique that measures the average effect of changes in the urbanization of the watersheds used in the study. The resulting equations can be used to adjust rural peak discharge quantiles for the effect of urbanization, and in this study the equations also were used to adjust the annual maximum peak discharges from the study watersheds to 2010 urbanization conditions.The other set of equations was developed by a spatial analysis. This analysis used generalized least-squares regression to fit the peak discharge quantiles computed from the urbanization-adjusted annual maximum peak discharges from the study watersheds to drainage-basin characteristics. The peak discharge quantiles were computed by using the Expected Moments Algorithm following the removal of potentially influential low floods defined by a multiple Grubbs-Beck test. To improve the quantile estimates, regional skew coefficients were obtained from a newly developed regional skew model in which the skew increases with the urbanized land use fraction. The drainage-basin characteristics used as explanatory variables in the spatial analysis include drainage area, the fraction of developed land, the fraction of land with poorly drained soils or likely water, and the basin slope estimated as the ratio of the basin relief to basin perimeter.This report also provides the following: (1) examples to illustrate the use of the spatial and urbanization-adjustment equations for estimating peak discharge quantiles at ungaged sites and to improve flood-quantile estimates at and near a gaged site; (2) the urbanization-adjusted annual maximum peak discharges and peak discharge quantile estimates at streamgages from 181 watersheds including the 117 study watersheds and 64 additional watersheds in the study region that were originally considered for use in the study but later deemed to be redundant.The urbanization-adjustment equations, spatial regression equations, and peak discharge quantile estimates developed in this study will be made available in the web application StreamStats, which provides automated regression-equation solutions for user-selected stream locations. Figures and tables comparing the observed and urbanization-adjusted annual maximum peak discharge records by streamgage are provided at https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20165050 for download.

Spatial-temporal changes of maximum and minimum temperatures in the Wei River Basin, China: Changing patterns, causes and implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Saiyan; Huang, Shengzhi; Xie, Yangyang; Huang, Qiang; Leng, Guoyong; Hou, Beibei; Zhang, Ying; Wei, Xiu

2018-05-01

Due to the important role of temperature in the global climate system and energy cycles, it is important to investigate the spatial-temporal change patterns, causes and implications of annual maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) temperatures. In this study, the Cloud model were adopted to fully and accurately analyze the changing patterns of annual Tmax and Tmin from 1958 to 2008 by quantifying their mean, uniformity, and stability in the Wei River Basin (WRB), a typical arid and semi-arid region in China. Additionally, the cross wavelet analysis was applied to explore the correlations among annual Tmax and Tmin and the yearly sunspots number, Arctic Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and soil moisture with an aim to determine possible causes of annual Tmax and Tmin variations. Furthermore, temperature-related impacts on vegetation cover and precipitation extremes were also examined. Results indicated that: (1) the WRB is characterized by increasing trends in annual Tmax and Tmin, with a more evident increasing trend in annual Tmin, which has a higher dispersion degree and is less uniform and stable than annual Tmax; (2) the asymmetric variations of Tmax and Tmin can be generally explained by the stronger effects of solar activity (primarily), large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns, and soil moisture on annual Tmin than on annual Tmax; and (3) increasing annual Tmax and Tmin have exerted strong influences on local precipitation extremes, in terms of their duration, intensity, and frequency in the WRB. This study presents new analyses of Tmax and Tmin in the WRB, and the findings may help guide regional agricultural production and water resources management.

Drought analysis in the Tons River Basin, India during 1969-2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meshram, Sarita Gajbhiye; Gautam, Randhir; Kahya, Ercan

2018-05-01

The primary focus of this study is the analysis of droughts in the Tons River Basin during the period 1969-2008. Precipitation data observed at four gauging stations are used to identify drought over the study area. The event of drought is derived from the standardized precipitation index (SPI) on a 3-month scale. Our results indicated that severe drought occurred in the Allahabad, Rewa, and Satna stations in the years 1973 and 1979. The droughts in this region had occurred mainly due to erratic behavior in monsoons, especially due to long breaks between monsoons. During the drought years, the deficiency of the annual rainfall in the analysis of annual rainfall departure had varied from -26% in 1976 to -60% in 1973 at Allahabad station in the basin. The maximum deficiency of annual and seasonal rainfall recorded in the basin is 60%. The maximum seasonal rainfall departure observed in the basin is in the order of -60% at Allahabad station in 1973, while maximum annual rainfall departure had been recorded as -60% during 1979 at the Satna station. Extreme dry events ( z score <-2) were detected during July, August, and September. Moreover, severe dry events were observed in August, September, and October. The drought conditions in the Tons River Basin are dominantly driven by total rainfall throughout the period between June and November.

A further contribution to the seasonal variation of weighted mean temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Maohua; Hu, Wusheng

2017-12-01

The weighted mean temperature Tm is a variable parameter in the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) meteorology and the Askne-Nordius zenith wet delay (ZWD) model. Some parameters about the Tm seasonal variation (e.g. the annual mean value, the annual range, the annual and semi-annual amplitudes, and the long-term trend) were discussed before. In this study, some additional results about the Tm seasonal variation on a global scale were found by using the Tm time series at 309 global radiosonde sites. Periodic signals of the annual and semi-annual variations were detected in these Tm time series by using the Lomb-Scargle periodogram. The annual variation is the main component of the periodic Tm in non-tropical regions, while the annual variation or the semiannual variation can be the main component of the periodic Tm in tropics. The mean annual Tm almost keeps constant with the increasing latitude in tropics, while it decreases with the increasing latitude in non-tropical regions. From a global perspective, Tm has an increasing trend of 0.22 K/decade on average, which may be caused by the global warming effects. The annual phase is almost found in about January for the non-tropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere and in about July for the non-tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere, but it has no clear symmetry in tropics. Unlike the annual phase, the geographical distributions of semi-annual phase do not follow obvious rules. In non-tropical regions, the maximum and minimum Tm of the seasonal model are usually found in respective summer and winter days while the maximum and minimum Tm are distributed over a whole year but not in any fixed seasons for tropical regions. The seasonal model errors increase with the increasing value of annual amplitude. A primary reason for the irregular seasonal variation in tropics is that Tm has rather small variations in this region.

Influence of Reynolds Number on Multi-Objective Aerodynamic Design of a Wind Turbine Blade.

PubMed

Ge, Mingwei; Fang, Le; Tian, De

2015-01-01

At present, the radius of wind turbine rotors ranges from several meters to one hundred meters, or even more, which extends Reynolds number of the airfoil profile from the order of 105 to 107. Taking the blade for 3MW wind turbines as an example, the influence of Reynolds number on the aerodynamic design of a wind turbine blade is studied. To make the study more general, two kinds of multi-objective optimization are involved: one is based on the maximum power coefficient (CPopt) and the ultimate load, and the other is based on the ultimate load and the annual energy production (AEP). It is found that under the same configuration, the optimal design has a larger CPopt or AEP (CPopt//AEP) for the same ultimate load, or a smaller load for the same CPopt//AEP at higher Reynolds number. At a certain tip-speed ratio or ultimate load, the blade operating at higher Reynolds number should have a larger chord length and twist angle for the maximum Cpopt//AEP. If a wind turbine blade is designed by using an airfoil database with a mismatched Reynolds number from the actual one, both the load and Cpopt//AEP will be incorrectly estimated to some extent. In some cases, the assessment error attributed to Reynolds number is quite significant, which may bring unexpected risks to the earnings and safety of a wind power project.

Distribution and extent of tree mortality in North Central hardwood forests

Treesearch

J. Michael Vasievich; Sharon L. Hobrla; Mark H. Hansen

1997-01-01

Forest inventory data shows that biophysical agents and human causes account for annual losses of more than a half-billion ft³ of timber in North Central hardwood forests. This paper reports on an analysis of forest inventory data to determine the extent and distribution of tree mortality in four forest types - Aspen-Birch, Elm-Ash-Cottonwood, Maple-Beech-...

AN ANNUAL EVALUATION OF THE 2005 RELEASE OF MODELS-3 CMAQ

EPA Science Inventory

An annual operation performance evaluation of the 2005 release of Models-3 CMAQ v4.5 has been performed. The poster presented results from the winter and summer season for sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, elemental carbon, organic carbon, PM2.5 mass and AQS 8-hr maximum ozone. Stati...

Descriptive Statistics and Cluster Analysis for Extreme Rainfall in Java Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

E Komalasari, K.; Pawitan, H.; Faqih, A.

2017-03-01

This study aims to describe regional pattern of extreme rainfall based on maximum daily rainfall for period 1983 to 2012 in Java Island. Descriptive statistics analysis was performed to obtain centralization, variation and distribution of maximum precipitation data. Mean and median are utilized to measure central tendency data while Inter Quartile Range (IQR) and standard deviation are utilized to measure variation of data. In addition, skewness and kurtosis used to obtain shape the distribution of rainfall data. Cluster analysis using squared euclidean distance and ward method is applied to perform regional grouping. Result of this study show that mean (average) of maximum daily rainfall in Java Region during period 1983-2012 is around 80-181mm with median between 75-160mm and standard deviation between 17 to 82. Cluster analysis produces four clusters and show that western area of Java tent to have a higher annual maxima of daily rainfall than northern area, and have more variety of annual maximum value.

Estimation of Reineke and Volume-Based Maximum Size-Density Lines For Shortleaf Pine

Treesearch

Thomas B. Lynch; Robert F. Wittwer; Douglas J. Stevenson

2004-01-01

Maximum size-density relationships for Reineke's stand density index as well as for a relationship based on average tree volume were fitted to data from more than a decade of annual remeasurements of plots in unthinned naturally occurring shor tleaf pine in southeaster n Oklahoma. Reineke's stand density index is based on a maximum line of the form log(N) = a...

Contain or eradicate? Optimizing the management goal for Australian acacia invasions in the face of uncertainty

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, J.L.; Runge, M.C.; Webber, B.L.; Wilson, J.R.U.

2011-01-01

Aim To identify whether eradication or containment is expected to be the most cost-effective management goal for an isolated invasive population when knowledge about the current extent is uncertain. Location Global and South Africa. Methods We developed a decision analysis framework to analyse the best management goal for an invasive species population (eradication, containment or take no action) when knowledge about the current extent is uncertain. We used value of information analysis to identify when investment in learning about the extent will improve this decision-making and tested the sensitivity of the conclusions to different parameters (e.g. spread rate, maximum extent, and management efficacy and cost). The model was applied to Acacia paradoxa DC, an Australian shrub with an estimated invasive extent of 310ha on Table Mountain, South Africa. Results Under the parameters used, attempting eradication is cost-effective for infestations of up to 777ha. However, if the invasion extent is poorly known, then attempting eradication is only cost-effective for infestations estimated as 296ha or smaller. The value of learning is greatest (maximum of 8% saving) when infestation extent is poorly known and if it is close to the maximum extent for which attempting eradication is optimal. The optimal management action is most sensitive to the probability that the action succeeds (which depends on the extent), with the discount rate and cost of management also important, but spread rate less so. Over a 20-year time-horizon, attempting to eradicate A. paradoxa from South Africa is predicted to cost on average ZAR 8 million if the extent is known, and if our current estimate is poor, ZAR 33.6 million as opposed to ZAR 32.8 million for attempting containment. Main conclusions Our framework evaluates the cost-effectiveness of attempting eradication or containment of an invasive population that takes uncertainty in population extent into account. We show that incorporating uncertainty in the analysis avoids overly optimistic beliefs about the effectiveness of management enabling better management decisions. For A. paradoxa in South Africa, attempting to eradicate is likely to be cost-effective, particularly if resources are allocated to better understand and improve management efficacy. ?? 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Report of the annual yield of the Arkansas River basin for the Arkansas River Basin Compact, Arkansas-Oklahoma,1983 water year

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, M.A.; Lamb, T.E.

1984-01-01

The computed annual yield and deficiency of the subbasins as defined in the Arkansas River Compact, Arkansas-Oklahoma, are given in tables. Actual runoff from the subbasins and depletion caused by major reservoirs in the compact area are also given in tabular form. Monthly, maximum, minimum, and mean discharges are shown for the 14 streamflow stations used in computing annual yield. (USGS)

Glacial chronology and palaeoclimate in the Bystra catchment, Western Tatra Mountains (Poland) during the Late Pleistocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makos, Michał; Rinterknecht, Vincent; Braucher, Régis; Żarnowski, Michał

2016-02-01

Deglaciation chronology of the Bystra catchment (Western Tatra Mountains) has been reconstructed based on 10Be exposure age dating. Fourteen rock samples were collected from boulders located on three moraines that limit the horizontal extent of the LGM maximum advance and the Lateglacial recessional stage. The oldest preserved, maximum moraine was dated at 15.5 ± 0.8 ka, an age that could be explained more likely by post-depositional erosion of the moraine. Such scenario is supported by geomorphologic and palaeoclimatological evidence. The younger cold stage is represented by well-preserved termino-lateral moraine systems in the Kondratowa and Sucha Kasprowa valleys. The distribution of the moraine ridges in both valleys suggest a complex history of deglaciation of the area. The first Late-glacial re-advance (LG1) was followed by a cold oscillation (LG2), that occurred at around 14.0 ± 0.7-13.7 ± 1.2 ka. Glaciers during both stages had nearly the same horizontal extent, however, their thickness and geometry changed significantly, mainly due to local climatic conditions triggered by topography, controlling the exposition to solar radiation. The LG1 stage occurred probably during the pre-Bølling cold stage (Greenland Stadial 2.1a), however, the LG2 stage can be correlated with the cooling at around 14 ka during the Greenland Interstadial 1 (GI-1d - Older Dryas). This is the first chronological evidence of the Older Dryas in the Tatra Mountains. The ELA of the maximum Bystra glacier was located at 1480 m a.s.l. in accordance with the ELA in the High Tatra Mountains during the LGM. During the LG1 and LG2 stages, the ELA in the catchment rose up to 1520-1530 m a.s.l. and was located approximately 100-150 m lower than in the eastern part of the massif. Climate modelling results show that the Bystra glacier (maximum advance) could have advanced in the catchment when mean annual temperature was lower than today by 11-12 °C and precipitation was reduced by 40-60%. This is in accordance with LGM conditions previously reported for the High Tatras. During the LG1 and LG2 stages the temperature decrease in the study area reached 10 °C and precipitation was lower by ∼30% compare to modern conditions. This resulted in slightly higher accumulation (20-30%) in the Western Tatra Mountains compare to the High Tatra Mountains.

Analysis of meteorological droughts and dry spells in semiarid regions: a comparative analysis of probability distribution functions in the Segura Basin (SE Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez-Sánchez, Julio; Senent-Aparicio, Javier

2017-08-01

Dry spells are an essential concept of drought climatology that clearly defines the semiarid Mediterranean environment and whose consequences are a defining feature for an ecosystem, so vulnerable with regard to water. The present study was conducted to characterize rainfall drought in the Segura River basin located in eastern Spain, marked by the self seasonal nature of these latitudes. A daily precipitation set has been utilized for 29 weather stations during a period of 20 years (1993-2013). Furthermore, four sets of dry spell length (complete series, monthly maximum, seasonal maximum, and annual maximum) are used and simulated for all the weather stations with the following probability distribution functions: Burr, Dagum, error, generalized extreme value, generalized logistic, generalized Pareto, Gumbel Max, inverse Gaussian, Johnson SB, Log-Logistic, Log-Pearson 3, Triangular, Weibull, and Wakeby. Only the series of annual maximum spell offer a good adjustment for all the weather stations, thereby gaining the role of Wakeby as the best result, with a p value means of 0.9424 for the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (0.2 significance level). Probability of dry spell duration for return periods of 2, 5, 10, and 25 years maps reveal the northeast-southeast gradient, increasing periods with annual rainfall of less than 0.1 mm in the eastern third of the basin, in the proximity of the Mediterranean slope.

Analysis of Summer 2002 Melt Extent on the Greenland Ice Sheet using MODIS and SSM/I Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Dorothy K.; Williams, Richard S., Jr.; Steffen, Konrad; Chien, Y. L.; Foster, James L.; Robinson, David A.; Riggs, George A.

2004-01-01

Previous work has shown that the summer of 2002 had the greatest area of snow melt extent on the Greenland ice sheet ever recorded using passive-microwave data. In this paper, we compare the 0 degree isotherm derived from the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, with Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I)-derived melt, at the time of the maximum melt extent in 2002. To validate the MODIS-derived land-surface temperatures (LSTs), we compared the MODIS LSTs with air temperatures from nine stations (using 11 different data points) and found that they agreed to within 2.3 plus or minus 2.09 C, with station temperatures consistently lower than the MODIS LSTs. According to the MODIS LST, the maximum surface melt extended to approximately 2300 m in southern Greenland; while the SSM/I measurements showed that the maximum melt extended to nearly 2700 m in southeastern Greenland. The MODIS and SSM/I data are complementary in providing detailed information about the progression of surface and near-surface melt on the Greenland ice sheet.

Analysis of Summer 2002 Melt Extent on the Greenland Ice Sheet using MODIS and SSM/I Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Dorothy K.; Williams, Richard S.; Steffen, Konrad; Chien, Janet Y. L.

2004-01-01

Previous work has shown that the summer of 2002 had the greatest area of snow melt extent on the Greenland ice sheet ever recorded using passive-microwave data. In this paper, we compare the 0 deg. isotherm derived from the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, with Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I)-derived melt, at the time of the maximum melt extent in 2002. To validate the MODIS derived land-surface temperatures (LSTs), we compared the MODIS LSTs with air temperatures from nine stations (using 11 different data points) and found that they agreed to within 2.3 +/- 2.09 C, with station temperatures consistently lower than the MODIS LSTs. According to the MODIS LST, the maximum surface melt extended to approx. 2300 m in southern Greenland; while the SSM/I measurements showed that the maximum melt extended to nearly 2700 m in southeastern Greenland. The MODIS and SSM/I data are complementary in providing detailed information about the progression of surface and near- surface melt on the Greenland ice sheet.

Analysis of summer 2002 melt extent on the Greenland ice sheet using MODIS and SSM/I data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hall, D.K.; Williams, R.S.; Steffen, K.; Chien, Janet Y.L.

2004-01-01

Previous work has shown that the summer of 2002 had the greatest area of snow melt extent on the Greenland ice sheet ever recorded using passive-microwave data. In this paper, we compare the 0?? isotherm derived from the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, with Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I)-derived melt, at the time of the maximum melt extent in 2002. To validate the MODIS-derived land-surface temperatures (LSTs), we compared the MODIS LSTs with air temperatures from nine stations (using 11 different data points) and found that they agreed to within 2.3??2.09??C, with station temperatures consistently lower than the MODIS LSTs. According to the MODIS LST, the maximum surface melt extended to ???2300 m in southern Greenland; while the SSM/I measurements showed that the maximum melt extended to nearly 2700 m in southeastern Greenland. The MODIS and SSM/I data are complementary in providing detailed information about the progression of surface and near-surface melt on the Greenland ice sheet.

Analysis of summer 2002 melt extent on the Greenland ice sheet using MODIS and SSM/I data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hall, D. K.; Williams, R.S.; Steffen, K.; Chien, Janet Y.L.

2004-01-01

Previous work has shown that the summer of 2002 had the greatest area of snow melt extent on the Greenland ice sheet ever recorded using passive-microwave data. In this paper, we compare the 0deg isotherm derived from the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, with Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I)-derived melt, at the time of the maximum melt extent in 2002. To validate the MODIS-derived land-surface temperatures (LSTs), we compared the MODIS LSTs with air temperatures from nine stations (using 11 different data points) and found that they agreed to within 2.3 plusmn 2.09 degC, with station temperatures consistently lower than the MODIS LSTs. According to the MODIS LST, the maximum surface melt extended to ~2300 m in southern Greenland; while the SSM/I measurements showed that the maximum melt extended to nearly 2700 m in southeastern Greenland. The MODIS and SSM/I data are complementary in providing detailed information about the progression of surface and near-surface melt on the Greenland ice sheet.

Actividad solar del ciclo 23. Predicción del máximo y fase decreciente utilizando redes neuronales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parodi, M. A.; Ceccatto, H. A.; Piacentini, R. D.; García, P. J.

Different methods have been proposed in order to predict the maximum amplitude of solar cycles, either as a consequence of the intrinsic importance of this event and because of its relation with solar storms and possible effects upon satellites, communication systems, etc. In this work, a neural network solar activity prediction is presented, measured through the sunspot number (SSN). The 16-units neural network, with a 12:3:1 architecture, was trained in a ``feed-forward" propagation way and learning by the so called ``back propagation rule". The annual mean SSN data in the 1700-1975 and 1987-1998 periods were used as the training set. The solar cycle 21 (1976-1986) was taken as the cross-validation data set. After performing the network training we obtained a prediction of the maximum annual mean for the current solar cycle 23, SSNmax= 135 ±17 at the year 2000, which is 13% smaller than the International Consensus Commitee's mean maximum prediction obtained through ``precursor techniques". On the other hand, our prediction is only about 4% smaller than the Consensus's neural network mean prediction. A ``multiple step" prediction technique was also performed and SSN annual mean predicted values for the near-maximum (from the present year 1999 to beyond the maximum) and the declining activity of solar cycle 23 are presented in this work. The sensibility of predictions is also tested. To do so, we changed the interval width and comparated our results with those of a previous neural network prediction and those of others authors using differents methods.

OCCURRENCE OF HIGH-SPEED SOLAR WIND STREAMS OVER THE GRAND MODERN MAXIMUM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mursula, K.; Holappa, L.; Lukianova, R., E-mail: kalevi.mursula@oulu.fi

2015-03-01

In the declining phase of the solar cycle (SC), when the new-polarity fields of the solar poles are strengthened by the transport of same-signed magnetic flux from lower latitudes, the polar coronal holes expand and form non-axisymmetric extensions toward the solar equator. These extensions enhance the occurrence of high-speed solar wind (SW) streams (HSS) and related co-rotating interaction regions in the low-latitude heliosphere, and cause moderate, recurrent geomagnetic activity (GA) in the near-Earth space. Here, using a novel definition of GA at high (polar cap) latitudes and the longest record of magnetic observations at a polar cap station, we calculatemore » the annually averaged SW speeds as proxies for the effective annual occurrence of HSS over the whole Grand Modern Maximum (GMM) from 1920s onward. We find that a period of high annual speeds (frequent occurrence of HSS) occurs in the declining phase of each of SCs 16-23. For most cycles the HSS activity clearly reaches a maximum in one year, suggesting that typically only one strong activation leading to a coronal hole extension is responsible for the HSS maximum. We find that the most persistent HSS activity occurred in the declining phase of SC 18. This suggests that cycle 19, which marks the sunspot maximum period of the GMM, was preceded by exceptionally strong polar fields during the previous sunspot minimum. This gives interesting support for the validity of solar dynamo theory during this dramatic period of solar magnetism.« less

Interhemispheric ice-sheet synchronicity during the last glacial maximum

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weber, Michael E.; Clark, Peter U.; Ricken, Werner; Mitrovica, Jerry X.; Hostetler, Steven W.; Kuhn, Gerhard

2011-01-01

The timing of the last maximum extent of the Antarctic ice sheets relative to those in the Northern Hemisphere remains poorly understood. We develop a chronology for the Weddell Sea sector of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet that, combined with ages from other Antarctic ice-sheet sectors, indicates that the advance to and retreat from their maximum extent was within dating uncertainties synchronous with most sectors of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. Surface climate forcing of Antarctic mass balance would probably cause an opposite response, whereby a warming climate would increase accumulation but not surface melting. Our new data support teleconnections involving sea-level forcing from Northern Hemisphere ice sheets and changes in North Atlantic deep-water formation and attendant heat flux to Antarctic grounding lines to synchronize the hemispheric ice sheets.

Interhemispheric ice-sheet synchronicity during the Last Glacial Maximum.

PubMed

Weber, Michael E; Clark, Peter U; Ricken, Werner; Mitrovica, Jerry X; Hostetler, Steven W; Kuhn, Gerhard

2011-12-02

The timing of the last maximum extent of the Antarctic ice sheets relative to those in the Northern Hemisphere remains poorly understood. We develop a chronology for the Weddell Sea sector of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet that, combined with ages from other Antarctic ice-sheet sectors, indicates that the advance to and retreat from their maximum extent was within dating uncertainties synchronous with most sectors of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. Surface climate forcing of Antarctic mass balance would probably cause an opposite response, whereby a warming climate would increase accumulation but not surface melting. Our new data support teleconnections involving sea-level forcing from Northern Hemisphere ice sheets and changes in North Atlantic deep-water formation and attendant heat flux to Antarctic grounding lines to synchronize the hemispheric ice sheets.

38 CFR 3.27 - Automatic adjustment of benefit rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... ADJUDICATION Pension, Compensation, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation General § 3.27 Automatic... pension. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5312(a)) (b) Parents' dependency and indemnity compensation—maximum annual... the maximum monthly rates of dependency indemnity compensation for parents. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5312...

38 CFR 3.27 - Automatic adjustment of benefit rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... ADJUDICATION Pension, Compensation, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation General § 3.27 Automatic... pension. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5312(a)) (b) Parents' dependency and indemnity compensation—maximum annual... the maximum monthly rates of dependency indemnity compensation for parents. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5312...

38 CFR 3.27 - Automatic adjustment of benefit rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... ADJUDICATION Pension, Compensation, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation General § 3.27 Automatic... pension. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5312(a)) (b) Parents' dependency and indemnity compensation—maximum annual... the maximum monthly rates of dependency indemnity compensation for parents. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5312...

38 CFR 3.27 - Automatic adjustment of benefit rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... ADJUDICATION Pension, Compensation, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation General § 3.27 Automatic... pension. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5312(a)) (b) Parents' dependency and indemnity compensation—maximum annual... the maximum monthly rates of dependency indemnity compensation for parents. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5312...

38 CFR 3.27 - Automatic adjustment of benefit rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... ADJUDICATION Pension, Compensation, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation General § 3.27 Automatic... pension. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5312(a)) (b) Parents' dependency and indemnity compensation—maximum annual... the maximum monthly rates of dependency indemnity compensation for parents. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5312...

77 FR 47383 - Annual Assessment of the Status of Competition in the Market for the Delivery of Video Programming

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-08

... monitor trends on an annual basis. To continue our time-series analysis, we request data as of June 30... information and time- series data we should collect for the analysis of various MVPD performance metrics. In... revenues, cash flows, and margins. To the extent possible, we seek five-year time-series data to allow us...

22 CFR 62.15 - Annual reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... engaged, including an evaluation of program effectiveness; (b) Reciprocity. A description of the nature and extent of reciprocity occurring in the sponsor's exchange visitor program during the reporting...

22 CFR 62.15 - Annual reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... engaged, including an evaluation of program effectiveness; (b) Reciprocity. A description of the nature and extent of reciprocity occurring in the sponsor's exchange visitor program during the reporting...

22 CFR 62.15 - Annual reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... engaged, including an evaluation of program effectiveness; (b) Reciprocity. A description of the nature and extent of reciprocity occurring in the sponsor's exchange visitor program during the reporting...

22 CFR 62.15 - Annual reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... engaged, including an evaluation of program effectiveness; (b) Reciprocity. A description of the nature and extent of reciprocity occurring in the sponsor's exchange visitor program during the reporting...

22 CFR 62.15 - Annual reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... engaged, including an evaluation of program effectiveness; (b) Reciprocity. A description of the nature and extent of reciprocity occurring in the sponsor's exchange visitor program during the reporting...

FLO1K, global maps of mean, maximum and minimum annual streamflow at 1 km resolution from 1960 through 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbarossa, Valerio; Huijbregts, Mark A. J.; Beusen, Arthur H. W.; Beck, Hylke E.; King, Henry; Schipper, Aafke M.

2018-03-01

Streamflow data is highly relevant for a variety of socio-economic as well as ecological analyses or applications, but a high-resolution global streamflow dataset is yet lacking. We created FLO1K, a consistent streamflow dataset at a resolution of 30 arc seconds (~1 km) and global coverage. FLO1K comprises mean, maximum and minimum annual flow for each year in the period 1960-2015, provided as spatially continuous gridded layers. We mapped streamflow by means of artificial neural networks (ANNs) regression. An ensemble of ANNs were fitted on monthly streamflow observations from 6600 monitoring stations worldwide, i.e., minimum and maximum annual flows represent the lowest and highest mean monthly flows for a given year. As covariates we used the upstream-catchment physiography (area, surface slope, elevation) and year-specific climatic variables (precipitation, temperature, potential evapotranspiration, aridity index and seasonality indices). Confronting the maps with independent data indicated good agreement (R2 values up to 91%). FLO1K delivers essential data for freshwater ecology and water resources analyses at a global scale and yet high spatial resolution.

Estimating distribution parameters of annual maximum streamflows in Johor, Malaysia using TL-moments approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mat Jan, Nur Amalina; Shabri, Ani

2017-01-01

TL-moments approach has been used in an analysis to identify the best-fitting distributions to represent the annual series of maximum streamflow data over seven stations in Johor, Malaysia. The TL-moments with different trimming values are used to estimate the parameter of the selected distributions namely: Three-parameter lognormal (LN3) and Pearson Type III (P3) distribution. The main objective of this study is to derive the TL-moments ( t 1,0), t 1 = 1,2,3,4 methods for LN3 and P3 distributions. The performance of TL-moments ( t 1,0), t 1 = 1,2,3,4 was compared with L-moments through Monte Carlo simulation and streamflow data over a station in Johor, Malaysia. The absolute error is used to test the influence of TL-moments methods on estimated probability distribution functions. From the cases in this study, the results show that TL-moments with four trimmed smallest values from the conceptual sample (TL-moments [4, 0]) of LN3 distribution was the most appropriate in most of the stations of the annual maximum streamflow series in Johor, Malaysia.

A Closer Look at the Congo and the Lightning Maximum on Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blakeslee, R. J.; Buechler, D. E.; Lavreau, Johan; Goodman, Steven J.

2008-01-01

The global maps of maximum mean annual flash density derived from a decade of observations from the Lightning Imaging Sensor on the NASA Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite show that a 0.5 degree x 0.5 degree pixel west of Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo (latitude 2S, longitude 28E) has the most frequent lightning activity anywhere on earth with an average value in excess of 157 fl/sq km/yr. This pixel has a flash density that is much greater than even its surrounding neighbors. By contrast the maximum mean annual flash rate for North America located in central Florida is only 33 fl/sq km/yr. Previous studies have shown that monthly-seasonal-annual lightning maxima on earth occur in regions dominated by coastal (land-sea breeze interactions) or topographic influences (elevated heat sources, enhanced convergence). Using TRMM, Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper, and Shuttle Imaging Radar imagery we further examine the unique features of this region situated in the deep tropics and dominated by a complex topography having numerous mountain ridges and valleys to better understand why this pixel, unlike any other, has the most active lightning on the planet.

Factors driving spatial and temporal variation in production and production/biomass ratio of stream-resident brown trout (Salmo trutta) in Cantabrian streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lobon-Cervia, J.; Gonzalez, G.; Budy, P.

2011-01-01

1.The objective was to identify the factors driving spatial and temporal variation in annual production (PA) and turnover (production/biomass) ratio (P/BA) of resident brown trout Salmo trutta in tributaries of the Rio Esva (Cantabrian Mountains, Asturias, north-western Spain). We examined annual production (total production of all age-classes over a year) (PA) and turnover (P/BA) ratios, in relation to year-class production (production over the entire life time of a year-class) (PT) and turnover (P/BT) ratio, over 14years at a total of 12 sites along the length of four contrasting tributaries. In addition, we explored whether the importance of recruitment and site depth for spatial and temporal variations in year-class production (PT), elucidated in previous studies, extends to annual production. 2.Large spatial (among sites) and temporal (among years) variation in annual production (range 1.9-40.3gm-2 per year) and P/BA ratio (range 0.76-2.4per year) typified these populations, values reported here including all the variation reported globally for salmonids streams inhabited by one or several species. 3.Despite substantial differences among streams and sites in all production attributes, when all data were pooled, annual (PA) and year-class production (PT) and annual (P/BA) and year-class P/BT ratios were tightly linked. Annual (PA) and year-class production (PT) were similar but not identical, i.e. PT=0.94 PA, whereas the P/BT ratios were 4+P/BA ratios. 4.Recruitment (Rc) and mean annual density (NA) were major density-dependent drivers of production and their relationships were described by simple mathematical models. While year-class production (PT) was determined (R2=70.1%) by recruitment (Rc), annual production (PA) was determined (R2=60.3%) by mean annual density (NA). In turn, variation in recruitment explained R2=55.2% of variation in year-class P/BT ratios, the latter attaining an asymptote at P/BT=6 at progressively higher levels of recruitment. Similarly, variations in mean annual density (NA) explained R2=52.1% of variation in annual P/BA, the latter reaching an asymptote at P/BA=2.1. This explained why P/BT is equal to P/BA plus the number of year-classes at high but not at low densities. 5.Site depth was a major determinant of spatial (among sites) variation in production attributes. All these attributes described two-phase trajectories with site depth, reaching a maximum at sites of intermediate depth and declining at shallower and deeper sites. As a consequence, at sites where recruitment and mean annual density reached minimum or maximum values, annual (PA) and year-class production (PT) and annual (P/BA) and year-class P/BT ratios also reached minimum and maximum values. ?? 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

How Should Dry Lightning be Defined to Best to Correlate to Wildfire Initiation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vant-Hull, B.; Koshak, W. J.

2017-12-01

Dry lightning can be defined by a maximum precipitation threshold, a dry period preceding a flash, and the spatial resolution used to relate a lightning flash to precipitation. Using data from most of CONUS from 2003-2015, the annual total of wildfires was compared to the annual number of dry flashes, with dry flash parameters adjusted to maximize the correlation between annual totals throughout the time period. A maximum correlation of 0.93 was found for a dry period of 36 hours, with no precipitation rates above 0.2 mm/hr during this time, on a 0.1 degree grid. Such a high correlation to wildfires on a climatic scale indicates a need to understand how changing weather patterns can influence the occurrence of properly defined dry lightning. Under this understanding dry lightning counts could qualify as a NCA indicator.

Analytical expressions for maximum wind turbine average power in a Rayleigh wind regime

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carlin, P.W.

Average or expectation values for annual power of a wind turbine in a Rayleigh wind regime are calculated and plotted as a function of cut-out wind speed. This wind speed is expressed in multiples of the annual average wind speed at the turbine installation site. To provide a common basis for comparison of all real and imagined turbines, the Rayleigh-Betz wind machine is postulated. This machine is an ideal wind machine operating with the ideal Betz power coefficient of 0.593 in a Rayleigh probability wind regime. All other average annual powers are expressed in fractions of that power. Cases consideredmore » include: (1) an ideal machine with finite power and finite cutout speed, (2) real machines operating in variable speed mode at their maximum power coefficient, and (3) real machines operating at constant speed.« less

To what extent can green infrastructure mitigate downstream flooding in a peri-urban catchment?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schubert, J. E.; Burns, M.; Sanders, B. F.; Flethcher, T.

2016-12-01

In this research, we couple an urban hydrologic model (MUSIC, eWater, AUS) with a fine resolution 2D hydrodynamic model (BreZo, UC Irvine, USA) to test to what extent retrofitting an urban watershed with stormwater control measures (SCMs) can propagate flood management benefits downstream. Our study site is the peri-urban Little Stringybark Creek (LSC) catchment in eastern Melbourne, AUS, with an area of 4.5 km2 and connected impervious area of 9%. Urban development is mainly limited to the upper 2 km2of the catchment. Since 2009 the LSC catchment has been the subject of a large-scale experiment aiming to restore morenatural flow by implementing over 300 SCMs, such as rain tanks and infiltration trenches, resulting in runoff from 50% of connected impervious areas now being intercepted by some form of SCM. For our study we calibrated the hydrologic and hydraulic models based on current catchment conditions, then we developed models representing alternative SCM scenarios including a complete lack of SCMs versus a full implementation of SCMs. Flow in the hydrologic/hydraulic models is forced using a range of synthetic rainfall events with annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs) between 63-1% and durations between 10 min to 24 hr. Metrics of SCM efficacy in changing flood regime include flood depths and extents, flow intensity (m2/s), flood duration, and critical storm duration leading to maximum flood conditions. Results indicate that across the range of AEPs tested and for storm durations equal or less than 3 hours, current SCM conditions reduce downstream flooded area on average by 29%, while a full implementation of SCMs would reduce downstream flooded area on average by 91%. A full implementation of SCMs could also lower maximum flow intensities by 83% on average, reducing damage potential to structures in the flow path and increasing the ability for vehicles to evacuate flooded streets. We also found that for storm durations longer than 3 hours, the SCMs capacity to retain rainfall runoff volumes is much decreased, with a full implementation of SCMs only reducing flooded area by 8% and flow intensity by 5.5%. Therefore additional measures are required for downstream flood hazard mitigation from long duration events.

Mapping timing, extent, type and magnitude of disturbances across the national forest system, 1990–2011

Treesearch

Alexander Hernandez; Sean P. Healey; Chenquan Huang; R. Douglas Ramsey

2015-01-01

As part of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), National Forest System (NFS) comprehensive plan for carbon monitoring, a detailed temporal mapping of forest disturbances across all National Forests in the United States has been conducted. A long-term annual time series of data layers that show the timing, extent, type, and magnitude of disturbance beginning in 1990 and...

Modeled future peak streamflows in four coastal Maine rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hodgkins, Glenn A.; Dudley, Robert W.

2013-01-01

To safely and economically design bridges and culverts, it is necessary to compute the magnitude of peak streamflows that have specified annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs). Annual precipitation and air temperature in the northeastern United States are, in general, projected to increase during the 21st century. It is therefore important for engineers and resource managers to understand how peak flows may change in the future. This report, prepared in cooperation with the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT), presents modeled changes in peak flows at four basins in coastal Maine on the basis of projected changes in air temperature and precipitation. To estimate future peak streamflows at the four basins in this study, historical values for climate (temperature and precipitation) in the basins were adjusted by different amounts and input to a hydrologic model of each study basin. To encompass the projected changes in climate in coastal Maine by the end of the 21st century, air temperatures were adjusted by four different amounts, from -3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (ºF) (-2 degrees Celsius (ºC)) to +10.8 ºF (+6 ºC) of observed temperatures. Precipitation was adjusted by three different percentage values from -15 percent to +30 percent of observed precipitation. The resulting 20 combinations of temperature and precipitation changes (includes the no-change scenarios) were input to Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) watershed models, and annual daily maximum peak flows were calculated for each combination. Modeled peak flows from the adjusted changes in temperature and precipitation were compared to unadjusted (historical) modeled peak flows. Annual daily maximum peak flows increase or decrease, depending on whether temperature or precipitation is adjusted; increases in air temperature (with no change in precipitation) lead to decreases in peak flows, whereas increases in precipitation (with no change in temperature) lead to increases in peak flows. As the magnitude of air temperatures increase in the four basins, peak flows decrease by larger amounts. If precipitation is held constant (no change from historical values), 17 to 26 percent decreases in peak flow occur at the four basins when temperature is increased by 7.2°F. If temperature is held constant, 26 to 38 percent increases in peak flow result from a 15-percent increase in precipitation. The largest decreases in peak flows at the four basins result from 15-percent decreases in precipitation combined with temperature increases of 10.8°F. The largest increases in peak flows generally result from 30-percent increases in precipitation combined with 3.6 °F decreases in temperatures. In many cases when temperature and precipitation both increase, small increases or decreases in annual daily maximum peak flows result. For likely changes projected for the northeastern United States for the middle of the 21st century (temperature increase of 3.6 °F and precipitation increases of 0 to 15 percent), peak-flow changes at the four coastal Maine basins in this study are modeled to be evenly distributed between increases and decreases of less than 25 percent. Peak flows with 50-percent and 1-percent AEPs (equivalent to 2-year and 100-year recurrence interval peak flows, respectively) were calculated for the four basins in the study using the PRMS-modeled annual daily maximum peak flows. Modeled peak flows with 50-percent and 1-percent AEPs with adjusted temperatures and precipitation were compared to unadjusted (historical) modeled values. Changes in peak flows with 50-percent AEPs are similar to changes in annual daily maximum peak flow; changes in peak flows with 1-percent AEPs are similar in pattern to changes in annual daily maximum peak flow, but some of the changes associated with increasing precipitation are much larger than changes in annual daily maximum peak flow. Substantial decreases in maximum annual winter snowpack water equivalent are modeled to occur with increasing air temperatures at the four basins in the study. (Snowpack is the snow on the ground that accumulates during a winter, and water equivalent is the amount of water in a snowpack if it were melted.) The decrease in modeled peak flows with increasing air temperature, given no change in precipitation amount, is likely caused by these decreases in winter snowpack and resulting decreases in snowmelt runoff. This Scientific Investigations Report, prepared in cooperation with the Maine Department of Transportation, presents a summary of modeled changes in peak flows at four basins in coastal Maine on the basis of projected changes in air temperature and precipitation. The full Fact Sheet (Hodgkins and Dudley, 2013) is available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2013/3021/.

77 FR 73005 - Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Annual Specifications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-07

... (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: NMFS proposes to implement the annual catch limit (ACL...) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The proposed 2012-2013 ACL or maximum HG for Pacific mackerel is 40,514... the fishery attains the ACT, the directed fishery will close, reserving the difference between the ACL...

Flood frequency analysis for a braided river catchment in New Zealand: Comparing annual maximum and partial duration series with varying record lengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagy, B. K.; Mohssen, M.; Hughey, K. F. D.

2017-04-01

This study addresses technical questions concerning the use of the partial duration series (PDS) within the domain of flood frequency analysis. The recurring questions which often prevent the standardised use of the PDS are peak independence and threshold selection. This paper explores standardised approaches to peak and threshold selection to produce PDS samples with differing average annual exceedances, using six theoretical probability distributions. The availability of historical annual maximum (AMS) data (1930-1966) in addition to systemic AMS data (1967-2015) enables a unique comparison between the performance of the PDS sample and the systemic AMS sample. A recently derived formula for the translation of the PDS into the annual domain, simplifying the use of the PDS, is utilised in an applied case study for the first time. Overall, the study shows that PDS sampling returns flood magnitudes similar to those produced by AMS series utilising historical data and thus the use of the PDS should be preferred in cases where historical flood data is unavailable.

Hydrologic effects of annually diverting 131,000 acre-feet of water from Dillon Reservoir, central Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alley, William M.; Bauer, D.P.; Veenhuis, J.E.; Brennan, Robert

1979-01-01

Because of the increased demands for water in eastern Colorado, principally in the urbanizing Denver metropolitan area, increased diversions of water from Dillon Reservoir are planned. Estimates of end-of-month storage in Dillon Reservoir, assuming the reservoir was in place and 131,000 acre-feet of water were diverted from the reservoir each year, were reconstructed by mass balance for the 1931-77 water years. Based on the analysis, the annual maximum end-of-month drawdown below the elevation at full storage would have averaged 54 feet. The maximum end-of-month drawdown below the elevation at full storage would have been 171 feet. The mean-annual discharge-weighted dissolved-solids concentrations in the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs and Cameo, Colo., and Cisco, Utah, for the 1942-77 water years, were computed assuming an annual diversion of 131,000 acre-feet of water from Dillon Reservoir. The average increases in the dissolved-solids concentrations with the 131 ,000-acre-foot diversion were 15 to 16 milligrams per liter at the three sites. (Woodard-USGS)

50 CFR 679.81 - Rockfish Program annual harvester privileges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...) Maximum retainable amount (MRA) limits—(1) Rockfish cooperative. A vessel assigned to a rockfish... those species as established in Table 10 to this part. (4) Maximum retainable amount (MRA) calculation and limits—catcher vessels. (i) The MRA for an incidental catch species for vessels fishing under the...

50 CFR 679.81 - Rockfish Program annual harvester privileges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...) Maximum retainable amount (MRA) limits—(1) Rockfish cooperative. A vessel assigned to a rockfish... those species as established in Table 10 to this part. (4) Maximum retainable amount (MRA) calculation and limits—catcher vessels. (i) The MRA for an incidental catch species for vessels fishing under the...

50 CFR 679.81 - Rockfish Program annual harvester privileges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...) Maximum retainable amount (MRA) limits—(1) Rockfish cooperative. A vessel assigned to a rockfish... those species as established in Table 10 to this part. (4) Maximum retainable amount (MRA) calculation and limits—catcher vessels. (i) The MRA for an incidental catch species for vessels fishing under the...

24 CFR 882.403 - ACC, housing assistance payments contract, and lease.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false ACC, housing assistance payments... Procedures for Moderate Rehabilitation-Basic Policies § 882.403 ACC, housing assistance payments contract, and lease. (a) Maximum Total ACC Commitments. The maximum total annual contribution that may be...

Effects of Wildfire on the Hydrology of Capulin and Rito de los Frijoles canyons, Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Veenhuis, Jack E.

2002-01-01

In June of 1977, the La Mesa wildfire burned 15,270 acres in and around Frijoles Canyon in Bandelier National Monument and the adjacent Santa Fe National Forest, New Mexico. The Dome wildfire in April of 1996 in Bandelier National Monument burned 16,516 acres in Capulin Canyon and the surrounding Dome Wilderness area. Both watersheds are characterized by abundant and extensive archeological sites that could be affected by increased runoff and accelerated rates of erosion, which typically occur after a wildfire. The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Park Service monitored the wildfires' effects on streamflow in both canyons. The magnitude of large stormflows increased dramatically after these wildfires; peak flows at the most downstream streamflow-gaging station in Frijoles and Capulin Canyons increased to about 160 times the maximum recorded flood prior to the fire. Maximum peak flow was 3,030 cubic feet per second at the gaging station in Frijoles Canyon (drainage area equals 18.1 square miles) and 3,630 cubic feet per second at the most downstream crest-stage gage in Capulin Canyon (drainage area equals 14.1 square miles). The pre-fire maximum peak flow recorded in these two canyons was 19 and an estimated 25 cubic feet per second, respectively. As vegetation reestablished itself during the second year, the post-fire annual maximum peak flow decreased to about 10 to 15 times the pre-fire annual maximum peak flow. During the third year, maximum annual peak flows decreased to about three to five times the pre-fire maximum peak flow. In the 22 years since the La Mesa wildfire, flood magnitudes have not completely returned to pre-fire size. Post-fire flood magnitudes in Frijoles and Capulin Canyons do not exceed the maximum floods per drainage area for physiographic regions 5 and 6 in New Mexico. For a burned watershed, however, the peak flows that occur after a wildfire are several orders of magnitude larger than normal forested watershed peak flows. The frequency of larger stormflows also increased in response to the effects of the wildfires in both canyons. In Frijoles Canyon, the number of peak stormflows greater than the pre-fire maximum flow of 19 cubic feet per second was 15 in 1977, 9 in 1978, and 5 in 1979, which is about the magnitude of the maximum pre-fire peak flow in both canyons. Again the hydrologic effects of a wildfire seem to be more pronounced for the 3 years following the date of the fire. Likewise, larger peakflows occurred more frequently in Capulin Canyon for the first 3 years after the 1996 wildfire. Median suspended-sediment concentrations in samples collected in Frijoles Canyon in 1977 were 1,330 milligrams per liter; median concentrations were 16 milligrams per liter after the watershed stabilized in 1993-95. The annual load calculated from regression equations for load compared to flow for the first year after the wildfire was 220 times the annual load for the post-recovery period. To convey the increased frequency and magnitude of average flows in Capulin Canyon after the 1996 Dome wildfire, the stream channel in Capulin Canyon increased in flow capacity by widening and downcutting. As Capulin Canyon peak flows have decreased in both magnitude and frequency with vegetative recovery, the stream channel also has slowly begun to readjust. The channel at the most downstream crest-stage gage, which has the shallowest initial valley slope, is showing the first signs of aggradation.

Hydroclimate temporal variability in a coastal Mediterranean watershed: the Tafna basin, North-West Algeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boulariah, Ouafik; Longobardi, Antonia; Meddi, Mohamed

2017-04-01

One of the major challenges scientists, practitioners and stakeholders are nowadays involved in, is to provide the worldwide population with reliable water supplies, protecting, at the same time, the freshwater ecosystems quality and quantity. Climate and land use changes undermine the balance between water demand and water availability, causing alteration of rivers flow regime. Knowledge of hydro-climate variables temporal and spatial variability is clearly helpful to plan drought and flood hazard mitigation strategies but also to adapt them to future environmental scenarios. The present study relates to the coastal semi-arid Tafna catchment, located in the North-West of Algeria, within the Mediterranean basin. The aim is the investigation of streamflow and rainfall indices temporal variability in six sub-basins of the large catchment Tafna, attempting to relate streamflow and rainfall changes. Rainfall and streamflow time series have been preliminary tested for data quality and homogeneity, through the coupled application of two-tailed t test, Pettitt test and Cumsum tests (significance level of 0.1, 0.05 and 0.01). Subsequently maximum annual daily rainfall and streamflow and average daily annual rainfall and streamflow time series have been derived and tested for temporal variability, through the application of the Mann Kendall and Sen's test. Overall maximum annual daily streamflow time series exhibit a negative trend which is however significant for only 30% of the station. Maximum annual daily rainfall also e exhibit a negative trend which is intend significant for the 80% of the stations. In the case of average daily annual streamflow and rainfall, the tendency for decrease in time is unclear and, in both cases, appear significant for 60% of stations.

Hydrologic impacts of changes in climate and glacier extent in the Gulf of Alaska watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beamer, J. P.; Hill, D. F.; McGrath, D.; Arendt, A.; Kienholz, C.

2017-09-01

High-resolution regional-scale hydrologic models were used to quantify the response of late 21st century runoff from the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) watershed to changes in regional climate and glacier extent. NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis data were combined with five Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 general circulation models (GCMs) for two representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios (4.5 and 8.5) to develop meteorological forcing for the period 2070-2099. A hypsographic model was used to estimate future glacier extent given assumed equilibrium line altitude (ELA) increases of 200 and 400 m. GCM predictions show an increase in annual precipitation of 12% for RCP 4.5 and 21% for RCP 8.5, and an increase in annual temperature of 2.5°C for RCP 4.5 and 4.3°C for RCP 8.5, averaged across the GOA. Scenarios with perturbed climate and glaciers predict annual GOA-wide runoff to increase by 9% for RCP4.5/ELA200 case and 14% for the RCP8.5/ELA400 case. The glacier runoff decreased by 14% for RCP4.5/ELA200 and by 34% for the RCP8.5/ELA400 case. Intermodel variability in annual runoff was found to be approximately twice the variability in precipitation input. Additionally, there are significant changes in runoff partitioning and increases in snowpack runoff are dominated by increases in rain-on-snow events. We present results aggregated across the entire GOA and also for individual watersheds to illustrate the range in hydrologic regime changes and explore the sensitivities of these results by independently perturbing only climate forcings and only glacier cover.

Using MODIS and GRACE to assess water storage in regional Wetlands: Iraqi and Sudd Marsh systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, R.

2015-12-01

Both The Iraqi (Mesopotamian) Marshes, an extensive wetlands system in Iraq, and the Sudd Marshlands, located in Sudan have been heavily impacted by both human and climate forces over the past decades. The Sudd wetlands are highly variable in size, averaging roughly 30,000 km2, but extending to as large as ~130,000 km2 during the wet seasons, while the Iraqi marshes are smaller, at ~15,000 km2, without the same extent of intra-annual variability. A combination of MODIS and GRACE images from 2003-2015 for the study areas were used to determine the time dependent change in surface water area (SWA) in the marshes, marshland extent and variability in total water storage. Combined open water area and vegetation abundance and cover, as determined by MODIS (NDVI and MNDWI), is highly correlated with total mass variability observed by GRACE (RL05 Tellus land grid). Annual variability in the Iraqi marshes correlates well with combined SWA and vegetation extent. Variability of vegetation in the Sudd marshes is seen to correlate well on an annual basis with water storage variation, and with a 2 month lag (water mass increases and decreases lead vegetation increases and decreases) when examined on a monthly basis. As a result, in both systems, the overall wetlands extent and health is observed to be water limited. Predictions for precipitation variability and human diversions of water through either dam storage or navigation modifications are predicted to lower water availability and lower variability in these systems. These two regional wetlands systems will shrink, with resulting loss in habitat and other ecosystem services.

9 CFR 310.1 - Extent and time of post-mortem inspection; post-mortem inspection staffing standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... inspector performs the viscera and upper carcass inspection. 1 1 The “Maximum Slaughter Rates” figures... accompanying rules. (i) Inspection Using the Viscera Truck. Steers and Heifers Maximum slaughter rates (head... 1 1 1 85 to 86 1 2 1 87 to 143 2 2 1 Cows and Bulls Maximum slaughter rates (head per hour) Number...

9 CFR 310.1 - Extent and time of post-mortem inspection; post-mortem inspection staffing standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... inspector performs the viscera and upper carcass inspection. 1 1 The “Maximum Slaughter Rates” figures... accompanying rules. (i) Inspection Using the Viscera Truck. Steers and Heifers Maximum slaughter rates (head... 1 1 1 85 to 86 1 2 1 87 to 143 2 2 1 Cows and Bulls Maximum slaughter rates (head per hour) Number...

9 CFR 310.1 - Extent and time of post-mortem inspection; post-mortem inspection staffing standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... inspector performs the viscera and upper carcass inspection. 1 1 The “Maximum Slaughter Rates” figures... accompanying rules. (i) Inspection Using the Viscera Truck. Steers and Heifers Maximum slaughter rates (head... 1 1 1 85 to 86 1 2 1 87 to 143 2 2 1 Cows and Bulls Maximum slaughter rates (head per hour) Number...

9 CFR 310.1 - Extent and time of post-mortem inspection; post-mortem inspection staffing standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... inspector performs the viscera and upper carcass inspection. 1 1 The “Maximum Slaughter Rates” figures... accompanying rules. (i) Inspection Using the Viscera Truck. Steers and Heifers Maximum slaughter rates (head... 1 1 1 85 to 86 1 2 1 87 to 143 2 2 1 Cows and Bulls Maximum slaughter rates (head per hour) Number...

9 CFR 310.1 - Extent and time of post-mortem inspection; post-mortem inspection staffing standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... inspector performs the viscera and upper carcass inspection. 1 1 The “Maximum Slaughter Rates” figures... accompanying rules. (i) Inspection Using the Viscera Truck. Steers and Heifers Maximum slaughter rates (head... 1 1 1 85 to 86 1 2 1 87 to 143 2 2 1 Cows and Bulls Maximum slaughter rates (head per hour) Number...

Decadal trend of precipitation and temperature patterns and impacts on snow-related variables in a semiarid region, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

José Pérez-Palazón, María; Pimentel, Rafael; Herrero, Javier; José Polo, María

2016-04-01

In the current context of global change, mountainous areas constitute singular locations in which these changes can be traced. Early detection of significant shifts of snow state variables in semiarid regions can help assess climate variability impacts and future snow dynamics in northern latitudes. The Sierra Nevada mountain range, in southern Spain, is a representative example of snow areas in Mediterranean-climate regions and both monitoring and modelling efforts have been performed to assess this variability and its significant scales. This work presents a decadal trend analysis throughout the 50-yr period 1960-2010 performed on some snow-related variables over Sierra Nevada, in Spain, which is included in the global climate change observatories network around the world. The study area comprises 4583 km2 distributed throughout the five head basins influenced by these mountains, with altitude values ranging from 140 to 3479 m.a.s.l., just 40 km from the Mediterranean coastline. Meteorological variables obtained from 44 weather stations from the National Meteorological Agency were studied and further used as input to the distributed hydrological model WiMMed (Polo et al., 2010), operational at the study area, to obtain selected snow variables. Decadal trends were obtained, together with their statistical significance, over the following variables, averaged over the whole study area: (1) annual precipitation; (2) annual snowfall; annual (3) mean, (4) maximum and (5) minimum daily temperature; annual (6) mean and (7) maximum daily fraction of snow covered areas; (8) annual number of days with snow cover; (9) mean and (10) maximum daily snow water equivalent; (11) annual number of extreme precipitation events; and (12) mean intensity of the annual extreme precipitation events. These variables were also studied over each of the five regions associated to each basin in the range. Globally decreasing decadal trends were obtained for all the meteorological variables, with the exception of the average annual mean and maximum daily temperature. In the case of the snow-related variables, no significant trends are observed at this time scale; nonetheless, a global decreasing rate is predominant in most of the variables. The torrential events are more frequent in the last decades of the study period, with an apparently increasing associated dispersion. This study constitutes a first sound analysis of the long-term observed trends of the snow regime in this area under the context of increasing temperature and decreasing precipitation regimes. The results highlight the complexity of non-linearity in environmental processes in Mediterranean regions, and point out to a significant shift in the precipitation and temperature regime, and thus on the snow-affected hydrological variables in the study area.

Climate-change signals in national atmospheric deposition program precipitation data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wetherbee, Gregory A.; Mast, M. Alisa

2016-01-01

National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP)/National Trends Network precipitation type, snow-season duration, and annual timing of selected chemical wet-deposition maxima vary with latitude and longitude within a 35-year (1979–2013) data record for the contiguous United States and Alaska. From the NADP data collected within the region bounded by 35.6645°–48.782° north latitude and 124°–68° west longitude, similarities in latitudinal and longitudinal patterns of changing snow-season duration, fraction of annual precipitation recorded as snow, and the timing of chemical wet-deposition maxima, suggest that the chemical climate of the atmosphere is linked to physical changes in climate. Total annual precipitation depth has increased 4–6 % while snow season duration has decreased from approximately 7 to 21 days across most of the USA, except in higher elevation regions where it has increased by as much as 21 days. Snow-season precipitation is increasingly comprised of snow, but annually total precipitation is increasingly comprised of liquid precipitation. Meanwhile, maximum ammonium deposition occurs as much as 27 days earlier, and the maximum nitrate: sulfate concentration ratio in wet-deposition occurs approximately 10–21 days earlier in the year. The maximum crustal (calcium + magnesium + potassium) cation deposition occurs 2–35 days earlier in the year. The data suggest that these shifts in the timing of atmospheric wet deposition are linked to a warming climate, but the ecological consequences are uncertain.

Climatic interpretation of the length fluctuations of Glaciar Frías, North Patagonia, Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leclercq, P. W.; Pitte, P.; Giesen, R. H.; Masiokas, M. H.; Oerlemans, J.

2011-10-01

We explore the climatic information contained in the record of length fluctuations of Glaciar Frías, in the North Patagonian Andes of Argentina. This record is one of the longest and most detailed glacier records in southern South America, starting in 1639. In order to interpret the length variations of Glaciar Frías since the maximum Little Ice Age extent in 1639, we use a combination of a simplified surface energy-balance model to calculate the glacier mass balance, and a flow-line model to account for the dynamical response of the glacier to changes in the climatic forcing. The overall retreat of the glacier observed over 1639-2009 is best explained by an annual mean temperature increase of 1.16 °C or a decrease in annual precipitation of 34%, most of which would have occurred during the 20th century. The glacier model is also forced with independent proxy-based reconstructions of precipitation and temperature, based on tree rings and a composition of documentary evidence, tree rings, sediments, corals, and ice cores. The uncertainties in the presently available proxy reconstructions are rather large, leading to a wide range in the modelled glacier length. Most of the observations lie within this range. However, in these reconstructions, the mid-17th century is too cold and the early 19th century ca. 0.7 °C too warm to explain the observed glacier lengths.

Marihuana and Health. Sixth Annual Report to the U.S. Congress from the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1976.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. on Drug Abuse (DHEW/PHS), Rockville, MD.

This edition, the sixth in the series of annual reports, is a nontechnical summary updating developments in marihuana research with selected references from the fifth edition. Areas of discussion include: (1) nature and extent of marihuana use in the United States; (2) marihuana use among high school seniors; (3) an overview of use trends; (4)…

24 CFR 903.11 - Are certain PHAs eligible to submit a streamlined Annual Plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... streamlined Annual Plan must include the information required by § 903.7(a), (b), (c), (d), (g), (h), (k), (m), (n), (o), (p) and (r). The information required by § 903.7(m) must be included only to the extent... § 903.7(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (k), (l), (o), (p) and (r). [65 FR 49484, Aug. 14, 2000, as amended...

Long-Term Simulation of Dust Distribution with the GOCART Model: Correlation with the North Atlantic Oscillation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ginoux, P.; Prospero, J.; Torres, O.; Chin, M.

2002-01-01

Global distribution of aeolian dust is simulated from 1981 to 1996 with the Goddard Ozone Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART) model. The results are assessed with in-situ measurements and the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) aerosol products. The annual budget over the different continents and oceans are analyzed. It is found that there is a maximum of 25% difference of global annual emission from the minimum in 1996 to the maximum in 1988. There is a downward trend of dust emission over Africa and East Asia, of 6 and 2 Tg/yr, respectively. The inter-annual variability of dust distribution is analyzed over the North Atlantic and Africa. It is found that in winter most of the North Atlantic and Africa dust loading is correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation. The GOCART model indicates that a controlling factor of such correlation can be attributed to dust emission from the Sahel. The Bodele depression is the major dust source in winter and its inter-annual variability is highly correlated with the NAO. However, it is not possible to conclude without further analysis that the North Atlantic Oscillation is forcing the inter-annual variability of dust emission and in-turn dust concentration over the North Atlantic.

Does Change in the Arctic Sea Ice Indicate Climate Change? A Lesson Using Geospatial Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bock, Judith K.

2011-01-01

The Arctic sea ice has not since melted to the 2007 extent, but annual summer melt extents do continue to be less than the decadal average. Climate fluctuations are well documented by geologic records. Averages are usually based on a minimum of 10 years of averaged data. It is typical for fluctuations to occur from year to year and season to…

A method to assess the inter-annual weather-dependent variability in air pollution concentration and deposition based on weather typing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pleijel, Håkan; Grundström, Maria; Karlsson, Gunilla Pihl; Karlsson, Per Erik; Chen, Deliang

2016-02-01

Annual anomalies in air pollutant concentrations, and deposition (bulk and throughfall) of sulphate, nitrate and ammonium, in the Gothenburg region, south-west Sweden, were correlated with optimized linear combinations of the yearly frequency of Lamb Weather Types (LWTs) to determine the extent to which the year-to-year variation in pollution exposure can be partly explained by weather related variability. Air concentrations of urban NO2, CO, PM10, as well as O3 at both an urban and a rural monitoring site, and the deposition of sulphate, nitrate and ammonium for the period 1997-2010 were included in the analysis. Linear detrending of the time series was performed to estimate trend-independent anomalies. These estimated anomalies were subtracted from observed annual values. Then the statistical significance of temporal trends with and without LWT adjustment was tested. For the pollutants studied, the annual anomaly was well correlated with the annual LWT combination (R2 in the range 0.52-0.90). Some negative (annual average [NO2], ammonia bulk deposition) or positive (average urban [O3]) temporal trends became statistically significant (p < 0.05) when the LWT adjustment was applied. In all the cases but one (NH4 throughfall, for which no temporal trend existed) the significance of temporal trends became stronger with LWT adjustment. For nitrate and ammonium, the LWT based adjustment explained a larger fraction of the inter-annual variation for bulk deposition than for throughfall. This is probably linked to the longer time scale of canopy related dry deposition processes influencing throughfall being explained to a lesser extent by LWTs than the meteorological factors controlling bulk deposition. The proposed novel methodology can be used by authorities responsible for air pollution management, and by researchers studying temporal trends in pollution, to evaluate e.g. the relative importance of changes in emissions and weather variability in annual air pollution exposure.

Fifteen-Year Growth of a Thinned White Spruce Plantation

Treesearch

Robert F. Wambach; John H. Cooley

1969-01-01

Mean annual increment at age 38 in a thinned white spruce plantation was 102 cubic feet or 0.85 cords per acre per year. Periodic annual increment during the 15 years after thinning seemed to be maximum for residual basal areas between 100 and 120 square feet per acre. OXFORD: 562.2:174.7 Picca glauca: (775):242

29 CFR 2590.712 - Parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Affordable Care Act section 1302(c), which establish limitations on annual deductibles for non-grandfathered health plans in the small group market and annual limitations on out-of-pocket maximums for all non... brand name”, “non-preferred brand name”, or “specialty” complies with the rules of paragraph (c)(4)(i...

45 CFR 146.136 - Parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Affordable Care Act section 1302(c), which establish limitations on annual deductibles for non-grandfathered health plans in the small group market and annual limitations on out-of-pocket maximums for all non... brand name”, “non-preferred brand name”, or “specialty” complies with the rules of paragraph (c)(4)(i...

Vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities of selected southwestern crops to climate change

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

By the middle of the 21st Century, maximum annual temperatures in the Southwest (SW) are expected to increase by 2-4 C with the highest increases occurring in the summer months of Jun-Aug. While annual precipitation may remain similar to 1971-2000 values, Mar-May precipitation in the SW may decline ...

5 CFR 531.606 - Maximum limits on locality rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... than or equal to the maximum payable scheduled annual rate of pay for GS-15; or (ii) The rate for level... Section 531.606 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PAY... of basic pay payable for level IV of the Executive Schedule. (b)(1) A locality rate for an employee...

Trend analysis of hydro-climatic variables in the north of Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikzad Tehrani, E.; Sahour, H.; Booij, M. J.

2018-04-01

Trend analysis of climate variables such as streamflow, precipitation, and temperature provides useful information for understanding the hydrological changes associated with climate change. In this study, a nonparametric Mann-Kendall test was employed to evaluate annual, seasonal, and monthly trends of precipitation and streamflow for the Neka basin in the north of Iran over a 44-year period (1972 to 2015). In addition, the Inverse Distance Weight (IDW) method was used for annual seasonal, monthly, and daily precipitation trends in order to investigate the spatial correlation between precipitation and streamflow trends in the study area. Results showed a downward trend in annual and winter precipitation (Z < -1.96) and an upward trend in annual maximum daily precipitation. Annual and monthly mean flows for most of the months in the Neka basin decreased by 14% significantly, but the annual maximum daily flow increased by 118%. Results for the trend analysis of streamflow and climatic variables showed that there are statistically significant relationships between precipitation and streamflow (p value < 0.05). Correlation coefficients for Kendall, Spearman's rank and linear regression are 0.43, 0.61, and 0.67, respectively. The spatial presentation of the detected precipitation and streamflow trends showed a downward trend for the mean annual precipitation observed in the upstream part of the study area which is consistent with the streamflow trend. Also, there is a good correlation between monthly and seasonal precipitation and streamflow for all sub-basins (Sefidchah, Gelvard, Abelu). In general, from a hydro-climatic point of view, the results showed that the study area is moving towards a situation with more severe drought events.

Observations and simulations of the ionospheric lunar tide: Seasonal variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedatella, N. M.

2014-07-01

The seasonal variability of the ionospheric lunar tide is investigated using a combination of Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) observations and thermosphere-ionosphere-mesosphere electrodynamics general circulation model (TIME-GCM) simulations. The present study focuses on the seasonal variability of the lunar tide in the ionosphere and its potential connection to the occurrence of stratosphere sudden warmings (SSWs). COSMIC maximum F region electron density (NmF2) and total electron content observations reveal a primarily annual variation of the ionospheric lunar tide, with maximum amplitudes occurring at low latitudes during December-February. Simulations of the lunar tide climatology in TIME-GCM display a similar annual variability as the COSMIC observations. This leads to the conclusion that the annual variability of the lunar tide in the ionosphere is not solely due to the occurrence of SSWs. Rather, the annual variability of the lunar tide in the ionosphere is generated by the seasonal variability of the lunar tide at E region altitudes. However, compared to the observations, the ionospheric lunar tide annual variability is weaker in the climatological simulations which is attributed to the occurrence of SSWs during the majority of the years included in the observations. Introducing a SSW into the TIME-GCM simulation leads to an additional enhancement of the lunar tide during Northern Hemisphere winter, increasing the lunar tide annual variability and resulting in an annual variability that is more consistent with the observations. The occurrence of SSWs can therefore potentially bias lunar tide climatologies, and it is important to consider these effects in studies of the lunar tide in the atmosphere and ionosphere.

Optimal Control of the Valve Based on Traveling Wave Method in the Water Hammer Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, H. Z.; Wang, F.; Feng, J. L.; Tan, H. P.

2011-09-01

Valve regulation is an effective method for process control during the water hammer. The principle of d'Alembert traveling wave theory was used in this paper to construct the exact analytical solution of the water hammer, and the optimal speed law of the valve that can reduce the water hammer pressure in the maximum extent was obtained. Combining this law with the valve characteristic curve, the principle corresponding to the valve opening changing with time was obtained, which can be used to guide the process of valve closing and to reduce the water hammer pressure in the maximum extent.

University Program Management Information System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

As basic policy, NASA believes that colleges and universities should be encouraged to participate in the nation's space and aeronautics program to the maximum extent practicable. Indeed, universities are considered as partners with government and industry in the nation's aerospace program. NASA' objective is to have them bring their scientific, engineering, and social research competence to bear on aerospace problems and on the broader social, economic, and international implications of NASA's technical and scientific programs. It is expected that, in so doing, universities will strengthen both their research and their educational capabilities to contribute more effectively to the national well being. This annual report is one means of documenting the NASA-university relationship, frequently denoted, collectively, as NASA's University Program. This report is consistent with agency accounting records, as the data is obtained from NASA's Financial and Contractual Status (FACS) System, operated by the Financial Management Division and the Procurement Office. However, in accordance with interagency agreements, the orientation differs from that required for financial or procurement purposes. Any apparent discrepancies between this report and other NASA procurement or financial reports stem from the selection criteria for the data.

University Program Management Information System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gans, Gary (Technical Monitor)

2004-01-01

As basic policy, NASA believes that colleges and universities should be encouraged to participate in the nation's space and aeronautics program to the maximum extent practicable. Indeed, universities are considered as partners with government and industry in the nation's aerospace program. NASA's objective is to have them bring their scientific, engineering, and social research competence to bear on aerospace problems and on the broader social, economic, and international implications of NASA's technical and scientific programs. It is expected that, in so doing, universities will strengthen both their research and their educational capabilities to contribute more effectively to the national well being. This annual report is one means of documenting the NASA-university relationship, frequently denoted, collectively, as NASA's University Program. This report is consistent with agency accounting records, as the data is obtained from NASA's Financial and Contractual Status (FACS) System, operated by the Financial Management Division and the Procurement Office. However, in accordance with interagency agreements, the orientation differs from that required for financial or procurement purposes. Any apparent discrepancies between this report and other NASA procurement or financial reports stem from the selection criteria for the data.

Model-Based Clustering of Regression Time Series Data via APECM -- An AECM Algorithm Sung to an Even Faster Beat

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Wei-Chen; Maitra, Ranjan

2011-01-01

We propose a model-based approach for clustering time series regression data in an unsupervised machine learning framework to identify groups under the assumption that each mixture component follows a Gaussian autoregressive regression model of order p. Given the number of groups, the traditional maximum likelihood approach of estimating the parameters using the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm can be employed, although it is computationally demanding. The somewhat fast tune to the EM folk song provided by the Alternating Expectation Conditional Maximization (AECM) algorithm can alleviate the problem to some extent. In this article, we develop an alternative partial expectation conditional maximization algorithmmore » (APECM) that uses an additional data augmentation storage step to efficiently implement AECM for finite mixture models. Results on our simulation experiments show improved performance in both fewer numbers of iterations and computation time. The methodology is applied to the problem of clustering mutual funds data on the basis of their average annual per cent returns and in the presence of economic indicators.« less

The Tropical Western Hemisphere Warm Pool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chunzai; Enfield, David B.

The Western Hemisphere warm pool (WHWP) of water warmer than 28.5°C extends from the eastern North Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, and at its peak, overlaps with the tropical North Atlantic. It has a large seasonal cycle and its interannual fluctuations of area and intensity are significant. Surface heat fluxes warm the WHWP through the boreal spring to an annual maximum of SST and areal extent in the late summer/early fall, associated with eastern North Pacific and Atlantic hurricane activities and rainfall from northern South America to the southern tier of the United States. SST and area anomalies occur at high temperatures where small changes can have a large impact on tropical convection. Observations suggest that a positive ocean-atmosphere feedback operating through longwave radiation and associated cloudiness is responsible for the WHWP SST anomalies. Associated with an increase in SST anomalies is a decrease in atmospheric sea level pressure anomalies and an anomalous increase in atmospheric convection and cloudiness. The increase in convective activity and cloudiness results in less longwave radiation loss from the surface, which then reinforces SST anomalies.

Lightning climatology in the Congo Basin: methodology and first results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kigotsi, Jean; Soula, Serge; Georgis, Jean-François; Barthe, Christelle

2016-04-01

The global climatology of lightning issued from space observations (OTD and LIS) clearly showed the maximum of the thunderstorm activity is located in a large area of the Congo Basin, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The first goal of the present study is to compare observations from the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) over a 9-year period (2005-2013) in this 2750 km × 2750 km area. The second goal is to analyse the lightning activity in terms of time and space variability. The detection efficiency (DE) of the WWLLN relative to LIS has increased between 2005 and 2013, typically from about 1.70 % to 5.90 %, in agreement with previous results for other regions of the world. The mean monthly flash rate describes an annual cycle with a maximum between November and March and a minimum between June and August, associated with the ICTZ migration but not exactly symmetrical on both sides of the equator. The diurnal evolution of the flash rate has a maximum between 1400 and 1700 UTC, depending on the reference year, in agreement with previous works in other regions of the world. The annual flash density shows a sharp maximum localized in eastern DRC regardless of the reference year and the period of the year. This annual maximum systematically located west of Kivu Lake corresponds to that previously identified by many authors as the worldwide maximum which Christian et al. (2013) falsely attributed to Rwanda. Another more extended region within the Congo Basin exhibits moderately large values, especially during the beginning of the period analyzed. A comparison of both patterns of lightning density from the WWLLN and from LIS allows to validate the representativeness of this world network and to restitute the total lightning activity in terms of lightning density and rate.

43 CFR 419.3 - What general principles govern implementation of the TROA?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... the extent that water is lawfully available. This includes, but is not limited to, the exercise of... requirements, so that the available water supply in the Truckee River basin satisfies, to the maximum extent..., water quality, and recreation purposes. (b) Satisfy vested and perfected rights to use the water of the...

43 CFR 419.3 - What general principles govern implementation of the TROA?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... the extent that water is lawfully available. This includes, but is not limited to, the exercise of... requirements, so that the available water supply in the Truckee River basin satisfies, to the maximum extent..., water quality, and recreation purposes. (b) Satisfy vested and perfected rights to use the water of the...

43 CFR 419.3 - What general principles govern implementation of the TROA?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... the extent that water is lawfully available. This includes, but is not limited to, the exercise of... requirements, so that the available water supply in the Truckee River basin satisfies, to the maximum extent..., water quality, and recreation purposes. (b) Satisfy vested and perfected rights to use the water of the...

EnviroAtlas - Biological nitrogen fixation in natural/semi-natural ecosystems by 12-digit HUC for the Conterminous United States, 2006

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset contains data on the mean biological nitrogen fixation in natural/semi-natural ecosystems per 12-digit Hydrologic Unit (HUC) in 2006. Biological N fixation (BNF) in natural/semi-natural ecosystems was estimated using a correlation with actual evapotranspiration (AET). This correlation is based on a global meta-analysis of BNF in natural/semi-natural ecosystems (Cleveland et al. 1999). AET estimates for 2006 were calculated using a regression equation describing the correlation of AET with climate (average annual daily temperature, average annual minimum daily temperature, average annual maximum daily temperature, and annual precipitation) and land use/land cover variables in the conterminous US (Sanford and Selnick 2013). Data describing annual average minimum and maximum daily temperatures and total precipitation for 2006 were acquired from the PRISM climate dataset (http://prism.oregonstate.edu). Average annual climate data were then calculated for individual 12-digit USGS Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUC12s; http://water.usgs.gov/GIS/huc.html; 22 March 2011 release) using the Zonal Statistics tool in ArcMap 10.0. AET for individual HUC12s was estimated using equations described in Sanford and Selnick (2013). BNF in natural/semi-natural ecosystems within individual HUC12s was modeled with an equation describing the statistical relationship between BNF (kg N ha-1 yr-1) and actual evapotranspiration (AET; cm yr-1) and scaled to the proportion

National transportation statistics 1999

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-01-01

National Transportation Statistics 1999 is a companion document to the Transportation Statistics Annual Report, which analyzes the data presented here. The report has four chapters. Chapter 1 provides data on the extent, condition, use, and performan...

Non-parametric trend analysis of the aridity index for three large arid and semi-arid basins in Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahani, Hossien; Kherad, Mehrzad; Kousari, Mohammad Reza; van Roosmalen, Lieke; Aryanfar, Ramin; Hosseini, Seyyed Mashaallah

2013-05-01

Currently, an important scientific challenge that researchers are facing is to gain a better understanding of climate change at the regional scale, which can be especially challenging in an area with low and highly variable precipitation amounts such as Iran. Trend analysis of the medium-term change using ground station observations of meteorological variables can enhance our knowledge of the dominant processes in an area and contribute to the analysis of future climate projections. Generally, studies focus on the long-term variability of temperature and precipitation and to a lesser extent on other important parameters such as moisture indices. In this study the recent 50-year trends (1955-2005) of precipitation (P), potential evapotranspiration (PET), and aridity index (AI) in monthly time scale were studied over 14 synoptic stations in three large Iran basins using the Mann-Kendall non-parametric test. Additionally, an analysis of the monthly, seasonal and annual trend of each parameter was performed. Results showed no significant trends in the monthly time series. However, PET showed significant, mostly decreasing trends, for the seasonal values, which resulted in a significant negative trend in annual PET at five stations. Significant negative trends in seasonal P values were only found at a number of stations in spring and summer and no station showed significant negative trends in annual P. Due to the varied positive and negative trends in annual P and to a lesser extent PET, almost as many stations with negative as positive trends in annual AI were found, indicating that both drying and wetting trends occurred in Iran. Overall, the northern part of the study area showed an increasing trend in annual AI which meant that the region became wetter, while the south showed decreasing trends in AI.

The Shifting Climate Portfolio of the Greater Yellowstone Area

PubMed Central

Sepulveda, Adam J.; Tercek, Michael T.; Al-Chokhachy, Robert; Ray, Andrew M.; Thoma, David P.; Hossack, Blake R.; Pederson, Gregory T.; Rodman, Ann W.; Olliff, Tom

2015-01-01

Knowledge of climatic variability at small spatial extents (< 50 km) is needed to assess vulnerabilities of biological reserves to climate change. We used empirical and modeled weather station data to test if climate change has increased the synchrony of surface air temperatures among 50 sites within the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) of the interior western United States. This important biological reserve is the largest protected area in the Lower 48 states and provides critical habitat for some of the world’s most iconic wildlife. We focused our analyses on temporal shifts and shape changes in the annual distributions of seasonal minimum and maximum air temperatures among valley-bottom and higher elevation sites from 1948–2012. We documented consistent patterns of warming since 1948 at all 50 sites, with the most pronounced changes occurring during the Winter and Summer when minimum and maximum temperature distributions increased. These shifts indicate more hot temperatures and less cold temperatures would be expected across the GYA. Though the shifting statistical distributions indicate warming, little change in the shape of the temperature distributions across sites since 1948 suggest the GYA has maintained a diverse portfolio of temperatures within a year. Spatial heterogeneity in temperatures is likely maintained by the GYA’s physiographic complexity and its large size, which encompasses multiple climate zones that respond differently to synoptic drivers. Having a diverse portfolio of temperatures may help biological reserves spread the extinction risk posed by climate change. PMID:26674185

Influence of Reynolds Number on Multi-Objective Aerodynamic Design of a Wind Turbine Blade

PubMed Central

Ge, Mingwei; Fang, Le; Tian, De

2015-01-01

At present, the radius of wind turbine rotors ranges from several meters to one hundred meters, or even more, which extends Reynolds number of the airfoil profile from the order of 105 to 107. Taking the blade for 3MW wind turbines as an example, the influence of Reynolds number on the aerodynamic design of a wind turbine blade is studied. To make the study more general, two kinds of multi-objective optimization are involved: one is based on the maximum power coefficient (C Popt) and the ultimate load, and the other is based on the ultimate load and the annual energy production (AEP). It is found that under the same configuration, the optimal design has a larger C Popt or AEP (C Popt//AEP) for the same ultimate load, or a smaller load for the same C Popt//AEP at higher Reynolds number. At a certain tip-speed ratio or ultimate load, the blade operating at higher Reynolds number should have a larger chord length and twist angle for the maximum C popt//AEP. If a wind turbine blade is designed by using an airfoil database with a mismatched Reynolds number from the actual one, both the load and C popt//AEP will be incorrectly estimated to some extent. In some cases, the assessment error attributed to Reynolds number is quite significant, which may bring unexpected risks to the earnings and safety of a wind power project. PMID:26528815

The shifting climate portfolio of the Greater Yellowstone Area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sepulveda, Adam; Tercek, Mike T; Al-Chokhachy, Robert K.; Ray, Andrew; Thoma, David P.; Hossack, Blake R.; Pederson, Gregory T.; Rodman, Ann; Olliff, Tom

2015-01-01

Knowledge of climatic variability at small spatial extents (< 50 km) is needed to assess vulnerabilities of biological reserves to climate change. We used empirical and modeled weather station data to test if climate change has increased the synchrony of surface air temperatures among 50 sites within the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) of the interior western United States. This important biological reserve is the largest protected area in the Lower 48 states and provides critical habitat for some of the world’s most iconic wildlife. We focused our analyses on temporal shifts and shape changes in the annual distributions of seasonal minimum and maximum air temperatures among valley-bottom and higher elevation sites from 1948–2012. We documented consistent patterns of warming since 1948 at all 50 sites, with the most pronounced changes occurring during the Winter and Summer when minimum and maximum temperature distributions increased. These shifts indicate more hot temperatures and less cold temperatures would be expected across the GYA. Though the shifting statistical distributions indicate warming, little change in the shape of the temperature distributions across sites since 1948 suggest the GYA has maintained a diverse portfolio of temperatures within a year. Spatial heterogeneity in temperatures is likely maintained by the GYA’s physiographic complexity and its large size, which encompasses multiple climate zones that respond differently to synoptic drivers. Having a diverse portfolio of temperatures may help biological reserves spread the extinction risk posed by climate change.

Evaluation of temperature differences for paired stations of the U.S. Climate Reference Network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gallo, K.P.

2005-01-01

Adjustments to data observed at pairs of climate stations have been recommended to remove the biases introduced by differences between the stations in time of observation, temperature instrumentatios, latitude, and elevation. A new network of climate stations, located in rural settings, permits comparisons of temperatures for several pairs of stations without two of the biases (time of observation and instrurtientation). The daily, monthly, and annual minimum, maximum, and mean temperatures were compared for five pairs of stations included in the U.S. Climate Reference Network. Significant differences were found between the paired stations in the annual minimum, maximum, and mean temperatures for all five pairs of stations. Adjustments for latitude and elevation differences contributed to greater differences in mean annual temperature for four of the five stations. Lapse rates computed from the mean annual temperature differences between station pairs differed from a constant value, whether or not latitude adjustments were made to the data. The results suggest that microclimate influences on temperatures observed at nearby (horizontally and vertically) stations are potentially much greater than influences that might be due to latitude or elevation differences between the stations. ?? 2005 American Meteorological Society.

On the suitability of the copula types for the joint modelling of flood peaks and volumes along the Danube River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohnová, Silvia; Papaioannou, George; Bacigál, Tomáš; Szolgay, Ján; Hlavčová, Kamila; Loukas, Athanasios; Výleta, Roman

2017-04-01

Flood frequency analysis is often performed as a univariate analysis of flood peaks using a suitable theoretical probability distribution of the annual maximum flood peaks or peak over threshold values. However, also other flood attributes, such as flood volume and duration, are often necessary for the design of hydrotechnical structures and projects. In this study, the suitability of various copula families for a bivariate analysis of peak discharges and flood volumes has been tested on the streamflow data from gauging stations along the whole Danube River. Kendall's rank correlation coefficient (tau) quantifies the dependence between flood peak discharge and flood volume settings. The methodology is tested on two different data samples: 1) annual maximum flood (AMF) peaks with corresponding flood volumes, which is a typical choice for engineering studies and 2). annual maximum flood (AMF) peaks combined with annual maximum flow volumes of fixed durations at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 60 days, which can be regarded as a regime analysis of the dependence between the extremes of both variables in a given year. The bivariate modelling of the peak discharge - flood volume couples is achieved with the use of the the following copulas: Ali-Mikhail-Haq (AMH), Clayton, Frank, Joe, Gumbel, HuslerReiss, Galambos, Tawn, Normal, Plackett and FGM, respectively. Scatterplots of the observed and simulated peak discharge - flood volume pairs and goodness-of-fit tests have been used to assess the overall applicability of the copulas as well as observing any changes in suitable models along the Danube River. The results indicate that, almost all of the considered Archimedean class copulas (e.g. Frank, Clayton and Ali-Mikhail-Haq) perform better than the other copula families selected for this study, and that for the second data samples mostly the upper-tail-flat copulas were suitable.

40 CFR 464.43 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS METAL MOLDING AND CASTING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Zinc Casting... copper, lead, zinc, and total phenols. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass limitations....0187 Lead (T) 0.0237 0.0116 Zinc (T) 0.0339 0.0129 Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average...

40 CFR 464.43 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS METAL MOLDING AND CASTING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Zinc Casting... copper, lead, zinc, and total phenols. For non-continuous dischargers, annual average mass limitations....0187 Lead (T) 0.0237 0.0116 Zinc (T) 0.0339 0.0129 Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average...

Hydrologic and climatic changes in three small watersheds after timber harvest.

Treesearch

W.B. Fowler; J.D. Helvey; E.N. Felix

1987-01-01

No significant increases in annual water yield were shown for three small watersheds in northeastern Oregon after shelterwood cutting (30-percent canopy removal, 50-percent basal area removal) and clearcutting. Average maximum air temperature increased after harvest and average minimum air temperature decreased by up to 2.6 °C. Both maximum and minimum water...

77 FR 47318 - Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Annual Specifications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-08

... (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The 2012 maximum HG for Pacific sardine is 109,409 metric tons (mt... framework in the FMP. This framework includes a harvest control rule that determines the maximum HG, the... 109,409 metric tons (mt) for the 2012 Pacific sardine fishing year. These catch specifications are...

Global Analysis of Empirical Relationships Between Annual Climate and Seasonality of NDVI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, C. S.

1997-01-01

This study describes the use of satellite data to calibrate a new climate-vegetation greenness function for global change studies. We examined statistical relationships between annual climate indexes (temperature, precipitation, and surface radiation) and seasonal attributes of the AVHRR Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series for the mid-1980s in order to refine our empirical understanding of intraannual patterns and global abiotic controls on natural vegetation dynamics. Multiple linear regression results using global l(sup o) gridded data sets suggest that three climate indexes: growing degree days, annual precipitation total, and an annual moisture index together can account to 70-80 percent of the variation in the NDVI seasonal extremes (maximum and minimum values) for the calibration year 1984. Inclusion of the same climate index values from the previous year explained no significant additional portion of the global scale variation in NDVI seasonal extremes. The monthly timing of NDVI extremes was closely associated with seasonal patterns in maximum and minimum temperature and rainfall, with lag times of 1 to 2 months. We separated well-drained areas from l(sup o) grid cells mapped as greater than 25 percent inundated coverage for estimation of both the magnitude and timing of seasonal NDVI maximum values. Predicted monthly NDVI, derived from our climate-based regression equations and Fourier smoothing algorithms, shows good agreement with observed NDVI at a series of ecosystem test locations from around the globe. Regions in which NDVI seasonal extremes were not accurately predicted are mainly high latitude ecosystems and other remote locations where climate station data are sparse.

A model-based estimation of inter-prefectural migration of physicians within Japan and associated factors: A 20-year retrospective study.

PubMed

Okada, Naoki; Tanimoto, Tetsuya; Morita, Tomohiro; Higuchi, Asaka; Yoshida, Izumi; Kosugi, Kazuhiro; Maeda, Yuto; Nishikawa, Yoshitaka; Ozaki, Akihiko; Tsuda, Kenji; Mori, Jinichi; Ohnishi, Mutsuko; Ward, Larry Wesley; Narimatsu, Hiroto; Yuji, Koichiro; Kami, Masahiro

2018-06-01

Despite an increase in the number of physicians in Japan, misdistribution of physicians within the 47 prefectures remains a major issue. Migration of physicians among prefectures might partly explain the misdistribution. However, geographical differences and the magnitude of physicians' migration are unclear. The aim of this study was to estimate the extent of migration of physicians among prefectures and explore possible factors associated with physicians' migration patterns.Using a publicly available government database from 1995 to 2014, a quantitative estimation of physicians' migration after graduation from a medical school was performed. The inflow and outflow of physicians were ostensibly calculated in each prefecture based on the differences between the number of newly licensed physicians and the actual number of practicing physicians after an adjustment for the number of deceased or retired physicians. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine socio-demographic background factors.During the 20-year study period, the mean annual numbers of newly licensed physicians, deceased or retired physicians, and increase in practicing physicians in the whole country were 7416, 3382, and 4034, respectively. Among the 47 prefectures, the median annual number of newly licensed physicians to 100,000 population ratio (PPR) was 6.4 (range 1.5-16.5), the median annual adjusted number of newly licensed physicians was 61 (range, -18 to 845; the negative and positive values denote outflow and inflow, respectively), whereas the median annual number of migrating physicians was 13 (range, -171 to 241). The minimum and maximum migration ratios observed were -68% and 245%, respectively. In the final regression model of the 8 variables examined, only "newly licensed PPR" remained significantly associated with physician's migration ratios.A significant inequality in the proportion of the migration of physicians among prefectures in Japan was observed. The multivariate analyses suggest that the newly licensed PPRs, and not from-rural-to-urban migration, might be one of the keys to explaining the migration ratios of physicians. The differences and magnitude of physicians' migration should be factored into mitigate misdistribution of physicians.

Nitrogen and carbon soil dynamics in response to climate change in a high-elevation ecosystem in the Rocky Mountains, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, M.W.; Brooks, P.D.; Seastedt, T.

1998-01-01

We have implemented a long-term snow-fence experiment at the Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research (NWT) site in the Colorado Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, U.S.A., to assess the effects of climate change on alpine ecology and biogeochemical cycles. The responses of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics in high-elevation mountains to changes in climate are investigated by manipulating the length and duration of snow cover with the 2.6 x 60 m snow fence, providing a proxy for climate change. Results from the first year of operation in 1994 showed that the period of continuous snow cover was increased by 90 d. The deeper and earlier snowpack behind the fence insulated soils from winter air temperatures, resulting in a 9??C increase in annual minimum temperature at the soil surface. The extended period of snow cover resulted in subnivial microbial activity playing a major role in annual C and N cycling. The amount of C mineralized under the snow as measured by CO2 production was 22 g m-2 in 1993 and 35 g m-2 in 1994, accounting for 20% of annual net primary aboveground production before construction of the snow fence in 1993 and 31% after the snow fence was constructed in 1994. In a similar fashion, maximum subnivial N2O flux increased 3-fold behind the snow fence, from 75 ??g N m-2 d-1 in 1993 to 250 ??g N m-2 d-1 in 1994. The amount of N lost from denitrification was greater than the annual atmospheric input of N in snowfall. Surface litter decomposition studies show that there was a significant increase in the litter mass loss under deep and early snow, with no significant change under medium and little snow conditions. Changes in climate that result in differences in snow duration, depth, and extent may therefore produce large changes in the C and N soil dynamics of alpine ecosystems.

The Eocene climate of China, the early elevation of the Tibetan Plateau and the onset of the Asian Monsoon.

PubMed

Wang, Qing; Spicer, Robert A; Yang, Jian; Wang, Yu-Fei; Li, Cheng-Sen

2013-12-01

Eocene palynological samples from 37 widely distributed sites across China were analysed using co-existence approach to determine trends in space and time for seven palaeoclimate variables: Mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, mean temperature of the warmest month, mean temperature of the coldest month, mean annual range of temperature, mean maximum monthly precipitation and mean minimum monthly precipitation. Present day distributions and observed climates within China of the nearest living relatives of the fossil forms were used to find the range of a given variable in which a maximum number of taxa can coexist. Isotherm and isohyet maps for the early, middle and late Eocene were constructed. These illustrate regional changing patterns in thermal and precipitational gradients that may be interpreted as the beginnings of the modern Asian Monsoon system, and suggest that the uplift of parts of the Tibetan Plateau appear to have taken place by the middle to late Eocene. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Spatial distribution of temperature trends and extremes over Maharashtra and Karnataka States of India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhorde, Amit G.; Korade, Mahendra S.; Dhorde, Anargha A.

2017-10-01

Earth surface temperatures are changing worldwide together with the changes in the extreme temperatures. The present study investigates trends and variations of monthly maximum and minimum temperatures and their effects on seasonal fluctuations at different climatological stations of Maharashtra and Karnataka states of India. Trend analysis was performed on annual and seasonal mean maximum temperature (TMAX) and mean minimum temperature (TMIN) for the period 1969 to 2006. During the last 38 years, an increase in annual TMAX and TMIN has occurred. At most of the locations, the increase in TMAX was faster than the TMIN, resulting in an increase in diurnal temperature range. At the same time, annual mean temperature (TM) showed a significant increase over the study area. Percentiles were used to identify extreme temperature indices. An increase in occurrence of warm extremes was observed at southern locations, and cold extremes increased over the central and northeastern part of the study area. Occurrences of cold wave conditions have decreased rapidly compared to heat wave conditions.

Interhemispheric ice-sheet synchronicity during the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, M. E.; Clark, P. U.; Ricken, W.; Mitrovica, J. X.; Hostetler, S. W.; Kuhn, G.

2012-04-01

The timing of the last maximum extent of the Antarctic ice sheets relative to those in the Northern Hemisphere remains poorly understood because only a few findings with robust chronologies exist for Antarctic ice sheets. We developed a chronology for the Weddell Sea sector of the East Antarctic ice sheet that, combined with ages from other Antarctic ice-sheet sectors, indicates the advance to their maximum extent at 29 -28 ka, and retreat from their maximum extent at 19 ka was nearly synchronous with Northern Hemisphere ice sheets (Weber, M.E., Clark, P. U., Ricken, W., Mitrovica, J. X., Hostetler, S. W., and Kuhn, G. (2011): Interhemispheric ice-sheet synchronicity during the Last Glacial Maximum. - Science, 334, 1265-1269, doi: 10.1126:science.1209299). As for the deglaciation, modeling studies suggest a late ice-sheet retreat starting around 14 ka BP and ending around 7 ka BP with a large impact of an unstable West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) and a small impact of a stable East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). However, the Weddell Sea sites studied here, as well as sites from the Scotia Sea, provide evidence that specifically the EAIS responded much earlier, possibly provided a significant contribution to the last sea-level rise, and was much more dynamic than previously thought. Using the results of an atmospheric general circulation we conclude that surface climate forcing of Antarctic ice mass balance would likely cause an opposite response, whereby a warming climate would increase accumulation but not surface melting. Furthermore, our new data support teleconnections involving a sea-level fingerprint forced from Northern Hemisphere ice sheets as indicated by gravitational modeling. Also, changes in North Atlantic Deepwater formation and attendant heat flux to Antarctic grounding lines may have contributed to synchronizing the hemispheric ice sheets.

Attrition from active airman status during 1970.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1972-03-01

Attrition from an active airman status amounts to approximately 17% annually. Summary data presented have served to quantify, to some extent, the characteristics of airmen medically certified during 1968 subsequently becoming attrition during 1970. T...

Ocean Profile Measurements During the Seasonal Ice Zone Reconnaissance Surveys Ocean Profiles

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-01

repeated ocean, ice, and atmospheric measurements across the Beaufort-Chukchi sea seasonal sea ice zone (SIZ) utilizing US Coast Guard Arctic Domain...contributing to the rapid decline in summer ice extent that has occurred in recent years. The SIZ is the region between maximum winter sea ice extent and...minimum summer sea ice extent. As such, it contains the full range of positions of the marginal ice zone (MIZ) where sea ice interacts with open water

[Signal loss in magnetic resonance imaging caused by intraoral anchored dental magnetic materials].

PubMed

Blankenstein, F H; Truong, B; Thomas, A; Schröder, R J; Naumann, M

2006-08-01

To measure the maximum extent of the signal loss areas in the center of the susceptibility artifacts generated by ferromagnetic dental magnet attachments using three different sequences in the 1.5 and 3.0 Tesla MRI. Five different pieces of standard dental magnet attachments with volumes of 6.5 to 31.4 mm(3) were used: a NdFeB magnet with an open magnetic field, a NdFeB magnet with a closed magnetic field, a SmCo magnet with an open magnetic field, a stainless steel keeper (AUM-20) and a PdCo piece. The attachments were placed between two cylindrical phantoms and examined in 1.5 and 3.0 Tesla MRI using gradient echo and T1- and T2-weighted spin echoes. We measured the maximum extent of the generated signal loss areas parallel and perpendicular to the direction of B (O). In gradient echoes the artifacts were substantially larger and symmetrically adjusted around the object. The areas with total signal loss were mushroom-like with a maximum extent of 7.4 to 9.7 cm parallel to the direction of B (O) and 6.7 to 7.4 cm perpendicular to B (O). In spin echoes the signal loss areas were obviously smaller, but not centered. The maximum values ranged between 4.9 and 7.2 cm (parallel B (O)) and 3.6 and 7.0 cm (perpendicular B (O)). The different ferromagnetic attachments had no clinically relevant influence on the signal loss neither in 1.5 T nor 3.0 T MRI. Ferromagnetic materials used in dentistry are not intraorally standardized. To ensure, that the area of interest is not affected by the described artifacts, the maximum extent of the signal loss area should be assumed: a radius of up to 7 cm in 1.5 and 3.0 T MRI by T1 and T2 sequences, and a radius of up to 10 cm in T2* sequences. To decide whether magnet attachments have to be removed before MR imaging, physicians should consider both the intact retention of the keepers and the safety distance between the ferromagnetic objects and the area of interest.

Are equilibrium multichannel networks predictable? The case of the regulated Indus River, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carling, P. A.; Trieu, H.; Hornby, D. D.; Huang, He Qing; Darby, S. E.; Sear, D. A.; Hutton, C.; Hill, C.; Ali, Z.; Ahmed, A.; Iqbal, I.; Hussain, Z.

2018-02-01

Arguably, the current planform behaviour of the Indus River is broadly predictable. Between Chashma and Taunsa, Pakistan, the Indus is a 264-km-long multiple-channel reach. Remote sensing imagery, encompassing major floods in 2007 and 2010, shows that the Indus has a minimum of two and a maximum of nine channels, with on average four active channels during the dry season and five during the annual monsoon. Thus, the network structure, if not detailed planform, remains stable even for the record 2010 flood (27,100 m3 s- 1; recurrence interval > 100 years). Bankline recession is negligible for discharges less than a peak annual discharge of 6000 m3 s- 1 ( 80% of mean annual flood). The Maximum Flow Efficiency (MFE) principle demonstrates that the channel network is insensitive to the monsoon floods, which typically peak at 13,200 m3 s- 1. Rather, the network is in near-equilibrium with the mean annual flood (7530 m3 s- 1). The MFE principle indicates that stable networks have three to four channels, thus the observed stability in the number of active channels accords with the presence of a near-equilibrium reach-scale channel network. Insensitivity to the annual hydrological cycle demonstrates that the timescale for network adjustment is much longer than the timescale of the monsoon hydrograph, with the annual excess water being stored on floodplains rather than being conveyed in an enlarged channel network. The analysis explains the lack of significant channel adjustment following the largest flood in 40 years and the extensive Indus flooding experienced on an annual basis, with its substantial impacts on the populace and agricultural production.

The influence of intra- and inter-annual meteorological variability on dengue transmission: a multi-level modeling analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Tzai-Hung; Chen, Tzu-Hsin

2017-04-01

Dengue fever is one of potentially life-threatening mosquito-borne diseases and IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) has confirmed that dengue incidence is sensitive to the critical weather conditions, such as effects of temperature. However, previous literature focused on the effects of monthly or weekly average temperature or accumulative precipitation on dengue incidence. The influence of intra- and inter-annual meteorological variability on dengue outbreak is under investigated. The purpose of the study focuses on measuring the effect of the intra- and inter-annual variations of temperature and precipitation on dengue outbreaks. We developed the indices of intra-annual temperature variability are maximum continuity, intermittent, and accumulation of most suitable temperature (MST) for dengue vectors; and also the indices of intra-annual precipitation variability, including the measure of continuity of wetness or dryness during a pre-epidemic period; and rainfall intensity during an epidemic period. We used multi-level modeling to investigate the intra- and inter-annual meteorological variations on dengue outbreaks in southern Taiwan from 1998-2015. Our results indicate that accumulation and maximum continuity of MST are more significant than average temperature on dengue outbreaks. The effect of continuity of wetness during the pre-epidemic period is significantly more positive on promoting dengue outbreaks than the rainfall effect during the epidemic period. Meanwhile, extremely high or low rainfall density during an epidemic period do not promote the spread of dengue epidemics. Our study differentiates the effects of intra- and inter-annual meteorological variations on dengue outbreaks and also provides policy implications for further dengue control under the threats of climate change. Keywords: dengue fever, meteorological variations, multi-level model

Effects of lakes and reservoirs on annual river nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment export in agricultural and forested landscapes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powers, Stephen M.; Robertson, Dale M.; Stanley, Emily H.

2014-01-01

Recently, effects of lakes and reservoirs on river nutrient export have been incorporated into landscape biogeochemical models. Because annual export varies with precipitation, there is a need to examine the biogeochemical role of lakes and reservoirs over time frames that incorporate interannual variability in precipitation. We examined long-term (~20 years) time series of river export (annual mass yield, Y, and flow-weighted mean annual concentration, C) for total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total suspended sediment (TSS) from 54 catchments in Wisconsin, USA. Catchments were classified as small agricultural, large agricultural, and forested by use of a cluster analysis, and these varied in lentic coverage (percentage of catchment lake or reservoir water that was connected to river network). Mean annual export and interannual variability (CV) of export (for both Y and C) were higher in agricultural catchments relative to forested catchments for TP, TN, and TSS. In both agricultural and forested settings, mean and maximum annual TN yields were lower in the presence of lakes and reservoirs, suggesting lentic denitrification or N burial. There was also evidence of long-term lentic TP and TSS retention, especially when viewed in terms of maximum annual yield, suggesting sedimentation during high loading years. Lentic catchments had lower interannual variability in export. For TP and TSS, interannual variability in mass yield was often >50% higher than interannual variability in water yield, whereas TN variability more closely followed water (discharge) variability. Our results indicate that long-term mass export through rivers depends on interacting terrestrial, aquatic, and meteorological factors in which the presence of lakes and reservoirs can reduce the magnitude of export, stabilize interannual variability in export, as well as introduce export time lags.

Intercomparison and Uncertainty Assessment of Nine Evapotranspiration Estimates Over South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sörensson, Anna A.; Ruscica, Romina C.

2018-04-01

This study examines the uncertainties and the representations of anomalies of a set of evapotranspiration products over climatologically distinct regions of South America. The products, coming from land surface models, reanalysis, and remote sensing, are chosen from sources that are readily available to the community of users. The results show that the spatial patterns of maximum uncertainty differ among metrics, with dry regions showing maximum relative uncertainties of annual mean evapotranspiration, while energy-limited regions present maximum uncertainties in the representation of the annual cycle and monsoon regions in the representation of anomalous conditions. Furthermore, it is found that land surface models driven by observed atmospheric fields detect meteorological and agricultural droughts in dry regions unequivocally. The remote sensing products employed do not distinguish all agricultural droughts and this could be attributed to the forcing net radiation. The study also highlights important characteristics of individual data sets and recommends users to include assessments of sensitivity to evapotranspiration data sets in their studies, depending on region and nature of study to be conducted.

Vertical climatic belts in the Tatra Mountains in the light of current climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Łupikasza, Ewa; Szypuła, Bartłomiej

2018-04-01

The paper discusses temporal changes in the configuration of vertical climatic belts in the Tatra Mountains as a result of current climate change. Meteorological stations are scarce in the Tatra Mountains; therefore, we modelled decadal air temperatures using existing data from 20 meteorological stations and the relationship between air temperature and altitude. Air temperature was modelled separately for northern and southern slopes and for convex and concave landforms. Decadal air temperatures were additionally used to delineate five climatic belts previously distinguished by Hess on the basis of threshold values of annual air temperature. The spatial extent and location of the borderline isotherms of 6, 4, 2, 0, and - 2 °C for four decades, including 1951-1960, 1981-1990, 1991-2000, and 2001-2010, were compared. Significant warming in the Tatra Mountains, uniform in the vertical profile, started at the beginning of the 1980s and led to clear changes in the extent and location of the vertical climatic belts delineated on the basis of annual air temperature. The uphill shift of the borderline isotherms was more prominent on southern than on northern slopes. The highest rate of changes in the extent of the climatic belts was found above the isotherm of 0 °C (moderately cold and cold belts). The cold belt dramatically diminished in extent over the research period.

Annual Changes in Forst Floor Weights Under a Southeast Missouri Oak Stand

Treesearch

Robert M. Loomis

1975-01-01

Amount of organic matter on the forest floor under a typical southeast Missouri oak stand varies about 2.1 tons/acre from season of greatest to season to least accumulation. This also corresponds to the amount of annual litter fall. Maximum accumulation of 7.5 tons/acre occured in Novermber after leaf-fall. Summer decomposition is rapid; minimumof 5.4 tons/acre was...

Annual report on carcinogens (5th)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1989-01-01

The Fifth Annual Report on Carcinogens, prepared by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), U.S. Public Health Service, is issued by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), pursuant to Public Law 95-622 of November 9, 1978. This law requires the Secretary to publish an annual report that contains 'a list of all substances (i) which either are known to be carcinogens or which may reasonably be anticipated to be carcinogens and (ii) to which a significant number of persons residing in the United States are exposed;...' Annual Reports should also provide available information on the naturemore » of exposures, the estimated number of persons potentially exposed, and the extent to which the implementation of Federal regulations decreases the risk to public health from exposure to these substances.« less

4 CFR 200.10 - Disclosure of records to third parties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Board's regulation published at 4 CFR Part 201. (3) For a routine use as published in the annual notice... either House of Congress, or, to the extent of matters within its jurisdiction, any committee or...

A Global Assessment of Long-Term Greening and Browning Trends in Pasture Lands Using the GIMMS LAI3g Dataset

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, Benjamin I.; Pau, Stephanie

2013-01-01

Pasture ecosystems may be particularly vulnerable to land degradation due to the high risk of human disturbance (e.g., overgrazing, burning, etc.), especially when compared with natural ecosystems (non-pasture, non-cultivated) where direct human impacts are minimal. Using maximum annual leaf area index (LAImax) as a proxy for standing biomass and peak annual aboveground productivity, we analyze greening and browning trends in pasture areas from 1982-2008. Inter-annual variability in pasture productivity is strongly controlled by precipitation (positive correlation) and, to a lesser extent, temperature (negative correlation). Linear temporal trends are significant in 23% of pasture cells, with the vast majority of these areas showing positive LAImax trends. Spatially extensive productivity declines are only found in a few regions, most notably central Asia, southwest North America, and southeast Australia. Statistically removing the influence of precipitation reduces LAImax trends by only 13%, suggesting that precipitation trends are only a minor contributor to long-term greening and browning of pasture lands. No significant global relationship was found between LAImax and pasture intensity, although the magnitude of trends did vary between cells classified as natural versus pasture. In the tropics and Southern Hemisphere, the median rate of greening in pasture cells is significantly higher than for cells dominated by natural vegetation. In the Northern Hemisphere extra-tropics, conversely, greening of natural areas is 2-4 times the magnitude of greening in pasture areas. This analysis presents one of the first global assessments of greening and browning trends in global pasture lands, including a comparison with vegetation trends in regions dominated by natural ecosystems. Our results suggest that degradation of pasture lands is not a globally widespread phenomenon and, consistent with much of the terrestrial biosphere, there have been widespread increases in pasture productivity over the last 30 years.

Transcription through the eye of a needle: daily and annual cyclic gene expression variation in Douglas-fir needles.

PubMed

Cronn, Richard; Dolan, Peter C; Jogdeo, Sanjuro; Wegrzyn, Jill L; Neale, David B; St Clair, J Bradley; Denver, Dee R

2017-07-24

Perennial growth in plants is the product of interdependent cycles of daily and annual stimuli that induce cycles of growth and dormancy. In conifers, needles are the key perennial organ that integrates daily and seasonal signals from light, temperature, and water availability. To understand the relationship between seasonal cycles and seasonal gene expression responses in conifers, we examined diurnal and circannual needle mRNA accumulation in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) needles at diurnal and circannual scales. Using mRNA sequencing, we sampled 6.1 × 10 9 reads from 19 trees and constructed a de novo pan-transcriptome reference that includes 173,882 tree-derived transcripts. Using this reference, we mapped RNA-Seq reads from 179 samples that capture daily and annual variation. We identified 12,042 diurnally-cyclic transcripts, 9299 of which showed homology to annotated genes from other plant genomes, including angiosperm core clock genes. Annual analysis revealed 21,225 circannual transcripts, 17,335 of which showed homology to annotated genes from other plant genomes. The timing of maximum gene expression is associated with light intensity at diurnal scales and photoperiod at annual scales, with approximately half of transcripts reaching maximum expression +/- 2 h from sunrise and sunset, and +/- 20 days from winter and summer solstices. Comparisons with published studies from other conifers shows congruent behavior in clock genes with Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria), and a significant preservation of gene expression patterns for 2278 putative orthologs from Douglas-fir during the summer growing season, and 760 putative orthologs from spruce (Picea) during the transition from fall to winter. Our study highlight the extensive diurnal and circannual transcriptome variability demonstrated in conifer needles. At these temporal scales, 29% of expressed transcripts show a significant diurnal cycle, and 58.7% show a significant circannual cycle. Remarkably, thousands of genes reach their annual peak activity during winter dormancy. Our study establishes the fine-scale timing of daily and annual maximum gene expression for diverse needle genes in Douglas-fir, and it highlights the potential for using this information for evaluating hypotheses concerning the daily or seasonal timing of gene activity in temperate-zone conifers, and for identifying cyclic transcriptome components in other conifer species.

Tropical forest extent and changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gwynne, M. D.; Torres, Cristina Boelcke; Croze, H. J.

A UNEP/FAO assessment of the extent and rate of change of the tropical forest resources of 76 countries found that during the period 1976-1980 the amount of closed forest removed annually in the Americas, Asia and Africa was 4.1 million hectares, 1.8 million hectares and 1.3 million hectares respectively. Projections for 1981-1985 suggest that closed forest annual removal will remain at these same levels in Asia and Africa but will rise to 4.3 million hectares in the Americas thus giving a world removal total of 7.5 million hectares per year. No reliable information is available on the open forest areas cleared during 1975-1980 but annual open forest clearance during 1981-1985 is expected to be 2.3 million hectares for Africa, 1.2 million hectares for the Americas, and 0.19 million hectares for Asia. Shifting cultivation is the greatest single cause of deforestation. Removal of wood for energy purposes is a significant cause of deforestation in the drier tropics. If current removal rates are maintained, some 88 percent of the present world cover of tropical broad leaved forests will still remain at the end of the century.

Assessing the effects of oil sands related ozone precursor emissions on ambient ozone levels in the Alberta oil sands region, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Sunny; Vijayaraghavan, Krish; Spink, David; Cosic, Biljana; Davies, Mervyn; Jung, Jaegun

2017-11-01

A study was undertaken to determine whether, and the extent to which, increased ground-level ozone (O3) precursor emissions from oil sands development have impacted ambient air quality in the north-eastern Alberta, Canada, over the period 1998 to 2012. Temporal trends in emissions of O3 precursors (NOx and VOC) and ambient air concentrations of O3 precursors, and O3 were examined using the Theil-Sen statistical analysis method. Statistically significant correlations between NOx emissions and ambient NOx concentrations were found mainly near surface (open-pit) mining areas where mine fleets are a large source of NOx emissions. No statistically significant trends in the 4th highest daily maximum 8-hr average O3 at any of the continuous and passive ambient air monitoring stations were found. A significant long-term decrease in monthly averaged O3 is observed at some ambient monitoring sites in summer. A visual examination of long-term variations in annual NOx and VOC emissions and annual 4th highest daily maximum 8-hr O3 concentrations does not reveal any indication of a correlation between O3 concentrations and O3 precursor emissions or ambient levels in the study area. Despite a significant increase in oil sands NOx emissions (8%/yr), there is no statistically significant increase in long-term O3 concentrations at any of monitoring stations considered. This suggests that there is surplus NOx available in the environment which results in a titration of ambient O3 in the areas that have ambient monitoring. The limited ambient O3 monitoring data distant from NOx emission sources makes it impossible to assess the impact of these increased O3 precursor levels on O3 levels on a regional scale. As a precautionary measure, the increasing oil sands development O3 precursor emissions would require that priority be given to the management of these emissions to prevent possible future O3 ambient air quality issues.

Climatic-Induced Shifts in the Distribution of Teak ( Tectona grandis) in Tropical Asia: Implications for Forest Management and Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deb, Jiban Chandra; Phinn, Stuart; Butt, Nathalie; McAlpine, Clive A.

2017-09-01

Modelling the future suitable climate space for tree species has become a widely used tool for forest management planning under global climate change. Teak ( Tectona grandis) is one of the most valuable tropical hardwood species in the international timber market, and natural teak forests are distributed from India through Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. The extents of teak forests are shrinking due to deforestation and the local impacts of global climate change. However, the direct impacts of climate changes on the continental-scale distributions of native and non-native teak have not been examined. In this study, we developed a species distribution model for teak across its entire native distribution in tropical Asia, and its non-native distribution in Bangladesh. We used presence-only records of trees and twelve environmental variables that were most representative for current teak distributions in South and Southeast Asia. MaxEnt (maximum entropy) models were used to model the distributions of teak under current and future climate scenarios. We found that land use/land cover change and elevation were the two most important variables explaining the current and future distributions of native and non-native teak in tropical Asia. Changes in annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality and annual mean actual evapotranspiration may result in shifts in the distributions of teak across tropical Asia. We discuss the implications for the conservation of critical teak habitats, forest management planning, and risks of biological invasion that may occur due to its cultivation in non-native ranges.

Carbon loss from an unprecedented Arctic tundra wildfire.

PubMed

Mack, Michelle C; Bret-Harte, M Syndonia; Hollingsworth, Teresa N; Jandt, Randi R; Schuur, Edward A G; Shaver, Gaius R; Verbyla, David L

2011-07-27

Arctic tundra soils store large amounts of carbon (C) in organic soil layers hundreds to thousands of years old that insulate, and in some cases maintain, permafrost soils. Fire has been largely absent from most of this biome since the early Holocene epoch, but its frequency and extent are increasing, probably in response to climate warming. The effect of fires on the C balance of tundra landscapes, however, remains largely unknown. The Anaktuvuk River fire in 2007 burned 1,039 square kilometres of Alaska's Arctic slope, making it the largest fire on record for the tundra biome and doubling the cumulative area burned since 1950 (ref. 5). Here we report that tundra ecosystems lost 2,016 ± 435 g C m(-2) in the fire, an amount two orders of magnitude larger than annual net C exchange in undisturbed tundra. Sixty per cent of this C loss was from soil organic matter, and radiocarbon dating of residual soil layers revealed that the maximum age of soil C lost was 50 years. Scaled to the entire burned area, the fire released approximately 2.1 teragrams of C to the atmosphere, an amount similar in magnitude to the annual net C sink for the entire Arctic tundra biome averaged over the last quarter of the twentieth century. The magnitude of ecosystem C lost by fire, relative to both ecosystem and biome-scale fluxes, demonstrates that a climate-driven increase in tundra fire disturbance may represent a positive feedback, potentially offsetting Arctic greening and influencing the net C balance of the tundra biome.

Flood Change Assessment and Attribution in Austrian alpine Basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Claps, Pierluigi; Allamano, Paola; Como, Anastasia; Viglione, Alberto

2016-04-01

The present paper aims to investigate the sensitivity of flood peaks to global warming in the Austrian alpine basins. A group of 97 Austrian watersheds, with areas ranging from 14 to 6000 km2 and with average elevation ranging from 1000 to 2900 m a.s.l. have been considered. Annual maximum floods are available for the basins from 1890 to 2007 with two densities of observation. In a first period, until 1950, an average of 42 records of flood peaks are available. From 1951 to 2007 the density of observation increases to an average amount of contemporary peaks of 85. This information is very important with reference to the statistical tools used for the empirical assessment of change over time, that is linear quantile regressions. Application of this tool to the data set unveils trends in extreme events, confirmed by statistical testing, for the 0.75 and 0.95 empirical quantiles. All applications are made with specific (discharges/area) values . Similarly of what done in a previous approach, multiple quantile regressions have also been applied, confirming the presence of trends even when the possible interference of the specific discharge and morphoclimatic parameters (i.e. mean elevation and catchment area). Application of a geomorphoclimatic model by Allamano et al (2009) can allow to mimic to which extent the empirically available increase in air temperature and annual rainfall can justify the attribution of change derived by the empirical statistical tools. An comparison with data from Swiss alpine basins treated in a previous paper is finally undertaken.

Analysis of rainfall and temperature time series to detect long-term climatic trends and variability over semi-arid Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byakatonda, Jimmy; Parida, B. P.; Kenabatho, Piet K.; Moalafhi, D. B.

2018-03-01

Arid and semi-arid environments have been identified with locations prone to impacts of climate variability and change. Investigating long-term trends is one way of tracing climate change impacts. This study investigates variability through annual and seasonal meteorological time series. Possible inhomogeneities and years of intervention are analysed using four absolute homogeneity tests. Trends in the climatic variables were determined using Mann-Kendall and Sen's Slope estimator statistics. Association of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) with local climate is also investigated through multivariate analysis. Results from the study show that rainfall time series are fully homogeneous with 78.6 and 50% of the stations for maximum and minimum temperature, respectively, showing homogeneity. Trends also indicate a general decrease of 5.8, 7.4 and 18.1% in annual, summer and winter rainfall, respectively. Warming trends are observed in annual and winter temperature at 0.3 and 1.5% for maximum temperature and 1.7 and 6.5% for minimum temperature, respectively. Rainfall reported a positive correlation with Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and at the same time negative association with Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs). Strong relationships between SSTs and maximum temperature are observed during the El Niño and La Niña years. These study findings could facilitate planning and management of agricultural and water resources in Botswana.

Secular Trend of Surface Temperature at an Elevated Observatory in the Pyrenees.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bücher, A.; Dessens, J.

1991-08-01

Surface temperature was measured at the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, 2862 m MSL, from the foundation of the Observatory in 1878 until the closing of the meteorological station in 1984. After testing the homogeneity of the series with the annual mean temperatures in western Europe and in southwestern France, the period 1882-1970 was retained for trend analysis.The mean annual temperature increased 0.83°C during the 89-yr period. This increase is the sum of a very significant increase in the daily minimum temperature (+ 2.11°C) and a decrease in the maximum temperature ( 0.45°C). In consequence, the most dramatic change in the temperature regime was the difference between maximum and minimum; this decreased from 8.05°C in 1882 to 5.49°C in 1970. A mean increase is observed in all seasons, but, as for western Europe, it is stronger in spring and fall than in winter and summer.Analysis of cloudiness data for the same period shows a 15% increase in annual mean cloudiness and also significant year-to-year correlations between cloudiness and the maximum and minimum temperature. In consequence, the change in the temperature regime observed at the Pic du Midi since the end of last century is most probably the result of a climatic change involving an increase in cloud cover and, maybe, an increasing greenhouse effect.

Effects of Climate Change on Flood Frequency in the Pacific Northwest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gergel, D. R.; Stumbaugh, M. R.; Lee, S. Y.; Nijssen, B.; Lettenmaier, D. P.

2014-12-01

A key concern about climate change as related to water resources is the potential for changes in hydrologic extremes, including flooding. We explore changes in flood frequency in the Pacific Northwest using downscaled output from ten Global Climate Models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Inter-Comparison Project 5 (CMIP5) for historical forcings (1950-2005) and future Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5 (2006-2100). We use archived output from the Integrated Scenarios Project (ISP) (http://maca.northwestknowledge.net/), which uses the Multivariate Adaptive Constructed Analogs (MACA) method for statistical downscaling. The MACA-downscaled GCM output was then used to force the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrology model with a 1/16th degree spatial resolution and a daily time step. For each of the 238 HUC-08 areas within the Pacific Northwest (USGS Hydrologic Region 15), we computed, from the ISP archive, the series of maximum daily runoff values (surrogate for the annual maximum flood), and then the mean annual flood. Finally, we computed the ratios of the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 mean annual floods to their corresponding values for the historical period. We evaluate spatial patterns in the results. For snow-dominated watersheds, the changes are dominated by reductions in flood frequency in basins that currently have spring-dominant floods, and increases in snow affected basins with fall-dominant floods. In low elevation basins west of the Cascades, changes in flooding are more directly related to changes in precipitation extremes. We further explore the nature of these effects by evaluating the mean Julian day of the annual maximum flood for each HUC-08 and how this changes between the historical and RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios.

78 FR 61349 - Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to the Office of Management and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-03

.... Total Annual Cost: $462,600. Privacy Act Impact Assessment: N/A. Nature and Extent of Confidentiality... public. The coordinator will also notify users of potential frequency conflicts. Federal Communications...

28 CFR 37.3 - Exchange of information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

....3 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PROCEDURES FOR COORDINATING THE INVESTIGATION OF... the extent permissible by law. Such information shall include, but is not limited to, complaints, charges, investigative files, compliance review reports and files, affirmative action programs, and annual...

The NIH must reduce disparities in funding to maximize its return on investments from taxpayers.

PubMed

Wahls, Wayne P

2018-03-23

New data from the NIH reveal that the scientific return on its sponsored research reaches a maximum at around $400,000 of annual support per principal investigator. We discuss the implications of this 'sweet spot' for funding policy, and propose that the NIH should limit both the minimum and maximum amount of funding per researcher. © 2018, Wahls et al.

31 CFR 351.67 - What happens if any person purchases book-entry Series EE savings bonds in excess of the maximum...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... bonds in excess of the maximum annual amount? We reserve the right to take any action we deem necessary to adjust the excess, including the right to remove the excess bonds from your New Treasury Direct account and refund the payment price to your bank account of record using the ACH method of payment. ...

The NIH must reduce disparities in funding to maximize its return on investments from taxpayers

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

New data from the NIH reveal that the scientific return on its sponsored research reaches a maximum at around $400,000 of annual support per principal investigator. We discuss the implications of this 'sweet spot' for funding policy, and propose that the NIH should limit both the minimum and maximum amount of funding per researcher. PMID:29570053

Spatial distribution of impacts to channel bed mobility due to flow regulation, Kootenai River, USA

Treesearch

Michael Burke; Klaus Jorde; John M. Buffington; Jeffrey H. Braatne; Rohan Benjakar

2006-01-01

The regulated hydrograph of the Kootenai River between Libby Dam and Kootenay Lake has altered the natural flow regime, resulting in a significant decrease in maximum flows (60% net reduction in median 1-day annual maximum, and 77%-84% net reductions in median monthly flows for the historic peak flow months of May and June, respectively). Other key hydrologic...

Limits to CO2-Neutrality of Burning Wood. (Review)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abolins, J.; Gravitis, J.

2016-08-01

Consumption of wood as a source of energy is discussed with respect to efficiency and restraints to ensure sustainability of the environment on the grounds of a simple analytical model describing dynamics of biomass accumulation in forest stands - a particular case of the well-known empirical Richards' equation. Amounts of wood harvested under conditions of maximum productivity of forest land are presented in units normalised with respect to the maximum of the mean annual increment and used to determine the limits of CO2-neutrality. The ecological "footprint" defined by the area of growing stands necessary to absorb the excess amount of CO2 annually released from burning biomass is shown to be equal to the land area of a plantation providing sustainable supply of fire-wood.

Interaction between air pollution dispersion and residential heating demands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lipfert, F.W.; Moskowitz, P.D.; Dungan, J.

The effect of the short-term correlation of a specific emission (sulfur dioxide) from residential space heating, with air pollution dispersion rates on the accuracy of model estimates of urban air pollution on a seasonal or annual basis is analyzed. Hourly climatological and residential emission estimates for six U.S. cities and a simplified area source-dispersion model based on a circular receptor grid are used. The effect on annual average concentration estimations is found to be slight (approximately + or - 12 percent), while the maximum hourly concentrations are shown to vary considerably more, since maximum heat demand and worst-case dispersion aremore » not coincident. Accounting for the correlations between heating demand and dispersion makes possible a differentiation in air pollution potential between coastal and interior cities.« less

Early warming of tropical South America at the last glacial-interglacial transition.

PubMed

Seltzer, G O; Rodbell, D T; Baker, P A; Fritz, S C; Tapia, P M; Rowe, H D; Dunbar, R B

2002-05-31

Glaciation in the humid tropical Andes is a sensitive indicator of mean annual temperature. Here, we present sedimentological data from lakes beyond the glacial limit in the tropical Andes indicating that deglaciation from the Last Glacial Maximum led substantial warming at high northern latitudes. Deglaciation from glacial maximum positions at Lake Titicaca, Peru/Bolivia (16 degrees S), and Lake Junin, Peru (11 degrees S), occurred 22,000 to 19,500 calendar years before the present, several thousand years before the Bølling-Allerød warming of the Northern Hemisphere and deglaciation of the Sierra Nevada, United States (36.5 degrees to 38 degrees N). The tropical Andes deglaciated while climatic conditions remained regionally wet, which reflects the dominant control of mean annual temperature on tropical glaciation.

The effects of forest cover on base flow of streams in the mountainous interior of Puerto Rico, 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodriguez-Martínez , Jesús; Santiago, Marilyn

2017-03-07

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, completed a study to determine whether a relation exists between the extent of forest cover and the magnitude of base flow at two sets of paired drainage basins in the highlands of the municipalities of Adjuntas and Utuado within the mountainous interior of Puerto Rico. One set of paired basins includes the Río Guaónica and Río Tanamá, both tributaries of the Río Grande de Arecibo. The other set includes two smaller basins in the drainage basin of the Río Coabey, which is a tributary of the Río Tanamá. The paired basins in each set have similar rainfall patterns, geologic substrate, and aspect; the principal difference identified in the study is the extent of forest cover and related land uses such as the cultivation of shade and sun coffee. Data describing the hydrology, hydrogeology, and streamflow were used in the analysis. The principal objective of the study was to compare base flow per unit area among basins having different areal extents of forest cover and land uses such as shade coffee and sun coffee cultivation. Within the mountainous interior of Puerto Rico, a substantial amount of the annual rainfall (45 to 39 percent in the Rio Guaónica and Rio Tanamá, respectively) can migrate to the subsurface and later emerge as base flow in streams. The magnitude of base flow within the two sets of paired basins varies seasonally. Minimum base flows occur during the annual dry season (generally from January to March), and maximum base flows occur during the wet season (generally from August to October). During the dry season or periods of below-normal rainfall, base flow is either the primary or the sole component of streamflow. Daily mean base flow ranged from 3.2 to 20.5 cubic feet per second (ft3 /s) at the Rio Guaónica Basin, and from 4.2 to 23.0 ft3 /s at the Rio Tanamá Basin. The daily mean base flows during 2010 ranged from 0.28 to 0.98 ft3 /s at Tributary 1 and from 0.22 to 0.58 ft3 /s at Tributary 2 of the Rio Coabey. The normalized daily base flow at the Río Guaónica and Río Tanamá Basin during 2010 ranged from 1.3 to 8.1 cubic feet per second per square mile (ft3 /s)/mi2 and from 1.1 to 6.1 (ft3 /s)/mi2 , respectively. The normalized daily base flow for the basins of Tributary 1 and Tributary 2 of Río Coabey during 2010 ranged from 1.0 to 3.6 (ft3 /s)/mi2 and from 1.5 to 3.9 (ft3 /s)/mi2 , respectively. The normalized mean annual base flow is similar within the larger paired basins of Río Tanamá (2.74 [ft3 /s]/mi2 ) and Río Guaónica (3.15 [ft3 /s]/mi2 ). The mean annual base flow per unit area for both of these basins is about 79 percent of the mean annual streamflow. In the large paired basins, the proportion of Type I land use (forest patches, shade and mixed shade/sun coffee with associated cash crops) is substantially higher in Rio Guaónica Basin (81 percent) than in the Rio Tanamá Basin (59 percent), and the base flow per unit area is also higher. In the small paired basins of Rio Coabey, the proportion of Type I land use is much higher at Tributary 1 (52 percent) than at Tributary 2 (15 percent), but, in contrast to the large basins, the mean annual base flow per unit area is lower (2.22 and 2.62 [ft3 /s]/mi2 , respectively). There is no consistent relation between land use and normalized base flow between the two sets of paired basins in the study.

Digital-map grids of mean-annual precipitation for 1961-90, and generalized skew coefficients of annual maximum streamflow for Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rea, A.H.; Tortorelli, R.L.

1997-01-01

This digital report contains two digital-map grids of data that were used to develop peak-flow regression equations in Tortorelli, 1997, 'Techniques for estimating peak-streamflow frequency for unregulated streams and streams regulated by small floodwater retarding structures in Oklahoma,' U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 97-4202. One data set is a grid of mean annual precipitation, in inches, based on the period 1961-90, for Oklahoma. The data set was derived from the PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model) mean annual precipitation grid for the United States, developed by Daly, Neilson, and Phillips (1994, 'A statistical-topographic model for mapping climatological precipitation over mountainous terrain:' Journal of Applied Meteorology, v. 33, no. 2, p. 140-158). The second data set is a grid of generalized skew coefficients of logarithms of annual maximum streamflow for Oklahoma streams less than or equal to 2,510 square miles in drainage area. This grid of skew coefficients is taken from figure 11 of Tortorelli and Bergman, 1985, 'Techniques for estimating flood peak discharges for unregulated streams and streams regulated by small floodwater retarding structures in Oklahoma,' U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 84-4358. To save disk space, the skew coefficient values have been multiplied by 100 and rounded to integers with two significant digits. The data sets are provided in an ASCII grid format.

A Bayesian analysis of trends in ozone sounding data series from 9 Nordic stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christiansen, Bo; Jepsen, Nis; Larsen, Niels; Korsholm, Ulrik S.

2016-04-01

Ozone soundings from 9 Nordic stations have been homogenized and interpolated to standard pressure levels. The different stations have very different data coverage; the longest period with data is from the end of the 1980ies to 2013. We apply a model which includes both low-frequency variability in form of a polynomial, an annual cycle with harmonics, the possibility for low-frequency variability in the annual amplitude and phasing, and either white noise or AR1 noise. The fitting of the parameters is performed with a Bayesian approach not only giving the posterior mean values but also credible intervals. We find that all stations agree on an well-defined annual cycle in the free troposphere with a relatively confined maximum in the early summer. Regarding the low-frequency variability we find that Scoresbysund, Ny Aalesund, and Sodankyla show similar structures with a maximum near 2005 followed by a decrease. However, these results are only weakly significant. A significant change in the amplitude of the annual cycle was only found for Ny Aalesund. Here the peak-to-peak amplitude changes from 0.9 to 0.8 mhPa between 1995-2000 and 2007-2012. The results are shown to be robust to the different settings of the model parameters (order of the polynomial, number of harmonics in the annual cycle, type of noise, etc). The results are also shown to be characteristic for all pressure levels in the free troposphere.

Effects of harvesting flowers from shrubs on the persistence and abundance of wild shrub populations at multiple spatial extents.

PubMed

Cabral, Juliano Sarmento; Bond, William J; Midgley, Guy F; Rebelo, Anthony G; Thuiller, Wilfried; Schurr, Frank M

2011-02-01

Wildflower harvesting is an economically important activity of which the ecological effects are poorly understood. We assessed how harvesting of flowers affects shrub persistence and abundance at multiple spatial extents. To this end, we built a process-based model to examine the mean persistence and abundance of wild shrubs whose flowers are subject to harvest (serotinous Proteaceae in the South African Cape Floristic Region). First, we conducted a general sensitivity analysis of how harvesting affects persistence and abundance at nested spatial extents. For most spatial extents and combinations of demographic parameters, persistence and abundance of flowering shrubs decreased abruptly once harvesting rate exceeded a certain threshold. At larger extents, metapopulations supported higher harvesting rates before their persistence and abundance decreased, but persistence and abundance also decreased more abruptly due to harvesting than at smaller extents. This threshold rate of harvest varied with species' dispersal ability, maximum reproductive rate, adult mortality, probability of extirpation or local extinction, strength of Allee effects, and carrying capacity. Moreover, spatial extent interacted with Allee effects and probability of extirpation because both these demographic properties affected the response of local populations to harvesting more strongly than they affected the response of metapopulations. Subsequently, we simulated the effects of harvesting on three Cape Floristic Region Proteaceae species and found that these species reacted differently to harvesting, but their persistence and abundance decreased at low rates of harvest. Our estimates of harvesting rates at maximum sustainable yield differed from those of previous investigations, perhaps because researchers used different estimates of demographic parameters, models of population dynamics, and spatial extent than we did. Good demographic knowledge and careful identification of the spatial extent of interest increases confidence in assessments and monitoring of the effects of harvesting. Our general sensitivity analysis improved understanding of harvesting effects on metapopulation dynamics and allowed qualitative assessment of the probability of extirpation of poorly studied species. ©2010 Society for Conservation Biology.

Projected Changes in Temperature and Precipitation Extremes over China as Measured by 50-yr Return Values and Periods Based on a CMIP5 Ensemble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Ying; Gao, Xuejie; Giorgi, Filippo; Zhou, Botao; Shi, Ying; Wu, Jie; Zhang, Yongxiang

2018-04-01

Future changes in the 50-yr return level for temperature and precipitation extremes over mainland China are investigated based on a CMIP5 multi-model ensemble for RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The following indices are analyzed: TXx and TNn (the annual maximum and minimum of daily maximum and minimum surface temperature), RX5day (the annual maximum consecutive 5-day precipitation) and CDD (maximum annual number of consecutive dry days). After first validating the model performance, future changes in the 50-yr return values and return periods for these indices are investigated along with the inter-model spread. Multi-model median changes show an increase in the 50-yr return values of TXx and a decrease for TNn, more specifically, by the end of the 21st century under RCP8.5, the present day 50-yr return period of warm events is reduced to 1.2 yr, while extreme cold events over the country are projected to essentially disappear. A general increase in RX5day 50-yr return values is found in the future. By the end of the 21st century under RCP8.5, events of the present RX5day 50-yr return period are projected to reduce to < 10 yr over most of China. Changes in CDD-50 show a dipole pattern over China, with a decrease in the values and longer return periods in the north, and vice versa in the south. Our study also highlights the need for further improvements in the representation of extreme events in climate models to assess the future risks and engineering design related to large-scale infrastructure in China.

Determination of Strength Exercise Intensities Based on the Load-Power-Velocity Relationship

PubMed Central

Jandačka, Daniel; Beremlijski, Petr

2011-01-01

The velocity of movement and applied load affect the production of mechanical power output and subsequently the extent of the adaptation stimulus in strength exercises. We do not know of any known function describing the relationship of power and velocity and load in the bench press exercise. The objective of the study is to find a function modeling of the relationship of relative velocity, relative load and mechanical power output for the bench press exercise and to determine the intensity zones of the exercise for specifically focused strength training of soccer players. Fifteen highly trained soccer players at the start of a competition period were studied. The subjects of study performed bench presses with the load of 0, 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90% of the predetermined one repetition maximum with maximum possible speed of movement. The mean measured power and velocity for each load (kg) were used to develop a multiple linear regression function which describes the quadratic relationship between the ratio of power (W) to maximum power (W) and the ratios of the load (kg) to one repetition maximum (kg) and the velocity (m•s−1) to maximal velocity (m•s−1). The quadratic function of two variables that modeled the searched relationship explained 74% of measured values in the acceleration phase and 75% of measured values from the entire extent of the positive power movement in the lift. The optimal load for reaching maximum power output suitable for the dynamics effort strength training was 40% of one repetition maximum, while the optimal mean velocity would be 75% of maximal velocity. Moreover, four zones: maximum power, maximum velocity, velocity-power and strength-power were determined on the basis of the regression function. PMID:23486484

Determination of strength exercise intensities based on the load-power-velocity relationship.

PubMed

Jandačka, Daniel; Beremlijski, Petr

2011-06-01

The velocity of movement and applied load affect the production of mechanical power output and subsequently the extent of the adaptation stimulus in strength exercises. We do not know of any known function describing the relationship of power and velocity and load in the bench press exercise. The objective of the study is to find a function modeling of the relationship of relative velocity, relative load and mechanical power output for the bench press exercise and to determine the intensity zones of the exercise for specifically focused strength training of soccer players. Fifteen highly trained soccer players at the start of a competition period were studied. The subjects of study performed bench presses with the load of 0, 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90% of the predetermined one repetition maximum with maximum possible speed of movement. The mean measured power and velocity for each load (kg) were used to develop a multiple linear regression function which describes the quadratic relationship between the ratio of power (W) to maximum power (W) and the ratios of the load (kg) to one repetition maximum (kg) and the velocity (m•s(-1)) to maximal velocity (m•s(-1)). The quadratic function of two variables that modeled the searched relationship explained 74% of measured values in the acceleration phase and 75% of measured values from the entire extent of the positive power movement in the lift. The optimal load for reaching maximum power output suitable for the dynamics effort strength training was 40% of one repetition maximum, while the optimal mean velocity would be 75% of maximal velocity. Moreover, four zones: maximum power, maximum velocity, velocity-power and strength-power were determined on the basis of the regression function.

Long-term tropospheric and lower stratospheric ozone variations from ozonesonde observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

London, J.; Liu, S. C.

1992-01-01

An analysis is presented of the long-term mean pressure-latitude seasonal distribution of tropospheric and lower stratospheric ozone for the four seasons covering, in part, over 20 years of ozonesonde data. The observed patterns show minimum ozone mixing ratios in the equatorial and tropical troposphere except in regions where net photochemical production is dominant. In the middle and upper troposphere, and low stratosphere to 50 mb, ozone increases from the tropics to subpolar latitudes of both hemispheres. In mid stratosphere, the ozone mixing ratio is a maximum over the tropics. The observed vertical ozone gradient is small in the troposphere but increases rapidly above the tropopause. The amplitude of the annual variation increases from a minimum in the tropics to a maximum in polar regions. Also, the amplitude increases with height at all latitudes up to about 30 mb where the phase of the annual variation changes abruptly. The phase of the annual variation is during spring in the boundary layer, summer in mid troposphere, and spring in the upper troposhere and lower stratosphere.

Satellite-based estimates of surface water dynamics in the Congo River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, M.; Papa, F.; Frappart, F.; Alsdorf, D.; Calmant, S.; da Silva, J. Santos; Prigent, C.; Seyler, F.

2018-04-01

In the Congo River Basin (CRB), due to the lack of contemporary in situ observations, there is a limited understanding of the large-scale variability of its present-day hydrologic components and their link with climate. In this context, remote sensing observations provide a unique opportunity to better characterize those dynamics. Analyzing the Global Inundation Extent Multi-Satellite (GIEMS) time series, we first show that surface water extent (SWE) exhibits marked seasonal patterns, well distributed along the major rivers and their tributaries, and with two annual maxima located: i) in the lakes region of the Lwalaba sub-basin and ii) in the "Cuvette Centrale", including Tumba and Mai-Ndombe Lakes. At an interannual time scale, we show that SWE variability is influenced by ENSO and the Indian Ocean dipole events. We then estimate water level maps and surface water storage (SWS) in floodplains, lakes, rivers and wetlands of the CRB, over the period 2003-2007, using a multi-satellite approach, which combines the GIEMS dataset with the water level measurements derived from the ENVISAT altimeter heights. The mean annual variation in SWS in the CRB is 81 ± 24 km3 and contributes to 19 ± 5% of the annual variations of GRACE-derived terrestrial water storage (33 ± 7% in the Middle Congo). It represents also ∼6 ± 2% of the annual water volume that flows from the Congo River into the Atlantic Ocean.

ACA Marketplace premiums and competition among hospitals and physician practices.

PubMed

Polyakova, Maria; Bundorf, M Kate; Kessler, Daniel P; Baker, Laurence C

2018-02-01

To examine the association between annual premiums for health plans available in Federally Facilitated Marketplaces (FFMs) and the extent of competition and integration among physicians and hospitals, as well as the number of insurers. We used observational data from the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight on the annual premiums and other characteristics of plans, matched to measures of physician, hospital, and insurer market competitiveness and other characteristics of 411 rating areas in the 37 FFMs. We estimated multivariate models of the relationship between annual premiums and Herfindahl-Hirschman indices of hospitals and physician practices, controlling for the number of insurers, the extent of physician-hospital integration, and other plan and rating area characteristics. Premiums for Marketplace plans were higher in rating areas in which physician, hospital, and insurance markets were less competitive. An increase from the 10th to the 90th percentile of physician concentration and hospital concentration was associated with increases of $393 and $189, respectively, in annual premiums for the Silver plan with the second lowest cost. A similar increase in the number of insurers was associated with a $421 decrease in premiums. Physician-hospital integration was not significantly associated with premiums. Premiums for FFM plans were higher in markets with greater concentrations of hospitals and physicians but fewer insurers. Higher premiums make health insurance less affordable for people purchasing unsubsidized coverage and raise the cost of Marketplace premium tax credits to the government.

10 CFR 470.13 - Program solicitation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... simple application form for submitting a proposal for support under the program, together with... directly to interested individuals, entities, and associations thereof, to the maximum extent feasible. ...

A Seasonal Air Transport Climatology for Kenya

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatebe, C. K.; Tyson, P. D.; Annegarn, H.; Piketh, S.; Helas, G.

1998-01-01

A climatology of air transport to and from Kenya has been developed using kinematic trajectory modeling. Significant months for trajectory analysis have been determined from a classification of synoptic circulation fields. Five-point back and forward trajectory clusters to and from Kenya reveal that the transport corridors to Kenya are clearly bounded and well defined. Air reaching the country originates mainly from the Saharan region and northwestern Indian Ocean of the Arabian Sea in the northern hemisphere and from the Madagascan region of the Indian Ocean in the southern hemisphere. Transport from each of these source regions show distinctive annual cycles related to the northeasterly Asian monsoon and the southeasterly trade wind maximum over Kenya in May. The Saharan transport in the lower troposphere is at a maximum when the subtropical high over northern Africa is strongly developed in the boreal winter. Air reaching Kenya between 700 and 500 hPa is mainly from Sahara and northwest India Ocean flows in the months of January and March, which gives way to southwest Indian Ocean flow in May and November. In contrast, air reaching Kenya at 400 hPa is mainly from southwest Indian Ocean in January and March, which is replaced by Saharan transport in May and November. Transport of air from Kenya is invariant, both spatially and temporally, in the tropical easterlies to the Congo Basin and Atlantic Ocean in comparison to the transport to the country. Recirculation of air has also been observed, but on a limited and often local scale and not to the extent reported in southern Africa.

A comparison of extreme rainfall characteristics in the Brazilian Amazon derived from two gridded data sets and a national rain gauge network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke, Robin T.; Bulhoes Mendes, Carlos Andre; Costa Buarque, Diogo

2010-07-01

Two issues of particular importance for the Amazon watershed are: whether annual maxima obtained from reanalysis and raingauge records agree well enough for the former to be useful in extending records of the latter; and whether reported trends in Amazon annual rainfall are reflected in the behavior of annual extremes in precipitation estimated from reanalyses and raingauge records. To explore these issues, three sets of daily precipitation data (1979-2001) from the Brazilian Amazon were analyzed (NCEP/NCAR and ERA-40 reanalyses, and records from the raingauge network of the Brazilian water resources agency - ANA), using the following variables: (1) mean annual maximum precipitation totals, accumulated over one, two, three and five days; (2) linear trends in these variables; (3) mean length of longest within-year "dry" spell; (4) linear trends in these variables. Comparisons between variables obtained from all three data sources showed that reanalyses underestimated time-trends and mean annual maximum precipitation (over durations of one to five days), and the correlations between reanalysis and spatially-interpolated raingauge estimates were small for these two variables. Both reanalyses over-estimated mean lengths of dry period relative to the mean length recorded by the raingauge network. Correlations between the trends calculated from all three data sources were small. Time-trends averaged over the reanalysis grid-squares, and spatially-interpolated time trends from raingauge data, were all clustered around zero. In conclusion, although the NCEP/NCAR and ERA-40 gridded data-sets may be valuable for studies of inter-annual variability in precipitation totals, they were found to be inappropriate for analysis of precipitation extremes.

Are Equilibrium Multichannel Networks Predictable? the Case of the Indus River, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darby, S. E.; Carling, P. A.

2017-12-01

Focusing on the specific case of the Indus River, we argue that the equilibrium planform network structure of large, multi-channel, rivers is predictable. Between Chashma and Taunsa, Pakistan, the Indus is a 264 km long multiple-channel reach. Remote sensing imagery, including a period of time that encompasses the occurrence of major floods in 2007 and 2010, shows that Indus has a minimum of two and a maximum of nine channels, with on average four active channels during the dry season and five during the monsoon. We show that the network structure, if not detailed planform, remains stable, even for the record 2010 flood (27,100 m3s-1; recurrence interval > 100 years). Bankline recession is negligible for discharges less than a peak annual discharge of 6,000 m3s-1 ( 80% of mean annual flow). Maximum Flow Efficiency (MFE) principle demonstrates the channel network is insensitive to the monsoon floods, which typically peak at 13,200 m3s-1. Rather, the network is in near-equilibrium with the mean annual flood (7,530 m3s-1). MFE principle indicates stable networks have three to four channels, thus the observed stability in the number of active channels accords with the presence of a near-equilibrium reach-scale channel network. Insensitivity to the annual hydrological cycle demonstrates that the time-scale for network adjustment is much longer than the time-scale of the monsoon hydrograph, with the annual excess water being stored on floodplains, rather than being conveyed in an enlarged channel network. The analysis explains the lack of significant channel adjustment following the largest flood in 40 years and the extensive Indus flooding experienced on an annual basis, with its substantial impacts on the populace and agricultural production.

Effect of elevation on extreme precipitation of short durations: evidences of orographic signature on the parameters of Depth-Duration-Frequency curves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avanzi, Francesco; De Michele, Carlo; Gabriele, Salvatore; Ghezzi, Antonio; Rosso, Renzo

2015-04-01

Here, we show how atmospheric circulation and topography rule the variability of depth-duration-frequency (DDF) curves parameters, and we discuss how this variability has physical implications on the formation of extreme precipitations at high elevations. A DDF is a curve ruling the value of the maximum annual precipitation H as a function of duration D and the level of probability F. We consider around 1500 stations over the Italian territory, with at least 20 years of data of maximum annual precipitation depth at different durations. We estimated the DDF parameters at each location by using the asymptotic distribution of extreme values, i.e. the so-called Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) distribution, and considering a statistical simple scale invariance hypothesis. Consequently, a DDF curve depends on five different parameters. A first set relates H with the duration (namely, the mean value of annual maximum precipitation depth for unit duration and the scaling exponent), while a second set links H to F (namely, a scale, position and shape parameter). The value of the shape parameter has consequences on the type of random variable (unbounded, upper or lower bounded). This extensive analysis shows that the variability of the mean value of annual maximum precipitation depth for unit duration obeys to the coupled effect of topography and modal direction of moisture flux during extreme events. Median values of this parameter decrease with elevation. We called this phenomenon "reverse orographic effect" on extreme precipitation of short durations, since it is in contrast with general knowledge about the orographic effect on mean precipitation. Moreover, the scaling exponent is mainly driven by topography alone (with increasing values of this parameter at increasing elevations). Therefore, the quantiles of H(D,F) at durations greater than unit turn to be more variable at high elevations than at low elevations. Additionally, the analysis of the variability of the shape parameter with elevation shows that extreme events at high elevations appear to be distributed according to an upper bounded probability distribution. These evidences could be a characteristic sign of the formation of extreme precipitation events at high elevations.

Climate-simulated raceway pond culturing: quantifying the maximum achievable annual biomass productivity of Chlorella sorokiniana in the contiguous USA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huesemann, M.; Chavis, A.; Edmundson, S.

Chlorella sorokiniana (DOE 1412) emerged as one of the most promising microalgae strains from the NAABB consortium project, with a remarkable doubling time under optimal conditions of 2.57 hr-1. However, its maximum achievable annual biomass productivity in outdoor ponds in the contiguous United States remained unknown. In order to address this knowledge gap, this alga was cultured in indoor LED-lighted and temperature-controlled raceways in nutrient replete freshwater (BG-11) medium at pH 7 under conditions simulating the daily sunlight intensity and water temperature fluctuations during three seasons in Southern Florida, an optimal outdoor pond culture location for this organism identified bymore » biomass growth modeling. Prior strain characterization indicated that the average maximum specific growth rate (µmax) at 36 ºC declined continuously with pH, with µmax corresponding to 5.92, 5.83, 4.89, and 4.21 day-1 at pH 6, 7, 8, and 9, respectively. In addition, the maximum specific growth rate declined nearly linearly with increasing salinity until no growth was observed above 35 g/L NaCl. In the climate-simulated culturing studies, the volumetric ash-free dry weight-based biomass productivities during the linear growth phase were 57, 69, and 97 mg/L-day for 30-year average light and temperature simulations for January (winter), March (spring), and July (summer), respectively, which corresponds to average areal productivities of 11.6, 14.1, and 19.9 g/m2-day at a constant pond depth of 20.5 cm. The photosynthetic efficiencies (PAR) in the three climate-simulated pond culturing experiments ranged from 4.1 to 5.1%. The annual biomass productivity was estimated as ca. 15 g/m2-day, nearly double the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) 2015 State of Technology annual cultivation productivity of 8.5 g/m2-day, but this is still significantly below the projected 2022 target of ca. 25 g/m2-day (U.S. DOE, 2016) for economic microalgal biofuel production, indicating the need for additional research in strain biology and system engineering.« less

Synoptic Drivers of Precipitation in the Atlantic Sector of the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, L.; Hudson, S.; Graham, R.; Renwick, J. A.

2017-12-01

Precipitation in the Arctic has been shown to be increasing in recent decades, from both observational and modelling studies, with largest trends seen in autumn and winter. This trend is attributed to a combination of the warming atmosphere and reduced sea ice extent. The seasonality of precipitation in the Arctic is important as it largely determines whether the precipitation falls as snow or rain. This study assesses the spatial and temporal variability of the synoptic drivers of precipitation in the Atlantic (European) sector of the Arctic. This region of the Arctic is of particular interest as it has the largest inter-annual variability in sea ice extent and is the primary pathway for moisture transport into the Arctic from lower latitudes. This study uses the ECMWF ERA-I reanalysis total precipitation to compare to long-term precipitation observations from Ny Ålesund, Svalbard to show that the reanalysis captures the synoptic variability of precipitation well and that most precipitation in this region is synoptically driven. The annual variability of precipitation in the Atlantic Arctic shows strong regionality. In the Svalbard and Barents Sea region, most of the annual total precipitation occurs during autumn and winter (Oct-Mar) (>60% of annual total), while the high-Arctic (> 80N) and Kara Sea receives most of the annual precipitation ( 60% of annual total) during summer (July-Sept). Using a synoptic classification developed for this region, this study shows that winter precipitation is driven by winter cyclone occurrence, with strong correlations to the AO and NAO indices. High precipitation over Svalbard is also strongly correlated with the Scandinavian blocking pattern, which produces a southerly flow in the Greenland Sea/Svalbard area. An increasing occurrence of these synoptic patterns are seen for winter months (Nov and Jan), which may explain much of the observed winter increase in precipitation.

20 CFR 653.503 - Field checks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... to appropriate enforcement agencies in writing. (b) State agencies, to the maximum extent possible... enforcement agencies. State agencies shall report difficulties in making such formal or informal arrangements...

20 CFR 653.503 - Field checks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... to appropriate enforcement agencies in writing. (b) State agencies, to the maximum extent possible... enforcement agencies. State agencies shall report difficulties in making such formal or informal arrangements...

20 CFR 653.503 - Field checks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... to appropriate enforcement agencies in writing. (b) State agencies, to the maximum extent possible... enforcement agencies. State agencies shall report difficulties in making such formal or informal arrangements...

20 CFR 653.503 - Field checks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... to appropriate enforcement agencies in writing. (b) State agencies, to the maximum extent possible... enforcement agencies. State agencies shall report difficulties in making such formal or informal arrangements...

Woodland expansion in South African grassy biomes based on satellite observations (1990-2013): general patterns and potential drivers.

PubMed

Skowno, Andrew L; Thompson, Mark W; Hiestermann, Jens; Ripley, Brad; West, Adam G; Bond, William J

2017-06-01

Increases in woody plant cover in savanna grassland environments have been reported on globally for over 50 years and are generally perceived as a threat to rangeland productivity and biodiversity. Despite this, few attempts have been made to estimate the extent of woodland increase at a national scale, principally due to technical constraints such as availability of appropriate remote sensing products. In this study, we aimed to measure the extent to which woodlands have replaced grasslands in South Africa's grassy biomes. We use multiseason Landsat data in conjunction with satellite L-band radar backscatter data to estimate the extent of woodlands and grasslands in 1990 and 2013. The method employed allows for a unique, nationwide measurement of transitions between grassland and woodland classes in recent decades. We estimate that during the 23-year study period, woodlands have replaced grasslands over ~57 000 km 2 and conversely that grasslands have replaced woodlands over ~30 000 km 2 , a net increase in the extent of woodland of ~27 000 km 2 and an annual increase of 0.22%. The changes varied markedly across the country; areas receiving over 500 mm mean annual precipitation showed higher rates of woodland expansion than regions receiving <500 mm (0.31% yr -1 and 0.11% yr -1 , respectively). Protected areas with elephants showed clear loss of woodlands (-0.43% yr -1 ), while commercial rangelands and traditional rangelands showed increases in woodland extent (>0.19% yr -1 ). The woodland change map presented here provides a unique opportunity to test the numerous models of woody plant encroachment at a national/regional scale. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

University Program Management Information System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gans, Gary (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

As basic policy, NASA believes that colleges and universities should be encouraged to participate in the nation's space and aeronautics program to the maximum extent practicable. Indeed, universities are considered as partners with government and industry in the nation's aerospace program. NASA's objective is to have them bring their scientific, engineering, and social research competence to bear on aerospace problems and on the broader social, economic, and international implications of NASA's technical and scientific programs. It is expected that, in so doing, universities will strengthen both their research and their educational capabilities to contribute more effectively to the national well-being. This annual report is one means of documenting the NASA-university relationship, frequently denoted, collectively, as NASA's University Program. This report is consistent with agency accounting records, as the data is obtained from NASA's Financial and Contractual Status (FACS) System, operated by the Financial Management Division and the Procurement Office. However, in accordance with interagency agreements, the orientation differs from that required for financial or procurement purposes. Any apparent discrepancies between this report and other NASA procurement or financial reports stem from the selection criteria for the data. This report was prepared by the Education Division/FE, Office of Human Resources and Education.

University Program Management Information System: NASA's University Program Active Projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gans, Gary (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

As basic policy, NASA believes that colleges and universities should be encouraged to participate in the nation's space and aeronautics program to the maximum extent practicable. Indeed, universities are considered as partners with government and industry in the nation's aerospace program. NASA's objective is to have them bring their scientific, engineering, and social research competence to bear on aerospace problems and on the broader social, economic, and international implications of NASA's technical and scientific programs. It is expected that, in so doing, universities will strengthen both their research and their educational capabilities to contribute more effectively to the national well being. This annual report is one means of documenting the NASA-university relationship, frequently denoted, collectively, as NASA's University Program. This report is consistent with agency accounting records, as the data is obtained from NASA's Financial and Contractual Status (FACS) System, operated by the Financial Management Division and the Procurement Office. However, in accordance with interagency agreements, the orientation differs from that required for financial or procurement purposes. Any apparent discrepancies between this report and other NASA procurement or financial reports stem from the selection criteria for the data. This report was prepared by the Office of Education/N.

The gamma-ray spectrometer experiment on the solar maximum mission satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chupp, E. L.

1988-01-01

The major activities (through 15 November l987) of the Solar Maximum Mission Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (SMM GRS) team members at the University of New Hampshire and the Naval Research Laboratory and the work of the Guest Investigators since the last Semi-Annual Report are summarized. In addition, an updated list of published papers and invited papers or papers presented at scientific meetings is provided.

Using the Maximum Entropy Principle as a Unifying Theory Characterization and Sampling of Multi-Scaling Processes in Hydrometeorology

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-20

evapotranspiration (ET) over oceans may be significantly lower than previously thought. The MEP model parameterized turbulent transfer coefficients...fluxes, ocean freshwater fluxes, regional crop yield among others. An on-going study suggests that the global annual evapotranspiration (ET) over...Bras, Jingfeng Wang. A model of evapotranspiration based on the theory of maximum entropy production, Water Resources Research, (03 2011): 0. doi

Asynchronous glaciations in arid continental climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batbaatar, Jigjidsurengiin; Gillespie, Alan R.; Fink, David; Matmon, Ari; Fujioka, Toshiyuki

2018-02-01

Mountain glaciers at ∼26-19 ka, during the global Last Glacial Maximum near the end of the last 105 yr glacial cycle, are commonly considered on the basis of dating and field mapping in several well-studied areas to have been the largest of the late Quaternary and to have advanced synchronously from region to region. However, a numerical sensitivity model (Rupper and Roe, 2008) predicts that the fraction of ablation due to melting varies across Central Asia in proportion to the annual precipitation. The equilibrium-line altitude of glaciers across this region likely varies accordingly: in high altitude, cold and arid regions sublimation can ablate most of the ice, whereas glaciers fed by high precipitation cannot ablate completely due to sublimation alone, but extend downhill until higher temperatures there cause them to melt. We have conducted field studies and 10Be dating at five glaciated sites along a precipitation gradient in Mongolia to test the Rupper/Roe model. The sites are located in nearby 1.875 × 1.875° cells of the Rupper/Roe model, each with a different melt fraction, in this little-studied region. The modern environment of the sites ranges from dry subhumid in the north (47.7° N) to arid in the south (45° N). Our findings show that the maximum local advances in the dry subhumid conditions predated the global Last Glacial Maximum and were likely from MIS 3. However, we also found that at ∼8-7 ka a cirque glacier in one mountain range of the arid Gobi desert grew to a magnitude comparable to that of the local maximum extent. This Holocene maximum occurred during a regional pluvial period thousands of years after the retreat of the Pleistocene glaciers globally. This asynchronous behavior is not predicted by the prevailing and generally correct presumption that glacier advances are dominantly driven by temperature, although precipitation also plays a role. Our findings are consistent with and support the Rupper/Roe model, which calls for glaciation in arid conditions only at high altitudes of sub-freezing temperatures, where the melt fraction in ablation is low. We expect a heterogeneous pattern of glacial responses to a changing modern climate in cold arid regions; an individual glacier advance should not be necessarily interpreted as evidence of cooling climate.

Remotely Sensed Northern Vegetation Response to Changing Climate: Growing Season and Productivity Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ganguly, S.; Park, Taejin; Choi, Sungho; Bi, Jian; Knyazikhin, Yuri; Myneni, Ranga

2016-01-01

Vegetation growing season and maximum photosynthetic state determine spatiotemporal variability of seasonal total gross primary productivity of vegetation. Recent warming induced impacts accelerate shifts on growing season and physiological status over Northern vegetated land. Thus, understanding and quantifying these changes are very important. Here, we first investigate how vegetation growing season and maximum photosynthesis state are evolved and how such components contribute on inter-annual variation of seasonal total gross primary productivity. Furthermore, seasonally different response of northern vegetation to changing temperature and water availability is also investigated. We utilized both long-term remotely sensed data to extract larger scale growing season metrics (growing season start, end and duration) and productivity (i.e., growing season summed vegetation index, GSSVI) for answering these questions. We find that regionally diverged growing season shift and maximum photosynthetic state contribute differently characterized productivity inter-annual variability and trend. Also seasonally different response of vegetation gives different view of spatially varying interaction between vegetation and climate. These results highlight spatially and temporally varying vegetation dynamics and are reflective of biome-specific responses of northern vegetation to changing climate.

Metal footprint linked to economy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burke, Paul J.

2018-04-01

The annual quantity of metal being used by humans has been on the rise. A new analysis of 43 major economies reveals the extent to which year-to-year fluctuations in metal footprints have been in lockstep with countries' economic growth and changes in investment spending.

33 CFR 154.2100 - Vapor control system, general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... be constructed to acceptable engineering standards and have the appropriate mechanical strength to... hazards, sources of ignition, and mechanical damage to the maximum practicable extent. Each remaining...

49 CFR 130.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... American Society for Testing and Materials, 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Copies may be.... Maximum extent practicable means the limits of available technology and the practical and technical limits...

49 CFR 130.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... American Society for Testing and Materials, 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Copies may be.... Maximum extent practicable means the limits of available technology and the practical and technical limits...

The MIS 3 maximum of the Torres del Paine and Última Esperanza ice lobes in Patagonia and the pacing of southern mountain glaciation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García, Juan-Luis; Hein, Andrew S.; Binnie, Steven A.; Gómez, Gabriel A.; González, Mauricio A.; Dunai, Tibor J.

2018-04-01

The timing, structure and termination of the last southern mountain glaciation and its forcing remains unclear. Most studies have focused on the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 26.5-19 ka) time period, which is just part of the extensive time-frame within the last glacial period, including Marine Isotope Stages 3 and 4. Understanding the glacial fluctuations throughout the glacial period is a prerequisite for uncovering the cause and climate mechanism driving southern glaciation and the interhemispheric linkages of climate change. Here, we present an extensive (n = 65) cosmogenic 10Be glacier chronology derived from moraine belts marking the pre-global LGM extent of the former Patagonian Ice Sheet in southernmost South America. Our results show the mountain ice sheet reached its maximum extent at 48.0 ± 1.8 ka during the local LGM, but attained just half this extent at 21.5 ± 1.8 ka during the global LGM. This finding, supported by nearby glacier chronologies, indicates that at orbital time scales, the southern mid-latitude glaciers fluctuated out-of-phase with northern hemisphere ice sheets. At millennial time-scales, our data suggest that Patagonian and New Zealand glaciers advanced in unison with cold Antarctic stadials and reductions in Southern Ocean sea surface temperatures. This implies a southern middle latitudes-wide millennial rhythm of climate change throughout the last glacial period linked to the north Atlantic by the bipolar seesaw. We suggest that winter insolation, acting alongside other drivers such as the strength and/or position of the southern westerlies, controlled the extents of major southern mountain glaciers such as those in southernmost South America.

Changes in the areal extents of the Athabasca River, Birch River, and Cree Creek Deltas, 1950-2014, Peace-Athabasca Delta, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timoney, Kevin; Lee, Peter

2016-04-01

Deltas form where riverborne sediment accumulates at the interface of river mouths and their receiving water bodies. Their areal extent is determined by the net effect of processes that increase their extent, such as sediment accumulation, and processes that decrease their extent, such as erosion and subsidence. Through sequential mapping and construction of river discharge and sediment histories, this study examined changes in the subaerial extents of the Cree Creek and Athabasca River Deltas (both on the Athabasca River system) and the Birch River Delta in northern Canada over the period 1950-2014. The purpose of the study was to determine how, when, and why the deltas changed in areal extent. Temporal growth patterns were similar across the Athabasca and Birch River systems indicative of a climatic signal. Little or no areal growth occurred from 1950 to 1968; moderate growth occurred between 1968 and the early to mid-1980s; and rapid growth occurred between 1992 and 2012. Factors that affected delta progradation included dredging, sediment supply, isostatic drowning, delta front bathymetry, sediment capture efficiency, and storms. In relation to sediment delivered, areal growth rates were lowest in the Athabasca Delta, intermediate in the Birch Delta, and highest in the Cree Creek Delta. Annual sediment delivery is increasing in the Cree Creek Delta; there were no significant trends in annual sediment delivery in the Birch and Athabasca Deltas. There was a lag of up to several years between sediment delivery events and progradation. Periods of delta progradation were associated with low water levels of the receiving basins. Predicted climate-change driven declines in river discharge and lake levels may accelerate delta progradation in the region. In the changing ecosystems of northeastern Alberta, inadequate monitoring of vegetation, landforms, and sediment regimes hampers the elucidation of the nature, rate, and causality of ecosystem changes.

Leveraging Big Data in Pediatric Development Programs: Proceedings From the 2016 American College of Clinical Pharmacology Annual Meeting Symposium.

PubMed

Mulugeta, Lily Yeruk; Yao, Lynne; Mould, Diane; Jacobs, Brian; Florian, Jeffrey; Smith, Brian; Sinha, Vikram; Barrett, Jeffrey S

2018-01-10

This article discusses the use of big data in pediatric drug development. The article covers key topics discussed at the ACCP annual meeting symposium in 2016 including the extent to which big data or real-world data can inform clinical trial design and substitute for efficacy and safety data typically obtained in clinical trials. The current states of use, opportunities, and challenges with the use of big data in future pediatric drug development are discussed. © 2018 American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Recent vegetation phenology variability and wild reindeer migration in Hardangervidda plateau (Norway)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courault, Romain; Franclet, Alexiane; Bourrand, Kévin; Bilodeau, Clélia; Saïd, Sonia; Cohen, Marianne

2018-05-01

More than others, arctic ecosystems are affected by consequences of global climate changes. The herbivorous plays numerous roles both in Scandinavian natural and cultural landscapes (Forbes et al., 2007). Wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) herds in Hardangervidda plateau (Norway) constitute one of the isolated populations along Fennoscandia mountain range. The study aims to understand temporal and spatial variability of intra- and inter-annual home ranges extent and geophysical properties. We then characterize phenological variability with Corine Land Cover ecological habitat assessment and bi-monthly NDVI index (MODIS 13Q1, 250 m). Thirdly, we test relationships between reindeer's estimated densities and geophysical factors. All along the study, a Python toolbox ("GRiD") has been mounted and refined to fit with biogeographical expectancies. The toolbox let user's choice of inputs and facilitate then the gathering of raster datasets with given spatial extent of clipping and resolution. The grid generation and cells extraction gives one tabular output, allowing then to easily compute complex geostatistical analysis with regular spreadsheets. Results are based on reindeer's home ranges, associated extent (MODIS tile) and spatial resolution (250 m). Spatial mismatch of 0.6 % has been found between ecological habitat when comparing raw (100 m2) and new dataset (250 m2). Inter-annual home ranges analysis describes differences between inter-seasonal migrations (early spring, end of the summer) and calving or capitalizing times. For intra-annual home ranges, significant correlations have been found between reindeer's estimated densities and both altitudes and phenology. GRiD performance and biogeographical results suggests 1) to enhance geometric accuracy 2) better examine links between estimated densities and NDVI.

Modeling annual extreme temperature using generalized extreme value distribution: A case study in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasan, Husna; Salam, Norfatin; Kassim, Suraiya

2013-04-01

Extreme temperature of several stations in Malaysia is modeled by fitting the annual maximum to the Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) distribution. The Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) and Phillips Perron (PP) tests are used to detect stochastic trends among the stations. The Mann-Kendall (MK) test suggests a non-stationary model. Three models are considered for stations with trend and the Likelihood Ratio test is used to determine the best-fitting model. The results show that Subang and Bayan Lepas stations favour a model which is linear for the location parameters while Kota Kinabalu and Sibu stations are suitable with a model in the logarithm of the scale parameters. The return level is the level of events (maximum temperature) which is expected to be exceeded once, on average, in a given number of years, is obtained.

Area and Carbon Content of Sphagnum Since Last Glacial Maximum

DOE Data Explorer

Gajewski, K. [University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Viau, A. [University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Sawada, M. [University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Atkinson, D. [University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Wilson, S. [University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)

2002-01-01

The distribution and abundance of Sphagnum spores in North America and Eurasia are mapped for the past 21ka, as described in Gajewski et al. (2002). In summary, spore data were taken from existing pollen data bases, as were radiocarbon chronologies. The abundance of Sphagnum spores was mapped at 2000-year intervals beginning 21000 years BP (before present). The present-day distribution of abundant Sphagnum spores corresponds closely to areas with peatland development, with maximum Sphagnum abundance between 630 and 1300 mm annual precipitation and between -2° and 60°C mean annual air temperature. Carbon content of peatlands was generated from estimated peatland area, calculated values of peat thickness, and specified values of bulk density (112 × 10³ g m^-3) and fraction of carbon (51.7%).

Preliminary flood-duration frequency estimates using naturalized streamflow records for the Willamette River Basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lind, Greg D.; Stonewall, Adam J.

2018-02-13

In this study, “naturalized” daily streamflow records, created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation, were used to compute 1-, 3-, 7-, 10-, 15-, 30-, and 60-day annual maximum streamflow durations, which are running averages of daily streamflow for the number of days in each duration. Once the annual maximum durations were computed, the floodduration frequencies could be estimated. The estimated flood-duration frequencies correspond to the 50-, 20-, 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, 0.5-, and 0.2-percent probabilities of their occurring or being exceeded each year. For this report, the focus was on the Willamette River Basin in Oregon, which is a subbasin of the Columbia River Basin. This study is part of a larger one encompassing the entire Columbia Basin.

Analysis of Nitrogen Dioxide and Sulphur Dioxide in Lima, Peru: Trends and Seasonal Variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pacsi, S.; Rappenglueck, B.

2007-12-01

This research was carried out to show a general analysis of the monthly and yearly variation (1996-2002) and the tendency of the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) for the 5 stations of the air quality network of Lima. The SO2 and NO2 concentrations were measured by the Dirección General de Salud Ambiental (DIGESA), using the active sampling method and the chemical analysis has been determined by Turbidimetry and Colorimetry for the SO2 and NO2 respectively. The monthly average variation (1996-2001) of SO2 in the Lima Center station has a small annual range (32,4 mikrograms/m3) with maximum values in autumn (April) and minimum in winter (June). The NO2 presents a higher annual range (128,2 mikrograms/m3) and its minimum values occur in the summer and the maximum in spring. The annual averages analysis (2000-2002) of the air quality monitoring network of Lima shows that the SO2 and NO2 values are maximum in the Lima Center station and exceed the Peruvian air quality standard (ECAs) in 30% and 75% respectively. The yearly variation (1996-2001) in the Lima Center station show an increasing tendency in the SO2 (significant) and NO2 (not significant) values, which indicates the critical level of the air quality in Lima, therefore the implementation of the air pollution control programs is urgent.

[An investigation of ionizing radiation dose in a manufacturing enterprise of ion-absorbing type rare earth ore].

PubMed

Zhang, W F; Tang, S H; Tan, Q; Liu, Y M

2016-08-20

Objective: To investigate radioactive source term dose monitoring and estimation results in a manufacturing enterprise of ion-absorbing type rare earth ore and the possible ionizing radiation dose received by its workers. Methods: Ionizing radiation monitoring data of the posts in the control area and supervised area of workplace were collected, and the annual average effective dose directly estimated or estimated using formulas was evaluated and analyzed. Results: In the control area and supervised area of the workplace for this rare earth ore, α surface contamination activity had a maximum value of 0.35 Bq/cm 2 and a minimum value of 0.01 Bq/cm 2 ; β radioactive surface contamination activity had a maximum value of 18.8 Bq/cm 2 and a minimum value of 0.22 Bq/cm 2 . In 14 monitoring points in the workplace, the maximum value of the annual average effective dose of occupational exposure was 1.641 mSv/a, which did not exceed the authorized limit for workers (5 mSv/a) , but exceeded the authorized limit for general personnel (0.25 mSv/a) . The radionuclide specific activity of ionic mixed rare earth oxides was determined to be 0.9. Conclusion: The annual average effective dose of occupational exposure in this enterprise does not exceed the authorized limit for workers, but it exceeds the authorized limit for general personnel. We should pay attention to the focus of the radiation process, especially for public works radiation.

48 CFR 2807.102 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... contracting activities shall perform acquisition planning and conduct market research for all acquisitions in..., nondevelopmental items to the maximum extent practicable. (2) The degree of planning and market research may vary...

48 CFR 2807.102 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... contracting activities shall perform acquisition planning and conduct market research for all acquisitions in..., nondevelopmental items to the maximum extent practicable. (2) The degree of planning and market research may vary...

40 CFR 60.57b - Siting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... on ambient air quality, visibility, soils, and vegetation. (2) The analysis shall consider air pollution control alternatives that minimize, on a site-specific basis, to the maximum extent practicable...

Greener Cleanups

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

OSWER’s goal is to reduce the environmental footprint of cleanup activities at contaminated sites to the maximum extent possible. This website shares policies, tools and practices to achieve that goal across cleanup programs.

48 CFR 217.7402 - Exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... maximum extent practicable (also see paragraph (b) of this section): (1) UCAs for foreign military sales...) Congressionally mandated long-lead procurement contracts. (b) If the contracting officer determines that it is...

Global assessment of urban and peri-urban agriculture: irrigated and rainfed croplands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thebo, A. L.; Drechsel, P.; Lambin, E. F.

2014-11-01

The role of urban agriculture in global food security is a topic of increasing discussion. Existing research on urban and peri-urban agriculture consists largely of case studies that frequently use disparate definitions of urban and peri-urban agriculture depending on the local context and study objectives. This lack of consistency makes quantification of the extent of this practice at the global scale difficult. This study instead integrates global data on croplands and urban extents using spatial overlay analysis to estimate the global area of urban and peri-urban irrigated and rainfed croplands. The global area of urban irrigated croplands was estimated at about 24 Mha (11.0 percent of all irrigated croplands) with a cropping intensity of 1.48. The global area of urban rainfed croplands found was approximately 44 Mha (4.7 percent of all rainfed croplands) with a cropping intensity of 1.03. These values were derived from the MIRCA2000 Maximum Monthly Cropped Area Grids for irrigated and rainfed crops and therefore their sum does not necessarily represent the total urban cropland area when the maximum extent of irrigated and rainfed croplands occurs in different months. Further analysis of croplands within 20 km of urban extents show that 60 and 35 percent of, respectively, all irrigated and rainfed croplands fall within this distance range.

A New Attempt of 2-D Numerical Ice Flow Model to Reconstruct Paleoclimate from Mountain Glaciers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Candaş, Adem; Akif Sarıkaya, Mehmet

2017-04-01

A new two dimensional (2D) numerical ice flow model is generated to simulate the steady-state glacier extent for a wide range of climate conditions. The simulation includes the flow of ice enforced by the annual mass balance gradient of a valley glacier. The annual mass balance is calculated by the difference of the net accumulation and ablation of snow and (or) ice. The generated model lets users to compare the simulated and field observed ice extent of paleoglaciers. As a result, model results provide the conditions about the past climates since simulated ice extent is a function of predefined climatic conditions. To predict the glacier shape and distribution in two dimension, time dependent partial differential equation (PDE) is solved. Thus, a 2D glacier flow model code is constructed in MATLAB and a finite difference method is used to solve this equation. On the other hand, Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM) is used to regenerate paleoglaciers in the same area where the MATLAB code is applied. We chose the Mount Dedegöl, an extensively glaciated mountain in SW Turkey, to apply both models. Model results will be presented and discussed in this presentation. This study was supported by TÜBİTAK 114Y548 project.

Wind extremes in the North Sea basin under climate change: an ensemble study of 12 CMIP5 GCMs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Winter, R.; Ruessink, G.; Sterl, A.

2012-12-01

Coastal safety may be influenced by climate change, as changes in extreme surge levels and wave extremes may increase the vulnerability of dunes and other coastal defenses. In the North Sea, an area already prone to severe flooding, these high surge levels and waves are generated by severe wind speeds during storm events. As a result of the geometry of the North Sea, not only the maximum wind speed is relevant, but also wind direction. Analyzing changes in a changing climate implies that several uncertainties need to be taken into account. First, there is the uncertainty in climate experiments, which represents the possible development of the emission of greenhouse gases. Second, there is uncertainty between the climate models that are used to analyze the effect of different climate experiments. The third uncertainty is the natural variability of the climate. When this system variability is large, small trends will be difficult to detect. The natural variability results in statistical uncertainty, especially for events with high return values. We addressed the first two types of uncertainties for extreme wind conditions in the North Sea using 12 CMIP5 GCMs. To evaluate the differences between the climate experiments, two climate experiments (rcp4.5 and rcp8.5) from 2050-2100 are compared with historical runs, running from 1950-2000. Rcp4.5 is considered to be a middle climate experiment and rcp8.5 represents high-end climate scenarios. The projections of the 12 GCMs for a given scenario illustrate model uncertainty. We focus on the North Sea basin, because changes in wind conditions could have a large impact on safety of the densely populated North Sea coast, an area that has already a high exposure to flooding. Our results show that, consistent with ERA-Interim results, the annual maximum wind speed in the historical run demonstrates large interannual variability. For the North Sea, the annual maximum wind speed is not projected to change in either rcp4.5 or rcp8.5. In fact, the differences in the 12 GCMs are larger than the difference between the three experiments. Furthermore, our results show that, the variation in direction of annual maximum wind speed is large and this precludes a firm statement on climate-change induced changes in these directions. Nonetheless, most models indicate a decrease in annual maximum wind speed from south-eastern directions and an increase from south-western and western directions. This might be caused by a poleward shift of the storm track. The amount of wind from north-west and north-north-west, wind directions that are responsible for the development of extreme storm surges in the southern part of the North Sea, are not projected to change. However, North Sea coasts that have the longest fetch for western direction, e.g. the German Bight, may encounter more often high storm surge levels and extreme waves when the annual maximum wind will indeed be more often from western direction.

Two decades of change in transportation reflections from transportation statistics annual reports 1994-2014.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-01-01

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) : provides information to support understanding : and decision-making related to the transportation : system, including the size and extent of the : system, how it is used, how well it works, and its : co...

Site Characterization and Monitoring Technical Support Center FY16 Report

EPA Science Inventory

SCMTSC’s primary goal is to provide technical assistance to regional programs on complex hazardous waste site characterization issues. This annual report illustrates the range and extent of projects that SCMTSC supported in FY 2016. Our principal audiences are site project manage...

Total Ownership Cost - Tools and Discipline

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-16

3 -21) Collaborative IT tools could potentially be implemented through apps to smart handheld devices, such as iPhones, Androids , or Blackberries...in writing within 30 days, explaining the basis for a waiver. The MDA must review a troubled program at least annually to determine the extent

Annual Irrigation Dynamics in the U.S. Northern High Plains Derived from Landsat Satellite Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deines, Jillian M.; Kendall, Anthony D.; Hyndman, David W.

2017-09-01

Sustainable management of agricultural water resources requires improved understanding of irrigation patterns in space and time. We produced annual, high-resolution (30 m) irrigation maps for 1999-2016 by combining all available Landsat satellite imagery with climate and soil covariables in Google Earth Engine. Random forest classification had accuracies from 92 to 100% and generally agreed with county statistics (r2 = 0.88-0.96). Two novel indices that integrate plant greenness and moisture information show promise for improving satellite classification of irrigation. We found considerable interannual variability in irrigation location and extent, including a near doubling between 2002 and 2016. Statistical modeling suggested that precipitation and commodity price influenced irrigated extent through time. High prices incentivized expansion to increase crop yield and profit, but dry years required greater irrigation intensity, thus reducing area in this supply-limited region. Data sets produced with this approach can improve water sustainability by providing consistent, spatially explicit tracking of irrigation dynamics over time.

Proceedings of the Annual Gravity Gradiometer Conference (17th) Held in Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts on 12-13 October 1989

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-28

D’IC FILE COpY G---90-0067 ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH PAPERS , NO. 1059 AD-A223 568 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL GRAVITY GRADIOICET CONFERENCE 12...AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited 13. ABSTRACT (Maximu&m 200 words)/ Fourteen papers were...instrumentation * and applications. The technical papers covered test program results, applications to gravity field mapping, gravity signal processing

An assessment of the industrial cogeneration market for parabolic dish systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doane, J. W.

1981-01-01

The value analysis technique used is straightforward. Maximum allowable life-cycle system cost for the cogeneration system is determined as the sum of the present value of fuels displaced plus the present value of revenues from exported power. Each conventional fuel displaced is described by a unit cost in the first year, a uniform annual consumption rate, and a uniform annual escalation rate for unit cost. Exported energy flows are treated the same as displaced energy.

Modulation of the Seasonal Cycle of Antarctic Sea Ice Extent Related to the Southern Annular Mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doddridge, Edward W.; Marshall, John

2017-10-01

Through analysis of remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST) and sea ice concentration data, we investigate the impact of winds related to the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) on sea ice extent around Antarctica. We show that positive SAM anomalies in the austral summer are associated with anomalously cold SSTs that persist and lead to anomalous ice growth in the following autumn, while negative SAM anomalies precede warm SSTs and a reduction in sea ice extent during autumn. The largest effect occurs in April, when a unit change in the detrended summertime SAM is followed by a 1.8±0.6 ×105 km2 change in detrended sea ice extent. We find no evidence that sea ice extent anomalies related to the summertime SAM affect the wintertime sea ice extent maximum. Our analysis shows that the wind anomalies related to the negative SAM during the 2016/2017 austral summer contributed to the record minimum Antarctic sea ice extent observed in March 2017.

Degradation of diclofenac sodium using combined processes based on hydrodynamic cavitation and heterogeneous photocatalysis.

PubMed

Bagal, Manisha V; Gogate, Parag R

2014-05-01

Diclofenac sodium, a widely detected pharmaceutical drug in wastewater samples, has been selected as a model pollutant for degradation using novel combined approach of hydrodynamic cavitation and heterogeneous photocatalysis. A slit venturi has been used as cavitating device in the hydrodynamic cavitation reactor. The effect of various operating parameters such as inlet fluid pressure (2-4 bar) and initial pH of the solution (4-7.5) on the extent of degradation have been studied. The maximum extent of degradation of diclofenac sodium was obtained at inlet fluid pressure of 3 bar and initial pH as 4 using hydrodynamic cavitation alone. The loadings of TiO2 and H2O2 have been optimised to maximise the extent of degradation of diclofenac sodium. Kinetic study revealed that the degradation of diclofenac sodium fitted first order kinetics over the selected range of operating protocols. It has been observed that combination of hydrodynamic cavitation with UV, UV/TiO2 and UV/TiO2/H2O2 results in enhanced extents of degradation as compared to the individual schemes. The maximum extent of degradation as 95% with 76% reduction in TOC has been observed using hydrodynamic cavitation in conjunction with UV/TiO2/H2O2 under the optimised operating conditions. The diclofenac sodium degradation byproducts have been identified using LC/MS analysis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

32 CFR 9.6 - Conduct of the trial.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... maximum extent practicable. Photography, video, or audio broadcasting, or recording of or at Commission proceedings shall be prohibited, except photography, video, and audio recording by the Commission pursuant to...

32 CFR 9.6 - Conduct of the trial.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... maximum extent practicable. Photography, video, or audio broadcasting, or recording of or at Commission proceedings shall be prohibited, except photography, video, and audio recording by the Commission pursuant to...

34 CFR 300.114 - LRE requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) Except as provided in § 300.324(d)(2) (regarding children with disabilities in adult prisons), the State... the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private...

Simulated effects of water-level changes in the Mississippi River and Pokegama Reservoir on ground-water levels, Grand Rapids area, Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Perry M.

2005-01-01

The extent of aquifer water-level changes resulting from these river, wetland, and lake water-level changes varied because of the complex hydrogeology of the study area. A 1.00-foot decline in reservoir/river water levels caused a maximum simulated ground-water-level decline in the middle aquifer near Jay Gould and Little Jay Gould Lakes of 1.09 feet and a maximum simulated ground-water-level decline of 1.00 foot in the lower aquifer near Cut-off and Blackwater Lakes. The amount and extent of ground-water-level changes in the middle and lower aquifers can be explained by the thickness, extent, and connectivity of the aquifers. Surface-water/ground-water interactions near wetlands and lakes with water levels unchanged from the calibrated model resulted in small water-table altitude differences among the simulations. Results of the ground-water modeling indicate that lowering of the reservoir and river water levels by 1.00 foot likely will not substantially affect water levels in the middle and lower aquifers.

Analysis of trends of water quality and streamflow in the Blackstone, Branch, Pawtuxet, and Pawcatuck Rivers, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, 1979 to 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Savoie, Jennifer G.; Mullaney, John R.; Bent, Gardner C.

2017-02-21

Trends in long-term water-quality and streamflow data from six water-quality-monitoring stations within three major river basins in Massachusetts and Rhode Island that flow into Narragansett Bay and Little Narragansett Bay were evaluated for water years 1979–2015. In this study, conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the Rhode Island Water Resources Board, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, water-quality and streamflow data were evaluated with a Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season smoothing method, which removes the effects of year-to-year variation in water-quality conditions due to variations in streamflow (discharge). Trends in annual mean, annual median, annual maximum, and annual 7-day minimum flows at four continuous streamgages were evaluated by using a time-series smoothing method for water years 1979–2015.Water quality at all monitoring stations changed over the study period. Decreasing trends in flow-normalized nutrient concentrations and loads were observed during the period at most monitoring stations for total nitrogen, nitrite plus nitrate, and total phosphorus. Average flow-normalized loads for water years 1979–2015 decreased in the Blackstone River by up to 46 percent in total nitrogen, 17 percent in nitrite plus nitrate, and 69 percent in total phosphorus. The other rivers also had decreasing flow-normalized trends in nutrient concentrations and loads, except for the Pawtuxet River, which had an increasing trend in nitrite plus nitrate. Increasing trends in flow-normalized chloride concentrations and loads were observed during the study period at all of the rivers, with increases of more than 200 percent in the Blackstone River.Small increasing trends in annual mean daily streamflow were observed in 3 of the 4 rivers, with increases of 1.2 to 11 percent; however, the trends were not significant. All 4 rivers had decreases in streamflow for the annual 7-day minimums, but only 3 of the 4 rivers had decreases that were significant (34 to 54 percent). The Branch River had decreasing annual mean daily streamflow (7.5 percent) and the largest decrease in the annual 7-day minimum streamflow. The Blackstone and Pawtuxet Rivers had the largest increases in annual maximum daily flows but had decreases in the annual 7-day minimum flows.

Analysis and inundation mapping of the April-May 2011 flood at selected locations in northern and eastern Arkansas and southern Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Westerman, Drew A.; Merriman, Katherine R.; De Lanois, Jeanne L.; Berenbrock, Charles

2013-01-01

Precipitation that fell from April 19 through May 3, 2011, resulted in widespread flooding across northern and eastern Arkansas and southern Missouri. The first storm produced a total of approximately 16 inches of precipitation over an 8-day period, and the following storms produced as much as 12 inches of precipitation over a 2-day period. Moderate to major flooding occurred quickly along many streams within Arkansas and Missouri (including the Black, Cache, Illinois, St. Francis, and White Rivers) at levels that had not been seen since the historic 1927 floods. The 2011 flood claimed an estimated 21 lives in Arkansas and Missouri, and damage caused by the flooding resulted in a Federal Disaster Declaration for 59 Arkansas counties that received Federal or State assistance. To further the goal of documenting and understanding floods, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers–Little Rock and Memphis Districts, and Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, conducted a study to summarize meteorological and hydrological conditions before the flood; computed flood-peak magnitudes for 39 streamgages; estimated annual exceedance probabilities for 37 of those streamgages; determined the joint probabilities for 11 streamgages paired to the Mississippi River at Helena, Arkansas, which refers to the probability that locations on two paired streams simultaneously experience floods of a magnitude greater than or equal to a given annual exceedance probability; collected high-water marks; constructed flood-peak inundation maps showing maximum flood extent and water depths; and summarized flood damages and effects. For the period of record used in this report, peak-of-record stage occurred at 24 of the 39 streamgages, and peak-of-record streamflow occurred at 13 of the 30 streamgages where streamflow was determined. Annual exceedance probabilities were estimated to be less than 0.5 percent at three streamgages. The joint probability values for streamgages paired with the Mississippi River at Helena, Ark., streamgage indicate a low probability of concurrent flooding with the paired streamgages. The inundation maps show the flood-peak extent and water depth of flooding for two stream reaches on the White River and two on the Black River; the vicinities of the communities of Holly Grove and Cotton Plant, Ark.; a reach of the White River that includes the crossing of Interstate 40 north of De Valls Bluff, Ark.; and the Tailwaters of Beaver Dam near Eureka Springs, Ark., Table Rock Dam near Branson, Mo., and Bull Shoals Dam near Flippin, Ark. The data and inundation maps can be used for flood response, recovery, and planning efforts by Federal, State, and local agencies.

Characterization of seasonal and inter-annual variability in global water bodies using annual MODIS water maps 2000 - 2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubbard, A. B.; Carroll, M.

2017-12-01

Accurate maps of surface water resources are critical for long-term resource management, characterization of extreme events, and integration into various science products. Unfortunately, most of the currently available surface water products do not adequately represent inter- and intra-annual variation in water extent, resulting from both natural fluctuations in the hydrologic cycle and human activities. To capture this variability, annual water maps were generated from Terra MODIS data at 250 m resolution for the years 2000 through 2016, using the same algorithm employed to generate the previously released MOD44W Collection 5 static water mask (Carroll et al., 2009). Following efforts to verify the data and remove false positives, the final maps were submitted to the Land Processes DAAC for publication as MOD44W Collection 6.1. Analysis of these maps indicate that only about two thirds of inland water pixels were persistent throughout all 16 years of data, meaning that roughly one third of the surface water detected in this period displayed some degree of inter-annual variation. In addition to the annual datasets, water observations were aggregated by quarter for each year from 2003 through 2016 using the same algorithm and observations from both Terra and Aqua. Analysis of these seasonal maps is ongoing, but preliminary investigation indicates they capture dramatic intra-annual fluctuations of water extent in many regions. In cloudy regions, it is difficult or impossible to consistently measure this intra-annual variation without the twice-daily temporal resolution of the MODIS sensors. While the moderate spatial resolution of MODIS is a constraint, these datasets are suitable for studying such fluctuations in medium to large water bodies, or at regional to global scales. These maps also provide a baseline record of historical surface water resources, against which future change can be compared. Finally, comparisons with the MOD44W Collection 5 static water mask indicate that major changes have occurred in many areas since the early 2000s, rendering these maps an equally valuable update for static water masking applications. ReferencesCarroll, M.L., Townshend, J.R., DiMiceli, C.M., Noojipady, P., & Sohlberg, R.A. (2009). A new global raster water mask at 250 m resolution. Int J Digit Earth, 2, 291-308.

A new, high-resolution global mass coral bleaching database

PubMed Central

Rickbeil, Gregory J. M.; Heron, Scott F.

2017-01-01

Episodes of mass coral bleaching have been reported in recent decades and have raised concerns about the future of coral reefs on a warming planet. Despite the efforts to enhance and coordinate coral reef monitoring within and across countries, our knowledge of the geographic extent of mass coral bleaching over the past few decades is incomplete. Existing databases, like ReefBase, are limited by the voluntary nature of contributions, geographical biases in data collection, and the variations in the spatial scale of bleaching reports. In this study, we have developed the first-ever gridded, global-scale historical coral bleaching database. First, we conducted a targeted search for bleaching reports not included in ReefBase by personally contacting scientists and divers conducting monitoring in under-reported locations and by extracting data from the literature. This search increased the number of observed bleaching reports by 79%, from 4146 to 7429. Second, we employed spatial interpolation techniques to develop annual 0.04° × 0.04° latitude-longitude global maps of the probability that bleaching occurred for 1985 through 2010. Initial results indicate that the area of coral reefs with a more likely than not (>50%) or likely (>66%) probability of bleaching was eight times higher in the second half of the assessed time period, after the 1997/1998 El Niño. The results also indicate that annual maximum Degree Heating Weeks, a measure of thermal stress, for coral reefs with a high probability of bleaching increased over time. The database will help the scientific community more accurately assess the change in the frequency of mass coral bleaching events, validate methods of predicting mass coral bleaching, and test whether coral reefs are adjusting to rising ocean temperatures. PMID:28445534

A new, high-resolution global mass coral bleaching database.

PubMed

Donner, Simon D; Rickbeil, Gregory J M; Heron, Scott F

2017-01-01

Episodes of mass coral bleaching have been reported in recent decades and have raised concerns about the future of coral reefs on a warming planet. Despite the efforts to enhance and coordinate coral reef monitoring within and across countries, our knowledge of the geographic extent of mass coral bleaching over the past few decades is incomplete. Existing databases, like ReefBase, are limited by the voluntary nature of contributions, geographical biases in data collection, and the variations in the spatial scale of bleaching reports. In this study, we have developed the first-ever gridded, global-scale historical coral bleaching database. First, we conducted a targeted search for bleaching reports not included in ReefBase by personally contacting scientists and divers conducting monitoring in under-reported locations and by extracting data from the literature. This search increased the number of observed bleaching reports by 79%, from 4146 to 7429. Second, we employed spatial interpolation techniques to develop annual 0.04° × 0.04° latitude-longitude global maps of the probability that bleaching occurred for 1985 through 2010. Initial results indicate that the area of coral reefs with a more likely than not (>50%) or likely (>66%) probability of bleaching was eight times higher in the second half of the assessed time period, after the 1997/1998 El Niño. The results also indicate that annual maximum Degree Heating Weeks, a measure of thermal stress, for coral reefs with a high probability of bleaching increased over time. The database will help the scientific community more accurately assess the change in the frequency of mass coral bleaching events, validate methods of predicting mass coral bleaching, and test whether coral reefs are adjusting to rising ocean temperatures.

Evaluation of the Impact of Ambient Temperatures on Occupational Injuries in Spain.

PubMed

Martínez-Solanas, Èrica; López-Ruiz, María; Wellenius, Gregory A; Gasparrini, Antonio; Sunyer, Jordi; Benavides, Fernando G; Basagaña, Xavier

2018-06-01

Extreme cold and heat have been linked to an increased risk of occupational injuries. However, the evidence is still limited to a small number of studies of people with relatively few injuries and with a limited geographic extent, and the corresponding economic effect has not been studied in detail. We assessed the relationship between ambient temperatures and occupational injuries in Spain along with its economic effect. The daily number of occupational injuries that caused at least one day of leave and the daily maximum temperature were obtained for each Spanish province for the years 1994-2013. We estimated temperature-injuries associations with distributed lag nonlinear models, and then pooled the results using a multivariate meta-regression model. We calculated the number of injuries attributable to cold and heat, the corresponding workdays lost, and the resulting economic effect. The study included 15,992,310 occupational injuries. Overall, 2.72% [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.44-2.97] of all occupational injuries were attributed to nonoptimal ambient temperatures, with moderate heat accounting for the highest fraction. This finding corresponds to an estimated 0.67 million (95% CI: 0.60-0.73) person-days of work lost every year in Spain due to temperature, or an annual average of 42 d per 1,000 workers. The estimated annual economic burden is €370 million, or 0.03% of Spain's GDP (€2,015). Our findings suggest that extreme ambient temperatures increased the risk of occupational injuries, with substantial estimated health and economic costs. These results call for public health interventions to protect workers in the context of climate change. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2590.

Chapter 7: Precipitation Change in the United States

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Easterling, D. R.; Kunkel, K. E.; Arnold, J. R.; Knutson, T.; LeGrande, A. N.; Leung, L. R.; Vose, R. S.; Waliser, D. E.; Wehner, M. F.

2017-01-01

Annual precipitation has decreased in much of the West, Southwest, and Southeast and increased in most of the Northern and Southern Plains, Midwest, and Northeast. A national average increase of 4% in annual precipitation since 1901 is mostly a result of large increases in the fall season. Heavy precipitation events in most parts of the United States have increased in both intensity and frequency since 1901. There are important regional differences in trends, with the largest increases occurring in the northeastern United States. In particular, mesoscale convective systems (organized clusters of thunderstorms)-the main mechanism for warm season precipitation in the central part of the United States-have increased in occurrence and precipitation amounts since 1979. The frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation events are projected to continue to increase over the 21st century (high confidence). Mesoscale convective systems in the central United States are expected to continue to increase in number and intensity in the future. There are, however, important regional and seasonal differences in projected changes in total precipitation: the northern United States, including Alaska, is projected to receive more precipitation in the winter and spring, and parts of the southwestern United States are projected to receive less precipitation in the winter and spring. Northern Hemisphere spring snow cover extent, North America maximum snow depth, snow water equivalent in the western United States, and extreme snowfall years in the southern and western United States have all declined, while extreme snowfall years in parts of the northern United States have increased. Projections indicate large declines in snowpack in the western United States and shifts to more precipitation falling as rain than snow in the cold season in many parts of the central and eastern United States.

Indicators of Welfare Dependence: Annual Report to Congress.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.

This report addresses questions concerning the extent to which U.S. families depend on income from welfare programs, offering updated data on measures of welfare recipiency, dependency, and predictors of welfare dependence developed for previous reports. Chapter 1, "Introduction," reviews specific summary measures of welfare dependence…

45 CFR 1620.5 - Annual review.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... considered in determining whether the recipient's priorities should be changed: (1) The extent to which the objectives of the recipient's priorities have been accomplished; (2) Changes in the resources of the recipient; (3) Changes in the size, distribution, or needs of the eligible client population; and (4) The...

Final Report - Management of High Sulfur HLW, VSL-13R2920-1, Rev. 0, dated 10/31/2013

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kruger, Albert A.; Gan, H.; Pegg, I. L.

2013-11-13

The present report describes results from a series of small-scale crucible tests to determine the extent of corrosion associated with sulfur containing HLW glasses and to develop a glass composition for a sulfur-rich HLW waste stream, which was then subjected to small-scale melter testing to determine the maximum acceptable sulfate loadings. In the present work, a new glass formulation was developed and tested for a projected Hanford HLW composition with sulfate concentrations high enough to limit waste loading. Testing was then performed on the DM10 melter system at successively higher waste loadings to determine the maximum waste loading without themore » formation of a separate sulfate salt phase. Small scale corrosion testing was also conducted using the glass developed in the present work, the glass developed in the initial phase of this work [26], and a high iron composition, all at maximum sulfur concentrations determined from melter testing, in order to assess the extent of Inconel 690 and MA758 corrosion at elevated sulfate contents.« less

Little Ice Age mapping as a tool for identifying hazard in the paraglacial environment: The case study of Trentino (Eastern Italian Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zanoner, Thomas; Carton, Alberto; Seppi, Roberto; Carturan, Luca; Baroni, Carlo; Salvatore, Maria Cristina; Zumiani, Matteo

2017-10-01

The Little Ice Age (LIA) is a well-recognized climatic event during which the glaciers in the Alps advanced and reached their maximum Holocene extent. During their retreat following the LIA, the glaciers left large areas of loose or poorly consolidated glacial deposits in their forelands, which are subject to paraglacial reworking and may represent potential hazards for human infrastructures. In this study, we present a regional scale mapping of the LIA and post-LIA glacial deposits and a reconstruction of the maximum LIA extents of glaciers in the same area. This work is motivated by a local law requiring the classification of areas subject to natural hazards in Trentino (Italian Alps). Results highlight that glaciers shrunk by 63% from the LIA maximum, leaving 30 km2 of unconsolidated deposits, which are subject to geomorphic paraglacial processes. Potentially hazardous consequences can occur, in particular, during high-magnitude instantaneous events, causing debris and mud flows, mass wasting from debris-covered ice, and floods from small moraine-dammed lakes.

7 CFR 1955.63 - Suitability determination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... found in § 1955.53. (b) Grouping and subdividing farm properties. To the maximum extent practicable, the... which is obsolete due to location, design, construction or age. (5) A dwelling which requires major...

48 CFR 252.227-7024 - Notice and approval of restricted designs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... the performance of this contract, the Contractor shall, to the extent practicable, make maximum use of structures, machines, products, materials, construction methods, and equipment that are readily available...

Probabilistic assessment of precipitation-triggered landslides using historical records of landslide occurence, Seattle, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coe, J.A.; Michael, J.A.; Crovelli, R.A.; Savage, W.Z.; Laprade, W.T.; Nashem, W.D.

2004-01-01

Ninety years of historical landslide records were used as input to the Poisson and binomial probability models. Results from these models show that, for precipitation-triggered landslides, approximately 9 percent of the area of Seattle has annual exceedance probabilities of 1 percent or greater. Application of the Poisson model for estimating the future occurrence of individual landslides results in a worst-case scenario map, with a maximum annual exceedance probability of 25 percent on a hillslope near Duwamish Head in West Seattle. Application of the binomial model for estimating the future occurrence of a year with one or more landslides results in a map with a maximum annual exceedance probability of 17 percent (also near Duwamish Head). Slope and geology both play a role in localizing the occurrence of landslides in Seattle. A positive correlation exists between slope and mean exceedance probability, with probability tending to increase as slope increases. Sixty-four percent of all historical landslide locations are within 150 m (500 ft, horizontal distance) of the Esperance Sand/Lawton Clay contact, but within this zone, no positive or negative correlation exists between exceedance probability and distance to the contact.

Glacier-derived climate for the Younger Dryas in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pellitero, Ramon; Rea, Brice R.; Spagnolo, Matteo; Hughes, Philip; Braithwaite, Roger; Renssen, Hans; Ivy-Ochs, Susan; Ribolini, Adriano; Bakke, Jostein; Lukas, Sven

2016-04-01

We have reconstructed and calculated the glacier equilibrium line altitudes (ELA) for 120 Younger Dryas palaeoglaciers from Morocco in the south to Svalbard in the north and from Ireland in the west to Turkey in the east. The chronology of these landform were checked and, when derived from cosmogenic dates, these were recalculated based on newer production rates. Frontal moraines/limits for the palaeoglaciers were used to reconstruct palaeoglacier extent by using a GIS tool which implements a discretised solution for the assumption of perfect-plasticity ice rheology for a single flowline and extents this out to a 3D ice surface. From the resulting equilibrium profile, palaeoglaciers palaeo-ELAs were calculated using another GIS tool. Where several glaciers were reconstructed in a region, a single ELA value was generated following the methodology of Osmaston (2005). In order to utilise these ELAs for quantitative palaeo-precipitation reconstructions an independent regional temperature analysis was undertaken. A database of 121 sites was compiled where the temperature was determined from palaeoproxies other than glaciers (e.g. pollen, diatoms, choleoptera, chironimids…) in both terrestrial and offshore environments. These proxy data provides estimates of average annual, summer and winter temperatures. These data were merged and interpolated to generate maps of average temperature for the warmest and coldest months and annual average temperature. From these maps the temperature at the ELA was obtained using a lapse rate of 0.65°C/100m. Using the ELA temperature range and summer maximum in a degree-day model allows determination of the potential melt which can be taken as equivalent to precipitation given the assumption a glacier is in equilibrium with climate. Results show that during the coldest part of the Younger Dryas precipitation was high in the British Isles, the NW of the Iberian Peninsula and the Vosges. There is a general trend for declining precipitation to the east with some regional exceptions. Local rain shadow effects can be seen in NW Scotland, NW Iberian Peninsula, the Balkans and the Alps. Precipitation is lowest for glaciers in N Norway, which appear to have had their Younger Dryas maxima later in the stadial. This is interpreted to be the result of limited precipitation north of the polar front due to the presence of a near permanent sea ice cover.

Phase 1 General Design Memorandum Dalton Lake Project, Conasauga River, Whitfield and Murray Counties, Georgia.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-01

mg/l, and effluen: dissovled oxygen was 2.7 mg/l. In October 1986, these same parameters %.,re observed to be: 19 mg/l, 17 mg/l, and 3.6 mg/l...included analyses of three heights of da. tc determine the optirlur economJc ! cale of development (sizing that would provide the maximum annual net...benefits). 0 It was determined , through the above described analyses, that the annual net benefits at the Upper Jacks River and Coahulla Creek sites

Inter Annual Variability of the Acoustic Propagation in the Yellow Sea Identified from a Synoptic Monthly Gridded Database as Compared with GDEM

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

the world climate is in fact warming due to anthropogenic causes (Anderegg et al. 2010; Solomon et al. 2009). To put this in terms for this research ...2006). The present research uses a 0.5’ resolution. B. SEDIMENTS DATABASE There are four openly available sediment databases: Enhanced, Standard...DISTRIBUTION CODE 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) This research investigates the inter-annual acoustic variability in the Yellow Sea identified from

An analysis of effect of land use change on river flow variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tao; Liu, Yuting; Yang, Xinyue; Wang, Xiang

2018-02-01

Land use scenario analysis, SWAT model, flow characteristic indices and flow variability technology were used to analyze the effect of land use quantity and location change on river flow. Results showed that river flow variation caused by land use change from forest to crop was larger than that caused by land use change from forest to grass; Land use change neither from upstream to downstream nor from downstream to upstream had little effect on annual average discharge and maximum annual average discharge. But it had obvious effect on maximum daily discharge; Land use change which occurred in upstream could lead to producing larger magnitude flood more easily; Land use change from forest to crop or grass could increase the number of large magnitude floods and their total duration. And it also could increase the number of small magnitude floods but decrease their duration.

Annual Variation in the Sterol Content of Digitalis purpurea L. Seedlings 1

PubMed Central

Jacobsohn, Myra K.; Jacobsohn, Gert M.

1976-01-01

Seedings from a single lot of Digitalis purpurea L. seeds were germinated in batches over a period of 13 months. A total lipid extract was made which was resolved into esterified and unconjugated plus glycosylated sterol fractions. The amounts of sterol in each fraction and in the total were compared for seedlings germinated at different times of the year. The amount of esterified sterols reached a maximum value from March until June, and a low value from July until January. In January, a sharp increase began which lasted until March. Amounts of unconjugated and glycosylated sterols were elevated from March until June, low from July until October, and on the rise from November until March. These data correlate with an annual cycle in seed germination. The phase of maximum sterol content of seedlings is followed by a period of null germination. PMID:16659713

Regional Frequency Analysis of Annual Maximum Streamflow in Gipuzkoa (Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erro, J.; López, J. J.

2012-04-01

Extreme streamflow events have been an important cause of recent flooding in Gipuzkoa, and any change in the magnitude of such events may have severe impacts upon urban structures such as dams, urban drainage systems and flood defences, and cause failures to occur. So a regional frequency analysis of annual maximum streamflow was developed for Gipuzkoa, using the well known L-moments approach together with the index-flood procedure, and following the four steps that characterize it: initial screening of the data, identification of homogeneous regions, choice of the appropriate frequency distribution and estimation of quantiles for different return periods. The preliminary study, completed in 2009, was based on the observations recorded at 22 stations distributed throughout the area. A primary filtering of the data revealed the absence of jumps, inconsistencies and changes in trends within the series, and the discordancy measures showed that none of the sites used in the analysis had to be considered discordant with the others. Regionalization was performed by cluster analysis, grouping the stations according to eight physical site characteristics: latitude, longitude, drainage basin area, elevation, main channel length of the basin, slope, annual mean rainfall and annual maximum rainfall. It resulted in two groups - one cluster with the 18 sites of small-medium basin area, and a second cluster with the 4 remaining sites of major basin area - in which the homogeneity criteria were tested and satisfied. However, the short lenght of the series together with the introduction of the observations of 2010 and the inclusion of a historic extreme streamflow event occurred in northern Spain in November 2011, completely changed the results. With this consideration and adjustment, all Gipuzkoa could be treated as a homogeneus region. The goodness-of-fit measures indicated that Generalized Logistic (GLO) is the only suitable distribution to characterize Gipuzkoa. Using the regional L-moment algorithm, quantiles associated with return periods of interest were estimated, and Monte Carlo simulation was used to compute RMSE, bias and error bounds for the estimates.

Radiative forcing and climate response due to the presence of black carbon in cloud droplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhili; Zhang, Hua; Li, Jiangnan; Jing, Xianwen; Lu, Peng

2013-05-01

Optical properties of clouds containing black carbon (BC) particles in their water droplets are calculated by using the Maxwell Garnett mixing rule and Mie theory. The obtained cloud optical properties were then applied to an interactive system by coupling an aerosol model with a General Circulation Model. This system is used to investigate the radiative forcing and the equilibrium climate response due to BC in cloud droplets. The simulated global annual mean radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere due to the BC in cloud droplets is found to be 0.086 W m-2. Positive radiative forcing can be seen in Africa, South America, East and South Asia, and West Europe, with a maximum value of 1.5 W m-2 being observed in these regions. The enhanced cloud absorption is shown to increase the global annual mean values of solar heating rate, water vapor, and temperature, but to decrease the global annual mean cloud fraction. Finally, the global annual mean surface temperature is shown to increase by +0.08 K. The local maximum changes are found to be as low as -1.5 K and as high as +0.6 K. We show there has been a significant difference in surface temperature change in the Southern and Northern Hemisphere (+0.19 K and -0.04 K, respectively). Our results show that this interhemispheric asymmetry in surface temperature change could cause a corresponding change in atmospheric dynamics and precipitation. It is also found that the northern trade winds are enhanced in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). This results in northerly surface wind anomalies which cross the equator to converge with the enhanced southern trade winds in the tropics of Southern Hemisphere. This is shown to lead to an increase (a decrease) of vertical ascending motion and precipitation on the south (north) side of the equator, which could induce a southward shift in the tropical rainfall maximum related to the ITCZ.

Radiative forcing and climate response due to the presence of black carbon in cloud droplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Z.; Zhang, H.; Li, J.; Jing, X.; Lu, P.

2013-05-01

Optical properties of clouds containing black carbon (BC) particles in their water droplets are calculated by using the Maxwell Garnett mixing rule and Mie theory. The obtained cloud optical properties were then applied to an interactive system by coupling an aerosol model with a General Circulation Model. This system is used to investigate the radiative forcing and the equilibrium climate response due to BC in cloud droplets. The simulated global annual mean radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere due to the BC in cloud droplets is found to be 0.086 W m-2. Positive radiative forcing can be seen in Africa, South America, East and South Asia and West Europe, with a maximum value of 1.5 W m-2 being observed in these regions. The enhanced cloud absorption is shown to increase the global annual mean values of solar heating rate, water vapor and temperature, but to decrease the global annual mean cloud fraction. Finally, the global annual mean surface temperature is shown to increase by +0.08 K. The local maximum changes are found to be as low as -1.5 K and as high as +0.6 K. We show there has been a significant difference in surface temperature change in the Southern and Northern Hemisphere (+0.19 K and -0.04 K, respectively). Our results show that this interhemispheric asymmetry in surface temperature change could cause a corresponding change in atmospheric dynamics and precipitation. It is also found that the northern trade winds are enhanced in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). This results in northerly surface wind anomalies which cross the equator to converge with the enhanced southern trade winds in the tropics of Southern Hemisphere. This is shown to lead to an increase (a decrease) of vertical ascending motion and precipitation on the south (north) side of the equator, which could induce a southward shift in the tropical rainfall maximum related to the ITCZ.

Warming and wetting signals emerging from analysis of changes in climate extreme indices over South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skansi, María de los Milagros; Brunet, Manola; Sigró, Javier; Aguilar, Enric; Arevalo Groening, Juan Andrés; Bentancur, Oscar J.; Castellón Geier, Yaruska Rosa; Correa Amaya, Ruth Leonor; Jácome, Homero; Malheiros Ramos, Andrea; Oria Rojas, Clara; Pasten, Alejandro Max; Sallons Mitro, Sukarni; Villaroel Jiménez, Claudia; Martínez, Rodney; Alexander, Lisa V.; Jones, P. D.

2013-01-01

Here we show and discuss the results of an assessment of changes in both area-averaged and station-based climate extreme indices over South America (SA) for the 1950-2010 and 1969-2009 periods using high-quality daily maximum and minimum temperature and precipitation series. A weeklong regional workshop in Guayaquil (Ecuador) provided the opportunity to extend the current picture of changes in climate extreme indices over SA. Our results provide evidence of warming and wetting across the whole SA since the mid-20th century onwards. Nighttime (minimum) temperature indices show the largest rates of warming (e.g. for tropical nights, cold and warm nights), while daytime (maximum) temperature indices also point to warming (e.g. for cold days, summer days, the annual lowest daytime temperature), but at lower rates than for minimums. Both tails of night-time temperatures have warmed by a similar magnitude, with cold days (the annual lowest nighttime and daytime temperatures) seeing reductions (increases). Trends are strong and moderate (moderate to weak) for regional-averaged (local) indices, most of them pointing to a less cold SA during the day and warmer night-time temperatures. Regionally-averaged precipitation indices show clear wetting and a signature of intensified heavy rain events over the eastern part of the continent. The annual amounts of rainfall are rising strongly over south-east SA (26.41 mm/decade) and Amazonia (16.09 mm/decade), but north-east Brazil and the western part of SA have experienced non-significant decreases. Very wet and extremely days, the annual maximum 5-day and 1-day precipitation show the largest upward trends, indicating an intensified rainfall signal for SA, particularly over Amazonia and south-east SA. Local trends for precipitation extreme indices are in general less coherent spatially, but with more general spatially coherent upward trends in extremely wet days over all SA.

Air quality impact of the coal-fired power plants in the northern passageway of the China West-East Power Transmission Project.

PubMed

Xue, Zhigang; Hao, Jiming; Chai, Fahe; Duan, Ning; Chen, Yizhen; Li, Jindan; Chen, Fu; Liu, Simei; Pu, Wenqing

2005-12-01

This paper analyzes the air quality impacts of coal-fired power plants in the northern passageway of the West-East Power Transmission Project in China. A three-layer Lagrangian model called ATMOS, was used to simulate the spatial distribution of incremental sulfur dioxide (SO2) and coarse particulate matter (PM10) concentrations under different emission control scenarios. In the year 2005, the emissions from planned power plants mainly affected the air quality of Shanxi, Shaanxi, the common boundary of Inner Mongolia and Shanxi, and the area around the boundary between Inner Mongolia and Ningxia. In these areas, the annually averaged incremental SO2 and PM10 concentrations exceed 2 and 2.5 microg/m3, respectively. The maximum increases of the annually averaged SO2 and PM10 concentrations are 8.3 and 7.2 microg/m3, respectively, which occur around Hancheng city, near the boundary of the Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces. After integrated control measures are considered, the maximum increases of annually averaged SO2 and PM10 concentrations fall to 4.9 and 4 microg/m3, respectively. In the year 2010, the areas affected by planned power plants are mainly North Shaanxi, North Ningxia, and Northwest Shanxi. The maximum increases of the annually averaged SO2 and PM10, concentrations are, respectively, 6.3 and 5.6 microg/m3, occurring in Northwest Shanxi, which decline to 4.4 and 4.1 microg/m3 after the control measures are implemented. The results showed that the proposed power plants mainly affect the air quality of the region where the power plants are built, with little impact on East China where the electricity will be used. The influences of planned power plants on air quality will be decreased greatly by implementing integrated control measures.

5 CFR 1653.23 - Processing and payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... PROCESSES AFFECTING THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN ACCOUNTS Child Abuse Court Orders § 1653.23 Processing and payment. To the maximum extent consistent with sections 8437(e)(3) and 8467(a)(2), child abuse court orders...

5 CFR 1653.23 - Processing and payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... PROCESSES AFFECTING THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN ACCOUNTS Child Abuse Court Orders § 1653.23 Processing and payment. To the maximum extent consistent with sections 8437(e)(3) and 8467(a)(2), child abuse court orders...

5 CFR 1653.23 - Processing and payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... PROCESSES AFFECTING THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN ACCOUNTS Child Abuse Court Orders § 1653.23 Processing and payment. To the maximum extent consistent with sections 8437(e)(3) and 8467(a)(2), child abuse court orders...

5 CFR 1653.23 - Processing and payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... PROCESSES AFFECTING THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN ACCOUNTS Child Abuse Court Orders § 1653.23 Processing and payment. To the maximum extent consistent with sections 8437(e)(3) and 8467(a)(2), child abuse court orders...

5 CFR 1653.23 - Processing and payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... PROCESSES AFFECTING THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN ACCOUNTS Child Abuse Court Orders § 1653.23 Processing and payment. To the maximum extent consistent with sections 8437(e)(3) and 8467(a)(2), child abuse court orders...

How Learning Problems Are Managed

MedlinePlus

... Individuals with Disabilities Act is that students with disabilities be educated alongside their nondisabled peers to the maximum extent possible. By that standard, the ideal situation is inclusion: being taught in a regular classroom in the ...

32 CFR 101.8 - Reserve training in sovereign foreign nations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... training as they consider appropriate for members of the Reserve components who may be temporarily residing... the maximum extent to augment Defense Attache Offices before the continental United States-based...

32 CFR 101.8 - Reserve training in sovereign foreign nations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... training as they consider appropriate for members of the Reserve components who may be temporarily residing... the maximum extent to augment Defense Attache Offices before the continental United States-based...

32 CFR 101.8 - Reserve training in sovereign foreign nations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... training as they consider appropriate for members of the Reserve components who may be temporarily residing... the maximum extent to augment Defense Attache Offices before the continental United States-based...

32 CFR 101.8 - Reserve training in sovereign foreign nations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... training as they consider appropriate for members of the Reserve components who may be temporarily residing... the maximum extent to augment Defense Attache Offices before the continental United States-based...

32 CFR 101.8 - Reserve training in sovereign foreign nations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... training as they consider appropriate for members of the Reserve components who may be temporarily residing... the maximum extent to augment Defense Attache Offices before the continental United States-based...

Global Snow-Cover Evolution from Twenty Years of Satellite Passive Microwave Data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mognard, N.M.; Kouraev, A.V.; Josberger, E.G.

2003-01-01

Starting in 1979 with the SMMR (Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer) instrument onboard the satellite NIMBUS-7 and continuing since 1987 with the SSMI (Special Sensor Microwave Imager) instrument on board the DMSP (Defence Meteorological Satellite Program) series, more then twenty years of satellite passive microwave data are now available. This dataset has been processed to analyse the evolution of the global snow cover. This work is part of the AICSEX project from the 5th Framework Programme of the European Community. The spatio-temporal evolution of the satellite-derived yearly snow maximum extent and the timing of the spring snow melt were estimated and analysed over the Northern Hemisphere. Significant differences between the evolution of the yearly maximum snow extent in Eurasia and in North America were found. A positive correlation between the maximum yearly snow cover extent and the ENSO index was obtained. High interannual spatio-temporal variability characterises the timing of snow melt in the spring. Twenty-year trends in the timing of spring snow melt have been computed and compared with spring air temperature trends for the same period and the same area. In most parts of Eurasia and in the central and western parts of North America the tendency has been for earlier snow melt. In northeastern Canada, a large area of positive trends, where snow melt timing starts later than in the early 1980s, corresponds to a region of positive trends of spring air temperature observed over the same period.

Trends in 1970-2010 southern California surface maximum temperatures: extremes and heat waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghebreegziabher, Amanuel T.

Daily maximum temperatures from 1970-2010 were obtained from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) for 28 South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) Cooperative Network (COOP) sites. Analyses were carried out on the entire data set, as well as on the 1970-1974 and 2006-2010 sub-periods, including construction of spatial distributions and time-series trends of both summer-average and annual-maximum values and of the frequency of two and four consecutive "daytime" heat wave events. Spatial patterns of average and extreme values showed three areas consistent with climatological SoCAB flow patterns: cold coastal, warm inland low-elevation, and cool further-inland mountain top. Difference (2006-2010 minus 1970-1974) distributions of both average and extreme-value trends were consistent with the shorter period (1970-2005) study of previous study, as they showed the expected inland regional warming and a "reverse-reaction" cooling in low elevation coastal and inland areas open to increasing sea breeze flows. Annual-extreme trends generally showed cooling at sites below 600 m and warming at higher elevations. As the warming trends of the extremes were larger than those of the averages, regional warming thus impacts extremes more than averages. Spatial distributions of hot-day frequencies showed expected maximum at inland low-elevation sites. Regional warming again thus induced increases at both elevated-coastal areas, but low-elevation areas showed reverse-reaction decreases.

Trends in Middle East climate extreme indices from 1950 to 2003

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xuebin; Aguilar, Enric; Sensoy, Serhat; Melkonyan, Hamlet; Tagiyeva, Umayra; Ahmed, Nader; Kutaladze, Nato; Rahimzadeh, Fatemeh; Taghipour, Afsaneh; Hantosh, T. H.; Albert, Pinhas; Semawi, Mohammed; Karam Ali, Mohammad; Said Al-Shabibi, Mansoor Halal; Al-Oulan, Zaid; Zatari, Taha; Al Dean Khelet, Imad; Hamoud, Saleh; Sagir, Ramazan; Demircan, Mesut; Eken, Mehmet; Adiguzel, Mustafa; Alexander, Lisa; Peterson, Thomas C.; Wallis, Trevor

2005-11-01

A climate change workshop for the Middle East brought together scientists and data for the region to produce the first area-wide analysis of climate extremes for the region. This paper reports trends in extreme precipitation and temperature indices that were computed during the workshop and additional indices data that became available after the workshop. Trends in these indices were examined for 1950-2003 at 52 stations covering 15 countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Turkey. Results indicate that there have been statistically significant, spatially coherent trends in temperature indices that are related to temperature increases in the region. Significant, increasing trends have been found in the annual maximum of daily maximum and minimum temperature, the annual minimum of daily maximum and minimum temperature, the number of summer nights, and the number of days where daily temperature has exceeded its 90th percentile. Significant negative trends have been found in the number of days when daily temperature is below its 10th percentile and daily temperature range. Trends in precipitation indices, including the number of days with precipitation, the average precipitation intensity, and maximum daily precipitation events, are weak in general and do not show spatial coherence. The workshop attendees have generously made the indices data available for the international research community.

Non-stationary Return Levels of CMIP5 Multi-model Temperature Extremes

DOE PAGES

Cheng, L.; Phillips, T. J.; AghaKouchak, A.

2015-05-01

The objective of this study is to evaluate to what extent the CMIP5 climate model simulations of the climate of the twentieth century can represent observed warm monthly temperature extremes under a changing environment. The biases and spatial patterns of 2-, 10-, 25-, 50- and 100-year return levels of the annual maxima of monthly mean temperature (hereafter, annual temperature maxima) from CMIP5 simulations are compared with those of Climatic Research Unit (CRU) observational data considered under a non-stationary assumption. The results show that CMIP5 climate models collectively underestimate the mean annual maxima over arid and semi-arid regions that are mostmore » subject to severe heat waves and droughts. Furthermore, the results indicate that most climate models tend to underestimate the historical annual temperature maxima over the United States and Greenland, while generally disagreeing in their simulations over cold regions. Return level analysis shows that with respect to the spatial patterns of the annual temperature maxima, there are good agreements between the CRU observations and most CMIP5 simulations. However, the magnitudes of the simulated annual temperature maxima differ substantially across individual models. Discrepancies are generally larger over higher latitudes and cold regions.« less

Agricultural Tractor Safety on Public Roads and Farms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Transportation, Washington, DC.

This study investigated the extent, causes, and means of preventing agricultural tractor accidents. The report includes an estimate of annual tractor-related deaths, an identification of the primary causes of such accidents with consideration of the major hazards causing death or injury, and recommendations or means for preventing the occurrence…

Factors Associated with Illegal Drug Use in Rural Georgia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Napier, Ted L.; And Others

1983-01-01

Assessed the extent of illegal drug use among 2,060 junior and senior high school students in rural Georgia, and found extensive illegal drug use, especially among older White male students. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists, Orlando, Florida, February 1982. (JAC)

20 CFR 666.120 - What are the procedures for negotiating annual levels of performance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... performance for each core indicator and the customer satisfaction indicators. In negotiating these levels, the... customer satisfaction; (3) The extent to which the levels of performance promote continuous improvement and... Governor must reach agreement on levels of performance for each core indicator and the customer...

Crime on Campus. Annual Report: 1990.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leach, Michael D.

This report portrays the nature, volume, and extent of crime occurring on the campuses and housing of approximately 65 institutions of higher education in Tennessee from January to December of 1990. Following an introduction, a sample reporting form is provided, along with information on classification of offenses and calculation of crime rates.…

43 CFR 2521.5 - Annual proof.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... the land, in permanent improvements thereon, and in the purchase of water rights for the irrigation... extent of the improvements placed on the claim. Said act, however, authorizes the submission of final...., and for the first breaking or clearing of the soil are also acceptable. (2) The value to be attached...

Growing Enrollment with Kindness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dowling, Earl E.

2015-01-01

"While community college enrollment has generally declined by about 2 or 3 percent annually in recent years--due to some extent to the improving economy--some colleges have bucked the trend" (Ashford 2015). What made the difference? Like many community colleges, College of DuPage has been concerned with access and affordability. The…

Empirical Analysis of the Influence of Forest Extent on Annual and Seasonal Surface Temperatures for the Continental United States

EPA Science Inventory

Most scenario‐based climate modeling studies indicate that replacing temperate forest with cropland will promote cooling by reducing surface air temperatures. These results are inconsistent with fieldbased microclimate studies that have found that forests are cooler, wetter, and...

DYNAMICS OF A SUBTIDAL SEAGRASS LANDSCAPE: SEASONAL AND ANNUAL CHANGE IN RELATION TO WATER DEPTH

EPA Science Inventory

The spatial heterogeneity of a subtidal marine landscape and the areal extent of both monospecific and mixed patches of seagrass species were studied in Tampa Bay, FL. Specifically, we examined the temporal dynamics of seagrass distribution and its relationship to water depth an...

Predicting fire-based perennial bunchgrass mortality in low elevation big sagebrush plant communities

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Maintenance and post-fire rehabilitation of perennial bunchgrasses is important for reducing the spread of annual grass species in low elevation big sagebrush plant communities. Post-fire rehabilitation decisions are hampered by a lack of tools for determining extent of fire-induced perennial grass...

Observed Hemispheric Asymmetry in Global Sea Ice Changes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cavalieri, D. J.; Gloersen, P.; Parkinson, C. L.; Comiso, J. C.; Zwally, H. J.

1997-01-01

From November 1978 through December 1996, the areal extent of sea ice decreased by 2.9 +/- 0.4 percent per decade in the Arctic and increased by 1.3 +/- 0.2 percent per decade in the Antarctic. The observed hemispheric asymmetry in these trends is consistent with a modeled response to a carbon dioxide-induced climate warming. The interannual variations, which are 2.3 percent of the annual mean in the Arctic, with a predominant period of about 5 years, and 3.4 percent of the annual mean in the Antarctic, with a predominant period of about 3 years, are uncorrelated.

Prospects for detection of target-dependent annual modulation in direct dark matter searches

DOE PAGES

Nobile, Eugenio Del; Gelmini, Graciela B.; Witte, Samuel J.

2016-02-03

Earth's rotation about the Sun produces an annual modulation in the expected scattering rate at direct dark matter detection experiments. The annual modulation as a function of the recoil energy E R imparted by the dark matter particle to a target nucleus is expected to vary depending on the detector material. However, for most interactions a change of variables from E R to v min, the minimum speed a dark matter particle must have to impart a fixed E R to a target nucleus, produces an annual modulation independent of the target element. We recently showed that if the darkmore » matter-nucleus cross section contains a non-factorizable target and dark matter velocity dependence, the annual modulation as a function of v min can be target dependent. Here we examine more extensively the necessary conditions for target-dependent modulation, its observability in present-day experiments, and the extent to which putative signals could identify a dark matter-nucleus differential cross section with a non-factorizable dependence on the dark matter velocity.« less

Temperature and rainfall strongly drive temporal growth variation in Asian tropical forest trees.

PubMed

Vlam, Mart; Baker, Patrick J; Bunyavejchewin, Sarayudh; Zuidema, Pieter A

2014-04-01

Climate change effects on growth rates of tropical trees may lead to alterations in carbon cycling of carbon-rich tropical forests. However, climate sensitivity of broad-leaved lowland tropical trees is poorly understood. Dendrochronology (tree-ring analysis) provides a powerful tool to study the relationship between tropical tree growth and annual climate variability. We aimed to establish climate-growth relationships for five annual-ring forming tree species, using ring-width data from 459 canopy and understory trees from a seasonal tropical forest in western Thailand. Based on 183/459 trees, chronologies with total lengths between 29 and 62 years were produced for four out of five species. Bootstrapped correlation analysis revealed that climate-growth responses were similar among these four species. Growth was significantly negatively correlated with current-year maximum and minimum temperatures, and positively correlated with dry-season precipitation levels. Negative correlations between growth and temperature may be attributed to a positive relationship between temperature and autotrophic respiration rates. The positive relationship between growth and dry-season precipitation levels likely reflects the strong water demand during leaf flush. Mixed-effect models yielded results that were consistent across species: a negative effect of current wet-season maximum temperatures on growth, but also additive positive effects of, for example, prior dry-season maximum temperatures. Our analyses showed that annual growth variability in tropical trees is determined by a combination of both temperature and precipitation variability. With rising temperature, the predominantly negative relationship between temperature and growth may imply decreasing growth rates of tropical trees as a result of global warming.

Forecasting models for sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) pollen count showing an alternate dispersal rhythm.

PubMed

Ito, Yukiko; Hattori, Reiko; Mase, Hiroki; Watanabe, Masako; Shiotani, Itaru

2008-12-01

Pollen information is indispensable for allergic individuals and clinicians. This study aimed to develop forecasting models for the total annual count of airborne pollen grains based on data monitored over the last 20 years at the Mie Chuo Medical Center, Tsu, Mie, Japan. Airborne pollen grains were collected using a Durham sampler. Total annual pollen count and pollen count from October to December (OD pollen count) of the previous year were transformed to logarithms. Regression analysis of the total pollen count was performed using variables such as the OD pollen count and the maximum temperature for mid-July of the previous year. Time series analysis revealed an alternate rhythm of the series of total pollen count. The alternate rhythm consisted of a cyclic alternation of an "on" year (high pollen count) and an "off" year (low pollen count). This rhythm was used as a dummy variable in regression equations. Of the three models involving the OD pollen count, a multiple regression equation that included the alternate rhythm variable and the interaction of this rhythm with OD pollen count showed a high coefficient of determination (0.844). Of the three models involving the maximum temperature for mid-July, those including the alternate rhythm variable and the interaction of this rhythm with maximum temperature had the highest coefficient of determination (0.925). An alternate pollen dispersal rhythm represented by a dummy variable in the multiple regression analysis plays a key role in improving forecasting models for the total annual sugi pollen count.

Frequency of annual maximum precipitation in the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, through 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weaver, J. Curtis

2006-01-01

A study of annual maximum precipitation frequency in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, was conducted to characterize the frequency of precipitation at sites having at least 10 years of precipitation record. Precipitation-frequency studies provide information about the occurrence of precipitation amounts for given durations (for example, 1 hour or 24 hours) that can be expected to occur within a specified recurrence interval (expressed in years). In this study, annual maximum precipitation totals were determined for durations of 15 and 30 minutes; 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours; and for recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 500 years. Precipitation data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey network of raingages in the city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County were analyzed for this study. In September 2004, more than 70 precipitation sites were in operation; 27 of these sites had at least 10 years of record, which is the minimum record typically required in frequency studies. Missing record at one site, however, resulted in its removal from the dataset. Two datasets--the Charlotte Raingage Network (CRN) initial and CRN modified datasets--were developed from the U.S. Geological Survey data, which represented relatively short periods of record (10 and 11 years). The CRN initial dataset included very high precipitation totals from two storms that caused severe flooding in areas of the city and county in August 1995 and July 1997, which could significantly influence the statistical results. The CRN modified dataset excluded the highest precipitation totals from these two storms but included the second highest totals. More...

Enhanced hemispheric-scale snow mapping through the blending of optical and microwave satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, R. L.; Brodzik, M. J.; Savoie, M.; Knowles, K.

2003-04-01

Snow cover is an important variable for climate and hydrologic models due to its effects on energy and moisture budgets. Seasonal snow can cover more than 50% of the Northern Hemisphere land surface during the winter resulting in snow cover being the land surface characteristic responsible for the largest annual and interannual differences in albedo. Passive microwave satellite remote sensing can augment measurements based on visible satellite data alone because of the ability to acquire data through most clouds or during darkness as well as to provide a measure of snow depth or water equivalent. Global snow cover fluctuation can now be monitored over a 24 year period using passive microwave data (Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) 1978-1987 and Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I), 1987-present). Evaluation of snow extent derived from passive microwave algorithms is presented through comparison with the NOAA Northern Hemisphere weekly snow extent data. For the period 1978 to 2002, both passive microwave and visible data sets show a similar pattern of inter-annual variability, although the maximum snow extents derived from the microwave data are consistently less than those provided by the visible satellite data and the visible data typically show higher monthly variability. Decadal trends and their significance are compared for the two data types. During shallow snow conditions of the early winter season microwave data consistently indicate less snow-covered area than the visible data. This underestimate of snow extent results from the fact that shallow snow cover (less than about 5.0 cm) does not provide a scattering signal of sufficient strength to be detected by the algorithms. As the snow cover continues to build during the months of January through March, as well as throughout the melt season, agreement between the two data types continually improves. This occurs because as the snow becomes deeper and the layered structure more complex, the negative spectral gradient driving the passive microwave algorithm is enhanced. Because the current generation of microwave snow algorithms is unable to consistently detect shallow and intermittent snow, we combine visible satellite data with the microwave data in a single blended product to overcome this problem. For the period 1978 to 2002 we combine data from the NOAA weekly snow charts with passive microwave data from the SMMR and SSM/I brightness temperature record. For the current and future time period we blend MODIS and AMSR-E data sets, both of which have greatly enhanced spatial resolution compared to the earlier data sources. Because it is not possible to determine snow depth or snow water equivalent from visible data, the regions where only the NOAA or MODIS data indicate snow are defined as "shallow snow". However, because our current blended product is being developed in the 25 km EASE-Grid and the MODIS data being used are in the Climate Modelers Grid (CMG) at approximately 5 km (0.05 deg.) the blended product also includes percent snow cover over the larger grid cell. A prototype version of the blended MODIS/AMSR-E product will be available in near real-time from NSIDC during the 2002-2003 winter season.

The estimation of probable maximum precipitation: the case of Catalonia.

PubMed

Casas, M Carmen; Rodríguez, Raül; Nieto, Raquel; Redaño, Angel

2008-12-01

A brief overview of the different techniques used to estimate the probable maximum precipitation (PMP) is presented. As a particular case, the 1-day PMP over Catalonia has been calculated and mapped with a high spatial resolution. For this purpose, the annual maximum daily rainfall series from 145 pluviometric stations of the Instituto Nacional de Meteorología (Spanish Weather Service) in Catalonia have been analyzed. In order to obtain values of PMP, an enveloping frequency factor curve based on the actual rainfall data of stations in the region has been developed. This enveloping curve has been used to estimate 1-day PMP values of all the 145 stations. Applying the Cressman method, the spatial analysis of these values has been achieved. Monthly precipitation climatological data, obtained from the application of Geographic Information Systems techniques, have been used as the initial field for the analysis. The 1-day PMP at 1 km(2) spatial resolution over Catalonia has been objectively determined, varying from 200 to 550 mm. Structures with wavelength longer than approximately 35 km can be identified and, despite their general concordance, the obtained 1-day PMP spatial distribution shows remarkable differences compared to the annual mean precipitation arrangement over Catalonia.

Lidar measurements of mesospheric temperature inversion at a low latitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siva Kumar, V.; Bhavani Kumar, Y.; Raghunath, K.; Rao, P. B.; Krishnaiah, M.; Mizutani, K.; Aoki, T.; Yasui, M.; Itabe, T.

2001-08-01

The Rayleigh lidar data collected on 119 nights from March 1998 to February 2000 were used to study the statistical characteristics of the low latitude mesospheric temperature inversion observed over Gadanki (13.5° N, 79.2° E), India. The occurrence frequency of the inversion showed semiannual variation with maxima in the equinoxes and minima in the summer and winter, which was quite different from that reported for the mid-latitudes. The peak of the inversion layer was found to be confined to the height range of 73 to 79 km with the maximum occurrence centered around 76 km, with a weak seasonal dependence that fits well to an annual cycle with a maximum in June and a minimum in December. The magnitude of the temperature deviation associated with the inversion was found to be as high as 32 K, with the most probable value occurring at about 20 K. Its seasonal dependence seems to follow an annual cycle with a maximum in April and a minimum in October. The observed characteristics of the inversion layer are compared with that of the mid-latitudes and discussed in light of the current understanding of the source mechanisms.

Flood Frequency Curves - Use of information on the likelihood of extreme floods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faber, B.

2011-12-01

Investment in the infrastructure that reduces flood risk for flood-prone communities must incorporate information on the magnitude and frequency of flooding in that area. Traditionally, that information has been a probability distribution of annual maximum streamflows developed from the historical gaged record at a stream site. Practice in the United States fits a Log-Pearson type3 distribution to the annual maximum flows of an unimpaired streamflow record, using the method of moments to estimate distribution parameters. The procedure makes the assumptions that annual peak streamflow events are (1) independent, (2) identically distributed, and (3) form a representative sample of the overall probability distribution. Each of these assumptions can be challenged. We rarely have enough data to form a representative sample, and therefore must compute and display the uncertainty in the estimated flood distribution. But, is there a wet/dry cycle that makes precipitation less than independent between successive years? Are the peak flows caused by different types of events from different statistical populations? How does the watershed or climate changing over time (non-stationarity) affect the probability distribution floods? Potential approaches to avoid these assumptions vary from estimating trend and shift and removing them from early data (and so forming a homogeneous data set), to methods that estimate statistical parameters that vary with time. A further issue in estimating a probability distribution of flood magnitude (the flood frequency curve) is whether a purely statistical approach can accurately capture the range and frequency of floods that are of interest. A meteorologically-based analysis produces "probable maximum precipitation" (PMP) and subsequently a "probable maximum flood" (PMF) that attempts to describe an upper bound on flood magnitude in a particular watershed. This analysis can help constrain the upper tail of the probability distribution, well beyond the range of gaged data or even historical or paleo-flood data, which can be very important in risk analyses performed for flood risk management and dam and levee safety studies.

When patients have to pay a share of drug costs: effects on frequency of physician visits, hospital admissions and filling of prescriptions.

PubMed

Anis, Aslam H; Guh, Daphne P; Lacaille, Diane; Marra, Carlo A; Rashidi, Amir A; Li, Xin; Esdaile, John M

2005-11-22

Previous research has shown that patient cost-sharing leads to a reduction in overall health resource utilization. However, in Canada, where health care is provided free of charge except for prescription drugs, the converse may be true. We investigated the effect of prescription drug cost-sharing on overall health care utilization among elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Elderly patients (> or = 65 years) were selected from a population-based cohort with rheumatoid arthritis. Those who had paid the maximum amount of dispensing fees (200 dollars) for the calendar year (from 1997 to 2000) were included in the analysis for that year. We defined the period during which the annual maximum co-payment had not been reached as the "cost-sharing period" and the one beyond which the annual maximum co-payment had been reached as the "free period." We compared health services utilization patterns between these periods during the 4 study years, including the number of hospital admissions, the number of physician visits, the number of prescriptions filled and the number of prescriptions per physician visit. Overall, 2968 elderly patients reached the annual maximum cost-sharing amount at least once during the study periods. Across the 4 years, there were 0.38 more physician visits per month (p < 0.001), 0.50 fewer prescriptions filled per month (p = 0.001) and 0.52 fewer prescriptions filled per physician visit (p < 0.001) during the cost-sharing period than during the free period. Among patients who were admitted to the hospital at least once, there were 0.013 more admissions per month during the cost-sharing period than during the free period (p = 0.03). In a predominantly publicly funded health care system, the implementation of cost-containment policies such as prescription drug cost-sharing may have the unintended effect of increasing overall health utilization among elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Extreme Precipitation in Poland in the Years 1951-2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malinowska, Miroslawa

2017-12-01

The characteristics of extreme precipitation, including the dominant trends, were analysed for eight stations located in different parts of Poland for the period 1951-2010. Five indices enabling the assessment of the intensity and frequency of both extremely dry and wet conditions were applied. The indices included the number of days with precipitation ≥10mm·d-1 (R10), maximum number of consecutive dry days (CDD), maximum 5-day precipitation total (R5d), simple daily intensity index (SDII), and the fraction of annual total precipitation due to events exceeding the 95th percentile calculated for the period 1961-1990. Annual trends were calculated using standard linear regression method, while the fit of the model was assessed with the F-test at the 95% confidence level. The analysed changes in extreme precipitation showed mixed patterns. A significant positive trend in the number of days with precipitation ≥10mm·d-1 (R10) was observed in central Poland, while a significant negative one, in south-eastern Poland. Based on the analysis of maximum 5-day precipitation totals (R5d), statistically significant positive trends in north-western, western and eastern parts of the country were detected, while the negative trends were found in the central and northeastern parts. Daily precipitation, expressed as single daily intensity index (SDII), increased over time in northern and central Poland. In southern Poland, the variation of SDII index showed non-significant negative tendencies. Finally, the fraction of annual total precipitation due to the events exceeding the 1961-1990 95th percentile increased at one station only, namely, in Warsaw. The indicator which refers to dry conditions, i.e. maximum number of consecutive dry days (CDD) displayed negative trends throughout the surveyed area, with the exception of Szczecin that is a representative of north-western Poland.

Parameter optimisation for a better representation of drought by LSMs: inverse modelling vs. sequential data assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewaele, Hélène; Munier, Simon; Albergel, Clément; Planque, Carole; Laanaia, Nabil; Carrer, Dominique; Calvet, Jean-Christophe

2017-09-01

Soil maximum available water content (MaxAWC) is a key parameter in land surface models (LSMs). However, being difficult to measure, this parameter is usually uncertain. This study assesses the feasibility of using a 15-year (1999-2013) time series of satellite-derived low-resolution observations of leaf area index (LAI) to estimate MaxAWC for rainfed croplands over France. LAI interannual variability is simulated using the CO2-responsive version of the Interactions between Soil, Biosphere and Atmosphere (ISBA) LSM for various values of MaxAWC. Optimal value is then selected by using (1) a simple inverse modelling technique, comparing simulated and observed LAI and (2) a more complex method consisting in integrating observed LAI in ISBA through a land data assimilation system (LDAS) and minimising LAI analysis increments. The evaluation of the MaxAWC estimates from both methods is done using simulated annual maximum above-ground biomass (Bag) and straw cereal grain yield (GY) values from the Agreste French agricultural statistics portal, for 45 administrative units presenting a high proportion of straw cereals. Significant correlations (p value < 0.01) between Bag and GY are found for up to 36 and 53 % of the administrative units for the inverse modelling and LDAS tuning methods, respectively. It is found that the LDAS tuning experiment gives more realistic values of MaxAWC and maximum Bag than the inverse modelling experiment. Using undisaggregated LAI observations leads to an underestimation of MaxAWC and maximum Bag in both experiments. Median annual maximum values of disaggregated LAI observations are found to correlate very well with MaxAWC.

Surface exposure chronology of the Waimakariri glacial sequence in the Southern Alps of New Zealand: Implications for MIS-2 ice extent and LGM glacial mass balance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rother, Henrik; Shulmeister, James; Fink, David; Alexander, David; Bell, David

2015-11-01

During the late Quaternary, the Southern Alps of New Zealand experienced multiple episodes of glaciation with large piedmont glaciers reaching the coastal plains in the west and expanding into the eastern alpine forelands. Here, we present a new 10Be exposure age chronology for a moraine sequence in the Waimakariri Valley (N-Canterbury), which has long been used as a reference record for correlating glacial events across New Zealand and the wider Southern Hemisphere. Our data indicate that the Waimakariri glacier reached its maximum last glaciation extent prior to ∼26 ka well before the global last glaciation maximum (LGM). This was followed by a gradual reduction in ice volume and the abandonment of the innermost LGM moraines at about 17.5 ka. Significantly, we find that during its maximum extent, the Waimakariri glacier overflowed the Avoca Plateau, previously believed to represent a mid-Pleistocene glacial surface (i.e. MIS 8). At the same time, the glacier extended to a position downstream of the Waimakariri Gorge, some 15 km beyond the previously mapped LGM ice limit. We use a simple steady-state mass balance model to test the sensitivity of past glacial accumulation to various climatic parameters, and to evaluate possible climate scenarios capable of generating the ice volume required to reach the full local-LGM extent. Model outcomes indicate that under New Zealand's oceanic setting, a cooling of 5 °C, assuming modern precipitation levels, or a cooling of 6.5 °C, assuming a one third reduction in precipitation, would suffice to drive the Waimakariri glacier to the eastern alpine forelands (Canterbury Plains). Our findings demonstrate that the scale of LGM glaciation in the Waimakariri Valley and adjacent major catchments, both in terms of ice volume and downvalley ice extent, has been significantly underestimated. Our observation that high-lying glacial surfaces, so far believed to represent much older glacial episodes, were glaciated during the LGM, challenges the conventional geomorphic model of glaciation in New Zealand where the vertical arrangement of glacial landform-associations is used to assign successively older glaciation ages.

Flows, droughts, and aliens: factors affecting the fish assemblage in a Sierra Nevada, California, stream.

PubMed

Kiernan, Joseph D; Moyle, Peter B

2012-06-01

The fishes of Martis Creek, in the Sierra Nevada of California (USA), were sampled at four sites annually over 30 years, 1979-2008. This long-term data set was used to examine (1) the persistence and stability of the Martis Creek fish assemblage in the face of environmental stochasticity; (2) whether native and alien fishes responded differently to a natural hydrologic regime (e.g., timing and magnitude of high and low flows); and (3) the importance of various hydrologic and physical habitat variables in explaining the abundances of native and alien fish species through time. Our results showed that fish assemblages were persistent at all sample sites, but individual species exhibited marked interannual variability in density, biomass, and relative abundance. The density and biomass of native fishes generally declined over the period of study, whereas most alien species showed no significant long-term trends. Only alien rainbow trout increased in both density and biomass at all sites over time. Redundancy analysis identified three hydrologic variables (annual 7-day minimum discharge, maximum winter discharge, and number of distinct winter floods) and two habitat variables (percentage of pool habitat and percentage of gravel substrate) that each explained a significant portion of the annual variation in fish assemblage structure. For alien taxa, their proportional contribution to the total fish assemblage was inversely related to mean annual streamflow, one-day maximum discharge in both winter and spring, and the frequency of springtime floods. Results of this study highlight the need for continuous annual monitoring of streams with highly variable flow regimes to evaluate shifts in fish community structure. Apparent successes or failures in stream management may appear differently depending on the time series of available data.

Humidification of the Arctic: Effects of more open ocean water on land temperatures and tundra productivity along continental and maritime bioclimate transects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatt, U. S.; Walker, D. A.; Raynolds, M. K.; Epstein, H. E.

2017-12-01

Amplified Arctic warming linked to declining sea-ice extent led to generally enhanced productivity of the tundra biome during the period 1982-2008. After about 2002, coinciding with a recent precipitous decline in sea ice, large areas of the Arctic began showing reversals of previous positive productivity trends. To better understand these recent vegetation productivity declines and whether they are associated with differences in a general humidification of portions of the Arctic, we focus analysis on two transects with ground information: the more continental North America Arctic Transect (NAAT) and the more maritime Eurasia Arctic Transect (EAT). We compare ground information with satellite-derived trends in open water, summer terrestrial temperatures, and vegetation greenness and changes in continentality of the two transects, as indicated by the differences in the annual maximum and minimum mean monthly temperatures. Areas adjacent to perennial sea ice along in the northern parts of the NAAT exhibit climates with positive trends in summer warmth, but negative greening trends, possibly due to soil drying. Southern parts of the NAAT in the vicinity of more open water show positive greenness trends. Along the EAT, cooling midsummer conditions and reduced greenness appear to be caused by cloudier conditions, and possibly later snow melt during the period of maximum potential photosynthesis. Ground-based environmental and vegetation data indicate that biomass, particularly moss biomass is much greater along the more maritime EAT, indicating a buffering effect of the vegetation that will act to damp productivity as humidification of the Arctic proceeds. This multi-scale analysis is one step in the direction of understanding the drivers of tundra vegetation productivity in the Arctic.

22 CFR 217.23 - New construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... affect the usability of the facility or part of the facility shall, to the maximum extent feasible, be... equivalent or greater access to and usability of the building is provided. (2) For purposes of this section...

7 CFR 15b.19 - New construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... affect the usability of the facility or part of the facility shall to the maximum extent feasible, be... equivalent or greater access to and usability of the building is provided. (2) For purposes of this section...

22 CFR 142.17 - New construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... could affect the usability of the facility or part of the facility shall, to the maximum extent feasible... equivalent or greater access to and usability of the building is provided. (2) For purposes of this section...

7 CFR 15b.19 - New construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... affect the usability of the facility or part of the facility shall to the maximum extent feasible, be... equivalent or greater access to and usability of the building is provided. (2) For purposes of this section...

22 CFR 142.17 - New construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... could affect the usability of the facility or part of the facility shall, to the maximum extent feasible... equivalent or greater access to and usability of the building is provided. (2) For purposes of this section...

22 CFR 217.23 - New construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... affect the usability of the facility or part of the facility shall, to the maximum extent feasible, be... equivalent or greater access to and usability of the building is provided. (2) For purposes of this section...

15 CFR 922.142 - Prohibited or otherwise regulated activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... maximum extent practicable any advance impact on Sanctuary resources and qualities. Civil engineering and other civil works projects conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are excluded from the scope of...

22 CFR 217.23 - New construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... affect the usability of the facility or part of the facility shall, to the maximum extent feasible, be... equivalent or greater access to and usability of the building is provided. (2) For purposes of this section...

7 CFR 15b.19 - New construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... affect the usability of the facility or part of the facility shall to the maximum extent feasible, be... equivalent or greater access to and usability of the building is provided. (2) For purposes of this section...

Increased baseflow in Iowa over the second half of the 20th Century

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schilling, K.E.; Libra, R.D.

2003-01-01

Historical trends in annual discharge characteristics were evaluated for 11 gauging stations located throughout Iowa. Discharge records from nine eight-digit hydrologic unit code (HUC-8) watersheds were examined for the period 1940 to 2000, whereas data for two larger river systems (Cedar and Des Moines Rivers) were examined for a longer period of record (1903 to 2000). In nearly all watersheds evaluated, annual baseflow, annual minimum flow, and the annual baseflow percentage significantly increased over time. Some rivers also exhibited increasing trends in total annual discharge, whereas only the Maquoketa River had significantly decreased annual maximum flows. Regression of stream discharge versus precipitation indicated that more precipitation is being routed into streams as baseflow than as stormflow in the second half of the 20th Century. Reasons for the observed streamflow trends are hypothesized to include improved conservation practices, greater artificial drainage, increasing row crop production, and channel incision. Each of these reasons is consistent with the observed trends, and all are likely responsible to some degree in most watersheds.

Descriptive, cross-country analysis of the nurse practitioner workforce in six countries: size, growth, physician substitution potential

PubMed Central

Maier, Claudia B; Barnes, Hilary; Aiken, Linda H; Busse, Reinhard

2016-01-01

Objectives Many countries are facing provider shortages and imbalances in primary care or are projecting shortfalls for the future, triggered by the rise in chronic diseases and multimorbidity. In order to assess the potential of nurse practitioners (NPs) in expanding access, we analysed the size, annual growth (2005–2015) and the extent of advanced practice of NPs in 6 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Design Cross-country data analysis of national nursing registries, regulatory bodies, statistical offices data as well as OECD health workforce and population data, plus literature scoping review. Setting/participants NP and physician workforces in 6 OECD countries (Australia, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and USA). Primary and secondary outcome measures The main outcomes were the absolute and relative number of NPs per 100 000 population compared with the nursing and physician workforces, the compound annual growth rates, annual and median percentage changes from 2005 to 2015 and a synthesis of the literature on the extent of advanced clinical practice measured by physician substitution effect. Results The USA showed the highest absolute number of NPs and rate per population (40.5 per 100 000 population), followed by the Netherlands (12.6), Canada (9.8), Australia (4.4), and Ireland and New Zealand (3.1, respectively). Annual growth rates were high in all countries, ranging from annual compound rates of 6.1% in the USA to 27.8% in the Netherlands. Growth rates were between three and nine times higher compared with physicians. Finally, the empirical studies emanating from the literature scoping review suggested that NPs are able to provide 67–93% of all primary care services, yet, based on limited evidence. Conclusions NPs are a rapidly growing workforce with high levels of advanced practice potential in primary care. Workforce monitoring based on accurate data is critical to inform educational capacity and workforce planning. PMID:27601498

Prospects of poverty eradication through the existing Zakat system in Pakistan.

PubMed

Mohammad, F

1991-01-01

In the Muslim system, Zakat functions as a means to reduce inequalities and eradicate poverty. Zakat means growth, extension, and purification. It is a usually annual premium charged on all accumulated productive wealth and on a variety of agricultural produce. Various rates are used. In the past, Zakat was paid on a self assessed basis and given to the needy. Due to influence on Sunni Muslims, in 1980 collection and disbursement was deemed the function of an Islamic state and the state system was introduced. The formal system is described in detail. A random sample (1050) of Local Zakat Committee (LZC) members, Zakat recipients, and the general population was conducted in 1988 to see to what extent poverty has been eradicated with this system. Zakat recipients were either those receiving a subsistence allowance or those receiving funds for permanent rehabilitation. Estimates of Zakat and Ushr (for agricultural produce) received and the maximum limit to collection and the maximum potential are given by region. Estimates are also given for the number of Mustahqueen-e-Zakat (MZ) (needy) by province. The total number is 5.46 million households, or 32.22% of all households in Pakistan, which is slightly higher than other prior estimates. Those receiving Zakat number 3.967 million or 23.43% of total households. Clearly not all those in need are receiving aid. The range of needy is 18.4% to 42.58% and could include those who are not poor but qualify for receiving Zakat according to Islamic principles. Estimates are given for the shortfall in funds needed to fill the gap. Other funding is needed to retrain MZ and estimates by province are generated to this end. It is clear that the present system needs to be reformed because the estimated funding requirements exceed the potential; there is a gap in the number needing aid and those receiving aid; and there is a gap in funds secured to rehabilitate and those requesting rehabilitation. To augment the system, it is suggested that Zakat exemptions be removed, stock in trade should be included, all agricultural produce should be included, subsistence should be given to only the most poor and disabled and the rest should receive a modest amount for starting a project on an annual rotation, and greater government emphasis at all levels must be placed on eliminating poverty.

An evaluation of the emerging vaccines against influenza in children

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Influenza is an under-appreciated cause of acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in children. It is estimated to cause approximately 20 million new episodes of ALRI in children annually, 97% of these occurring in developing countries. It is also estimated to result in 28000 to 112000 deaths annually in young children. Apart from hospitalisations and deaths, influenza has significant economic consequences. The current egg-based inactivated influenza vaccines have several limitations: annual vaccination, high production costs, and cannot respond adequately to meet the demand during pandemics. Methods We used a modified CHNRI methodology for setting priorities in health research investments. This was done in two stages. In Stage I, we systematically reviewed the literature related to emerging cross-protective vaccines against influenza relevant to several criteria of interest: answerability; cost of development, production and implementation; efficacy and effectiveness; deliverability, affordability and sustainability; maximum potential impact on disease burden reduction; acceptability to the end users and health workers; and effect on equity. In Stage II, we conducted an expert opinion exercise by inviting 20 experts (leading basic scientists, international public health researchers, international policy makers and representatives of pharmaceutical companies). They answered questions from the CHNRI framework and their “collective optimism” towards each criterion was documented on a scale from 0 to 100%. Results The experts expressed very high level of optimism for deliverability, impact on equity, and acceptability to health workers and end users. However, they expressed concerns over the criteria of answerability, low development cost, low product cost, low implementation cost, affordability and, to a lesser extent sustainability. In addition they felt that the vaccine would have higher efficacy and impact on disease burden reduction on overall influenza-associated disease rather than specifically influenza-associated pneumonia. Conclusion Although the landscape of emerging influenza vaccines shows several promising candidates, it is unlikely that the advancements in the newer vaccine technologies will be able to progress through to large scale production in the near future. The combined effects of continued investments in researching new vaccines and improvements of available vaccines will hopefully shorten the time needed to the development of an effective seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccine suitable for large scale production. PMID:24564565

Synthesis of integrated primary production in the Arctic Ocean: II. In situ and remotely sensed estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, Victoria J.; Matrai, Patricia A.; Olson, Elise; Suttles, S.; Steele, Mike; Codispoti, L. A.; Zimmerman, Richard C.

2013-03-01

Recent warming of surface waters, accompanied by reduced ice thickness and extent may have significant consequences for climate-driven changes of primary production (PP) in the Arctic Ocean (AO). However, it has been difficult to obtain a robust benchmark estimate of pan-Arctic PP necessary for evaluating change. This paper provides an estimate of pan-Arctic PP prior to significant warming from a synthetic analysis of the ARCSS-PP database of in situ measurements collected from 1954 to 2007 and estimates derived from satellite-based observations from 1998 to 2007. Vertical profiles of in situ chlorophyll a (Chl a) and PP revealed persistent subsurface peaks in biomass and PP throughout the AO during most of the summer period. This was contradictory with the commonly assumed exponential decrease in PP with depth on which prior satellite-derived estimates were based. As remotely sensed Chl a was not a good predictor of integrated water column Chl a, accurate satellite-based modeling of vertically integrated primary production (IPPsat), requires knowledge of the subsurface distribution of phytoplankton, coincident with the remotely sensed ocean color measurements. We developed an alternative approach to modeling PP from satellite observations by incorporating climatological information on the depths of the euphotic zone and the mixed layer that control the distribution of phytoplankton that significantly improved the fidelity of satellite derived PP to in situ observations. The annual IPP of the Arctic Ocean combining both in situ and satellite based estimates was calculated here to be a minimum of 466 ± 94 Tg C yr-1 and a maximum of 993 ± 94 Tg C yr-1, when corrected for subsurface production. Inflow shelf seas account for 75% of annual IPP, while the central basin and Beaufort northern sea were the regions with the lowest annual integrated productivity, due to persistently stratified, oligotrophic and ice-covered conditions. Although the expansion of summertime ice retreat should stimulate photosynthesis by exposing more of the AO to solar irradiance, total PP is ultimately limited by nutrient availability. Therefore, changes in AO PP will be forced by the balance between stratification and mixing, the effects of which are not yet quantified.

An evaluation of the emerging vaccines against influenza in children.

PubMed

Nair, Harish; Lau, Eva; Brooks, W; Seong, Ang; Theodoratou, Evropi; Zgaga, Lina; Huda, Tanvir; Jadhav, Suresh S; Rudan, Igor; Campbell, Harry

2013-01-01

Influenza is an under-appreciated cause of acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in children. It is estimated to cause approximately 20 million new episodes of ALRI in children annually, 97% of these occurring in developing countries. It is also estimated to result in 28000 to 112000 deaths annually in young children. Apart from hospitalisations and deaths, influenza has significant economic consequences. The current egg-based inactivated influenza vaccines have several limitations: annual vaccination, high production costs, and cannot respond adequately to meet the demand during pandemics. We used a modified CHNRI methodology for setting priorities in health research investments. This was done in two stages. In Stage I, we systematically reviewed the literature related to emerging cross-protective vaccines against influenza relevant to several criteria of interest: answerability; cost of development, production and implementation; efficacy and effectiveness; deliverability, affordability and sustainability; maximum potential impact on disease burden reduction; acceptability to the end users and health workers; and effect on equity. In Stage II, we conducted an expert opinion exercise by inviting 20 experts (leading basic scientists, international public health researchers, international policy makers and representatives of pharmaceutical companies). They answered questions from the CHNRI framework and their "collective optimism" towards each criterion was documented on a scale from 0 to 100%. The experts expressed very high level of optimism for deliverability, impact on equity, and acceptability to health workers and end users. However, they expressed concerns over the criteria of answerability, low development cost, low product cost, low implementation cost, affordability and, to a lesser extent sustainability. In addition they felt that the vaccine would have higher efficacy and impact on disease burden reduction on overall influenza-associated disease rather than specifically influenza-associated pneumonia. Although the landscape of emerging influenza vaccines shows several promising candidates, it is unlikely that the advancements in the newer vaccine technologies will be able to progress through to large scale production in the near future. The combined effects of continued investments in researching new vaccines and improvements of available vaccines will hopefully shorten the time needed to the development of an effective seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccine suitable for large scale production.

Hydrological differentiation and spatial distribution of high altitude wetlands in a semi-arid Andean region derived from satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otto, M.; Scherer, D.; Richters, J.

2011-05-01

High Altitude Wetlands of the Andes (HAWA) belong to a unique type of wetland within the semi-arid high Andean region. Knowledge about HAWA has been derived mainly from studies at single sites within different parts of the Andes at only small time scales. On the one hand, HAWA depend on water provided by glacier streams, snow melt or precipitation. On the other hand, they are suspected to influence hydrology through water retention and vegetation growth altering stream flow velocity. We derived HAWA land cover from satellite data at regional scale and analysed changes in connection with precipitation over the last decade. Perennial and temporal HAWA subtypes can be distinguished by seasonal changes of photosynthetically active vegetation (PAV) indicating the perennial or temporal availability of water during the year. HAWA have been delineated within a region of 12 800 km2 situated in the Northwest of Lake Titicaca. The multi-temporal classification method used Normalized Differenced Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Differenced Infrared Index (NDII) data derived from two Landsat ETM+ scenes at the end of austral winter (September 2000) and at the end of austral summer (May 2001). The mapping result indicates an unexpected high abundance of HAWA covering about 800 km2 of the study region (6 %). Annual HAWA mapping was computed using NDVI 16-day composites of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Analyses on the relation between HAWA and precipitation was based on monthly precipitation data of the Tropical Rain Measurement Mission (TRMM 3B43) and MODIS Eight Day Maximum Snow Extent data (MOD10A2) from 2000 to 2010. We found HAWA subtype specific dependencies on precipitation conditions. A strong relation exists between perennial HAWA and snow fall (r2: 0.82) in dry austral winter months (June to August) and between temporal HAWA and precipitation (r2: 0.75) during austral summer (March to May). Annual changes in spatial extend of perennial HAWA indicate alterations in annual water supply generated from snow melt.

Occurrence and distribution of fecal indicator bacteria, and physical and chemical indicators of water quality in streams receiving discharge from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and vicinity, North-Central Texas, 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harwell, Glenn R.; Mobley, Craig A.

2009-01-01

This report, done by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport in 2008, describes the occurrence and distribution of fecal indicator bacteria (fecal coliform and Escherichia [E.] coli), and the physical and chemical indicators of water quality (relative to Texas Surface Water Quality Standards), in streams receiving discharge from DFW Airport and vicinity. At sampling sites in the lower West Fork Trinity River watershed during low-flow conditions, geometric mean E. coli counts for five of the eight West Fork Trinity River watershed sampling sites exceeded the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality E. coli criterion, thus not fully supporting contact recreation. Two of the five sites with geometric means that exceeded the contact recreation criterion are airport discharge sites, which here means that the major fraction of discharge at those sites is from DFW Airport. At sampling sites in the Elm Fork Trinity River watershed during low-flow conditions, geometric mean E. coli counts exceeded the geometric mean contact recreation criterion for seven (four airport, three non-airport) of 13 sampling sites. Under low-flow conditions in the lower West Fork Trinity River watershed, E. coli counts for airport discharge sites were significantly different from (lower than) E. coli counts for non-airport sites. Under low-flow conditions in the Elm Fork Trinity River watershed, there was no significant difference between E. coli counts for airport sites and non-airport sites. During stormflow conditions, fecal indicator bacteria counts at the most downstream (integrator) sites in each watershed were considerably higher than counts at those two sites during low-flow conditions. When stormflow sample counts are included with low-flow sample counts to compute a geometric mean for each site, classification changes from fully supporting to not fully supporting contact recreation on the basis of the geometric mean contact recreation criterion. All water temperature measurements at sampling sites in the lower West Fork Trinity River watershed were less than the maximum criterion for water temperature for the lower West Fork Trinity segment. Of the measurements at sampling sites in the Elm Fork Trinity River watershed, 95 percent were less than the maximum criterion for water temperature for the Elm Fork Trinity River segment. All dissolved oxygen concentrations were greater than the minimum criterion for stream segments classified as exceptional aquatic life use. Nearly all pH measurements were within the pH criterion range for the classified segments in both watersheds, except for those at one airport site. For sampling sites in the lower West Fork Trinity River watershed, all annual average dissolved solids concentrations were less than the maximum criterion for the lower West Fork Trinity segment. For sampling sites in the Elm Fork Trinity River, nine of the 13 sites (six airport, three non-airport) had annual averages that exceeded the maximum criterion for that segment. For ammonia, 23 samples from 12 different sites had concentrations that exceeded the screening level for ammonia. Of these 12 sites, only one non-airport site had more than the required number of exceedances to indicate a screening level concern. Stormflow total suspended solids concentrations were significantly higher than low-flow concentrations at the two integrator sites. For sampling sites in the lower West Fork Trinity River watershed, all annual average chloride concentrations were less than the maximum annual average chloride concentration criterion for that segment. For the 13 sampling sites in the Elm Fork Trinity River watershed, one non-airport site had an annual average concentration that exceeded the maximum annual average chloride concentration criterion for that segment.

Harmonic analysis of the ionospheric electron densities retrieved from FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC radio occultation measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masoumi, S.; Safari, A.; Sharifi, M.; Sam Khaniani, A.

2011-12-01

In order to investigate regular variations of the ionosphere, the least-squares harmonic estimation is applied to the time series of ionospheric electron densities in the region of Iran derived from about five years of Global Positioning System Radio Occultation (GPS RO) observations by FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC satellites. Although the obtained results are slightly different from the expected ones due to the low horizontal resolution of RO measurements, high vertical resolution of the observations enables us to detect not only the Total Electron Content (TEC) variations, but also periodic patterns of electron densities in different altitudes of the ionosphere. Dominant diurnal and annual signals, together with their Fourier series decompositions, and also periods close to 27 days are obtained, which is consistent with the previous analyses on TEC. In the equatorial anomaly band, the annual component is weaker than its Fourier decomposition periods. In particular, the semiannual period dominates the annual component, which is probably due to the effect of geomagnetic field. By the investigation of the frequencies at different local times, the semiannual signal is more significant than the annual one in the daytime, while the annual frequency is dominant at night. By the detection of the phases of the components, it is revealed that the annual signal has its maximum in summer at high altitudes, and in winter at lower altitudes. This suggests the effect of neutral compositions in the lower atmosphere. Further, the semiannual component peaks around equinox during the day, while its maximum mostly occurs in solstice at night. Since RO measurements can be used to derive TEC along the signal path between a GPS satellite and a receiver, study on the potentiality of using these observations for the prediction of electron densities and its application to the ionospheric correction of the single frequency receivers is suggested.

Duration of the Arctic sea ice melt season: Regional and interannual variability, 1979-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belchansky, G.I.; Douglas, David C.; Platonov, Nikita G.

2004-01-01

Melt onset dates, freeze onset dates, and melt season duration were estimated over Arctic sea ice, 1979–2001, using passive microwave satellite imagery and surface air temperature data. Sea ice melt duration for the entire Northern Hemisphere varied from a 104-day minimum in 1983 and 1996 to a 124-day maximum in 1989. Ranges in melt duration were highest in peripheral seas, numbering 32, 42, 44, and 51 days in the Laptev, Barents-Kara, East Siberian, and Chukchi Seas, respectively. In the Arctic Ocean, average melt duration varied from a 75-day minimum in 1987 to a 103-day maximum in 1989. On average, melt onset in annual ice began 10.6 days earlier than perennial ice, and freeze onset in perennial ice commenced 18.4 days earlier than annual ice. Average annual melt dates, freeze dates, and melt durations in annual ice were significantly correlated with seasonal strength of the Arctic Oscillation (AO). Following high-index AO winters (January–March), spring melt tended to be earlier and autumn freeze later, leading to longer melt season durations. The largest increases in melt duration were observed in the eastern Siberian Arctic, coincident with cyclonic low pressure and ice motion anomalies associated with high-index AO phases. Following a positive AO shift in 1989, mean annual melt duration increased 2–3 weeks in the northern East Siberian and Chukchi Seas. Decreasing correlations between consecutive-year maps of melt onset in annual ice during 1979–2001 indicated increasing spatial variability and unpredictability in melt distributions from one year to the next. Despite recent declines in the winter AO index, recent melt distributions did not show evidence of reestablishing spatial patterns similar to those observed during the 1979–88 low-index AO period. Recent freeze distributions have become increasingly similar to those observed during 1979–88, suggesting a recurrent spatial pattern of freeze chronology under low-index AO conditions.

Flood-inundation maps for the Green River in Colrain, Leyden, and Greenfield, Massachusetts, from U.S. Geological Survey streamgage 01170100 Green River near Colrain to the confluence with the Deerfield River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flynn, Robert H.; Bent, Gardner C.; Lombard, Pamela J.

2016-09-02

The U.S. Geological Survey developed flood elevations in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a 14.3-mile reach of the Green River in Colrain, Leyden, and Greenfield, Massachusetts, to assist landowners and emergency management workers to prepare for and recover from floods. The river reach extends from the U.S. Geological Survey Green River near Colrain, MA (01170100) streamgage downstream to the confluence with the Deerfield River. A series of seven digital flood inundation maps were developed for the upper 4.4 miles of the river reach downstream from the stream. Flood discharges corresponding to the 50-, 10-, 1-, and 0.2-percent annual exceedance probabilities were computed for the reach from updated flood-frequency analyses. These peak flows and the flood flows associated with the stages of 10.2, 12.4, and 14.4 feet (ft) at the Green River streamgage were routed through a one-dimensional step-backwater hydraulic model to obtain the corresponding peak water-surface elevations and to place the Tropical Storm Irene flood of August 28, 2011 (stage 13.97 ft), into historical context. The hydraulic model was calibrated by using the current (2015) stage-discharge relation at the U.S. Geological Survey Green River near Colrain, MA (01170100) streamgage and from documented high-water marks from the Tropical Storm Irene flood, which had a flow higher than a 0.2-percent annual exceedance probability flood discharge.The hydraulic model was used to compute water-surface profiles for flood stages referenced to the streamgage and ranging from the 50-percent annual exceedance probability (bankfull flow) at 7.6 ft (439.8 ft above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 [NAVD 88]) to 14.4 ft (446.7 ft NAVD 88), which exceeds the maximum recorded water level of 13.97 ft (Tropical Storm Irene) at the streamgage. The mapped stages of 7.6 to 14.4 ft were selected to match the stages for bankfull; the 50-, 10-, 1-, and 0.2-percent annual exceedance probabilities; incremental stages of 10.2 and 12.4 ft; and the maximum stage of the stage-discharge rating curve. The simulated water-surface profiles were combined with a geographic information system digital elevation model derived from light detection and ranging (lidar) data having a 0.5-ft vertical accuracy to create a set of flood-inundation maps.The availability of the flood-inundation maps, combined with information regarding near real-time stage from U.S. Geological Survey Green River near Colrain, MA (01170100) streamgage, can provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities, such as evacuations and road closures, and postflood recovery efforts. The flood-inundation maps are nonregulatory but provide Federal, State, and local agencies and the public with estimates of the potential extent of flooding during selected peak-flow events.

Monitoring sediment transfer processes on the desert margin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Millington, Andrew C.; Arwyn, R. Jones; Quarmby, Neil; Townshend, John R. G.

1987-01-01

LANDSAT Thematic Mapper and Multispectral Scanner data have been used to construct change detection images for three playas in south-central Tunisia. Change detection images have been used to analyze changes in surface reflectance and absorption between wet and dry season (intra-annual change) and between different years (inter-annual change). Change detection imagery has been used to examine geomorphological changes on the playas. Changes in geomorphological phenomena are interpreted from changes in soil and foliar moisture levels, differences in reflectances between different salt and sediments and the spatial expression of geomorphological features. Intra-annual change phenomena that can be detected from multidate imagery are changes in surface moisture, texture and chemical composition, vegetation cover and the extent of aeolian activity. Inter-annual change phenomena are divisible into those restricted to marginal playa facies (sedimentation from sheetwash and alluvial fans, erosion from surface runoff and cliff retreat) and these are found in central playa facies which are related to the internal redistribution of water, salt and sediment.

Contextual Information for the Potential Enhancement of Annual Radiation Protection Program Review Reports.

PubMed

Emery, Robert J; Gutiérrez, Janet M

2017-08-01

Organizations possessing sources of ionizing radiation are required to develop, document, and implement a "radiation protection program" that is commensurate with the scope and extent of permitted activities and sufficient to ensure compliance with basic radiation safety regulations. The radiation protection program must also be reviewed at least annually, assessing program content and implementation. A convenience sample assessment of web-accessible and voluntarily-submitted radiation protection program annual review reports revealed that while the reports consistently documented compliance with necessary regulatory elements, very few included any critical contextual information describing how important the ability to possess radiation sources was to the central mission of the organization. Information regarding how much radioactive material was currently possessed as compared to license limits was also missing. Summarized here are suggested contextual elements that can be considered for possible inclusion in annual radiation protection program reviews to enhance stakeholder understanding and appreciation of the importance of the ability to possess radiation sources and the importance of maintaining compliance with associated regulatory requirements.

Assessing the Potential for Inland Migration of a Northeastern Salt Marsh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farron, S.; FitzGerald, D.; Hughes, Z. J.

2017-12-01

It is often assumed that as sea level rises, salt marshes will expand inland. If the slope of the upland is relatively flat and sufficient sediment is available, marshes should be able to spread horizontally and grow vertically in order to maintain their areal extent. However, in cases where marshes are backed by steeper slopes, or sediment supply is limited, rising sea level will produce minimal gains along the landward edge insufficient to offset potential losses along the seaward edge. This study uses future sea level rise scenarios to project areal losses for the Great Marsh in Massachusetts, the largest continuous salt marsh in New England. Land area covered by salt marsh is defined by surface elevation. Annual sediment input to the system is estimated based on the areal extent of high and low marsh, historical accretion rates for each, and known organic/inorganic ratios. Unlike other studies, sediment availability is considered to be finite, and future accretion rates are limited based on the assumption that the system is presently receiving the maximum sediment input available. The Great Marsh is dominated by high marsh; as sea level rises, it will convert to low marsh, vastly altering the ecological and sedimentological dynamics of the system. If it is assumed that former high marsh areas will build vertically at the increased rate associated with low marsh, then much of the total marsh area will be maintained. However, this may be an unrealistic assumption due to the low levels of suspended sediment within the Great Marsh system. Modeling the evolution of the Great Marsh by assuming that the current accretion rate is the maximum possible for this system reveals much greater losses than models assuming an unlimited sediment supply would predict (17% less marsh by 2115). In addition, uplands surrounding the Great Marsh have been shaped by glaciation, leaving numerous drumlins and other glacial landforms. Compared to the flat backbarrier, the surrounding hills offer little opportunity for expansion. Modeling results suggest that sea level rise over the next century will convert 12 km2 of marsh to open water, but only 9 km2 of new marsh will be formed through uplands inundation and sedimentation. These findings suggest that sea level rise presents a particular threat to the Great Marsh, and marshes like it.

Does Temperature (Rather than Precipitation) Dictate the Geomorphic Legacy of Glacial Intervals in Unglaciated Mid-Latitude Terrains?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, J. A.; Roering, J. J.; Bartlein, P. J.; Praskievicz, S. J.; Gavin, D. G.; Hales, T. C.; Granger, D. E.

2014-12-01

Whereas glaciated landscapes record increased erosional efficiency through moraines and U-shaped valleys, unglaciated hillslopes and rivers lack a mechanistic theory for climate controls on their dynamics and form. Changes in precipitation and associated aggradation due to vegetation loss or incision due to increased river discharge are commonly invoked when considering the effect of glacial intervals on unglaciated terrains, but there is scant evidence supporting or discounting these hypotheses. Surprisingly, there is little consideration that temperature, rather than precipitation, may dictate the frequency, magnitude, or style of erosion in unglaciated landscapes during glacial intervals. Here, we present results combining a mechanistic frost-cracking model with downscaled general circulation model output to predict the extent and intensity of sediment production via frost processes across the unglaciated Oregon Coast Range (OCR) during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Our results show that in this mid-latitude region, well south of the Cordilleran ice sheet, frost-driven processes likely shaped 90% of the present-day landmass during the LGM. A suite of geomorphic and vegetation data from a 50-ky sediment core from a paleo landslide-dammed lake in the OCR support our model results. Our study site, Little Lake, is located in the central portion of the OCR, over 400 m south of the maximum extent of the Cordilleran ice sheet. Based on 10Be-derived erosion rates, present-day catchment erosion rates average 0.07 ± 0.03 mm/yr (mean ± sd), while LGM erosion rates remained constant around 0.19 ± 0.01 mm/yr. These LGM values are nearly 3X greater than present-day erosion rates and coincide with high frost cracking intensity predicted by our model. We also observe a transition from finely laminated lacustrine clays and sands to coarse lacustrine blue-grey sands at ~ 28 ka, during the transition to the LGM. The presence of Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce) and Abies lasiocarpa (subalpine fir) in the core during the LGM imply mean annual temperatures of ~ 1 °C and January mean temperatures of ~ -7 °C. Our results suggest that broad swaths of continental landscapes likely experienced accelerated sediment production via frost processes rather than via changes in precipitation during glacial intervals.

Climate Extreme Events over Northern Eurasia in Changing Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulygina, O.; Korshunova, N. N.; Razuvaev, V. N.; Groisman, P. Y.

2014-12-01

During the period of widespread instrumental observations in Northern Eurasia, the annual surface air temperature has increased by 1.5°C. Close to the north in the Arctic Ocean, the late summer sea ice extent has decreased by 40% providing a near-infinite source of water vapor for the dry Arctic atmosphere in the early cold season months. The contemporary sea ice changes are especially visible in the Eastern Hemisphere All these factors affect the change extreme events. Daily and sub-daily data of 940 stations to analyze variations in the space time distribution of extreme temperatures, precipitation, and wind over Russia were used. Changing in number of days with thaw over Russia was described. The total seasonal numbers of days, when daily surface air temperatures (wind, precipitation) were found to be above (below) selected thresholds, were used as indices of climate extremes. Changing in difference between maximum and minimum temperature (DTR) may produce a variety of effects on biological systems. All values falling within the intervals ranged from the lowest percentile to the 5th percentile and from the 95th percentile to the highest percentile for the time period of interest were considered as daily extremes. The number of days, N, when daily temperatures (wind, precipitation, DTR) were within the above mentioned intervals, was determined for the seasons of each year. Linear trends in the number of days were calculated for each station and for quasi-homogeneous climatic regions. Regional analysis of extreme events was carried out using quasi-homogeneous climatic regions. Maps (climatology, trends) are presented mostly for visualization purposes. Differences in regional characteristics of extreme events are accounted for over a large extent of the Russian territory and variety of its physical and geographical conditions. The number of days with maximum temperatures higher than the 95% percentile has increased in most of Russia and decreased in Siberia in spring and autumn. Reducing the number of days with extremely low air temperatures dominated in all seasons. At the same time, the number of days with abnormally low air temperatures has increased in Middle Volga region and south of Western Siberia. In most parts of European Russia observed increase in the number of days with heavy snowfalls.

Regional & National Scale Assessment of the Impact of the US Livestock Footprint on Dryland Productive Capacity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulawardhana, R. W.; Washington-Allen, R. A.; Mitchell, J. E.; Reeves, M. C.

2009-12-01

Recent reports from the Heinz Center and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) concluded that the amount and extent of desertification is unknown at national to global spatial scales. This is primarily due to lack of consistent monitoring and assessment systems at these spatial and temporal (> 15 year) scales necessary to separate the effects of anthropogenic practices from climate change. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the US livestock footprint (the forage required by herbivores), on Dryland productive capacity or above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP) at regional (Texas) and national extents. Dryland extent is defined as the aridity index (AI): the ratio of mean annual potential evapotranspiration to mean annual precipitation between 0.05 and 0.65. The Dryland grazable area (39 million ha in Texas and 257 million ha for US) was determined by converting 1992 and 2001 land cover classes to one land use category: rangelands. Rangelands were intersected with Drylands at Texas and US extents. The US Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s (USDA-NASS) county- and state-level livestock numbers were converted to forage required to derive the ecological footprint for goats at the county-level (259,325 tons) for Texas from 2000 to 2006 and for all grazing livestock (216 million tons) at the national-level for 2002. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) NPP was converted to ANPP by subtracting the below-ground (roots) component. ANPP is synonymous with the forage available to herbivores (35 million tons on average from 2000 to 2006 for Texas and 149 million tons in 2002 for the US) and is generated for the same years and extents as the forage required. The percentage grazable area of Texas and the US impacted by livestock appropriation of NPP (LANPP = Forage available - Forage required) was 12% and 19 %, respectively.

Variation of thermal parameters in two different color morphs of a diurnal poison toad, Melanophryniscus rubriventris (Anura: Bufonidae).

PubMed

Sanabria, Eduardo A; Vaira, Marcos; Quiroga, Lorena B; Akmentins, Mauricio S; Pereyra, Laura C

2014-04-01

We study the variation in thermal parameters in two contrasting populations Yungas Redbelly Toads (Melanophryniscus rubriventris) with different discrete color phenotypes comparing field body temperatures, critical thermal maximum and heating rates. We found significant differences in field body temperatures of the different morphs. Temperatures were higher in toads with a high extent of dorsal melanization. No variation was registered in operative temperatures between the study locations at the moment of capture and processing. Critical thermal maximum of toads was positively related with the extent of dorsal melanization. Furthermore, we founded significant differences in heating rates between morphs, where individuals with a high extent of dorsal melanization showed greater heating rates than toads with lower dorsal melanization. The color pattern-thermal parameter relationship observed may influence the activity patterns and body size of individuals. Body temperature is a modulator of physiological and behavioral functions in amphibians, influencing daily and seasonal activity, locomotor performance, digestion rate and growth rate. It is possible that some growth constraints may arise due to the relationship of color pattern-metabolism allowing different morphs to attain similar sizes at different locations instead of body-size clines. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

20 CFR 641.881 - What are the SCSEP recipient's responsibilities relating to awards to sub-recipients?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT... are conducted in a manner to provide, to the maximum extent practicable, full and open competition in...

Small Drinking Water System Variances

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Small system variances allow a small system to install and maintain technology that can remove a contaminant to the maximum extent that is affordable and protective of public health in lieu of technology that can achieve compliance with the regulation.

Competition for Assistance Agreements

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

It is EPA policy to promote competition in the award of assistance agreements to the maximum extent practicable.When assistance agreements are awarded competitively, it is EPA policy that the competitive process be fair and open & that no applicant receive

INVENTORY OF TREATABILITY STUDY VENDORS - VOLUME 1

EPA Science Inventory

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) amendments mandate the use of permanent solutions to the maximum extent practicable when remediating Superfund sites. Fundamental to achieving this goal is the use of treatment technologies that red...

INVENTORY OF TREATABILITY STUDY VENDORS - VOLUME 2

EPA Science Inventory

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) amendments mandate the use of permanent solutions to the maximum extent practicable when remediating Superfund sites. Fundamental to achieving this goal is the use of treatment technologies that r...

How to Apply for Grants

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A large part of EPA's mission to protect the environment and public health is accomplished by awarding grants and cooperative agreements. It is EPA's policy to promote competition in the award of assistance agreements to the maximum extent practicable.

Mountain glaciation and paleoclimate reconstruction in the Picos de Europa (Iberian Peninsula, SW Europe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serrano, Enrique; González-Trueba, Juan José; González-García, María

2012-09-01

Geomorphic mapping and stratigraphic analysis of a lake core document the late Quaternary glacial history of the Central and Eastern Massifs of the Picos de Europa, northwestern Spain. The distribution of glacial deposits indicates that at their most advanced positions glaciers occupied 9.1 km2, extended as far as 7 km down-valley and had an estimated equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) ranging between 1666 and 1722 m. Radiocarbon dating of sediment deposited in a lake dammed by moraines of this advance show that the maximum glacial extent was prior to 35,280 ± 440 cal yr BP. This advance was followed by two subsequent but less extensive late Pleistocene advances, recorded by multiple moraines flanking both massifs and sedimentary characteristics in the lake deposits. The last recognized glacial episode is the 19th-century maximum extent of small Little Ice Age glaciers in the highest cirques above 2200 m.

Simple Statistical Model to Quantify Maximum Expected EMC in Spacecraft and Avionics Boxes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trout, Dawn H.; Bremner, Paul

2014-01-01

This study shows cumulative distribution function (CDF) comparisons of composite a fairing electromagnetic field data obtained by computational electromagnetic 3D full wave modeling and laboratory testing. Test and model data correlation is shown. In addition, this presentation shows application of the power balance and extention of this method to predict the variance and maximum exptected mean of the E-field data. This is valuable for large scale evaluations of transmission inside cavities.

Determining Hydroperiod for Boreal and Prairie Pothole Wetlands using SAR, Optical and LiDAR Remote Sensing Data Fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montgomery, J. S.; Hopkinson, C.; Brisco, B.; Patterson, S.; Chasmer, L.; Mahoney, C.

2017-12-01

Cultivation, irrigation networks, and infrastructure have all greatly impacted the ecology and hydrology of the Prairie Pothole and Boreal regions of western Canada. Due to sub-humid climate and high potential evaporation, many wetlands in these natural regions are seldom continuously occupied by water, and are often confined to local depressions. In the Boreal region, wetlands may be difficult to monitor due to their remote location, whereas prairie wetlands have highly varying degrees of surface water and soil saturation throughout the year. This study examines how high-resolution Lidar, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and optical data can be utilized in spatial-temporal studies to classify wetlands based on water extent, riparian vegetation, and topographic characteristics. An intensity (dB) threshold routine was used to extract open surface water extent to determine hydroperiod. Digital Elevation Models (DEM) are used with a topographic position index to infer local depressions, while Digital Surface Models (DSMs) are used to characterise vegetation structural characteristics within and proximal to wetlands. The proposed framework provides an index of wetland permanence and wetland class, where permanence varies seasonally and annually. Boreal wetland hydroperiod is less variable than that found in prairie pothole wetlands, most notably the semi-permanent class, varying by only 2%, compared to >50% in prairie pothole wetlands. For years studied, prairie pothole wetlands reached maximum water extent following major rainfall events. Seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands were found to have greater change in surface water between years than temporary wetlands (75.3% and 59.1% from average respectively). The lowest frequency of water pixel inundation for seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands was found to be in the year with the most precipitation during the growing season (2013, 384mm), compared to 2014 (289mm), and 2015 (310mm). A combination of statistical analyses and ground validation of the output classes is used to evaluate the data fusion approach (overall accuracies >80%, RMSE <4). The decision-tree modeling approach provides insight into dynamic wetland surface water changes that are important for wetland monitoring, conservation and land use development within western Canada.

Estimating annual suspended-sediment loads in the northern and central Appalachian Coal region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koltun, G.F.

1985-01-01

Multiple-regression equations were developed for estimating the annual suspended-sediment load, for a given year, from small to medium-sized basins in the northern and central parts of the Appalachian coal region. The regression analysis was performed with data for land use, basin characteristics, streamflow, rainfall, and suspended-sediment load for 15 sites in the region. Two variables, the maximum mean-daily discharge occurring within the year and the annual peak discharge, explained much of the variation in the annual suspended-sediment load. Separate equations were developed employing each of these discharge variables. Standard errors for both equations are relatively large, which suggests that future predictions will probably have a low level of precision. This level of precision, however, may be acceptable for certain purposes. It is therefore left to the user to asses whether the level of precision provided by these equations is acceptable for the intended application.

An "island" in the stratosphere - on the enhanced annual variation of water vapour in the middle and upper stratosphere in the southern tropics and subtropics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lossow, Stefan; Garny, Hella; Jöckel, Patrick

2017-09-01

The amplitude of the annual variation in water vapour exhibits a distinct isolated maximum in the middle and upper stratosphere in the southern tropics and subtropics, peaking typically around 15° S in latitude and close to 3 hPa (˜ 40.5 km) in altitude. This enhanced annual variation is primarily related to the Brewer-Dobson circulation and hence also visible in other trace gases. So far this feature has not gained much attention in the literature and the present work aims to add more prominence. Using Envisat/MIPAS (Environmental Satellite/Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding) observations and ECHAM/MESSy (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Hamburg/Modular Earth Submodel System) Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) simulations we provide a dedicated illustration and a full account of the reasons for this enhanced annual variation.

Calif. Puts Spotlight on Long-Term ELLs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maxwell, Lesli A.

2012-01-01

California is poised to become the first state to unmask the extent to which English-language learners (ELLs) languish in public schools for years without ever reaching fluency. Under a measure that received broad, bipartisan support from the legislature, the state education department would be required to break out and report data annually on…

College Influence on Student Intentions toward International Competence. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

English, Susan Lewis

This study attempted to test the concept of international competence as a construct and to estimate the extent to which college experience predicts variance on student intentions toward international competence. Relying on Lambert's model of global competence, the study tested five components of international competence for validity and…

Crime on Campus. Annual Report: August through December--1989.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leach, Michael D.

This report portrays the nature, volume, and extent of crime occurring on the campuses and housing at approximately 65 institutions of higher education in Tennessee from August to December 1989. Following an introduction, a sample reporting form is provided, along with information on classification of offenses and calculation of crime rates.…

The Use of Influence Tactics among Mid-Level Managers in the Community College. AIR 1996 Annual Forum Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quinley, John W.

A survey investigated the extent to which mid-level managers in community colleges used influence tactics. Survey respondents (N=208) reported on a variety of influence behaviors, categorized into nine influence dimensions (rational, consultation, inspiration, ingratiation, legitimating, exchange, coalition, personal, and pressure). Analysis of…

Application of an online ion chromatography-based instrument for gradient flux measurements of speciated nitrogen and sulfur

EPA Science Inventory

In North America, the dry component of total nitrogen and sulfur deposition remains uncertain due to a lack of measurements of sufficient chemical speciation and temporal extent to develop complete annual mass budgets or of sufficient process level detail to improve current air-s...

75 FR 5590 - Notice of Public Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-03

... (202) 395-5167, or via the Internet at [email protected] and to Judith B. Herman, Federal... Annual Burden: 681 hours. Privacy Act Impact Assessment: Yes. Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The... experimental special temporary authority shall contain name, address, phone number of the applicant...

75 FR 4818 - Notice of Public Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-29

... and Budget (OMB), via fax at (202) 395-5167, or via the Internet at [email protected] and.... Total Annual Cost: None. Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s). Nature and Extent of... things, the Second Order adopts a children's programming preemption policy. This policy requires all...

Learning on Demand: Online Education in the United States, 2009

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, I. Elaine; Seaman, Jeff

2010-01-01

"Learning on Demand: Online Education in the United States, 2009" represents the seventh annual report on the state of online learning among higher education institutions in the United States. The study is aimed at answering some of the fundamental questions about the nature and extent of online education. Based on responses from over…

78 FR 49190 - Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Biennial Specifications and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-13

...: To achieve, to the extent possible, but not exceed, annual catch limits (ACLs) of target species; and... within their targets and no inseason actions were considered. Therefore, the Council recommended and NMFS... ACLs of overfished and target species from being exceeded. No aspect of this action is controversial...

Strategic Planning and Fiscal Benefits: Is There a Link? ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swenk, Jean M.

This study attempted to determine whether strategic planning would enhance a higher education institution's fiscal condition. It also systematically evaluated the extent of institution-wide strategic planning among private four-year postsecondary institutions in the United States. A definition of strategic planning and a conceptual framework based…

75 FR 4760 - Review of the Emergency Alert System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-29

...; State, Local or Tribal Governments; Non-profit entities. Number of Respondents: 3,569,028. Estimated... hours. Total Annual Cost: $3,086,044. Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s). Nature and Extent of... retransmitted the alert; and (3) if they were not able to receive and/ or transmit the alert, their `best effort...

Joint Annual Forest Inventory and Monitoring System

Treesearch

Ronald E. McRoberts

1999-01-01

The Renewable Forest and Rangeland Resources Planning Act of 1978 requires that the USDA Forest Service conduct periodic inventories of forestland in the United States to determine its extent and condition and the volume of standing timber, timber growth, and timber depletions. Five separate Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) programs, located in USDA Forest Service...

Seasonal Variation of Mass Transport Across the Tropopause

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Appenzeller, Christof; Holton, James R.; Rosenlof, Karen H.

1996-01-01

The annual cycle of the net mass transport across the extratropical tropopause is examined. Contributions from both the global-scale meridional circulation and the mass variation of the lowermost stratosphere are included. For the northern hemisphere the mass of the lowermost stratosphere has a distinct annual cycle, whereas for the southern hemisphere, the corresponding variation is weak. The net mass transport across the tropopause in the northern hemisphere has a maximum in late spring and a distinct minimum in autumn. This variation and its magnitude compare well with older estimates based on representative Sr-90 mixing ratios. For the southern hemisphere the seasonal cycle of the net mass transport is weaker and follows roughly the annual variation of the net mass flux across a nearby isentropic surface.

Economics of installation of solar heating plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popel, O. S.; Frid, S. Y.; Shpiltayn, E. E.

1984-04-01

An engineering-economic analysis of solar heating plants for determination of their cost effectiveness involves calculating the maximum economically feasibile extra capital investment on their installation and calculating the fraction of the total heat demand covered by such a plant which makes replacement of conventional heating plant maximally economical. The annual economic effect of solar heating is calculated in terms of normalized cost differential, as criterion for its competitiveness with conventional heating. Plant performance characteristics, namely dependence of both the percent demand coverage and the annual cost differential on the area of solar radiation collectors is then considered. Analysis of the cost equation, assuming that the extra fixed cost is proportional to the collector area, reveals the necessary and sufficient condition for decrease of annual operating cost.

Research of PV Power Generation MPPT based on GABP Neural Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Yu; Lin, Xianfu

2018-05-01

Photovoltaic power generation has become the main research direction of new energy power generation. But high investment and low efficiency of photovoltaic industry arouse concern in some extent. So maximum power point tracking of photovoltaic power generation has been a popular study point. Due to slow response, oscillation at maximum power point and low precision, the algorithm based on genetic algorithm combined with BP neural network are designed detailedly in this paper. And the modeling and simulation are completed by use of MATLAB/SIMULINK. The results show that the algorithm is effective and the maximum power point can be tracked accurately and quickly.

Mass balance and sliding velocity of the Puget lobe of the cordilleran ice sheet during the last glaciation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Booth, D.B.

1986-01-01

An estimate of the sliding velocity and basal meltwater discharge of the Puget lobe of the Cordilleran ice sheet can be calculated from its reconstructed extent, altitude, and mass balance. Lobe dimensions and surface altitudes are inferred from ice limits and flow-direction indicators. Net annual mass balance and total ablation are calculated from relations empirically derived from modern maritime glaciers. An equilibrium-line altitude between 1200 and 1250 m is calculated for the maximum glacial advance (ca. 15,000 yr B.P.) during the Vashon Stade of the Fraser Glaciation. This estimate is in accord with geologic data and is insensitive to plausible variability in the parameters used in the reconstruction. Resultant sliding velocities are as much as 650 m/a at the equilibrium line, decreasing both up- and downglacier. Such velocities for an ice sheet of this size are consistent with nonsurging behavior. Average meltwater discharge increases monotonically downglacier to 3000 m3/sec at the terminus and is of a comparable magnitude to ice discharge over much of the glacier's ablation area. Palcoclimatic inferences derived from this reconstruction are consistent with previous, independently derived studies of late Pleistocene temperature and precipitation in the Pacific Northwest. ?? 1986.

The near‐global mesospheric potassium layer: Observations and modeling

PubMed Central

Dawkins, E. C. M.; Chipperfield, M. P.; Feng, W.

2015-01-01

Abstract The meteoric metal layers act as unique tracers of chemistry and dynamics in the upper atmosphere. Existing lidar studies from a few locations show that K exhibits a semiannual seasonality (winter and summer maxima), quite unlike the annual seasonality (winter maximum and summer minimum) seen with Na and Fe. This work uses spaceborne observations made with the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System instrument on the Odin satellite to retrieve the near‐global K layer for the first time. The satellite data (2004 to mid‐2013) are used to validate the implementation of a recently proposed potassium chemistry scheme in a whole atmosphere chemistry climate model, which provides a chemical basis for this semiannual seasonal behavior. The satellite and model data show that this semiannual seasonality is near global in extent, with the strongest variation at middle and high latitudes. The column abundance, centroid layer height, and root‐mean‐square width of the K layer are consistent with the limited available lidar record. The K data set is then used to investigate the impact of polar mesospheric clouds on the metal layers at high latitudes during summer. Finally, the occurrence frequency of sporadic K layers and their possible link to sporadic E layers are examined. PMID:27478716

Attribution of extreme rainfall from Hurricane Harvey, August 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Wiel, K.; van Oldenborgh, G. J.; Sebastian, A.; Singh, R.; Arrighi, J.; Otto, F. E. L.; Haustein, K.; Li, S.; Vecchi, G.; Cullen, H. M.

2017-12-01

During August 25-30, 2017, Hurricane Harvey stalled over Texas and caused extreme precipitation over Houston and the surrounding area, particularly on August 26-28. This resulted in extensive flooding with over 80 fatalities and large economic costs. Using observational datasets and high-resolution global climate model experiments we investigate the return period of this event and to what extent anthropogenic climate change influenced the likelihood and intensity of this type of events. The event definition for the attribution is set by the main impact, flooding in the city of Houston. Most rivers crested on August 28 or 29, driven by intensive rainfall on August 26-28. We therefore use the annual maximum of three-day average precipitation as the event definition. Station data (GHCN-D) and a gridded precipitation product (CPC unified analysis) are used to find the return period of the event and changes in the observed record. To attribute changes to anthropogenic climate change we use time-slice experiments from two high-resolution global climate models (EC-Earth 2.3 and GFDL HiFLOR, both integrated at approximately 25 km). A regional model (HadRM3P) was rejected because of unrealistic modelled extremes. Finally we put the attribution results in context, given local vulnerability and exposure.

Potential for Hydrothermal Deposits in Large Martian Impact Craters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thorsos, I. E.; Newsom, H. E.; Davies, A.

2000-12-01

Investigation of environments on Mars favorable for pre-biotic chemistry or primitive life is a goal of current strategy. Deposits left by hydrothermal systems on Mars are high priority targets. Impact craters larger than 50 km in diameter should have breached local aquifers and provided sufficient heat to power hydrothermal systems. The amount of heat in craters depends on the size of the melt sheet and uplifted basement forming the central peak. The volume of melt is estimated using scaling relationships (Cintala & Grieve, 1998). The central uplift originates below the transient crater cavity and has a stratigraphic uplift of 1/10 the final crater diameter (Melosh & Ivanov, 1999). The central uplift's temperature with depth profile is estimated using a cylindrical "plug" model and adding the enthalpy profile at the time of maximum impactor penetration (O'Keefe & Ahrens, 1994) to the ambient thermal gradient. The heat from the two sources is estimated over a range of crater diameters. The next phase of this work is to model the longevity and extent of the hydrothermal systems. Cintala, H. J. & R. A. F. Grieve, Meteor. and Plan. Sci. 33, 889-912, 1998. Melosh, H. J. & B. A. Ivanov, Annual Rev. Earth Planet. Sci., 385-415, 1999. O'Keefe, J. D. & T. J. Ahrens, Geol. Soc. Amer. Spec. Paper 293, 103-109, 1994.

The magnetic tides of Honolulu

USGS Publications Warehouse

Love, Jeffrey J.; Rigler, Erin Joshua

2013-01-01

We review the phenomenon of time-stationary, periodic quiet-time geomagnetic tides. These are generated by the ionospheric and oceanic dynamos, and, to a lesser-extent, by the quiet-time magnetosphere, and they are affected by currents induced in the Earth's electrically conducting interior. We examine historical time series of hourly magnetic-vector measurements made at the Honolulu observatory. We construct high-resolution, frequency-domain Lomb-periodogram and maximum-entropy power spectra that reveal a panorama of stationary harmonics across periods from 0.1 to 10000.0-d, including harmonics that result from amplitude and phase modulation. We identify solar-diurnal tides and their annual and solar-cycle sideband modulations, lunar semi-diurnal tides and their solar-diurnal sidebands, and tides due to precession of lunar eccentricity and nodes. We provide evidence that a method intended for separating the ionospheric and oceanic dynamo signals by midnight subsampling of observatory data time series is prone to frequency-domain aliasing. The tidal signals we summarize in this review can be used to test our fundamental understanding of the dynamics of the quiet-time ionosphere and magnetosphere, induction in the ocean and in the electrically conducting interior of the Earth, and they are useful for defining a quiet-time baseline against which magnetospheric-storm intensity is measured.

Simulation of climate characteristics and extremes of the Volta Basin using CCLM and RCA regional climate models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darko, Deborah; Adjei, Kwaku A.; Appiah-Adjei, Emmanuel K.; Odai, Samuel N.; Obuobie, Emmanuel; Asmah, Ruby

2018-06-01

The extent to which statistical bias-adjusted outputs of two regional climate models alter the projected change signals for the mean (and extreme) rainfall and temperature over the Volta Basin is evaluated. The outputs from two regional climate models in the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment for Africa (CORDEX-Africa) are bias adjusted using the quantile mapping technique. Annual maxima rainfall and temperature with their 10- and 20-year return values for the present (1981-2010) and future (2051-2080) climates are estimated using extreme value analyses. Moderate extremes are evaluated using extreme indices (viz. percentile-based, duration-based, and intensity-based). Bias adjustment of the original (bias-unadjusted) models improves the reproduction of mean rainfall and temperature for the present climate. However, the bias-adjusted models poorly reproduce the 10- and 20-year return values for rainfall and maximum temperature whereas the extreme indices are reproduced satisfactorily for the present climate. Consequently, projected changes in rainfall and temperature extremes were weak. The bias adjustment results in the reduction of the change signals for the mean rainfall while the mean temperature signals are rather magnified. The projected changes for the original mean climate and extremes are not conserved after bias adjustment with the exception of duration-based extreme indices.

Net accumulation rates derived from ice core stable isotope records of Pío XI glacier, Southern Patagonia Icefield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwikowski, M.; Schläppi, M.; Santibañez, P.; Rivera, A.; Casassa, G.

2012-12-01

Pío XI, the largest glacier of the Southern Patagonia Icefield, reached its neoglacial maximum extent in 1994 and is one of the few glaciers in that area which is not retreating. In view of the recent warming it is important to understand glacier responses to climate changes. Due to its remoteness and the harsh conditions in Patagonia, no systematic mass balance studies have been performed. In this study we derived net accumulation rates for the period 2000 to 2006 from a 50 m (33.2 4 m weq) ice core collected in the accumulation area of Pío XI (2600 m a.s.l., 49°16´40´´ S, 73°21´14´´ W). Borehole temperatures indicate near temperate ice, but the average melt percent is only 16% ± 14%. Records of stable isotopes are well preserved and were used for identification of annual layers. Net accumulation rates range from 3.4 to 7.1 water equivalent (m weq) with an average of 5.8 m weq, comparable to precipitation amounts at the Chilean coast, but not as high as expected for the Icefield. Ice core stable isotope data correlate well with upper air temperatures and may be used as temperature proxy.

Rapid runoff via shallow throughflow and deeper preferential flow in a boreal catchment underlain by frozen silt (Alaska, USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koch, Joshua C.; Ewing, Stephanie A.; Striegl, Robert G.; McKnight, Diane M.

2013-01-01

In high-latitude catchments where permafrost is present, runoff dynamics are complicated by seasonal active-layer thaw, which may cause a change in the dominant flowpaths as water increasingly contacts mineral soils of low hydraulic conductivity. A 2-year study, conducted in an upland catchment in Alaska (USA) underlain by frozen, well-sorted eolian silt, examined changes in infiltration and runoff with thaw. It was hypothesized that rapid runoff would be maintained by flow through shallow soils during the early summer and deeper preferential flow later in the summer. Seasonal changes in soil moisture, infiltration, and runoff magnitude, location, and chemistry suggest that transport is rapid, even when soils are thawed to their maximum extent. Between June and September, a shift occurred in the location of runoff, consistent with subsurface preferential flow in steep and wet areas. Uranium isotopes suggest that late summer runoff erodes permafrost, indicating that substantial rapid flow may occur along the frozen boundary. Together, throughflow and deep preferential flow may limit upland boreal catchment water and solute storage, and subsequently biogeochemical cycling on seasonal to annual timescales. Deep preferential flow may be important for stream incision, network drainage development, and the release of ancient carbon to ecosystems

Extreme Hydrological Changes in the Western United States Drive Reductions in Water Supply by Mid Century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pagan, Brianna; Ashfaq, Moetasim; Rastogi, Deeksha; Kao, Shih-Chieh; Naz, Bibi; Mei, Rui; Kendall, Donald; Pal, Jeremy

2016-04-01

The Western United States has a greater vulnerability to climate change impacts on water security due to a reliance on snowmelt driven imported water. The State of California, which is the most populous and agriculturally productive in the United States, depends on an extensive artificial water storage and conveyance system primarily for irrigated agriculture, municipal and industrial supply and hydropower generation. This study provides an integrated approach to assessing climate change impacts on the hydrologic cycle and hydrologic extremes for all water supplies to Southern California including the San-Joaquin River, Tulare Lake, Sacramento River, Owens Valley, Mono Lake, and Colorado River basins. A 10-member ensemble of coupled global climate models is dynamically downscaled forcing a regional and hydrological model resulting in a high-resolution 4-km output for the region. Greenhouse gas concentrations are prescribed according to historical values for the present-day (1965-2005) and the IPCC Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 for the near to mid term future (2010-2050). While precipitation is projected to remain the same or slightly increase, rising temperatures result in a shift in precipitation type towards more rainfall, reducing cold season snowpack and earlier snowmelt. Associated with these hydrological changes are substantial increases in both dry and flood event frequency and intensity, which are evaluated by using the Generalized Extreme Value distribution, Standardized Precipitation Index and ratio of daily precipitation to annual precipitation. Daily annual maximum runoff and precipitation event events significantly increase in intensity and frequency. Return periods change such that extreme events in the future become much more common by mid-century. The largest changes occur in the Colorado River where the daily annual maximum runoff 100-year event, for example, becomes approximately ten times more likely and twice as likely in the other basins. Volumes for annual cumulative maximum runoff increase and in contrast decrease for annual cumulative minimum runoff. Intuitively, increased frequency of years with below historical average runoff put further strain on water supply. However, the escalating likelihood of runoff occurring earlier in the year and in significantly higher amounts poses a substantial flood control risk requiring the release of water from reservoirs, also potentially decreasing water availability. Significant reductions in snowpack and increases in extreme runoff necessitate additional multiyear storage solutions for urban and agricultural regions in the Western United States.

Late Pleistocene glaciation of the Mt Giluwe volcano, Papua New Guinea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barrows, T.T.; Hope, G.S.; Prentice, M.L.; Fifield, L.K.; Tims, S.G.

2011-01-01

The Mt Giluwe shield volcano was the largest area glaciated in Papua New Guinea during the Pleistocene. Despite minimal cooling of the sea surface during the last glacial maximum, glaciers reached elevations as low as 3200 m. To investigate changes in the extent of ice through time we have re-mapped evidence for glaciation on the southwest flank of Mt Giluwe. We find that an ice cap has formed on the flanks of the mountain on at least three, and probably four, separate occasions. To constrain the ages of these glaciations we present 39 new cosmogenic 36Cl exposure ages complemented by new radiocarbon dates. Direct dating of the moraines identifies that the maximum extent of glaciation on the mountain was not during the last glacial maximum as previously thought. In conjunction with existing potassium/argon and radiocarbon dating, we recognise four distinct glacial periods between 293-306 ka (Gogon Glaciation), 136-158 ka (Mengane Glaciation), centred at 62 ka (Komia Glaciation) and from >20.3-11.5 ka (Tongo Glaciation). The temperature difference relative to the present during the Tongo Glaciation is likely to be of the order of at least 5 ??C which is a minimum difference for the previous glaciations. During the Tongo Glaciation, ice was briefly at its maximum for less than 1000 years, but stayed near maximum levels for nearly 4000 years, until about 15.4 ka. Over the next 4000 years there was more rapid retreat with ice free conditions by the early Holocene. ?? 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Establishing water body areal extent trends in interior Alaska from multi-temporal Landsat data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rover, Jennifer R.; Ji, Lei; Wylie, Bruce K.; Tieszen, Larry L.

2012-01-01

An accurate approach is needed for monitoring, quantifying and understanding surface water variability due to climate change. Separating inter- and intra-annual variances from longer-term shifts in surface water extents due to contemporary climate warming requires repeat measurements spanning a several-decade period. Here, we show that trends developed from multi-date measurements of the extents of more than 15,000 water bodies in central Alaska using Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS), Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) data (1979–2009) were highly influenced by the quantity and timing of the data. Over the 30-year period from 1979 to 2009, the study area had a net decrease (p < 0.05) in the extents of 3.4% of water bodies whereas 86% of water bodies exhibited no significant change. The Landsat-derived dataset provides an opportunity for additional research assessing the drivers of lake and wetland change in this region.

Pressure as a limit to bloater (Coregonus hoyi) vertical migration

USGS Publications Warehouse

TeWinkel, Leslie M.; Fleischer, Guy W.

1998-01-01

Observations of bloater vertical migration showed a limit to the vertical depth changes that bloater experience. In this paper, we conducted an analysis of maximum differences in pressure encountered by bloater during vertical migration. Throughout the bottom depths studied, bloater experienced maximum reductions in swim bladder volume equal to approximately 50-60% of the volume in midwater. The analysis indicated that the limit in vertical depth change may be related to a maximum level of positive or negative buoyancy for which bloater can compensate using alternative mechanisms such as hydrodynamic lift. Bloater may be limited in the extent of migration by either their depth of neutral buoyancy or the distance above the depth of neutral buoyancy at which they can still maintain their position in the water column. Although a migration limit for the bloater population was evident, individual distances of migration varied at each site. These variations in migration distances may indicate differences in depths of neutral buoyancy within the population. However, in spite of these variations, the strong correlation between shallowest depths of migration and swim bladder volume reduction across depths provides evidence that hydrostatic pressure limits the extent of daily vertical movement in bloater.

Spatial-temporal characteristics of lightning flash size in a supercell storm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhixiao; Zheng, Dong; Zhang, Yijun; Lu, Gaopeng

2017-11-01

The flash sizes of a supercell storm, in New Mexico on October 5, 2004, are studied using the observations from the New Mexico Lightning Mapping Array and the Albuquerque, New Mexico, Doppler radar (KABX). First, during the temporal evolution of the supercell, the mean flash size is anti-correlated with the flash rate, following a unary power function, with a correlation coefficient of - 0.87. In addition, the mean flash size is linearly correlated with the area of reflectivity > 30 dBZ at 5 km normalized by the flash rate, with a correlation coefficient of 0.88. Second, in the horizontal, flash size increases along the direction from the region near the convection zone to the adjacent forward anvil. The region of minimum flash size usually corresponds to the region of maximum flash initiation and extent density. The horizontal correspondence between the mean flash size and the flash extent density can also be fitted by a unary power function, and the correlation coefficient is > 0.5 in 50% of the radar volume scans. Furthermore, the quality of fit is positively correlated to the convective intensity. Third, in the vertical direction, the height of the maximum flash initiation density is close to the height of maximum flash extent density, but corresponds to the height where the mean flash size is relatively small. In the discussion, the distribution of the small and dense charge regions when and where convection is vigorous in the storm, is deduced to be responsible for the relationship that flash size is temporally and spatially anti-correlated with flash rate and density, and the convective intensity.

Surface Exposure Dating of the Huancané III Moraines in Peru: A Record of Quelccaya Ice Cap's Maximum Extent during the Last Glacial Period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baranes, H. E.; Kelly, M. A.; Stroup, J. S.; Howley, J. A.; Lowell, T. V.

2012-12-01

The climatic conditions that influenced the tropics during the height of the last glacial period are not well defined and controversial. There are disparities in estimates of temperature anomalies (e.g., MARGO, 2009; Rind and Peteet, 1985; CLIMAP, 1976), and critical terrestrial paleotemperature proxy records in tropical regions are poorly dated (e.g., Porter, 2001). Defining these conditions is important for understanding the mechanisms that cause major shifts in climate, as the tropics are a primary driver of atmospheric and oceanic circulation. This study aims to constrain the timing of maximum glacier extents in the Cordillera Oriental in southern Peru during the last glacial period by applying surface exposure (beryllium-10) dating to the Huancané III (Hu-III) moraines. The Hu-III moraines mark the maximum extent of Quelccaya Ice Cap (QIC) (13.93°S, 70.83°W), the largest tropical ice cap, during the last ice age. The eight beryllium-10 ages presented here yield 17,056 ± 520 yrs ago as a minimum age for the onset of recession from the ice cap advance marked by the Hu-III moraines. Comparing this age to other paleoclimate records indicates that the ice cap advance marked by the Hu-III moraines is more likely associated with a North Atlantic climate event known as Heinrich I (H1; 16,800 yrs ago, Bond et al., 1992, 1993) than with global cooling at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; ~21,000 yrs ago, Denton and Hughes, 1981). This result suggests that climate processes in the North Atlantic region are linked to climatic conditions in the tropical Andes. A mesoscale climate model and an ice-flow model are currently being developed for QIC. The moraine data presented in this study will be used with these two models to test response of QIC to North Atlantic and global climate events.

How Many Seals Were There? The Global Shelf Loss during the Last Glacial Maximum and Its Effect on the Size and Distribution of Grey Seal Populations

PubMed Central

Boehme, Lars; Thompson, Dave; Fedak, Mike; Bowen, Don; Hammill, Mike O.; Stenson, Garry B.

2012-01-01

Predicting how marine mammal populations respond to habitat changes will be essential for developing conservation management strategies in the 21st century. Responses to previous environmental change may be informative in the development of predictive models. Here we describe the likely effects of the last ice age on grey seal population size and distribution. We use satellite telemetry data to define grey seal foraging habitat in terms of the temperature and depth ranges exploited by the contemporary populations. We estimate the available extent of such habitat in the North Atlantic at present (between 1.42·106 km2 and 2.07·106 km2) and at the last glacial maximum (between 4.74·104 km2 and 2.11·105 km2); taking account of glacial and seasonal sea-ice coverage, estimated reductions of sea-level (123 m) and sea surface temperature hind-casts. Most of the extensive continental shelf waters (North Sea, Baltic Sea and Scotian Shelf), currently supporting >95% of grey seals, were unavailable during the last glacial maximum. A combination of lower sea-level and extensive ice-sheets, massively increased seasonal sea-ice coverage and southerly extent of cold water would have pushed grey seals into areas with no significant shelf waters. The habitat during the last glacial maximum might have been as small as 3% of today's extent and grey seal populations may have fallen to similarly low numbers. An alternative scenario involving a major change to a pelagic or bathy-pelagic foraging niche cannot be discounted. However, hooded seals currently dominate that niche and may have excluded grey seals from such habitat. If as seems likely, the grey seal population fell to very low levels it would have remained low for several thousand years before expanding into current habitats over the past 12,000 years or so. PMID:23300843