Signatures of Indian ocean Dipole and El Nino-Southern Oscillation events in sea level variations in the Bay of Bengal

We investigate the impact of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and El Nino and the Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on sea level variations in the North Indian Ocean during 1957-2008. Using tide-gauge and altimeter data, we show that IOD and ENSO leave characteristic signatures in the sea level anomalies (SLAs) in the Bay of Bengal. During a positive IOD event, negative SLAs are observed during April-December, with the SLAs decreasing continuously to a peak during September-November. During El Nino, negative SLAs are observed twice (April-December and November-July), with a relaxation between the two peaks. SLA signatures during negative IOD and La Nina events are much weaker. We use a linear, continuously stratified model of the Indian Ocean to simulate their sea level patterns of IOD and ENSO events. We then separate solutions into parts that correspond to specific processes: coastal alongshore winds, remote forcing from the equator via reflected Rossby waves, and direct forcing by interior winds within the bay. During pure IOD events, the SLAs are forced both from the equator and by direct wind forcing. During ENSO events, they are primarily equatorially forced, with only a minor contribution from direct wind forcing. Using a lead/lag covariance analysis between the Nino-3.4 SST index and Indian Ocean wind stress, we derive a composite wind field for a typical El Nino event: the resulting solution has two negative SLA peaks. The IOD and ENSO signatures are not evident off the west coast of India.

The hazard potential of the western segment of the Makran subduction zone, northern Arabian Sea

Evaluating the hazard potential of the Makran subduction zone requires understanding the previous records of the large earthquakes and tsunamis. We address this problem by searching for earthquake and tectonic proxies along the Makran Coast and linking those observations with the available constraints on historical seismicity and the tell-tale characteristics of sea floor morphology. The earthquake of Mw 8.1 of 1945 and the consequent tsunami that originated on the eastern part of the Makran are the only historically known hazardous events in this region. The seismic status of the western part of the subduction zone outside the rupture area of the 1945 earthquake remains an enigma. The near-shore shallow stratigraphy of the central part of Makran near Chabahar shows evidence of seismically induced liquefaction that we attribute to the distant effects of the 1945 earthquake. The coastal sites further westward around Jask are remarkable for the absence of liquefaction features, at least at the shallow level. Although a negative evidence, this possibly implies that the western part of Makran Coast region may not have been impacted by near-field large earthquakes in the recent past-a fact also supported by the analysis of historical data. On the other hand, the elevated marine terraces on the western Makran and their uplift rates are indicative of comparable degree of long-term tectonic activity, at least around Chabahar. The offshore data suggest occurrences of recently active submarine slumps on the eastern part of the Makran, reflective of shaking events, owing to the great 1945 earthquake. The ocean floor morphologic features on the western segment, on the contrary, are much subdued and the prograding delta lobes on the shelf edge also remain intact. The coast on the western Makran, in general, shows indications of progradation and uplift. The various lines of evidence thus suggest that although the western segment is potentially seismogenic, large earthquakes have not occurred there in the recent past, at least during the last 600 years. The recurrence period of earthquakes may range up to 1,000 years or more, an assessment based on the age of the youngest dated coastal ridge. The long elapsed time points to the fact that the western segment may have accumulated sufficient slip to produce a major earthquake.

Genome sequencing unveils a novel sea enterotoxin-carrying PVL phage in staphylococcus aureus ST772 from India

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen, first recognized as a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. Community-associated S. aureus (CA-SA) pose a greater threat due to increase in severity of infection and disease among children and healthy adults. CA-SA strains in India are genetically diverse, among which is the sequence type (ST) 772, which has now spread to Australia, Europe and Japan. Towards understanding the genetic characteristics of ST772, we obtained draft genome sequences of five relevant clinical isolates and studied the properties of their PVL-carrying prophages, whose presence is a defining hallmark of CA-SA. We show that this is a novel prophage, which carries the structural genes of the hlb-carrying prophage and includes the sea enterotoxin. This architecture probably emerged early within the ST772 lineage, at least in India. The sea gene, unique to ST772 PVL, despite having promoter sequence characteristics typical of low expression, appears to be highly expressed during early phase of growth in laboratory conditions. We speculate that this might be a consequence of its novel sequence context. The crippled nature of the hlb-converting prophage in ST772. suggests that widespread mobility of the sea enterotoxin might be a selective force behind its `transfer' to the PVL prophage. Wild type ST772 strains induced strong proliferative responses as well as high cytotoxic activity against neutrophils, likely mediated by superantigen SEA and the PVL toxin respectively. Both proliferation and cytotoxicity were markedly reduced in a cured ST772 strain indicating the impact of the phage on virulence. The presence of SEA alongside he genes for the immune system-modulating PVL toxin may contribute to the success and virulence of ST772.

Sea-level changes and its impact on coastal archaeological monuments: seven pagodas of Mahabalipuram, a case study

The name `Seven Pagodas' has served as a nickname for the south Indian port of Mahabalipuram since the early European explorers used it as landmark for navigation as they could see summits of seven temples from the sea. There are many theories concerning the name Seven Pagodas. The present study has compared coastline and adjacent seven monuments illustrated in a 17th century Portolan Chart (maritime map) with recent remote sensing data. This analysis throws new light on the name ``Seven Pagodas'' for the city. This study has used DEM of the site to simulate the coastline which is similar to the one depicted in the old portolan chart. Through this, the then sea level and corresponding flooding extent according to topography of the area and their effect on monuments could be analyzed. Most importantly this work has in the process identified possibly the seven monuments that constituted the name Seven Pagodas and this provides an alternative explanation to one of the mysteries of history. This work has demonstrated unique method of studying coastal archaeological sites. As large numbers of heritage sites around the world are on coastlines, this methodology has potential to be very useful for coastal heritage preservation and management.

On the epochal variation of intensity of tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea

During recent years, an increase in the intensity of pre-monsoon tropical cyclones (TCs) is observed over the Arabian Sea. This study suggests that this increase is due to epochal variability in the intensity of TCs and is associated with epochal variability in the storm-ambient vertical wind shear and tropical cyclone heat potential (TCHP). There is a significant increase (0.53kJcm(-2)year(-1)) of TCHP during recent years. The warmer upper ocean helps TCs to sustain or increase their intensity by an uninterrupted supply of sensible and latent heat fluxes from the ocean surface to the atmosphere.

Hydrographical characteristics and oxygen isotopic signatures of water in a coastal environment (Mangalore) along the southeastern Arabian Sea

Coastal marine environments are important links between the continents and the open ocean. The coast off Mangalore forms part of the upwelling zone along the southeastern Arabian Sea. The temperature, salinity, density, dissolved oxygen and stable oxygen isotope ratio (delta O-18) of surface waters as well as those of bottom waters off coastal Mangalore were studied every month from October 2010 to May 2011. The coastal waters were stratified in October and November due to precipitation and runoff. The region was characterised by upwelled bottom waters in October, whereas the region exhibited a temperature inversion in November. The surface and bottom waters presented almost uniform properties from December until April. The coastal waters were observed to be most dense in January and May. Comparatively cold and poorly oxygenated bottom waters during the May sampling indicated the onset of upwelling along the region. delta O-18 of the coastal waters successfully documented the observed variations in the hydrographical characteristics of the Mangalore coast during the monthly sampling period. We also noted that the monthly variability in the properties of the coastal waters of Mangalore was related to the hydrographical characteristics of the adjacent open ocean inferred from satellite-derived surface winds, sea surface height anomaly data and sea surface temperatures.

Impact of diurnal forcing on intraseasonal sea surface temperature oscillations in the Bay of Bengal

The diurnal cycle is an important mode of sea surface temperature (SST) variability in tropical oceans, influencing air-sea interaction and climate variability. Upper ocean mixing mechanisms are significant at diurnal time scales controlling the intraseasonal variability (ISV) of SST. Sensitivity experiments using an Ocean General Circulation Model (OGCM) for the summer monsoon of the year 2007 show that incorporation of diurnal cycle in the model atmospheric forcings improves the SST simulation at both intraseasonal and shorter time scales in the Bay of Bengal (BoB). The increase in SST-ISV amplitudes with diurnal forcing is approximate to 0.05 degrees C in the southern bay while it is approximate to 0.02 degrees C in the northern bay. Increased intraseasonal warming with diurnal forcing results from the increase in mixed layer heat gain from insolation, due to shoaling of the daytime mixed layer. Amplified intraseasonal cooling is dominantly controlled by the strengthening of subsurface processes owing to the nocturnal deepening of mixed layer. In the southern bay, intraseasonal variability is mainly determined by the diurnal cycle in insolation, while in the northern bay, diurnal cycle in insolation and winds have comparable contributions. Temperature inversions (TI) develop in the northern bay in the absence of diurnal variability in wind stress. In the northern bay, SST-ISV amplification is not as large as that in the southern bay due to the weaker diurnal variability of mixed layer depth (MLD) limited by salinity stratification. Diurnal variability of model MLD is not sufficient to create large modifications in mixed layer heat budget and SST-ISV in the northern bay.

Parametric Studies on Saltwater Intrusion into Coastal Aquifers for Anticipate Sea Level Rise

Saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers is a global issue, exacerbated by increasing demands for freshwater in coastal regions. This study investigates into the parametric analysis on saltwater intrusion in a conceptual, coastal, unconfined aquifer considering wide range of freshwater draft and anticipated sea level rise. The saltwater intrusion under various circumstances is simulated through parametric studies using MODFLOW, MT3DMS and SEAWAT. The MODFLOW is used to simulate the groundwater flow system under changing hydro-dynamics in coastal aquifer. To simulate solute transport MT3DMS and SEAWAT is used. The saltwater intrusion process has direct bearing on hydraulic conductivity and inversely related to porosity. It may also be noted that increase in recharge rate considered in the study does not have much influence on saltwater intrusion. Effect of freshwater draft at locations beyond half of the width of the aquifer considered has marginal effect and hence can be considered as safe zone for freshwater withdrawals. Due to the climate change effect, the anticipated rise in sea level of 0.88 m over a century is considered in the investigation. This causes increase in salinity intrusion by about 25%. The combined effect of sea level rise and freshwater draft (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

An overview of air-sea interface process studies

Recent progress in the study of air-sea interface processes for momentum, heat, moisture and mass transfer are reviewed in the present article. Except for turbulent structure, we have analysed the other physical mechanisms occurring in the wave boundary layer, such as the roles of the sea surface state, droplets and bubbles due to wave breaking, which at least partly account for the existing discrepancies between theory and observations. The experiments, both over the ocean and in the laboratory, are described briefly. In conclusion, a few perspective trends in this area are suggested for further investigation.

Inducción, multiplicación de callos, regeneración de plantas y variacion somaclonal de las vitroplantas en cinco cultivares de quequisque (Xanthosoma spp.)

Se evaluó la variación somaclonal de plantas de los cultivares Blanco (Bco), Casitas (CS), San Ramón (SR), La Escalera (LE) y Ticuantepe (TC) regeneradas del cultivo de callos y callos multiplicados. El medio MS + 3 mg l-1 de 2,4-D se utilizó para inducir callos. 50% de los callos regeneraron plantas en el medio MS simple (I). El 50% restante fueron multiplicados en 4 medios (II, III, IV y V) y luego colocados en el medio MS simple para regenerar plantas. Los cultivares produjeron 100% de callos en el medio inductor y regeneraron 100-260 plantas en los callos inducidos. Los medios IV y V registraron mayores valores de callos friables y grandes. Los cultivares produjeron multiyemas en casi todos los medios; puntos de crecimiento en los medios IV y V y plantas en el medio V. Los callos multiplicados del medio V regeneraron plantas en todos los cultivares, los del medio IV en tres. Los callos multiplicados en los medios II y III no regeneraron plantas, a excepción de Bco que regeneró (10) en el medio II. Las plantas en sombreadero provenían de los medios I, IV y V. LE regeneró y aclimatizó 839 plantas, Bco 586, TC300, CS 272 y SR 200. Los cultivares excepto Bco presentaron hojas redondeadas, en forma de basto, con borde rugoso, alargada, decoloración, punta enrollada, lóbulo deforme y pecíolo alargado. SR-I presentó 17.4% de variaciones, LE-IV 13.9% y TC-I 10.9%.

Regeneración natural del madroño (Calycophyllum candidissimum (Vahl) DC) en el bosque tropical seco de Chacocente, Nicaragua

El objetivo de este estudio fue estudiar la densidad de la regeneración natural de brinzales y latizales del Madroño ( Calycophyllum candisissimum ) en un periodo de tiempo y analizar el patrón de distribución espacial en relación con la pendiente del terreno y la exposición a la luz solar. El estudio se llevó a cabo en el refugio de Vida Silvestre de Chacocente localizado en la costa del Pacifico de Nicaragua. Se realizó un inventario forestal durante los años 2001, 2002 y 2003 y todos los individuos con alturas mayores de 10 cm y diámetro menores de 5 cm a la altura del pecho fueron inventariados. Los cambios en densidad de población de brinzales y latizales para C. candisissimum fueron positivos indicando una continua regeneración natural de la especie. La densidad de población de brinzales y latizales varió con respecto a la pendiente y la exposición a la luz solar resultando en un patrón de distribución agregado.

Regeneración natural del madroño (Calycophyllum candidissimum (Vahl) DC) en el bosque tropical seco de Chacocente, Nicaragua

El objetivo de este estudio fue estudiar la densidad de la regeneración natural de brinzales y latizales del Madroño ( Calycophyllum candisissimum ) en un periodo de tiempo y analizar el patrón de distribución espacial en relación con la pendiente del terreno y la exposición a la luz solar. El estudio se llevó a cabo en el refugio de Vida Silvestre de Chacocente localizado en la costa del Pacifico de Nicaragua. Se realizó un inventario forestal durante los años 2001, 2002 y 2003 y todos los individuos con alturas mayores de 10 cm y diámetro menores de 5 cm a la altura del pecho fueron inventariados. Los cambios en densidad de población de brinzales y latizales para C. candisissimum fueron positivos indicando una continua regeneración natural de la especie. La densidad de población de brinzales y latizales varió con respecto a la pendiente y la exposición a la luz solar resultando en un patrón de distribución agregado.

Factores a considerar en la regeneración natural del bosque tropical seco en Nicaragua

En el presente estudio se analizó el banco de semillas del suelo en un ecosistema de bosque seco secundario en Nandarola, Nandaime, departamento de Granada. La investigación tuvo por objetivos estimar composición florística y densidad de semillas presentes en el banco de semillas de suelo. Se recolectaron muestras de suelo que incluían la capa litter y tres capas de suelo mineral sucesivas (de 0-3, 3-6 y 6-9 cms). El número total de especies presente en el banco de semillas del suelo fue de 33 especies, distribuidas en 23 familias. El número total de semillas presente fue 240 semillas por metro cuadrado. Tambien se hizo otro estudio sobre la regeneración natural de tres especies: Lysiloma divaricatum (Jacq.), Tabebuia ochracea (Cham.) and Lonchocarpus minimiflorus (Donn. Sm.) en un periodo de tres años en la Reserva Natural de Chacocente. Los resultados obtenidos señalan que la densidad de las especies varía significativamente durante el periodo de estudio. La regeneración natural por si sola no es suficiente para mantener el número adecuado de plántulas, por lo tanto se deben de tomar medidas para incrementar la regeneración de las especies.