Observing wind, aerosol particles, clouds and precipitation: Finland's new ground-based remote-sensing network

The Finnish Meteorological Institute, in collaboration with the University of Helsinki, has established a new ground-based remote-sensing network in Finland. The network consists of five topographically, ecologically and climatically different sites distributed from southern to northern Finland. The main goal of the network is to monitor air pollution and boundary layer properties in near real time, with a Doppler lidar and ceilometer at each site. In addition to these operational tasks, two sites are members of the Aerosols, Clouds and Trace gases Research InfraStructure Network (ACTRIS); a Ka band cloud radar at Sodankylä will provide cloud retrievals within CloudNet, and a multi-wavelength Raman lidar, PollyXT (POrtabLe Lidar sYstem eXTended), in Kuopio provides optical and microphysical aerosol properties through EARLINET (the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network). Three C-band weather radars are located in the Helsinki metropolitan area and are deployed for operational and research applications. We performed two inter-comparison campaigns to investigate the Doppler lidar performance, compare the backscatter signal and wind profiles, and to optimize the lidar sensitivity through adjusting the telescope focus length and data-integration time to ensure sufficient signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in low-aerosol-content environments. In terms of statistical characterization, the wind-profile comparison showed good agreement between different lidars. Initially, there was a discrepancy in the SNR and attenuated backscatter coefficient profiles which arose from an incorrectly reported telescope focus setting from one instrument, together with the need to calibrate. After diagnosing the true telescope focus length, calculating a new attenuated backscatter coefficient profile with the new telescope function and taking into account calibration, the resulting attenuated backscatter profiles all showed good agreement with each other. It was thought that harsh Finnish winters could pose problems, but, due to the built-in heating systems, low ambient temperatures had no, or only a minor, impact on the lidar operation – including scanning-head motion. However, accumulation of snow and ice on the lens has been observed, which can lead to the formation of a water/ice layer thus attenuating the signal inconsistently. Thus, care must be taken to ensure continuous snow removal.

Detecting inconsistency in biological molecular databases using ontologies

The rapid growth of life science databases demands the fusion of knowledge from heterogeneous databases to answer complex biological questions. The discrepancies in nomenclature, various schemas and incompatible formats of biological databases, however, result in a significant lack of interoperability among databases. Therefore, data preparation is a key prerequisite for biological database mining. Integrating diverse biological molecular databases is an essential action to cope with the heterogeneity of biological databases and guarantee efficient data mining. However, the inconsistency in biological databases is a key issue for data integration. This paper proposes a framework to detect the inconsistency in biological databases using ontologies. A numeric estimate is provided to measure the inconsistency and identify those biological databases that are appropriate for further mining applications. This aids in enhancing the quality of databases and guaranteeing accurate and efficient mining of biological databases.

Newly Automated System For Integrated Assessment Of The Conditions Of Underwater Gas Pipelines

An underwater gas pipeline is the portion of the pipeline that crosses a river beneath its bottom. Underwater gas pipelines are subject to increasing dangers as time goes by. An accident at an underwater gas pipeline can lead to technological and environmental disaster on the scale of an entire region. Therefore, timely troubleshooting of all underwater gas pipelines in order to prevent any potential accidents will remain a pressing task for the industry. The most important aspect of resolving this challenge is the quality of the automated system in question. Now the industry doesn't have any automated system that fully meets the needs of the experts working in the field maintaining underwater gas pipelines. Principle Aim of this Research: This work aims to develop a new system of automated monitoring which would simplify the process of evaluating the technical condition and decision making on planning and preventive maintenance and repair work on the underwater gas pipeline. Objectives: Creation a shared model for a new, automated system via IDEF3; Development of a new database system which would store all information about underwater gas pipelines; Development a new application that works with database servers, and provides an explanation of the results obtained from the server; Calculation of the values MTBF for specified pipelines based on quantitative data obtained from tests of this system. Conclusion: The new, automated system PodvodGazExpert has been developed for timely and qualitative determination of the physical conditions of underwater gas pipeline; The basis of the mathematical analysis of this new, automated system uses principal component analysis method; The process of determining the physical condition of an underwater gas pipeline with this new, automated system increases the MTBF by a factor of 8.18 above the existing system used today in the industry.

RWater – A Cyber Enabled Tool For Hydrologic Modeling And Analysis

Existing distributed hydrologic models are complex and computationally demanding for using as a rapid-forecasting policy-decision tool, or even as a class-room educational tool. In addition, platform dependence, specific input/output data structures and non-dynamic data-interaction with pluggable software components inside the existing proprietary frameworks make these models restrictive only to the specialized user groups. RWater is a web-based hydrologic analysis and modeling framework that utilizes the commonly used R software within the HUBzero cyber infrastructure of Purdue University. RWater is designed as an integrated framework for distributed hydrologic simulation, along with subsequent parameter optimization and visualization schemes. RWater provides platform independent web-based interface, flexible data integration capacity, grid-based simulations, and user-extensibility. RWater uses RStudio to simulate hydrologic processes on raster based data obtained through conventional GIS pre-processing. The program integrates Shuffled Complex Evolution (SCE) algorithm for parameter optimization. Moreover, RWater enables users to produce different descriptive statistics and visualization of the outputs at different temporal resolutions. The applicability of RWater will be demonstrated by application on two watersheds in Indiana for multiple rainfall events.

Tecnicas de sensoriamento remoto e geoprocessamento aplicadas ao mapeamento geologico e geotecnico no municipio de Tres Cachoeiras, litoral norte do Rio Grande do Sul

As técnicas de sensoriarnento remoto e geoprocessamento são fundamentais para processamento e integração de dados de mapeamento geológico/geotécnico, principalmente estudos de gerenciamento e planejamento. A área estudada compreende o município de Três Cachoeiras. Litoral Norte do Rio Grande do Sul o qual inclui-se na "Reserva da Biosfera da Mata Atlântica". O município tem st: deparado com problemas de localização de sitios adequados à disposição final dos resíduos sólidos. bem como o assentamento de loteamentos residenciais e industriais, localização de jazidas de extração de material para construção, fontes de abastecimento de água e necessidade de criação de áreas de preservação ambiental. O objetivo deste trabalho foi produzir mapeamentos da área em questão, através da pesquisa geológico-geotécnica desenvolvida com emprego de imagens de satélite e fotografias aéreas, em que as informações foram cruzadas no SIG. Baseado nisto, investigaram-se os aspectos acima mencionados. a partir de uma contribuição geológico/geotécnica ao município, incluindo-se levantamento de campo, fotointerpretação, processamento e classificação de imagens do município de Três Cachoeiras, sendo os dados integrados num sistema de geoprocessamento. Utilizando-se cartas planialtimétricas, fotografias aéreas e imagem de satélite LANDSAT TM5. foram criados planos de informação como o limite da área estudada, a estrutura viária municipal, a delimitação de reservas ecológicas baseadas na legislação ambiental vigente e, por meio do modelo numérico do terreno, a carta de declividade. A fotointerpretação gerou planos de rede de drenagem, litológica. morfoestruturas e formações superficiais. Os dados de campo. sobrepostos às litológicas obtidas por fotointerpretação, produziram a carta litológica. No tratamento das imagem, foram gerados produtos com contraste, operações entre bandas, filtragens e análise de componentes principais, os quais contribuíram parira classificação da imagem e resultando nos planos de rochas/solos e cobertura/uso do solo (carta de uso atual do solo). O cruzamento destas informações permitiu a obtenção da carta de formações superficiais, lidrogeológica que, juntamente com as cartas litológica, declividades e uso atual do solo distribuíram os atributos do meio físico em planos elaborados por novos cruzamentos, que satisfazem o objetivo do estudo, sendo estes planos o produto final, ou seja, cartas de recomendação: a extração de materiais para construção civil; a implantação de obras de infraestrutura; a disposição de resíduos sólidos e loteamentos; geotécnica à agricultura; à implantação de áreas destinadas à preservação ambienta1 e recuperação.

Integração de dados geofísicos e geológicos na avaliação ambiental e epidemiológica de radiações naturais (radônio) no escudo Sul-Riograndense (RS-Brasil)

Os efeitos provocados por radiações são conhecidos na literatura por meio dos estudos em usinas nucleares e em testes bélicos. Entretanto, os efeitos da radiação natural vêm despertando a atenção das autoridades da saúde, dentre as quais se destaca a Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nos Estados Unidos e a National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) no Reino Unido. Os efeitos epidemiológicos ocasionados por radiação de origem natural, mais especificamente a radiação emanada pelo gás radônio que fica acumulado em residências enclausuradas por muito tempo, tem sido alvo de intensas investigações. Nessa dissertação, foi realizada uma avaliação ambiental preliminar da radiação natural devida ao radônio como elemento epidemiológico no Escudo Sul-riograndense. Os dados utilizados para determinar o risco epidemiológico foram: neoplasias, radiação, geologia e população. O banco de dados dos casos de óbitos por neoplasias do estado foi obtido da Secretaria da Saúde, por meio do Núcleo de Informação em Saúde. A radiação natural devida ao radônio foi determinada a partir dos dados gamaespectrométricos obtidos de levantamento aerogeofísico da CPRM no Escudo Sul-riograndense, nos projetos Camaquã e Extremo Sudeste do Brasil realizados nos anos de 1973 e 1978, respectivamente. Os dados geológicos foram obtidos do Mapa Geológico do Estado de 1989. Os dados de população foram obtidos junto ao Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). A integração de dados foi realizada usando a metodologia de matriz de sobreposição entre os dados de casos de óbitos por neoplasia e de gamaespectrometria. Os dados de população foram empregados para normalizar os dados de neoplasias, e o dado de geologia para correlacionar com a gamaespectrometria. Os resultados da integração são mapas classificados pelo grau de risco epidemiológico, nos quais é apresentada a relação entre os casos de neoplasias pela intensidade de radiação devida ao radônio. Nesse sentido, uma boa relação foi assinalada e são recomendados estudos adicionais sobre esse mesmo banco de dados.

Harmonised framework for ecological risk assessment of sediments from ports and estuarine zones of North and South Atlantic

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Integrated sediment quality assessment in Paranagua Estuarine System, Southern Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Orientação indireta de imagens digitais usando telhados de duas águas como apoio de campo

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Monitoramento geoambiental do estuário do Rio Paraíba do Norte - PB por meio da cartografia temática digital e de produtos de sensoriamento remoto

The North Paraíba River Estuary, located in the eastern portion of the Paraíba State, Northeast Brazil, on coordinates 34º50 00 -34º57 30 S and 6º55 00 -7º7 30 W, constitutes a fluvio-marine plain formed by the North Paraíba River and its tributaries Sanhauá, Paroeira, Mandacaru, Tiriri, Tambiá, Ribeira and Guia. This estuary comprises an area of about 260 km2. Increasing human demands on the estuary area and inadequate environment managing have generated conflicts. The present work main purpose is to evaluate the geodynamic evolution of the North Paraíba River Estuary in the period from 1969 to 2001, using digital image processing techniques, thematic digital cartography and multitemporal data integration, combined to geological-geophysical field surveys. The SUDENE cartographic database, converted to digital format were, used to obtain occupation and topographic maps from 1969 and to generate a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Digital Landsat 7 ETM+ and Spot HRVIR-PAN satellite images interpretation allowed the environmental characterization of the estuary. The most important digital processing results were achieved color composites RGB 5-4-3, 5-3-1, 5-2-NDWI and band ratio 7/4-5/3-4/2, 5/7-3/1-5/4). In addition the fusion image technique RGBI was used by the inclusion of the Spot HRVRI and Landsat 7 ETM+ panchromatic band on I layer with RGB triplets 5-4-3, 5-3-1 and 5/7-3/1-5/4. The DEM and digital images integration allowed the identification of seven geomorphological units: coastal tableland, flowing tray, tide plain, fluvial terrace, submerged dune, beach plain and beach). Both Side Scan Sonar and Echosound were used to analyse underwater surface and bedforms of the estuarine channel, sand predominance (fine to very fine) and 2D dune features 5 m wide and 0.5 m height. This investigation characterized the estuary as an environment dominated by regimen of average flow. The channel depth varies between 1 m and 11 m, being this last quota reached in the area of Porto de Cabedelo. The chanel estuary is relatively shallow, with erosion evidences mainly on its superior portion, attested by sand banks exposed during the low tide. Multitemporal digital maps from 1969 and 2001 integration were obtained through geoprocessing techniques, resulting the geodynamic evolution of the estuary based on landuse, DEM geomorphology and bathymetric maps

Coastal Marine Mapping as an Ecosystem Based Management - the case study of the Baixada Santista Region - São Paulo, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Use of a semantically grained database system for distribution and control within design environments

This paper presents a technique to share the data stored in an object-oriented database aimed at designing environments. This technique shares data between two related databases, called the Original and Product databases, and is composed of three processes: data separation, evolution and integration. Whenever a block of data needs to be shared, it is spread into both databases, resulting in a block on the original database, and another into the Product database, with special links between them controlled by the Object Manager. These blocks do not need to be maintained identical during the evolution phase of the sharing process. Six types of links were defined, and by choosing one, the designer control the evolution and reintegration of the block in both databases. This process uses the composite object concept as the unit of control. The presented concepts can be applied to any data model with support to composite objects.

Pangea - Arquitetura semântica para a integração de dados e modelos geoespaciais na Web

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Espacialização do biovolume de plantas aquáticas submersas a partir da integração de dados obtidos por sensores remotos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)