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Announcements: Summer 2000

Drought Network News (1994–2001)

Contents:

Disaster Management Workshops

Fifth Annual Conference on Crises and Disasters Management

DROUGHT 2000 Conference: Impacts, Policy, and Technology

16th Annual International Conference on Contaminated Soils, Sediments and Water

The Climatic Impact Of La Niña-Related Droughts In Entre Rios (Argentina), Alicia E. Codromaz De Rojas

Drought Network News (1994–2001)

The National Institute of Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA) at Parana, Entre Rios (Argentina), has a farming experimental station (E.E.A.) located at 31.5°S and 60.31°W, 110m above sea level. A meteorological observatory has existed at the site since 1934.

The region has a temperate humid climate and receives an average annual rainfall total of 1,000 mm. Distribution is monsoonal, with October–April rains accounting for 73% of the annual total.

Since August 1998, the area has been affected by La Niña, and experts expected the conditions of the cold episode to persist into 2000. The La Niña event in the humid Pampean region …

Advanced Atmospheric Water Vapor Dial Detection System, Tamer Refaat

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Measurement of atmospheric water vapor is very important for understanding the Earth's climate and water cycle. The remote sensing Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) technique is a powerful method to perform such measurement from aircraft and space. This thesis describes a new advanced detection system, which incorporates major improvements regarding sensitivity and size. These improvements include a low noise advanced avalanche photodiode detector, a custom analog circuit, a 14-bit digitizer, a microcontroller for on board averaging and finally a fast computer interface.

This thesis describes the design and validation of this new water vapor DIAL detection system which was integrated onto …

Bulletin 4418 - Nebru Focus Catchment Report, Agriculture Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

Nehru Focus Catchment is located in the upper reaches of the Arrowsmith Catchment. It is roughly bounded by Sunset Road in the north, the north-south Kadathinni Hills to the east, the Three Springs - Eneabba Road to the south and Reed Road in the west. It changes in elevation from 372 metres Australian Height Datum (AHD) at roughly the intersection of Nehru Rd the Kadathinni Hills to the east and 220 metres AHD near the outlet of the catchment into the Arrowsmith River.

The total area of the catchment is just over 7,400 hectares.

One of the prime areas of …

Growth In Colorado And The West: Trends And Issues [Outline], James N. Corbridge Jr.

Water and Growth in the West (Summer Conference, June 7-9)

4 pages.

Contains references.

Environmental Impacts Of New Solutions: Two Case Studies, Lori Potter, Michael Freeman

Water and Growth in the West (Summer Conference, June 7-9)

32 pages.

Contains footnotes and references.

Groundwater And Growth Management In The New West: Evolving Law And Practice, A. Dan Tarlock

Water and Growth in the West (Summer Conference, June 7-9)

13 pages.

The Water Development-Growth Relationship: Case Studies, Edward F. Harvey

Water and Growth in the West (Summer Conference, June 7-9)

7 pages.

Climate Variability And Western Water: What Can We Expect?, Roger S. Pulwarty

Water and Growth in the West (Summer Conference, June 7-9)

7 pages.

Agenda: Water And Growth In The West, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center, The William And Flora Hewlett Foundation

Water and Growth in the West (Summer Conference, June 7-9)

1 v. (various pagings) : ill., maps ; 29 cm. + 1 CD-ROM (4 3/4 in.) + supplement (207 p. ; 29 x 24 cm.)

"Conference co-sponsor The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation."

Conference moderators included University of Colorado School of Law professors Gary C. Bryner, James N. Corbridge, Jr., David H. Getches, Douglas S. Kenney, Kathryn M. Mutz, Peter D. Nichols and Charles F. Wilkinson.

Accompanied by: CD-ROM (4 3/4 in.) and supplement (xiv, 140, [49] p.)

Includes bibliographical references

The event will cover a breadth of issues, including demographics and water-use trends, improved planning and efficient use, implementation …

A Taxonomic Evaluation Of The Comatulid Genus Stephanometra (Echinodermata:Crinoidea), Dana Lin Rankin

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Several genera in the comatulid family Mariametridae are currently ambiguously distinguished on the basis of variations in length and robustness of oral pinnules. Previous descriptions have suggested that at least the genera Stephanometra and Lamprometra are imperfectly distinguishable. A detailed re-examination of morphology coupled with principal component analyses of morphometric data and cladistic analyses provide support for a monophyletic Stephanometra distinct from Lamprometra. A preliminary morphological analysis suggests that Dichrometra and Liparometra should be synonymized with Lamprometra. The six currently recognized species of Stephanometra uniquely share at least one pair of oral pinnules characterized by enlarged size, reduced ambulacral groove …

Fisheries Research Report No. 119 - Final Report, Frdc Project 95/037: The Biology And Stock Assessment Of The Tropical Sardine, Sardinella Lemuru, Off The Mid-West Coast Of Western Australia, Daniel J. Gaughan, Ronald W. Mitchell

Fisheries Research Reports

Exploratory fishing for the tropical sardine, Sardinella lemuru, offshore of Geraldton on the midwest coast of Western Australia in the early 1990s, led to the establishment of a developmental purse seine fishery in this region. This fishery showed potential for substantial expansion, but as there was no information on S. lemuru in WA there was a need to undertake research during the developmental period. The biology and fishery for S. lemuru in WA were therefore investigated over a three year period between July 1995 and June 1998 with the aim of providing stock assessment advice.

The biology of S. lemuru …

A Conceptual Hydrogeological Model For The Lake Warden Recovery Catchments Esperance, Western Australia, R Short

Resource management technical reports

The National Land and Water Resource Audit (NLWRA), has identified Dryland Salinity as one of seven major themes for an audit of the nation’s land, water, vegetation and natural resource management. Within this theme, Project 3 has been developed to investigate a key catchment type and how management scenarios will impact on dryland salinity processes. The Lake Warden catchments have been chosen as one of four catchment water balance studies to be undertaken nationally. The catchment water balance analysis will be undertaken using numerical modelling by the CSIRO, Division of Land and Water.

Using The Spi To Identify Drought, C. T. Agnew

Drought Network News (1994–2001)

This article was written in response to the recent analysis of drought in Turkey by Komuscu (1999). The study showed the relationship between drought duration, drought frequency, and drought time scale using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI).

Announcements: Spring 2000

Drought Network News (1994–2001)

Contents:

Droughts: A Global Assessment

Proceedings of the National Workshop on Dynamic Crop Simulation Modeling for Agrometeorological Advisory Services

Central and Eastern European Workshop on Drought Mitigation

11th Global Warming International Conference and Expo

GLOBE Data Set

Revisiting The Spi: Clarifying The Process, Michael J. Hayes

Drought Network News (1994–2001)

The number of applications using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) around the world continues to increase (e.g., Agnew, pp. 6–12 of this newsletter, and Komuscu 1999). However, there are relatively few publications explaining the SPI, and occasional misconceptions about the index have occurred.

When the SPI was first developed by McKee et al. (1993, 1995), it was meant to address some of the limitations that exist within the Palmer Drought Index (PDI). These first publications were relatively simple introductions of the SPI to the scientific community, appearing in the Proceedings of the Eighth and Ninth Applied Climatology Conferences, respectively, sponsored …

Characteristics Of Drought In Kerala, India, K. K. Nathan

Drought Network News (1994–2001)

Kerala state in India, which is the first area of the country to experience the southwest monsoon, has a moist and wet climate. Kerala is in the extreme southwestern part of the Indian subcontinent; it borders Karnataka state in the north, Tamil Nadu in the east, and the Arabian Sea in the west (Figure 1). The entire state is one of the 35 meteorological subdivisions in India.

Kerala’s climate is tropical monsoon and tropical savanna, according to Koppen’s climatic classification (Figure 1). The state normally experiences excessive seasonal rainfall, with hot summers (except in the extreme southern districts like Trivandrum, …

Diagrams Based On Structured Object Perception, Pourang Irani, Colin Ware

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Most diagrams, particularly those used in software engineering, are line drawings consisting of nodes drawn as rectangles or circles, and edges drawn as lines linking them. In the present paper we review some of the literature on human perception to develop guidelines for effective diagram drawing. Particular attention is paid to structural object recognition theory. According to this theory as objects are perceived they are decomposed into 3D set of primitives called geons, together with the skeleton structure connecting them. We present a set of guidelines for drawing variations on node-link diagrams using geon-like primitives, and provide some examples. Results …

An Examination Of Gasoline Pollutants From Two-Cycle Marine Engines Within Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Brian Carter

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Jet skis are a very popular "toy" to have in the United States. They account for almost a third of all boat sales, and their numbers are growing rapidly. Unfortunately jet skis use two-cycle engines that pollute at unacceptable levels. Jet ski motors can emit up to 25% of its fuel right back into the water. This alarmed me and I wanted to take a deeper look into how bad jet skis pollute Las Vegas' primary water source. Lake Mead. I looked into how a two-cycle engine differs from a regular engine and I looked at the actual pollutants a …

Re-Evaluation Of Wave Transmission Coefficients For Submerged Breakwater Physical Models, Harry Charles Friebel

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing interest in utilizing submerged breakwaters and artificial reefs for shoreline stabilization requires accurate models and relationships for predicting wave attenuation. The objective of this paper is to develop an empirical model as an improvement to existing wave transmission models. This will provide the required design criteria for use in future submerged breakwater designs. An extensive study of existing literature on submerged breakwaters and associated wave attenuation was performed, followed by a detailed statistical analysis of existing data sets to determine an alternate model for the wave transmission coefficient. A total of five data sets from physical model studies were …

The Rural Towns Program : Groundwater Modelling : The Merredin Catchment, J Matta

Resource management technical reports

Agriculture Western Australia (Agwest), as part of the Rural Towns Program, was engaged to test the application of a groundwater model for potential future management options against salinity for the Merredin townsite. This report illustrates some of the options that could be implemented to achieve the objective of salinity management.

Charting Neptune's Realm: From Classical Mythology To Satellite Imagery (Exhibit Guide), Osher Map Library And Smith Center For Cartographic Education

Osher Map Library Miscellaneous Publications

Charting Neptune's Realm: From Classical Mythology to Satellite Imagery. April 4, 2000 to January 11, 2001

The charts in this exhibition explore how mariners have distinguished one piece of water from any other, by determining what phenomena can be delineated across the vast, trackless ocean and by developing notations to express those phenomena.

An Introduction To The Drought Monitor, Mark Svoboda

Drought Network News (1994–2001)

The idea of better monitoring and assessing drought has been a quest of NDMC director Don Wilhite for more than two decades. He has been an advocate of better climate monitoring, particularly drought monitoring, because drought is a normal, recurring hazard in virtually all of the United States. The challenge is to recognize drought, a slow-onset or “creeping” natural disaster, before a region is in the middle of one.

The most recent surge in interest in drought arose during the 1995–96 drought in the Southwest and southern Great Plains states. At the NDMC we discussed how we could do a …

From The Director: Spring 2000, Donald A. Wilhite

Drought Network News (1994–2001)

I hope that those of our readers with Internet access will consider receiving future issues of Drought Network News online. We realize that some of you do not have access to the Internet, so we will continue to publish hard copies of the newsletter. If you are willing to receive the newsletter electronically, please contact Kim Klemsz as soon as possible. Our plan is to notify readers via email when each new issue of Drought Network News is available. Back issues of the newsletter are also available online.

This is a joint winter/spring issue of Drought Network News. It …

Spring 2000, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy Of Water Vapor And Line Center Stabilization At 1.462 Μm For Lidar Applications, Colleen Marie Fitzgerald

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Wavelength modulation spectroscopy was employed to investigate water vapor absorption lines in the 1.462 µm wavelength region using an external-cavity diode laser. These measurements were necessary in the development of a lidar (light detection and ranging) instrument for differential absorption measurement of the concentration and movement of water vapor in the Earth's atmosphere. Differential absorption measurements require that the laser frequency remain stable throughout the duration of the measurement. To ensure this stability, the laser output wavelength is monitored and a feedback control loop set up to minimize laser line drift. Three lines were investigated in the 1.462 µm region. …

Circulation, Vol. 7, No. 2, Center For Coastal Physical Oceanography, Old Dominion University, Bettina Fach

CCPO Circulation

Spring 2000 issue of CCPO Circulation featuring article "Cruising the Southern Ocean" by Bettina Fach

A Longitudinal Assessment Of Temperament In Octopus Bimaculoides, David Loyd Sinn

Dissertations and Theses

Cephalopods, including Octopus spp., are highly intelligent molluscs that play major roles in many marine food webs, both as top-level feeders (Ambrose, 1984) as well as by constituting a major source of protein for the animals above them (Lang, Hochberg, Ambrose, & Engle, 1997). They also are fascinating organisms for behavioral studies, with elaborate repertoires of behavior based on plasticity and learning (Wells, 1962a; 1962b; 1978) which in complexity rivals that of the vertebrates. The study of individual differences in behavior is a facet of behavioral research that has recently gained attention in the literature (Gosling & John, 1999). Traditionally, …

Influence Of Advection On Measurements Of The Net Ecosystem-Atmosphere Exchange Of Co2 From A Very Tall Tower, Chuixiang Yi, Kenneth J. Davis, Peter S. Bakwin, Bernard W. Berger, Linsey C. Marr

Publications and Research

In most studies of the net ecosystem-atmosphere exchange of CO₂ (NEE) using tower-based eddy covariance( EC) systems it has been assumed that advection is negligible. In this study we use a scalar conservation budget method to estimate the contribution of advection to NEE measurements from a very tall tower in northern Wisconsin. We examine data for June-August 1997. Measured NEEo, calculated as the sum of the EC flux plus the rate of change of storage below the EC measurement level, is expected to be constant with measurement height, and we take the differences between levels as a measure of …

Tropospheric Reactive Odd Nitrogen Over The South Pacific In Austral Springtime, Jack E. Dibb, R. Talbot, Eric Scheuer, J D. Bradshaw, S T. Sandholm, D R. Blake, N J. Blake, Elliot Atlas, F Flocke

Earth Sciences

The distribution of reactive nitrogen species over the South Pacific during austral springtime appears to be dominated by biomass burning emissions and possibly lightning and stratospheric inputs. The absence of robust correlations of reactive nitrogen species with source-specific tracers (e.g., C₂H₂ [combustion], CH₃Cl [biomass burning], C₂Cl₄ [industrial],²¹⁰Pb [continental], and ⁷Be [stratospheric]) suggests significant aging and processing of the sampled air parcels due to losses by surface deposition, OH attack, and dilution processes. Classification of the air parcels based on CO enhancements indicates that the greatest influence was found in …