Poems

Testimony, Incident, Storm at Skaveru

Extracting High Temperature Event radiance from satellite images and correcting for saturation using Independent Component Analysis

We present a novel method for extracting the radiance from High Temperature Events (HTEs) recorded by geostationary imagers using Independent Component Analysis (ICA). We use ICA to decompose the image cube collected by the instrument into a sum of the outer products of independent, maximally non-Gaussian time series and images of their spatial distribution, and then reassemble the image cube using only sources that appear to be HTEs. Integrating spatially gives the time series of total HTE radiance emission. In this study we test the technique on a number of simulated HTE events, and then apply it to a number of volcanic HTEs observed by the SEVIRI instrument. We find that the technique performs well on small localised eruptions and can be used to correct for saturation. The technique offers the advantage of obviating the need for a priori knowledge of the area being imaged, beyond some basic assumptions about the nature of the processes affecting radiance in the scene, namely that (i) HTE sources are statistically independent from other processes, (ii) the radiance registered at the sensor is a linear mixture of the HTE signal and those from other processes, and (iii) HTE sources can be reliably identified for the reconstruction process. This results in only five free parameters — the dimensions of the image cube, an estimate of the data dimensionality and a threshold for distinguishing between HTE and nonHTE sources. While we have focused here on volcanic HTEs, the methodology can, in principle, be extended to studies of other kinds of HTEs such as those associated with biomass burning.This research was undertaken as part of the NERC consortium project “How does the Earth's crust grow at divergent plate boundaries? A unique opportunity in Afar, Ethiopia” (grant number NE/E005535/1). CO is additionally supported by the UK National Centre for Earth Observation “Dynamic Earth and Geohazards” theme (http://comet.nerc.ac.uk/).This is the final published version. It first appeared at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0034425714004337?np=y#

Inverting multispectral thermal time-series images of volcanic eruptions for lava emplacement models

We present a novel method for interpreting time series of multispectral observations of volcanic eruptions. We show how existing models relating radiance and area emplacement can be generalised to an integration-convolution of a Net Area Emplacement (NAE) function and a cooling function, assuming all surfaces follow the same cooling curve. The NAE describes the variation in the rate of emplacement of hot material with time and temperature, while the cooling function describes the cooling of a hot surface with time. Discretizing the integration-convolution equation yields an underdetermined matrix equation that we solve using 2nd order Tikhonov regularization to stabilize the solution. We test the inversion by modelling plausible NAE surfaces, calculating the radiances, adding noise, and inverting for the original surface. Three or more spectral bands are required to capture the overall shape of the NAE, and recovering specific quantities is difficult. Single wavebands that yield flat kernels recover the total area emplacement curve (rate of increase of hot area – the integral of the NAE with respect to temperature) surprisingly well due to their property of conserving NAE, suggesting novel methods for calculating area emplacement rates (and effusion rates) from time series of satellite images and radiometer measurements.This research was undertaken as part of the NERC consortium project “How does the Earth's crust grow at divergent plate boundaries? A unique opportunity in Afar, Ethiopia” (grant number NE/E005535/1). CO is additionally supported by the National Centre for Earth Observation (COMET+).This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from the Geological Society via http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/SP426.1

Challenges of the Research Management Office in Higher Edcuational Institutions (HEIS): Local and Global Perspectives

With the growing interest in managing research and sponsored programmes, HEIs are recognizing the need for research support services.  For many HEIs in sub-Saharan Africa, this means up-skilling research administration and management expertise, project management proficiency, and good governance structures by setting up a research management office in these institutions to champion the cause of expanding the institutional research frontier.  While subjective evidence suggests that setting up a research management office can be quite difficult, few studies have discussed the specific challenges involved. To address this gap in the existing body of knowledge, the researchers conducted desk research to (1) understand the role of a research management office in HEIs, (2) identify the challenges of the research management office and the research manager through a purposive sampling of available data on the subject, rank these challenges according to dominance and (4) offer pragmatic recommendations that will aid the office and the manager to deliver on their mandate. The study addresses challenges associated with the research management office in sub-Saharan Africa and offers a deeper understanding of these challenges as well as chart a course to surmount these challenges and reposition the office and managers of research to effectively and efficiently deliver on their mandate. The paper wakes up a call for a professional framework for career and skills development among research management practitioners and by extension, the office, and its resources, infrastructure, systems, and procedures needed for effective research management support not only in HEIs in Sub-Saharan Africa but also worldwide.

PEMANFAATAN MEDIA INTERNET PADA MATA KULIAH PENDIDIKAN AGAMA ISLAM

Penggunaan internet semakin banyak digunakan para dosen dan mahasiswa dalam perkuliahan secara daring setelah ada kebijakan dari Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan dan Kementerian Agama RI yang meminta perkuliahan secara jarak jauh untuk mencegah penyebaran wabah corona atau covid 19. Penelitian ini untuk mencari jawaban terhadap laman  web  yang dipakai dalam perkuliahan Mata Kuliah PAI, kendala yang dihadapi dalam pembelajaran yang menggunakan internet dan solusi yang dijadikan jalan keluar dalam menghadapi kendala. Penelitian ini adalah deskriptif kualitatif research. Subjek penelitian ini adalah mahasiswa Fakultas Tarbiyah dan Keguruan UIN Antasari Banjarmasin. Adapun objek penelitian adalah pemanfaatan internet dalam pembelajaran Mata Kuliah Pendidikan Agama Islam (PAI). Dalam penelitian ini digunakan:  Angket atau kuesioner, wawancara dan Dokumentasi. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan laman yang menjadi tempat para mahasiswa mencari bahan bervariasi. Aplikasi yang paling banyak digunakan dalam perkulaiahan adalah Google Classroom. Problem jaringan yang lelet atau kurang lancar dihadapi oleh mahasiswa yang berada di daerah pedesaan atau daerah terpencil. Upaya yang dilakukan untuk mengatasi kendala yang dihadapi adalah dengan mencari laman atau web yang lain, mengubah kata kunci pencarian, mencari tempat yang jaringannya bagus, merefres laman atau web, dan bertanya kepada teman.  Keywords: PAI, Pembelajaran Daring, Solusi, Kenda

Exploring the origin of ice-filled craters in the north polar region of Mars

We investigate the origins of enigmatic ice-filled craters in the north polar region of Mars. We test several explanations for their origin, namely: (1) as polar cap remnants (2) accumulation independently of the polar cap, and (3) upwelling of subsurface water, analogous to either aufice or pingo formation on Earth. Each of these hypotheses has a significant impact on our understanding of Mars’ recent geological and climatic history and the behaviour of water and water ice at high latitudes. We used several lines of evidence to assess the most likely formation mechanism. We first performed a crater survey based on THEMIS visual data and MOLA elevation data to identify any craters that had domal central lumps which were different from normal central peaks. From this survey we identified 17 craters for further study. These include Louth, Korolev, Dokka and other unnamed craters. Using data from orbiting spectrometers; OMEGA on ESA’s Mars Express and CRISM on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter; we verified that the composition of the exposed central domes was predominantly water ice. We found the domes fell into three groups: (1) those completely covered by dunes, (2) those partially covered by dunes and (3) those with no dunes. We investigated the morphology and the relative position of the domes using MOLA elevation data. We found that the domes are always asymmetrically placed within the craters. However, this asymmetry could not easily be linked to wind directions as revealed by dune slip-faces [2]. The domes often have a moat-like structure and in some cases do not cover the entire crater floor, e.g. Louth Crater. From image data, we identified six craters which possessed internal stratigraphy, in the form of regularly spaced layers, and of these we have inspected three in detail. We found that the layers possess both strong sinuosity and high angle unconformities. We interpret the internal stratigraphy as representing a sequence of regular cyclic accumulations, which produced the layers, followed by asymmetric ablation and subsequent resumption of accumulation, to produce the unconformities. Hence, the present-day shape of the domes indicates that they are in a phase of ablation.We attribute the colour contrasts between layers to different levels of dust, or particulate content. This could form a source for the dunes, which are often located on the summits of these domes. We find that this sequence is best explained by a model of atmospheric condensation. Our measurements of internal layer spacing and observations of layer stratigraphy argues that these deposits are not linked directly to a former, more extensive polar cap

Volcanic plume height monitoring using calibrated web cameras at the Icelandic Meteorological Office: system overview and first application during the 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption

This research was funded by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) under the Joint Finance Agreement with the Icelandic Meteorological Office, for working paper JS.212.WP.2054The Icelandic Meteorological Office maintains a national network of webcams designed and built in house for environmental monitoring. During the 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption these cameras, along with a temporary near-field network of commercial cameras installed by the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management, were used to estimate the height of the SO2 plume and lava fountain. Here we present the webcam designs, the techniques used to calibrate them, and the messaging system and web interface that allow near real time measurements to be made from the images. With this system we were able to make estimates of heights with an accuracy on the order of tens to a few hundreds of meters with a lag typically of five to ten minutes at up to ten minute intervals when weather conditions were favorable. The plume heights were then used to constrain the performance of the SO2 dispersion model used for air quality forecasts while fountain heights were used to delineate danger zones where visitors at the eruption site were in danger of being hit by ballistic clasts.Icelandic Meteorological OfficeInternational Civil Aviation Organizatio

Determination of Shallow Groundwater Aquifer Geometry using Geo-Electrical Techniques in the Atankwidi Sub-Basin of the White Volta Basin, Ghana

This paper presents the research findings on the delineation of shallow groundwater aquifer geometry in Atankwidi sub-basin of the White Volta Basin. The potential use of shallow groundwater for small-scale dry season irrigation is a key issue for irrigation development in the arid zone of Ghana. Farmers within the Atankwidi sub-basin of the White Volta Basin are increasingly adopting groundwater as a source of irrigation water due to the unavailability of surface water during the dry season. There is therefore the need to determine the shallow groundwater aquifer geometry in order to ensure sustainability in the application and possible expansion of groundwater irrigation in the area. The geometry of aquifer system in the Atankwidi sub-basin has therefore been delineated using geophysical (VES and EM) techniques. The depth to water table in the sub-basin ranged from 0.4 - 7.8 m with a mean of 1.7 m whiles the depth to bedrock varied from 2 - 38.3 m with a mean depth of 8.4 m. The mean saturation thickness of the aquifer system is 6.3 m with a minimum and maximum thickness of 0.1 m and 35.0 m respectively. The estimated potential volume of groundwater storage of the aquifer system in the sub-basin is 370,777,191.2 m3. Keywords: Shallow Groundwater Irrigation; Aquifer geometry; Shallow wel

Assessment of the Quality of Shallow Groundwater for Irrigation in the Atankwidi Sub-Basin of the White Volta Basin, Ghana

The potential use of shallow groundwater for small-scale dry season irrigation is a key issue for irrigation development in the arid zone of Ghana. Farmers within the Atankwidi sub-basin of the White Volta Basin are increasingly adopting groundwater as a source of irrigation water due to the unavailability of surface water during the dry season. However the quality of the groundwater and its suitability for irrigation is not known, hence the need to assess the quality and its suitability in order to ensure sustainability in the application and possible expansion of groundwater irrigation in the area. Two main water types (Ca-Mg-HCO3 and Na-Mg-Ca-HCO3) have been determined using the Piper diagram. The relative abundance of cations in the groundwater was found to be in the decreasing order of Na+ > Ca2+ > K+ > Mg2+ > Fe2+. Similarly, that of anions was found to have a decreasing order of HCO3- > SO42- > Cl- > PO42- > NO3- > F-. Groundwater in the area had low SAR and low to medium salinity hazard. However, magnesium hazard and alkalinity problems are likely to limit its use for irrigation. Keywords: Shallow Groundwater, Hydrochemical facies, Irrigation Water Quality

An Analysis of Students’ Perception of Sex Education Programmes and Their Effects on Adolescent Sexual Behaviour in KNUST Junior High School, Kumasi

The subject of sex education is of perennial concern to boys and girls because both their natural proclivities and the accepted patterns of adolescent behaviour differ substantially from the morals handed down to us. Every adolescent, like every adult is at times torn by conflict between urges and the rules laid down by his grandmother or his superego. Many young people need help in handling the conflict. This survey was conducted to find out the perception of students on sex education programs and their effect on adolescent sexual behaviour with a sample size of 175 selected from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Junior High School. Findings revealed that there indeed is a close relationship between sex education and positive sexual behaviour of students. The study recommends that more schools should get involved in spreading the knowledge on sex education and seminars can also be organized for the students just as Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Junior High School does sometimes. Keywords: Adolescent, Sexual Behaviour, Sexuality, Education, Se