Impact of Rescaling Approaches in Simple Fusion of Soil Moisture Products

In this study, the impact of various rescaling approaches in the framework of data fusion is explored. Four different soil moisture products (Advanced Scatterometer; Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS, AMSR-E; Antecedent Precipitation Index; and Global Land Data Assimilation System-NOAH) are fused. The systematic differences between products are removed before the fusion utilizing various rescaling approaches focusing on different methods (regression, variance/cumulative distribution function (CDF) matching, multivariate adaptive regression splines, and support vector machines based), stationarity assumptions (constant or time-varying rescaling coefficients), and time-frequency techniques (periodic or nonperiodic high- and low-frequency components). Given that statistical descriptions (e.g., standard deviation and correlation coefficient) of reference data sets are utilized in rescaling approaches, the precision of the selected reference data set also impacts the final fused product precision. Experiments are validated over 542 soil moisture monitoring sites selected from the International Soil Moisture Network data sets between 2007 and 2011. Overall, results highlight the importance of reference data set selection-particularly that a more precise reference product yields a higher precision fused soil moisture product. This conclusion is sensitive neither to the number of fused products nor the rescaling procedure. Among rescaling approaches, the precision of fused products is most affected by the choice of rescaling stationary assumption and time-frequency decomposition technique. Variations in rescaling methods have only a small impact on the precision of pair fused products. In contrast, utilizing a time-varying stationary assumption and nonperiodic decomposition technique produces correlation improvements of 0.07 [-] and 0.02 [-], respectively, versus the other widely implemented rescaling approaches

A panchromatic boradiazaindacene (BODIPY) sensitizer for dye-sensitized solar cells

A novel distyryl-substituted boradiazaindacene (BODIPY) dye displays interesting properties as a sensitizer in DSSC systems, opening the way to further exploration of structure-efficiency correlation within this class of dyes

Doğu Akdeniz deki Atmosferik Parçacıkların, Kuru ve Yaş Çökellerin Kimyasal Karakterinin Belirlenmesi ve Türleştirilmesi: Menşe, Kaynak Bölgeler, Biyo-kullanılabilirlik ve Atmosferik Girdilerin Denizsel Üretime Etkisi

TÜBİTAK ÇAYDAG15.03.2016Ocak 2014 ve Nisan 2015 tarihleri arasında yoğun bir şekilde aerosol (iri, ince ve bulk) ve kuru ve yaş-çökel (yağmur) örneklemeleri yapılmıştır. Atmosferik parçacıkların kütle derişimleri, suda-çözünebilir majör türler, suda-çözünebilir organik azot, üre ve aminoasit konsantrasyonları belirlenmiştir. Son on yılda partikül madde kompozisyonun belirgin bir şekilde değiştiği gözlenirken özellikle ikincil aerosoller sülfat, amonyum ve nitrat derişimlerinin % 50’lere varan düşüşler sergiledikleri belirlenmiştir. Suda-çözünebilir organik azot’un hem atmosferik parçacık (% 37) hem de yağmur (% 29) fazında toplam azota, sudaçözünebilir inorganik azotlar kadar katkı yapabileceği bulgulanmıştır. Tespit edilen üre derişimlerinin aerosol ve yağmurda organik azota sırasıyla % 17 ve % 6 katkı yaptığı bulunurken aminoasit azot katkılarının pek önemli olmadığı gözlenmiştir. Polifosfatların suda-çözünebilir fosfatlara % 20’ler seviyesinde katkı yapabileceği anlaşılırken göz ardı edilemeyecekleri ortaya konmuştur. Suda-çözünebilir organik azotun büyük bir kısmının tarımsal aktivitelerden kaynaklandığı ne var ki, ürenin hem mineral toz hem de tarımsal kökene sahip olduğu bulgulanmıştır. Fosforun; mineral toz (% 34) ve tarımsal (% 33) olmak üzere başlıca iki ana kaynağı olduğu anlaşılmıştır. Alüminyum iz metalinin büyük bir kısmı anyonik forumda gözlenirken demirin anyonik formunun katyonik formuna kıyasla 1,2 kat daha yüksek olduğu görülmüştür. Hem Kıyı hem de Açık istasyonlardan elde edilen yüzey sularına iki değişik içeriğe sahip toz eklenmiştir. Deneyler süresince klorofil miktarının artış sergilediği gözlenirken fosforun ortamdan çekilerek 0,3 nM seviyelerine düşürüldüğü tespit edilmiştir. Denizsel alan çalışmaları, 10 Nisan ve 29-30 Nisan 2015 tarihlerinde yüzey sularında tespit edilen Chl-a artışının, yağan yağmurlarla ilişkili olabileceği göstermiştir.Intensive samplings of both aerosol (fine/coarse and bulk) and rainwater were carried out between January 2014 and April 2015. Determination of mass composition, water soluble major species, water soluble organic nitrogen, urea and amino acid concentrations in atmospheric particles was carried out. Significant changes have been observed in the composition of particulate matter in the last ten years, especially the concentrations of secondary aerosols such as sulfate, amonnium and nitrate were determined to have decreased down to 50% of previous levels. It was found out that contribution of water soluble organic nitrogen is comparable to those of water soluble inorganic nitrogen in both aerosols (37%) and rainwater (29%). While it was observed that urea comprised 17% and 7% of total organic nitrogen in aerosol and rainwater, respectively, contribution of amino acids was found to be insignificant. It has been established that contribution of polyphosphates to water soluble phospates can reach up to a non-negligible 20%. Majority of water soluble organic nitrogen was found to originate from agricultural activities, while urea, was found to be of mixed origin, with comparable contributions from mineral dust and agricultural activities. The two main sources of phosphorus was determined to be mineral dust and agriculture, accounting for 34 and 33 % of total concentration, respectively. It has been observed that major fraction of soluble Al is found in anionic form, while the concentration of anionic soluble Fe is 1.2 times greater than of cationic Fe. Surface waters which were obtained from both coastal and open waters were treated with atmospheric dust of two different compositions. In the course of experiments, chlorophyll was recorded to increase in all treatments while phosphorus was assimilated from the medium down to 0,3 nM. The possible relationship between rain event and Chl-a increase in the surface waters observed in the cruises of April 10 and 29-30 2015 has been documented

The Evaporative Stress Index as an indicator of agricultural drought in Brazil: An assessment based on crop yield impacts

To effectively meet growing food demands, the global agronomic community will require a better understanding of factors that are currently limiting crop yields and where production can be viably expanded with minimal environmental consequences. Remote sensing can inform these analyses, providing valuable spatiotemporal information about yield-limiting moisture conditions and crop response under current climate conditions. In this paper we study correlations for the period 2003-2013 between yield estimates for major crops grown in Brazil and the Evaporative Stress Index (ESI) - an indicator of agricultural drought that describes anomalies in the actual/reference evapotranspiration (ET) ratio, retrieved using remotely sensed inputs of land surface temperature (LST) and leaf area index (LAI). The strength and timing of peak ESI-yield correlations are compared with results using remotely sensed anomalies in water supply (rainfall from the Tropical Rainfall Mapping Mission; TRMM) and biomass accumulation (LAI from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer; MODIS). Correlation patterns were generally similar between all indices, both spatially and temporally, with the strongest correlations found in the south and northeast where severe flash droughts have occurred over the past decade, and where yield variability was the highest. Peak correlations tended to occur during sensitive crop growth stages. At the state scale, the ESI provided higher yield correlations for most crops and regions in comparison with TRMM and LAI anomalies. Using finer scale yield estimates reported at the municipality level, ESI correlations with soybean yields peaked higher and earlier by 10 to 25 days in comparison to TRMM and LAI, respectively. In most states, TRMM peak correlations were marginally higher on average with municipality-level annual corn yield estimates, although these estimates do not distinguish between primary and late season harvests. A notable exception occurred in the northeastern state of Bahia, where the ESI better captured effects of rapid cycling of moisture conditions on corn yields during a series of flash drought events. The results demonstrate that for monitoring agricultural drought in Brazil, value is added by combining LAI with LST indicators within a physically based model of crop water use. Published by Elsevier Inc.Embrapa Visiting Scientist Program ; Labex US, an international scientific cooperation program - Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation - Embrapa, ; United States Department of Agriculture (USDA

Doğu Akdeniz'de mevcut farklı ekosistemlerin - upwelling bölgeleri, açık deniz ve kıta sahanlığı suları - dinamikleri, bakteriyel ve birincil üretim potansiyelleri, üst trofik seviyelere yansımaları

TÜBİTAK ÇAYDAG15.10.2014Türkiye denizleri, su bütçesi, atmosferik ve karasal girdiler, taban topoğrafyası, iklimsel evrim gibi temel etkenlerin belirlediği fiziksel, kimyasal, biyolojik özellikler bakımından büyük farklılıklar içeren zengin ve değişken deniz ekosistemlerini barındırmaktadır. Birincil üretim potansiyelleri açısından Karadeniz’in özellikle kuzeybatı kıta sahanlığı ötrofik, Marmara Denizi ve körfezleri ileri derecede ötrofik, Ege Denizi ve Doğu Akdeniz oligotrofik yapı sergilemektedir. Özgün bir dinamiği olan Doğu Akdeniz, genelde bir uç oligotrofik sistem olarak tanımlansa da, kendi içinde önemli bölgesel farklılıklar göstermektedir. Özellikle karasal tatlı su ve besin girdilerinden etkilenen kuzeydoğu kıta sahanlığı (Mersin ve İskenderun Körfezleri) ve ‘upwelling’ dinamiğinden etkilenen Rodos döngüsünde önemli düzeylerde birincil üretim potansiyeline sahiptirler ve daha yoksul olan açık denizden farklıdırlar. Aktif dinamik yapıya ve zengin biyolojik çeşitliliğe sahip kıyısal denizlerimizin sürekli gözlem, analiz ve model öngörüleri aracılığıyla araştırılmasının sürdürülmesi, büyük stratejik önemi haizdir. Çalışma O.D.T.Ü. Deniz Bilimleri Enstitüsü Araştırma Gemisi Bilim-2 ile anılan sahalarda ve istasyonlarda mevsimsel bazda gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bu çalışma ile fonksiyonel olarak üç farklı ekosistemi teşkil eden alanlarda bakteriden balıklara uzanan besin zincirinde olası yapısal farklılıklar, üretim potansiyelleri, dinamikleri karşılaştırılmış, toplanan diğer çevre faktörleri ile etkileşimleri irdelenmiştir.Turkish seas accommodate rich and varied marine ecosystems which are diverse in their physical, chemical, biological characteristics as a result of differences in basic driving factors such as the water budget, atmospheric and land-based inputs, bottom topography, climatic evolution. In terms of primary production potential, the Black Sea especially the northwestern continental shelf exhibits eutrophic characteristics, while Marmara Sea and its bays are highly eutrophic, and Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Seas display oligotrophic structure. Although the Eastern Mediterranean with its rather unique characteristics is often defined as an ultra-oligotrophic system, there are significant regional differences within the system. The northeastern continental shelf (Mersin and İskenderun Bays) influenced by land-based fresh water and nutrient sources and the Rhodes Gyre influenced by ‘upwelling’ dynamics have potential for high primary production, while the open sea is relatively poor. Continued research through continuous observations, analyses and model predictions have immense strategic importance for the well being of our coastal seas possessing energetic dynamics and rich biological diversity. It is proposed that the physical-biochemical variability of the diverse northern Levantine Sea ecosystems be investigated through systematic observations during oceanographic cruises, as well as model-based predictions. Study has been conducted seasonally aboard Research Vessel Bilim-2 of the Institute of Marine Sciences of Middle East Technical University in the referred areas and stations. Throughout the study, in areas that represent the three different functional ecosystems, possible structural differences, productivity potential, and dynamics were compared in the food chain spanning bacteria to fish, and their interactions with the other environmental factors were investigated

Üçlü Eşleştirme Yöntemi ile Uydu ve Hidrolojik Model Kaynaklı Toprak Nemi Değerlerinin Hata Oranlarının Bulunması

Toprak neminin iklim, taşkın, kuraklık ve rekolte gibi birçok çalışmada çok kritik bir öneme sahip olmasına karşın, toprak nemi ile alakalı çalışmalar ülkemizde çok kısıtlı kalmıştır. Hidrolojik model ve uydu verisi gibi değişik kaynaklardan elde edilen toprak nemi değerlerinin birleştirilerek daha iyi veri elde edilmesi, ancak bu verilerin hata oranlarının belirlenmesi ile mümkündür. Toprak nemi son yıllarda bilhassa hidroloji kaynaklı çalışmalarda sıklıkla kullanılmaktadır. Buna karşın üçlü eşleştirme tekniği kullanılarak veri setlerinin hata oranları ülkemizi çalışma sahası olarak alan bir çalışmada henüz elde edilmemiştir. Bu çalışmada NOAH hidroloji modeli ile LPRM ve ASCAT uydu verileri kaynaklı günlük toprak nemi değerlerinin hata oranları ülkemizin bitki örtüsünün dağılımını kapsayacak şekilde 10 alan üzerinde, 2007-2011 yılları verileri kıyaslanarak elde edilmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlar NOAH hidroloji verilerinin LPRM ve ASCAT verilerine kıyasla ortalama olarak daha az hata içerdiğini ortaya koymuşturOnly limited studies in Turkey have focused their attention on soil moisture even though it has a key role in climate, flood, drought and agricultural yield related studies. Estimation of soil moisture product obtained via merging of hydrological model- and remote sensing-based soil moisture data sets is only possible if the errors of the merged products are estimated. Triple collocation methodology has been used in many hydrological studies, yet estimation of soil moisture product errors over Turkey has not been implemented before. In this study, errors of NOAH hydrological model-based and LPRM and ASCAT remote sensing-based soil moisture products are found between 2007-2011 over 10 locations that are considered to have different vegetation covers over Turkey. Results show NOAH hydrological model based soil moisture products have smaller errors on average compared to LPRM and ASCAT products for these 10 locations

Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment

Time-variable gravity changes are caused by a combination of postglacial rebound, redistribution of water and snow/ice on land and as well as in the ocean. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission, launched in 2002, provides monthly average of the spherical harmonic co-efficient. These spherical harmonic co-efficient describe earth’s gravity field with a resolution of few hundred kilometers. Time-variability of gravity field represents the change in mass over regional level with accuracies in cm in terms of Water Equivalent Height (WEH). The WEH reflects the changes in the integrated vertically store water including snow cover, surface water, ground water and soil moisture at regional scale. GRACE data are also sensitive towards interior strain variation, surface uplift and surface subsidence cover over a large area. GRACE data was extracted over the three major Indian River basins, Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra, in the Himalayas which are perennial source of fresh water throughout the year in Northern Indian Plain. Time series analysis of the GRACE data was carried out from 2003-2012 over the study area. Trends and amplitudes of the regional mass anomalies in the region were estimated using level 3 GRACE data product with a spatial resolution at 10 by 10 grid provided by Center for Space Research (CSR), University of Texas at Austin. Indus basin has shown a subtle decreasing trend from 2003-2012 however it was observed to be statistically insignificant at 95% confidence level. Ganga and Brahmaputra basins have shown a clear decreasing trend in WEH which was also observed to be statistically significant. The trend analysis over Ganga and Brahamputra basins have shown an average annual change of -1.28 cm and -1.06 cm in terms of WEH whereas Indus basin has shown a slight annual change of -0.07 cm. This analysis will be helpful to understand the loss of mass in terms of WEH over Indian Himalayas and will be crucial for hydrological and climate applications at regional scale

İSTASYONLARDAN ELDE EDİLEN TOPRAK NEMİ DEĞERLERİNİN KALİBRASYONU

Bölgesel ve geniş alanları etkileyen kuraklıkların bitkiler üzerindeki etkisini ölçmekte yaygınlıkla kullanılan toprak nemi hidrolojik, hidrometeorolojik ve tarımsal çalışmalarda da çok öenmli olan bir değişkendir. Ülkemizde 2007 yılından günümüze kadar Meteoroloji Genel Müdürlüğünün 149 istasyonda ölçmekte olduğu toprak nemi gözlemlerinin maalesef toprak çeşidine bağlı kalibrasyonları yapılmamıştır. Bu çalışmada bu istasyonlarda ölçülen toprak nemi değerlerinin toprak çeşidine bağlı kalibrasyonlarının yapılması amaçlanmaktadır

Predictability of Seasonal Precipitation Using Joint Probabilities

This paper tests whether seasonal mean precipitation is predictable using a new method that estimates and analyzes joint probabilities. The new estimation method is to partition the globe into boxes, pool all data within the box to estimate a single joint probability of precipitation for two consecutive seasons, and then apply the resulting joint probability to individual pixels in the box. Pooling data in this way allows joint probabilities to be estimated in relatively small sample sizes, but assumes that the transition probabilities of pixels in a box are homogeneous and stationary. Joint probabilities are estimated from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project data set in 21 land boxes and 5 ocean boxes during the period 1979-2008. The state of precipitation is specified by dry, wet, or normal terciles of the local climatological distribution. Predictability is quantified by mutual information, which is a fundamental measure of predictability that allows for nonlinear dependencies, and tested using bootstrap methods. Predictability was verified by constructing probabilistic and quantitative forecasts directly from the transition probabilities and showing that they have superior cross-validated skill than forecasts based on climatology, persistence, or random selection. Spring was found to be the most predictable season whereas summer was the least predictable season. Analysis of joint probabilities reveals that though the probabilities are close to climatology, the predictability of precipitation arises from a slight tendency of the state to persist from one season to the next, or if a transition occurs then it is more often from one extreme to normal than from one extreme to the other