Evaluation of the Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) data on sub-daily rainfall patterns in Vietnam

This study aims to evaluate the performance of Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) data in observing the sub-daily rainfall patterns in Vietnam using synoptic gauge measurements considering seasonal variations in rainfall. Differences in the estimations of the three GSMaP products, including the standard version 7 (MVKv7) and two gauge-calibrated versions 6 and 7 (GAUv6 and GAUv7), were clarified based on rainfall characteristic parameters and statistical indices. The present study clarified that the contribution of sub-daily rainfall in Vietnam was higher during the afternoon than at other times, predominantly in the Central Highlands and Southern Plain, while it occurred most often during the evening to early morning in northern regions. Distinct regional features were also identified along the central coast. Most of the summer afternoon maximum fell in the western mountainous area, while the eastern coastal plain experienced an insignificant amount of rainfall. As rainfall characteristics varied with seasons and regions, the performance of GSMaP demonstrated this variation quite well compared to in-situ observations. However, GSMaP still exhibited high biases in rainy season and topographically heterogeneous areas, especially in the northern regions where sub-daily rainfall cycles had large variations. The standard GSMaP (MVK) product illustrated an afternoon peak better than the gauge-calibrated (GAU) product, which suggests that utilizing the MVK in the Central Highlands and Southern Plain and the GAU over central coastal regions would be appropriate when considering the characteristics of sub-daily precipitation.

Late Pleistocene - Holocene Sedimentary Evolution of Nam Bo Plain and Correlation from the Ca Mau Peninsula to the Mekong River Delta in Midle-Late Holocene

Located in southern Vietnam, the Southern plain is one of the largest in Asia. Within the coastal area, this study has indicated that there are two plains forming by different hydrodynamic mechanisms: the river dominated Mekong Delta plain and the tidal dominated plain of the Ca Mau peninsula. Studying lithofacies based on: (i) sedimentary parameters indicating environment of 29 boreholes in tidal flat and coastal plains, hundreds of surveyed surface sediment stations; (ii) stratigraphy seismic characteristics of the 21 seismic sections; and (iii) absolute age data, evolutionary history of late Pleistocene - Holocene sediments in the Southern plain and the relationship between the Mekong Delta and the tidal plain of the Ca Mau peninsula in the middle Holocene - late be clarified. Both plains are characterized by 3 lithofacies complexes corresponding to 3 phases of sea-level change: (i) lowstand alluvial facies complex (arLST Q13b); (ii) coastal facies complex (amtTST Q21-2) and shallow marine-lagoon greenish-gray clay facies (mtTST Q21-2); (iii) the phase of the middle-late Holocene (Q22-3 HST) has a differentiation between the two plains. The Me Kong delta is characterized by three deltaic facies complexes: (1) the late middle-late Holocene buried submarine deltaic facies complex (amh1Q22-3); (2) late Holocene deltaic plain facies complex (amh2Q23) and modern submarine deltaic facies complex (amh3Q23). The tidal plain of Ca Mau peninsula is characterized by a complex of sandy bars, tidal plains and tidal channels. In the regressive process, four periods of relative sea-level stopped, creating three ancient shoreline (5ka BP, 2.5ka BP; and 1 ka BP). The delta plain is marked by deltaic lobes turning to the southeast sea, while the Ca Mau plain characterized by the sand bars that tend to change direction from the east (2.5 ka BP) to the southeast (0.5ka BP and 0.2ka BP).

172 Effect of energy and lasalocid supplementation on stocker cattle performance grazing winter-wheat pasture

Wheat pasture is unique to the Southern Plains where income can be reaped from the grazed forage followed by a grain harvest. The performance by cattle grazing is excellent, but nitrogen intake is excessive, resulting in inefficient use. Highly digestible supplements that are low in protein have been shown to augment ADG and improve nitrogen utilization. At the Southern Plain Experimental Range near Fort Supply, OK, an experiment was conducted to examine a supplement high in digestible fiber at multiple level of intake with or without 66 g of lasalocid/tonne. Sixty-five steers (324 ± 0.52 kg) grazed 41-ha of irrigated wheat pasture for 64 d. The supplement (4-Square Stocker/Grower 14; 14% CP; Purina Animal Nutrition, Shoreview, MN) was placed in 1 of 2 SmartFeed Plus feeders (C-Lock, Inc., Rapid City, SD); 1 feeder with the control feed and the other contained lasalocid. Each feeder was programmed to allow maximum intakes of 1.2, 2.0, and 3.2 kg/d for 8 or 9 steers at each level. So, there were 24 non-supplemented, 21 energy supplemented, and 21 energy supplemented steers with lasalocid. Because steers had liberty to consume supplement at will and only limited by a maximum, actual supplement intakes were calculated for the grazing period and steer performances were regressed on supplement intakes. Each kilogram of supplement increased (P = 0.04) ADG by 73 g/d; however, lasalocid did not increase (P = 0.73) ADG (avg ADG = 1.7 kg). Total BW gain by each steer (kg) was increased (P = 0.04) 4.7 kg for each kilogram of supplement fed daily and again, lasalocid did not increase (P = 0.73) performance (avg total BW gain = 109 kg). Supplementation with a moderate CP feed increased the ADG of steers grazing winter-wheat pasture, but the addition of lasalocid showed no benefit in this experiment.

Water footprint of crop production for different crop structures in the Hebei southern plain, North China

The North China Plain (NCP) has a serious shortage of freshwater resources, and crop production consumes approximately 75 % of the region's water. To estimate water consumption of different crops and crop structures in the NCP, the Hebei southern plain (HSP) was selected as a study area, as it is a typical region of groundwater overdraft in the NCP. In this study, the water footprint (WF) of crop production, comprised of green, blue and grey water footprints, and its annual variation were analyzed. The results demonstrated the following: (1) the WF from the production of main crops was 41.8 km3 in 2012. Winter wheat, summer maize and vegetables were the top water-consuming crops in the HSP. The water footprint intensity (WFI) of cotton was the largest, and for vegetables, it was the smallest; (2) the total WF, WFblue, WFgreen and WFgrey for 13 years (2000–2012) of crop production were 604.8, 288.5, 141.3 and 175.0 km3, respectively, with an annual downtrend from 2000 to 2012; (3) winter wheat, summer maize and vegetables consumed the most groundwater, and their blue water footprint (WFblue) accounted for 74.2 % of the total WFblue in the HSP; (4) the crop structure scenarios analysis indicated that, with approximately 20 % of arable land cultivated with winter wheat–summer maize in rotation, 38.99 % spring maize, 10 % vegetables and 10 % fruiters, a sustainable utilization of groundwater resources can be promoted, and a sufficient supply of food, including vegetables and fruits, can be ensured in the HSP.

Evolution of Late Wintertime Thermally Driven Local Flows and Temperature Fields over Far-Western Nepal

Atmospheric processes over the Himalayan complex terrain are yet to be studied extensively. Only a few significant researches are reported from this region and the Far-Western Region (FWR) of Nepal still remains untouched. Thus, the present study was conceived to understand the meteorological flow characteristics and thermal environment over the region and associated areas during the late wintertime with the application of the state-of-the-art-of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Modeling System. The study revealed that the northern mountainous region developed strong down slope wind during the night and morning times, which sweeps out the southern plain area of Nepal and may reach just beyond the border. The wind over the plain was very shallow whose depth was just about 100 m. The down slope winds over the southern slope of the Daijee and Nandhaur mountain ranges were significantly enhanced by the subsidence of the southerly wind that prevails above 1 km height above the mean sea level. Close to the noon time a very gentle southerly valley wind from the southern plain replaced the nighttime down slope. Very shallow but strong surface inversion builds up over the plain that breaks up in the late morning. The depth of the mixed layer and the valley wind may reach up to 1km in the afternoon. The thermal environment over the FWR of Nepal was fairly hot that may remain around 35°C in the afternoon around the Mahendranagar area whereas the temperature during the nighttime may go as low as 23°C. The study revealed that, contrary to the general perception, temperature over plain areas of Nepal was significantly higher than further southern areas belonging to India. The meteorological flow fields over the FWR of Nepal executed diurnal periodicity with little day-to-day variation during the late wintertime.Journal of Institute of Science and TechnologyVolume 21, Issue 1, August 2016, page: 35-47