A New Approach for Smoothing Soil Grain Size Curve Determined by Hydrometer

In hydrometer analysis for soil grain size distribution, usually, the grains passing sieve No. 200 (<0.074 mm) are used. However, the hydrometer results occasionally give diameters greater than 0.074 mm. This event causes a mismatch in the curve of grain size distribution obtained from sieving and hydrometer methods. Hence, a new approach is proposed for smoothing soil grain size curve determined by hydrometer using Excel-2007 with simple statistical methods. The treatments show that in case of large sizes, there are big differences between the values of soil grain diameters smoothed by Excel-2007 in comparison and the values measured by references. These differences generally decrease with decreasing soil grain size diameters. The statistical treatments also divulge whether the hydrometer results are accurate or not. Furthermore, a general equation has been derived to estimate values of K factor, which is used for calculating the grain diameters in hydrometer analysis. The equation can be applied for any specific gravity of soils and for wide range temperatures.

Geological, Soil and Sediment Studies in Chelsaton Sedimentary Basin, Kabul, Afghanistan

The geology, sediment and soil studies are important due to its significant impacts on agriculture, mining, constructions materials, industries, environment, ground water percolation, air pollution, surface and ground water pollutions, earthquakes and geo-hazards in Afghanistan. In this research, we studied petrography, Sediment, tectonic structures, soil fraction selection by using hydrometer, sieving analysis, and geological mapping. Results show different kinds of metamorphic rocks of low grade and medium grade metamorphisms, Garnete mica Schist, Garnete Schist, Quarsite, different types of minerals among rocks. Further, type of sediment consisting residual angular (Autochthonous) and rounded (Allochthonous) transported by water, among sediments consisting Garnete, Gneiss, Schist, Quarsite, Biotite and consisting different type of sizes boulders, Cobble, Granule, Sand, Silt. Hydrometer analysis shows different types of soil clayey loam, sandy loam, silty loam. Moreover, Geological mapping shows complex tectonic structures like joints, cracks, faults, folds, anticline and syncline. The obtained results suggest that the petrography, sediments and soil researches can be used efficiently for catchments of the Kabul Basin and other basins in Afghanistan.

Determination of the Plasticity Index of Soils with Fine-Grained Soils Using Methylene Blue Test

The amount of fine material available in the soil is significant in Atterberg limits and methylene blue tests. In the context of Atterberg limits, increased amount of clay minerals contained in the soil increases liquid and plastic limit values;however, increasing sand content reduces the moisture content reducing the water retention capacity of the soil which in return reduces the plasticity index (PI) value. In the case of methylene blue test, which is used to specify the quality of the amount of fine material, existence of clay in the medium increases the pollution level of the sand and the amount of methylene solution (V1) used. In this study, soil classes were determined and pollution rates were identified with Atterberg limits, pycnometer, sieve analysis, hydrometer analysis and methylene blue tests conducted on 11 different natural soil samples collected from different regions. From the data obtained, first the relationship between PI and methylene blue (MB) was examined and was evaluated according to the results of the “single regression” method. Furthermore, the other coefficient of uniformity (Cu), coefficient of graduation (Cc), unit weight of soils (γs) parameters obtained from experimental studies were also subjected to “multiple regression analysis” in order to reveal their impact on the MB and this impact was confirmed taking both statistical analyses into account.

Mainstreaming the Full ENSO:Linking Present Weather and Future Climate

In this article we propose that all countries that are striving to become a Weather-Ready Nation(WRN)would beneft greatly from including El Niño-Southern Oscillation(ENSO)-related research findings into their decision-making processes,not only when an El Niño or a La Niña forecast has been issued quasi-periodically.For an aspiring WRN,to beneft from ENSO information,such as disruptive or benefcial changes that could be foreseeably expected to occur in seasonal fow and in sub-seasonal hydrometeorological anomalies,requires its continuous mainstreaming about the status of the ENSO process into a WRN’s decision-making activities.The ENSO process provides a bridge between sub-seasonal weather anomalies and a sub-decadal climate phenomenon as well as a bridge between coping with weather extremes today and preparing for climate change-related hydrometeorological hazards in the future.ENSO extremes every few years provide a chance to evaluate a nation’s strategic and tactical responses to hydrometeorological hazard forecasts and disasters.Each successive ENSO extreme and its Neutral phase tests previously designed best practices.Involvement of today’s youth and young professionals on climate,water,and weather issues has been increasing and will do so in coming decades.Shifting awareness and attention to ENSO and away from ENSO extremes is crucial.The heightened urgency for understanding the full ENSO“cycle”especially by youth and young professionals today is because they will soon be in professional positions that enable them to advise decision makers about climate policy issues.Their understanding of the ENSO cycle is critically needed,as global warming is expected to continue to increase for the rest of the twentyfrst century.

Forecast Hesitancy: Why are People Reluctant to Believe, Accept, or Respond to Various Weather, Water, and Climate Hazard-Related Forecasts?

Current discussions of the social phenomenon of“vaccine hesitancy”with regard to Covid-19 provide an opportunity to use hesitancy as a means to shift thinking about untimely and delayed responses to forecasts of hydrometeorological hazards.Hesitancy,that is,provides a paradigm through which such regrettably delayed responses to hydromet hazards might be better understood and effectively addressed.Without exaggeration,just about every hydromet event provides an example of how hesitancy hinders individual,community,and national government risk-reducing preventive and mitigative responses to forecasts of foreseeable,relatively near-term climate,water,or weather hazards.Reasons for such hesitancy(for vaccine and forecast use alike)include—among others—lack of trust in the science,lack of confidence in government,and persistent concern about the uncertainties that surround forecasting—both meteorological and public health.As such,a better understanding of the causes that lead to individual and group hesitancy can better inform hydromet forecasters and affected communities about ways in which beneficial actions in response to timely forecasts are often delayed.This better understanding will facilitate,where necessary,targeted interventions to enhance the societal value of forecasting by reducing this long-observed challenge of“forecast hesitancy.”First,this article focuses on incidents of“vaccine hesitancy”that,for various reasons,people around the world are even now experiencing with regard to several now-available,and confirmed efficacious,Covid-19 vaccines.Reports of such incidents of indecisiveness first increased dramatically over the first few months of 2021,despite the strong scientific confidence that vaccination would significantly lower personal risk of contracting as well as spreading the virus.After,the notion of forecast hesitancy with regard to hydrometeorological hazards is discussed.