Wavelet Analysis (wavelet + analysis)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Variability in sea-surface temperature and winds in the tropical south-east Atlantic Ocean and regional rainfall relationships

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2009
J. C. Hermes
Abstract Variability in sea-surface temperature (SST) and winds in the Angola Benguela frontal zone (ABFZ) in the tropical south-east Atlantic Ocean has previously been shown to be important for regional fisheries and for seasonal rainfall anomalies over Angola/Namibia in austral summer and coastal West Africa in boreal summer. This study investigates intraseasonal variability in winds and SST over this region using QuikSCAT and tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM) satellite data for 1999,2004. Wavelet analyses reveal periods of relatively strong power in the 20,30 or 30,64 day frequency bands throughout the record but that there is substantial interannual variability in the occurrence of these intraseasonal oscillations. The implications of this variability for seasonal rainfall anomalies during the main rainy seasons in southern Africa (austral summer) and coastal West Africa (boreal summer) are discussed. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society [source]


Wavelet analysis of the scale- and location-dependent correlation of modelled and measured nitrous oxide emissions from soil

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2005
A. E. Milne
Summary We used the wavelet transform to quantify the performance of models that predict the rate of emission of nitrous oxide (N2O) from soil. Emissions of N2O and other soil variables that influence emissions were measured on soil cores collected at 256 locations across arable land in Bedfordshire, England. Rate-limiting models of N2O emissions were constructed and fitted to the data by functional analysis. These models were then evaluated by wavelet variance and wavelet correlations, estimated from coefficients of the adapted maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform (AMODWT), of the fitted and measured emission rates. We estimated wavelet variances to assess whether the partition of the variance of modelled rates of N2O emission between scales reflected that of the data. Where the relative distribution of variance in the model is more skewed to coarser scales than is the case for the observation, for example, this indicates that the model predictions are too smooth spatially, and fail adequately to represent some of the variation at finer scales. Scale-dependent wavelet correlations between model and data were used to quantify the model performance at each scale, and in several cases to determine the scale at which the model description of the data broke down. We detected significant changes in correlation between modelled and predicted emissions at each spatial scale, showing that, at some scales, model performance was not uniform in space. This suggested that the influence of a soil variable on N2O emissions, important in one region but not in another, had been omitted from the model or modelled poorly. Change points usually occurred at field boundaries or where soil textural class changed. We show that wavelet analysis can be used to quantify aspects of model performance that other methods cannot. By evaluating model behaviour at several scales and positions wavelet analysis helps us to determine whether a model is suitable for a particular purpose. [source]


Low and high flow analyses and wavelet application for characterization of the Blue Nile River system

HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 3 2010
Assefa Melesse
Abstract The low and high flow characteristic of the Blue Nile River (BNR) basin is presented. The study discusses low and high flow, flow duration curve (FDC) and trend analysis of the BNR and its major tributaries. Different probability density functions were fitted to better describe the low and high flows of the BNR and major tributaries in the basin. Wavelet analysis was used in understanding the variance and frequency-time localization and detection of dominant oscillations in rainfall and flow. FDCs were developed, and low flow (below 50% exceedance) and high flow (over 75% exceedance) of the curves were analysed and compared. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite-based maps of monthly changes in gravity converted to water equivalents from 2003 to 2006 for February, May and September showed an increase in the moisture influx in the BNR basin for the month of September, and loss of moisture in February and May. It was also shown that 2004 and 2005 were drier with less moisture influx compared to 2003 and 2006. On the basis of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Anderson-Darling and Chi-square tests, Gen. Pareto, Frechet 3P, Log-normal, Log-logistics, Fatigue Life and Phased Bi-Weibull distributions best describe the low and high flows within the BNR basin. This will be beneficial in developing flow hydrographs for similar ungauged watersheds within the BNR basin. The below 50% and above 75% exceedance on the FDC for five major rivers in addition to the BNR showed different characteristics depending on size, land cover, topography and other factors. The low flow frequency analysis of the BNR at Bahir Dar showed 0·55 m3/s as the monthly low flow with recurrence interval of 10 years. The wavelet analysis of the rainfall (at Bahir Dar and basin-wide) and flows at three selected stations shows inter- and intra-annual variability of rainfall and flows at various scales. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Wavelet analysis of inter-annual variability in the runoff regimes of glacial and nival stream catchments, Bow Lake, Alberta

HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 6 2003
Melissa Lafrenière
Abstract Continuous wavelet analyses of hourly time series of air temperature, stream discharge, and precipitation are used to compare the seasonal and inter-annual variability in hydrological regimes of the two principal streams feeding Bow Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta: the glacial stream draining the Wapta Icefields, and the snowmelt-fed Bow River. The goal is to understand how water sources and flow routing differ between the two catchments. Wavelet spectra and cross-wavelet spectra were determined for air temperature and discharge from the two streams for summers (June,September) 1997,2000, and for rainfall and discharge for the summers of 1999 and 2000. The diurnal signal of the glacial runoff was orders of magnitude higher in 1998 than in other years, indicating that significant ice exposure and the development of channelized glacial drainage occurred as a result of the 1997,98 El Niño conditions. Early retreat of the snowpack in 1997 and 1998 led to a significant summer-long input of melt runoff from a small area of ice cover in the Bow River catchment; but such inputs were not apparent in 1999 and 2000, when snow cover was more extensive. Rainfall had a stronger influence on runoff and followed quicker flow paths in the Bow River catchment than in the glacial catchment. Snowpack thickness and catchment size were the primary controls on the phase relationship between temperature and discharge at diurnal time scales. Wavelet analysis is a fast and effective means to characterize runoff, temperature, and precipitation regimes and their interrelationships and inter-annual variability. The technique is effective at identifying inter-annual and seasonal changes in the relative contributions of different water sources to runoff, and changes in the time required for routing of diurnal meltwater pulses through a catchment. However, it is less effective at identifying changes/differences in the type of the flow routing (e.g. overland flow versus through flow) between or within catchments. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Modulation of the intraseasonal rainfall over tropical Brazil by the Madden,Julian oscillation

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 13 2006
Everaldo B. De Souza
Abstract Fifteen years (1987,2001) of rain gauge-based data are used to describe the intraseasonal rainfall variability over tropical Brazil and its associated dynamical structure. Wavelet analysis performed on rainfall time series showed significant peaks centered roughly in periods of 30,70 days, particularly in the eastern southeastern Amazon and northern northeast Brazil. A significant enhancement of precipitation with maximum anomalies in a northeastward oriented band over tropical Brazil is evidenced from empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of 30,70-day filtered rainfall anomalies during rainy season (January to May). Lagged/lead composites revealed that, on a global scale, the Madden,Julian oscillation (MJO) is the main atmospheric-mechanism modulator of the pluviometric variations on intraseasonal timescale in the eastern Amazon and northeast Brazil. A coherent northward expansion of rainfall across tropical Brazil is evident during the passage of MJO over South America. Regionally, the establishment of a quasi-stationary deep convection band triggered by the simultaneous manifestation of south Atlantic convergence zone (SACZ) and intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) explains the intensified rainfall over these regions. Such regional mechanisms are dynamically embedded within the eastward-propagating MJO-related large-scale convective envelope along tropical South America/the Atlantic Ocean. These features occur in association with a significant intraseasonal evolution of the lower-level wind and sea-surface temperature (SST) patterns, particularly in the Atlantic Ocean, including a coherent dynamical connection with atmospheric circulation, deep convective activity over South America and rainfall over tropical Brazil. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society [source]


Wavelet analysis of the Lisbon and Gibraltar North Atlantic Oscillation winter indices

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2006
S. Barbosa
Abstract The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is one of the most important climatic patterns in the Northern Hemisphere. Indices based on the normalised pressure difference between Iceland and a southern station, such as Lisbon or Gibraltar, have been defined in order to describe NAO temporal evolution. Although exhibiting interannual and decadal variability, the signals are statistically rather featureless and therefore it is difficult to discriminate between different types of stochastic models. In this study, Lisbon and Gibraltar NAO winter indices are analysed using the discrete wavelet transform discrete wavelet transform(DWT). A multi-resolution analysis (MRA) is carried out for a scale-based description of the indices and the wavelet spectrum is used to identify and estimate long-range dependence. The degree of association of the two NAO indices is assessed by estimating the wavelet covariance for the two signals. The scale-based approach inherent to the discrete wavelet methodology allows a scale-by-scale comparison of the signals and shows that although the short-term temporal pattern is very similar for both indices, the long-term temporal structure is distinct. Furthermore, the degree of persistence or ,memory' is also distinct: the Lisbon index is best described by a long-range dependent (LRD) process, while the Gibraltar index is adequately described by a short-range process. Therefore, while trend features in the Lisbon NAO index may be explainable by long-range dependence alone, with no need to invoke external factors, for the Gibraltar index such features cannot be interpreted as resulting only from internal variability through long-range dependence. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society. [source]


Wavelet analysis applied to removing non-constant, varying spectroscopic background in multivariate calibration

JOURNAL OF CHEMOMETRICS, Issue 5 2002
Hu-Wei Tan
Abstract Multiresolution, the ability to separate signals according to frequency, is one of the main advantages offered by the wavelet transform. However, the coarsening of resolution associated with this method may be problematic in some applications. The ,wavelet prism' (WP) method proposed here can split the signal into different frequency components, which retain the original resolution of the signal. In conjunction with a maximum information gain criterion developed here, this new method can be used to judge and remove the low-frequency non-constant background variation reasonably and automatically. In this paper the theory and background concerning this wavelet baseline correction method are introduced. The method is successfully applied to simulated and real near-infrared (NIR) spectral data to deal with non-constant background for multivariate calibration. Its performance compares favorably with the current signal correction methods for background removal. The new method appears to be an efficient method for removal of non-constant, varying spectroscopic background, leading to a simpler and more parsimonious multivariate linear model. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Wavelet analysis for detecting anisotropy in point patterns

JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 2 2004
Michael S. Rosenberg
Although many methods have been proposed for analysing point locations for spatial pattern, previous methods have concentrated on clumping and spacing. The study of anisotropy (changes in spatial pattern with direction) in point patterns has been limited by lack of methods explicitly designed for these data and this purpose; researchers have been constrained to choosing arbitrary test directions or converting their data into quadrat counts and using methods designed for continuously distributed data. Wavelet analysis, a booming approach to studying spatial pattern, widely used in mathematics and physics for signal analysis, has started to make its way into the ecological literature. A simple adaptation of wavelet analysis is proposed for the detection of anisotropy in point patterns. The method is illustrated with both simulated and field data. This approach can easily be used for both global and local spatial analysis. [source]


Processing of turbulent-layer wind speed with Generalized SCIDAR through wavelet analysis

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2006
B. García-Lorenzo
ABSTRACT We describe a new method involving wavelet transforms for deriving the wind velocity associated with atmospheric turbulent layers from Generalized SCIDAR measurements. The algorithm analyses the cross-correlation of a series of scintillation patterns separated by lapses of ,t, 2,t, 3,t, 4,t and 5,t using wavelet transforms. Wavelet analysis provides the position, direction and altitude of the different turbulent layers detected in each cross-correlation. The comparison and consistency of the turbulent-layer displacements in consecutive cross-correlations allow the determination of their velocities and avoid misidentifications associated with noise and/or overlapping layers. To validate the algorithm, we have compared the velocity of turbulent layers derived on four nights with the wind vertical profile provided by balloon measurements. The software is fully automated and is able to analyse huge amounts of Generalized SCIDAR measurements. [source]


Spectroscopic study of the long-period dust-producing WC7pd+O9 binary HD 192641

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2005
L. Lefèvre
ABSTRACT We present the results of an optical spectroscopic study of the massive Wolf,Rayet (WR) binary HD 192641 = WR 137. These 1986,2000 data cover the dust-formation maximum in 1997. Combining all available measurements of radial velocities, we derive, for the first time, a spectroscopic orbit with period 4766 ± 66 d (13.05 ± 0.18 yr). The resulting masses, adopting i= 67 °, are MO= 20 ± 2 M, for the O component and MWR= 4.4 ± 1.5 M, for the WR component. These appear, respectively, approximately normal and on the low side for the given spectral types. Analysis of the intense multisite spectroscopic monitoring in 1999 shows that the C iii,5696 and C iv,,5802/12 lines have the highest intrinsic variability levels. The periodogram analysis yields a small-amplitude modulation in the absorption troughs of the C iv,,5802/12 and He i,5876 lines with a period of 0.83 d, which could be related either to pulsations or large-scale rotating structures as seen in the WN4 star EZ Canis Majoris (WR 6). Wavelet analysis of the strong emission lines of C iii,5696 and C iv,,5802/12 enabled us to isolate and follow for several hours small structures (emission subpeaks) associated with density enhancements within the wind of the Wolf,Rayet star. Cross-correlating the variability patterns seen in different lines, we find a weak but significant correlation between the variability in emission lines with different ionization potentials, i.e. in lines formed at different distances from the WR stellar core. Adopting a , wind-velocity law, from the motion of individual subpeaks we find ,, 5, which is significantly larger than the canonical value ,, 1 found in O star winds. [source]


Comparison between the Fourier and Wavelet methods of spectral analysis applied to stationary and nonstationary heart period data

PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 5 2001
Jan H. Houtveen
The aim of this study was to assess the error made by violating the assumption of stationarity when using Fourier analysis for spectral decomposition of heart period power. A comparison was made between using Fourier and Wavelet analysis (the latter being a relatively new method without the assumption of stationarity). Both methods were compared separately for stationary and nonstationary segments. An ambulatory device was used to measure the heart period data of 40 young and healthy participants during a psychological stress task and during periods of rest. Surprisingly small differences (<1%) were found between the results of both methods, with differences being slightly larger for the nonstationary segments. It is concluded that both methods perform almost identically for computation of heart period power values. Thus, the Wavelet method is only superior for analyzing heart period data when additional analyses in the time-frequency domain are required. [source]


Wavelet analysis and the governing dynamics of a large-amplitude mesoscale gravity-wave event along the East Coast of the United States

THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 577 2001
Fuqing Zhang
Abstract Detailed diagnostic analyses are performed upon a mesoscale numerical simulation of a well-observed gravity-wave event that occurred on 4 January 1994 along the East Coast of the United States. The value of using wavelet analysis to investigate the evolving gravity-wave structure and of using potential vorticity (PV) inversion to study the nature of the flow imbalance in the wave generation region is demonstrated. The cross-stream Lagrangian Rossby number, the residual in the nonlinear balance equation, and the unbalanced geopotential-height field obtained from PV inversion are each evaluated for their usefulness in diagnosing the flow imbalance. All of these fields showed clear evidence of strong imbalance associated with a middle-to-upper tropospheric jet streak, and tropopause fold upstream of the large-amplitude gravity wave several hours before the wave became apparent at the surface. Analysis indicates that a train of gravity waves was continuously generated by geostrophic adjustment in the exit region of the unbalanced upper-level jet streak as it approached the inflection axis in the height field immediately downstream of the maximum imbalance associated with the tropopause fold. A split front in the middle troposphere, characterized by the advance of the dry conveyor belt above the warm front, was overtaken by one of these propagating waves. During this merger process, a resonant interaction resulted, which promoted the rapid amplification and scale contraction of both the incipient wave (nonlinear wave development) and the split front (frontogenesis). The gravity wave and front aloft became inseparable following this merger. The situation became even more complex within a few hours as the vertical motion enhanced by this front-wave interaction acted upon a saturated, potentially unstable layer to produce elevated moist convection. An analysis of the temporal changes in the vertical profile of wave energy flux suggests that moist convective downdraughts efficiently transported the wave energy from the midlevels downward beneath the warm-front surface, where the wave became ducted. However, pure ducting was not sufficient for maintaining and amplifying the waves; rather, wave-CISK (Conditional Instability of the Second Kind) was crucial. This complex sequence of nonlinear interactions produced a long-lived, large-amplitude gravity wave that created hazardous winter weather and disrupted society over a broad and highly populated area. Although gravity waves with similar appearance to this large-amplitude wave of depression occasionally have been seen in other strong cyclogenesis cases involving a jet streak ahead of the upper-level trough axis, it is unknown whether other such events share this same sequence of interactions. [source]


Wavelet analysis of inter-annual variability in the runoff regimes of glacial and nival stream catchments, Bow Lake, Alberta

HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 6 2003
Melissa Lafrenière
Abstract Continuous wavelet analyses of hourly time series of air temperature, stream discharge, and precipitation are used to compare the seasonal and inter-annual variability in hydrological regimes of the two principal streams feeding Bow Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta: the glacial stream draining the Wapta Icefields, and the snowmelt-fed Bow River. The goal is to understand how water sources and flow routing differ between the two catchments. Wavelet spectra and cross-wavelet spectra were determined for air temperature and discharge from the two streams for summers (June,September) 1997,2000, and for rainfall and discharge for the summers of 1999 and 2000. The diurnal signal of the glacial runoff was orders of magnitude higher in 1998 than in other years, indicating that significant ice exposure and the development of channelized glacial drainage occurred as a result of the 1997,98 El Niño conditions. Early retreat of the snowpack in 1997 and 1998 led to a significant summer-long input of melt runoff from a small area of ice cover in the Bow River catchment; but such inputs were not apparent in 1999 and 2000, when snow cover was more extensive. Rainfall had a stronger influence on runoff and followed quicker flow paths in the Bow River catchment than in the glacial catchment. Snowpack thickness and catchment size were the primary controls on the phase relationship between temperature and discharge at diurnal time scales. Wavelet analysis is a fast and effective means to characterize runoff, temperature, and precipitation regimes and their interrelationships and inter-annual variability. The technique is effective at identifying inter-annual and seasonal changes in the relative contributions of different water sources to runoff, and changes in the time required for routing of diurnal meltwater pulses through a catchment. However, it is less effective at identifying changes/differences in the type of the flow routing (e.g. overland flow versus through flow) between or within catchments. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Cyclicity analysis of precipitation regimes in the Yangtze River basin, China

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2008
S. Becker
Abstract Daily precipitation data of 148 weather stations located in the Yangtze River basin (P.R. China) are analysed to detect cycles in the annual frequency of occurrence of precipitation events of 1-, 5- and 10 days duration. These events were defined in terms of exceedances of some selected thresholds. The events corresponding to 10, 25 and 30 mm thresholds for 1-, 5- and 10-day precipitation totals, respectively, are analysed in detail. For the identification of cycles, basin-wide averaged standardized time series of frequency of precipitation events are used. It is found that peaks in the smoothed time series occurred around 1974, 1982 and 1991. The Fourier, autoregressive and wavelet analyses reveal distinct cycles of 7,9 and 2,3 year periods, which dominate large parts of the time series. In addition, a shift towards a 4,5 year period in the annual frequency of precipitation events is noticed since the mid- to late-nineties. Major peaks in the annual frequency of occurrence of precipitation events are expected to occur around 2012, 2015 and 2018 according to the spectrum analyses. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society [source]


Tuning in the transcriptome: basins of attraction in the yeast cell cycle

CELL PROLIFERATION, Issue 4 2000
R. R. Klevecz
Image processing techniques and wavelet analyses have been applied to the yeast cell cycle expression microchip data to reveal large-scale temporally coherent structures and high frequency oscillations in mRNA levels through the cycle. Because transitions in expression frequently occur in phase, they appear as peaks or troughs in colour maps and contour plots of expression levels. Although apparent in the untreated data, these transitions were identified and enhanced by convolution of a Laplacian kernel with the expression arrays of the first 4096 genes. Transitions associated with maximum up- or down-regulation of mRNA levels appear as bands at 30,40 min intervals through two cell cycles. Time-frequency analyses using wavelet transforms support these visualization techniques and lead to the conclusion that, with respect to gene expression, the dominant period is not the cell cycle (90,120 min) but, more commonly, the higher frequency 30,40 minute submultiple of the cycle period. [source]


Three-Dimensional Surface Texture Characterization of Portland Cement Concrete Pavements

COMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2007
Ala Abbas
Ten PCC field cores of varying surface textures were included in the analysis. X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) was used to scan the upper portion of these cores, resulting in a stack of two-dimensional grayscale images. Image processing techniques were utilized to isolate the void pixels from the solid pixels and reconstruct the three-dimensional surface topography. The resulting three-dimensional surfaces were reduced to two-dimensional "map of heights" images, whereby the grayscale intensity of each pixel within the image represented the vertical location of the surface at that point with respect to the lowest point on the surface. The "map of heights" images were analyzed using four mathematical methods, namely the Hessian model, the Fast Fourier transform (FFT), the wavelet analysis, and the power spectral density (PSD). Results obtained using these methods were compared to the mean profile depth (MPD) computed in accordance with ASTM E1845. [source]


Wavelet analysis of the scale- and location-dependent correlation of modelled and measured nitrous oxide emissions from soil

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2005
A. E. Milne
Summary We used the wavelet transform to quantify the performance of models that predict the rate of emission of nitrous oxide (N2O) from soil. Emissions of N2O and other soil variables that influence emissions were measured on soil cores collected at 256 locations across arable land in Bedfordshire, England. Rate-limiting models of N2O emissions were constructed and fitted to the data by functional analysis. These models were then evaluated by wavelet variance and wavelet correlations, estimated from coefficients of the adapted maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform (AMODWT), of the fitted and measured emission rates. We estimated wavelet variances to assess whether the partition of the variance of modelled rates of N2O emission between scales reflected that of the data. Where the relative distribution of variance in the model is more skewed to coarser scales than is the case for the observation, for example, this indicates that the model predictions are too smooth spatially, and fail adequately to represent some of the variation at finer scales. Scale-dependent wavelet correlations between model and data were used to quantify the model performance at each scale, and in several cases to determine the scale at which the model description of the data broke down. We detected significant changes in correlation between modelled and predicted emissions at each spatial scale, showing that, at some scales, model performance was not uniform in space. This suggested that the influence of a soil variable on N2O emissions, important in one region but not in another, had been omitted from the model or modelled poorly. Change points usually occurred at field boundaries or where soil textural class changed. We show that wavelet analysis can be used to quantify aspects of model performance that other methods cannot. By evaluating model behaviour at several scales and positions wavelet analysis helps us to determine whether a model is suitable for a particular purpose. [source]


Time series analyses reveal transient relationships between abundance of larval anchovy and environmental variables in the coastal waters southwest of Taiwan

FISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2009
CHIH-HAO HSIEH
Abstract We investigated environmental effects on larval anchovy fluctuations (based on CPUE from 1980 to 2000) in the waters off southwestern Taiwan using advanced time series analyses, including the state-space approach to remove seasonality, wavelet analysis to investigate transient relationships, and stationary bootstrap to test correlation between time series. For large-scale environmental effects, we used the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) to represent the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO); for local hydrographic conditions, we used sea surface temperature (SST), river runoff, and mixing conditions. Whereas the anchovy catch consisted of a northern species (Engraulis japonicus) and two southern species (Encrasicholina heteroloba and Encrasicholina punctifer), the magnitude of the anchovy catch appeared to be mainly determined by the strength of Eng. japonicus (Japanese anchovy). The main factor that caused the interannual variation of anchovy CPUE might change through time. The CPUE showed a negative correlation with combination of water temperature and river runoff before 1987 and a positive correlation with river runoff after 1988. Whereas a significant negative correlation between CPUE and ENSOs existed, this correlation was driven completely by the low-frequency ENSO events and explained only 10% of the variance. Several previous studies on this population emphasized that the fluctuations of larval anchovy abundance were determined by local SST. Our analyses indicated that such a correlation was transient and simply reflected ENSO signals. Recent advances in physical oceanography around Taiwan showed that the ENSOs reduced the strength of the Asian monsoon and thus weakened the China Coastal Current toward Taiwan. The decline of larval anchovy during ENSO may be due to reduced China Coastal Current, which is important in facilitating the spawning migration of the Japanese anchovy. [source]


CLIMATE OSCILLATIONS AS RECORDED IN SVALBARD ICE CORE ,18O RECORDS BETWEEN AD 1200 AND 1997

GEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES A: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2005
ELISABETH ISAKSSON
ABSTRACT. We apply two different time series analytical tools to ,18O records from two Svalbard ice cores. One ice core is from Lomonosovfonna at 1250 ma.s.l. and the other from Austfonna at 750 m a.s.l. These cores are estimated to cover at least the past 800 years and have been dated using a combination of known reference horizons and glacial modelling. Wavelet analysis reveals low frequency oscillations on the 60,120,year scale on the lower elevation site Austfonna while the higher altitude site on Lomonosovfonna does not reveal such variability throughout the record. The second method, Significant Zero Crossing of Derivates (SiZer) does not resolve the low-frequency periodicity seen in the wavelet analysis. The low-frequency variability resolved by the wavelet analysis is similar to what has been found in various climate records including instrumental temperatures and tree-rings, and has been proposed as the most important oscillation for the observed trends in Arctic air temperatures. [source]


The SGR 1806-20 magnetar signature on the Earth's magnetic field

GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2006
M. Mandea
SUMMARY SGRs denote ,soft ,-ray repeaters', a small class of slowly spinning neutron stars with strong magnetic fields. On 2004 December 27, a giant flare was detected from magnetar SGR 1806-20. The initial spike was followed by a hard-X-ray tail persisting for 380 s with a modulation period of 7.56 s. This event has received considerable attention, particularly in the astrophysics area. Its relevance to the geophysics community lies in the importance of investigating the effects of such an event on the near-Earth electromagnetic environment. However, the signature of a magnetar flare on the geomagnetic field has not previously been investigated. Here, by applying wavelet analysis to the high-resolution magnetic data provided by the CHAMP satellite, a modulated signal with a period of 7.5 s over the duration of the giant flare appears in the observed data. Moreover, this event was detected by the energetic ion counters onboard the DEMETER satellite. [source]


Rolandic alpha and beta EEG rhythms' strengths are inversely related to fMRI-BOLD signal in primary somatosensory and motor cortex

HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 4 2009
Petra Ritter
Abstract Similar to the posterior alpha rhythm, pericentral (Rolandic) EEG rhythms in the alpha and beta frequency range are referred to as "idle rhythms" indicating a "resting state" of the respective system. The precise function of these rhythms is not clear. We used simultaneous EEG-fMRI during a bimanual motor task to localize brain areas involved in Rolandic alpha and beta EEG rhythms. The identification of these rhythms in the MR environment was achieved by a blind source separation algorithm. Rhythm "strength", i.e. spectral power determined by wavelet analysis, inversely correlated most strongly with the fMRI-BOLD signal in the postcentral cortex for the Rolandic alpha (mu) rhythm and in the precentral cortex for the Rolandic beta rhythm. FMRI correlates of Rolandic alpha and beta rhythms were distinct from those associated with the posterior "classical" alpha rhythm, which correlated inversely with the BOLD signal in the occipital cortex. An inverse correlation with the BOLD signal in the respective sensory area seems to be a general feature of "idle rhythms". Hum Brain Mapp 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


A comprehensive approach to characterization of the nonlinearity of runoff in the headwaters of the Tarim River, western China

HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 2 2010
Jianhua Xu
Abstract Nonlinear characteristics of the runoff processes in the headwaters of the Tarim River were identified and evaluated using several selected methods, including wavelet analysis, correlation dimension, and R/S analysis. Time-series of annual data describing runoff, average temperature, and precipitation from 1957 to 2005 were used to construct and test empirical models. The primary findings of this study were as follows: (1) The annual runoff of the headwaters are complex and nonlinear in nature, and they each presented periodic, nonlinear trends at the chosen time scales, chaotic dynamics, and long-memory characteristics. (2) These nonlinear trends appeared to have resulted from the regional climatic changes that occurred during the study period. The periodicity of changes in runoff occurred on an approximately 25-year cycle, which appeared to be correlated with temperature and precipitation cycles. In addition, the annual runoff exhibited a significant, positive correlation with the temperature and precipitation factors at the 4-, 8-, 16-, and 32-year temporal scales. (3) The correlation dimensions of the attractor derived from the runoff time series for the Hotan, Yarkand, and Aksu rivers were all greater than 3·0 and non-integral, implying that all three rivers are dynamic chaotic systems that are sensitive to initial conditions, and that the dynamic modelling of their annual runoff requires at least four independent variables. (4) The computed Hurst exponents indicate that a long-term memory characteristic exists in the annual runoff processes. However, there were some differences observed, with the Aksu and Yarkand rivers demonstrating a persistent trait, and the Hotan River exhibiting an anti-persistent feature. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Assessment of rainfall-runoff models based upon wavelet analysis

HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 5 2007
Stuart N. Lane
Abstract A basic hypothesis is proposed: given that wavelet-based analysis has been used to interpret runoff time-series, it may be extended to evaluation of rainfall-runoff model results. Conventional objective functions make certain assumptions about the data series to which they are applied (e.g. uncorrelated error, homoscedasticity). The difficulty that objective functions have in distinguishing between different realizations of the same model, or different models of the same system, is that they may have contributed in part to the occurrence of model equifinality. Of particular concern is the fact that the error present in a rainfall-runoff model may be time dependent, requiring some form of time localization in both identification of error and derivation of global objective functions. We explore the use of a complex Gaussian (order 2) wavelet to describe: (1) a measured hydrograph; (2) the same hydrograph with different simulated errors introduced; and (3) model predictions of the same hydrograph based upon a modified form of TOPMODEL. The analysis of results was based upon: (a) differences in wavelet power (the wavelet power error) between the measured hydrograph and both the simulated error and modelled hydrographs; and (b) the wavelet phase. Power difference and wavelet phase were used to develop two objective functions, RMSE(power) and RMS(phase), which were shown to distinguish between simulated errors and model predictions with similar values of the commonly adopted Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency index. These objective functions suffer because they do not retain time, frequency or time-frequency localization. Consideration of wavelet power spectra and time- and frequency-integrated power spectra shows that the impacts of different types of simulated error can be seen through retention of some localization, especially in relation to when and the scale over which error was manifest. Theoretical objections to the use of wavelet analysis for this type of application are noted, especially in relation to the dependence of findings upon the wavelet chosen. However, it is argued that the benefits of localization and the qualitatively low sensitivity of wavelet power and phase to wavelet choice are sufficient to warrant further exploration of wavelet-based approaches to rainfall-runoff model evaluation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Characterization of soil moisture conditions at temporal scales from a few days to annual

HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 17 2004
Nicolas Lauzon
Abstract This work proposes the analysis of soil moisture conditions based on the use of two recently developed descriptive techniques: (1) wavelet analysis and (2) self-organizing mapping through Kohonen neural networks. This analysis is applied to soil moisture profiles as well as supporting data, i.e. precipitation, temperature and flow observations, from an experimental site in the Orgeval watershed in France. With wavelet analysis and self-organizing mapping, a comprehensive description of the structure of soil moisture profile, its evolution over time, and how it relates to observations of precipitation, temperature and flow can be obtained. Soil moisture conditions, particularly in the Orgeval watershed, are an important feature of the hydrologic cycle. There might be a significant advantage to consider soil moisture information in a variety of hydrologic models, such as streamflow models often employed in simulation and prediction modes for operational purposes, and the analysis performed here provides some avenues leading to the consideration of this information. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Multivariate analysis of congruent images (MACI)

JOURNAL OF CHEMOMETRICS, Issue 5-7 2005
Lennart Eriksson
Abstract The multivariate analysis of congruent images (MACI) is discussed. Here, each image represents one observation and the data set contains a set of congruent images. With ,congruent images' we mean a set of images, properly pre-processed, oriented and aligned, so that each data element (,feature', pixel) corresponds to the same element across all images. An example may be a set of frames from a fixed video camera looking at a stable process. The purpose of a MACI is to find and express patterns over a set of images for the purpose of classification or quantitative regression-like relationships. This is in contrast to standard image analysis, which is usually concerned with a single image and the identification of parts of the image, for example tumour tissue versus normal. We also extend MACI to the case with a set of images that initially are not fully congruent, but are made so by the use of wavelet analysis and the distributions of the wavelet coefficients. Thus, the resulting description forms a set of congruent vectors amenable to multivariate data analysis. The MACI approach will be illustrated by four data sets, three easy-to-understand tutorial image data sets and one industrial image data set relating to quality control of steel rolls. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


DETERMINATION OF ULTRASONIC-BASED RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF DOUGH DURING FERMENTATION,

JOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 1 2004
SUYONG LEE
ABSTRACT An ultrasonic technique was used to study the changes of the rheological properties of dough during fermentation at 37C and compared with the extensional properties of fermented dough obtained from tensile tests carried out in a Universal Testing Maching. The velocity and attenuation of a longitudinal wave (P-wave) propagated through the dough samples were measured and analyzed to obtain the viscoelastic moduli of the dough; the storage modulus M' and the loss modulus M". These moduli include both the bulk and the shear moduli. A wavelet analysis also was used to determine the effect of frequency on the ultrasonic-based viscoelastic moduli and the effect of the fermentation process on the ultrasonic velocity dispersion. A decrease in ultrasonic velocity was observed with increasing fermentation times. Ultrasonic waves were strongly attenuated in the dough subjected to long fermentation times and fermentation had a large influence on the viscoelastic moduli of the dough. The ultrasonic velocity increased with increasing frequency, clearly showing the viscoelastic nature of the fermented dough. The analysis also showed significant ultrasonic velocity dispersion upon fermentation. Ultrasonic measurements yielded results that agreed with those obtained from conventional rheology commonly used to characterize the extensional properties of dough. Both tests clearly showed the loss of elasticity by the dough samples upon fermentation. [source]


Wavelet analysis for detecting anisotropy in point patterns

JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 2 2004
Michael S. Rosenberg
Although many methods have been proposed for analysing point locations for spatial pattern, previous methods have concentrated on clumping and spacing. The study of anisotropy (changes in spatial pattern with direction) in point patterns has been limited by lack of methods explicitly designed for these data and this purpose; researchers have been constrained to choosing arbitrary test directions or converting their data into quadrat counts and using methods designed for continuously distributed data. Wavelet analysis, a booming approach to studying spatial pattern, widely used in mathematics and physics for signal analysis, has started to make its way into the ecological literature. A simple adaptation of wavelet analysis is proposed for the detection of anisotropy in point patterns. The method is illustrated with both simulated and field data. This approach can easily be used for both global and local spatial analysis. [source]


Processing of turbulent-layer wind speed with Generalized SCIDAR through wavelet analysis

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2006
B. García-Lorenzo
ABSTRACT We describe a new method involving wavelet transforms for deriving the wind velocity associated with atmospheric turbulent layers from Generalized SCIDAR measurements. The algorithm analyses the cross-correlation of a series of scintillation patterns separated by lapses of ,t, 2,t, 3,t, 4,t and 5,t using wavelet transforms. Wavelet analysis provides the position, direction and altitude of the different turbulent layers detected in each cross-correlation. The comparison and consistency of the turbulent-layer displacements in consecutive cross-correlations allow the determination of their velocities and avoid misidentifications associated with noise and/or overlapping layers. To validate the algorithm, we have compared the velocity of turbulent layers derived on four nights with the wind vertical profile provided by balloon measurements. The software is fully automated and is able to analyse huge amounts of Generalized SCIDAR measurements. [source]


Stationary models for fast and slow logarithmic spiral patterns in disc galaxies

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2002
Yu-Qing Lou
A recent wavelet analysis on multiwavelength image data of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 6946 revealed a multi-arm spiral structure that persists well into the outer differentially rotating disc region. The extended spiral arms in polarized radio-continuum emission and in red light appear interlaced with each other, while the spiral arms in emissions of total radio continuum, of H, from H ii regions, and of neutral hydrogen all trace the red-light spiral arms, although to a somewhat lesser extent. The key issue now becomes how to sustain extended slow magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) density wave features in a thin magnetized disc with a flat rotation curve. We describe here a theoretical model to examine stationary non-axisymmetric logarithmic spiral configurations constructed from a background equilibrium of a magnetized singular isothermal disc (MSID) with a flat rotation curve and with a non-force-free azimuthal magnetic field. It is found analytically that two types of stationary spiral MSID configurations may exist, physically corresponding to the two possibilities of fast and slow spiral MHD density waves. Such stationary MHD density waves are possible only at proper MSID rotation speeds. For the fast MSID configuration, logarithmic spiral enhancements of magnetic field and gas density are either in phase in the tight-winding regime or shifted with a spatial phase difference ,,/2 for open spiral structures. For the slow MSID configuration, logarithmic spiral enhancements of magnetic field and gas density are either out of phase in the tight-winding regime or shifted with a spatial phase difference for open spiral structures and persist in a flat rotation curve. For NGC 6946, several pertinent aspects of the slow MSID scenario with stationary logarithmic spiral arms are discussed. The two exact solutions can be also utilized to test relevant numerical MHD codes. [source]


Ultrafast dynamics of plasmon-phonon coupling: Estimation of electron mobility in GaAs

PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (C) - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 1 2008
*Article first published online: 29 NOV 200, Muneaki Hase
Abstract Utilizing a femtosecond pump-probe technique, ultrafast relaxation of plasmon-like LO phonon-plasmon coupled (LOPC) modes is studied. The time-resolved reflectivity change exhibits strong mode beating between the LO phonon and the lower branch of the LOPC modes. It is revealed that the decay of the upper branch (or plasmon-like mode) of the coupled modes is very rapid in time-frequency space, explored by using wavelet analysis. The decay time of the plasmon-like LOPC mode, which corresponds to the relaxation time ,, is obtained to be , 79 fs and this time constant enables us to extract the electron mobility , to be 2074 ± 200 cm2/Vs. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]