GIS

Water ice possibility in Moon’s polar craters

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), in a study, has enhanced the possibility of water ice in the polar craters of the Moon. Data revealed that the amount of subsurface ice in the first couple of metres is about 5 to 8 times larger than the one at the surface in both poles (North and South). This crucial information will aid drilling on the Moon to sample or excavate that ice on future missions, and the long-term presence of humans. Not only this, based on the depth of the water ice, it can help select future landing and sampling sites for Moon missions.

The study, on the ‘Reachability and Genesis of Water Ice on the Moon’ is being carried out by scientists of the Space Applications Centre (SAC) from ISRO, in collaboration with researchers at IIT Kanpur, University of Southern California, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad.

The study also revealed that the extent of water ice in the northern polar region is twice that in the southern polar region. Confirming the hypothesis made during the Chandrayaan mission in 2008, the primary source of subsurface water ice was suspected to be in the lunar poles. This result was found by utilizing polarimetric radar data from the Chandrayaan-2 Dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar instrument.

Another interesting point made by the study is that water in the craters was “outgassed during volcanism in the Imbrian period”. On the lunar geologic timescale, the Imbrian period was 3.85 to 3.80 billion years ago, during which intense volcanic activity took place. “The results also conclude that distribution of water ice is likely governed by Mare volcanism (intense bombarding by asteroid-sized bodies) and preferential impact cratering,” noted ISRO’s study.

The space agency said this will help with future in-situ volatile exploration plans on the Moon. The researchers used seven instruments, comprising a radar, laser, optical, neutron spectrometer, ultra-violet spectrometer, and thermal radiometer on board the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to understand the origin and distribution of water ice on the Moon. www.newindianexpress.com

Study indicates 2023 Uttarakhand landslide occurred due to tectonic and human activities

What caused the landslide at Joshimath in Uttarakhand, India towards the fag end of 2022 and early 2023?

The answers to this question were unlocked by two geophysicists from the Space Application Centre-Indian Space Research Organisation (SAC-ISRO) and the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat). The research study, which was a collaborative work led by Dr Sreejith K M of SAC ISRO and Dr Sunil P S of the Department of Marine Geology and Geophysics, Cusat, found an alarming increase in the velocity of landslides in the Himalayan region.

According to Dr Sunil, during the reserach, the team used the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (a radar technique used in geodesy and remote sensing), Global Positioning System (GPS) and rainfall measurements to understand the geometry of the motion of the Joshimath landslide.

During the research, the geophysicists found that the Himalayan landslides occurred due to tectonic, hydrological and human activities.

“The trigger for our research was the catastrophic landslides that shook Joshimath, a densely populated Himalaya town during December 2022 and January 2023. Around 700 buildings got damaged,” said Dr Sunil.

Explaining more about the research and the landslide phenomenon, Dr Sunil said, “While the low amplitude annual landslide motions are modulated by seasonal precipitation, acceleration phases are triggered by extreme rain events. Our analysis revealed episodes of cascading motions triggered by extreme rain events resulting in an overall increase in landslide velocity from 22 mm per year during 2004-2010 to 325 mm per year during 2022-23.”

The researchers estimated the landslide depth and hydraulic diffusivity using a 1-D pore-water diffusion model (in this model, diffusion is assumed to take place in the liquid-filled pores).

“Our study reveals the importance of systematic monitoring of ground deformation and weather parameters for landslide hazard mitigation,” Dr. Sunil added.

The study also found another active landslide 6 km southwest of Joshimath town that has been moving at a speed of approximately 75 mm per year since mid-2018. www.newindianexpress.com

Arahas joins UNIDO’s AIM Global Program

Arahas has secured a spot in AIM Global, the Global Alliance on Artificial Intelligence for Industry and Manufacturing, a program run by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). This strategic collaboration is committed to advancing a safe, sustainable, and inclusive use of Artificial Intelligence in industry and manufacturing, th company said in a statement on Thursday.

GHMC begins GIS mapping of properties

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has begun GIS based survey and mapping of properties and utilities. It is depending on drone-based GIS aerial survey which will be supplemented with door-to-door surveys also. The survey will create detailed and accurate maps of all properties and utilities and integrate datasets across various departments of govt. A unique identification (UID) number will be generated for easy identification of location of properties for door to door garbage collection, emergency and disaster management as well as community engagement.

GHMC also said that the data collected will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and will be used solely for the purpose of enhancing urban management and service delivery. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Central Bureau of Narcotics in India to implement GIS mapping

The Central Bureau of Narcotics is planning to conduct a GIS mapping survey to monitor opium cultivation, with the aim of combating illegal trade in the commodity within the country. The bureau intends to issue a new request for proposal to engage a managed service provider to carry out the survey and implement the GIS platform by the end of June or July. The previous request for proposal (RFP), issued in February, was cancelled due to a lack of adequate response. There have been reports of farmers engaging in opium cultivation alongside other crops, particularly in regions such as the Northeast, Rajasthan, and Bihar. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com

AfriGIS develops verified geospatial data for Africa

AfriGIS offers verified and validated geospatial data on administrative boundaries linked to postal codes throughout Africa. It has developed a polygon dataset (a collection of shapes defined by closed lines that represent geographical areas) for 21,600 localities (towns), including 475,000 sub-localities (suburbs), over the past three years. www.afrigis.co.za

AWS launches GenAI service in APAC region

Amazon Web Services (AWS has announced the general availability of Amazon Bedrock, its fully-managed generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) service, in its Asia Pacific (Mumbai) region. It was globally launched through select regions in 2023.