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The POSEIDON system, based on a network of 11 oceanographic buoys and a system of atmospheric/oceanic models, provides real-time observations and forecasts of the marine environmental conditions in the Aegean Sea. The buoy network collects meteorological, sea state and upper-ocean physical and biochemical data. The efficiency and functionality of the various system components are being evaluated during the present pre-operational phase and discussed in this paper. The problem of bio-fouling on optical and chemical sensors is found to be a main limitation factor on the quality of data. Possible solutions to this problem as well as quality control methods that are being developed are also described. Finally, an evaluation of the numerical models is presented through the estimation of their forecasting skill for selected periods.

Remote sensing products are increasingly used in water quality management of coastal and inland waters. New generation ocean colour sensors such as SeaWiFS are capable of providing accurate water quality parameters in turbid coastal and inland waters. Operational monitoring of these turbid waters by means of remote sensing is, however, hampered due to a poor qualification of the standard remote sensing algorithms that originally were developed for global scale applications. Therefore, methods for regional atmospheric correction procedures and regional algorithms for retrieval of chlorophyll and total suspended matter were developed. A case study using SeaWiFS images on the North Sea shows that validated (regional) maps of total suspended matter can be produced.

The project “Ferry Box” is targeted on an improvement of marine monitoring technologies. It originated from considerations and discussions within the Technology Plan Working Group (TPWG) of EuroGOOS and is aimed at the development of an operational autonomous measuring system for ferries, which is capable to monitor water quality parameters automatically along the routes of the ships through the coastal waters. In Germany this development is considered as an innovative addition to the already existing and operational monitoring concept (“MARNET” concept) in German coastal waters at fixed positions and stations with buoys or platforms, operated by BSH (“Bundesanstalt fuer Seeschiff fahrt und Hydrographie”, Hamburg), the German Hydrographic Office. The development therefore is funded as an R&D-project by the German Ministry for Research and Technology (BMBF) .

After the severe toxic bloom of Chrysochromulina polylepis in southern Norwegian waters in 1988, an operational monitoring program has been developed, which provides information about bloom situation and possible development. Experiences, gained from real-time monitoring of bloom events, emphasised the value of remote sensing and numerical modelling in monitoring algal blooms. Synergetic use of in situ , modelled and satellite data are demonstrated. The benefit from integrated satellite-derived information in the operational system of algae bloom monitoring is validated and examples are presented concerning a toxic algae bloom in spring 1998.

The most commonly used fire detection methods based on AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer aboard NOAA satellites) observations have been applied, in this work, to the Italian Peninsula, in order to assess their effectiveness and robustness in an operational scheme for fire monitoring in different areas. The analysis developed so far shows that unsuccessful results obtained from existing detection methods mainly depend on the use of generalized, fixed threshold values, in the fire-detection tests. A new fire-detection technique, based on the most general RAT (Robust AVHRR Technique) approach, is proposed in this work. It seems able to join good performances, typically associated with techniques based on locally tuned thresholds, with high operational exportability, achieved by an automated implementation scheme completely based on AVHRR data hands. Improvements achievable by using this new approach over the Italian Peninsula, have been evaluated (for several forest- fire events and different observational conditions) by comparison with the historical records of the Italian Forestry Service.

This chapter describes work at GEC - Marconi Research Centre (MRC) on the development of image analysis tools for sea ice monitoring based on analysis of ERS-i SAR data. Issues of product quality, degree of automation and operational performance are considered, with particular emphasis on the SUN-based Ice Pilot Application Project (IPAP) system that has been developed within the Application Visualization System (AVS) software environment at MRC over the period 1992 -1995, in conjunction with SAIC (Science and Engineering) and Scott Polar Research Institute, and three commercial polar operators (Nunaoil, Canarctic, and BP) with varying interests in the Arctic.

The Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) circulation in the Algerian basin is studied by mean of an analysis of the Mediterranean Oceanic Data Base (MODB). The results show that LIW circulates in the area following two seasonal branches: the first going northward along the western Sardinian coast and the second directly westward in the middle of the Algerian/Provencal basin. This background information will be useful for future design of operational monitoring, networks in the region.

The author mistakenly spelt Nadine Brisson as Nadine Gobron in the Acknowledgements of [1]. [...]

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on medical surveillance of personnel that became an intrinsic activity in any modern workplace. Various interrelated factors are responsible, including extensive public awareness of health and safety risks, which is engendered by the explosion of telecommunication technology, increased exposure of corporations, corporate executives, and stockholders to potential liability with respect to the exposure of employees and the general public to the workplace chemicals, continually expansive regulatory requirements regarding employee health at all levels of government, rapid development of a global economy in which the protection of human health is rapidly becoming a basic precept of highly competitive marketing ploys, trade union concerns for the health and well-being of members, and corporate insurance underwriters. While the nature and extent of medical surveillance in the workplace are variable with legal jurisdiction and type of industry, the broad dimensions of contemporary workplace medical surveillance are clearly established and pertain directly to any medical surveillance program established for emergency responders.

The Tasks of this project are to: (1) complete implementation of a Risk Based Data Management System (RBDMS) in the States of Alaska, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska; and (2) conduct Area of Review (AOR) Workshops in the states of California, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. The RBDMS was designed to be a comprehensive database with the ability to expand into multiple areas, including oil and gas production. The database includes comprehensive well information for both producing and injection wells. It includes automated features for performing functions redated to AOR analyses, environmental risk analyses, well evaluation, permit evaluation, compliance monitoring, operator bonding assessments, operational monitoring and tracking, and more. This quarterly report describes the status of the development of the RBDMS project in both stated tasks and proposes further steps in its implementation.

For operational monitoring, it is convenient to use inferential models to estimate dry and total deposition. Such models have only been tested for a limited number of surface and atmospheric conditions. To assess the uncertainties associated with the inferential approach 4 different model formulations have been compared with ozone and sulphur dioxide dry deposition velocities derived from flux measurements. These data were collected during 4 separate field studies, each of which involved a different surface type and atmospheric conditions. Averaged over the entire study, the means of the modelled O3 deposition velocities were less than the observed mean by from 16% to 52%, depending upon surface type. There was considerable variation among models (±50%). For SO2 deposition there was greater variability among models and the mean modelled deposition velocity was within −20% of the observed mean. Over shorter time periods there were greater discrepancies between the observations and the model predictions. For example, a majority of the modelled values of mean daily O3 were within 25% to 55% of the observations depending upon model and surface type. However, for each 30 minute measurement period the differences were larger, often exceeding a factor of 2. A diurnal pattern, with larger O3 deposition velocities during daylight hours, was observed over all surfaces, but was most pronounced over a deciduous forest in the summer. The models captured the mean diurnal patterns in the summer reasonably well, but nighttime O3 deposition velocities were generally under-predicted There were larger differences beteeen models and observations over the deciduous forest in early spring (no leaves) and over the cotton crop.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is required by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit for Sequoyah Nuclear Plant (SQN) to conduct and report annually a nonradiological operational monitoring program to evaluate potential effects of SQN on Chickamauga Reservoir. This monitoring program was initially designed to identify potential changes in water quality and biological communities in Chickamauga Reservoir resulting from operation of SQU. Chickamauga Reservoir cove rotenone sampling has also been conducted as part of the preoperational monitoring program for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN) to evaluate the combined effects of operating two nuclear facilities on one reservoir once WBU becomes operational. The purpose of this report is to present results of cove rotenone sampling conducted on Chickamauga Reservoir in 1992.

This report tabulates ground-water radiological and chemical data reported for calendar year 1991 by the Ground-Water Surveillance Project, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Monitoring, and Operational Monitoring. The Ground-Water Surveillance Project is conducted by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory and the RCRA and Operational Monitoring Projects are conducted by the Westinghouse Hanford Company. This document supplements the reports Hanford Site Ground-Water Monitoring for 1991 (Evans et al. 1992) and Hanford Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 1991 (Woodruff and Hanf 1992). The data listings provided here were generated from the Hanford Environmental Information System database.

The second Greenhouse Gas Information System (GHGIS) workshop brought together 74 representatives from 28 organizations including U.S. government agencies, national laboratories, and members of the academic community to address issues related to the understanding, operational monitoring, and tracking of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon offsets. The workshop was held at Sandia National Laboratories and organized by an interagency collaboration among NASA centers, Department of Energy laboratories, and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It was motivated by the perceived need for an integrated interagency, community-wide initiative to provide information about greenhouse gas sources and sinks at policy-relevant temporal and spatial scales. Such an initiative could significantly enhance the ability of national and regional governments, industry, and private citizens to implement and evaluate effective climate change mitigation policies.

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) establishes a framework for the protection of estuarine and coastal waters, with the most important objective being to achieve 'good ecological status' for all waters, by 2015. Hence, Member States are establishing programmes for the monitoring of water quality status, through the assessment of ecological and chemical elements. These monitoring programmes can be of three types: surveillance monitoring; operational monitoring (both undertaken on a routine basis); and investigative monitoring (carried out where the reason of any exceedance for ecological and chemical status is unknown). Until now, nothing has been developed in relation to investigative monitoring and no clear guidance exists for this type of monitoring, as it must be tackled on a 'case-by-case' basis. Consequently, the present study uses slag disposal from a blast furnace, into a coastal area, as a case-study in the implementation of investigative monitoring, according to the WFD. In order to investigate the potential threat of such slags, this contribution includes: a geophysical study, to determine the extent of the disposal area; sediment analysis; a chemical metal analysis; and an ecotoxicological study (including a Microtox test and an amphipod bioassay). The results show that metal concentrations are several times above the background concentration. However, only one of the stations showed toxicity after acute toxicological tests, with the benthic communities being in a good status. The approaches used here show that contaminants are not bioavailable and that no management actions are required with the slags.

A sensitivity analysis was performed, using the Jones et al. (1989) computer model, to estimate the effect on the probability of a grain dust explosion in a bucket elevator leg of specific factors, including: grain dust in concentrations adequate to support combustion, bearing failures, bearing maintenance and monitoring failures. The probability of a leg explosion increases exponentially with increased probability of bearing and bearing maintenance failures. The probability of a leg explosion increases, but at a decreasing rate, with increased probability of occurrence of fuel. Increasing the probability of operational monitoring failures produces a small linear increase in the probability of a leg explosion.

Comparability techniques have been applied operationally to processing meteorological measurements. Examples of comparability statistics are presented for both typical and atypical (instrument problem) situations. The comparability techniques have been successfully applied to provide the basis for realtime validation of data. The application has particular advantage in the support of emergency response. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has been developing a standard recommended practice for determining the operational comparability of meteorological measurements. This standard is based on the work of W. Hoehne of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). We have adapted some of the techniques of this practice here for realtime application in an operational monitoring program. NUS Corporation has incorporated the adapted techniques into the data processor at a meteorological tower. The original NOAA techniques were aimed at assessing the precision and accurac...

In an experimental study of requirements for the operational monitoring of nuclear tests, seismological data collected by a small but globally distributed network of array stations are transmitted to Blacknest Data Analysis Centre. Important features of the experiment have been the improvement of data communications links with the cooperating agencies which operate the overseas arrays and with other national data centres, together with the creation of a data-base on computer files linked to the ARPANETWORK and accessible to collaborating organisations. A brief summary is given of some results of event analyses using data mainly from single recording points at the array stations. These are preliminary results from the network, preceding an eventual improvement in detection capability of the array stations which will ensue when the installation of on-line processing systems is completed.

Operational sea surface temperature (SST) monitoring was tested with the study of large-scale SST features in Indonesia from July 1981 to June 1985. Digital data were provided by digitizing 208 weekly SST charts of NOAA-NESS. The pixel size corresponded to 1 ° 15' longitude and latitude. These data displayed a 0·5 deg K. r.m.s. error compared with 1985 in situ measurements. Iterative interactive factorial analyses combined with a parallelepiped classifier as a clustering technique enhanced the SST spatio-temporal features. The study area was divided into zones in which pixels had similar SST profiles and dates of occurrence of thermal anomalies were pointed out. Sea fronts and upwellings were mapped through spatio-temporal analyses of thermal gradients. This study stresses the possibility of operational SST monitoring for Indonesia, allowing simple data manipulation with hardware easily maintained locally.

A simulated air traffic control task was used to study the effects of prolonged monitoring on some of the behaviours (complex discriminations, interpretations, decisions, memory for actions taken) frequently associated with operational monitoring tasks, but seldom examined in laboratory vigilance studies. Forty-eight subjects performed the monitoring task under relatively high taskload conditions for 2h. Two types of critical events were employed. Simple events consisted of a readily detectible alphanumeric change; complex events (detection of two aircraft at the same altitude on the same flight path) required considerable information processing for detection. Behaviours following detection of each type of event enabled acquisition of data on short-term memory, decision time and errors, procedural errors, and motor movement time. Time to detect aircraft at the same altitude was found to increase significantly over the 2 h as did failures to detect these events; detection time for the simpler type...

The paper describes failure analysis and remedies which were elaborated after the occurance of several failure cases in shafts of main coolant pumps. The improved design of replacement shafts as well as procedures for operational monitoring and in-service inspections are shown.

It is shown that radiance observations centred at four additional levels in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere can be synthesized utilizing the measured limb-brightening of the radiance observations of the Stratospheric Sounding Unit (SSU). These additional radiance measurements double the vertical range of explicit radiance observations from the SSU. As a series of Stratospheric Sounding Units have been flown on the TIROS-N series of NOAA satellites, observations of zonal mean radiance, with higher vertical resolution than has generally been obtainable with nadir-viewing satellite radiometers, are available since 1979 from the lower stratosphere to the lower mesosphere. The additional radiances have allowed operational monitoring of the long term climatology of the lower mesosphere by means of satellite observations to commence.

The experience of on-site observations and investigations at large dams, particularly at the Krasnoyarsk and Sayano-Shushenskoe, shows that the main problems of improving the organization and conduction of such observations and investigations to increase their effectiveness are: 1. The development of an optimal (unified for construction and operational monitoring) layout of the telemetric MMA, which should lead to a reasonable reduction of the number of instruments. 2. Provision of high-quality installation of MMA and equipment of the control panels at all hydrostations under construction. 3. Improvement of the quality of sensors and frequency meters (periodometers) being manufactured. 4. Acceleration of the development of automated systems providing for both automation of measurements and processing and analysis of the data of on-site observations with delivery of signals about emergency and preemergency situations. 5. Provision of skilled inspection of the safety of hydraulic structures starting from the instant of the first filling of the reservoir.

This paper summarizes the international operational monitoring and coordination of the field phase of the First GARP Global Experiment. Some preliminary assessments of the operational experience for each component of the composite observing system and data management programme are given.

The reliable operability of control rod drives contributes to the safety of nuclear power plants. Operational monitoring and in-service testing and examinations allow early detection of wear and ageing phenomena. Suitable measures can extend the life expectancy even further

The reliability in operational checks can be improved by proper organization of twostage monitoring, in which operational monitoring is performed in the first stage, with more accurate but less rapid and more laborious checking in the second one [i]. Also, in the second stage one can check not only those parameters that are monitored in the first stage but also the intermediate ones governing them.

ABSTRACT The Lena Guyed tower project offered the opportunity for the acquisition of performance data which would be of benefit to the development of technology for more challenging applications in deeper water and harsher environments. The authors describe the instrumentation system built for the Lena guyed tower which provided valuable data used to assist in the tower installation, and which is currently providing performance data for operational monitoring and research objectives. INTRODUCTION Planning for a major instrumentation system for the Lena guyed tower began early in the Project. The goals identified for this system were:to aid in the safe, efficient installation of the tower and its guylines,to monitor the structural integrity of certain critica1 components during platform operation andto provide data in support of environmental and structural research activities. The early decision to instrument the guyed tower made it possible to consider the installation, operational, and research goals together and to integrate the required equipment into the tower structure during fabrication. By treating the instrumentation system as an integral part of the guyed tower, the required sensors and electronic systems could be designed for multiple uses, minimizing duplication of equipment for the three sets of goals. Instrumentation Goals Installation - During installation, components of this system were used to verify ballasting conditions, to measure guyline tensions and tower attitude, and to observe the electrochemical polarization of the tower structure by the sacrificial anodes. Operational - Throughout the operational life of the Lena guyed tower, the same or similar system components will be used to monitor the structure. Two critical structural components have been selected for monitoring the guylines and major buoyancy chambers. Although the guyed tower is designed to be safe even if several neighboring guylines are missing, it is desirable that loss of pretension due to accidental damage or other reasons be detected immediately so that remedial action can be initiated. Similarly, the twelve buoyancy tanks and eight buoyant legs, which together support about 75% of the deck payload, are instrumented to detect water intrusion. Even though the foundation has sufficient reserve capacity to safely carry the entire deck load in moderate seas, operating personnel should be made aware of any flooding that occurs, so that corrective action can be planned to maintain the desired reserve of foundation capacity. In addition, the history of extreme displacements of the helical flexible wellhead flowlines is monitored to determine if deflections beyond the design conditions have occurred and replacement is necessary. Finally, electrochemical monitoring will continue, to provide early warning of any problems with the corrosion protection system. Research - The primary research goal is to confirm and refine the analytical tools and methods used to predict the behavior of guyed towers subjected to wind, wave, and current loads.

With the evolution of treatment processes to control and improve the microbial quality of drinking water, wastewaters, and other infectious wastes, plant engineers have often requested operational monitoring methods that would provide a rapid characterization of the product water for determining treatment effectiveness. Furthermore, where downstream uses involve bathing or shellfish farming, application of a rapid test could provide a critical real time alert to potential public health problems in those designated areas. Unfortunately, monitoring programs today (Fig. 1) rely on standard test procedures that require 24 h or more sample processing time before results are available. As a consequence, this information is only a record of past treatment performance or of yesterday’s water quality conditions to which the public was exposed.

The regeneration of urban brownfields is a relevant strategy to limit the sprawling of post-industrial European cities. However, the integration of sustainability issues in urban brownfield regeneration projects is not a spontaneous process, remaining in most cases partial or superficial. Achieving the goals of sustainable development requires high global quality objectives, integrated into the project dynamics, and a continuous monitoring of environmental, social, and economic indicators, adapted to the specificities of brownfields. Following these considerations, an operational monitoring tool facilitating the transformation of urban brownfields into sustainable neighborhoods was created. This paper presents and discusses the verification stage of the tool, divided into two complementary tests: 1) test-applications on three case studies in Belgium, France and Switzerland and 2) interactions with the involved stakeholders. First, we describe the functioning of the tool. Then, we present the test-applications results, supported by the Val Benoit project in Liege (Belgium) as an example. They are followed by the interactions with the stakeholders that took the form of roundtable discussions. Finally, we discuss the performance of the tool looking at its potential added-value. It reveals that an adapted operational monitoring tool can facilitate sustainability assessment, reporting, decision-making and multidisciplinary collaboration. Globally speaking, the integration of monitoring practices appears not only feasible, but also realistic and desired.

Background Indoor residual spraying (IRS) of DDT is used to control visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in India. However, the quality of spraying is severely compromised by a lack of affordable field assays to monitor target doses of insecticide. Our aim was to develop a simple DDT insecticide quantification kit (IQK) for monitoring DDT levels in an operational setting. Methodology/ principle findings DDT quantification was based on the stoichiometric release of chloride from DDT by alkaline hydrolysis and detection of the released ion using Quantab chloride detection strips. The assay was specific for insecticidal p,p`-DDT (LoQ = 0.082 g/m2). Bostik discs were effective in post spray wall sampling, extracting 25–70% of active ingredient depending on surface. Residual DDT was sampled from walls in Bihar state in India using Bostik adhesive discs and DDT concentrations (g p,p`-DDT/m2) were determined using IQK and HPLC (n = 1964 field samples). Analysis of 161 Bostik samples (pooled sample pairs) by IQK and HPLC produced excellent correlation (R2 = 0.96; Bland-Altman bias = −0.0038). IQK analysis of the remaining field samples matched HPLC data in identifying households that had been under sprayed, in range or over sprayed. Interpretation A simple dipstick assay has been developed for monitoring DDT spraying that gives comparable results to HPLC. By making laboratory-based analysis of DDT dosing accessible to field operatives, routine monitoring of DDT levels can be promoted in low- and middle- income countries to maximise the effectiveness of IRS.

Operational monitoring of slope instabilities by SAR interferometry poses a number of challenges due to the limited spatial extent of the landsliding areas and the rainy conditions usually associated with mass movement events. In this work, we present applications of DInSAR techniques to the assessment of the stability of landslide-prone areas. A long-term analysis over single, stable scatterers can be attempted, in order to overcome the intrinsic low-coherence conditions associated with landslide sites. The technique, known as the permanent scatterers approach, has been shown to give excellent results over areas with high densities of man-made targets. In this work, some aspects of the PS processing are reviewed and possible improvements are proposed to bring the method to give reliable results over sites with low urbanization such as the rural settings associated with landslide-prone areas in Southern Italy.

The transition from an urban brownfield to a sustainable neighbourhood is a complex operation. To help decision-makers reach sustainability objectives through measurement, follow-up, and communication about performance indicators, we introduce in this chapter a tailor-made operational monitoring tool. Such a tool should satisfy three general requirements: a search for overall quality, adequacy with the specificities of urban brownfield regeneration projects, and integration into the project dynamics. Accordingly, the multi-criteria evaluation system SIPRIUS and the quality management monitoring software OKpilot are hybridized to create SIPRIUS+. In the first section, we explain the functioning of the two existing methodologies and the adaptions we made to help meet the general requirements and to create the hybrid tool. Then, we present the resulting monitoring tool, SIPRIUS+, and its functionalities.

Rainfall information is essential for many applications in developing countries, and yet, continually updated information at fine temporal and spatial scales is lacking. In Africa, rainfall monitoring is particularly important given the close relationship between climate and livelihoods. To address this information gap, this paper describes two versions (v2.0 and v3.0) of the TAMSAT daily rainfall dataset based on high-resolution thermal-infrared observations, available from 1983 to the present. The datasets are based on the disaggregation of 10-day (v2.0) and 5-day (v3.0) total TAMSAT rainfall estimates to a daily time-step using daily cold cloud duration. This approach provides temporally consistent historic and near-real time daily rainfall information for all of Africa. The estimates have been evaluated using ground-based observations from five countries with contrasting rainfall climates (Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia) and compared to other satellite-based rainfall estimates. The results indicate that both versions of the TAMSAT daily estimates reliably detects rainy days, but have less skill in capturing rainfall amount—results that are comparable to the other datasets.

A system for machine condition monitoring through vibration analysis. At least one vibration sensor (9), amplifying and digitizing means (7) and a microprocessor with associated memory (18) are combined into a local initial data processing unit disposed adjacent to the machine for forming and storing vibration data in the form of time series. These time series are periodically transferred via remote communication means (17, 15, 14) to a control monitoring unit (1) for further processing of the time series. For this purpose, the control monitoring unit (1) includes frequency analysis means (22), pattern recognition means (23) and associated computer equipment. Hereby, each local initial data processing unit can be operated without human surveyance.