Cochin University of Science and Technology

About: Cochin University of Science and Technology is a education organization based out in Kochi, Kerala, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Thin film & Natural rubber. The organization has 5382 authors who have published 7690 publications receiving 103827 citations. The organization is also known as: CUSAT & Cochin University.

A threefold rise in widespread extreme rain events over central India

Abstract: Socioeconomic challenges continue to mount for half a billion residents of central India because of a decline in the total rainfall and a concurrent rise in the magnitude and frequency of extreme rainfall events. Alongside a weakening monsoon circulation, the locally available moisture and the frequency of moisture-laden depressions from the Bay of Bengal have also declined. Here we show that despite these negative trends, there is a threefold increase in widespread extreme rain events over central India during 1950–2015. The rise in these events is due to an increasing variability of the low-level monsoon westerlies over the Arabian Sea, driving surges of moisture supply, leading to extreme rainfall episodes across the entire central subcontinent. The homogeneity of these severe weather events and their association with the ocean temperatures underscores the potential predictability of these events by two-to-three weeks, which offers hope in mitigating their catastrophic impact on life, agriculture and property. Against the backdrop of a declining monsoon, the number of extreme rain events is on the rise over central India. Here the authors identify a threefold increase in widespread extreme rains over the region during 1950–2015, driven by an increasing variability of the low-level westerlies over the Arabian Sea.

Flocculation of algae using chitosan

Abstract: Flocculation of three freshwater algae, Spirulina,Oscillatoria and Chlorella, and onebrackish alga, Synechocystis, using chitosan was studiedinthe pH range 4 to 9, and chlorophyll-a concentrations inthe range 80 to 800 mg m−3, which produces aturbidity of 10 to 100 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) in water. Chitosanreduced the algal content effectively by flocculation and settling. Theflocculation efficiency is very sensitive to pH, and reached a maximum at pH7.0for the freshwater species, but lower for the marine species. The optimalchitosan concentration that is required to effect maximum flocculation dependedon the concentration of alga. Flocculation and settling were faster whenconcentrations of chitosan higher than optimal are used. The settled algalcellsare intact and live, but will not be redispersed by mechanical agitation. Thede-algated water may be reused to produce fresh cultures of algae.