Quantitative sinkhole hazard assessment. A case study from the Ebro Valley evaporite alluvial karst (NE Spain)

Quantitative sinkhole hazard assessments in karst areas allow calculation of the potential sinkhole risk and the performance of cost-benefit analyses. These estimations are of practical interest for planning, engineering, and insurance purposes. The sinkhole hazard assessments should include two components: the probability of occurrence of sinkholes (sinkholes/km² year) and the severity of the sinkholes, which mainly refers to the subsidence mechanisms (progressive passive bending or catastrophic collapse) and the size of the sinkholes at the time of formation; a critical engineering design parameter. This requires the compilation of an exhaustive database on recent sinkholes, including information on the: (1) location, (2) chronology (precise date or age range), (3) size, and (4) subsidence mechanisms and rate. This work presents a hazard assessment from an alluvial evaporite karst area (0.81 km²) located in the periphery of the city of Zaragoza (Ebro River valley, NE Spain). Five sinkholes and four locations with features attributable to karstic subsidence where identified in an initial investigation phase providing a preliminary probability of occurrence of 0.14 sinkholes/km² year (11.34% in annual probability). A trenching program conducted in a subsequent investigation phase allowed us to rule out the four probable sinkholes, reducing the probability of occurrence to 0.079 sinkholes/km² year (6.4% in annual probability). The information on the severity indicates that collapse sinkholes 10–15 m in diameter may occur in the area. A detailed study of the deposits and deformational structures exposed by trenching in one of the sinkholes allowed us to infer a modern collapse sinkhole approximately 12 m in diameter and with a vertical throw of 8 m. This collapse structure is superimposed on a subsidence sinkhole around 80 m across that records at least 1.7 m of synsedimentary subsidence. Trenching, in combination with dating techniques, is proposed as a useful methodology to elucidate the origin of depressions with uncertain diagnosis and to gather practical information with predictive utility about particular sinkholes in alluvial karst settings: precise location, subsidence mechanisms and magnitude, and timing and rate of the subsidence episodes.     

Analysis, synthesis and modelling of high-resolution observations of salt-marsh eco-geomorphological patterns in the Venice lagoon

The present paper describes observations, analyses and models of salt-marsh channel network and vegetation patterns with the aim of contributing to the development of predictive models of ecological and morphological co-evolution. Existing and new observations are described, with particular emphasis on remote sensing and ancillary field surveys, which are shown to allow reliable, accurate and repeatable quantitative characterizations of landform and vegetation properties over the spatial scales of interest. The observed channel network morphological characters are then used as the basis and validation of models describing the emergence of channel network and vegetation spatial patterns. In particular, with reference to observations performed in the Venice Lagoon, the note describes: (i) new, 2-cm resolution, characterizations of channel network geometry obtained from “proximal sensing” photographic observations; (ii) the reliable quantitative maps of salt-marsh vegetation which may be retrieved from hyperspectral remote sensing data and field ancillary observations; (iii) a synthesis of recent and new analyses of the statistical properties of vegetation and landform spatial organization, that may be inferred from the maps so derived; (iv) recent and new conceptual and quantitative ecological and geomorphic models developed and validated by remote-sensing and field observations. A coherent observational and theoretical eco-morphodynamic framework is then proposed.     

Terrestrial and Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Mapping in Fire Island National Seashore Using High Spatial Resolution Remote Sensing Data

The vegetation communities and spatial patterns on the Fire Island National Seashore are dynamic as the result of interactions with driving forces such as sand deposition, storm-driven over wash, salt spray, surface water, as well as with human disturbances. We used high spatial resolution QuickBird-2 satellite remote sensing data to map both terrestrial and submerged aquatic vegetation communities of the National Seashore. We adopted a stratified classification and unsupervised classification approach for mapping terrestrial vegetation types. Our classification scheme included detailed terrestrial vegetation types identified by previous vegetation mapping efforts of the National Park Service and three generalized categories of high-density seagrass, low-density seagrass coverages, and unvegetated bottom to map the submerged aquatic vegetation habitats. We used underwater videography, GPS-guided field reference photography, and bathymetric data to support remote sensing image classification and information extraction. This study achieved approximately 82% and 75% overall classification accuracy for the terrestrial and submnerged aquatic vegetations, respectively, and provided an updated vegetation inventory and change analysis for the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network of the National Park Service.     

喀斯特荒漠化是一种地质—生态灾难

ＫＤＮ是一种ＧＥＯＬ－ＥＣＯＬ灾难,是发生潮湿的碳酸盐岩区的土壤侵蚀、土地退化与生态系统凋萎,致使人类很难生活在其中。ＫＤＮ是我国四大ＧＥＯＬ－ＥＣＯＬ灾害中最难整治、最难摆脱贫困的地区。本文按国际公认的原则为准,认定“石山化”≠ＫＤＮ,从地质结构性气候、物候和生态系统多因子厘定了ＫＤＮ术语,认定人为扰动与人口超载是其产生的序参量。其过程最迟也是３００多年前明清朝代屯垦开始,近半个世纪加速衰竭,森     

中国西部地区基于经验模型的土壤水分反演

地表土壤水分含量的时空分布信息是十分重要的,常常作为水文模型、气候模型、生态模型的输入参数,同时,也是干旱预报、农作物估产等工作的重要指标。被动微波遥感是监测土壤含水量最有效的手段之一。相比红外与可见光,它具有波长长,穿透能力强的优势。相比主动微波雷达,被动微波辐射计具有监测面积大、周期短,受粗糙度影响小,对土壤水分更为敏感,算法更为成熟的优势。目前,已研究出许多反演土壤水分的方法.本课题的主要内容是借助AMSR-E土壤水分影像数据、MODIS归一化植被指数(NDVI)影像数据和MODIS分类影像数据,利用ENVI软件进行遥感图像数据处理,运用统计分析方法建立NDVI与土壤水分的经验模型,研究中国西部地区稀疏植被覆盖区土壤水分的反演。     

现代深部岩溶研究进展与展望

现代深部岩溶问题是随着工程建设向复杂场地延伸而逐渐显现,由它带来的一系列地质工程问题对越岭隧道工程具有极强的控制性和危害性,如渝怀线圆梁山深埋特长越岭隧道工程出现的高压突水、突泥问题,既控制了工程的施工难度,又是一个极具挑战性的理论难题。综述了现代深部岩溶相关概念、发育类型、发育特征、形成机制等方面国内外研究现状,勾画了现代深部岩溶研究今后的重点,主要包括现代深部岩溶概念的厘定、现代深部岩溶工程地质分类及特征、现代深部岩溶受控因素、现代深部岩溶发育机制及演化、现代深部岩溶对越岭隧道工程控制作用等几方面的研究。     

岩溶探测中井间地震波层析成像的应用

结合在岩溶地区开展的工程勘察实例,运用井间地震波层析成像技术研究钻孔之间的地质剖面.在确定岩溶、裂隙、破碎带的空间位置方面所能解决的程度、适用条件、准确性等方面,表明该技术是一种数字化、高精度的技术方法.     

基于ASTER遥感影像的亚热带植被覆盖度信息提取

根据植被指数估算植被覆盖度的原理,以混合像元线性分解模型两个重要参数为基础,建立基于归一化植被指数(NDVI)进行估算植被覆盖度模型是研究区域植被覆盖度的一种重要方法.本文以广州市花都区为实验区,利用ASTER高光谱影像对此方法进行验证性分析,实验结果表明:用该方法提取ASTER影像的植被覆盖度具有较好的可行性.     

三峡库区巫山县翠屏小区岩溶引起的地质灾害危险性研究

三峡库区移民迁建中发现的岩溶问题是一个重大工程地质问题。巫山县城翠屏小区是较早发现有确切岩溶证据的地方,研究证实小区三叠系嘉陵江组灰岩普遍遭受了强烈的岩溶作用。不同部位具有不同的岩溶特点和强度,在纵向上,从山顶到坡脚岩溶作用有增强的趋势;从地表向深部,有局部强烈岩溶层位。岩溶作用在小区产生了顺坡或顺层延伸的溶洞和深部蜂窝状溶孔。岩溶作用在小区形成了脖颈状溶蚀槽地、槽状谷地、溶蚀台地和与地貌相关的"飞雁状"褶皱、岩溶正断层及帚状密集节理带。岩溶过程中伴随着其他外营力作用,它们的相互耦合形成各种次生岩土体。岩溶轻则引起岩体质量降低,重则可能导致地面不均匀沉降、地裂缝、滑坡、崩塌、泥石流及地面塌陷地质灾害。     

纪伊半岛地区植被净初级生产力的遥感应用研究

在高光谱数据模式分解方法(PDM)的基础上,建立了一种新的植被指数(VIPD)。根据地面植被光合成实验,建立了有效光合成曲线植被净初级生产力(NPP)遥感估算模型,利用2001年各月份的MODIS影像数据,估算得到纪伊半岛地区的各类NPP。研究发现,该地区的温带常绿林NPP年均值与2001年IPCC调查报告和地面实测得到的估算值在误差范围内一致。实验证明,该光合成曲线NPP估算模型能够有效地利用高光谱数据,且能较好地应用于温带植被研究。