The status of geological dredging techniques

Scientific sea-floor dredging is currently used in marine geology primarily by the hard-rock community interested in the recovery of basement rock samples from the unsedimented deep ocean floor. The technique has generally been eclipsed by ocean drilling for recovery of sedimentary rocks, because of perceived uncertainties in the location of sampling and in the representativeness of recovered material. This contribution reviews dredging equipment currently in use by marine geological institutions and refers to pinger attachments that allow precise information on the behaviour of the dredge to be telemetered back to the ship. We argue that improvements in ship navigation and transponder navigation at the seafloor, when used in conjunction with surface and/or deeply towed sidescan and swathemapping surveys, now allow for considerably less uncertainty on the location of dredge sampling. Refined sorting criteria for dredge hauls are now also available. Recent comparisons of regional sample recovery by ocean drilling and by dredge sampling indicate that the dredge hauls can usefully supplement the drilling data in the construction of sedimentary and tectonic histories of seafloor areas.     

Comparison of Aircraft and Ground-Based FluxMeasurements during OASIS95

Aircraft and ground-based measurements made during the1995 Australian OASIS field campaign are compared. The aircraft data were recorded during low-level flightsat 6 m above ground level and grid flights at altitudes of between 15 and 65 m, allin unstable atmospheric conditions. The low-level flights revealed an inadequate temperaturesensor response time, a correction for which was determined from subsequent work ina wind tunnel. Aircraft and ground-based measurements of mean wind speed, wind directionand air temperature agree to within 0.2 m s^-1, 4° and 0.9 °C respectively.Comparisons between aircraft and ground-based observations of the standarddeviations of vertical velocity, horizontal wind speed, air temperature and specifichumidity have slopes of 0.96, 0.97, 0.92 and 0.99 respectively but the observed scatter isroughly twice the random error expected due to the averaging length of the aircraft data andthe averaging period of the ground-based data. For the low-level flights, the ground-basedand aircraft measurements of sensible and latent heat flux show mean differences of 27 and-25 W m^-2 respectively, which reduce to 11 and -4 W m^-2 respectivelywhen analysis of aircraft data is limited to areas immediately adjacent to the fluxtowers. For the flights at 15 to 65 m above ground level, the mean differences between theground-based and aircraft measurements of sensible and latent heat flux are -22 and-1 W m^-2 respectively and these change to -1 and -7 W m^-2 respectively oncethe effect of surface heterogeneity is included. Aircraft and ground-based measurementsof net radiation agree to within 6% at one ground-based site but differ by 20% at a second.Aircraft measurements of friction velocity at 6 m above the ground agree well withground-based data, but those from flights between 15 and 65 m above ground level do not.This is because at these heights the aircraft measurements provide the local shear stress,not the surface shear stress. Overall, the level of agreement allows confidence in the aircraftdata provided due care is taken of instrument response times and differences in thesurfaces sampled by aircraft and ground-based systems.     

Renewable energy strategies in England, Australia and New Zealand

The development of renewable energy sources is of prime interest to many countries seeking to pursue greenhouse gas emission reduction obligations. The increased use of renewables offers the possibility of not only contributing to emission reduction, but at the same time improving energy supply diversity and security, and developing employment and business in related supply industries. Two main mechanisms are in common use, one a quota (quantity) instrument often associated with tradable certificates, and the other a prescribed pricing mechanism. This paper considers the renewable energy development strategies of three countries (the UK, Australia, and New Zealand) all using a variant of the quota/certificate approach as the central instrument in their programs. The regulatory frameworks defining the application of the certificate systems differ notably, and the likely differing outcomes suggest that these regulatory settings may be at least as important as the selection of the basic policy instrument, in determining the overall success of programs of this nature.     

中国传统农区过去300年耕地重建结果的对比分析

土地覆被变化是气候与生态效应模拟研究的重要参量。SAGE和HYDE两个全球历史土地利用数据集在相关研究中得到广泛应用, 但在区域尺度上的应用, 其可靠性如何, 至今少有论及。以我国学者重建的传统农区历史耕地数据集(CHCD) 为基础, 从全区、省区和网格(60 km×60 km) 三个空间尺度, 对SAGE (2010) 和HYDE3.1 数据集中有关中国传统农区历史耕地重建结果进行对比分析, 结果表明:(1) SAGE (2010) 数据集对中国传统农区耕地数量重建是以单一线性插补而得, 其中1700-1950 年是以0.51%的年均增长率线性递增, 1950 年后是以0.34%年均速率线性递减, 这种“标准化”变化趋势不能客观反映传统农区土地垦殖的真实历史, 耕地面积也明显高估, 与CHCD数据集不具有可比性;(2) HYDE3.1 数据集吸纳了区域性研究成果, 使其在总量上与CHCD数据集较为接近, 具有较好的可比性, 但其在省区和网格尺度上与CHCD存在显著差异, 其中相对差异率超过70% (< -70%或> 70%) 的网格占比高达56%~63%, 超过90% (< -90%或> 90%) 的网格占比也高达40%~45%;而相对差异率介于-10%~10%的网格占比仅为5%~6%, 介于-30%~30%的网格占比也仅为17%左右;(3) 充分利用我国丰富的历史文献, 建立更高精度的中国区域历史土地利用数据集, 是提高区域气候与生态效应模拟研究质量的重要保障。     

Comparing gravity and gravity gradient surveys

Noise levels in marine and airborne full tensor gravity gradiometer surveys together with conventional land, marine and airborne gravity surveys are estimated and analysed in gridded form, resulting in relations that detail how these different survey systems can be compared analytically. After defining survey parameters including line spacing, speed and instrument bandwidth, the relations estimate the noise levels that result on either grids of gravity (gz) or gravity gradient (Gzz) as a function of the spatial filtering often applied during geological interpretation. Such comparisons are believed to be a useful preliminary guide for survey selection and planning.     

岭南汉民系服饰文化景观比较与地理分异

根据服饰文化与环境相感应原理,即是在以湿热气候为主和地理区位、社会经济条件差异的背景下,岭南汉民系服饰各有其独特的文化风格.文中通过对其服饰文化景观横向比较,析出其差异,即分布在江河丘陵地区的广府人服饰文化景观具有多元化特征;深处山区的客家人服饰文化景观特征单一;居住在沿海的福佬人服饰景观特征是精细、耐水.根据以上这些景观差异,划分出广府、客家、福佬三大民系服饰文化亚区.     

THE NONPARAMETRIC ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE AND MULTIPLE COMPARISONS PROCEDURES IN GEOGRAPHY*

Geographers employing the parametric F statistic in analyses of variance should consider that it can be highly sensitive to departures from normality. The Friedman and Kruskal-Wallis tests offer geographers nonparametric alternatives to the analysis of variance, for k dependent and independent samples respectively. Associated with the tests are little known methods for examining ordered alternatives and making multiple comparisons between samples, thereby permitting in-depth analysis of sample data. Both tests and these latter procedures are illustrated by examples drawn from population and urban retailing geography.     

Climate policy strength compared: China,the US,the EU,India, Russia,and Japan

The few systematic international comparisons of climate policy strength made so far have serious weaknesses, particularly those that assign arbitrary weightings to different policy instrument types in order to calculate an aggregate score for policy strength. This article avoids these problems by ranking the six biggest emitters by far – China, the US, the EU, India, Russia, and Japan – on a set of six key policy instruments that are individually potent and together representative of climate policy as a whole: carbon taxes, emissions trading, feed-in tariffs, renewable energy quotas, fossil fuel power plant bans, and vehicle emissions standards. The results cast strong doubt on any idea that there is a clear hierarchy on climate policy with Europe at the top: the EU does lead on a number of policies but so does Japan. China, the US, and India each lead on one area. Russia is inactive on all fronts. At the same time climate policy everywhere remains weak compared to what it could be.

Policy relevance

This study enables climate policy strength, defined as the extent to which the statutory provisions of climate policies are likely to restrict GHG emissions if implemented as intended, to be assessed and compared more realistically across space and time. As such its availability for the six biggest emitters, which together account for over 70% of global CO₂ emissions, should facilitate international negotiations (1) by giving participants a better idea of where major emitters stand relative to each other as far as climate policy stringency is concerned, and (2) by identifying areas of weakness that need action.     

社区环境对入室盗窃和室外盗窃影响的对比分析——以ZG市ZH半岛为例

社区环境的基本属性是影响城市犯罪的重要因素,而这两类犯罪相似的空间形态受社区环境哪些因素的影响及作用方式如何未探寻及验证。因此,本文结合日常活动理论、CPTED理论、可防卫空间等理论,以中国东南沿海地区ZG市ZH半岛为例,融合多源异构时空数据,利用偏最小二乘法,检验社区尺度下的建成环境和社会环境,对入室盗窃和室外盗窃的影响进行对比分析。研究发现：① ZH半岛内具有一定的规律性特征,即在建成环境背景下,入室盗窃的影响因素相对集中,而室外盗窃的影响因素较为分散;② 社会环境和建成环境对两类犯罪的影响及作用力存在着相对的共性和差异性,其共性主要表现在人口密度（-）、青少年人口比重（+）、公交站点密度（-）以及到主中心的距离（-）对入室盗窃和室外盗窃的发生都有显著的影响,且作用力方向一致;差异性主要体现在道路网络密度（-）、零售商业密度（+）和餐饮住宿密度（+）是影响室外盗窃发生的主要因子,而居民文化程度（-）显著影响入室盗窃的发生。研究结果的引申,可为社区层面的入室盗窃和室外盗窃的联合防控提供一些参考。