Review and numerical assessment of the direct topographical reduction in geoid determination

Recent papers in the geodetic literature promote the reduction of gravity for geoid determination according to the Helmert condensation technique where the entire reduction is made in place before downward continuation. The alternative approach, primarily developed by Moritz, uses two evaluation points, one at the Earths surface, the other on the (co-)geoid, for the direct topographic effect. Both approaches are theoretically legitimate and the derivations in each case make use of the planar approximation and a Lipschitz condition on height. Each method is re-formulated from first principles, yielding equations for the direct effect that contain only the spherical approximation. It is shown that neither method relies on a linear relationship between gravity anomalies and height (as claimed by some). Numerical tests, however, show that the practical implementations of these two approaches yield significant differences. Computational tests were performed in three areas of the USA, using 1×1 grids of gravity data and 30×30 grids of height data to compute the gravimetric geoid undulation, and GPS/leveled heights to compute the geometric geoid undulation. Using the latter as a control, analyses of the gravimetric undulations indicate that while in areas with smooth terrain no substantial differences occur between the gravity reduction methods, the Moritz–Pellinen (MP) approach is clearly superior to the Vanicek–Martinec (VM) approach in areas of rugged terrain. In theory, downward continuation is a significant aspect of either approach. Numerically, however, based on the test data, neither approach benefited by including this effect in the areas having smooth terrain. On the other hand, in the rugged, mountainous area, the gravimetric geoid based on the VM approach was improved slightly, but with the MP approach it suffered significantly. The latter is attributed to an inability to model the downward continuation of the Bouguer anomaly accurately in rugged terrain. Applying the higher-order, more accurate gravity reduction formulas, instead of their corresponding planar and linear approximations, yielded no improvement in the accuracy of the gravimetric geoid undulation based on the available data.     

Effect of the SRTM global DEM on the determination of a high-resolution geoid model: a case study in Iran

Any errors in digital elevation models (DEMs) will introduce errors directly in gravity anomalies and geoid models when used in interpolating Bouguer gravity anomalies. Errors are also propagated into the geoid model by the topographic and downward continuation (DWC) corrections in the application of Stokes’s formula. The effects of these errors are assessed by the evaluation of the absolute accuracy of nine independent DEMs for the Iran region. It is shown that the improvement in using the high-resolution Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data versus previously available DEMs in gridding of gravity anomalies, terrain corrections and DWC effects for the geoid model are significant. Based on the Iranian GPS/levelling network data, we estimate the absolute vertical accuracy of the SRTM in Iran to be 6.5 m, which is much better than the estimated global accuracy of the SRTM (say 16 m). Hence, this DEM has a comparable accuracy to a current photogrammetric high-resolution DEM of Iran under development. We also found very large differences between the GLOBE and SRTM models on the range of −750 to 550 m. This difference causes an error in the range of −160 to 140 mGal in interpolating surface gravity anomalies and −60 to 60 mGal in simple Bouguer anomaly correction terms. In the view of geoid heights, we found large differences between the use of GLOBE and SRTM DEMs, in the range of −1.1 to 1 m for the study area. The terrain correction of the geoid model at selected GPS/levelling points only differs by 3 cm for these two DEMs.     

Simulation of landscape spatial layout evolution in rural-urban fringe areas: a case study of Ganjingzi District

In recent years, the rapid expansion of urban spaces has accelerated the mutual evolution of landscape types. Analyzing and simulating spatio-temporal dynamic features of urban landscape can help to reveal its driving mechanisms and facilitate reasonable planning of urban land resources. The purpose of this study was to design a hybrid cellular automata model to simulate dynamic change in urban landscapes. The model consists of four parts: a geospatial partition, a Markov chain (MC), a multi-layer perceptron artificial neural network (MLP-ANN), and cellular automata (CA). This study employed multivariate land use data for the period 2000–2015 to conduct spatial clustering for the Ganjingzi District and to simulate landscape status evolution via a divisional composite cellular automaton model. During the period of 2000–2015, construction land and forest land areas in Ganjingzi District increased by 19.43% and 15.19%, respectively, whereas farmland, garden lands, and other land areas decreased by 43.42%, 52.14%, and 75.97%, respectively. Land use conversion potentials in different sub-regions show different characteristics in space. The overall land-change prediction accuracy for the subarea-composite model is 3% higher than that of the non-partitioned model, and misses are reduced by 3.1%. Therefore, by integrating geospatial zoning and the MLP-ANN hybrid method, the land type conversion rules of different zonings can be obtained, allowing for more effective simulations of future urban land use change. The hybrid cellular automata model developed here will provide a reference for urban planning and policy formulation.     

无线传感器网络和遥感技术结合监测煤矿环境地质

针对矿区环境地质监测面临的主要问题,本文探讨了结合无线传感器网络技术和遥感技术对矿区进行环境地质监测的方案,并针对该方案面临的问题与难点,提出了运用这两种技术在矿区建立植被净初值生产力(NPP)动态模型来实时监测矿区的环境地质状况的设想。     

双极性天线在多路径效应探测中的应用

多路径效应是影响卫星定位精度和稳定性的重要因素。针对多路径环境复杂多变难以进行分析的问题,该文提出了一种利用双极性天线探测多路径的方法。详细介绍了反射信号的极性特征;通过判断信号的极性可以有效地区分直射信号和反射信号。分析了通过信号极性实现多路径探测的理论:组成双极性天线的右螺旋圆极化天线和左螺旋圆极化天线能够分别输出卫星信号中的右螺旋圆极化分量和左螺旋圆极化分量,如果两个分量的载噪比差值大于一定的门槛值,就可以推断卫星信号在传输过程中经历了多路径效应。最后通过仿真实验验证了该方法的可行性和有效性。     

Applying VGI to collaborative research in the humanities: the case of ARTL@S

ABSTRACT

Using Artl@s as an example of a project that relies on volunteered geographic information (VGI), this article examines the specific challenges that exist, beyond those frequently discussed in general VGI systems (e.g., participants’ motivation and data quality control) in regard to sharing research data in humanities: (1) most data from the humanities is qualitative and collected from multiple data sources which are often inconsistent and unmappable; (2) data is usually interconnected with multiple relationships among different tables which creates challenges for both mapping and query functionality; (3) data is both geographical and historical. Consequently addresses that no longer exist have to be geolocated and visualized on historical basemaps and spaces must be represented diachronically; (4) the design of web map application needs to balance both sophisticated research requirements and a user-friendly interface; (5) finally contributors expect their data to be cited or acknowledged when used in other studies and users need metadata and citation information in order to reuse and repurpose datasets.

In this article, we discuss how Artl@s, a project which developed a georeferenced historical database of exhibition catalogues, addresses these challenges. Artl@s provides a case study for VGI adoption by digital humanities scholars for research data sharing, as it offers features, such as flexible batch data contribution, interrelated spatial query, automatic geolocalization of historical addresses, and data citation mechanisms.     

GIS技术在旅游业中的应用——兼谈旅游地理信息系统及其研究进展与展望

本文对地理信息系统的组成与功能做了简单的概述,在此基础上介绍了GIS在旅游业发展中的主要作用及应用现状,并就旅游地理信息系统的结构与功能及其研究进展和发展趋势做了探讨。     

ASTER数据在北方铝土矿预普查中的应用——以豫西渑池地区为例

ASTER数据的光谱和空间分辨率均具有一定优势,适合于中等比例尺的矿产预普查。为了探讨ASTER数据应用于铝土矿预普查的效果,通过对ASTER图像彩色合成、地质解译及异常信息提取,对豫西渑池地区的铝土矿进行了预普查试验。结果表明,在北方基岩裸露地区,应用ASTER数据圈定"赋矿影像单元"和提取铝土矿遥感找矿信息能获得较好的效果。     

Multi-frequency satellite radar imaging of cultural heritage: the case studies of the Yumen Frontier Pass and Niya ruins in the Western Regions of the Silk Road Corridor

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing is increasingly favoured in archaeological applications. However, the effectiveness of this technology for archaeological prospection has so far not been fully assessed. In this study, an integrated single-date and multi-temporal SAR data-processing chain was proposed to sharpen archaeological signs and hence their detection and monitoring. In total, 14 scenes of X-band Cosmo-SkyMed, C-band Sentinel-1 and L-band PALSAR data covering the Western Regions of the Silk Road Corridor in China were employed for two important archaeological sites including the Yumen Frontier Pass with emerging archaeological traces and Niya ruins with subsurface remains. The results pointed out that single-date satellite radar data were useful for the identification of subsurface traces buried under desert in the landscape-scale, whereas for the identification of emerging monuments, Sentinel-1 was limited by its lower spatial resolution compared to TerraSAR and PALSAR data. Multi-date products, such as interferometric coherence, the averaged radar signatures and RGB multi-temporal composites, were effective to sharpen archaeological traces as well as for change detection in Yumen Frontier Pass. This study presents a pilot assessment of satellite SAR data for the analysis and monitoring of archaeological features in the predominantly arid-sandy environmental characteristic of investigated sites.     

合成孔径雷达与森林地上生物量反演：好奇和实用的平衡

好奇是科学与技术发展、不断创新的源泉,实用则是科技发展、创新的结果服务人类、回馈社会,两者无不例外共同不断地驱动着合成孔径雷达技术和森林地上生物量反演的研究和发展。在全球气候急剧变化的今天,好奇和实用的平衡则更加至关重要。地球陆地表面森林面积大小和树木生物量是估算各国或者全球碳储量、排放及其变化的重要参数。好奇已产生的成功案例表明,树木生物量的反演与全极化、极化干涉、层析合成孔径雷达SAR(Synthetic Aperture Radar)技术及数据集紧密相关。反思过去,兼顾好奇和实用,对地上树木生物量的反演,建议将来考虑以下4种方案,即星载双波段SAR和异速方程(Allometric Equation),星载激光雷达LiDAR(Light Detection and Ranging)和异速方程,第3个方案是前面两个方案的结合,方案4为探索和好奇性的。     

基于ASTER数据的蚀变矿物信息提取——以哈密黄山铜镍矿区为例

在分析哈密黄山铜镍矿区典型地物波谱特征的基础上,设计了基于ASTER数据的蚀变信息提取流程,详细论述了对4组含不同离子或基团的常见蚀变矿物应用主成分分析(PCA)进行蚀变信息提取、采用光谱角制图法(spectral angle mapper,SAM)进行干扰异常筛选的“SAM去干扰异常主分量门限技术”.4组(9种)蚀变矿物包括:含Fe离子的矿物(针铁矿、赤铁矿)、含CO23-基团的矿物(方解石、白云石)、含Al - OH基团的矿物(白云母、蒙脱石、高岭石)以及含Mg - OH基团的矿物(绿泥石、绿帘石).蚀变矿物信息提取结果表明,“SAM去干扰异常主分量门限技术”方法可行,对ASTER数据的应用效果与实际情况比较吻合,充分证明ASTER在短波红外范围内具有很强的矿物刻画能力.     

基于ICESat/GLAS高度计数据的SRTM数据精度评估——以青藏高原地区为例

为全面了解航天飞机雷达测图计划(shuttle Radar topography mission,SRTM)高程数据的精度及误差特征,利用精度更高的ICESat/GLAS激光高度计数据(简称ICESat高度计数据)为参照数据,以具有多种地貌类型的中国青藏高原地区为实验区,采用双线性插值算法分析了SRTM在中国青藏高原地区的高程精度,以及SRTM高程数据与地形因子(坡度和坡向)间的关系。实验结果表明:在青藏高原地区,ICESat高度计数据与相对应的SRTM高程数据高度相关,相关系数高达0.999 8;SRTM的系统误差为2.36±16.48 m,中误差(RMSE)为16.65 m;当坡度低于25°时,SRTM高程数据精度随坡度增大而显著降低。此外,相对于ICESat高度计数据,SRTM在青藏高原地区N,NW和NE方向的测量值偏高,在S,SE和SW方向的测量值偏低。