A portable extruder for accurate and precise high-resolution subsampling of unconsolidated sediment cores

Journal of Paleolimnology - We developed a portable extruder for precise and accurate high-resolution subsampling of unconsolidated sediment cores. This extruder is capable of producing subsamples...     

A microtome for sectioning lake sediment cores at a very high resolution

A microtome device for sectioning sediment cores at a very high resolution down to 100 m is described. It is suitable for a variety of applications, but it is described in this paper specifically for diatom analysis. The aim is to facilitate the study of annual or even seasonal variations. The instrument is of simple design and is easy to manipulate.     

Embedding unfrozen lake sediments for thin section preparation

A method for subsampling and embedding unfrozen sediments is described. The method requires commonly available equipment and can be implemented efficiently and cost-effectively. Thin sections prepared from the embedded unfrozen sediments preserve very fine structural detail, without interruption due to ice-crystal casts. The method provides a viable alternative to subsampling methods requiring either frozen sediments or specialized equipment.     

Image data fusion for the remote sensing of freshwater environments

Remote sensing based mapping of diverse and heterogeneous freshwater environments requires high-resolution images. Data fusion is a useful technique for producing a high-resolution multispectral image from the merging of a high-resolution panchromatic image with a low-resolution multispectral image. Given the increasing availability of images from different satellite sensors that have different spectral and spatial resolutions, data fusion techniques that combine the strengths of different images will be increasingly important to Geography for land-cover mapping. Different data fusion methods however, add spectral and spatial distortions to the resultant data depending on the geographical context; therefore a careful selection of the fusion method is required. This paper compares a technique called subtractive resolution merge, which has not previously been formally tested, with conventional techniques such as Brovey transformation, principal component substitution, local mean and variance matching, and optimised high pass filter addition. Data fusion techniques are grouped into spectral and spatial centric methods. Subtractive resolution merge belongs to a new class of data fusion techniques that uses a mix of both spatial and spectral centric approaches. The different data fusion techniques were applied to a QuickBird image of a semi-aquatic freshwater environment in New Zealand. The results were compared both qualitatively and quantitatively using spectral and spatial error metrics. This research concludes that subtractive resolution merge performed better than all the other techniques and will be a valuable technique for enhancing images for freshwater land-cover mapping.     

基于Gram Schmidt变换的高光谱遥感图像改进融合方法

遥感图像融合的目的是综合来自不同空间分辨率和光谱分辨率的遥感信息,生成一幅具有新空间和波谱特征的合成图像。针对高光谱图像的特点,对基于Gram Schmidt变换的图像融合方法进行改进,首先采用光谱重采样方法模拟产生Gram Schmidt变换的第一分量,通过Gram Schmidt变换将高光谱图像转换到正交空间,再利用高空间分辨率图像替换Gram Schmidt变换的第一分量,最后通过Gram Schmidt反变换获得融合图像。利用EO1-Hyperion航天高光谱数据与ALI全色波段进行融合试验,发现改进方法可有效提高高光谱遥感图像与全色高分辨率图像的融合质量。     

Results of recent Pacific-Arctic ice-ocean modeling studies at the Naval Postgraduate School

Summary of results from a high-resolution pan-Arctic ice-ocean model are presented for the northern North Pacific,Bering,Chukchi,and Beaufort seas. The main focus is on the mean circulation,communication from the Gulf of Alaska across the Bering Sea into the western Arctic Ocean and on mesoscale eddy activity within several important ecosystems.Model results from 1979-2004 are compared to observations whenever possible.The high spatial model resolution at 1/12o(or～9- km) in the horizontal and 45 levels in the vertical direction allows for representation of eddies with diameters as small as 36 km.However,we believe that upcoming new model integrations at even higher resolution will allow us to resolve even smaller eddies .This is especially important at the highest latitudes where the Rossby radius of deformation is as small as 10 km or less.     

A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE FREEZE HAZARD IN NEW YORK STATE

Thirty years of data are examined for the last spring freeze and first autumn freeze at freeze thresholds of 0°C, -2.2°C, and -4.4°C. Four statistical conclusions of a 1958 Iowa freeze hazard study are tested in New York. The time series of freeze dates are random and normally distributed. Spring and autumn freeze dates are independent at a station. The variances of autumn freeze dates are homogeneous throughout New York and variances of spring freeze dates are homogeneous within each of three regions of similar climate. Statistical properties of the freeze date time series should be examined locally before results of studies in other regions are used. (Key words: freeze, frost, climatology, growing-season, New York, statistical methods.)     

Using adaptively coupled models and high-performance computing for enabling the computability of dust storm forecasting

Forecasting dust storms for large geographical areas with high resolution poses great challenges for scientific and computational research. Limitations of computing power and the scalability of parallel systems preclude an immediate solution to such challenges. This article reports our research on using adaptively coupled models to resolve the computational challenges and enable the computability of dust storm forecasting by dividing the large geographical domain into multiple subdomains based on spatiotemporal distributions of the dust storm. A dust storm model (Eta-8bin) performs a quick forecasting with low resolution (22 km) to identify potential hotspots with high dust concentration. A finer model, non-hydrostatic mesoscale model (NMM-dust) performs high-resolution (3 km) forecasting over the much smaller hotspots in parallel to reduce computational requirements and computing time. We also adopted spatiotemporal principles among computing resources and subdomains to optimize parallel systems and improve the performance of high-resolution NMM-dust model. This research enabled the computability of high-resolution, large-area dust storm forecasting using the adaptively coupled execution of the two models Eta-8bin and NMM-dust.     

Ground Thermal Profiles from Mount Kenya, East Africa

This paper presents and compares ground thermal regimes at 4200 and 4800 m a.s.l. on Mount Kenya's southern aspect. Temperatures were recorded using Tinytalk? data loggers, installed at the ground surface and at depths of 1 cm, 5 cm, 10 cm and 50 cm. Temperatures were logged at 2‐hour intervals over a period of 12 months (August 1998 to July 1999). The study is designed to demonstrate near‐surface freeze conditions, which would have implications for contemporary periglacial landform production. Although ground freeze at 4200 m a.s.l. occurs during most nights (c. 70% at 1 cm depth), freeze penetration is restricted to the top 2 to 3 cm, such that no freeze was recorded at 5 cm depth. At 4800 m a.s.l., the diurnal frost frequency at the surface is 365 days (100%), whilst that at 10 cm depth is 165 days (45%). The paper demonstrates that a greater longevity of contemporary thin snow cover at 4800 m a.s.l. permits progressive sub‐surface cooling with depth. However, the near‐surface ground temperature profiles suggest that conditions are not conducive to permafrost development at the sites.     

基于静止气象卫星观测的降水时间降尺度研究

高分辨率降水时空分布估计对于陆面数值模拟和同化,天气、气候与环境及其相关领域研究具有重要意 义。长时间序列降水分布常使用时间和空间插值技术进行估计。本文提出了一种基于每小时静止卫星云图云分类 信息的累积降水估计时间加权插值方法,它通过利用高时空分辨率静止卫星云图所反映的云的变化,与卫星降水 估计和地面观测降水相结合,以获得时空分布比较合理的地面降水分布。将该方法应用于FY2C 云图和国家卫星 气象中心FY2C 的6 小时降水估计业务产品,得到FY2C 卫星发射(2005 年)以来具有10KM空间分辨率以及1 小 时分辨率的降水数据集,并利用中国区域自动雨量观测资料对该降水估计数据集进行检验和评估,以表明该方法 的合理性。     

A modified tape-peel technique for preparing permanent qualitative microfossil slides

A method is described for the preparation of permanent microfossil mounts directly transferred from the surface of frozen lake sediment cores. Particulate material is transferred from the freeze dried vertical surfaces of frozen cores and on to microscope slides using transparent adhesive tape and contact cement. The contact cement and organic matter are then removed by combustion and chemical means and the isolated siliceous microfossils fixed in a permanent mounting resin. The technique produces slides with undisturbed sediment stratigraphy and excellent optical quality and permits the study of core microstratigraphy using high resolution phase or interference contrast microscopy.     

The impact of DEM data source on prediction of flooding and erosion risk due to sea-level rise

Digital elevation model (DEM) elevation accuracy and spatial resolution are typically considered before a given DEM is used for the assessment of coastal flooding, sea-level rise or erosion risk. However, limitations of DEMs arising from their original data source can often be overlooked during DEM selection. Global elevation error statistics provided by DEM data suppliers can provide a useful indicator of actual DEM error, but these statistics can understate elevation errors occurring outside of idealised ground reference areas. The characteristic limitations of a range of DEM sources that may be used for the assessment of coastal inundation and erosion risk are tested using high-resolution photogrammetric, low- and medium-resolution global positioning system (GPS)-derived and very high-resolution terrestrial laser scanning point data sets. Errors detected in a high-resolution photogrammetric DEM are found to be substantially beyond quoted error, demonstrating the degree to which quoted DEM accuracy can understate local DEM error and highlighting the extent to which spatial resolution can fail to provide a reliable indicator of DEM accuracy. Superior accuracies and inundation prediction results are achieved based on much lower-resolution GPS points confirming conclusions drawn in the case of the photogrammetric DEM data. This suggests a scope for the use of GPS-derived DEMs in preference to the photogrammetric DEM data in large-scale risk-mapping studies. DEM accuracies and superior representation of micro-topography achieved using high-resolution terrestrial laser scan data confirm its advantages for the prediction of subtle inundation and erosion risk. However, the requirement for data fusion of GPS to remove ground-vegetation error highlighted limitations for the use of side-scan laser scan data in densely vegetated areas.     

Freeze coring of soft surface sediments at a water depth of several hundred meters

A freeze corer was developed specifically for the sampling of unconsolidated surface sediments by in-situ freezing. The new device which is presented here is designed to be used to a water depth of up to 1000 meters and was successfully tested at a depth of 200 m. The corer consists of a high pressure resistant housing with a vacuum insulated jacket for the ethanol which can be chilled by separate cooling agents, adjustable stabilizing legs, an electrical pump and a freezing wedge of 100 cm length. The freeze coring can be performed from a platform or a boat by using only a single cable to pull it up or to lower it. All other equipment is inside of the resistant housing. The core sample can easily be cut into two distinct slabs by use of the freeze-protectors on the small sides of the freeze wedge.     

Spatial uniformity of sediment accumulation in varved lake sediments in northern Sweden

As part of an investigation aimed at assessing the potential of northern Swedish varved lake sediments for fine-resolution reconstruction of past climatic conditions, the following questions were addressed; how representative is a single core, does the appearance of varves change as the sediment ages, and how can varve thickness and within-varve structures be digitized? Analyses of replicate cores from Kassjön, using sample sequences of seasonal, annual and centennial time resolution, show that spatial variability of sediment accumulation in the varved sediment is very low. Comparisons of intensity curves from image analysis of freeze cores of recent sediments from Lake Nylandssjön, sampled in 1980 and 1985, indicate that the varves acquire their appearance at the sediment-water interface during sedimentation and that the varve structures are preserved during diagenetic processes. Measurement of varve thicknesses with a tree-ring microscope and with image analysis gave similar results. However, with image analysis, within-varve structures such as colour variations and thicknesses of seasonal layers, can also be recorded, increasing the possibilities for palaeolimnological and palaeoclimatic inferences.     

一种融合中分辨率多光谱与高分辨率全色图像的方法

针对中分辨率多光谱与高分辨率全色图像空间分辨率差异大,导致融合结果难以较好平衡光谱信息保持和空间信息保持能力的问题,该文分析了7种常用融合方法用于中分辨率多光谱与高分辨率全色图像融合的优缺点及其融合质量的影响因素,提出了一种组合融合方法。该方法在保留Gram-Schmidt方法的细节注入方式的基础上,综合利用高通滤波法和Gram-Schmidt方法的优势构造低分辨率全色图像,确保在提高融合图像空间分辨率的同时有效降低其光谱变形。通过CBERS-02多光谱和IRS-P5全色图像的实验,证明了新融合方法的有效性。     

The benefits of a high-resolution analysis of transit accessibility

Accessibility is an important consideration in sustainable mobility policies, particularly for transit users. Measures suggested in the literature are based on coarse aggregate spatial resolution of traffic analysis zones that is sufficient for managing car travels only. To reflect a human door-to-door travel, transit accessibility demands an explicit view of the location of origin, transit stops and destination, as well as of the temporal fit between transit lines timetable and traveler’s needs. We thus estimate transit accessibility based on mode-specific travel times and corresponding paths, including walking and waiting, at the resolution of individual buildings and stops. Car accessibility is estimated at a high resolution too. A novel representation of transit network as a graph is proposed. This representation includes all modal components of a transit travel – walking, waiting at a stop, transit ride, transfers between lines, thus enabling unified view of a travel, regardless of mode. The use of modern high-performance graph database allows construction of high-resolution accessibility maps for an entire metropolitan area with its 100–200 K buildings. The application is tested and applied in a case study involving the evaluation of the 2011 bus line reform in the city of Tel Aviv. Specifically, we demonstrate that while the reform increased the average accessibility for the entire city the increase was not uniform with different areas of the city experiencing different absolute accessibility by transit and relative accessibility in comparison to car travel. The bus reform did in fact benefit travelers that experienced low relative accessibility, but the benefits are mainly accruing to longer trips. Our approach and computational methods can be employed for directly investigating the impacts of transportation infrastructure investments.     

The hypocentral resolution of microearthquake surveys carried out at sea

Summary. The ability to locate the hypocentres of earthquakes occurring along ridge crests and fracture zones accurately is a prerequisite to solving several problems associated with seafloor tectonics and oceanic crustal formation. Such resolution has rarely been achieved in the past, often because the seismic networks deployed were inadequate for the task. We demonstrate that sea surface receivers are not useful in such studies, and that the minimum acceptable size for a seafloor network is five receivers, of which at least one must be capable of detecting shear waves unambiguously.     

基于FY-3D/MERSI-Ⅱ归一化积雪指数和MOD10A1的精度对比分析

风云三号D星（FY-3D）是我国新一代极轨气象卫星,中分辨率光谱成像仪Ⅱ（MERSI-Ⅱ）是其携带的核心传感器之一,MERSI-Ⅱ实现了云、气溶胶、水汽、陆地表面特性、海洋水色等大气、陆地、海洋参量的高精度定量反演。选取2018年7、8月无云时相的FY-3D/MERSI-Ⅱ数据对天山中段终年积雪进行归一化积雪指数（NDSI）的计算。结合高分辨率Landsat-8影像,利用混淆矩阵对FY-3D/MERSI-Ⅱ数据计算结果与同期MODIS日积雪产品数据MOD10A1进行精度对比分析。结果表明：FY-3D/MERSI-Ⅱ图像平均总体精度为0.855,MOD10A1图像平均总体精度为0.820,FY-3D/MERSI-Ⅱ积雪覆盖提取平均总体精度比MOD10A1积雪覆盖提取平均总体精度高0.035。FY-3D/MERSI-Ⅱ的Kappa系数平均值为0.659,MOD10A1的Kappa系数平均值为0.558,FY-3D/MERSI-Ⅱ的Kappa系数平均值大于MOD10A1的Kappa系数平均值。故FY-3D/MERSI-Ⅱ数据提取积雪覆盖面积精度更高,更接近高分辨率Landsat-8影像目视解译结果。     

基于城市不透水面—人口关联的粤港澳大湾区人口密度时空分异规律与特征

城市人口数据是社会经济各领域的基础数据,高分辨率的空间化城市人口数据则对社会经济各领域的分析和研究具有重要意义。本文首先通过多源遥感技术提取空间分辨率为30 m的粤港澳大湾区2007-2015年间城市不透水面的变化,再利用Dasymetric映射方法得到30 m分辨率的网格化人口密度分布,从而分析大湾区2007-2015年间城市人口的时间和空间变化。通过Google Earth时间序列高分辨率影像采集的样本验证,粤港澳大湾区城市不透水面提取精度均在80%以上;通过统计年鉴中县级人口统计数据,分析大湾区网格化城市人口与统计数据之间的一致性,得到决定系数R²总体在0.7以上。研究表明,粤港澳大湾区城市人口具有特殊的时间和空间分异规律和特征：①大湾区内除了香港和澳门人口分布较稳定,其他城市人口都有不同程度和不同方向的扩张,其中广州、深圳、东莞的人口扩张最为明显;②大湾区城市人口空间分布具有明显的多尺度和多中心特征。总体上,大湾区人口集中在以珠江口为中心的城市群核心区内,离核心区较远的肇庆、江门、惠州人口较为稀疏,城市化程度相对较低,是支撑大湾区经济社会继续深入发展的重要区域。在核心区内,城市人口的分布则在城市尺度和城市群尺度上都体现了多中心分布特征,香港和广州都有多个城市中心,而香港、澳门、深圳、广州则是整个大湾区的4个中心。地理位置上4个中心分布在大湾区的不同地方,可以带动整个粤港澳大湾区的全面发展。研究结果可为粤港澳大湾区在社会经济各领域的分析与规划提供决策支持。     

A population density grid for Spain

This article describes a high-resolution land cover data set for Spain and its application to dasymetric population mapping (at census tract level). Eventually, this vector layer is transformed into a grid format. The work parallels the effort of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, in collaboration with Eurostat and the European Environment Agency (EEA), in building a population density grid for the whole of Europe, combining CORINE Land Cover with population data per commune. We solve many of the problems due to the low resolution of CORINE Land Cover, which are especially visible with Spanish data. An accuracy assessment is carried out from a simple aggregation of georeferenced point population data for the region of Madrid. The bottom-up grid constructed in this way is compared to our top-down grid. We show a great improvement over what has been reported from commune data and CORINE Land Cover, but the improvements seem to come entirely from the higher resolution data sets and not from the statistical modeling in the downscaling exercise. This highlights the importance of providing the research community with more detailed land cover data sets, as well as more detailed population data. The dasymetric grid is available free of charge from the authors upon request.