Mapping the mega paleodrainage basin using shuttle radar topography mission in Eastern Sahara and its impact on the new development projects in Southern Egypt

In the current study, the shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM) data, with ～90 m horizontal resolution, were used to delineate the paleodrainage system and their mega basin extent in the East Sahara area. One mega-drainage basin has been detected, covering an area of 256 000 km2. It is classified into two sub mega basins. The Uweinate sub mega basin, which is composed of four main tributaries, collected water from a vast catchment region and drained eastward from the north, west, and southwest, starting at highland areas. The first subwatershed basin is in the northern plateau, south of the Abu-Balas area, with a total catchment area of 25 045 km2. The second subwatershed is in the Gilf Kebir plateau and has a total catchment area of 38 257 km2. The third subwatershed drains from the Uweinate highlands and has a catchment area of 46 154 km2. The fourth subwatershed, which is known in literature as Wadi Mokhtafi in its upper reach and Wadi Arid in its lower reach, drains the northwestern highlands of Sudan and has a total catchment area of 28 653 km2. The Tushka sub mega basin includes one watershed that drains from the northeast highlands of Sudan and has a total catchment area of 63 019 km2. The Uweinate and Tushka sub mega basins are joined together to the North of the Tushka depression, which drains northward toward the Kharga depression. This study indicates that the Eastern Sahara Mega Basin is a closed hydrological system independent of the other drainage systems, such as the Nile hydrosystem and the Qena Valley system. The present research illustrates the capability of the SRTM data in mapping the paleochannel networks, as well as estimate the catchment area and direction of the water flow. Finally, the study reveals that the four areas could be potentially used for different reclamation activities due to the ground water accumulations possibilities.     

利用SRTM绘制东Sahara大型古排水盆地及其对南埃及新发展计划的影响(英文)

In the current study, the shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM) data, with～90 m horizontal resolution, were used to delineate the paleodrainage system and their mega basin extent in the East Sahara area. One mega-drainage basin has been detected, covering an area of 256 000 km2. It is classified into two sub mega basins. The Uweinate sub mega basin, which is composed of four main tributaries, collected water from a vast catchment region and drained eastward from the north, west, and southwest, starting at...     

Reduced-complexity fusion of multiscale topography and bathymetry data over the Florida coast

The multiscale Kalman smoother (MKS) is a globally optimal estimator for fusing remotely sensed data. The MKS algorithm can be readily parallelized because it operates on a Markov tree data structure. However, such an implementation requires a large amount of memory to store the parameters and estimates at each scale in the tree. This becomes particularly problematic in applications where the observations have very different resolutions and the finest scale data are sparse or aggregated. Such cases commonly arise when fusing data to capture both regional and local structure. In this work, we develop a reduced-complexity MKS algorithm and apply it to the fusion of topographic and bathymetric elevations on the Florida coast.     

Short-arc analysis of intersatellite tracking data in a gravity mapping mission

 A technique for the analysis of low–low intersatellite range-rate data in a gravity mapping mission is explored. The technique is based on standard tracking data analysis for orbit determination but uses a spherical coordinate representation of the 12 epoch state parameters describing the baseline between the two satellites. This representation of the state parameters is exploited to allow the intersatellite range-rate analysis to benefit from information provided by other tracking data types without large simultaneous multiple-data-type solutions. The technique appears especially valuable for estimating gravity from short arcs (e.g. less than 15 minutes) of data. Gravity recovery simulations which use short arcs are compared with those using arcs a day in length. For a high-inclination orbit, the short-arc analysis recovers low-order gravity coefficients remarkably well, although higher-order terms, especially sectorial terms, are less accurate. Simulations suggest that either long or short arcs of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data are likely to improve parts of the geopotential spectrum by orders of magnitude. Received: 26 June 2001 / Accepted: 21 January 2002     

Regional geoid determination in Antarctica utilizing airborne gravity and topography data

Antarctica is the only continent that suffers major gaps in terrestrial gravity data coverage. To overcome this problem and to close these gaps as well as to densify the global satellite gravity field solutions, the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) Commission Project 2.4 “Antarctic Geoid” was set into action. This paper reviews the current situation concerning the gravity field in Antarctica. It is shown that airborne geophysical surveys are the most promising tools to gain new gravity data in Antarctica. In this context, a number of projects to be carried out during the International Polar Year 2007/2008 will contribute to this goal. To demonstrate the feasibility of the regional geoid improvement in Antarctica, we present a case study using gravity and topography data of the southern Prince Charles Mountains, East Antarctica. During the processing, the remove–compute– restore (RCR) technique and least-squares collocation (LSC) were applied. Adding signal parts of up to 6 m to the global gravity field model that was used as a basis, the calculated regional quasigeoid reveals the dominant features of bedrock topography in that region, namely the graben structure of the Lambert glacier system. The accuracy of the improved regional quasigeoid is estimated to be at the level of 15 cm.     

Precise orbit determination for the GRACE mission using only GPS data

The GRACE (gravity recovery and climate experiment) satellites, launched in March 2002, are each equipped with a BlackJack GPS onboard receiver for precise orbit determination and gravity field recovery. Since launch, there have been significant improvements in the background force models used for satellite orbit determination, most notably the model for the geopotential. This has resulted in significant improvements to orbit accuracy for very low altitude satellites. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how well the orbits of the GRACE satellites (about 470 km in altitude) can currently be determined using only GPS data and based on the current models and methods. The orbit accuracy is assessed using a number of tests, which include analysis of orbit fits, orbit overlaps, orbit connecting points, satellite Laser ranging residuals and K-band ranging (KBR) residuals. We show that 1-cm radial orbit accuracy for the GRACE satellites has probably been achieved. These precise GRACE orbits can be used for such purposes as improving gravity recovery from the GRACE KBR data and for atmospheric profiling, and they demonstrate the quality of the background force models being used.     

The celestial mechanics approach: application to data of the GRACE mission

The celestial mechanics approach (CMA) has its roots in the Bernese GPS software and was extensively used for determining the orbits of high-orbiting satellites. The CMA was extended to determine the orbits of Low Earth Orbiting satellites (LEOs) equipped with GPS receivers and of constellations of LEOs equipped in addition with inter-satellite links. In recent years the CMA was further developed and used for gravity field determination. The CMA was developed by the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB). The CMA is presented from the theoretical perspective in (Beutler et al. 2010). The key elements of the CMA are illustrated here using data from 50 days of GPS, K-Band, and accelerometer observations gathered by the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission in 2007. We study in particular the impact of (1) analyzing different observables [Global Positioning System (GPS) observations only, inter-satellite measurements only], (2) analyzing a combination of observations of different types on the level of the normal equation systems (NEQs), (3) using accelerometer data, (4) different orbit parametrizations (short-arc, reduced-dynamic) by imposing different constraints on the stochastic orbit parameters, and (5) using either the inter-satellite ranges or their time derivatives. The so-called GRACE baseline, i.e., the achievable accuracy of the GRACE gravity field for a particular solution strategy, is established for the CMA.     

基于多波束声纳数据与反射模型的水下地形重建

利用多波束声纳数据重建水下地形,构建高空间分辨率的数字高程模型(DEM)对于在复杂水下区域的物质勘探、目标检测等方面有重要实用意义.然而,多波束声纳系统直接获得的测深数据空间分辨率有限本文基于多波束声纳系统采集的稀疏测深数据(空间位置)和密集回波强度数据(图像性质)来构建水下复杂地形高空间分辨率数字高程模型.利用采集的...     

Estimation of dynamic ocean topography in the Gulf Stream area using the Hotine formula and altimetry data

Two modifications of the Hotine formula using the truncation theory and marine gravity disturbances with altimetry data are developed and used to compute a marine gravimetric geoid in the Gulf Stream area. The purpose of the geoid computation from marine gravity information is to derive the absolute dynamic ocean topography based on the best estimate of the mean surface height from recent altimetry missions such as Geosat, ERS-1, and Topex. This paper also tries to overcome difficulties of using Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) techniques to the geoid computation when the Hotine kernel is modified according to the truncation theory. The derived absolute dynamic ocean topography is compared with that from global circulation models such as POCM4B and POP96. The RMS difference between altimetry-derived and global circulation model dynamic ocean topography is at the level of 25cm. The corresponding mean difference for POCM4B and POP96 is only a few centimeters. This study also shows that the POP96 model is in slightly better agreement with the results derived from the Hotine formula and altimetry data than POCM4B in the Gulf Stream area. In addition, Hotine formula with modification (II) gives the better agreement with the results from the two global circulation models than the other techniques discussed in this paper. Received: 10 October 1996 / Accepted: 16 January 1998     

Advanced analysis of differences between C and X bands using SRTM data for mountainous topography

By Interferometric Synthectic Aperture Radar (InSAR), during the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) height models have been generated, covering the earth surface from 56° south to 60.25° north. With the exception of small gaps in steep parts, dry sand deserts and water surfaces, the free available US C-band data cover the earth surface from 56° south to 60.25° north completely while the X-band data, distributed by the DLR (German Aerospace Center), cover it only partially. The C-band and X-band radar cannot penetrate the vegetation because of the short wavelength. Therefore, the height models are not Digital Elevation Models (DEM) representing bare Earth surface without any details, they are Digital Surface Models (DSM) representing the visible surface including vegetation and buildings. In the area of Zonguldak, Turkey, C-band and X-band DSMs are available and have been analysed in cooperation between Zonguldak Karaelmas University (ZKU) and Leibniz University of Hannover. The digitized contour lines from the 1:25,000 scale topographic maps and also a more precise height model derived directly from large scale photogrammetric mapping are used as reference height models. The terrain inclination influences the accuracy strongly, but also the directions of the inclination in relation to the radar view direction, the aspects, are important. Independent from the aspects, the analysed results do have root mean square differences against the reference data fitting very well to the Koppe formula SZ=a+b*tan α. The analyses are made separately for open and forest areas, with clear accuracy differences between both. Also, the analysis of X-band separately for three sub-areas is done and the positive effect of double observation to the accuracy has been clearly determined. The C-band data are only available with a spacing of 3 arcsec, corresponding to 92m × 70m, while the X-band data do have a spacing of 1 arcsec. This is important for the interpolation in the mountainous test area. The accuracy of the height points is approximately the same for the C- and the X-band data. But the C-band data which have three times larger spacing than Xband data, do not include the same morphological information. While C-band data contain very generalised contour lines X-band data have quite more details depending on 1 arcsec point spacing. The differential DEMs have been generated, separately, for displaying the differences between SRTM height models and reference DEMs of the test field.     

Role of ocean variability and dynamic ocean topography in the recovery of the mean sea surface and gravity anomalies from satellite altimeter data

Procedures to calculate mean sea surface heights and gravity anomalies from altimeter-derived sea surface heights and along-track sea surface slopes using the least-squares collocation procedure are derived. The slope data is used when repeat track averaging is not possible to reduce ocean variability effects. Tests were carried out using Topex, Geosat, ERS-1 [35-day and 168-day (2 cycle)] data. Calculations of gravity anomalies in the Gulf Stream region were made using the sea surface height and slope data. Tests were also made correcting the sea surface heights for dynamic ocean topography calculated from a degree 360 expansion of data from the POCM-4B global ocean circulation model. Comparisons of the anomaly predictions were carried out with ship data using anomalies calculated for this paper as well as others. Received: 19 August 1996 / Accepted: 14 April 1997     

Understanding data noise in gravity field recovery on the basis of inter-satellite ranging measurements acquired by the satellite gravimetry mission GRACE

Spectral analysis of data noise is performed in the context of gravity field recovery from inter-satellite ranging measurements acquired by the satellite gravimetry mission GRACE. The motivation of the study is two-fold: (i) to promote a further improvement of GRACE data processing techniques and (ii) to assist designing GRACE follow-on missions. The analyzed noise realizations are produced as the difference between the actual GRACE inter-satellite range measurements and the predictions based on state-of-the-art force models. The exploited functional model is based on the so-called “range combinations,” which can be understood as a finite-difference analog of inter-satellite accelerations projected onto the line-of-sight connecting the satellites. It is shown that low-frequency noise is caused by limited accuracy of the computed GRACE orbits. In the first instance, it leads to an inaccurate estimation of the radial component of the inter-satellite velocities. A large impact of this component stems from the fact that it is directly related to centrifugal accelerations, which have to be taken into account when the measured range-accelerations are linked with inter-satellite accelerations. Another effect of orbit inaccuracies is a miscalculation of forces acting on the satellites (particularly, the one described by the zero-degree term of the Earth’s gravitational field). The major contributors to the noise budget at high frequencies (above 9?mHz) are (i) ranging sensor errors and (ii) limited knowledge of the Earth’s static gravity field at high degrees. Importantly, we show that updating the model of the static field on the basis of the available data must be performed with a caution as the result may not be physical due to a non-unique recovery of high-degree coefficients. The source of noise in the range of intermediate frequencies (1–9?mHz), which is particularly critical for an accurate gravity field recovery, is not fully understood yet. We show, however, that it cannot be explained by inaccuracies in background models of time-varying gravity field. It is stressed that most of the obtained results can be treated as sufficiently general (i.e., applicable in the context of a statistically optimal estimation based on any functional model).     

Geoid and high resolution sea surface topography modelling in the mediterranean from gravimetry,altimetry and GOCE data: evaluation by simulation

The determination of local geoid models has traditionally been carried out on land and at sea using gravity anomaly and satellite altimetry data, while it will be aided by the data expected from satellite missions such as those from the Gravity field and steady-state ocean circulation explorer (GOCE). To assess the performance of heterogeneous data combination to local geoid determination, simulated data for the central Mediterranean Sea are analyzed. These data include marine and land gravity anomalies, altimetric sea surface heights, and GOCE observations processed with the space-wise approach. A spectral analysis of the aforementioned data shows their complementary character. GOCE data cover long wavelengths and account for the lack of such information from gravity anomalies. This is exploited for the estimation of local covariance function models, where it is seen that models computed with GOCE data and gravity anomaly empirical covariance functions perform better than models computed without GOCE data. The geoid is estimated by different data combinations and the results show that GOCE data improve the solutions for areas covered poorly with other data types, while also accounting for any long wavelength errors of the adopted reference model that exist even when the ground gravity data are dense. At sea, the altimetric data provide the dominant geoid information. However, the geoid accuracy is sensitive to orbit calibration errors and unmodeled sea surface topography (SST) effects. If such effects are present, the combination of GOCE and gravity anomaly data can improve the geoid accuracy. The present work also presents results from simulations for the recovery of the stationary SST, which show that the combination of geoid heights obtained from a spherical harmonic geopotential model derived from GOCE with satellite altimetry data can provide SST models with some centimeters of error. However, combining data from GOCE with gravity anomalies in a collocation approach can result in the estimation of a higher resolution geoid, more suitable for high resolution mean dynamic SST modeling. Such simulations can be performed toward the development and evaluation of SST recovery methods.     

Characterization of ASTER GDEM elevation data over vegetated area compared with lidar data

Current researches based on areal or spaceborne stereo images with very high resolutions (<1 m) have demonstrated that it is possible to derive vegetation height from stereo images. The second version of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer Global Digital Elevation Model (ASTER GDEM) is the state-of-the-art global elevation data-set developed by stereo images. However, the resolution of ASTER stereo images (15 m) is much coarser than areal stereo images, and the ASTER GDEM is compiled products from stereo images acquired over 10 years. The forest disturbances as well as forest growth are inevitable in 10 years time span. In this study, the features of ASTER GDEM over vegetated areas under both flat and mountainous conditions were investigated by comparisons with lidar data. The factors possibly affecting the extraction of vegetation canopy height considered include (1) co-registration of DEMs; (2) spatial resolution of digital elevation models (DEMs); (3) spatial vegetation structure; and (4) terrain slope. The results show that the accurate coregistration between ASTER GDEM and national elevation dataset (NED) is necessary over mountainous areas. The correlation between ASTER GDEM minus NED and vegetation canopy height is improved from 0.328 to 0.43 by degrading resolutions from 1 arc-second to 5 arc-second and further improved to 0.6 if only homogenous vegetated areas were considered.     

美国NASA冰桥(IceBridge)科学计划:进展与展望

美国NASA于2009年启动的IceBridge“冰桥”科学计划利用航空平台搭载的多源遥感传感器已在极区获取了连续的、高质量的观测资料。本文从多源航空遥感传感器及其采集数据的角度, 对冰桥(IceBridge)科学计划做了详细介绍。其航空平台搭载的遥感传感器大致可以分为数字相机、激光雷达、雷达、重力以及辅助设备5类。本文又从冰雪3维立体制图、冰盖高程变化监测与物质平衡估算、海冰厚度与分布时空变化探测、卫星遥感校正与验证等4个方面对冰桥极地多源航空遥感数据的应用研究做了展望。冰桥科学计划将会大大促进人类对于气候变暖背景下两极所发生变化的理解。     

Reduced-dynamic and kinematic baseline determination for the Swarm mission

GPS Solutions - The Swarm mission of the European Space Agency was launched in November 2013 with the objective of performing measurements of the earth’s magnetic field with unprecedented...     

Combined Radar and Landsat data analysis for land use/cover studies over parts of the Punjab plains

L-band (HH) synthetic aperture radar imagery from Shuttle Imaging Radar-B (SIR-B) and Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) images over parts of the Punjab plains were combined in order to utilize the complementary information contained in multispectral data sets. Among the various combination of Landsat MSS with SIR-B, the combination of Landsat MSS band 5 (0.6–0.7 μm) and band 7 (0.8–1.1 μm) with SIR-B data was found to be optimum in delineating landcover units. The integrated data was found to be superior in providing landcover information in comparison to SIR-B alone or a combination of landsat MSS band 4,5 and 7.