Visualizing Migration Flows Using Kriskograms

This paper describes a new approach called kriskogram to visualizing migration flows. To create a kriskogram, geographical units are projected as a set of points on a straight line segment called a location line. The migration flow between two points on the location line is represented using a half-circle drawn from the origin to the destination in a clockwise direction. Translucent symbols and a classification scheme can be used to make a kriskogram more effective. We demonstrate this method using a set of interstate migration data of four time periods for the conterminous United States.     

A Computational Method for Estimating the Demand of Retail Stores on a Street Network and its Implementation in GIS

This paper describes a computational method for estimating the demand of retail stores on a street network using GIS. First, the 'network Huff model' is formulated on a network with the shortest-path distance as an extension of the ordinary Huff model (which assumes a continuous plane with Euclidean distance). Second, using this model, a formula for estimating the demand is derived. This estimation formula is similar to that with the ordinary Huff model, but it has an advantage in that the formula exactly computes the demand on a network. Third, a practical method for computing the formula is developed. Finally, a method of implementing this computational method in a GIS environment is shown.     

Convex optimization under inequality constraints in rank-deficient systems

Many geodetic applications require the minimization of a convex objective function subject to some linear equality and/or inequality constraints. If a system is singular (e.g., a geodetic network without a defined datum) this results in a manifold of solutions. Most state-of-the-art algorithms for inequality constrained optimization (e.g., the Active-Set-Method or primal-dual Interior-Point-Methods) are either not able to deal with a rank-deficient objective function or yield only one of an infinite number of particular solutions. In this contribution, we develop a framework for the rigorous computation of a general solution of a rank-deficient problem with inequality constraints. We aim for the computation of a unique particular solution which fulfills predefined optimality criteria as well as for an adequate representation of the homogeneous solution including the constraints. Our theoretical findings are applied in a case study to determine optimal repetition numbers for a geodetic network to demonstrate the potential of the proposed framework.     

Using the Relative Operating Characteristic to Quantify Certainty in Prediction of Location of Land Cover Change in India

This paper describes a methodology by which modelers, ecologists and planners can quantify the certainty in predicting the location of change for a given quantity of change. The specification of the quantity of a land cover category and the specification of the location of a land cover category are two distinct fundamental concepts in geographical analysis. It is crucial that scientists have appropriate quantitative tools to analyze each of these two concepts independently of one another. This paper gives methods whereby a scientist can convert a map of relative propensity for disturbance to a map of probability of future disturbance, based on a quantifiable validation of a map's predictive ability. The required inputs are: (1) maps that show a Boolean categorical variable at times 0, 1 and 2, (2) a technique to create a map that shows the relative propensity for membership in the Boolean category, and (3) a predicted proportion of the category at time 3.     

变形信号与噪声的分离方法及其应用

在对变形体进行监测的时候会得到一系列不同时间的观测结果,比如对滑坡的位移监测,得到一系列的坐标,通过与首期观测数据的比较可获得变形量,然而测量中不可避免的含有误差,如何将变形信息和观测噪声分离是一个需要解决的问题。本文在变形是一个连续过程的假设下,以给定的验前方差为约束条件,通过三次连续逼近样条函数建立变形曲线,达到变形信号与噪声分离的目的,文中通过对某滑坡多年监测数据的分析验证了该方法的可行性。     

A Theoretical Framework for Hyperspectral Anomaly Detection Using Spectral and Spatial A Priori Information

This letter presents a new theoretical approach for anomaly detection using a priori information about targets. This a priori knowledge deals with the general spectral behavior and the spatial distribution of targets. In this letter, we consider subpixel and isolated targets that are spectrally anomalous in one region of the spectrum but not in another. This method is totally different from matched filters that suffer from a relative sensitivity to low errors in the target spectral signature. We incorporate the spectral a priori knowledge in a new detection distance, and we propose a Bayesian approach with a Markovian regularization to suppress the potential targets that do not respect the spatial a priori. The interest of the method is illustrated on simulated data consisting in realistic anomalies that are superimposed on a real HyMap hyperspectral image.     

SAR点目标的响应形状

人们普遍认为,SAR点目标响应是sinc函数形状,但是,在通常条件下,SAR点目标看上去不象sinc函数形状。文章从驻留相位原理的近似性,数字信号处理和连续信号处理的差别,人类视觉,检波造成的频谱扩展,SAR的斜视等方面,指出其原因,并阐述了使点目标形状象sinc函数形状需要满足的条件。并提出SAR图像从复数图到模值图的转化过程需要满足的条件和处理。     

Line segment confidence region-based string matching method for map conflation

In this paper, a method to detect corresponding point pairs between polygon object pairs with a string matching method based on a confidence region model of a line segment is proposed. The optimal point edit sequence to convert the contour of a target object into that of a reference object was found by the string matching method which minimizes its total error cost, and the corresponding point pairs were derived from the edit sequence. Because a significant amount of apparent positional discrepancies between corresponding objects are caused by spatial uncertainty and their confidence region models of line segments are therefore used in the above matching process, the proposed method obtained a high F-measure for finding matching pairs. We applied this method for built-up area polygon objects in a cadastral map and a topographical map. Regardless of their different mapping and representation rules and spatial uncertainties, the proposed method with a confidence level at 0.95 showed a matching result with an F-measure of 0.894.     

A Spatial Entropy-Based Decision Tree for Classification of Geographical Information

A decision tree is a classification algorithm that automatically derives a hierarchy of partition rules with respect to a target attribute of a large dataset. However, spatial autocorrelation makes conventional decision trees underperform for geographical datasets as the spatial distribution is not taken into account. The research presented in this paper introduces the concept of a spatial decision tree based on a spatial diversity coefficient that measures the spatial entropy of a geo‐referenced dataset. The principle of this solution is to take into account the spatial autocorrelation phenomena in the classification process, within a notion of spatial entropy that extends the conventional notion of entropy. Such a spatial entropy‐based decision tree integrates the spatial autocorrelation component and generates a classification process adapted to geographical data. A case study oriented to the classification of an agriculture dataset in China illustrates the potential of the proposed approach.     

Precise photorealistic visualization for restoration of historic buildings based on tacheometry data

This paper puts forward a 3D reconstruction methodology applied to the restoration of historic buildings taking advantage of the speed, range and accuracy of a total geodetic station. The measurements representing geo-referenced points produced an interactive and photorealistic geometric mesh of a monument named ‘Neoria.’ ‘Neoria’ is a Venetian building located by the old harbor at Chania, Crete, Greece. The integration of tacheometry acquisition and computer graphics puts forward a novel integrated software framework for the accurate 3D reconstruction of a historical building. The main technical challenge of this work was the production of a precise 3D mesh based on a sufficient number of tacheometry measurements acquired fast and at low cost, employing a combination of surface reconstruction and processing methods. A fully interactive application based on game engine technologies was developed. The user can visualize and walk through the monument and the area around it as well as photorealistically view it at different times of day and night. Advanced interactive functionalities are offered to the user in relation to identifying restoration areas and visualizing the outcome of such works. The user could visualize the coordinates of the points measured, calculate distances and navigate through the complete 3D mesh of the monument. The geographical data are stored in a database connected with the application. Features referencing and associating the database with the monument are developed. The goal was to utilize a small number of acquired data points and present a fully interactive visualization of a geo-referenced 3D model.     

Reference frame stability and nonlinear distortion in minimum-constrained network adjustment

The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of the minimum constraints (MCs) on the reference frame parameters in a free-net solution. The non-estimable part of these parameters (which is not reduced by the available data) is analysed in terms of its stability under a numerical perturbation of the constrained datum functionals. In practice, such a perturbation can be ascribed either to hidden errors in the known coordinates/velocities that participate in the MCs or to a simple change of their a priori values due to a datum switch on a different fiducial dataset. In addition, a perturbation of this type may cause a nonlinear variation to the estimable part of the reference frame parameters, since it theoretically affects the adjusted observations that are implied by the network’s nonlinear observational model. The aforementioned effects have an impact on the quality of a terrestrial reference frame (TRF) that is established via a minimum-constrained adjustment, and our study shows that they are both controlled through a characteristic matrix which is inherently linked to the MC system (the so-called TRF stability matrix). The structure of this matrix depends on the network’s spatial configuration and the ‘geometry’ of the datum constraints, while its main role is the filtering of any MC-related errors into the least-squares adjustment results. A number of examples with different types of geodetic networks are also presented to demonstrate the theoretical findings of our study.     

A Structural Perspective on Visibility Patterns with a Topographic Surface

A topographic surface can be modeled as a graph, a visibility graph in terms of how each point location is visible to every other. This paper demonstrates various structural properties of visibility patterns with a topographic surface from a graph perspective, which could be important for landscape planning. This paper illustrates the fact that the visibility graph with a topographic surface is a small‐world. This finding implies that the average visual separation between any two point locations with a surface is very short (i.e. a small separation), and the visible locations to a given location have a high possibility of being visible to each other (i.e. a high clustering level). Additionally we show that the visibility graph exhibits an exponential distribution rather than a power law distribution, i.e. it is not scale‐free, in contrast to many other real world networks.     

高精度瞬时水深模型的乘潮进港分析

针对海图上航道水深数据稀少、进行乘潮进港分析不准确的不足,本文提出了基于高精度瞬时水深模型的乘潮进港分析方法。在海图水深的基础上,融入高密度多波束水深数据,共建高精度静态水深模型,并进一步精化水位预报,形成高精度的瞬时水深模型;然后,采用分段测试的方法,分析航线可行性,并求取乘潮进港时间窗口。实验结果表明基于高精度的瞬时水深模型能够获得更准确的乘潮进港出发时间窗口,可提高航道通航能力。     

The truth about Ground Truth

This paper presents a critical appreciation of the book edited by Pickles called Ground Truth . It offers a response in defence of GIS, written from the perspective of a quantitative geographer's unavoidably academic view of the strengths and weaknesses of GIS and Ground Truth. In essence, there is a growing need for a multi-partisan approach to improving rather than rubbishing a geoinformation technology that is an expanding global industry of considerable relevance both to the present and to the future.     

激光雷达点云电力线三维重建模型的对比与分析

电力线三维重建是直升机激光雷达（light detection and ranging,LiDAR）电力巡线的一项重要内容。提出了两种基于直升机LiDAR点云的电力线三维重建模型,包括直线段与悬链线段相结合的模型（简称为"模型一"）、直线段与抛物线段相结合的模型（简称为"模型二"）。其中,直线段位于xy平面,悬链线段和抛物线段位于过直线段的铅垂面。模型的创新之处在于两者均使用了电力线LiDAR点水平坐标进一步投影到xy平面上相应的拟合直线产生的比例因子作为悬链线、抛物线方程的参数。使用6个有代表性的实验数据、4个评价指标对6种重建模型（已有的4种和上述提出的两种）的性能进行评价和对比。实验结果表明,模型二具有最高的重建效率和最高的重建精度。另外,实验结果进一步说明铅垂面及铅垂面上投影模型的选择、误差因素的考虑等3个因素对重建模型性能有着显著影响。     

A User‐centered Design for the Addition of Interactive Masking Capability within an existing Web GIS

This article presents a case study of how a user‐centered design (UCD) approach was utilized during the addition of interactive masking capability to an existing web‐based geographic information system (Web GIS). By analyzing and discussing specific aspects of the user‐developer dialog within the context of a Web GIS software development life cycle, this article presents a case study for similar systems. The results of the UCD methodology is a discussion that presents a shift from an initial design to a new design that, based on user feedback, furthers the utility and usability of interactive masking within the Web GIS.     

The Bayesian detection of discontinuities in a polynomial regression and its application to the cycle-slip problem

This paper deals with the problem of detecting and correcting cycle-slips in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) phase data by exploiting the Bayesian theory. The method is here applied to undifferenced observations, because repairing cycle-slips already at this stage could be a useful pre-processing tool, especially for a network of permanent GNSS stations. If a dual frequency receiver is available, the cycle-slips can be easily detected by combining two phase observations or phase and range observations from a single satellite to a single receiver. These combinations, expressed in a distance unit form, are completely free from the geometry and depend only on the ionospheric effect, on the electronic biases and on the initial integer ambiguities; since these terms are expected to be smooth in time, at least in a short period, a cycle-slip in one or both the two carriers can be modelled as a discontinuity in a polynomial regression. The proposed method consists in applying the Bayesian theory to compute the marginal posterior distribution of the discontinuity epoch and to detect it as a maximum a posteriori (MAP) in a very accurate way. Concerning the cycle-slip correction, a couple of simultaneous integer slips in the two carriers is chosen by maximazing the conditional posterior distribution of the discontinuity amplitude given the detected epoch. Numerical experiments on simulated and real data show that the discontinuities with an amplitude 2 or 3 times larger than the noise standard deviation are successfully identified. This means that the Bayesian approach is able to detect and correct cycle-slips using undifferenced GNSS observations even if the slip occurs by one cycle. A comparison with the scientific software BERNESE 5.0 confirms the good performance of the proposed method, especially when data sampled at high frequency (e.g. every 1 s or every 5 s) are available.     

省域跨尺度耕地土壤养分数据库构建关键技术研究

土壤养分数据库的建设是我国数字土壤建设的重要基础性工作之一。本文基于县域大比例尺耕地土壤养分数据,以山东省耕地土壤养分数据库建设为例,对数据库构建中的土壤养分空间数据库建立、属性数据库建立、空间与属性数据库关联、土壤养分分析等具体环节和关键技术进行研究,基本形成了省域跨尺度耕地土壤养分数据库构建关键技术体系。本文研究结果可为省域耕地土壤养分数据库建设提供技术支撑,为区域耕地资源的利用管理提供科学依据。     

Cascaded image analysis for dynamic crack detection in material testing

Concrete probes in civil engineering material testing often show fissures or hairline-cracks. These cracks develop dynamically. Starting at a width of a few microns, they usually cannot be detected visually or in an image of a camera imaging the whole probe. Conventional image analysis techniques will detect fissures only if they show a width in the order of one pixel. To be able to detect and measure fissures with a width of a fraction of a pixel at an early stage of their development, a cascaded image analysis approach has been developed, implemented and tested. The basic idea of the approach is to detect discontinuities in dense surface deformation vector fields. These deformation vector fields between consecutive stereo image pairs, which are generated by cross correlation or least squares matching, show a precision in the order of 1/50 pixel. Hairline-cracks can be detected and measured by applying edge detection techniques such as a Sobel operator to the results of the image matching process. Cracks will show up as linear discontinuities in the deformation vector field and can be vectorized by edge chaining. In practical tests of the method, cracks with a width of 1/20 pixel could be detected, and their width could be determined at a precision of 1/50 pixel.