Further developments of a fuzzy set map comparison approach

Fuzzy set map comparison offers a novel approach to map comparison.The approach is specifically aimed at categorical raster maps and applies fuzzy set techniques, accounting for fuzziness of location and fuzziness of category, to create a similarity map as well as an overall similarity statistic: the Fuzzy Kappa. To date, the calculation of the Fuzzy Kappa (or K-fuzzy) has not been formally derived, and the documented procedure was only valid for cases without fuzziness of category. Furthermore, it required an infinitely large, edgeless map. This paper presents the full derivation of the Fuzzy Kappa; the method is now valid for comparisons considering fuzziness of both location and category and does not require further assumptions. This theoretical completion opens opportunities for use of the technique that surpass the original intentions. In particular, the categorical similarity matrix can be applied to highlight or disregard differences pertaining to selected categories or groups of categories and to distinguish between differences due to omission and commission.     

定性GIS在时空间行为研究中的应用

定性GIS已经成为地理学混合研究方法的重要组成部分,通过扎根理论并与可视化结合、GIS和民族志整合等途径,对时空间行为研究产生了深远的影响。其通过文本或非文本质性材料与GIS地理特征的整合,形成了时空行为研究中独特的地理环境系统与空间机制分析,一个重要的前沿领域就是地理叙事在时间地理学研究中的应用。时间地理学是研究人类时空行为的重要视角,但由于对个体主观性及行为的社会文化因素的相对忽视等原因,受到了一定的质疑。近年来以GIS为代表的地理空间技术的定性分析与表达,为时间地理学融入质性分析提供了方法论基础。关美宝创建的基于GIS的地理叙事方法,通过借鉴叙事分析的一般方法尤其是三维叙事空间分析,结合时间地理学概念框架,开发了基于GIS平台的计算机辅助叙事分析组件(3D-VQGIS),实现了在GIS内可视化的、循环交互的叙事分析,为定性GIS发展中GIS与叙事分析方法的融合做出了贡献。将地理叙事方法用于时空行为研究,可以为时间地理学方法创造一个更便于理解与解释研究对象日常行为的地理环境,为其融入行为与主体的质性分析提供从数据整合、数据分析到解释与展示的一整套研究方法与具体操作工具。     

The application of GIS for flood defence in the Anglian Region: developing for the future

The spatio‐temporal relationship between unusual sightings of dead birds and human West Nile virus infections has been observed in many studies and has been proposed as an indicator of an intense amplification cycle between birds and mosquitoes. However, to date, no single study has provided quantitative evidence that the amplification cycle occurs at the local level and that it operates within certain temporal parameters. Here, we use a novel geostatistical and spatial analytic methodology and present the first evidence that the localized unusual space–time correspondence of dead birds models the amplification cycle and that this cycle peaks 15–16 days prior to human onset of West Nile virus infections. During the process of establishing this relationship, we extend the traditional Knox space–time interaction measure to overcome pair‐dependency limitations and use a novel implementation of the kappa non‐chance agreement measure to identify the temporal characteristics of the association of bird deaths to human West Nile infections.     

A cephalopod fishery GIS for the Northeast Atlantic: development and application

Cephalopod stocks are of increasing economic importance. Cephalopod fisheries show marked inter-annual fluctuations unrelated to fishery landings and effort. Their population dynamics, particularly recruitment, are thought to be strongly susceptible to changes in environmental conditions. This arises in part from the short life cycle, resulting in poor buffering of the population against changing conditions. These characteristics make traditional approaches to stock assessment and fishery management inappropriate. GIS offers a tool to improve understanding of spatio-temporal trends in abundance and facilitate rational management. A cephalopod fishery geographical information system for Northeast Atlantic waters (CFGIS-NEA) was developed. The system covers the area from 28.0° W to 11.0° E, and 34.5° N to 65.5° N. It was designed for investigating cephalopod resource dynamics in relation to environmental variation. It is based on Unix Arc/Info, and PC ArcView, combined with the statistical software package S-PLUS and supported by a database in Microsoft Access. Environmental data (e.g. sea surface temperature and salinity, sea bottom temperature and salinity, and bathymetric data), cephalopod fishery, survey and biological data, from a variety of sources, were integrated in the GIS as coverages, grids, shapefiles, and tables. Special functions were developed for data integration, data conversion, query, visualisation, analysis and management. User-friendly interfaces were developed allowing relatively inexperienced users to operate the system. The spatial and temporal distribution patterns of cephalopod abundance by species, the spatial and temporal relationships between cephalopod abundance and environmental factors, and the spatial and temporal patterns of cephalopod fishing activity were analysed using a combination of visual (qualitative) and quantitative methods. Predictive empirical models, such as GAMs (generalized additive models), were developed for modelling cephalopod abundance using environmental variables.     

The application of GIS in the lands sector of a developing country: Challenges facing land administrators in Ghana

The Government of Ghana is about to take steps under its Land Administration Project to initiate the adoption of geographical information systems (GIS) in the administration of land. This paper identifies some of the challenges for Ghana's leading lands agency, the Lands Commission Secretariat, and highlights problems such as the paucity of reliable data sets and lack of standards. One of the major planning issues in Accra is that of building encroachments, for which no digital information is currently available. The paper reports on a pilot study to record encroachments on public land and demonstrates the type of inconsistencies that are apparent between the planning and cadastral data sets that do exist. The paper emphasizes that appropriate applications of GIS in Ghana's land sector are those that consider the political, social and institutional contexts within which GIS is to be operationalized.     

定性地理信息系统在城市社会空间研究中的应用

定性地理信息系统(定性GIS)是西方人文地理学定性研究的重要方法。它集成了定性和空间元素,更全面地阐明空间背景是如何被社会建构的。这种多元要素的整合,可以表达人们生活空间的多样性和复杂性,有助于展示生活路径的三维可视化细节,实现可视化社会空间过程。本文试图梳理西方定性GIS的方法论并探讨其在基于情感表达的个体数据采集分析、基于混合方法的可视化活动空间研究以及基于多重互动视角的社会空间研究中的应用。定性GIS包含微观和宏观层面的多重含义,使得研究者可以从多个有利位置观察问题并参与其中,有助于城市社会空间研究理论创新,为社会空间研究提供可探索空间。最后,从学科建设、方法论拓展、研究成果表达和研究议题选择等方面对中国开展同类研究进行展望。     

GIS for development: a contradiction in terms?

Summary Is it possible to make appropriate use of GIS for 'development' (here defined as change desirable for the poor) in countries where human and financial resources may be limited? We argue that it is, and should be taught, but that there are no quick fixes.     

中国人地关系及人地关系地域系统研究方法述评

人地关系及人地关系地域系统是地理学基础理论研究的本质所在,其研究方法的发展和完善不仅能促进人地关系研究的不断深化,而且可以更有效地解决经济社会发展中出现的复杂资源环境问题。在梳理人地关系及人地关系地域系统的内涵及研究脉络基础上,从哲学和环境史、可持续发展、人地关系地域系统研究方法、人地关系综合表征方法等四方面评述了中国人地关系及人地关系地域系统的研究方法,并提出了未来的发展趋势。① 伴随着人地关系及人地关系地域系统内涵的不断演变,人地关系地域系统的研究方法也不断发展,丰富了人地关系的理论内涵和方法体系。② 人地关系地域系统的不同研究方法各具特点,并且各有其适用性和局限性,总体上是往综合集成方向发展,如生态足迹和资源环境承载力等,是人地关系综合集成研究的有益探索。③ 提出人地关系地域系统研究方法未来的发展趋势包括发展自然要素和人文要素耦合的综合集成研究方法,加强新技术手段和新研究方法的运用,完善资源环境基础和资源环境承载力等综合研究的理论体系。     

Error propagation in a fuzzy logic multi-criteria evaluation for petroleum exploration

This article applies error propagation in a Monte Carlo simulation for a spatial-based fuzzy logic multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) in order to investigate the output uncertainty created by the input data sets and model structure. Six scenarios for quantifying uncertainty are reviewed. Three scenarios are progressively more complex in defining observational data (attribute uncertainty); while three other scenarios include uncertainty in observational data (position of boundaries between map units), weighting of evidence (fuzzy membership assignment), and evaluating changes in the MCE model (fuzzy logic operators). A case study of petroleum exploration in northern South America is used. Despite the resources and time required, the best estimate of input uncertainty is that based on expert-defined values. Uncertainties for fuzzy membership assignment and boundary transition zones do not affect the results as much as the attribute assignment uncertainty. The MCE fuzzy logic operator uncertainty affects the results the most. Confidence levels of 95% and 60% are evaluated with threshold values of 0.7 and 0.5 and show that accepting more uncertainty in the results increases the total area available for decision-making. Threshold values and confidence levels should be predetermined, although a series of combinations may yield the best decision-making support.     

遥感与GIS在东亚飞蝗灾害研究中的应用

蝗灾属于毁灭性的生物灾害,它和水灾、旱灾一起构成人类社会的三大自然灾害,一旦爆发,对国家粮食安全、农民增收、社会安定可造成严重的影响。将遥感与GIS结合,对蝗虫生境特征、历史蝗灾记录、蝗害发生时有关数据进行集成和分析,可提供蝗灾时空变化、蝗灾范围、蝗灾程度、灭蝗的最佳时段等重要信息。本文重点论述遥感与GIS在蝗灾中的应用,以遥感反演的温度和水分为例来讨论蝗灾前后生境的变化状况,依靠遥感等高新技术实现飞蝗灾害监测的信息化。信息化监测与防蝗站观测相结合的方法已经成为监测蝗灾发生的最有效途径     

Terrain analysis for active tectonic zone characterization: a new application for MODIS night LST (MYD11C3) data set

A new context for active tectonic zone recognition is proposed on the basis of the exporting energy of the terrain features at continental scale. Toward this end, elevation, latitude, and longitude decorrelation stretch of multi-temporal moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) monthly average land surface temperature (LST) imagery (MYD11C3) is applied in a study area extending from Red Sea to Indian Ocean and from Persian Gulf to Black Sea and Caspian Sea. Multiple linear regression analysis of principal components images (principal components analysis (PCAs)) quantified the variance explained by elevation, latitude, and longitude. Selective variance reduction reconstructed the multi-temporal LST imagery from the residual images and selected PCAs by taking into account the portion of variance that is not related to elevation, latitude, and longitude. The reconstructed imagery presents the magnitude the standardized LST value per pixel deviates from the elevation, latitude, and longitude predicted one, whereas a positive LST anomaly is defined as a region that presents positive reconstructed LST value throughout the year. Clustering of the reconstructed standardized imagery mapped a great positive LST anomaly of tectonic origin that occupies the greatest in elevation and most massive areas, forming three regions: (a) the Himalayan Belt along the Pakistan, Afghanistan borders, and the Eastern Alpine zone (Makhran Ranges and Zagros Ranges), (b) the coastal zone (along the Red Sea) of the Arabian Shield, and (c) the Oman Mountains Province along the Persian Gulf. The method will allow the classification of terrain objects (e.g. mountains, basins) on the basis of both the exporting energy (reconstructed LST) and geomorphometry.     

An efficient incremental algorithm for generating the characteristic shape of a dynamic set of points in the plane

Several algorithms have been proposed to generate a polygonal ‘footprint’ to characterize the shape of a set of points in the plane. One widely used type of footprint is the χ-shape. Based on the Delaunay triangulation (DT), χ-shapes guaranteed to be simple (Jordan) polygons. This paper presents for the first time an incremental χ-shape algorithm, capable of processing point data streams. Our incremental χ-shape algorithm allows both insertion and deletion operations, and can handle streaming individual points and multiple point sets. The experimental results demonstrated that the incremental algorithm is significantly more efficient than the existing, batch χ-shape algorithm for processing a wide variety of point data streams.     

Human geography and its relationship to GIS: a perspective from the vantage point of GIS

Concern abounds over what is a never ending sequence of paradigm shifts within human geography. One result is the marginalisation of previous work. Considerable concern has been expressed among those working with geographical information systems (GIS) over the relationship of this area of work to human geography. Behind much of this turmoil is the ascendancy of post‐modernism, an approach with which many human geographers are unable to actively engage in debate. At a time when the other social sciences are incorporating space into their research, human geography and GIS are parting company with the two facing very different futures.     

An algorithm for converting weather radar data into GIS polygons and its application in severe weather warning systems

An algorithm was developed for converting radar data from matrix format into polygons that can be easily visualized, processed, and analyzed using Geographic Information Systems. Spatial operators can be used to overlap radar polygons with land surface features represented by points, lines, and polygons to meet the demands of severe weather identification and tracking and risk recognition. Application and testing of the algorithm demonstrate that the converted radar polygons are suitable for use in weather modification, risk assessments of flash floods in urban areas, and the identification of lightning activity for lightning risk recognition, all of which are essential in real-time severe weather monitoring and warning.     

Soil erosion risk scenarios in the Mediterranean environment using RUSLE and GIS: An application model for Calabria (southern Italy)

Soil erosion by water (WSE) has become a relevant issue at the Mediterranean level. In particular, natural conditions and human impact have made the Calabria (southern Italy) particularly prone to intense WSE. The purpose of this investigation is to identify areas highly affected by WSE in Calabria by comparing the scenarios obtained by assuming control and preventive measures and actions, as well as actual conditions generated by forest fires, also in the presence of conditions of maximum rainfall erosion.Geographic Information System techniques have been adopted to treat data of reasonable spatial resolution obtained at a regional scale for application to the RUSLE model. This work is based on the comparison of such data with a basic scenario that has been defined by the present situation (present scenario). In this scenario: (i) R has been assessed by means of an experimental relation adjusted to Calabria on the basis of 5-min observations; (ii) K has been drawn from the soil map of Calabria including 160 soilscapes; (iii) LS has been estimated according to the RUSLE2 model by using (among other subfactors) a 40-m square cell DTM; (iv) C has been derived by processing the data inferred from the project Corine Land Cover, whose legend includes 35 different land uses on three levels; and (v) P has been hypothesized as equal to 1.For the remaining three hypothesized scenarios, the RUSLE factors have been adjusted according to experimental data and to data in the literature. In particular, forest areas subject to fire have been randomly generated as far as fire location, extension, structure, and intensity are concerned.The values obtained by the application of the RUSLE model have emphasized that land management by means of measures and actions for reducing WSE causes a notable reduction of the erosive rate decreasing from ~30 to 12.3 Mg ha^− 1 y^− 1. On the other hand, variations induced by hypothetical wildfires in forests on 10% of the regional territory bring WSE over the whole region to values varying from 30 to 116 Mg ha^− 1 y^− 1.This study can be offered to territorial planning authorities as an evaluation instrument as it highlights the merits and limitations of some territorial management actions. In fact, in Calabria no observations exist concerning the implications of these actions.     

Watershed simulation in a sandy terrain of the Thar desert using GIS

The sandy landscape in a desert contains very few stream channels. This poses a problem for delineating watersheds for analysis. Since large-scale topographical sheets of sandy terrain also contain very little information on height, delineation of watersheds from topographical sheets often becomes difficult. In order to find a simple solution to the problem in the Thar desert of Rajasthan, India, the authors used the well-known ARC/INFO software for simulation of height and drainage network using the scarce topographical information for a sandy terrain near Jodhpur. Superimposition of data layers generated from remote sensing and secondary sources validated the simulation results, and suggested suitability of the method for application in similarly handicapped areas.     

中国第四纪海面变化信息系统初探--应用计算机技术对中国第四纪海岸古环境再造与演示

海面变化研究是具重要理论和实践意义的地学研究领域。全球性气候变化、海面升降和环境变迁的预测等研究,引起国际学术界和各国政府部门高度重视,成为国际地圈－ 生物圈计划（ＩＧＢＰ） 的重要研究课题。利用ＧＩＳ软件Ａｒｃ／Ｉｎｆｏ 建立中国第四纪海面变化信息系统,对中国第四纪海面变化进行动态模拟、趋势预测和应用分析,并利用计算机屏幕、图形终端、笔式绘图仪、静电绘图仪和打印机对中国第四纪海岸古环境进行再造和演示。