Massively parallel spatial point pattern analysis: Ripley’s K function accelerated using graphics processing units

This study presents a massively parallel spatial computing approach that uses general-purpose graphics processing units (GPUs) to accelerate Ripley’s K function for univariate spatial point pattern analysis. Ripley’s K function is a representative spatial point pattern analysis approach that allows for quantitatively evaluating the spatial dispersion characteristics of point patterns. However, considerable computation is often required when analyzing large spatial data using Ripley’s K function. In this study, we developed a massively parallel approach of Ripley’s K function for accelerating spatial point pattern analysis. GPUs serve as a massively parallel platform that is built on many-core architecture for speeding up Ripley’s K function. Variable-grained domain decomposition and thread-level synchronization based on shared memory are parallel strategies designed to exploit concurrency in the spatial algorithm of Ripley’s K function for efficient parallelization. Experimental results demonstrate that substantial acceleration is obtained for Ripley’s K function parallelized within GPU environments.     

Detrimental effects of reduced seawater pH on the early development of the Pacific abalone

The hatching process of the Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai was prolonged at a pH of 7.6 and pH 7.3, and the embryonic developmental success was reduced. The hatching rate at pH 7.3 was significantly (10.8%) lower than that of the control (pH 8.2). The malformation rates at pH 7.9 and pH 8.2 were less than 20% but were 53.8% and 77.3% at pH 7.6 and pH 7.3, respectively. When newly hatched larvae were incubated for 48 h at pH 7.3, only 2.7% of the larvae settled, while more than 70% of the larvae completed settlement in the other three pH treatments. However, most 24 h old larvae could complete metamorphosis in all four pH treatments. Overall, a 0.3-unit reduction in water pH will produce no negative effect on the early development of the Pacific abalone, but further reduction in pH to the values predicted for seawater by the end of this century will have strong detrimental effects.     

全国自动地震速报系统评估

对全国自动地震速报系统进行了初步的评估. 通过2010年1月1日—2011年12月31日的自动定位结果与全国正式目录的对比, 分别得出了3套自动定位系统总体误差以及全国和全球的误差插值图, 并对结果进行了总结. 同时, 还针对3套自动定位系统的漏报和误报情况进行了分析和讨论. 总体来说, 现阶段自动地震速报系统整体上对于首都圈地区M≥3.0, 国内其它地区M≥4.0(部分台站稀疏的西部地区M≥5.0), 国外M≥7.0的地震基本可以达到全面覆盖的程度, 可以作为正式地震速报的参考, 对于建立“自动报—正式报”的两级地震速报制度能提供有力的技术支撑.      

Definitions of natural-language spatial relations: Combining topology and directions

Because SQL for querying data from spatial databases is ineffective, the query based on natural or visual language becomes an attractive research field gradually. However, how to define and represent natural languages related to spatial data are still gigantic problems. Because existing models of direction relations can't describe by use of some common concepts. First of all, detailed direction relations are proposed to describe the directions related to the interior of spatial objects, such as “east part of a region”, “east boundary of a region”, and so on. Secondly, by integrating the detailed directions with exterior direction relations and topological relations, several NLSRs are defined, such as “a road goes across the east part of a lake”, “a river goes along the east boundary of a province”, etc. Finally, based on the NLSRs abovementioned, a natural spatial query language (NSQL) is formed to retrieve data from spatial databases.     

Measurement of similarity for spatial directions between areal objects

Similarity for spatial directions plays an important role in GIS. In this paper, the conventional approaches are analyzed. Based on raster data areal objects, the authors propose two new methods for measuring similarity among spatial directions. One is to measure the similarity among spatial directions based on the features of raster data and the changes of distances between spatial objects, the other is to measure the similarity among spatial directions according to the variation of each raster cell centroid angle. The two methods overcome the complexity of measuring similarity among spatial directions with direction matrix model and solve the limitation of small changes in direction. The two methods are simple and have broader applicability.     

Generation of 3D virtual geographic environment based on laser scanning technique

This paper demonstrates an experiment on the generation of 3D virtual geographic environment on the basis of experimental flight laser scanning data by a set of algorithms and methods that were developed to automatically interpret range images for extracting geo-spatial features and then to reconstruct geo-objects. The algorithms and methods for the interpretation and modeling of laser scanner data include triangulated-irregular-net-work (TIN)-based range image interpolation; mathematical-morphology (MM)-based range image filtering, feature extraction and range image segmentation, feature generalization and optimization, 3D objects reconstruction and modeling; computergraphics (CG)-based visualization and animation of geographic virtual reality environment.     

Evaluating the different responses to climatic factors between snow water equivalent and snow cover area in the Central Tianshan Mountains

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - Alpine snow is an important part of the water cycle in arid/semiarid regions and has a great influence on runoff and ecosystems. In this study, both optical...     

西昆仑山前东段新生代褶皱冲断带及其锥形楔机制

西昆仑山前东段的和田-柯克亚构造带与塔里木盆地内的麻扎塔格构造带相距为200 km,两者近似平行,遥相对应,麻扎塔格构造带是和田-柯克亚构造带的前沿,山前挤压变形量沿古近系阿尔塔什组膏泥岩向北传递约200 km到麻扎塔格,形成往北东逆冲的断层传播褶皱,在盆地腹部表现为一条显著的北西向地形隆起。因此,整个西昆仑山前东段新生代褶皱冲断带宽约为270 km,长约为220 km,由和田-柯克亚构造带、麦盖提斜坡和麻扎塔格构造带组成。中部近200 km的麦盖提斜坡内没有明显构造变形,且整个褶皱冲断带的锥形楔角度远小于活动造山带的临界锥形角,说明古近系底部阿尔塔什组膏泥岩以及新生代沉积体的形态是这个褶皱冲断带锥形楔形成的主控原因,膏泥岩控制了锥形楔的顶面坡度α基底构造形态及上覆沉积楔形体则控制了锥形楔的底部滑脱层倾角β。     

Analysis of urbanisation-induced land subsidence in Shanghai

Since 1980, land subsidence has accelerated and groundwater levels have decreased in the centre of Shanghai, although the net withdrawn volume of groundwater has not increased. Theoretical analysis of the monitored data shows that the decrease in the groundwater level is the primary reason for the observed land subsidence. Meanwhile, the net withdrawn volume of groundwater in the urban centre of Shanghai has not increased during this period. Many underground structures have been constructed in the multi-aquifer-aquitard system of Shanghai since 1980. This paper discusses the factors related to the development of land subsidence during the process of urbanisation in Shanghai during the past 30?years. These factors include additional load during and after structure construction, the cut-off and/or partial cut-off effect of underground structures in aquifers, the decrease in the groundwater level due to leakage of underground structures and the reduction in recharge of groundwater from the surroundings.