Roof model recommendation for complex buildings based on combination rules and symmetry features in footprints

Currently, very few roof shape information for complex buildings is available on OSM. Moreover, additional data requirements (e.g. 3D point clouds) limit the applicability of many roof reconstruction approaches. To mitigate this issue, we propose an approach to roof shape recommendations for complex buildings by exploring the inherited characteristics of building footprints: the disclosure of rectangles combinations in a partition of footprints and the symmetrical features of footprints. First, it decomposes a complex footprint into rectangles by using an advanced minimal non-overlapping cover algorithm. Second, a graph-based symmetry detection algorithm is proposed to identify all the symmetrical sub-clusters in partitions. Then, a set of selection rules are defined to rank partitions, and the best ones are chosen for roof shape recommendation. Finally, a set of combination rules and a symmetry rule are defined. It enables to evaluate the probability of a footprint being a certain combination of roof shapes. Experimental results show the growth of the probability of correctly recommending roof shapes for single rectangles and buildings from a prior probability of 17–45% and from a prior probability of 0.29–14.3%, removing 60% and 93% of the incorrect roof shape options, respectively.     

A 96-antenna radioheliograph

Here we briefly present some design approaches for a multifrequency 96-antenna radioheliograph. The configuration of the array antenna, transmission lines and digital receivers is the main focus of this work. The radioheliograph is a T-shaped centrally condensed radiointerferometer operating in the frequency range 4–8 GHz.The justification for the choice of such a configuration is discussed. The signals from antennas are transmitted to a workroom by analog optical links. The dynamic range and phase errors of the microwave-over-optical signal are considered. The signals after downconverting are processed by digital receivers for delay tracking and fringe stopping. The required step of delay tracking and data rates are considered. Two 3-bit data streams(I and Q) are transmitted to a correlator with the transceivers embedded in Field Programmed Gate Array chips and with PCI Express cables.     

Water vapor variability in the north polar region of Mars from Viking MAWD and MGS TES datasets

Atmospheric water vapor abundances in Mars’ north polar region (NPR, from 60° to 90°N) are mapped as function of latitude and longitude for spring and summer seasons, and their spatial, seasonal, and interannual variability is discussed. Water vapor data are from Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) and the Viking Orbiter (VO) Mars Atmospheric Water Detector (MAWD). The data cover three complete northern spring-summer seasons in 1977-1978, 2000-2001 and 2002-2003, and shorter periods of spring-summer seasons during 1975, 1999 and 2004. Long term interannual variability in the averaged NPR abundances may exist, with Viking MAWD observations showing twice as much water vapor during summer as the MGS TES observations more than 10 martian years (MY) later. While the averaged abundances are very similar in TES observations for the same season in different years, the spatial distributions in the early summer season do vary significantly year over year. Spatial and temporal variabilities increase between L_s ∼ 80-140°, which may be related to vapor sublimation from the North Polar Residual Cap (NPRC), or to changes in circulation. Spatial variability is observed on scales of ∼100 km and temporal variability is observed on scales of <10 sols during summer. During late spring the TES water vapor spatial distribution is seen to correlate with the low topography/low albedo region of northern Acidalia Planitia (270-360°E), and with the dust spatial distribution across the NPR during late spring-early summer. Non-uniform vertical distribution of water vapor, a regolith source or atmospheric circulation ‘pooling’ of water vapor from the NPRC into the topographic depression may be behind the correlation with low topography/low albedo. Sublimation winds carrying water vapor off the NPRC and lifting surface dust in the areas surrounding the NPRC may explain the correlation between the water vapor and dust spatial distributions. Correlation between water vapor and dust in MAWD data are only observed over low topography/low albedo area. Maximum water vapor abundances are observed at L_s = 105-115° and outside of the NPRC at 75-80°N; the TES data, however, do not extend over the NPRC and thus, this conclusion may be biased. Some water vapor appears to be released in plumes or ‘outbursts’ in the MAWD and TES datasets during late spring and early summer. We propose that the sublimation rate of ice varies across the NPRC with varying surface winds, giving rise to the observed ‘outbursts’ at some seasons.     

Equivalent time-average and effective medium for periodic layers

The propagation of acoustic waves through a periodic layered medium is analyzed by an eigenvalue decomposition of the propagator matrix. This reveals how the velocity and attenuation of the layered medium vary as function of the periodic structure, material parameters and frequency. There are two important parameters which control the wave propagation in the periodic medium: the reflection coefficient and the ratio between one‐way traveltimes of the two parts of the cyclic layered medium. For low frequencies (large values of wavelength to layer thickness), the layered structure behaves as an effective medium, then there is a transition zone, and for higher frequencies (small values of wavelength to layer thickness) the medium is described by the time‐average velocity. In this paper we mostly concentrate on the transition zone between an effective medium and time‐average medium regimes. The width of the transition zone increases with larger values of the reflection coefficient. The transition zone corresponds to a blocking regime for which the transmission response of the layered structure is close to zero. For even higher frequencies, the time‐average medium is replaced by a new transition zone, and then again a time‐average medium. This pattern is periodically repeated with higher frequencies. For small values of the reflection coefficient, the transition between effective medium and time‐average medium occurs around a value of wavelength to layer thickness equal to 4.     

A flow-foliated ignimbrite related to the Åland rapakivi granite in SW Finland

A flow-foliated felsic ignimbrite constitutes the uppermost lithological unit of the 1.58 Gyr anorogenic magmatic rocks in SW Finland. The ignimbrite is derived from an explosive eruption of hot (≅ 950 °C) phenocryst-bearing A-type (rapakivi-type granite magma.
The ignimbrite is close in composition to subvolcanic rapakivi granites that occur in the margins of the kand rapakivi batholith. The subvolcanic granites crystallized under a pressure of ≅ 1 kbar and at temperatures of about 650–700 °C. However, both major and rare earth elements show that the ignimbrite- forming magma was more fractionated than the magma forming the subvolcanic varieties.
Supported by evidence of mafic-felsic magma mingling, it is suggested that injection of hot mafic magma into a shallow magma chamber produced the high temperature of the ignimbrite-forming magma. This injection increased the magmatic and the volatile pressure that caused the eruption of the dry felsic magma.     

Protocol for Quantitative Detection of Elemental Sulfur and Polysulfide Zero-Valent Sulfur Distribution in Natural Aquatic Samples

A HPLC-based protocol has been developed for the determination of zero-valent sulfur (ZVS) speciation, including solid, colloidal elemental sulfur and individual inorganic polysulfides in natural aquatic samples. The protocol includes four experimental procedures: (1) determination of polysulfide speciation by rapid single-phase derivatisation with methyl trifluoromethanesulfonate; (2) determination of the sum of polysulfide and colloidal sulfur by reaction with hydrogen cyanide (cyanolysis); (3) determination of total zero-valent sulfur by treatment with zinc chloride followed by extraction with chloroform; and (4) chromatographic determination of polythionates without sample pre-treatment. With proper sampling and preservation techniques in the field or on board ship, this combination of methods allowed the quantitative determination of: (a) individual polysulfide species; (b) dispersed colloidal sulfur; (c) dispersed solid elemental sulfur; and (d) tetra-, penta- and hexathionates. With minor modification, the method could be expanded to include other polythionates. Sixteen various wet chemical and liquid chromatographic methods were tested on nine synthetic reference samples (including solid elemental sulfur, colloidal elemental sulfur, inorganic polysulfides and polythionates) to establish the optimal protocol. The protocol was further evaluated by analysing the zero-valent sulfur content in microbially-produced sulfur and in sulfur from two natural samples of sulfide-rich seawater from tidal flats pools of the Wadden Sea (Germany).     

Explaining the eventual transient saturation of climate-carbon cycle feedback

Background

Coupled climate-carbon cycle simulations generally show that climate feedbacks amplify the buildup of CO₂ under respective anthropogenic emission. The effect of climate-carbon cycle feedback is characterised by the feedback gain: the relative increase in CO₂ increment as compared to uncoupled simulations. According to the results of the recent Coupled Climate-Carbon Cycle Model Intercomparison Project (C⁴MIP), the gain is expected to increase during the 21st century. This conclusion is not supported by the climate model developed at the A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Russian Academy of Sciences (IAP RAS CM). The latter model shows an eventual transient saturation of the feedback gain. This saturation is manifested in a change of climate-carbon cycle feedback gain which grows initially, attains a maximum, and then decreases, eventually tending to unity.

Results

Numerical experiments with the IAP RAS CM as well as an analysis of the conceptual framework demonstrate that this eventual transient saturation results from the fact that transient climate sensitivity decreases with time.

Conclusion

One may conclude that the eventual transient saturation of the climate-carbon cycle feedback is a fundamental property of the coupled climate-carbon system that manifests itself on a relevant time scale.     

Modelling of thermochemical plumes and implications for the origin of the Siberian traps

Thermochemical plumes form at the base of the lower mantle as a consequence of heat flow from the outer core and the presence of local chemical doping that decreases the melting temperature. Theoretical and experimental modelling of thermochemical plumes show that the diameter of a plume conduit remains practically constant during plume ascent. However, when the top of a plume reaches a refractory layer, whose melting temperature is higher than the melt temperature in the plume conduit, a mushroom-shaped plume head develops. Main parameters (melt viscosity, ascent time, ascent velocity, temperature differences in the plume conduit, and thermal power) are presented for a thermochemical plume ascending from the core–mantle boundary. In addition, the following relationships are developed: the pressure distribution in the plume conduit during the ascent of a plume, conditions for eruption-conduit formation, the effect of the P–T conditions and controls on the shape and size of a plume top, heat transfer between a thermochemical plume and the lithosphere (when the plume reaches the bottom of a refractory layer in the lithosphere), and eruption volume versus the time interval t₁ between plume formation and eruption. These relationships are used to determine thermal power and time t₁ for the Tunguska syneclise and the Siberian traps as a whole.

The Siberian and other trap provinces are characterized by giant volumes of lavas and sills formed a very short time period. Data permit a model for superplumes with three stages of formation: early (variable picrites and alkali basalts), main (tholeiite plateau basalts), and final (ultrabasic and alkaline lavas and intrusions). These stages reflect the evolution of a superplume from the ascent of one or several independent plumes, through the formation of thick lenses of mantle melts underplating the lithosphere and, finally, intrusion and extrusion of differentiated mantle melts. Synchronous syenite–granite intrusions and bimodal volcanism abundant in the margins of the Siberian traps are the result of melting of the lower crust at depths of 65–70 km under the effect of plume melts.