Regression models for daily stream temperature simulation: case studies for the river Elbe,Germany

Daily stream temperatures are needed in a number of analyses. Such analyses might focus on aquatic organisms or industrial activities. To protect aquatic systems, industrial activities, for example, water withdrawals or discharges, are sometimes restricted. To evaluate where new industrial settings should be placed or if climate change will affect already existing industrial settings, the simulation of stream temperature is needed. Stream temperature models with weekly or monthly time scale might not be sufficient for this kind of analysis. Different regression models to simulate daily stream temperature for the river Elbe (Germany) are developed and their performance is estimated. For the calibration period the Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient (NSC) for the simplest model is 0·97, and the root mean squared error (RMSE) is 1·48 °C. For the most sophisticated model the NSC also is 0·97. However, the RMSE is 1·32 °C. For the validation period the NSC for the simplest model is 0·96, and the RMSE is 1·45 °C. The NSC for the most sophisticated model is 0·97, and the RMSE is 1·25 °C. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stereo analysis of high-resolution SAR images for building height estimation in cases of orthogonal aspect directions

SAR stereo image analysis for 3D information extraction is mostly carried out based on imagery taken under same-side or opposite-side viewing conditions. For urban scenes in practice stereo is up to now usually restricted to the first configuration, because increasing image dissimilarity connected with rising illumination direction differences leads to a lack of suitable features for matching, especially in the case of low or medium resolution data. However, due to two developments SAR stereo from arbitrary viewing conditions becomes an interesting option for urban information extraction. The first one is the availability of airborne sensor systems, which are capable of more flexible data acquisition in comparison to satellite sensors. This flexibility enables multi-aspect analysis of objects in built-up areas for various kinds of purpose, such as building recognition, road network extraction, or traffic monitoring. The second development is the significant improvement of the geometric resolution providing a high level of detail especially of roof features, which can be observed from a wide span of viewpoints. In this paper, high-resolution SAR images of an urban scene are analyzed in order to infer buildings and their height from the different layover effects in views taken from orthogonal aspect angles. High level object matching is proposed that relies on symbolic data, representing suitable features of urban objects. Here, a knowledge-based approach is applied, which is realized by a production system that codes a set of suitable principles of perceptual grouping in its production rules. The images are analyzed separately for the presence of certain object groups and their characteristics frequently appearing on buildings, such as salient rows of point targets, rectangular structures or symmetries. The stereo analysis is then accomplished by means of productions that combine and match these 2D image objects and infer their height by 3D clustering. The approach is tested using real SAR data of an urban scene.     

Early Archean spherule layers from the Barberton Greenstone Belt,South Africa: Mineralogy and geochemistry of the spherule beds in the CT3 drill core

Little is known about the Hadean and the Archean impact record on Earth. In the CT3 drill core from the Fig Tree Group of the northern Barberton Greenstone Belt, 17 spherule layer intersections occur, which, provide an outstanding new opportunity to gain insights into meteorite bombardment of the early Earth. CT3 spherules, as primary features, mostly exhibit textural patterns similar to those of the other Barberton spherule layers, but locally mineralogical and chemical compositional differences are observed, likely as a result of various degrees of alteration. The observed mineralogy of the spherule layers is of secondary origin and comprises K‐feldspar, phyllosilicates, carbonates, sulfides, and oxides, with the exception of secondary Ni‐Cr spinel that is of primary origin. Our petrographic investigations suggest alteration by K‐metasomatism, sericitization, silicification, and carbonatization. Siderophile element contents of bulk samples show significant enrichments in Ni (up to 2 wt%) and Ir (up to ~3 ppm), similar to previously studied Archean spherule layers. These values are indicative of the presence of a meteoritic component. On the other hand, lithophile and chalcophile element abundances indicate hydrothermal overprint on the CT3 samples; this may also have influenced the redistribution of the meteoritic component(s). Last, we group the CT3 spherule layers, which occur in three intervals (A, B, and C), according to their petrographic and geochemical features, which indicate evidence for at least three distinct impact events before tectonic overprint that affected the original deposits.     

Some solvable models of shear dispersion

Zusammenfassung Eine neue Methode zur L?sung der turbulenten Diffusionsgleichung mit tiefenabh?ngiger Geschwindigkeit wird entwickelt. Damit werden einige einfache Modelle aufgestellt, die besonders den Einflu? von nichtlinearen Stromprofilen, undurchdringlichen W?nden und Tiefenabh?ngigkeit der Austauschkoeffizienten darstellen.

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Some solvable models of shear dispersion

Summary A new method is introduced to solve the turbulent diffusion equation with depth-dependent current. Some simple models are derived from it, which especially discuss the influence of nonlinear current profiles, boundaries and depth-dependence of the exchange coefficients.

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Sur quelques modèles resolubles de la dispersion de cisaillement

Résumé On présente une nouvelle méthode pour résoudre l'équation de la diffusion de la turbulence avec un courant dépendant de la profondeur. Quelques modèles simples en dérivent, qui représentent surtout l'influence de profils de courants non linéaires, des limites imperméables et de la dépendance à la profondeur des coefficients d'échange.

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A quantitative kinematic theory of convection currents in the earth's mantle

Summary Based on a system of structurally simple postulations the kinematics of mantle convection is derived. With regard to the strain-stress relations valid in the mantle and the energy source of the convection the theory is without any presumptions. In compliance with recent hydrodynamic investigations the flow is introduced rather as roll currents than as a hexagonal cell pattern. From the feasible types of current a theoretical topography is derived which is in quantitative agreement with the observed one. Also the distribution of the seismic discontinuities substantiates the validity of the expression. Finally, some suggestions are given for a hydrodynamic theory of mantle convection. This paper contains that part of the theory which is necessary for testing the calculations, while the relationship of the theory to other geological and geophysical problems are dealt with by the author [26]²).     

Time-dependent thermal convection, mantle differentiation and continental-crust growth

The thermal evolution of the Earth is controlled by radioactive elements whose heat production rate decays with time and whose spatial distribution depends on chemical segregation processes.
We present a 2-D and finite-difference Boussinesq convection model with temperature-dependent viscosity and time- and space-dependent radioactive heat sources. We used Newtonian rheology, boxes of aspect ratio 3, and heating from within. Starting from the geochemical results of Hofmann (1988), it is assumed that the radioactive heat sources of the mantle were initially distributed homogeneously. In a number of calculations, however, higher starting abundances of radioactive sources were assumed in the upper mantle. For the present geological situation, this also results in a depleted upper mantle. It was assumed that, if the viscosity falls below a certain critical value, chemical segregation will take place. In this way, model continental crust develops, leaving behind areas of a depleted mantle. We obtained the heat source, flow line, temperature, viscosity and heat-flow distribution as a function of time with realistic values, especially for the present time. The present viscosity of the upper mantle is approximately at the standard value obtained for postglacial uplift modelling; the deeper-mantle viscosity is considerably higher. The time dependence of the computed mean of the kinetic energy of mantle convection bears a resemblance to that of the magmatic and orogenetic activity of the Earth. We assumed that the 670 km discontinuity cannot be penetrated by the flow.     

Temperature and pressure determinations in the Venus atmosphere by means of high-resolution spectra from 1 to 2.5 μm

Twenty-one bands of CO₂ and the 2-0 band of CO were analyzed for best temperature and pressure fits from Venus spectra obtained with the “Connes” interferometer at the Steward Observatory 2.25-m telescope during the spring of 1971. An average temperature of 241 ± 7°K, an effective pressure of 0.12 ± 0.06 atm, and an average two-way transmission abundance of 3 km-amagat were determined. No difference in temperature or pressure between hot bands, a double hot band, and regular bands was found. Our results were compared to model calculations for a reflecting layer and scattering atmosphere. The results indicate that, most likely, spectroscopic line formation occurs in a relatively clear space above a scattering cloud layer with a reasonably well-defined upper boundary.