Dimension and entropy in the soil-covered landscape

Both the Hausdorff dimension and the K-entropy supply a measure of the irregularity of the landspace surface. The relationship between the two measures is investigated over a variety of terrains in Britain and a method of calculating the entropy is checked against an independent estimate of the dimension with reasonable agreement. The calculation of the K-entropy requires that the landscape surface be represented by an homogenous ergodic random field. This condition is satisfied by the tendency of soil-covered terrains to progressively approximate to a form well represented by a Gaussian field. Gaussian random fields can either be very smooth, possessing derivatives of all orders at every point or they are highly irregular and non-differentiable everywhere. Within the regular conceptualization the Rice-Kac theory is used to predict the numbers of crossing points and the extent of excursion sets. These predictions are tested against an example terrain from the High Weald of East Sussex with very good agreement, apart from predictions of local maxima. A worked example of the calculation of the K-entropy is given as an appendix. The potential role of information theory in geomorphology extends beyond the use made of entropy in this investigation. In particular ergodic theory has important practical and theoretical implications.     

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Studies of sea surface temperatures in selected northern Norwegian fjords using Landsat TM data

Remote sensing is evaluated as a tool for studying oceanographic phenomena. Data from the infrared channel of Thematic Mapper onboard Landsat 5 were used to map the spatial distribution of sea surface temperatures in selected fjords in northern Norway. Sea surface temperature charts provided clear indications of surface current patterns, upwellings, convergences, etc. The complex pattern of currents found in fjords is, to varying degrees, affected by tides and fresh water run-off, as well as by hydrographic, meteorological and topographical conditions. In northern Norway the surface circulation is strongly influenced by inland cold air flows during prolonged periods of cold weather.
This study demonstrates that remotely sensed data can be used as an important supplement to traditional hydrographical and meteorological observations in order to understand the distribution of temperatures and circulation patterns in the surface layers of fjords and coastal waters.     

The water status of Terminalia brownii Fresen. seedlings during establishment in semi-arid sites in Kenya

The water status of Terminalia brownii seedlings was assessed in relation to incident microclimate and initial irrigation treatments, during establishment at Olorgesailie in the Rift Valley of Kenya. Experimental treatments involved incorporation of a water-absorbing polymer with the root systems of the plants during establishment, and repeated irrigation, in a factorial design. The maximum photosynthetically active radiation of over 2500 μmol/m²/s recorded during the first 9 days after outplanting was associated with air temperatures of up to 47·4°C, and leaf-to-air vapour pressure deficits (VPDs) of up to 8·04 kPa. Water potentials declined to a minimum of -3·7 MPa, 9 days after outplanting, indicating severe water deficits. Stomatal conductances were generally below 0·2 cm/s, reflecting a high degree of stomatal closure. However, conductances of over 1·3 cm/s were observed on the 6th day after outplanting, associated with VPDs below 1·5 kPa. These relatively high conductances were restricted to plants which had received irrigation; overall, irrigation was found to significantly increase stomatal conductance on three of the four measurement days. Although the application of synthetic polymers increased stomatal conductances on two of the measurement days, the effects were very slight (treated means 0·02-0·03 cm/s higher than controls). These results indicate the severity of the transplant shock in semi-arid sites for seedling water status, and imply that initial irrigation treatments are more likely to increase establishment rates of tree seedlings than application of synthetic polymers.