Mapping East African tropical forests and woodlands — A comparison of classifiers

In mapping the forest–woodland–savannah mosaic of Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda, four classification methods were compared, i.e. Maximum Likelihood classifier (MLC), Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM), Maximum Likelihood combined with an Expert System (MaxExpert) and Spectral Angle Mapper combined with an Expert System (SAMExpert). The combination of conventional classifiers with an Expert System proved to be an effective approach for forest mapping. This was also the first time that the SAMExpert had been used in the mapping of tropical forests. SAMExpert not only maps with high accuracy, but is also fast and easy to use, making it attractive for use in less developed countries. Another advantage is that it can be executed on a standard PC set up for image processing.Combining the conventional classifiers (MLC and SAM) with the Expert System significantly improved the classification accuracy. The highest overall accuracy (94.6%) was obtained with SAMExpert. The MaxExpert approach yielded a map with an accuracy of 85.2%, which was also significantly higher than that obtained using the conventional MLC approach.The SAMExpert classifier accurately mapped individual classes. Of the four classes of woodland mapped, the Open Woodland (with Terminalia) and Wooded Grassland classes were more accurately mapped using SAMExpert. The Open Woodland had been previously identified by ecologists, but had never been mapped.     

Was southern Sweden ice free at 19–25 ka, or were the post LGM glacifluvial sediments incompletely bleached?

Glacifluvial deposits along an ice-marginal zone in Småland, southern Sweden, have been dated using post-IR blue OSL. To test for incomplete bleaching, we adopted two strategies: analysis of modern analogues and small-aliquot dose distributions. Samples of modern fluvial sediments show no significant incomplete bleaching; they yield equivalent doses of only 0.5–2 Gy (0.25–4% of our glacifluvial sediment doses). Small-aliquot dose distributions do not provide any evidence for incomplete bleaching.

The sediments are believed to have been deposited during deglaciation and appear to fall into two age groups: 19–25 ka (mainly sandur sediments) and 33–73 ka (mainly deltaic sediments). Compared to the expected ages (13–15 ka), even the younger glacifluvial OSL ages appear up to 10 000 years (25 Gy) too old. The ages are nevertheless stratigraphically consistent and correspond between sites; we deduce that the 19–25 ka ages are true deposition ages. For glacifluvial sedimentation to take place on the South Swedish Upland at this time either a very early deglaciation is required, or alternatively ice-free conditions just prior to the LGM. The deltaic sediments (33–73 ka) were most likely not significantly bleached during deposition and thus they date events prior to the latest ice advance.     

A test case for anomalous fading correction in IRSL dating

Infrared-stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating of feldspars has the potential to date deposits beyond the age range of quartz optical (OSL) dating. Successful application of feldspar IRSL dating is, however, often precluded due to anomalous-fading, the tunnelling of electrons from one defect site to another. In this paper we test procedures proposed for anomalous-fading correction by comparing feldspar IRSL and quartz OSL dating results on a suite of samples from continental deposits from the southeastern Netherlands. We find that even after anomalous-fading correction IRSL ages underestimate the burial age of the deposits and argue that this may be a consequence of a dependency of anomalous fading rate on the dose rate and on the absorbed dose.     

Seismic demands on secondary systems in base‐isolated nuclear power plants

Numerical models of a sample nuclear power plant (NPP) reactor building, both conventionally constructed and equipped with seismic protective systems, are analysed for both safe shutdown and beyond‐design‐basis earthquake shaking at two coastal sites in the United States. Seismic demands on secondary systems are established for the conventional and seismically isolated NPPs. The reductions in secondary‐system acceleration and deformation demands afforded by the isolation systems are identified. Performance spaces are introduced as an alternate method for evaluating demands on secondary systems. The results show that isolation systems greatly reduce both the median and dispersion of seismic demands on secondary systems in NPPs. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prediction and validation of traffic vibration reduction due to cement column stabilization

The transmission and reduction of vibrations in the far-field of the surface of the ground due to a surface load is investigated theoretically and validated with given field measurement data. The performance of a given stabilization column, located directly underneath the load, at a number of receiver positions is studied and measured in terms of insertion loss. A numerical model is presented, which enables the wave-field in the region of the column to be determined, based on an integral equation formulation of the problem which is solved using a boundary element approach. It is shown that the column has a beneficial effect at low frequencies especially in certain frequency bandwidths and is validated with field data. However, when the Rayleigh wavelength becomes short compared with the depth and width of the column adverse effects occur at some frequencies which are also observed in the far-field. Various depths of columns and material properties of the surrounding soil medium are studied and results presented so that some preliminary physical conclusions may be derived.     

Thermochronology of the Yidun Arc, central eastern Tibetan Plateau: constraints from Ar/Ar K-feldspar and apatite fission track data

Four K-feldspar samples from the Yidun Arc, eastern Tibetan Plateau, were analysed by the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method with the aim of recovering information on their thermal history using multiple diffusion domain (MDD) theory. Arrhenius plots for each of the samples reveal low retentivity early in the heating experiments, a property that is attributed to their recrystallised nature. This low argon retentivity appears to violate the MDD assumption that volume diffusion is the only mechanism for argon transport within the crystals, thus the thermal histories derived from these analyses are considered suspect. Nevertheless, the age spectra themselves suggest that the majority of samples had cooled below 200 °C prior to the Eocene collision of India with Asia. Thermal history modelling from apatite fission track analyses from the same and nearby samples shows slow cooling through the apatite fission track partial annealing zone during the Cenozoic in samples from the high elevation, low relief areas of the Yidun Arc, while samples from the major Jinsha River valley show rapid cooling through the partial annealing zone beginning in the Miocene. These results suggest that significant Cenozoic denudation has been localised and that most parts of the Yidun Arc have experienced very little denudation during the Cenozoic.     

Sources of sediment to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area

To reduce sediment exports discharging to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), it is essential to identify the sources of exported sediment. We used modelling of spatial sediment budgets (the SedNet model) to identify sources and deposition of sediment as it is transported through river networks. Catchments with high levels of land clearing, cattle grazing and cropping show the largest increases in sediment export compared with natural conditions. Hillslope erosion supplies 63% of sediment to the rivers. Gully erosion and riverbank erosion are lower sources of sediment at the GBR catchment scale, but they are important in some catchments. Overall, 70% of sediment exported from rivers comes from just 20% of the total catchment area, showing that much of the problem can be addressed in a relatively small area. This is a much more manageable problem than trying to reduce erosion across the entire GBR catchment. Areas of high contribution are all relatively close to the coast because of the high erosion and high sediment delivery potential.     

The ecotoxicological effects of Photosystem II herbicides on corals

The recent discovery of contamination of the tropical marine environment by Photosystem II (PSII) herbicides used in agriculture and antifouling paints has led to concerns regarding the effects on corals and their symbiotic dinoflagellate algae. In reviewing the ecotoxicological studies conducted so far, PSII herbicides appear able to readily penetrate the coral tissues and rapidly (within minutes) reduce the photochemical efficiency of the intracellular algal symbionts. The dinoflagellates appear at least as sensitive to PSII herbicides as other phototrophs tested so far, with photosynthesis being affected at exceptionally low concentrations (i.e. in the ngl(-1) range). At these levels and over short exposure periods, the effects can be fully reversible (i.e. when corals are returned to clean seawater) and vary according to type of herbicide; however, when exposed to higher concentrations in the light or over longer exposure periods, it results in a long-term sustained reduction of the photochemical efficiency of the algae (symptomatic of chronic photoinhibition). This can result in the dissociation of the symbiosis (bleaching) which is a common but nevertheless significant sub lethal stress response requiring many months to recover from. It is argued that the reliance of corals on an endosymbiotic photoautotrophic energy source, together with predilection for the symbiosis to dissociate when photosynthesis of the algae is affected, renders coral particularly susceptible to changes in environmental conditions-and especially phytotoxins such as PSII herbicides.     

First recorded eruption of Mount Belinda volcano (Montagu Island), South Sandwich Islands

The MODVOLC satellite monitoring system has revealed the first recorded eruption of Mount Belinda volcano, on Montagu Island in the remote South Sandwich Islands. Here we present some initial qualitative observations gleaned from a collection of satellite imagery covering the eruption, including MODIS, Landsat 7 ETM+, ASTER, and RADARSAT-1 data. MODVOLC thermal alerts indicate that the eruption started sometime between 12 September and 20 October 2001, with low-intensity subaerial explosive activity from the islands summit peak, Mount Belinda. By January 2002 a small lava flow had been emplaced near the summit, and activity subsequently increased to some of the highest observed levels in August 2002. Observations from passing ships in February and March 2003 provided the first visual confirmation of the eruption. ASTER images obtained in August 2003 show that the eruption at Mount Belinda entered a new phase around this time, with fresh lava effusion into the surrounding icefield. MODIS radiance trends also suggest that the overall activity level increased significantly after July 2003. Thermal anomalies continued to be observed in MODIS imagery in early 2004, indicating a prolonged low-intensity eruption and the likely establishment of a persistent summit lava lake, similar to that observed on neighboring Saunders Island in 2001. Our new observations also indicate that lava lake activity continues on Saunders Island.Editorial responsibility: J. Gilbert