Multidimensional-unified topological relations computation: a hierarchical geometric algebra-based approach

This article presents a geometric algebra-based model for topological relation computation. This computational model is composed of three major components: the Grassmann structure preserving hierarchical multivector-tree representation (MVTree), multidimensional unified operators for intersection relation computation, and the judgement rules for assembling the intersections into topological relations. With this model, the intersection relations between the different dimensional objects (nodes at different levels) are computed using the Tree Meet operator. The meet operation between two arbitrary objects is accomplished by transforming the computation into the meet product between each pair of MVTree nodes, which produces a series of intersection relations in the form of MVTree. This intersection tree is then processed through a set of judgement rules to determine the topological relations between two objects in the hierarchy. Case studies of topological relations between two triangles in 3D space are employed to illustrate the model. The results show that with the new model, the topological relations can be computed in a simple way without referring to dimension. This dimensionless way of computing topological relations from geographic data is significant given the increased dimensionality of geographic information in the digital era.     

The nation-state and the city: introduction to a debate

In recent years, the urban political landscape has become infused with a potent and incendiary mixture of popular-democratic, anti-globalisation, and separatist rhetoric. One central process driving this has been the problematic relations between the nation-state and the city. This Debates and Interventions forum aims to prompt a debate about where the city should be situated intellectually in respect of the nation-state. Four questions are addressed: (1) How do contemporary processes of urban development reflect changing national geopolitical priorities? (2) To what extent are struggles around immigration, citizenship and recognition conducted within cities rather than around the nation-state? (3) To what degree does the city (as e.g. a physical form, social environment or discourse) help to mobilise, propel and/or contest this new urban politics? And (4) Is the concept of a “post-national” global order appropriate for understanding the city and urban politics today?     

Numerical Model of Two-Phase Flow in Dissolvable Porous Media and Simulation of Reservoir Acidizing

Mathematical model of porous media dissolution coupled with two-phase flow is proposed. The model is based on the conception of dissolvable porous medium with deformable mass-variable porous skeleton. Model can be used for simulation of coupled chemo- and hydrogeomechanical processes which are difficult to examine experimentally. Acidizing of calcite oil reservoir is used as an example of the process. Water solution of hydrochloric acid and oil are two fluid phases of the model with several components. Dissolvable porous media is treated as deformable mass-variable solid phase. Change in mass of the solid phase is caused by hydrochloric acid dissolving the calcite part of the solid phase. Dissolution is supposed to be congruent; kinetics is governed by the Nernst law. Software for numerical solution of the model is developed. It uses AmgCL parallel library for high-performance computing in order to deal with large algebraic systems on the each time step of calculations. The library uses algebraic multigrid methods for preconditioning and parallel iterative solvers. NVidia CUDA framework is used as a backend to perform GPGPU calculations, because it proved to be faster than OpenCL framework on this problem. Numerical experiments on the basis of data set from real reservoirs are conducted with the developed software. Good correlation between field and calculated data is achieved. Numerical experiments for different configurations of heterogeneous layer are performed. Acidizing of layers with highly permeable conduit and with random distribution of permeability is modeled.     

Areas Benefiting from Water Conservation in Key Ecological Function Areas in China

Ecosystem services are transferred from the service-providing area to the service-benefiting area to satisfy human needs through some substance, energy or information. Most studies focus on the provision of ecosystem services and few focus on the demands on ecosystem services and their spatial distribution. Here, on the basis of the flow of water conservation services from the providing area to the benefiting area, the benefits produced by water conservation service are investigated and the benefiting areas are identified. The results indicate that in 2010 the water conservation service of key ecological function areas provided irrigation water for 1.67×105 km² of paddy fields and 1.01×10⁵ km² irrigated fields, domestic water to urban residents and industrial water to factories, mines and enterprises of 2.64×10⁴ km² urban construction land and domestic water to rural residents across 3.73×10⁴ km² of rural settlements and formed 6.64×10⁴ km² of inland water which can be used for freshwater aquaculture, downstream regions comprise 1.31×10⁴ km of navigable river, which can be used for inland shipping. The benefit areas of the key function areas located in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River are greater and more influential benefit areas. To protect these key function areas, more attention should be paid to the maintenance and improvement of water conservation. Some benefit areas have access to the benefits produced by water conservation of nine key ecological function areas and cover 17% of the overall benefit area and the length of their channels benefited accounts for 7%. Multiple key ecological function areas should be taken into account equally in the formulation of ecological compensation policies. These research findings can serve as a scientific basis for the compensated use of and ecological compensation for ecosystem services provided by key ecological function areas.     

Capacity of soil loss control in the Loess Plateau based on soil erosion control degree

The capacity of soil and water conservation measures, defined as the maximum quantity of suitable soil and water conservation measures contained in a region, were determined for the Loess Plateau based on zones suitable for establishing terraced fields, forestland and grassland with the support of geographic information system (GIS) software. The minimum possible soil erosion modulus and actual soil erosion modulus in 2010 were calculated using the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE), and the ratio of the minimum possible soil erosion modulus under the capacity of soil and water conservation measures to the actual soil erosion modulus was defined as the soil erosion control degree. The control potential of soil erosion and water loss in the Loess Plateau was studied using this concept. Results showed that the actual soil erosion modulus was 3355 t?km^-2?a^-1, the minimum possible soil erosion modulus was 1921 t?km^-2?a^-1, and the soil erosion control degree was 0.57 (medium level) in the Loess Plateau in 2010. In terms of zoning, the control degree was relatively high in the river valley-plain area, soil-rocky mountainous area, and windy-sandy area, but relatively low in the soil-rocky hilly-forested area, hilly-gully area and plateau-gully area. The rate of erosion areas with a soil erosion modulus of less than 1000 t?km^-2?a^-1 increased from 50.48% to 57.71%, forest and grass coverage rose from 56.74% to 69.15%, rate of terraced fields increased from 4.36% to 19.03%, and per capita grain available rose from 418 kg?a^-1 to 459 kg?a^-1 under the capacity of soil and water conservation measures compared with actual conditions. These research results are of some guiding significance for soil and water loss control in the Loess Plateau.     

民勤绿洲-荒漠过渡带典型固沙植物生殖物候对气候变化的响应

通过对民勤绿洲-荒漠过渡带典型固沙植物多枝柽柳(Tamarix ramosissima)、梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendron)、白刺(Nitraria tangutorum)1974-2009年开花及结实物候的观测,结合同步观测的气象资料,分析了3种植物生殖物候特征对气候变化的响应规律。结果表明:(1)研究区年平均气温、年平均空气相对湿度呈增加趋势; 年降雨量波动,变幅不大; 20世纪90年代以来蒸发量呈显著下降趋势。(2)3种植物始花期提前,花期延长; 3种植物结实始期先延迟后缩短,结实期延长; (3)3种植物生殖物候与年降雨量、气温、空气相对湿度及前期累计降雨量、累计平均气温、累计空气相对湿度之间的相关性不一致; (4)3种植物始花期与前期累计降雨量、累计平均气温、累计空气相对湿度的相关性总体上表现为大于年降雨量、年均气温、年均空气相对湿度的相关性; 除空气平均相对湿度对结实始期影响大于前期累计降雨量、累计平均气温和累计空气相对湿度外,其他与开花物候相似,表明植物开花物候和结实物候与前期气象因子有着密切的关系,尤其是物候发生前期累计气象指标。     

建设新农村与城镇化的关系初探

如何正确处理新农村建设和城镇化的关系，是一个值得深入探讨的问题。中国城市化进程应是以区域一体化为中心的城市化道路，乡村发展也是城镇化的内容。从中国的实情出发，要重新认识“二元经济”理论，“二元经济”的模型是以粮食代表整个农业生产。城镇化和建设新农村在组织形式上存在差异区别，但不存在严重的资金竞争，并且在服务对象、功能、产业结构方面是互补的，城镇化和建设新农村是并行不悖的，城镇化与建设新农村可以在很长时间内共同发展。     

宁夏回族自治区土地沙漠化研究

该文分析土地沙漠化的形成是不合理的人类经济活动和恶劣的自然环境相互作用的结果。人类不仅是促进土地沙漠化发生发展的主要动因 ,同时也是沙漠化的受害者。只有采取合理的符合生态原则的治理活动 ,诸如一系列政策保护与技术防治相结合的措施 ,才能实现土地沙漠化逆转