Towards semantic‐aware multiple‐aspect trajectory similarity measuring

The large amount of semantically rich mobility data becoming available in the era of big data has led to a need for new trajectory similarity measures. In the context of multiple‐aspect trajectories, where mobility data are enriched with several semantic dimensions, current state‐of‐the‐art approaches present some limitations concerning the relationships between attributes and their semantics. Existing works are either too strict, requiring a match on all attributes, or too flexible, considering all attributes as independent. In this article we propose MUITAS, a novel similarity measure for a new type of trajectory data with heterogeneous semantic dimensions, which takes into account the semantic relationship between attributes, thus filling the gap of the current trajectory similarity methods. We evaluate MUITAS over two real datasets of multiple‐aspect social media and GPS trajectories. With precision at recall and clustering techniques, we show that MUITAS is the most robust measure for multiple‐aspect trajectories.     

The signature of ENSO in the Northern Hemisphere midlatitude seasonal mean flow and high-frequency intraseasonal variability

Summary The impact of pronounced positive and negative sea surface temperature (STT) anomalies in the tropical Pacific associated with the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon on the atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics during the boreal winter season is investigated. This includes both the impact on the seasonal mean flow and on the intraseasonal variability on synoptic time scales. Moreover, the interaction between the transient fluctuations on these times scales and the mean circulation is examined. Both data from an ensemble of five simulations with the ECHAM3 atmospheric general circulation model at a horizontal resolution of T42 each covering the period from 1979 through 1992 and operational analyses from ECMWF for the corresponding period are examined. In each of the simulations observed SSTs for the period of investigation are given as lower boundary forcing, but different atmospheric initial conditions are prescribed.The simulations with ECHAM3 reveal a distinct impact of the pronounced SST-anomalies in the tropical Pacific on the atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics during El Niño as well as during La Niña events. These changes in the atmospheric circulation, which are found to be highly significant in the Pacific/North American as well as in the Atlantic/European region, are consistent with the essential results obtained from the analyses. The pronounced SST-anomalies in the tropical Pacific lead to changes in the mean circulation, which are characterized by typical circulation patterns. These changes in the mean circulation are accompanied by marked variations of the activity of the transient fluctuations on synoptic time scales, that are changes in both the kinetic energy on these time scales and the atmospheric transports of momentum and heat accomplished by the short baroclinic waves. The synoptic disturbances, on the other hand, play also an important role in controlling the changes in the mean circulation associated with the ENSO phenomenon. They maintain these typical circulation patterns via barotropic, but counteract them via baroclinic processes.The hypothesis of an impact of the ENSO phenomenon in the Atlantic/European region can be supported. As the determining factor the intensification (reduction) of the Aleutian low and the simultaneous reduction (intensification) of the Icelandic low during El Niño and during La Niña events respectively, is identified. The changes in the intensity of the Aleutian low during the ENSO-events are accompanied by an alteration of the transport of momentum caused by the short baroclinic waves over the North American continent in such a way that the changes in the intensity of the Icelandic low during El Niño as well as during La Niña events are maintained.With 16 Figures     

Fossils explained 79

Rugose corals are an extinct group of marine animals that are frequently found in Palaeozoic shallow marine sediments. Just like their counterparts the stony corals (the Scleractinia) do today, during the Palaeozoic the rugose corals were important constructors of reefs. Although at first glance rugose corals look very similar to the Scleractinia, they differ in important details. The rugose corals are a very special group whose relationships have been disputed for a long time. They were restricted to the Palaeozoic Era and experienced an exciting evolutionary history of victories and defeats; there were times when they built up huge reefs (and were valuable in stratigraphy), and other times when they suffered through extinction events.     

Engineering-geological and geotechnical investigation for risk assessment

Before construction activities could begin, engineering geological and geotechnical investigations had to be approved in order to establish a map with suitable areas for safe construction. The example used in this study is Tunis City which has complex geology and geomorphology. The risk analysis was based on a large-scale land-suitability map that was prepared using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The approach used in this study combined physical data with the geotechnical properties of Tunis City. The adopted methodology and analyses were performed to assess the risk of urban expansion and landscape management. Results are presented as a zoning map that shows the suitable area for safe extension of the urban area. The data used and multi-criterion analysis of geotechnical and geological data seems to be useful for similar case studies and the adopted methodology can be used successfully for identifying similar cities for risk assessment.     

Late Quaternary colluvial deposits in the Bocaina Plateau,southeastern Brazil highlands: age and palaeoenvironmental consequences

Despite the generalized occurrence of colluvial deposits in the humid tropical areas of southeastern Brazil, regional correlation is difficult because the deposits are discontinuous, and chronological data are very scarce and scattered. For the first time, colluvial deposits in the Bocaina Plateau are described, including 18 radiocarbon ages from 12 profiles. The plateau is located on the eastern flank of the Continental Rift of Southeastern Brazil and is the highest part of the Serra do Mar, with elevations up to 2000 m above sea level. Because the Bocaina Plateau is part of the summit surfaces of southeastern Brazil, it was subjected to specific climatic conditions during the Quaternary. Colluvial deposits on the lower hillslopes and edges of amphitheatres can show complex sequences with up to three intercalated dark humic horizons, corresponding to Late Pleistocene and Holocene phases of morphodynamic activity and pedogenesis. Ages of palaeosols vary from 650±50 a BP to 36 880±980 a BP. Landforms and colluvia on the Bocaina Plateau are very similar to those found on the opposite flank of the continental rift, on the Campos do Jordão Plateau. Ages of buried soils point to similar soil formation and colluviation episodes in the two plateaus. As in Campos do Jordão, the succession of erosive, depositional and pedogenetic processes on the altos campos hillslopes is probably related to late Quaternary climate changes.     

Star formation region in Vela

A star formation region connected with SNO 41 is investigated. The observations of this region were carried out in the ¹²CO (1-0) line and in the 1.2-mm (with SIMBA) with the 15-m SEST mm telescope (Cerro La Silla, Chile). A blue shifted outflow is revealed from the ¹²CO(1-0) observations, while a bipolar outflow is apparent from the 1.2-mm SIMBA image. In CO it seems that a very faint dust envelope around SNO 41 probably exists, which is expanding with a velocity of ∼10.5 km/s. The distance to SNO 41 is estimated as ∼1500 pc. There are outflows also present in 2MASS images. A spiral jet has a condensation (resembling a HH object) at the end. Another jet has a discontinuity and a bow-shock-like structure on it. In 2MASS images there are also spots resembling HH objects. In this region there is also a rather luminous point source (IRAS 08546-4254), which has IR colors typical for an YSO connected with a water maser. The detection of a strong CS (2-1) line emission toward IRAS 08546-4254, with the same velocity as the CO line, shows the existence of a high density core of molecular gas associated to this source. A methanol maser is also associated with that IRAS source. The existence of CS line emission and a methanol maser (at 6.669 Ghz) is an indication of the presence of a very young massive star. It is not excluded that this IRAS source is the center of outflows mentioned above, because this source coincides with the center of the 1.2-mm SIMBA image and also with the place of origin of the jet with bow-shock-like structure. Published in Astrofizika, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 5–15 (February 2007).     

Star-forming region BBW 36 in puppis

Recent studies of the star formation region BBW 36 and associated molecular clouds are presented. The ¹²CO (1-0) observations, carried out with the 15-m SEST (Swedish-ESO) telescope (Cerro La Silla, Chile), revealed the existence of cloud a, connected with BBW 36 and of cloud b, having elongation in SE-NW direction. A red-shifted molecular outflow with velocity ∼+5 km/s (with respect to cloud a), having a direction parallel to the line of sight, was also observed. VLA observations showed the presence of a source VLA 2 at 3.6 cm with an elongation in the N-S direction. It is suggested that the VLA 2 source coincides with a dust disc (surrounding the object BBW 36). The star 3, which is one of the YSOs in the star-forming region BBW 36 and is connected with a bright comma-like nebula, can be the source of the molecular outflow. The star 3 has very high IR colors and is associated with an IRAS point source IRAS 07280-1829, which has IR colors, typical for an IRAS point source, connected with a water maser. On the 2MASS K image of BBW 36 we can see the existence of a bright nebula; a group of stars is embedded in that nebula, and among these stars there are stars with dust discs (or envelopes). On the 2MASS K image several spiral jets are also present, some of them with a condensation at the end. Published in Astrofizika, Vol. 51, No. 3, pp. 469–477 (August 2008).     

Liquefaction susceptibility mapping using geotechnical laboratory tests

The soil liquefaction potential has been evaluated for the Ariana Region because of its important socio-economic interest and its location. Liquefaction susceptibility mapping is carried out using a decisional flow chart for evaluation of earthquake-induced effects, based on available data such as paleoliquefaction, geological, groundwater depth, seismotectonic, sedimentary features and geotechnical parameters in particular laboratory testing like grain size analyses and state parameters. Survey results showed that some of these localities are considered as possible sites to soil liquefaction. Indeed, Quaternary alluvium deposits, paleo beaches and recent deposits that edge the lake and the sebka constitute the most susceptible locations to liquefaction. In the east and the west sides of the studied zone, Quaternary deposits are less susceptible to the liquefaction due to the groundwater level deepening and to the relatively old age of the deposits. Elsewhere sedimentary formations are classified as non-liquefiable as they are heavily compacted and old.