Testing the credibility of historical newspaper reporting of extreme climate and weather events

In recent years, newspaper research has been streamlined by digitisation and online hosting by PapersPast. This paper tests the reliability and credibility of reporting of extreme weather and climatic events through PapersPast to determine if newspaper research of past climate can be further streamlined. Searches were conducted through four early‐20th‐century Auckland newspapers, where counts of articles returned by key‐word searches for particular periods were compared against periods of known extremes. We find that blind searches have only limited potential in identifying extreme weather and climatic events and that they are no substitute for thorough analyses of documentary sources.     

SensePlace3: a geovisual framework to analyze place–time–attribute information in social media

SensePlace3 (SP3) is a geovisual analytics framework and web application that supports overview + detail analysis of social media, focusing on extracting meaningful information from the Twitterverse. SP3 leverages social media related to crisis events. It differs from most existing systems by enabling an analyst to obtain place-relevant information from tweets that have implicit as well as explicit geography. Specifically, SP3 includes not just the ability to utilize the explicit geography of geolocated tweets but also analyze implicit geography by recognizing and geolocating references in both tweet text, which indicates locations tweeted about, and in Twitter profiles, which indicates locations affiliated with users. Key features of SP3 reported here include flexible search and filtering capabilities to support information foraging; an ingest, processing, and indexing pipeline that produces near real-time access for big streaming data; and a novel strategy for implementing a web-based multi-view visual interface with dynamic linking of entities across views. The SP3 system architecture was designed to support crisis management applications, but its design flexibility makes it easily adaptable to other domains. We also report on a user study that provided input to SP3 interface design and suggests next steps for effective spatiotemporal analytics using social media sources.     

Oxygen isotope composition and geothermometry of granulite to greenschist facies metamorphic rocks: a study from the Neoproterozoic collision-related nappe system, south of São Francisco Craton, SE Brazil

Oxygen isotope studies were carried out across units of a Neoproterozoic nappe system, south of São Francisco Craton. A temperature decrease toward the base of the system is found, consistent with a previously recognized inverted metamorphic pattern. The tectonic contact of the basal unit and the reworked southern São Francisco craton show a steep temperature gradient, suggesting that low temperature thrusting acted as the dominant tectonic process. The contrasts between the δ¹⁸O values of the Três Pontas-Varginha and Carmo da Cachoeira nappes and the differences among the samples and minerals are consistent with the preservation of sedimentary isotopic composition during metamorphism. The small differences in the δ¹⁸O values between the undeformed and the deformed calc-silicate samples (1.6‰) suggest that the δ¹⁸O value of mylonitization fluids was close to that which equilibrated with the metamorphic assemblage. The distinct δ¹⁸O values of metapelitic and calc-silicate samples and the great temperature difference from one type to the other indicate that no large-scale fluid interaction processes occurred during metamorphism. Oxygen isotopic estimations of both Três Pontas-Varginha undeformed rocks and Carmo da Cachoeira unaltered equivalents indicate δ¹⁸O values of up to 18‰. Comparison between these values and those from the ‘basement’ orthogneisses (8.3–8.5‰) indicates the latter are not sources for the metapelites.     

Early‐middle Holocene land snail shell stable isotope record from Grotta di Latronico 3 (southern Italy)

This paper compares stable isotope (δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C) records of early–middle Holocene land snail shells from the archaeological deposits of Grotta di Latronico 3 (LTR3; southern Italy) with modern shell isotopic data. No substantial interspecific variability was observed in shell δ¹⁸O (δ¹⁸Os) of modern specimens (Pomatias elegans, Cornu aspersum, Eobania vermiculata, Helix ligata and Marmorana fuscolabiata). In contrast, interspecific shell δ¹³C (δ¹³Cs) variability was significant, probably due to different feeding behaviour among species. The δ¹⁸Os values of living land snails suggest that species hibernate for a long period during colder months, so that the signal of ¹⁸O‐depleted winter rainfall in their δ¹⁸Os is lost. This suggests that δ¹⁸Os and δ¹³Cs values of Pomatias elegans from this archaeological succession provide valuable clues for seasonal (spring–autumn) climatic conditions during the early–middle Holocene. The δ¹⁸Os values of fossil specimens are significantly lower than in modern shells and in agreement with other palaeoclimatic records, suggesting a substantial increase of precipitation and/or persistent changes in air mass source trajectories over this region between ca. 8.8 cal ka BP and 6.2–6.7 ka ago. The δ¹³Cs trend suggests a transition from a slightly ¹³C‐enriched to a ¹³C‐depleted diet between early and middle Holocene compared to present conditions. We postulate that this δ¹³Cs trend might reflect changes in the C3 vegetation community, potentially combined with other environmental factors such as regional moisture increase and the progressive decrease of atmospheric CO₂ concentration. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

传统农林复合系统:一种全球重要文化遗产类型(英文)

作为一种土地利用活动,传统农林复合系统已经经历了成百上千年的历史,并且依然发挥着重要的作用在世界上,特别是热带和亚热带地区。在全球变化和粮食安全等危机的时代背景下,传统农林复合系统受到越来越多政府和非政府组织的重视,因为传统农林复合系统具有重要的经济、生态和社会文化效益。这与全球重要农业文化遗产要求的特征也相一致,目前为止,已经有5个国家4个典型的传统农林复合系统被列为全球重要农业文化遗产。这些传统农林复合系统具有丰富的农业生物多样性,多重的生态系统服务功能,重要的社会文化价值,无论在区域还是全球水平上。目前传统农林复合系统面临一些威胁和挑战,如人口迁移、市场冲击、气候变化等,但是只要政府和非政府组织、社区、农民之间采取多种方式紧密合作,在未来的全球土地利用活动中,传统农林复合系统必将得到有效保护和推广。     

利用主成分分析改善土地利用变化的遥感监测精度——以珠江三角洲城市用地扩张为例

近年来,珠江三角洲由于经济的快速发展,城市用地急剧增加,利用多时相的遥感图,可以定量地监测这种城市化的现象。但理,由一般的遥感动态监测方法所得的结果往往夸大变化的程度,以及获得一些不合理的结论．该文提出主成分分析的方法来改善遥感动态监测的精度。将该方法应用应用于珠江三角洲发展最快的东莞市,获得了较满意的结果。     

QUEST on DASI: a South Pole CMB polarization experiment

QUEST on DASI is a ground-based, high-sensitivity, high-resolution (ℓ_max2500) experiment designed to map CMB polarization at 100 and 150 GHz and to measure the power spectra from E-modes, B-modes from lensing of the CMB, and B-modes from primordial gravitational waves. The experiment comprises a 2.6 m Cassegrain optical system, equipped with an array of 62 polarization-sensitive bolometers (PSBs), located at the South Pole. The instrument is designed to minimize systematic effects; features include differencing of pairs of orthogonal PSBs within a single feed, a rotatable achromatic waveplate, and axisymmetric rotatable optics. In addition the South Pole location allows both repeatable and highly controlled observations. QUEST on DASI will commence operation in early 2005.