Consideration of time-correlated errors in a Kalman filter applicable to GNSS

An algorithm for considering time-correlated errors in a Kalman filter is presented. The algorithm differs from previous implementations in that it does not suffer from numerical problems; does not contain inherent time latency or require reinterpretation of Kalman filter parameters, and gives full consideration to additive white noise that is often still present but ignored in previous implementations. Simulation results indicate that the application of the new algorithm yields more realistic and therefore useful state and covariance information than the standard implementation. Results from a field test of the algorithm applied to the problem of kinematic differential GPS demonstrate that the algorithm provides slightly pessimistic covariance estimates whereas the standard Kalman filter provides optimistic covariance estimates.     

Estimation of parameters in a split functional model of geodetic observations (<Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis><Subscript>split</Subscript> estimation)

The paper presents a method of estimating parameters in two competitive functional models. The models considered here are concerned with the same observation set and are based on the assumption that an observation may result from a realization of either of two different random variables. These variables differ from one another at least in the main characteristic (for example, outliers can be realizations of one variable). A quantity that describes the opportunity of identifying a single observation with one random variable is assumed to be known. That quantity, called the elementary split potential, is strictly referred to the amount of information that an observation can provide about two competitive assumptions concerning the observation distribution. Parameter assessments that maximize the global elementary split potential (concerning all observations), are called M _split estimators. A generalization of M _split estimation presented in the paper refers to the theoretical foundation of M-estimation. An erratum to this article can be found at     

The Use of LiDAR in Digital Surface Modelling: Issues and Errors

Modelling and extracting 3D geographical data presents numerous challenges that require continual research to attempt to evolve an efficient, reliable and accurate solution. LiDAR data capture and analysis has become a preferred acquisition choice for elevation data because the resulting quality and level of detail far exceeds traditional methods for large survey areas. As with any data collection system, LiDAR is prone to errors. Analysing these errors, ascertaining causes and producing error correction strategies is vital if accurate and confident results are to be obtained. Eight years of LiDAR datasets (from 1998 to 2005) have been closely analysed for a large coastal area of South Wales. This article provides a detailed and accurate summary of the identified LiDAR data issues and subsequent errors which affect the accuracy of end products such as Digital Surface Models (DSMs).     

Budget of sediments and forecast of long-term coastal changes

A method for predicting the coast evolution based on the calculated estimates of the components of the sediment budget is discussed. The approaches outlined in a series of previous publications of the author [9, 10, 11] are further developed. The prerequisites and concepts used as the basis of the suggested method for forecasting are characterized. The sediment budget parameters under typical conditions are presented. The contributions of natural processes and the anthropogenic impact are compared. Different approaches for calculating the principal sediment budget components, including the cross-shore flux through the lower boundary of the coastal zone, the eolian flux of sand material through the upper limit of the coastal zone, and the alongshore sediment flux gradients, are considered. The examples of forecasting the development of coasts in the Baltic and Kara seas and the Sea of Okhotsk are given for the period from 100 to 500 years. The results obtained show that, in the case of a balanced budget of the sediments, the future behavior of the coast would be mainly governed by the variations in the sea level. This factor is capable of determining the changes in the coastline, whose recession and advancing would depend on the rate of the sea level rise. Under specific conditions, an enhanced sea level rise can trigger destructive processes (for example, the erosion of a coastal bar or the thermal abrasion of a cliff). In the case of a strong imbalance in the sediment budget, sea-level changes play a subordinate role.     

Variations in the concentration of mesospheric ozone during the total solar eclipse of March 29, 2006, from microwave radiometric data

We present the results of microwave observations of the ozone content variability in the upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere during a total solar eclipse of March 29, 2006 at the Kislovodsk high-altitude scientific station. An increase in the concentration of mesospheric ozone was recorded during the eclipse. At a height of 60 km, the ozone concentration increased by 40%, which is close to the value of diurnal ozone variations.     

Latitudinal dependence of variations in stratospheric NO<Subscript>2</Subscript> content

Diurnal and annual variations in the NO₂ total content (TC), the effect of its decrease owing to the products of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, its variations during an 11-year cycle of solar activity, and its linear trends are analyzed on the basis of data obtained from the ground-based spectrometric measurements of the NO₂ TC in stratospheric vertical columns over the stations of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change. Latitudinal dependence of the indicated variations and trends is revealed. The annual estimates of the linear trends of the NO₂ TC are found to be mostly positive for the middle and low latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere and negative for the middle and low latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The maximum values of the positive and negative trends amount to ～10% per ten years. In the high and polar latitudes of both hemispheres, the annual trend estimates are statistically insignificant. Seasonal estimates of the trends may differ from their annual estimates. The trends and solar-activity effect in the NO₂ TC, which were estimated by using the two-dimensional model SOCRATES, as well as the analytical estimates of a zonal mean trend of the NO₂ TC, on the whole, significantly differ from the estimates obtained from the measurements.     

Influence of the sea surface temperature conditions in the Pacific subarctic frontal zone on the pink salmon’s winter survival ability

Similar to other high-latitude ocean basins, the subarctic Pacific exhibits strong seasonal and inter-annual variations in the abiotic factors of the environment, which, in turn, strongly influence biological objects. One of the principal factors of this kind is the temperature regime. For our research, we chose pink salmon because more than 90% of its natural mortality occurs precisely during the wintering period. The lifetime of pink salmon is only one year, and the conditions of their populations reflect the thermal regime of the given year. The main wintering area of Asian pink salmon is the part of the subarctic frontal zone located south of the Aleutian Islands (43°–46°N). This region features sufficiently high wintertime concentrations of chlorophyll a and temperature conditions favorable for pink salmon wintering. The interannual temperature variability in the frontal zone is close to zero, and the width of the frontal zone may significantly change depending on the winter severity. In “milder” winters, the area of wintering extends, while, in “severe” winters, it is rather narrow, the forage base for fish decreases, they become more accessible for predators, and their survival rates sharply drop.     

On the reliability of millennial reconstructions of variations in surface air temperature in the Northern Hemisphere

The reliability of the recently published reconstructions of the surface air temperature variability in the Northern Hemisphere over the past 2000 yr is discussed. For this purpose, the power spectra of the two best known reconstructions (Mann et al.[10–12] and Moberg et al. [13]) are calculated and compared to the spectra of the 150-yr temperature series based on instrumental observations and simulated 1000-yr series. It is found that the Mann et al. reconstruction drastically underestimates low-frequency temperature variations, whereas the Moberg et al. reconstruction reproduces them much better, although with a certain underestimation rather than overestimation, as Mann et al. have recently argued.