A linear tessellation model to identify spatial pattern in urban street networks

Street patterns reflect the distribution characteristics of a street network and affect the urban structure and human behavior. The recognition of street patterns has been a topic of interest for decades. In this study, a linear tessellation model is proposed to identify the spatial patterns in street networks. The street segments are broken into consecutive linear units with equal length. We define five focal operations using neighborhood analysis to extract the geometric and topological characteristics of each linear unit for the purpose of grid-pattern recognition. These are then classified by Support Vector Machine, and the result is optimized based on Gestalt principles. The experimental results demonstrate that our method is effective for mining grid patterns in a street network.     

水资源约束下的河西走廊城市经济脆弱性时空演变及其影响因素

城市经济脆弱性作为当前脆弱性研究中的重要领域,为人-地系统耦合研究提供了新的视角,并为城市可持续健康发展提供有益的决策支持和管理方法。依据城市经济脆弱性内涵,基于暴露度、敏感性、适应能力构建了城市经济脆弱性评价指标体系,运用熵权TOPSIS法评价河西走廊地区及区域内五市的城市经济脆弱性,并采用障碍度模型识别影响区域城市经济脆弱性变化的因素。结果显示：（1）2006—2015年,河西走廊地区城市经济脆弱性呈现出先曲折下降（2006—2011年）再波动上升趋势（2012—2015年）;（2）河西走廊地区的城市经济脆弱性具有明显的空间特征,经历了东西高、中部低到整体较高的演变过程;（3）阻碍河西走廊地区城市经济脆弱性降低的障碍因子由适应能力逐步转变为暴露度。针对河西走廊地区各市主要障碍因子,提出针对性优化措施。     

南极长城站海雾特征分析

本文根据对海雾气象要素场、大气层结和天气形势的分析及其持续时间和季节、年际变化的统计分析,结合个例,讨论了南极长城站海雾的特征和形成机制。认为长城站海雾大多为平流冷却雾,高频率的偏北风和南大洋极锋附近显著的经向海温梯度是长城站多海雾的根本原因;夏半年海雾要多于冬半年,海雾的年际分布差异明显;海雾可出现于0-17m/s的各级风力中,3-11m/s偏北风最有利于海雾的维持;气温为-2-4℃、气-海温差为0-2℃时最易出现海雾;海雾的发生一般伴有稳定的大气层结;"东高西低"是长城站海雾的主要天气形势;海雾的持续时间取决于高压在南极半岛维持时间的长短,平均有10个小时。     

Distinct metamorphic evolution of alternating silica-saturated and silica-deficient microdomains within garnet in ultrahigh-temperature granulites: An example from Sri Lanka

Here we report the occurrence of garnet porphyroblasts that have overgrown alternating silica-saturated and silica deficient microdomains via different mineral reactions. The samples were collected from ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) metapelites in the Highland Complex, Sri Lanka. In some of the metapelites, garnet crystals have cores formed via a dehydration reaction, which had taken place at silica-saturated microdomains and mantle to rim areas formed via a dehydration reaction at silica-deficient microdomains. In contrast, some other garnets in the same rock cores had formed via a dehydration reaction which occurred at silica-deficient microdomains while mantle to rim areas formed via a dehydration reaction at silica-saturated microdomains. Based on the textural observations, we conclude that the studied garnets have grown across different effective bulk compositional microdomains during the prograde evolution. These microdomains could represent heterogeneous compositional layers (paleobedding/laminations) in the precursor sediments or differentiated crenulation cleavages that existed during prograde metamorphism. UHT metamorphism associated with strong ductile deformation, metamorphic differentiation and crystallization of locally produced melt may have obliterated the evidence for such microdomains in the matrix. The lack of significant compositional zoning in garnet probably due to self-diffusion during UHT metamorphism had left mineral inclusions as the sole evidence for earlier microdomains with contrasting chemistry.     

Use of Factor Analysis to Study the Distribution of Metalliferous Bauxitic Tailings in the Seabed of the Gulf of Corinth,Greece

In 1994, a detailed marine environmental survey was carried out in surface sediments of the northern flank (Antikyra Bay) and the basin floor of the Gulf of Corinth. Metalliferous tailings (red-mud slurry) of a bauxite processing plant are discharged through a pipeline at a water depth of 100 m, in the Antikyra Bay, covering an area of 16 km². The bauxitic tailings are detached from the main deposit at the outfalls, flow as turbidity currents downslope, and are redeposited on the basin floor of the Gulf of Corinth, where they cover an area of about 277 km². One hundred sediment samples, that were collected from red-mud deposits and the surrounding natural sediments, were analyzed for Ag, Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Si, Ti, V, and Zn concentrations. Statistical analysis of the heavy metals concentrations using factor analysis allowed (i) an examination of the interrelations among metals and (ii) distinguishing possible sample groups on the basis of metal concentrations in order to study the mechanisms of transport of the red mud and the degree of mixing with natural sediments. Factor 1 (Al, Cr, Ti, Fe, Co, Ni, Pb, Ag, Hg, V, Cd, and Cu) and the positive pole of Factor 2 (Cu, Ag, Cd, and Hg) are red-mud factors, reflecting different metal behaviors, which are related to processes that take place during the transport and redeposition of the red mud. The negative poles of Factors 2 and 3 and the positive pole of Factor 4 are related to natural sediment supply processes. Q-mode factor analysis identifies three distinct sediment groups located in different areas, on the base of the degree of mixing of red mud with natural sediments.     

REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
GEOGRAPHY, ITS SCOPE AND SPIRIT. By J. O. M. Broek
GEOGRAPHY AS HUMAN ECOLOGY: METHODOLOGY BY EXAMPLE. Edited by S. R. Eyre and G. R. J. Jones
A PREFACE TO ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY. By H. H. McCarty and J. B. Lindberg
A PROLOGUE TO POPULATION GEOGRAPHY. By W. Zelinsky     

Natural aggregates in the performance and durability of concrete: chemical characteristics

This article continues from the earlier feature in Geology Today (2011, v.27, n.4) and looks at the influence of chemical reactivity within concrete due to the presence of unsound aggregates or deleterious material incorporated in the aggregate used in the concrete mix. Some of the more disruptive problems from chemical unsoundness come from the presence of chlorides, which cause rusting in reinforced concrete or, sulphate attack from ground waters. Both of these reactions are relatively common in Britain. Alkali–silica reactions with aggregates and cement is not too prevalent in Britain but can be very prevalent and disruptive elsewhere in the world.     

Dispersion characteristics of low-latitude whistlers

The effect of ions on whistler dispersion characteristics has been studied. It is shown that the significant changes in the dispersion characteristics of low-latitude whistlers are brought about by the presence of ions. The dispersions for Nainital (geomagnetic lat. 19°1'N) and Gulmarg (geomagnetic lat. 24°10'N) are found to peak around 800 Hz. The short whistler sonograms recorded at Nainital and Gulmarg have been analysed, using the complete dispersion equation and the effect of ions has been shown. At higher frequencies the dispersion is found to decrease steadily and becomes independent of ions. Some examples of short whistlers have been found whose characteristics do not conform to the general trend of low-latitude whistlers, and, on the other hand, these whistlers show a constant dispersion unaffected by ions up to a fairly low frequency and thereafter decrease sharply at lower frequencies.