Soil property variation mapping through data mining of soil category maps

Spatial information on soil properties is an important input to hydrological models. In current hydrological modelling practices, soil property information is often derived from soil category maps by the linking method in which a representative soil property value is linked to each soil polygon. Limited by the area‐class nature of soil category maps, the derived soil property variation is discontinuous and less detailed than high resolution digital terrain or remote sensing data. This research proposed dmSoil, a data‐mining‐based approach to derive continuous and spatially detailed soil property information from soil category maps. First, the soil–environment relationships are extracted through data mining of a soil map. The similarity of the soil at each location to different soil types in the soil map is then estimated using the mined relationships. Prediction of soil property values at each location is made by combining the similarities of the soil at that location to different soil types and the representative soil property values of these soil types. The new approach was applied in the Raffelson Watershed and Pleasant Valley in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin, United States to map soil A horizon texture (in both areas) and depth to soil C horizon (in Pleasant Valley). The property maps from the dmSoil approach capture the spatial gradation and details of soil properties better than those from the linking method. The new approach also shows consistent accuracy improvement at validation points. In addition to the improved performances, the inputs for the dmSoil approach are easy to prepare, and the approach itself is simple to deploy. It provides an effective way to derive better soil property information from soil category maps for hydrological modelling. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Peatland initiation and carbon dynamics in northeast China: links to Holocene climate variability

Throughout northeast China, the widely distributed peatlands have formed a large carbon (C) pool. However, the relationship between peatland initiation and climate controls is still poorly documented and understood. Understanding the responses of these C‐rich ecosystems to past climate change will provide useful insights into projecting the fate of peatland C in the future. In this study, we present a detailed historical reconstruction of peatland development in northeast China based on 312 basal peat dates, and examine the relationship between Holocene peatland dynamics and climate sensitivity. Our results indicate that peatland initiation started in the early Holocene, and that the majority of peatlands were initiated by and developed during the late Holocene. After the most intensive initiation period of 4.2–0.8 ka, the rate of peatland development slowed, which was concomitant with decreasing insolation and monsoon intensity. The widespread peatland initiation in the late Holocene might have been caused by the cool and moist climate patterns. The optimum timing of the peatland development was not uniform across northeast China, and these spatio‐temporal differences indicate the influences of regional climate and terrain on peatland initiation. Peat‐core data show variations in the long‐term apparent rate of C accumulation (LORCA) during the Holocene, with an average rate of 37.2 g C m^?2 a^?1. The peak LORCA occurred during 10.5–9.0 ka, probably in response to higher temperatures and stronger East Asia summer monsoon intensities. Both temperature and humidity are important factors influencing the peatland initiation and C dynamics in this region.     

香港世界地质公园晚侏罗世荔枝庄组岩石组合及其成岩地质过程解析

中国东南大陆晚侏罗世地层普遍缺失,仅零星见于个别地区,香港新界东北的荔枝庄组即为其一。荔枝庄组出露于香港世界地质公园沉积岩园区的荔枝庄地区,自下往上由火山岩—沉积岩—火山岩组合而成,沉积岩中发育大型包卷层理和滑塌构造等典型沉积构造,是香港地区最具代表性的晚侏罗世火山—沉积岩系。通过实测地层剖面研究,确定其成岩过程大体上可划分为早期普林尼式火山爆发、中期破火山口湖相沉积和晚期普林尼式火山爆发三个阶段,以湖相沉积作用为主、火山喷发作用为辅;受晚期火山岩浆活动的影响,沉积岩层普遍发生硅化或炭化。荔枝庄组独特的岩石组合与形成的古地理环境,为探讨中国东南大陆中生代火山活动—沉积作用方式与成岩过程,提供了难得的研究实例。     

中国东部7类暴雨异常环流型

近年来的研究发现,瞬变扰动天气图上的扰动场天气系统对区域暴雨的落区指示能力强于传统天气图上的总场天气系统。为供预报员在业务预报中参考,本文划分1998年发生在中国东部地区的41日次区域暴雨为7类扰动场天气系统。与区域暴雨相联系的7类异常环流型分别是:华南切变线、华南涡旋、华南倒槽、长江切变线与槽、沿江涡旋、华北涡旋和东北涡旋。无论是在对流层的垂直剖面上,还是在850 hPa水平分布上,扰动天气图上位势高度低值和风扰动辐合处并配合大的水汽扰动对应有区域暴雨,而传统天气图上的低值系统和高水汽区与暴雨之间存在位置上的偏移。由此建议,用实况大气变量和中期数值模式产品绘制扰动天气图有助于预报员确定区域暴雨落区。     

镇江市酸雨特征及影响因素分析

利用2008年1月至2012年12月镇江市酸雨观测资料,详细分析了镇江市酸雨强度和发生频率的年、季、月变化特征,并对影响酸雨发生的气象因素进行了分析。结果表明:镇江市酸雨年、季、月平均pH值均较低,酸雨强度均较大,春季和秋季是酸雨的高发季节。由降水量、风向、逆温及外来污染源垂直输送等气象要素对镇江市酸雨的影响可知,镇江市强酸雨的发生频率和占总降水量的比例均较高;NE、SE和E这3个风向对镇江地区酸雨的总贡献率超过50.0%;华北、华东、湖南和湖北地区是镇江市酸雨发生的可能外来污染源;低层(925hPa及以下高度)出现逆温时,更易出现酸雨,且逆温层厚度均较深厚;逆温温差的强度与酸雨强度有一定的关系,即温差越大,pH值越低,酸雨强度越大。     

多普勒雷达观测在北京7.21暴雨数值模拟中的三维变分同化研究

基于背景误差的特征长度理论,研究调整背景误差水平分辨率对多普勒雷达资料三维变分同化的影响。首先利用NMC方法针对暴雨落区统计不同水平分辨率的背景误差协方差,分析两种不同分辨率的背景误差的结构特征,研究水平分辨率对背景误差特征长度的影响。将其应用于雷达资料同化中,研究背景误差水平分辨率变化对雷达资料同化的影响。结果表明:背景误差水平分辨率由27 km提高到3 km时,在大气低层体现出更细致的动力场信息,其动力场水平特征长度按水平分辨率的二次根递减,而温度场与水汽场水平特征长度变化不明显。在将不同分辨率的背景误差用于三维变分同化时,更高分辨率的背景误差可以在分析场增量中体现更细致的中小尺度信息,能够明显改善雷达径向速度资料同化效果,并在随后的暴雨数值模拟中雨量及其分布形态更接近实况。     

采用弯曲进行道路化简冲突避免的方法

针对道路化简后可能导致要素间空间关系前后不一致的问题,提出了一种采用弯曲进行道路化简冲突避免的方法。首先,以弯曲为单元分析道路化简前后弯曲的形态变化规律,对化简过程产生的要素间空间冲突类型进行了归纳和总结;其次,基于道路弯曲与要素之间的空间关系,提出了相应的冲突判别规则;最后,利用弯曲化简的可控性和弯曲组的间接化简策略实现对化简冲突的避免。试验表明,该方法能有效地识别和避免道路化简产生的空间冲突,确保化简前后道路与其他要素空间关系的一致性。     

顾及邻域居民地群组相似性的道路网匹配方法

现有多源同比例尺道路网匹配方法中,大多只利用道路自身特征进行匹配,而较少顾及道路周边要素对匹配过程的影响和约束,从而影响了道路网匹配效果的进一步提高,特别是对系统误差改正后仍存在一定位置或旋转偏差的道路数据进行匹配时,这种影响尤为明显。本文借鉴人类对陌生环境的空间认知特点,提出了一种顾及邻域居民地群组相似性的道路网匹配方法。该方法通过构建城市骨架线网确定与道路相邻的居民地群组,进而计算居民地群组空间关系和几何特征相似度来获得对应道路的匹配结果。其特点在于:对存在位置或旋转偏差的道路数据匹配,以其邻域空间内居民地群组的整体相似性指标来带动道路自身匹配,实际上是增加了周边居民地群组对道路匹配过程的约束,更具鲁棒性。试验及对比分析表明,本方法能够较好地解决系统误差改正后仍存在较大位置和旋转偏差的道路数据间的匹配问题,提高匹配的正确率。     

Laboratory Estimation of Rock Joint Stiffness and Frictional Parameters

Numerical modeling of complex rock engineering problems involves the use of various input parameters which control usefulness of the output results. Hence, it is of utmost importance to select the right range of input physical and mechanical parameters based on laboratory or field estimation, and engineering judgment. Joint normal and shear stiffnesses are two popular input parameters to describe discontinuities in rock, which do not have specific guidelines for their estimation in literature. This study attempts to provide simple methods to estimate joint normal and shear stiffnesses in the laboratory using the uniaxial compression and small-scale direct shear tests. Samples have been prepared using rocks procured from different depths, geographical locations and formations. The study uses a mixture of relatively smooth natural joints and saw-cut joints in the various rock samples tested. The results indicate acceptable levels of uncertainty in the calculation of the stiffness parameters and provide a database of good first estimates and empirical relations which can be used for calculating values for joint stiffnesses when laboratory estimation is not possible. Joint basic friction angles have also been estimated as by-products in the small scale direct shear tests.