Correcting superconducting gravity time-series using rainfall modelling at the Vienna and Membach stations and application to Earth tide analysis

We demonstrate the possibility to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of superconducting gravity time-series by correcting for local hydrological effects. Short-term atmospheric events associated with heavy rain induce step-like gravity signals that deteriorate the frequency spectrum estimates. Based on 4D modeling constrained by high temporal resolution rain gauge data, rainfall admittances for the Vienna and Membach superconducting gravity stations are calculated. This allows routine correction for Newtonian rain water effects, which reduces the standard deviation of residuals after tidal parameter adjustment by 10%. It also improves the correction of steps of instrumental origin when they coincide with step-like water mass signals.     

Stratigraphic architecture of Solander Basin records Southern Ocean currents and subduction initiation beneath southwest New Zealand

Solander Basin is characterized by subduction initiation at the Pacific‐Australia plate boundary, where high biological productivity is found at the northern edge of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Sedimentary architecture results from tectonic influences on accommodation space, sediment supply and ocean currents (via physiography); and climate influence on ocean currents and biological productivity. We present the first seismic‐stratigraphic analysis of Solander Basin based on high‐fold seismic‐reflection data (voyage MGL1803, SISIE). Solander Trough physiography formed by Eocene rifting, but basinal strata are mostly younger than ca. 17 Ma, when we infer Puysegur Ridge formed and sheltered Solander Basin from bottom currents, and mountain growth onshore increased sediment supply. Initial inversion on the Tauru Fault started at ca. 15 Ma, but reverse faulting from 12 to ca. 8 Ma on both the Tauru and Parara Faults was likely associated with reorganization and formation of the subduction thrust. The new seabed topography forced sediment pathways to become channelized at low points or antecedent gorges. Since 5 Ma, southern Puysegur Ridge and Fiordland mountains spread out towards the east and Solander Anticline grew in response to ongoing subduction and growth of a slab. Solander Basin had high sedimentation rates because (1) it is sheltered from bottom currents by Puysegur Ridge; and (2) it has a mountainous land area that supplies sediment to its northern end. Sedimentary architecture is asymmetric due to the Subtropical Front, which moves pelagic and hemi‐pelagic sediment, including dilute parts of gravity flows, eastward and accretes contourites to the shelf south of Stewart Island. Levees, scours, drifts and ridges of folded sediment characterize western Solander Basin, whereas hemi‐pelagic drape and secondary gravity flows are found east of the meandering axial Solander Channel. The high‐resolution record of climate and tectonics that Solander Basin contains may yield excellent sites for future scientific ocean drilling.     

Why GPS makes distances bigger than they are

Global navigation satellite systems such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) is one of the most important sensors for movement analysis. GPS is widely used to record the trajectories of vehicles, animals and human beings. However, all GPS movement data are affected by both measurement and interpolation errors. In this article we show that measurement error causes a systematic bias in distances recorded with a GPS; the distance between two points recorded with a GPS is – on average – bigger than the true distance between these points. This systematic ‘overestimation of distance’ becomes relevant if the influence of interpolation error can be neglected, which in practice is the case for movement sampled at high frequencies. We provide a mathematical explanation of this phenomenon and illustrate that it functionally depends on the autocorrelation of GPS measurement error (C). We argue that C can be interpreted as a quality measure for movement data recorded with a GPS. If there is a strong autocorrelation between any two consecutive position estimates, they have very similar error. This error cancels out when average speed, distance or direction is calculated along the trajectory. Based on our theoretical findings we introduce a novel approach to determine C in real-world GPS movement data sampled at high frequencies. We apply our approach to pedestrian trajectories and car trajectories. We found that the measurement error in the data was strongly spatially and temporally autocorrelated and give a quality estimate of the data. Most importantly, our findings are not limited to GPS alone. The systematic bias and its implications are bound to occur in any movement data collected with absolute positioning if interpolation error can be neglected.     

The space-time cube as part of a GeoVisual analytics environment to support the understanding of movement data

This paper reports the results of an empirical usability experiment on the performance of the space-time cube in a GeoVisual analytics environment. It was developed to explore movement data based on the requirements of human geographers. The interactive environment consists of multiple coordinated views incorporating three graphical representations. For the experiment, two groups of the user, domain experts and non-domain experts, had to execute several map-use tasks to answers specific question. The data collected during the experiment were analysis resulting in a set of usability metrics related to the effectiveness, efficiency and user satisfaction of developed application. The comparison of both groups showed that domain experts were able to operate the visual analytical environment more effectively and efficiently due to their interest to explore their data. The user feedback derived from the analysis of both experiments was further processed for the improvement of the application.     

Remote sensing techniques for landslide studies and hazard zonation in Europe

An inventory is presented of researches concerning the use of remote sensing for landslide studies and hazard zonation as mainly carried out in the countries belonging to the European Community. An overview is given of the applicability of remote sensing in the following phases of landslide studies:

1. (1) Detection and classification of landslides. Special emphasis is given to the types of imagery required at different scales of analysis.

2. (2) Monitoring the activity of existing landslides using G.P.S., photogrammetrical techniques and radar interferometry.

3. (3) Analysis and prediction in space and time of slope failures. The different factors required in a landslide hazard study are evaluated, and the optimum remote sensing imagery for obtaining each of these factors is indicated.

Examples are given of research work carried out in these three phases from EC countries. Finally an evaluation is given of the aspects of uncertainty associated with the use of remote sensing data, and conclusions are given as to the incorporation of remote sensing techniques within the overall framework of techniques.     

Paleohydrology and paleoclimate records in a saline prairie lake core: mineral,isotope and organic indicators

This pilot study examines the potential of obtaining a sedimentary record of paleoenvironmental/climatic/hydrologic conditions for saline Redberry Lake in southern Saskatchewan, Canada. The tools are mineralogy, stable isotopes and pigments. The upper meter of an offshore sediment core contains 10 to 20% by weight aragonite (CaCO₃), which apparently precipitated in the water column. The ¹⁸O and ¹³C of the bulk aragonite (corrected for content of detrital calcite) vary by 4 to 5. Enrichment in ¹⁸O in aragonite is significantly correlated with pigment concentrations (chlorophyll a, phaeophytin). The ¹⁸O and pigment data provide evidence for relatively dry and/or warm conditions and high limnetic productivity for the period 2500 to 1500 yrs B.P. After 1500 B.P., the climate was apparently similar to the present, with two episodes of relatively enhanced productivity, dryness and/or warmth, at around 1000 to 900 and 500 to 200 B.P. During the past century, Redberry Lake has decreased approximately 8 m in depth and its salinity has doubled. No clear sedimentary signal was observed in response to these recent hydrologic trends. These changes have not been associated with a significant climate trend in the region, but may have been induced by land use changes in the catchment.This publication is the third of a series of papers presented at the Conference on Sedimentary and Paleolimnological Records of Saline Lakes. This Conference was held August 13–16, 1991 at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. Dr. Evans is serving as Guest Editor for this series.     

Patterns of Irrigated Agricultural Land Conversion in a Western U.S. Watershed: Implications for Landscape-Level Water Management and Land-Use Planning

In irrigated agricultural landscapes, land-use conversion may have landscape-level social, hydrological, and ecological effects. We used geographic information systems (GIS) and interviews to analyze development effects on irrigation in the Henry's Fork Watershed, Idaho. Farmers developed irrigation there in the 19th century, and incidental recharge from canal seepage and flood irrigation raised groundwater levels and expanded wetlands. Cohesive culture in agricultural communities sustained irrigation systems until amenity-driven demographic shifts beginning in the 1970s led to development approved by local governments with land-use planning but no water-management authority. Although only 5% of irrigated land has been converted, development has fragmented irrigated landscapes and made canal-system operation more difficult, potentially reducing groundwater levels, wetland extent, and return flows critical to downstream irrigators and fish and wildlife. We discuss future scenarios, highlighting the need for increased communication among local and state governments regarding land use and water management in irrigated landscapes across the West.     

Wave train model for knickpoint migration

Rivers respond to a drop in their base level by incising the topography. The upstream propagation of an incision, as usually depicted by a knickpoint migration, is thought to depend on several parameters such as the drainage area, lithology, and the amplitude of the base level drop. We first investigate the case of the Messinian Salinity Crisis that was characterized by the extreme base level fall (1500 m) of the Mediterranean Sea at the end of the Miocene. The response of drainage areas of three orders of magnitude (10³ to 10⁶ km²) highlights the dominant role of the drainage area (with a square root relationship) in controlling the knickpoint migration after a base level fall. A compilation of mean rates of knickpoint propagation for time durations ranging from 10² to 10⁷ years displays a similar relationship indicating that successive wave trains of knickpoint can migrate in a river: first, wave trains linked to the release of the alluvial cover and then, wave trains related to the bedrock incision, which correspond to the real time response of rivers. Wave trains with very low retreat rates (long lived knickpoints > 1 My) rather correspond to the response time of regional landscape.     

Radiation from an impulsive line source in an unbounded homogeneous anisotropic medium

Summary. The space-time elastic wave motion generated by an impulsive line source in a homogeneous anisotropic medium is calculated with the aid of the Cagniard-de Hoop method. Two types of sources are considered in detail, viz. a line source of expansion (model for an explosive source) and a line force (model for a mechanical vibrator). Numerical results are presented for the radiated particle velocity in the medium including those regions of space where shear-wave triplication occurs. There is a marked difference in the time response observed for the two types of sources and for the different positions of the receiver with respect to the source position. These waveform differences are important when the radiated wave is used to determine experimentally the elastic properties of the medium. As compared with the traditional Fourier-integral transform method to handle this problem, the computation time with the present method is considerably less.     

Biomass Burning in Southern Africa: Individual Particle Characterization of Atmospheric Aerosols and Savanna Fire Samples

Ambient atmospheric aerosols and savanna fireparticulate emission samples from southern Africa werecharacterised in terms of particle classes and theirnumber abundance by electron probe X-ray microanalysis(EPXMA). About ten particle classes were identifiedfor each sample. The major classes werealuminosilicates and sea salts for ambient coarse(2–10 m equivalent aerodynamic diameter (EAD))samples, and K-S and S-only particles for ambient fine(<2 m EAD) samples. The K-S particles are oneof the major products of biomass burning. The EPXMAresults were found to be consistent with the resultsfrom bulk analyses on a sample by sample basis. Forsavanna fire fine samples, quantitative EPXMA revealedthat many particles had a composition of simple saltssuch as KCl. Some particles had a deviatingcomposition in the sense that more ionic species wereinvolved in sustaining the balance between cations andanions, and they were composite or mixed salts.Because of extensive processing during the atmospherictransport, the composition of the K-S particles in theambient samples was different from K₂SO₄,and such particles were enriched with S. The finepyrogenic KCl particles and the fine sea-saltparticles were much depleted in chlorine.