Measuring Global Spatial Autocorrelation with Data Reliability Information

Assessing spatial autocorrelation (SA) of statistical estimates such as means is a common practice in spatial analysis and statistics. Popular SA statistics implicitly assume that the reliability of the estimates is irrelevant. Users of these SA statistics also ignore the reliability of the estimates. Using empirical and simulated data, we demonstrate that current SA statistics tend to overestimate SA when errors of the estimates are not considered. We argue that when assessing SA of estimates with error, one is essentially comparing distributions in terms of their means and standard errors. Using the concept of the Bhattacharyya coefficient, we proposed the spatial Bhattacharyya coefficient (SBC) and suggested that it should be used to evaluate the SA of estimates together with their errors. A permutation test is proposed to evaluate its significance. We concluded that the SBC more accurately and robustly reflects the magnitude of SA than traditional SA measures by incorporating errors of estimates in the evaluation. Key Words: American Community Survey, Geary ratio, Moran’s I, permutation test, spatial Bhattacharyya coefficient.     

The DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey: the role of galaxy environment in the cosmic star formation history

Using galaxy samples drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey, we study the relationship between star formation and environment at   z ∼ 0.1  and 1. We estimate the total star formation rate (SFR) and specific star formation rate (sSFR) for each galaxy according to the measured [O  ii ]λ 3727 Å nebular line luminosity, corrected using empirical calibrations to match more robust SFR indicators. Echoing previous results, we find that in the local Universe star formation depends on environment such that galaxies in regions of higher overdensity, on average, have lower SFRs and longer star formation time-scales than their counterparts in lower density regions. At   z ∼ 1  , we show that the relationship between sSFR and environment mirrors that found locally. However, we discover that the relationship between total SFR and overdensity at   z ∼ 1  is inverted relative to the local relation. This observed evolution in the SFR–density relation is driven, in part, by a population of bright, blue galaxies in dense environments at   z ∼ 1  . This population, which lacks a counterpart at   z ∼ 0  , is thought to evolve into members of the red sequence from   z ∼ 1  to ∼0. Finally, we conclude that environment does not play a dominant role in the cosmic star formation history at   z < 1  : the dependence of the mean galaxy SFR on local galaxy density at constant redshift is small compared to the decline in the global SFR space density over the last 7 Gyr.     

Variation of regional circulations due to long-term change of land use in the Daegu metropolitan region for 100 years

The urbanization of Daegu metropolitan region has progressed rapidly over the last 100 years, but changing land-use resulting from that urbanization has also caused the regional circulations to evolve. The effect of 100 years of urbanization on the regional circulations was simulated for the analysis using an A2C (Atmosphere to Computational Fluid Dynamics) model. Calm synoptic conditions and a stable lapse rate were assumed for the initial model atmosphere, with a horizontal grid resolution of 1 km. The simulation demonstrated that land-use changes have affected the Daegu metropolitan area’s regional circulations by deepening the convective boundary layer (CBL) over the urbanized area, resulting in deviations from mean surface temperature and surface wind fields. The last 100 years have seen the following changes in the region: 1) the urbanized area has increased by around 15 times, while the number of forests and paddy fields has rapidly decreased; 2) surface wind speeds have decreased by about 25% and 35% during the day and at night, respectively, and severe changes in wind direction have been noted over the urbanized areas; 3) regional warming has been around 1.5°C and 4°C in the daytime and early morning hours, respectively (in particular, warming in the early morning hours suggests the presence of overnight heat islands), and 4) sensible heat flux and CBL height have increased by about 40 W m^?2 and 500 m for the period, respectively.     

Tectonic reconstruction of batholith formation based on the spatiotemporal distribution of Cretaceous–Paleogene granitic rocks in southwestern Japan

The spatiotemporal distribution of Cretaceous–Paleogene granitic rocks in southwestern Japan is investigated to understand the origin of the granitic batholith belt and to reconstruct the tectonic setting of emplacement. New U–Pb zircon ages for 92 samples collected from a region measuring 50 km (E–W) by 200 km (N–S) reveals a stepwise northward younging of granitic rocks aged between 95 and 30 Ma with an age‐data gap between 60 and 48 Ma. Based on the spatiotemporal distribution of granite ages, we examine two plausible models to explain the pattern of magmatic activity: (i) subduction of a segmented spreading ridge and subsequent slab melting (ridge‐subduction model), and (ii) subduction with a temporally variable subduction angle and corresponding spatial distribution of normal arc magmatism (subduction angle model). We optimize the model parameters to fit the observed magmatism in time and space, and compare the best‐fit models. As to ridge subduction model, the best‐fit solution indicates that the spreading ridge started to subduct at approximately 100 Ma, and involved a 45‐km‐wide section of the ridge segment, a subduction obliquity of 30°, and a slow migration velocity (～1.6 cm/y) of the ridge. These values are within the ranges of velocities observed for present‐day ridge subduction at the Chile trench. On the other hand, the best‐fit solution of subduction angle model indicates that the subduction angle decreases stepwise from 37° at 95 Ma, 32° at 87 Ma, 22° at 72 Ma, to 20° at 65 Ma, shifting magmatic region towards the continental side. These results and comparison, together with constraints on the geometry of the tectonic setting provided by previous studies, suggest that the ridge subduction model better explains the limited duration of magmatism, although both models broadly fit the data and cannot be ruled out.     

准地转三层模式天气值预报方法的试验研究

作者首先根据温度局地变化的分析说明三层模式常常是必要的。然后作者用较普遍的准地转三层模式,试算了大范围高空温压场的倾向。所计算的是乌拉尔阻塞流型发展关键时刻的例子。作者的计算结果说明这种阻塞流型形成的预报必须使用三层模式,主要是因为与阻塞流型中高、低压切断有关的负变高,只有使用三层模式才报得好。根据三层模式的公式,作者并求出大范围天气系统发展的规则:即冷(暖)平流向上增强(减弱),那末等压面的位势高度升高(低槽减弱、高压脊加强);冷(暖)平流向上减弱(增强),那末等压面的位势高度降低(低槽加强、高压脊减弱)。也就是说,—舵所接受的暖平流使脊加强,冷平流使槽加深这规则是有条件的。作者还指出风场的逼近的需要和困难。特则是现有高空风观测和电码难以直接用来计算辐散。在计算方面作者给出了一个对 Poisson 方程适用的成群放松的格式。     

Integrating spatial data analysis functionalities in a GIS environment: Spatial Analysis using ArcGIS Engine and R (SAAR)

Spatial data analysis (SDA) tools to efficiently handle and explore spatial data have become readily available. Although these SDA tools have their own strengths and purposes, they suffer from limited support in terms of a development environment offering easy customization and high extensibility, a strength of open source software. This article presents a standalone software package for SDA in a geographic information system (GIS) environment, called Spatial Analysis using ArcGIS Engine and R (SAAR), which provides an integrated GIS and SDA environment. A set of SDA tools in SAAR utilizes functions in R using R.NET, while other tools were developed in .NET independent of R. SAAR provides an efficient working environment for both general and advanced GIS users. For general GIS users with limited programming skills, SAAR furnishes advanced SDA tools in a popular ArcGIS environment with graphical user interfaces. For advanced GIS users, SAAR offers an extensible GIS platform to help them customize and implement SDA functions with relatively little development effort. This article demonstrates some functionalities of SAAR using census data for Texas counties.     

Fully nonlinear wave-body interactions with surface-piercing bodies

Fully nonlinear wave-body interactions for stationary surface-piercing single and double bodies are studied by a potential-theory-based fully nonlinear 2D numerical wave tank (NWT). The NWT was developed in time domain by using boundary element method (BEM) with constant panels. MEL free surface treatment and Runge–Kutta fourth-order time integration with smoothing scheme was used for free-surface time simulation. The acceleration-potential scheme is employed to obtain accurate time derivative of velocity potential. Using the steady part of nonlinear force time histories, mean and a series of higher-harmonic force components are calculated and compared with the experimental and numerical results of other researchers. The slow-decaying second-harmonic vertical forces are investigated with particle velocities and corresponding body pressure. Typical patterns of two-body interactions, shielding effect, and the pumping/sloshing modes of water column in various gap distances are investigated. The pumping mode in low frequencies is demonstrated by the comparison of velocity magnitudes.     

Hydrological responses to climate shifts for a minimally disturbed mountainous watershed in northwestern China

Much attention has been focused on investigating the effects of precipitation and temperature changes on runoff; however, the influence of wind speed, relative humidity and total solar radiation on hydrological components needs to be studied further. Hydrological responses to climate variations in a minimally disturbed mountainous watershed in the period 1971–2012 are identified and evaluated by statistical analysis and hydrological simulation. The results indicate that the impact of climate component changes on the hydrological process cannot be discounted. The temperature and relative humidity exhibit significant upward trends, while the wind speed exhibits a clear downward trend. The potential and actual evapotranspiration dramatically increased, but the observed pan evaporation substantially decreased. The surface water, soil water, baseflow and water yield are positively correlated with precipitation and relative humidity but negatively correlated with the temperature, wind speed and solar radiation.     

Influences of diel and tidal cycles on fish assemblage in eelgrass (Zostera marina) bed of southern Korea during autumn

Short-term tidal and diel variations of autumn fish assemblage in a Zostera marina bed were investigated using 3 h interval samplings for 24 h in both spring and neap tide using a small beam trawl. A total of 1 346 fishes belonging to 19 species were collected at spring tide, whereas 1 115 fishes belonging to 17 species were at neap tide. The common fish species were Nuchequula nuchalis, Acanthogobius flavimanus, Takifugu niphobles, Acentrogobius pflaumii, and Pholis nebulosa with the former three species dominating at spring tide, while the latter two species being abundant at neap tide. Diel variation in abundance was significant with higher abundance at night than day, but there were no significant differences between spring and neap tides, and between ebb and flood tides (three-way ANOVAs). Diel variation in the abundance of fishes may be influenced by tidal range and cycle, and day-night differences of food availability and behaviors of fishes indirectly. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) ordination and analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) results revealed significant differences in species compositions both between day and night, and between spring and neap tide. Eelgrass beds are highly productive marine ecosystem, and thus, our results will contribute to conservation of seagrass ecosystem in the study area.