Self-calibration Applied in Converting Simulation Surveying

In the field of converting simulation surveying and traditional close range photogrammetry, it has been developed so far to survey objects by commercial digital camera and this technique is applied widely in every part of production. In order to get three-dimensional information of objects, commercial digital camera must be examined. For a long time, digital camera has been examined by DLT. Then there must be a high-precision control field. For realizing surveying without control points, a method for self-calibration is proposed.     

Uncertainty in GPS Networks due to Remaining Systematic Errors: The Interval Approach

A realistic assessment of the total uncertainty budget of Global Positioning System (GPS) observations and its adequate mathematical treatment is a basic requirement for all analysis and interpretation of GPS-derived point positions, in particular GPS heights, and their respective changes. This implies not only the random variability but also the remaining systematic errors. At present in geodesy, the main focus is on stochastic approaches in which errors are modeled by means of random variables. Here, an alternative approach based on interval mathematics is presented. It allows us to model and to quantify the impact of remaining systematic errors in GPS carrier-phase observations on the final results using deterministic error bands. In this paper, emphasis is given to the derivation of the observation intervals based on influence parameters and to the study of the complex linear transfer of this type of uncertainty to estimated point positions yielding zonotopes. From the presented simulation studies of GPS baselines, it turns out that the uncertainty due to remaining systematic effects dominates the total uncertainty budget for baselines longer than 200 km.     

Simulation of the Ku-band Radar altimeter sea ice effective scattering surface

A radiative transfer model is used to simulate the sea ice radar altimeter effective scattering surface variability as a function of snow depth and density. Under dry snow conditions without layering these are the primary snow parameters affecting the scattering surface variability. The model is initialized with in situ data collected during the May 2004 GreenIce ice camp in the Lincoln Sea (73/spl deg/W; 85/spl deg/N). Our results show that the snow cover is important for the effective scattering surface depth in sea ice and thus for the range measurement, ice freeboard, and ice thickness estimation.     

The Global Impact of Clouds on the Production of MODIS Bidirectional Reflectance Model-Based Composites for Terrestrial Monitoring

A global data set of cloud occurrence probability derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Terra and Aqua gridded daily data is analyzed to investigate the probability of obtaining at least a minimum number of cloud-free observations within various compositing periods. The probabilities derived from Terra and Aqua, with morning and afternoon overpass times, respectively, are similar and increase with compositing period. Compositing both Terra and Aqua observations results in considerably higher probabilities of obtaining a sufficient number of observations for bidirectional reflectance model-based compositing. Given that the only alternative to obtaining sufficient samples is to extend the observation period, which can cause significant problems when the surface state changes, it is concluded that using data from the two MODIS sensors provides the most effective way of generating composited products. Findings with respect to the availability of cloud-free composites when n-day composites are generated on a temporally overlapping daily rolling basis, i.e., every day, rather than every n-days, are also discussed for regional and global applications     

The Potential of the Maximum Cross-Correlation Technique to Estimate Surface Currents From Thermal AVHRR Global Area Coverage Data

Having already shown its potential of deriving the vector fields representing the ocean-surface advection from sequential 1.1-km-resolution local area coverage (LAC) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) images, the maximum cross-correlation (MCC) technique here is applied to four 4.4-km-resolution global area coverage (GAC) AVHRR images. The resulting three vector fields are compared to the vector fields obtained from the LAC imagery corresponding to the same satellite passages. To quantify the reduction in accuracy inevitable when applying the method to the lower resolution imagery, the LAC vector fields were assumed to be error free. The deviation of the GAC vectors from the LAC vectors is expressed as percentage errors of the signal variance of meridional u and zonal v velocity components, and they are 16%/30%, respectively, for the best case and 62%/117% and 92%/111% for the other two cases. These results indicate that, in its present state, the GAC data do not allow the MCC technique to extract reliable current-vector information from it     

Software for validating parameters retrieved from satellite

A PC-based interactive software has been developed and presented here for validating geophysical data retrieved from satellite mounted sensors operating in visible, infrared and microwave frequencies. The program, coded in Visual Basic, is user interactive and runs on Windows-98 or higher platforms. The system prepares the database on a pre-selected Microsoft platform to enhance processing efficiency. Sub-setting option is also provided to reduce the processing time. Data retrieved from ‘Multi-channel Scanning Microwave Radiometer (MSMR) onboard the Indian satellites Oceansat-1 during 1999–2001 were validated using this software as a case study. The program has several added advantages over the conventional method of validation that involves strenuous efforts to incorporate subroutines to meet every minute requirement. Satellite-sea truth relationships on various space-time window combinations are determined and exhibited in matrix form to visualize the nature of correlation. User has the option to visualize the satellite-sea truth relationship through graphical representations before selecting optimum relationship for prediction.     

Remote sensing study of granulitic terrain in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan

The geology of northwestern part of Indian peninsula is considered to be important due to complete preservation of rocks from Archaean to Upper Proterozoic. Further, these rocks have served as ideal host of varieties of economic minerals. The present work is an attempt to study the structurally deformed granulitic terrain in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan in light of remote sensing. The study area falls under Sirohi, Banas Kantha and Sabar Kantha districts of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Remote sensing technique is utilized for the understanding of structural geology and deciphering the shear pattern. The methods adopted in this study include generation of False Color Composite (FCC) of satellite data, interpretation of lineaments from FCC and study the drainage pattern, structural basin delineation, profiling, and field mapping. It is observed that the area has undergone extensive deformation. There are two major sets of lineaments interpreted in the granulitic terrain such as WNW-ESE and NE-SW directions. Majority of the WNW-ESE lineaments are brittle in nature and N-S, NE-SW trending lineaments are ductile in nature. Overall the study area bifurcated into seven structural basins comprises of basic granulites, calc granulites and pelitic granulites.     

Plate kinematics of Nubia–Somalia using a combined DORIS and GPS solution

We have used up to 12 years of data to assess DORIS performance for geodynamics applications. We first examine the noise characteristics of the DORIS time-series of weekly station coordinates to derive realistic estimates of velocity uncertainties. We find that a combination of white and flicker noise best explains the DORIS time-series noise characteristics. Second, weekly solutions produced by the Institut Géographique National/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (IGN/JPL) DORIS Analysis Centre are combined to derive a global velocity field. This solution is combined with two independent GPS solutions, including 11 sites on Nubia and 5 on the Somalia plate. The combination indicates that DORIS horizontal velocities have an average accuracy of 3 mm/year, with best-determined sites having velocity accuracy better than 1 mm/year (one-sigma levels). Using our combined velocity field, we derive an updated plate kinematics model with a focus on the Nubia–Somalia area. Including DORIS data improves the precision of the angular velocity vector for Nubia by 15%. Our proposed model provides robust bounds on the maximum opening rates along the East African Rift (4.7–6.7 mm/year). It indicates opening rates 15 and 7% slower than values predicted by NUVEL-1A for the southern Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean, respectively. These differences are likely to arise from the fact that NUVEL-1A considered Africa as a single non-deforming plate, while here we use a more refined approach.     

Evolutionary stages of the karst-anthropogenic system of the Yucatán Peninsula

An analysis is made of the karst geomorphosystems of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is found that the main factors influencing its formation were climate and ocean level oscillations, tectonic movements, and impact effects. It is established that as a result of an active influence of the Maya civilization on the karst landscape of the peninsula, the geomorphosystems was transformed to the karst-anthropogenic system. The karstic landforms, and also the underground caverns experienced the anthropogenic impact, and the subsurface waters were particularly heavily influenced, which, on the one hand, determined the places of concentration of settlements and were actively consumed by the population, and, on the other, their reserves were replenished at regular intervals as a result of the creation of artificial subsurface water storages. In a further transformation of the karst-anthropogenic system, two stages were additionally identified: dominated by natural karstic processes (after the decline of the Maya civilization), and with a renewed intensification of anthropogenic pressure (1980s–current period). The last transformation stage is distinguished by an extension of the impact to the surface karst as well as to the underground caverns: they are subjected to mechanical destruction with an enhancement in the chemical impact as a result of inputs of polluted runoffs to encompass ever deeper horizons of subsurface waters. It is established that the rates of transformation processes of anthropogenic objects created of limestone are, in general, comparable with the mean rates of natural karstic processes on the neighboring territories: the formation of karrens on Maya steles is generally proceeding at the rate of 0.04 mm/year, while the growth rates of flowstones within urban structures of limestone vary from 0.03 to 0.6 mm/year.     

Application of S-SEBI model for crop evapotranspiration using Landsat-8 data over parts of North India

Estimation and monitoring of crop evapotranspiration (ET_c) or consumptive water use over large-area holds the key to irrigation management plans and regional drought preparedness. The objective of this study was to estimate ET_c by applying the simplified-surface energy balance index (S-SEBI) model to Landsat-8 data for the 2014–2015 period in parts of North India. An average ET_c was estimated 2.72 and 2.47 in mm day^?1 with 0.22, 0.18 standard deviation and 0.11, 0.07 standard error for Kharif and Rabi crops, respectively. On validation part, a close relationship was observed between S-SEBI derived and scintillometer observed evaporative fraction with 0.85 correlation coefficient and 0.86 agreement index. The statistical analysis also endorses the results accuracy and reliability with 0.026 and 0.602, relative root-mean square errors and model efficiency for wheat crop, respectively. The study showed that normalized difference vegetation index and LST are closely related and serve as a proxy for qualitative representation of ET_c.