Field Work in the Classroom

To make sense of spatial data, information and concepts strong geographic literacy skills are a prerequisite, yet existing studies suggest a global decline in these skills. Current geographic tools predominantly focus on mapping tasks that do not necessarily lead to an understanding of the broader geographic relevance of location. This article argues that in order to improve geographic literacy exercises should test an understanding of location and employ techniques to correct deficiencies. To support this argument this study offers evidence on the effectiveness of online quizzes in improving geographic literacy skills of first-year undergraduate geography students.     

汶川地震重灾区泥石流沟内崩滑物空间分布的RS-GIS定量方法

汶川地震在山区引发大量崩塌、滑坡,形成大量的固体松散碎屑物质堆积在沟谷内(CLCAR,崩滑碎屑区),使得地震山区泥石流活动性增强。以岷江上游四川省汶川县银杏乡、映秀镇的15条泥石流沟的SPOT遥感影像为基础,利用GIS技术对CLCAR空间分布进行分析。建立CLCAR与流域高程、主沟侧距和沟口纵距的分布函数T(x)、M(x)和G(x),对CLCAR的空间分布特征进行描述;并计算其积分(DT、DM和DG)作为CLCAR空间分布特征的定量化参数。结果表明,函数T(x)、M(x)和G(x)能够较全面描述CLCAR的空间分布特征,DT、DM和DG能够作为CLCAR空间分布特征的定量化参数。泥石流沟谷内CLCAR的空间分布对泥石流的形成及规模具有一定的影响;在对灾区泥石流研究时有必要考虑泥石流沟内CLCAR空间分布特征。     

Critical distances: Comparing measures of spatial accessibility in the riverine landscapes of Peruvian Amazonia

Quantitative measures of accessibility are increasingly used in land cover change modeling and in assessing human pressure on the environment. In riverine Amazonia the significance of physical accessibility for biodiversity, land use patterns and economic livelihoods is widely acknowledged, but attempts to quantify accessibility in practice have been few in number. In this study we compare different distance- and frequency-based measures of spatial accessibility and develop a quantitative model of accessibility patterns for the north-eastern Peruvian Amazonia where rivers form the core of the transportation network. We model accessibility between the rural areas of the Loreto region and the capital city of Iquitos, using different distance algorithms in a geographic information system, and complement the distance model with information on river boat frequencies and transport capacities. Patterns of accessibility are visualized in terms of potential production zones for different types of agricultural and non-timber forest products.This study demonstrates how results from different accessibility measures vary considerably. The mean Euclidean distance to Iquitos is almost 270 km, the mean network distance nearly 760 km and the mean travel time 70 h. Observed network distances from validation points to Iquitos are on average 1.6 times longer than Euclidean distances, and for the whole study area, the average ratio between modeled network distances and Euclidean distances is 3.1. The correlation between network distances and time distances is very strong, but time distances are relatively shorter along the major channels where boat traffic is considerably faster than along narrow, tightly meandering rivers. Measures of boat frequency and transport capacity show that availability of transport possibilities is highly varying across the region. These measures provide insights into the ’thickness’ of trade, indicating the level of market integration for riverine settlements. We conclude that quantifying accessibility in an environment like Peruvian Amazonia requires measures that take into account the spatial structure and dynamic nature of the riverine transportation network. Time as a unit of distance provides the most relevant measure of accessibility in the Amazonian context, where many human actions and traditional livelihoods are controlled by travel times between the regional core and the hinterland.     

GIS技术在煤田地质信息资源管理领域应用探讨

提出了GIS技术应用服务于煤田地质信息资源管理领域的背景,以煤田地质信息资源管理相关部门应用需求为基础,提出了基于GIS技术的煤田地质信息资源管理地理信息服务系统架构、网络运行环境和硬件结构、数据库、功能等设计。最后结合煤田地质信息资源管理地理信息服务试验系统设计与开发,展示了试验系统特色部分开发内容。     

地理实体的数据处理技术在地理信息数据库建设中的应用

介绍了地理实体的概念和基本地理实体的内容,并对地理实体在地理信息数据库建设过程中的数据抽取、格式转换、数据装载等数据标准化的主要数据处理技术方法进行了陈述,为其它相关地理信息数据库建设项目提供基本方法参考。     

Automatic selection of weights for GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis: site selection of transmission towers as a case study

Transmission line (TL) siting consists of finding suitable land to build transmission towers. This is just one of the numerous complex geographical problems often solved using GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA), which is a set of techniques that weight several geographical features to identify suitable locations. This technique is mostly employed using expert knowledge to identify the correct set of weights; thus adding a certain amount of subjectivity to the analysis, meaning that for the same problem if we change the experts involved, we may reach different results.This research is a first attempt to try and solve this issue. We employed a statistical analysis to quantitatively calculate these weights and we tested our method on a case study about transmission line siting in Switzerland. We compared the distances between each sample in our dataset, in this case study these are location of transmission towers, with each geographical feature, e.g. distance from water features. Then we calculate the same distances but for random points, sampled throughout the study area. The reasoning behind this method is that if samples present a distance from a geographic feature statistically different from the random, it means that the feature played an important role in dictating the location of the sample. In this case for instance, high-voltage transmission towers are purposely built as far away as possible from urban areas. Random points are on the contrary by definition sampled without any constraint. Therefore, when comparing the two datasets, we should find that transmission towers have a larger average distance from urban areas than random points. This allows us to determine that this criterion (i.e. distance from urban centers) is important for planning new TL.The results indicate that this method can successfully weight and rank the most important criteria to be considered for an MCDA analysis, in line with weights proposed in the literature. The advantage of the proposed technique is that it completely excludes human factors, thus potentially increasing the social acceptance of the MCDA results.     

论地球空间信息科学的形成

从分析地球空间信息科学与全球变化监测和社会可持续发展的关系出发,回顾了地球空间信息科学产生的背景,提出地球空间信息科学的定义及内涵,概括了学科当前的发展状况,提出了现阶段学科研究的主要内容,最后,展望了地球空间信息科学的发展。     

A new algorithm to find raster-based least-cost paths using cut and fill operations

We developed a least-cost path analysis algorithm that satisfies a slope threshold condition in hilly terrain. The new algorithm uses an expanding moving-window to explore a combination of cells that satisfy an elevation threshold condition and then supplements this by executing cut and fill operations when there are obstacle cells between source and destination cells. Cut and fill factors regarding the difference in the actual elevation and revised elevation are considered and a least-cost path is analyzed after calculating the accumulated travel cost to the destination point. After applying the developed algorithm to synthetic and real-world data, the least accumulated travel cost from the source point can then be calculated for all cells on the raster surface by considering various slope thresholds, moving-window sizes and raster data resolutions. This algorithm can be implemented as a useful tool in GIS software as well as engineering design software utilized in the construction and mining industries.     

GeoSOT-3D椭球体剖分真三维数据表达

随着地球观测技术和信息技术的进步,以全球为背景的科学探索不断增多,不仅是地球表面信息,地下、水下、空中等地球上各个层次的空间信息都受到极大的关注。地球球体剖分网格可以构建真三维的数据模型,进而实现空天地、地下水下一体化的空间数据组织、管理、表达与应用。本文详细论述了GeoSOT-3D椭球体剖分网格的剖分空间框架、剖分编码与剖分尺度特性等理论体系。建立基于GeoSOT-3D的空间对象的真三维表达模型。利用该真三维模型实现了地球椭球体的地上地下可视化,点线面体等空间实体的可视化。研究表明,GeoSOT-3D椭球体剖分具有椭球剖分框架简单、体系完整、二三维一致等特点,因而在该框架下的真三维数据模型可用于下一代地理信息系统中的空间大数据的组织管理与表达。     

Scale effects in food environment research: Implications from assessing socioeconomic dimensions of supermarket accessibility in an eight-county region of South Carolina

Choice of neighborhood scale affects associations between environmental attributes and health-related outcomes. This phenomenon, a part of the modifiable areal unit problem, has been described fully in geography but not as it relates to food environment research. Using two administrative-based geographic boundaries (census tracts and block groups), supermarket geographic measures (density, cumulative opportunity and distance to nearest) were created to examine differences by scale and associations between three common U.S. Census–based socioeconomic status (SES) characteristics (median household income, percentage of population living below poverty and percentage of population with at least a high school education) and a summary neighborhood SES z-score in an eight-county region of South Carolina. General linear mixed-models were used. Overall, both supermarket density and cumulative opportunity were higher when using census tract boundaries compared to block groups. In analytic models, higher median household income was significantly associated with lower neighborhood supermarket density and lower cumulative opportunity using either the census tract or block group boundaries, and neighborhood poverty was positively associated with supermarket density and cumulative opportunity. Both median household income and percent high school education were positively associated with distance to nearest supermarket using either boundary definition, whereas neighborhood poverty had an inverse association. Findings from this study support the premise that supermarket measures can differ by choice of geographic scale and can influence associations between measures. Researchers should consider the most appropriate geographic scale carefully when conducting food environment studies.