Surveying co-located space-geodetic instruments for ITRF computation

A new and comprehensive method is presented that can be used for estimating eccentricity vectors between global positioning system (GPS) antennas, doppler orbitography and radiopositioning integrated by satellites (DORIS) antennas, azimuth-elevation (AZ-EL) very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) telescopes, and satellite laser ranging (SLR) and lunar laser ranging (LLR) telescopes. The problem of reference point (RP) definition for these space-geodetic instruments is addressed and computed using terrestrial triangulation and electronic distance measurement (EDM) trilateration. The practical ground operations, the surveying approach and the terrestrial data processing are briefly illustrated, and the post-processing procedure is discussed. It is a geometrically based analytical approach that allows computation of RPs along with a rigorous statistical treatment of measurements. The tight connection between the geometrical model and the surveying procedure is emphasized. The computation of the eccentricity vector and the associated variance–covariance matrix between an AZ-EL VLBI telescope (with or without intersecting axes) and a GPS choke ring antenna is concentrated upon, since these are fundamental for computing the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF). An extension to RP computation and eccentricity vectors involving DORIS, SLR and LLR techniques is also presented. Numerical examples of the quality that can be reached using the authors approach are given. Working data sets were acquired in the years 2001 and 2002 at the radioastronomical observatory of Medicina (Italy), and have been used to estimate two VLBI-GPS eccentricity vectors and the corresponding SINEX files.     

Formation of terrestrial planets in a dissipating gas disk with Jupiter and Saturn

We have performed N-body simulations on final accretion stage of terrestrial planets, including the eccentricity and inclination damping effect due to tidal interaction with a gas disk. We investigated the dependence on a depletion time scale of the disk, and the effect of secular perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. In the final stage, terrestrial planets are formed through coagulation of protoplanets of about the size of Mars. They would collide and grow in a decaying gas disk. Kominami and Ida [Icarus 157 (2002) 43-56] showed that it is plausible that Earth-sized, low-eccentricity planets are formed in a mostly depleted gas disk. In this paper, we investigate the formation of planets in a decaying gas disk with various depletion time scales, assuming disk surface density of gas component decays exponentially with time scale of τ_gas. Fifteen protoplanets with are initially distributed in the terrestrial planet regions. We found that Earth-sized planets with low eccentricities are formed, independent of initial gas surface density, when the condition (τ_cross+τ_growth)/2?τ_gas?τ_cross is satisfied, where τ_cross is the time scale for initial protoplanets to start orbit crossing in a gas-free case and τ_growth is the time scale for Earth-sized planets to accrete during the orbit crossing stage. In the cases satisfying the above condition, the final masses and eccentricities of the largest planets are consistent with those of Earth and Venus. However, four or five protoplanets with the initial mass remain. In the final stage of terrestrial planetary formation, it is likely that Jupiter and Saturn have already been formed. When Jupiter and Saturn are included, their secular perturbations pump up eccentricities of protoplanets and tend to reduce the number of final planets in the terrestrial planet regions. However, we found that the reduction is not significant. The perturbations also shorten τ_cross. If the eccentricities of Jupiter and Saturn are comparable to or larger than present values (∼0.05), τ_cross become too short to satisfy the above condition. As a result, eccentricities of the planets cannot be damped to the observed value of Earth and Venus. Hence, for the formation of terrestrial planets, it is preferable that the secular perturbations from Jupiter and Saturn do not have significant effect upon the evolution. Such situation may be reproduced by Jupiter and Saturn not being fully grown, or their eccentricities being smaller than the present values during the terrestrial planets' formation. However, in such cases, we need some other mechanism to eliminate the problem that numerous Mars-sized planets remain uncollided.     

大型天线几何旋转中心的测定方法

重点介绍了高精度确定大型天线几何旋转中心的观测方案和计算方法。结合具体实例,在ITRF2000框架下,论述了控制网布设、观测方案确定、数学模型的建立、数据处理的过程,结果与已知外部参考结果进行了比较,坐标分量上达到毫米级外附精度,验证了观测、计算方案的可行性和准确性。     

基于多种探测资料对武汉一次短时暴雪天气的监测分析

利用Thies Clima激光雨滴谱仪、MP3000A微波辐射仪、多普勒雷达和人工加密观测资料,分析了2011年2月12日武汉一次暴雪天气过程的演变特征。结果表明:(1)在这次短时暴雪过程中,先后出现了降雨、雨夹雪和纯降雪3个阶段,激光雨滴谱仪监测到该降雨阶段的雨滴谱较宽,最大直径达4.5mm,数浓度比较小,为2～5 429个.m-3.mm-1,雨滴谱型呈双峰型分布特点;(2)微波辐射仪对水汽相态监测显示,08:12-09:34(世界时)期间在1.5～3.5km过冷层比湿维持14～16g.kg-1大值区,之后迅速由雨夹雪过程(仅16min)过渡到纯降雪阶段,在65min内武汉站降雪量达到5.035mm,占整个降雪量的80%以上;(3)雷达反射率因子与粒子谱宽和数浓度密切相关,若后两者越大则对应的雷达回波强度也越大;同时还发现,与微波辐射仪反演的水汽密度、激光雨滴谱仪测得的降水强度也有较好的对应关系,若将这些结合起来对降水的相态变化、强度、量级和持续时间有很好的监测能力。     

一种新的激光点云数据精简方法

三维激光扫描技术是最近几年在测量方面发展起来的一个研究热点。提出利用点云模型中相邻三角形夹角的大小来对点云数据进行直接精简的方法,在matlab平台下,通过编程实现点云数据的压缩。将精简的点云数据通过编程重新构建三角网,最后在Geomagic软件中建模,通过与原始模型进行对比,新方法的压缩效果比较理想。     

Optical attenuation in fog at a wavelength of 1.55 micrometers

As part of a series of studies on laser propagation for terrestrial free space optical (FSO) telecommunications or laser telecommunications, an experiment was conducted to determine the relationship between visibility in fog and optical attenuation (dB/km) at a laser wavelength of 1.55 μm. In the telecommunications industry, a semi-empirical equation, called the Kruse formula [Kruse, P.W., McGlauchlin, L., McQuistan, R.B., 1962. Elements of infrared technology: generation, transmission, and detection. John Wiley and Sons, New York] is typically used to calculate expected attenuation for a given meteorological visibility. The Kruse formula, however, was developed to relate meteorological visibility to optical attenuation over wavelengths from the visible to the near infrared (IR), and for dust and small particle aerosols with dimensions much smaller than the wavelength. Typically, suspended small aerosols have diameters that average about 0.1 μm while fog droplets have diameters that range upward from 2.5 μm with mean diameters that exceed 10 μm in some fogs. Therefore, application of the Kruse formula to attenuation in fog is not appropriate since fogs consist mainly of particles much larger than the laser wavelength. As part of the experiment, a transmissometer with an 85-m baseline and a dynamic range of 60 dB operated for thirteen months in an area prone to radiation fog. A commercial visibility sensor, similar to those used at airports, was located near the middle of the optical path of the transmissometer and operated over the same period. The largest attenuation measured at this site was just over 300 dB/km, corresponding to a visibility of 32 m. The key finding of the study is that the generally accepted Kruse formula relating visibility and optical attenuation may be too pessimistic at low visibilities, and actual attenuation values for a given visibility may be more than 20% lower than previously thought. At visibilities exceeding about 650 m, the Kruse formula gives a good estimate of optical attenuation.     

Geomorphic expression of neotectonic activity in a low relief area in an Airborne Laser Scanning DTM: A case study of the Little Hungarian Plain (Pannonian Basin)

The NW corner of the Little Hungarian Plain, which lies at the junction of the Eastern Alps, the Pannonian Basin and the Western Carpathians, is a neotectonically active region linking the extrusional tectonics of the Eastern Alps with the partly subsiding Little Hungarian Plain. The on-going deformation is verified by the earthquake activity in the region. An extremely flat part of the area, east of Neusiedlersee, the so-called Seewinkel, has been investigated with Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS, also known as airborne LiDAR) techniques, resulting in a digital terrain model (DTM) with a 1 m grid resolution and vertical precision of better than 10 cm. The DTM has been compared with known and inferred neotectonic features.Potential neotectonic structures of the DTM have been evaluated, together with geological maps, regional tectono-geomorphic studies, geophysical data, earthquake foci, as well as geomorphological features and the Quaternary sediment thickness values of the Seewinkel and the adjacent Parndorfer plateau. A combined evaluation of these data allows several tectonic features with a relief of < 2 m to be recognized in the DTM. The length of these linear geomorphological structures ranges from several hundred meters up to several kilometers. The most prominent feature forms a 15 km long, linear, 2 m high NE–SW trending ridge with gravel occurrences having an average grain size of ca. 5 cm on its top. We conclude this feature to represent the surface expression of the previously recognized Mönchhof Fault. In general, this multi-disciplinary case study shows that ALS DTMs are extremely important for tectono-geomorphic investigations, as they can detect and accurately locate neotectonic structures, especially in low-relief areas.     

2013年芦山Ms7.0地震前重力场源变化分析

陆地重力观测获取的时变重力信号是研究地壳内部孕震区介质变化的重要依据。利用贝叶斯平差方法处理了川西地区2010—2012年的流动重力观测资料,发现相对重力仪的格值系数在两年内变化可达2×10^-4,而且仪器存在较小的非线性漂移率;重力场累积动态变化图像显示,2013年芦山MS7.0地震发生在重力梯度带零值线与龙门山断裂带交会部位附近。进一步采用等效源方法划定了测网内以雅安、康定和石棉为中心的场源分辨能力较高的区域,并反演了地震前的地壳视密度变化。场源视密度动态变化结果表明:2013年芦山MS7.0地震前2年,在龙门山断裂带的南侧和鲜水河断裂南段的东侧区域形成了范围较大的等效视密度增加区,而在小金至康定一带和都江堰周边地区也存在小规模的视密度增加。本文基于陆地时变重力测量结果反演得到芦山地震前的地壳内部等效视密度变化,可为研究壳内深部孕震环境变化特征提供参考。     

Ground-based hyperspectral imaging and terrestrial laser scanning for fracture characterization in the Mississippian Boone Formation

Petroleum geoscientists have been using cores and well logs to study source rocks and reservoirs, however, the inherent discontinuous nature of these data cannot account for horizontal heterogeneities. Modern exploitation requires better understanding of important source rocks and reservoirs at outcrop scale. Remote sensing of outcrops is becoming a first order tool for reservoir analog studies including horizontal heterogeneities. This work used ground-based hyperspectral imaging, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), and high-resolution photography to study a roadcut of the Boone Formation at Bella Vista, northwest Arkansas, and developed an outcrop model for reservoir analog analyses.The petroliferous Boone Formation consists of fossiliferous limestones interbedded with chert of early Mississippian age. We used remote sensing techniques to identify rock types and to collect 3D geometrical data. Mixture tuned matched filtering classification of hyperspectral data show that the outcrop is mostly limestones with interbedded chert nodules. 1315 fractures were classified according to their strata-bounding relationships, among these, larger fractures are dominantly striking in ENE – WSW directions. Fracture extraction data show that chert holds more fractures than limestones, and both vertical and horizontal heterogeneities exist in chert nodule distribution.Utilizing ground-based remote sensing, we have assembled a virtual outcrop model to extract mineral composition as well as fracture data from the model. We inferred anisotropy in vertical fracture permeability based on the dominancy of fracture orientations, the preferential distribution of fractures and distribution of chert nodules. These data are beneficial in reservoir analogs to study rock mechanics and fluid flow, and to improve well performances.     

地理学研究进展与前沿领域

现代地理学涵盖自然地理学、人文地理学和地理信息科学，其发展趋势是：相邻学科的交叉、渗透与融合，加强地理学内部的综合研究，地理过程的微观研究进一步深化，结合实践拓宽应用研究领域，实验与研究手段的现代化，理论思维模式的转变。地理学应在陆地表层过程与格局、全球环境变化及其区域响应、自然资源保障与生态环境建设、区域可持续发展及人地系统的机理与调控、地理信息科学和数字地球战略等前沿领域开拓创新，为促进地球系统科学的发展、协调人地关系等做出积极的贡献。