Estimation of covariance matrix from geochemical data with observations below detection limits

Multivariate statistical analyses have been extensively applied to geochemical measurements to analyze and aid interpretation of the data. Estimation of the covariance matrix of multivariate observations is the first task in multivariate analysis. However, geochemical data for the rare elements, especially Ag, Au, and platinum-group elements, usually contain observations the below detection limits. In particular, Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) for the rare elements produces multilevel and possibly extremely high detection limits depending on the sample weight. Traditionally, in applying multivariate analysis to such incomplete data, the observations below detection limits are first substituted, for example, each observation below the detection limit is replaced by a certain percentage of that limit, and then the standard statistical computer packages or techniques are used to obtain the analysis of the data. If a number of samples with observations below detection limits is small, or the detection limits are relatively near zero, the results may be reasonable and most geological interpretations or conclusions are probably valid. In this paper, a new method is proposed to estimate the covariance matrix from a dataset containing observations below multilevel detection limits by using the marginal maximum likelihood estimation (MMLE) method. For each pair of variables, sayY andZ whose observations containing below detection limits, the proposed method consists of three steps: (i) for each variable separately obtaining the marginal MLE for the means and the variances, , , , and forY andZ: (ii) defining new variables by and and lettingA=C+D andB=C–D, and obtaining MLE for variances, and forA andB; (iii) estimating the correlation coefficient _YZ by and the covariance _YZ by . The procedure is illustrated by using a precious metal geochemical data set from the Fox River Sill, Manitoba, Canada.     

Global climatic change – the latest scientific understanding

IPCCs statement in its 1995 report (IPCC 1996) that a human influence was discernible in global climate has been widely quoted but often misunderstood. The character of the evidence underpinning this detection statement is explained so that its strengths and weaknesses can be better understood and the subtleties of its message better appreciated. To demonstrate the close linkage between the government-approved summary and the underlying chapters of the IPCC report the detailed evolution of the detection statement from first draft through to the form finally approved by the IPCC is described.     

多时相组合分类法在土地利用动态监测中的应用

介绍了土地利用遥感动态监测的基本概念，简述了遥感土地利用变化信息提取等遥感监测方法．重点探讨了多时相组合分类方法的相关技术。对广西2002年和2003年两个时相的MODIS数据．采用多时相直接分类法对土地利用变化状况进行了遥感动态监测。对不同方式波段组合的试验表明。经过差值、比值处理的波段组合具有较差的试验效果(总体精度只有30％～40％)，而经过PCA变换的波段组合则具有相对较好的试验效果(总体精度超过70％)。     

基于DSM阴影仿真和高度场光线跟踪的影像阴影检测

介绍了一个建筑物阴影检测的模型。首先利用摄影测量学原理来计算阴影坐标。即用数字表面模型(digitalsurfacemodel,缩写为DSM)和太阳高度和方位来计算建筑物阴影的空间坐标,并由相机模型计算出每个阴影单元对应的扫描行和相机空间坐标。由高度场光线跟踪判断阴影的可见性,对可见阴影计算出它在投影图像上的坐标。然后在这个结果的基础上再对图像进行阴影的细分割。     

基于地表定量参数的沙漠化遥感监测方法

利用野外沙漠化调查的定位数据和ETM+ 遥感数据，在实验分析的基础上，探讨了沙漠化程度与地表参数之间的定量关系，即沙漠化与植被指数（NDVI）、地表辐射温度（LST）之间的关系，提出了综合反映沙漠化土地生物物理特征的遥感监测指数——沙漠化遥感监测差值指数（DDI），为沙漠化遥感监测提供有效的定量化方法。     

Outlier detection algorithms and their performance in GOCE gravity field processing

The satellite missions CHAMP, GRACE, and GOCE mark the beginning of a new era in gravity field determination and modeling. They provide unique models of the global stationary gravity field and its variation in time. Due to inevitable measurement errors, sophisticated pre-processing steps have to be applied before further use of the satellite measurements. In the framework of the GOCE mission, this includes outlier detection, absolute calibration and validation of the SGG (satellite gravity gradiometry) measurements, and removal of temporal effects. In general, outliers are defined as observations that appear to be inconsistent with the remainder of the data set. One goal is to evaluate the effect of additive, innovative and bulk outliers on the estimates of the spherical harmonic coefficients. It can be shown that even a small number of undetected outliers (<0.2 of all data points) can have an adverse effect on the coefficient estimates. Consequently, concepts for the identification and removal of outliers have to be developed. Novel outlier detection algorithms are derived and statistical methods are presented that may be used for this purpose. The methods aim at high outlier identification rates as well as small failure rates. A combined algorithm, based on wavelets and a statistical method, shows best performance with an identification rate of about 99%. To further reduce the influence of undetected outliers, an outlier detection algorithm is implemented inside the gravity field solver (the Quick-Look Gravity Field Analysis tool was used). This results in spherical harmonic coefficient estimates that are of similar quality to those obtained without outliers in the input data.     

Development of a remotely sensed,historical land-cover change database for rural Chihuahua,Mexico

The purpose of this article is to describe the development of a remotely sensed, historical land-cover change database for the northwestern quarter of Chihuahua, Mexico, The database consists of multi-temporal land-cover classifications and change detection images. The database is developed to facilitate future investigations that examine urban–rural linkages as possible drivers of rural land-use and land-cover changes. To develop the needed land-cover change database, this study uses the North American Landsat Characterization (NALC) MSS triplicates because of their temporal depth and spatial breadth. Challenges exist, however, to effective classification and change detection using the NALC triplicates, including illumination differences across multiple scenes and periods caused by topographic and solar variations and the lack of ground reference data for historic periods. Therefore, creation of the database is a four step process. First, extensive pre-processing is performed to enhance comparability of multi-date images. Pre-processing includes topographic correction, mosaic creation and multi-date radiance normalization. Second, ancillary sources of land-cover data are combined with visual interpretations of enhanced images to define reference pixels used to classify the images using the maximum likelihood algorithm. Third, classification accuracy is assessed. Fourth, post-classification change detection is performed. Results indicate significant image improvements after pre-processing that permit very good overall classification (86.26% classified correctly) and change detection. To conclude, findings are presented that indicate significant changes to arid grasslands/shrublands and forest resources in mountainous regions.     

Particle size dependent response of aerosol counters

During an international workshop at the Institute for Experimental Physics of the University of Vienna, Austria, which was coordinated within the Committee on Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols (IAMAS-IUGG), 10 instruments for aerosol number concentration measurement were studied, covering a wide range of methods based on various different measuring principles. In order to investigate the detection limits of the instruments considered with respect to particle size, simultaneous number concentration measurements were performed for monodispersed aerosols with particle sizes ranging from 1.5 to 50 nm diameter and various compositions.The instruments considered show quite different response characteristics, apparently related to the different vapors used in the various counters to enlarge the particles to an optically detectable size. A strong dependence of the 50% cutoff diameter on the particle composition in correlation with the type of vapor used in the specific instrument was found. An enhanced detection efficiency for ultrafine hygroscopic sodium chloride aerosols was observed with water operated systems, an analogous trend was found for n-butanol operated systems with nonhygroscopic silver and tungsten oxide particles.     

Structural damage detection using the optimal weights of the approximating artificial neural networks

This work presents a novel neural network‐based approach to detect structural damage. The proposed approach comprises two steps. The first step, system identification, involves using neural system identification networks (NSINs) to identify the undamaged and damaged states of a structural system. The partial derivatives of the outputs with respect to the inputs of the NSIN, which identifies the system in a certain undamaged or damaged state, have a negligible variation with different system errors. This loosely defined unique property enables these partial derivatives to quantitatively indicate system damage from the model parameters. The second step, structural damage detection, involves using the neural damage detection network (NDDN) to detect the location and extent of the structural damage. The input to the NDDN is taken as the aforementioned partial derivatives of NSIN, and the output of the NDDN identifies the damage level for each member in the structure. Moreover, SDOF and MDOF examples are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of using the proposed method for damage detection of linear structures. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.