Remotely sensed estimation of forest canopy density: A comparison of the performance of four methods

In recent years, a number of alternative methods have been proposed to predict forest canopy density from remotely sensed data. To date, however, it remains difficult to decide which method to use, since their relative performance has never been evaluated. In this study the performance of: (1) an artificial neural network, (2) a multiple linear regression, (3) the forest canopy density mapper and (4) a maximum likelihood classification method was compared for prediction of forest canopy density using a Landsat ETM+ image. Comparison of confusion matrices revealed that the regression model performed significantly worse than the three other methods. These results were based on a z-test for comparison of weighted kappa statistics, which is an appropriate statistic for analysis of ranked categories. About 89% of the variance of the observed canopy density was explained by the artificial neural networks, which outperformed the other three methods in this respect. Moreover, the artificial neural networks gave an unbiased prediction, while other methods systematically under or over predicted forest canopy density. The choice of biased method could have a high impact on canopy density inventories.     

Estimation of Sea Ice Thickness from SARAL/AltiKa in Drifting Orbit Phase

Abstract

Intra and inter-annual variations in the sea ice thickness are highly sensitive indicators of climatic variations undergoing in the earth’s atmosphere and oceans. This paper describes the method of estimating sea ice thickness using radar waveforms data acquired by SARAL/Altika mission during its drifting orbit phase from July 2016 onwards yielding spatially dense data coverage. Based on statistical analysis of return echoes, classification of the surface has been carried out in three different types, viz. floe, lead and mixed. Time delay correction methods were suitably selected and implemented to make corrections in altimetric range measurements and thereby freeboard. By assuming hydrostatic equilibrium, freeboard data were converted into sea ice thickness. Results show that sea ice thickness varies from 4 to 5?m near ice shelves and 1 to 2.5?m in the marginal sea ice regions. Freeboard and sea ice thickness estimates were also validated using NASA’s Operation Ice Bridge (OIB) datasets. Freeboard measurements show very high correlation (0.97) having RMSE of 0.13. Overestimation of approximately 1–2?m observed in the sea ice thickness, which could be attributed to distance between AltiKa footprint and OIB locations. Moreover, sensitivity analysis shows that snow depth and snow density over sea ice play crucial role in the estimation of sea ice thickness.     

北部湾地区不同相对密度的海砂力学特性分析

为探究相对密度和有效围压对饱和海砂力学特性的影响,利用GDS动态三轴试验仪,对广西北部湾地区海砂开展了一系列固结排水三轴剪切试验,分析了相对密度、有效围压对饱和海砂强度特征、体变特征、割线模量以及摩擦角的影响规律。结果表明：随着围压的减小或相对密度的增大,试样体积应变不断增大,而相对密度或有效围压的增加均会提高试样的峰值强度,有效围压与峰值强度之间呈现良好的线性增长关系。随着围压的减小或相对密度的增大,应力相对软化系数、剪胀系数均不断增大,且有效围压与应力相对软化系数、剪胀系数分别呈线性和半对数线性相关。割线模量随轴向应变的增加整体呈衰减趋势,各试验工况下轴向应变为5%时试样的割线模量相比于轴向应变0.164%衰减了80%~90%。饱和海砂的峰值摩擦角随相对密度的增加而增大,随有效围压的增大而减小,相对密度D_r为50%时有效围压σ_c为50 kPa对应的峰值摩擦角是σ_c为200 kPa的1.098倍。     

A procedure for simulating synthetic accelerograms compatible with correlated and conditional probabilistic response spectra

The modeling of seismic load is a major topic that has to be addressed thoroughly in the framework of performance based seismic analysis and design. In this paper, a simple procedure for simulating artificial earthquake accelerograms matching the statistical distribution of response spectra, as given by median ground motion prediction equations, the standard deviation and correlation coefficients, is proposed. The approach follows the general ideas of the (natural) ground motion selection algorithms proposed by Baker [4] and Wang [43] but using simulated (artificial) “spectrum-compatible” accelerograms. This allows to simulate spectrum-compatible accelerograms featuring variability similar to the one of recorded accelerograms when the match of median and ±1 standard-deviation response spectra is imposed by the regulator. The procedure is illustrated by an application to the NGA ground motion data and models.     

京津冀水资源利用多效率指标的变化特征比较

提高水资源利用效率,缓解用水压力,是解决京津冀缺水问题的有效措施,对各行业用水效率历史状况的全局把握有助于未来政策的调整.论文比较了京津冀三地的万元GDP用水量、万元工业增加值用水量、管网漏损率、人均日生活用水量、污水处理率、作物水分利用效率共6项指标组成的综合用水效率,分析了 2002-2017年京津冀用水效率的Ma...     

The influence of variable topography on the depositional behaviour of pyroclastic density currents: The examples of the Upper Pollara eruption (Salina Island,southern Italy)

Stratigraphic reconstruction of the Upper Pollara eruption has allowed for the inference of eruptive mechanisms and the distillation of a sedimentological model for pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) moving across variable topography. The pre-eruptive topography in the study area was characterised by a tuff ring-like morphology, with both inward and outward dipping slopes. Highly viscous, moderately porphyritic, dacitic to rhyolitic magmas fed the eruption, which was characterised by a Vulcanian eruptive style. The stratigraphic succession was divided into five eruption units (EUs), which result from different phases of the eruption separated by stases. Sustained columns occurred only during EU1, while PDC generation dominates EU2–5. Lithofacies analysis of the PDC deposits indicates the prevalence of massive coarse-grained deposits on the inner slopes of the Pollara crater, which are interpreted as the deposits of a flow-boundary zone dominated by granular flow or fluid escape regimes. Dune-bedded, massive to stratified lithofacies dominate the outer slopes of the Pollara crater, and are interpreted as the deposits of PDCs with flow-boundary zones in which traction played a major role. Thin, massive PDC deposits are exposed on the sub-horizontal Malfa terrace, and are interpreted as representative of flow-boundary zones dominated by a granular flow regime. The occurrence of stacked deposits indicates that most of the PDCs were characterised by unsteady pulsatory behaviour, with development of trains of pulses during their transport. The downcurrent lithofacies transitions observed for the Upper Pollara deposits have finally been compared with other similar lithofacies associations which have been described for short-lived PDCs at tuff rings, in order to discuss the influence of pre-eruptive topography on lithofacies association.     

碰撞非相干散射理论谱宏观法和微观法的比较研究

非相干散射理论谱是理解非相干散射雷达探测的理论基础,其求解过程分为微观法和宏观法.在考虑碰撞不考虑磁场的条件下,本文使用这两种方法对理论谱分别进行求解,给出了关键求解过程,并对等离子体的归一化导纳和极化率以及非相干散射的微分散射截面和谱密度函数进行分析,得到了它们各自之间的数学关系,概括性分析了两种方法在理论选择、最终结论及多种因素下求解的异同点.

     

内蒙古中部重、磁场特征与地壳密度结构

中亚造山带中的古生代——中生代花岗岩普遍具有正εNd值,在世界上是十分独特的。美国西部加利福尼亚中生代-新生代花岗岩同样具有正εNd值,并且其地壳的速度分布特征与内蒙古中部十分相似。本文通过与美国加利福尼亚的地球物理研究成果进行对比,来研究内蒙古中部的地壳密度结构,特别是下地壳的组成,试图探讨产生正￡。值花岗岩的深部地质原因。研究结果表明,在大兴安岭-内蒙古造山带下地壳中可能存在与美国加里福尼亚类似的洋壳物质。此外,还对重、磁异常进行了处理,以确定蛇绿岩带的延展情况。由于在西拉木伦河附近存在切割至莫霍面的深断裂,结合地表出现的蛇绿岩带,故提出温都尔庙-西拉木伦河一线可能是内蒙古中部最重要的地质构造界线。     

干旱荒漠区植被覆盖变化的遥感监测分析

多期的遥感数据可以用来分析干旱荒漠区植被的空间分布格局和变化特征。本文以1989、2000和2007年3个不同时相的Landsat TM/ETM+影像为数据源,利用线性光谱混合分析和RGB彩色合成法构建一个研究框架,对古尔班通古特沙漠西缘进行植被信息的提取和变化监测分析。在混合像元分解过程中,通过多种方法选择端元,比较...     

干密度对路基性能的影响研究

通过滤纸法试验,测得3种干密度下的土-水特征曲线,拟合得到3种干密度下的Van Genuchten模型参数,分析干密度对土-水特征曲线及Van Genuchten模型参数的影响。通过室内回弹模量试验,分析压实度和含水率对回弹模量的影响,并建立回弹模量与压实度和含水率之间的关系式。基于水力耦合机制,结合试验结果建立地下水位变化作用下的路基湿度及变形的动态响应模型,计算地下水位从-6 m上升到-3 m后,路基的含水率和回弹模量分布以及路基的变形。计算结果表明,干密度对土-水特征曲线Van Genuchten模型参数产生显著影响,饱和体积含水率随着干密度的增大线性减小,残余体积含水率随着干密度的增大线性增大,参数a与进气值的倒数线性相关,参数n随干密度的增大线性增大;回弹模量随着含水率的增大而减小,随着干密度的增大而增大;地下水位上升导致路基土的含水率显著增加,回弹模量明显下降,引起不可忽视的路基变形;不同填筑压实度下,地下水位变化引起的路基变形差异很明显,控制路基土的压实度是提高路基土性能的有效途径。