Geospatial analysis of a coastal sand dune field evolution: Jockey's Ridge, North Carolina

Preservation and effective management of highly dynamic coastal features located in areas under development pressures requires in-depth understanding of their evolution. Modern geospatial technologies such as lidar, real time kinematic GPS, and three-dimensional GIS provide tools for efficient acquisition of high resolution data, geospatial analysis, feature extraction, and quantification of change. These techniques were applied to the Jockey's Ridge, North Carolina, the largest active dune field on the east coast of the United States, with the goal to quantify its deflation and rapid horizontal migration. Digitized contours, photogrammetric, lidar and GPS point data were used to compute a multitemporal elevation model of the dune field capturing its evolution for the period of 1974– 2004. In addition, peak elevation data were available for 1915 and 1953. Analysis revealed possible rapid growth of the dune complex between 1915–1953, followed by a slower rate of deflation that continues today. The main dune peak grew from 20.1 m in 1915 to 41.8 m in 1953 and has since eroded to 21.9 m in 2004. Two of the smaller peaks within the dune complex have recently gained elevation, approaching the current height of the main dune. Steady annual rate of main peak elevation loss since 1953 suggests that increase in the number of visitors after the park was established in 1974 had little effect on the rate of dune deflation. Horizontal dune migration of 3–6 m/yr in southerly direction has carried the sand out of the park boundaries and threatened several houses. As a result, the south dune section was removed and the sand was placed at the northern end of the park to serve as a potential source. Sand fencing has been an effective management strategy for both slowing the dune migration and forcing growth in dune elevation. Understanding the causes of the current movements can point to potential solutions and suggest new perspectives on management of the dune as a tourist attraction and as a recreation site, while preserving its unique geomorphic character and dynamic behavior.     

基于加权约束的单体建筑物点云表面重建算法

建筑物点云表面重建在高精度城市测绘、虚拟现实等领域有十分广泛的应用前景。由于建筑物的几何形态多变,重建算法普遍存在计算速率慢、拟合精度低和模型结构不完整的问题。为此,本文以单体建筑物为研究对象,提出基于加权约束的单体建筑物点云表面重建算法,在表面初始化过程中充分考虑数据对结构拟合的贡献。在此基础上,构建基于正则集的单体建筑物表面重建算法,实现建筑物拟合过程中的加权拟合误差、近邻结构平滑的同步优化。针对多类建筑物三维点云的实验结果表明,相比传统的建筑物重建策略,本文的加权约束方法可根据不同类型的点云数据设计自适应权重,并选择模型拟合中最优的权重函数,在高噪声、低精度点云数据下能得到更高精度的单体建筑物表面模型。     

高光谱分辨率激光雷达(HSRL)大气温度测量模拟

激光雷达探测大气温度通常采用探测大气分子瑞利散射的方法,这种方法由于低层气溶胶的存在,一般只能探测高空（约12km以上）的大气温度,而探空气球又存在不能获取连续数据和定位性差的问题.文章给出了利用高光谱分辨率激光雷达探测大气温度的方法,并对此方法作了理论模拟.结果表明此方法可用于低层大气温度垂直剖面探测.     

Characteristics of cirrus clouds and its radiative properties based on lidar observation over Chung-Li, Taiwan

In this paper, characterization of cirrus clouds are made by using data from ground based polarization lidar and radiosonde measurements over Chung-Li (24.58°N, 121.10°E), Taiwan for a period of 1999–2006. During this period, the occurrence of cirrus clouds is about 37% of the total measurement nights over the lidar site. Analysis of the measurement gives the statistical characteristics about the macrophysical properties such as occurrence height, ambient temperature, and its geometrical thickness while the microphysical properties are interpreted in terms of extinction coefficient, optical depth, effective lidar ratio and depolarization ratio. The effective lidar ratio has been retrieved by using the simulation technique of backscattered lidar signals. The effect of multiple scattering has been taken into the account by a model calculation. Summer (Jun–Aug) shows the maximum appearances of cirrus due to its formation mechanism. It is shown that tropopause cirrus clouds may occur with a probability of about 24%. These clouds are usually optically thin and having laminar in structure with some cases resembling the characteristics similar to that of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). The radiative properties of the cirrus clouds are also discussed in detail by the empirical equations with results show a positive feedback on any climate change.     

星载激光雷达卫星海面风场反演算法研究

The principal purpose of this paper is to extract entire sea surface wind＇s information from spaceborne lidar, and particularly to utilize a appropriate algorithm for removing the interference information due to white caps and subsurface water. Wind speeds are obtained through empirical relationship with sea surface mean square slopes. Wind directions are derived from relationship between wind speeds and wind directions im plied in CMOD5n geophysical models function （GMF）. Whitecaps backscattering signals were distinguished with the help of lidar depolarization ratio measurements and rectified by whitecaps coverage equation. Subsurface water backscattering signals were corrected by means of inverse distance weighted （IDW） from neighborhood non-singular data with optimal subsurface water backscattering calibration parameters. To verify the algorithm reliably, it selected NDBC＇s TAO buoy-laying area as survey region in camparison with buoys＇ wind field data and METOP satellite ASCAT of 25 km single orbit wind field data after temporal-spa tial matching. Validation results showed that the retrieval algorithm works well in terms of root mean square error （RMSE） less than 2m/s and wind direction＇s RMSE less than 21 degree.     

基于激光雷达手段的海南地区重力波与其波谱的季节分布特性研究

利用子午工程海南激光雷达对我国海南地区上空进行持续观测,通过3年的累积观测数据对我国低纬度地区重力波活动的季节分布特性进行研究,依据重力波线性理论对海南地区上空的大气密度扰动规律、空间功率谱及时间频率谱进行分析,并通过选择波长在1 km至8 km范围内具有特定波长以及具有波动周期为60 min至25 min的特定频率的重力波辅助研究大气密度扰动的季节变化规律,总结得出海南地区重力波活动具有夏季大、春秋季小、而冬季依然频繁的季节性分布规律.结合海南地区特殊的地理位置与当地季节性气候特征分析得出海南地区上空重力波活动季节性变化的可能原因为青藏高原地形及我国南海地区存在的热带强对流与赤道潜流共同作用的结果.     

用多种策略从机载Lidar数据中提取建筑脚点

设计了一种采用多种策略的建筑脚点提取方法,针对建筑脚点提取中的两个关键步骤———数据分类和建筑脚点分割,分别提出和引入了邻近关系和r半径点密度,从仅反映单次反射的DSM数据中,直接提取出建筑表面点。     

Assessing protected area’s carbon stocks and ecological structure at regional-scale using GEDI lidar

Protected areas (PAs) serve as a critical strategy for protecting natural resources, conserving biodiversity, and mitigating climate change. While there is a critical need to guide area-based conservation efforts, a systematic assessment of PA effectiveness for storing carbon stocks has not been possible due to the lack of globally consistent forest biomass data. In this study, we present a new methodology utilizing forest structural information and aboveground biomass density (AGBD) obtained from the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission. We compare PAs with similar, unprotected forests obtained through statistical matching to assess differences in carbon storage and forest structure. We also assess matching outcomes for a robust and minimally biased way to quantify PA efficacy. We find that all analyzed PAs in Tanzania possess higher biomass densities than their unprotected counterfactuals (24.4% higher on average). This is also true for other forest structure metrics, including tree height, canopy cover, and plant area index (PAI). We also find that community-governed PAs are the most effective category of PAs at preserving forest structure and AGBD – often outperforming those managed by international or national entities. In addition, PAs designated under more than one entity perform better than the PAs with a single designation, especially those with multiple international designations. Finally, our findings suggest that smaller PAs may be more effective for conservation, depending on levels of connectivity. Taken together, these findings support the designation of PAs as an effective means for forest management with considerable potential to protect forest ecosystems and achieve long-term climate goals.     

Aerosol climatology for the planetary boundary layer derived from regular lidar measurements

Regular aerosol extinction and backscatter measurements using a UV Raman Lidar have been performed for almost 3 years in Hamburg in the frame of the German Lidar Network. A set of 92 aerosol extinction and 164 aerosol backscatter profiles has been used for statistical investigations. Mean values and variances of the aerosol extinction and backscatter in the boundary layer have been calculated. Large fluctuations during the whole year have been found. The measured aerosol extinction over Hamburg shows a seasonal cycle with highest values in early fall and a second less prominent peak in spring.An analysis of the data using back trajectories showed a dependence of the aerosol extinction on the origin of the air mass. The residence time of the air mass over industrialized areas was found to be an important parameter for the measured aerosol extinction at Hamburg. However, only a small part of the total variability could be explained by the air mass origin.For 75 cases of aerosol extinction measurements under cloud-free conditions, the aerosol backscatter profile and therefore, the lidar ratio as a function of altitude could be determined. Winter measurements of the lidar ratio are often close to model results for maritime aerosol, the summer measurements are close to the model results for urban or continental aerosols.The high quality of the data has been proven by intercomparisons with other lidar systems and with star photometer measurements of the aerosol optical depth during the Lindenberg Aerosol Characterization Experiment (LACE'98) field campaign.     

Atmospheric boundary-layer structure observed during a haze event due to forest-fire smoke

During a haze event in Baltimore, U.S.A. from July 6 to 8, 2002, smoke from forest fires in the Québec region (Canada), degraded air quality and impacted upon local climate, decreasing solar radiation and air temperature. The smoke particles in and above the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) served as a tracer and provided a unique opportunity to investigate the ABL structure, especially entrainment. Elastic backscatter lidar measurements taken during the haze event distinctly reveal the downward sweeps (or wisps) of smoke-laden air from the free atmosphere into the ABL. Visualisations of mechanisms such as dry convection, the entrainment process, detrainment, coherent entrainment structures, and mixing inside the ABL, are presented. Thermals overshooting at the ABL top are shown to create disturbances in the form of gravity waves in the free atmosphere aloft, as evidenced by a corresponding ripple structure at the bottom of the smoke layer. Lidar data, aerosol ground-based measurements and supporting meteorological data are used to link free atmosphere, mixed-layer and ground-level aerosols. During the peak period of the haze event (July 7, 2002), the correlation between time series of elastic backscatter lidar data within the mixed layer and the scattering coefficient from a nephelometer at ground level was found to be high (R=0.96 for z =324 m, and R=0.89 for z=504 m). Ground-level aerosol concentration was at a maximum about 2 h after the smoke layer intersected with the growing ABL, confirming that the wisps do not initially reach the ground.