The role of fire on soil mounds and surface roughness in the Mojave Desert

A fundamental question in arid land management centers on understanding the long‐term effects of fire on desert ecosystems. To assess the effects of fire on surface topography, soil roughness, and vegetation, we used terrestrial (ground‐based) LiDAR to quantify the differences between burned and unburned surfaces by creating a series of high‐resolution vegetation structure and bare‐earth surface models for six sample plots in the Grand Canyon‐Parashant National Monument, Arizona. We find that 11 years following prescribed burns, mound volumes, plant heights, and soil‐surface roughness were significantly lower on burned relative to unburned plots. Results also suggest a linkage between vegetation and soil mounds, either through accretion or erosion mechanisms such as wind and/or water erosion. The biogeomorphic implications of fire‐induced changes are significant. Reduced plant cover and altered soil surfaces from fire likely influence seed residence times, inhibit seed germination and plant establishment, and affect other ecohydrological processes. Published in 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

Complex spatial feedbacks of tephra redistribution,ice melt and surface roughness modulate ablation on tephra covered glaciers

Tephra fallout from the 2011 Grímsvötn eruption onto Svínafellsjökull, Iceland, created an ice‐ash landscape of a type that is rarely studied but is nevertheless common in glacio‐volcanic regions. We used terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to measure ice surface topography and absorption at high spatial resolution, confirming ablation rates either reduce or increase under thick (insulating) and thin (reduced albedo) ash deposits, respectively. Fourier transform analysis of the TLS data identified that a three‐fold increase in aerodynamic roughness was attributable to an increase in larger (> 0·2 m) surface features. Moreover, TLS measurements revealed the importance of ash redistribution by meltwater in generating differential melting which modifies roughness and ash patchiness, such that the net effect of these spatial ash–ice feedbacks was to reduce ablation rates by up to 59%. The modulating effects of these previously undocumented feedbacks on ablation rates are, therefore, significant and must be correctly parameterized if ash‐covered glacier mass balances are to be predicted correctly. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

天然河道洪水水面线推算中几个技术问题及处理方法

天然多沙河道水面线的升降与河道平面形态、过水断面形状、河床粗糙度及河床植被、河床的扩展及收缩、河床组成及其冲淤变化等众多因素有关。以南水北调中线总干渠交叉河道水面线推算为例,分析了天然多沙河道水面线推算中尚需注意的几个技术问题,提出了解决问题的思路和具体的处理方法,具有示范作用,对类似河流的洪水水面线推算有一定的借鉴意义。     

Impact of land surface roughness on downslope windstorm modelling in the Arctic

The article considers the reasons for the underestimation of the wind speed by the WRF-ARW model when simulating downslope windstorms in the Russian Arctic. Simulation results for the Tiksi windstorm, for which sensitivity tests were carried out, appeared to be weakly dependent on the initial and boundary conditions, topography resolution, and boundary layer parameterization. Wind speed underestimation was mostly related to improper land use and the highly overestimated roughness length, which are used in the model. Reduction of the roughness length in accordance with the observations leads not only to a quantitative change in the wind speed in the boundary layer, but to qualitative changes in the dynamics of the flow. Wind underestimation in simulations with the overestimated roughness was caused by the jet stream unrealistically jumping over the lee slope and wake formation in the station area, while jet stream stayed near the surface and propagated to the station area in simulations with the modified roughness length. Modification of land use and roughness length in Tiksi and other regions where downslope windstorms are observed (Novaya Zemlya, Pevek, Wrangel Island) led to a decrease in wind speed modelling error by more than 2.5 times.     

利用卫星高度计风速资料研究海面粗糙度

海面粗糙度对于海洋工程和海洋军事都非常重要，但对海面粗糙度的现场观测资料非常少，这大大制约了我们对海面粗糙度的认识。本文利用TOPEX高度计风速资料，实现了对海面粗糙度的反演。利用1993年和1998年两年的资料，文中对西北太平洋海域的海面粗糙度进行了研究。     

Accurate 3D comparison of complex topography with terrestrial laser scanner: Application to the Rangitikei canyon (N-Z)

Surveying techniques such as terrestrial laser scanner have recently been used to measure surface changes via 3D point cloud (PC) comparison. Two types of approaches have been pursued: 3D tracking of homologous parts of the surface to compute a displacement field, and distance calculation between two point clouds when homologous parts cannot be defined. This study deals with the second approach, typical of natural surfaces altered by erosion, sedimentation or vegetation between surveys. Current comparison methods are based on a closest point distance or require at least one of the PC to be meshed with severe limitations when surfaces present roughness elements at all scales. To solve these issues, we introduce a new algorithm performing a direct comparison of point clouds in 3D. The method has two steps: (1) surface normal estimation and orientation in 3D at a scale consistent with the local surface roughness; (2) measurement of the mean surface change along the normal direction with explicit calculation of a local confidence interval. Comparison with existing methods demonstrates the higher accuracy of our approach, as well as an easier workflow due to the absence of surface meshing or Digital Elevation Model (DEM) generation. Application of the method in a rapidly eroding, meandering bedrock river (Rangitikei River canyon) illustrates its ability to handle 3D differences in complex situations (flat and vertical surfaces on the same scene), to reduce uncertainty related to point cloud roughness by local averaging and to generate 3D maps of uncertainty levels. We also demonstrate that for high precision survey scanners, the total error budget on change detection is dominated by the point clouds registration error and the surface roughness. Combined with mm-range local georeferencing of the point clouds, levels of detection down to 6 mm (defined at 95% confidence) can be routinely attained in situ over ranges of 50 m. We provide evidence for the self-affine behaviour of different surfaces. We show how this impacts the calculation of normal vectors and demonstrate the scaling behaviour of the level of change detection. The algorithm has been implemented in a freely available open source software package. It operates in complex 3D cases and can also be used as a simpler and more robust alternative to DEM differencing for the 2D cases.     

Multi‐Temporal Study and Detailed Photogeological Mapping of the Armero Debris Flow (Colombia), Using Landsat TM 5 Images

Abstract

On November the 13^th of 1985, the City of Armero (Colombia) was destroyed by debris flows generated by a reactivation of the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano. The flows ocurred in at least three principal pulses, as was observed by the disater's survivors. Landsat TM 5 data processing was carried out in subscenes taken before and after the lahar sedimentation.

False color composites were generated and combined with the geological information available in order to visualize the magnitude of the catastrophe and the flow characteristics. Taking advantage of Landsat TM 5 images with high spectral resolution, a detailed photogeological mapping of the three principal pulses of the debris flows was carried out. Landsat TM 5 proved to be a powerful complementary source of information for hazard assesment of these catastrophic debris flows. The images were used in addition to ground‐based information, and were an easy way to help ordinary people and decision makers understand such hazardous volcanic situations.     

Sources of Uncertainty in Shear Stress and Roughness Length Estimates Derived from Velocity Profiles∗

Shear stress is a fundamental parameter in many sediment transport expressions. It is commonly estimated from information contained in the velocity profile, specifically, shear velocity, u _?, and roughness length, z ₀ Under ideal conditions, the functional relationship between elevation above the bed and flow velocity is log-linear, as expressed by the “law of the wall.” Unless the field data conform exactly to this ideal relationship, there is uncertainty in estimates of u _? and z ₀. derived from velocity profiles. This uncertainty depends on the degree of scatter or deviation from the assumed log-linear model. Expressions are presented to quantify the error and to correct for it. Guidelines are suggested to minimize potential uncertainty, especially with regard to instrument deployment and velocity profile analysis. Calculation of confidence intervals around estimates of u _? and z ₀, as proposed by Wilkinson (1984), is necessary and recommended.     

基于“黑格比”和“灿都”台风期间湍流数据的曳力系数和动力粗糙度长度参数化研究*

海面的曳力系数和空气动力学粗糙度长度是计算海气动量、感热和水汽通量交换必需的参数。基于在“黑格比”和“灿都”台风期间收集的涡动相关系统观测数据, 文章研究了10m风速和摩擦速度之间、10m风速和曳力系数之间、以及10m风速和动力粗糙度长度之间的参数化关系。结果表明: 曳力系数和摩擦速度及10m风速之间存在抛物线关系, 动力粗糙度长度与摩擦速度及10m风速之间存在自然指数关系; 临界摩擦速度为0.83m·s^-1, 临界10m级风速为23.69m·s^-1。     

考虑三维形貌特征粗糙裂隙加卸载渗流规律研究

裂隙岩体在天然地质因素和人工扰动作用下处于加卸载环境是普遍存在的,裂隙面的几何特征和加卸载环境对裂隙渗流特性的影响在实际工程中不可忽视。采用试验和数值模拟相结合的方法,利用热-流-固三场耦合渗流试验系统,开展了应力加卸载作用下不同粗糙度裂隙岩芯试件的渗透试验,自主开发程序将激光扫描裂隙面的三维形貌信息导入到ABAQUS软件,模拟应力作用下的粗糙裂隙渗流。试验和数值模拟一致表明,粗糙裂隙的宽度和渗透率都随载荷的增加而减小,随着载荷的增加,裂隙接触刚度增大,裂隙的宽度和渗透率对载荷变化的敏感性降低;由于点接触产生的塑性变形不可恢复,卸载阶段的裂隙宽度和渗透率增加幅度减小,且小于加载阶段同载荷条件下的宽度和渗透率;裂隙渗透率、宽度与粗糙度呈正相关关系,且粗糙度越大,接触应力分布越不均匀;裂隙内流场符合群岛流,粗糙度越大群岛流现象越明显。