Huber’s M-estimation in relative GPS positioning: computational aspects

When GPS signal measurements have outliers, using least squares (LS) estimation is likely to give poor position estimates. One of the typical approaches to handle this problem is to use robust estimation techniques. We study the computational issues of Huber’s M-estimation applied to relative GPS positioning. First for code-based relative positioning, we use simulation results to show that Newton’s method usually converges faster than the iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLS) method, which is often used in geodesy for computing robust estimates of parameters. Then for code- and carrier-phase-based relative positioning, we present a recursive modified Newton method to compute Huber’s M-estimates of the positions. The structures of the model are exploited to make the method efficient, and orthogonal transformations are used to ensure numerical reliability of the method. Economical use of computer memory is also taken into account in designing the method. Simulation results show that the method is effective.     

Frontline soldiers of globalisation: Port–city evolution and regional competition

This paper is an empirical attempt to measure the relative concentration of port–city functions in the context of globalisation. It reviews a number of urban and port issues regarding their complementary and contradictory aspects about the evolution of port cities. The main purpose is to verify how port function is more or less important to local economies, compared to other functions, through a temporal and global approach. Based on a matrix of port–city centrality and intermediacy, the main indicators available for international comparison are urban population and container throughput. An analysis of 653 places between 1970 and 2005 period is provided, using the relative concentration index (RCI) proposed by Vallega. The appropriate geographical scale to measure the relative evolution of port cities at a global level is discussed. Results tend to question previous models which consider functional and spatial separation between the city and its port as an ineluctable process. The port–city evolution appears to be gradual rather than linear or chaotic, and in many cases largely influenced by regional factors and local strategies.     

Potentialité d'utilisation d'argiles marocaines de Jbel Kharrou dans l'industrie céramique

The Ordovician clays of Jbel Kharrou (Rehamna, Morocco) have been studied for their use in ceramic industry. The realised studies were carried out on two samples B1 and B2, the most representative, taken from a clay dominated formation that outcrops 25 km east of the Skhour Rehamna city. The chemical analyses, mineralogical studies and advanced technological tests undertaken on the two samples indicate that these clays can be considered as non-refractory material, so they can be used to the manufacturing of ceramic products: soil and wall tiles, sanitary, pottery, etc. The tested briquettes, cooked at 1040?°C, remain flat, without deformation or defects; they are of cream white dye. These briquettes show a high mechanical resistance to the flexion, the loss in weight remains tolerable with cooking, lightly elevated (12% ); it can be corrected by the addition of a grease-remover. To cite this article: N. El Yakoubi et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).     

白令海岩芯记录的冰消期14 ka以来地磁场强度和方向

对白令海北部陆坡B5-4孔进行了古地磁和岩石磁学研究,尝试获得该岩芯的地磁场相对强度和方向变化信息.结果表明:(1)除0~0.44 m沉积物的磁性矿物粒度比其余沉积物细以外,岩芯的磁学性质总体均一,其记录的地磁场相对强度可以与北大西洋ODP983孔相应记录进行高度对比.(2)根据B5-4孔与ODP983孔地磁场相对强度记录对比结果,并结合该孔4.54~4.56 m处有孔虫AMS¹⁴C测年结果,可以确定3个深度-年龄对比点,并据此初步建立了B5-4孔的年龄模型.(3)B5-4孔磁偏角和磁倾角记录与贝加尔湖、北美、欧洲全新世以来的记录和当地地磁场球谐模型结果一致,其对比点丰富了强度对比点年龄模型,揭示了14 cal ka B.P.以来近线性的沉积模式.(4)根据与中国东部陆架两个钻孔的磁倾角对比,我们推测B5-4孔9~14 ka之间两段浅化的磁倾角可能是哥德堡极性事件的记录,但是受到早期成岩或者沉积物平滑效应的影响.以上结果足以证明,地磁场相对强度和方向变化可以从适宜的白令海沉积物中获得,它可以为确定该海区沉积物年龄提供相关辅助信息,有助于解决北极、亚北极古环境和古海洋研究中由于有孔虫等钙质生物壳体缺乏导致的年龄信息匮乏问题.     

近地震波的小波相对能量分布特征分析

地震波具有非平稳信号特征,能量分布在一个有限带宽范围内.本文根据小波变换的时频特性和分层分解关系,得到了近地震(震中距小于300 km)峰值能量的频率主要集中在3～6 Hz频段这一初步结果.统计分析结果证明了这种方法对于近地震波分析的有效性和可靠性,同时也表明基于小波变换的地震相对能量分布特征可以更准确的给出地震信号的细节.结果对于地震震源及地震波传播规律的研究以及工程抗震设计具有一定的参考意义.     

云南彝良5.7级地震前卫星热红外异常

针对2012年9月7日云南彝良5.7级地震前在震中区附近出现的大面积热红外异常,利用中国静止气象卫星FY-2C/E红外遥感亮温资料,采用功率谱相对变化法进行研究.结果表明:该次地震发生前一个月震源区附近存在明显的热异常区域,并且随着时间推移不断扩大、迁移;在2012年9月1日左右异常面积达到最大,随后逐渐收缩,相对变化幅度达10倍以上.同时发现该次亮温异常沿断层呈带状分布,应与活动构造分布有关.     

Evaluation method and application of the relative contribution of marine hydrocarbon source rocks in the Tarim basin: A case study from the Tazhong area

In total, 2.37 million tons of marine crude oil originating from mixed source rocks has been discovered in the Tarim basin. Geological and geochemical analyses have confirmed that these mixed hydrocarbons are mainly from two sets of source rocks, including the Cambrian – Lower Ordovician and Middle-Upper Ordovician hydrocarbon source rocks. In this study, we determined the set of source rocks primarily responsible for the mixed hydrocarbons and the next location to be explored. Differences in n-alkane carbon isotopes in end-member oils from Cambrian–Lower Ordovician and Middle-Upper Ordovician source rocks were examined. A material balance model and simulation methods were used to evaluate the relative amounts contributed by each source. The results from known reserves in the Tazhong area show that the mixing ratio or contribution is up to 65% from Cambrian–Lower Ordovician source rocks and is generally higher than that from Middle-Upper Ordovician source rocks. The discovery of deep hydrocarbons has caused the total oil contribution from the Cambrian–Lower Ordovician to increase. The mixing ratio of Cambrian–Lower Ordovician oil varies depending on the well, formation, and block. It increases from west to east horizontally and from top to bottom vertically. Hydrocarbons from Cambrian–Lower Ordovician source rocks migrate upward along faults, and the mixing ratio decreases as the distance from the oil source fault increases. Favorable areas for Cambrian–Lower Ordovician hydrocarbon exploration are deep layers and areas near the fault zone that are connected to deep layers. The material balance model for carbon isotopes and evaluation methods for relative contributions considered differences in relative concentration and carbon isotope structure of n-alkanes. Herein, new methods for the identification and evaluation of hydrocarbons in the petroleum system of this superimposed basin are presented.     

Transient and steady-state relative permeabilities from two-phase flow experiments in planar pore networks

The water k_rw and oil k_ro relative permeability curves of a glass-etched planar pore network are estimated with history matching from transient displacement experiments performed at varying values of the capillary number, Ca  , for two fluid systems: one of intermediate and one of strong wettability. The transient _krw,_kro$k_{\text{rw}}\text{,}{k}_{\text{ro}}$ are compared to corresponding ones measured with the steady-state method on the same porous medium [Avraam DG, Payatakes AC. Flow regimes and relative permeabilities during steady-state two-phase flow in porous media. J Fluid Mech 1995;293:207–36; Avraam DG, Payatakes AC. Generalized relative permeability coefficients during steady-state two-phase flow in porous media and correlation with the flow mechanisms. Transport Porous Med 1995;20:135–68; Avraam DG, Payatakes AC. Flow mechanisms, relative permeabilities, and coupling effects in steady-state two-phase flow through porous media. The case of strong wettability. Ind Eng Chem Res 1999;38:778–86.], and potential differences from them are interpreted in the light of the differences between the transient growth pattern, and the steady-state two-phase flow regime. For intermediate wettability, the transient k_ro and k_rw exceed the corresponding steady-state functions at low Ca values and have the tendency to become smaller than the steady-state ones at high Ca values. For strong wettability, the transient k_ro and k_rw are increasing functions of Ca, the transient k_ro is higher than the steady-state one, whereas the transient k_rw decreases substantially and becomes lower than the steady-state one at low Ca values. The dynamic capillary pressure estimated from transient experiments is a decreasing function of Ca in agreement with previous theoretical and experimental studies.     

基于ASTER VNIR SWIR多光谱遥感数据识别与提取干旱地区岩性信息——以西南天山柯坪隆起东部为例

ASTER多光谱遥感数据目前可以用于岩石矿物资源信息的识别和提取。本研究尝试利用ASTER 可见光近红外（VNIR）和短波红外（SWIR）的多光谱遥感数据提取干旱地区的岩石与矿物信息。基于新疆天山西南缘柯坪隆起东部不同地层单元岩石的化学组成和矿物成份以及VNIR SWIR谱域光谱吸收特征的分析,我们采用相关吸收波段深度（RBD）和波段比值（BR）方法对研究区的多光谱遥感数据进行图像处理,有效区分和识别了白云岩、石灰岩、砂岩以及阿克苏群的蓝片岩—绿片岩和砂质片岩。白云岩的CO2-3吸收谱带中心波长位于232〖KG*3〗μm,与灰岩的CO2-3 吸收谱带中心波长位置235 μm相比,具有向短波长方向移动的特点,据此可以利用RBD7、RBD8分别有效的识别白云岩和灰岩; 长英质岩石显示Al OH和Fe3+ VNIR SWIR吸收特征,而基性 超基性岩石显示Fe2+ 和Fe、Mg OH特征,利用不同的铁价态和次要矿物可以区分它们：ASTER band2/band1代表了含Fe3+ 矿物分布信息、ASTER band5/band4代表了含Fe2+ 矿物分布信息、RBD6可以估计Al OH矿物的丰度; 砂质/泥质片岩含较多的多硅白云母、绿泥石、黑硬绿泥石以及风化后表面覆盖的其它粘土矿物,在221 μm（band 6）存在有特征的吸收谱带,并且在165 μm（band 4）具有较高的反射率,而蓝片/绿片岩在221 μm（band 6）反射率较高,不具有明显特征吸收谱带,同时其在165 μm（band 4）反射率较低,因此蓝片/绿片岩ASTER band4/band6 比值低。应用ASTER band4/band6波段比值可以有效的区分开砂质/泥质片岩与蓝片岩/绿片岩。     

全新世以来山东半岛东北部海面变化的河流地貌响应

对全新世以来山东半岛东北部沿岸的相对海面（基准面）变化,不同河流有截然不同的地貌响应方式。大沽夹河型河流的下游河谷中有分别与相对海面升降对应的溯源堆积期和溯源侵蚀期,但不同规模的河流仍有差异。黄水河型河流河谷未因基准面升降而发生侵蚀或堆积,河谷仅起了输沙通道的作用。此外,大沽夹河型河流的中下游河型在相对海面上升或下降时,还可能发生相应地网状化或曲流化。