Water level observations from unmanned aerial vehicles for improving estimates of surface water–groundwater interaction

Integrated hydrological models are usually calibrated against observations of river discharge and piezometric head in groundwater aquifers. Calibration of such models against spatially distributed observations of river water level can potentially improve their reliability and predictive skill. However, traditional river gauging stations are normally spaced too far apart to capture spatial patterns in the water surface, whereas spaceborne observations have limited spatial and temporal resolution. Unmanned aerial vehicles can retrieve river water level measurements, providing (a) high spatial resolution; (b) spatially continuous profiles along or across the water body, and (c) flexible timing of sampling. A semisynthetic study was conducted to analyse the value of the new unmanned aerial vehicle‐borne datatype for improving hydrological models, in particular estimates of groundwater–surface water (GW–SW) interaction. Mølleåen River (Denmark) and its catchment were simulated using an integrated hydrological model (MIKE 11–MIKE SHE). Calibration against distributed surface water levels using the Differential Evolution Adaptive Metropolis algorithm demonstrated a significant improvement in estimating spatial patterns and time series of GW–SW interaction. After water level calibration, the sharpness of the estimates of GW–SW time series improves by ~50% and root mean square error decreases by ~75% compared with those of a model calibrated against discharge only.     

基于无人机载LiDAR的采煤沉陷监测技术方法——以宁东煤矿基地马连台煤矿为例

探索采煤地表沉陷的高新监测技术方法是推动采煤沉陷监测的重要工作,无人机载LiDAR采煤塌陷监测技术是无人机与LiDAR构建的一种新型低空三维空间测量技术。以宁东煤炭基地马莲台煤矿采煤沉陷区为例,采用无人机机载LiDAR监测技术获取了2017年4月及8月2期三维点云数据,通过数据三维建模和沉降信息提取,得到了地面沉陷情况的三维立体图,监测出了3处地面沉降区,并利用实测水准点和已有GPS自动监测站数据,对该技术监测地面沉降的精度进行评估。研究结果表明,无人机机载LiDAR监测技术方法可满足采煤塌陷的立体监测需求,具有机动灵活、成本低、效率高、精度高等特点,未来可在类似地区推广应用。     

新一轮二滩电站库区遥感调查

新一轮二滩电站库区遥感调查是在我国前20年滑坡、泥石流遥感调查技术方法基础上的一次革新。本文介绍了革新方法的数据源、工作平台、技术流程、及人机交互与自动分类相结合的遥感解译方法，并对获得的工作区滑坡、泥石流的数量、分布、特性及它们的环境背景作简要分析。     

Super-resolution enhancement of UAV images based on fractional calculus and POCS

Abstract

A super-resolution enhancement algorithm was proposed based on the combination of fractional calculus and Projection onto Convex Sets (POCS) for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) images. The representative problems of UAV images including motion blur, fisheye effect distortion, overexposed, and so on can be improved by the proposed algorithm. The fractional calculus operator is used to enhance the high-resolution and low-resolution reference frames for POCS. The affine transformation parameters between low-resolution images and reference frame are calculated by Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) for matching. The point spread function of POCS is simulated by a fractional integral filter instead of Gaussian filter for more clarity of texture and detail. The objective indices and subjective effect are compared between the proposed and other methods. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method outperforms other algorithms in most cases, especially in the structure and detail clarity of the reconstructed images.     

Modelling social influence and cultural variation in global low-carbon vehicle transitions

We present a unique and transparent approach for incorporating social influence effects into global integrated assessment models used to analyse climate change mitigation. We draw conceptually on Rogers (2003) diffusion of innovations, introducing heterogeneous and interconnected consumers who vary in their aversion to new technologies. Focussing on vehicle choice, we conduct novel empirical research to parameterise consumer risk aversion and how this is shaped by social and cultural influences. We find robust evidence for social influence effects, and variation between countries as a function of cultural differences. We then formulate an approach to modelling social influence which is implementable in both simulation and optimisation-type models. We use two global integrated assessment models (IMAGE and MESSAGE) to analyse four scenarios that introduce social influence and cultural differences between regions. These scenarios allow us to explore the interactions between consumer preferences and social influence. We find that incorporating social influence effects into global models accelerates the early deployment of electric vehicles and stimulates more widespread deployment across adopter groups. Incorporating cultural variation leads to significant differences in deployment between culturally divergent regions such as the USA and China. Our analysis significantly extends the ability of global integrated assessment models to provide policy-relevant analysis grounded in real world processes.     

Lightning optical pulse statistics from storm overflights during the Altus Cumulus Electrification Study

The Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES) was conducted during the month of August 2002 in an area near Key West, Florida. One of the goals of this uninhabited aerial vehicle (UAV) study was to collect time resolved optical pulse data from thunderstorms. During the month long campaign, we acquired 5256 lightning generated optical pulses. Most of these observations were made while quite close to the top of the storms. We divided our data into two amplitude groups based on prior NASA U2 aircraft optical data and the pulse characteristics. The group of strong pulses with radiance greater than 2.1 mW m^{− 2} sr^{− 1} had mean and median 10–10% optical pulse widths of 770 and 740 μs, respectively, 50–50% pulse widths of 399 and 355 μs, respectively, and 10–90% risetimes of 292 and 260 μs. These values are very similar to the previous U2 based optical results The other group of pulses consisting of slightly more than a quarter of the total pulses observed had radiances less than the minimum values detected in the U2 study. These weak pulses were narrower than the strong pulses with 50–50% mean and median values of 199 and 160 μs, respectively. Only 12% of the flashes observed contained only weak pulses. The source of these weak pulses is unknown, but we suspect that some are artifacts of the close proximity of the aircraft to cloud top.     

基于太阳能无人艇的海洋气象观测系统及其初步试验

中国沿海地区以及濒临海域经常发生多种灾害性天气,包括大风、暴雨、大雾和海上强对流天气等,原位探测资料的缺乏极大影响了这些天气生消演变规律的深入研究以及预报准确性的提高.为了实现海上自动部署、机动安全和实时的多要素原位探测,研发了一种基于太阳能无人艇的海洋气象水文探测系统,工程样机命名为MWO-Ⅰ(Marine Weat...     

Impact of three-dimensional attitude variations of an unmanned aerial vehicle magnetometry system on magnetic data quality

Optically pumped vapour magnetometers have an orientation dependency in measuring the scalar component of the ambient magnetic field which leads to challenges for integration with mobile platforms. Quantifying the three-dimensional attitude variations (yaw, pitch and roll) of an optically pumped vapour magnetometer, while in-flight and suspended underneath a rotary unmanned aerial vehicle, aids in the successful development of reliable, high-resolution unmanned aerial vehicle magnetometry surveys. This study investigates the in-flight three-dimensional attitude characteristics of a GEM Systems Inc. GSMP-35U potassium vapour magnetometer suspended 3 m underneath a Dà-Jiāng Innovations S900 multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle. A series of unmanned aerial vehicle-borne attitude surveys quantified the three-dimensional attitude variations that a simulated magnetometer payload experienced while freely (or semi-rigidly) suspended underneath the unmanned aerial vehicle in fair weather. Analysis of the compiled yaw, pitch and roll data resulted in the design of a specialized semi-rigid magnetometer mount, implemented to limit magnetometer rotation about the yaw axis. A subsequent unmanned aerial vehicle-borne magnetic survey applying this specialized mount resulted in more than 99% of gathered GSMP-35U magnetic data being within industry standards. Overall, this study validates that maintaining magnetometer attitude variations within quantified limits (±5° yaw, ±10° pitch and roll) during flight can yield reliable, continuous and high-resolution unmanned aerial vehicle-borne magnetic measurements.     

基于小型无人机航拍影像的地表房屋建筑提取算法对比——以新疆阿图什市琼哈拉峻村为例

选取新疆阿图什市下辖的琼哈拉峻村为研究区,将小型旋翼无人机拍摄的图像作为数据源,分别采用面向对象以及面向像元2种影像分析方法对研究区的房屋建筑进行提取,并对2种算法的提取结果进行对比,分析了各自的优势。结果表明:面向对象方法可以有效地去除椒盐噪声对分类带来的影响,保证房屋形态的完整性,但影响内部相似的光谱、纹理信息若对应多种物体则会导致影像对象的错分。在面向像元的提取方法中加入了改进的数学形态学算法,可有效的抑制椒盐噪声,保持建筑物边缘的连续性与完整性,较好地解决了面向对象方法中部分农田与房屋出现错分的问题。     

Evaluating functional connectivity in a small agricultural catchment under contrasting flood events by using UAV

Concentrated erosion, a major feature of land degradation, represents a serious problem for soil and water resources management and a threat to ecosystems. Understanding the internal mechanisms (de-)coupling sediment pathways can improve the management and resilience of catchments. In this study, concentrated erosion and deposition forms were mapped accurately through field and aerial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) campaigns, in order to assess the evolution of connectivity pathways over a series of three contrasted and consecutive flood events occurring between October 2016 and January 2017 (return period ranging from 0.5 to 25 years) in a small Mediterranean agricultural catchment (Can Revull, Mallorca, Spain; 1.4 km²). In addition, a morphometric index of connectivity (IC) was used to identify the potential trajectories of different concentrated erosion forms and deposition areas. IC predictions were calibrated by identifying the optimal critical thresholds, i.e. those most consistent with field observations after each of the events studied. The results found that the index performed well in predicting the occurrence and the length/area of the different type of landforms, giving kappa (κ) coefficients of variation ranging between 0.21 and 0.92 and linear correlations R² between 0.33 and 0.72. The type of landform affected the correspondence of IC predictions and field observations, with lower thresholds the greater the magnitude of their associated geomorphic processes. Rainfall magnitude proved to be a very important factor controlling the development of erosion and deposition landforms, with large differences in length/area between the contrasted events. The evolution of the observed trajectories revealed feedback dynamics between the structural and functional connectivity of the catchment, in which morphological changes determined the spatial distribution of the processes’ activity in the successive events and vice versa. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.