Big spatial data for urban and environmental sustainability

ABSTRACT

Eighty percent of big data are associated with spatial information, and thus are Big Spatial Data (BSD). BSD provides new and great opportunities to rework problems in urban and environmental sustainability with advanced BSD analytics. To fully leverage the advantages of BSD, it is integrated with conventional data (e.g. remote sensing images) and improved methods are developed. This paper introduces four case studies: (1) Detection of polycentric urban structures; (2) Evaluation of urban vibrancy; (3) Estimation of population exposure to PM2.5; and (4) Urban land-use classification via deep learning. The results provide evidence that integrated methods can harness the advantages of both traditional data and BSD. Meanwhile, they can also improve the effectiveness of big data itself. Finally, this study makes three key recommendations for the development of BSD with regards to data fusion, data and predicting analytics, and theoretical modeling.     

An optimal parameters-based geographical detector model enhances geographic characteristics of explanatory variables for spatial heterogeneity analysis: cases with different types of spatial data

ABSTRACT

Spatial heterogeneity represents a general characteristic of the inequitable distributions of spatial issues. The spatial stratified heterogeneity analysis investigates the heterogeneity among various strata of explanatory variables by comparing the spatial variance within strata and that between strata. The geographical detector model is a widely used technique for spatial stratified heterogeneity analysis. In the model, the spatial data discretization and spatial scale effects are fundamental issues, but they are generally determined by experience and lack accurate quantitative assessment in previous studies. To address this issue, an optimal parameters-based geographical detector (OPGD) model is developed for more accurate spatial analysis. The optimal parameters are explored as the best combination of spatial data discretization method, break number of spatial strata, and spatial scale parameter. In the study, the OPGD model is applied in three example cases with different types of spatial data, including spatial raster data, spatial point or areal statistical data, and spatial line segment data, and an R “GD” package is developed for computation. Results show that the parameter optimization process can further extract geographical characteristics and information contained in spatial explanatory variables in the geographical detector model. The improved model can be flexibly applied in both global and regional spatial analysis for various types of spatial data. Thus, the OPGD model can improve the overall capacity of spatial stratified heterogeneity analysis. The OPGD model and its diverse solutions can contribute to more accurate, flexible, and efficient spatial heterogeneity analysis, such as spatial patterns investigation and spatial factor explorations.     

顾及地理矢量场空间变化特征的多分辨率纹理可视化方法

网络环境下海量、高维、动态、多尺度地理空间矢量场数据的在线高效可视化,一直是大规模密集矢量场数据集成与综合应用分析亟须解决的关键问题。地理矢量场数据蕴含大量非规则、多尺度、时空异质的变化特征与结构,传统矢量场纹理可视化方法,受全局统一采样密度的限制,存在典型的稠密遮挡、特征模糊的问题。针对上述问题,本文提出了一种顾及地理矢量场空间变化特征的多分辨率纹理可视化方法,引入复合信息熵定量显式描述矢量场的空间变化,以此驱动图像空间内多频噪声纹理生成、矢量场多分辨率纹理的构建与增强表达,有效克服传统纹理可视化方法的技术瓶颈。最后采用风场数据进行试验,验证了本文方法的可靠性与有效性。     

An algorithm for finding the position of a point relative to a fixed polygonal boundary

This article describes a method that determines the position of a point relative to a fixed boundary. Its advantage over the other existing algorithms described below is that in most cases it is necessary that only part of the algorithm be executed to determine the position of the point. A possible inconvenience of using this algorithm is that the contour boundary has to be entered as data. For problems where the boundary often changes the algorithm is not suitable in its present form. The applications envisaged here are to cases where the position of a very large number of points have to be determined relative to one fixed polygonal boundary whose shape is known in advance, for example, blanking out of contours in automatic contouring, or selecting drill holes which lie in the particular part of a mineral deposit.     

Upwelling and the distribution of chlorophyll a within the Bay of Concepción,Chile

The influence of upwelling on the distribution of chlorophyll a within the Bay of Concepción, Chile is discussed in light of continuous measurements of surface in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence and temperature taken simultaneously along horizontal transects, and hydrographic stations' data. Results suggest significant temporal variability both in the distribution of in vivo fluorescence, temperature and salinity within the Bay and in the characteristics of the exchange between the Bay and the adjacent shelf waters, induced by variable upwelling. Upwelling is produced by the predominant south-westerly winds during the summer. Significant variations in the wind direction occur with periods from two to seven days. During active upwelling, exchange is characterized by a surface outflow through the mouth of the Bay and an inflow at depth. Low chlorophyll fluorescence is confined to the upwelling areas on the eastern shore either within or outside the Bay; high chlorophyll fluorescence is confined to the central and western Bay. Density data suggest a three-layered circulation pattern at the mouth of the Bay during the upwelling relaxation involving an inflow both at the surface and bottom and outflow at mid-depth. Associated with this exchange is an active high chlorophyll transport from the Bay to the adjacent coastal waters at mid-depth and inflow of low chlorophyll water from the adjacent shelf at the surface and near the bottom.     

人口密度的空间连续分布模型

分析了常用的表示人口分布的方法,并指出了其不足的地方,提出了模拟人口空间分布的必要性,同时提出了模拟人口空间分布的思路。将研究区域划分为一定分辨率的格网,用核心估计方法将人口密度估计值分配到每个格网上,每个格网上的人口是均匀分布的,随着格网分辨率的提高,就可以模拟出符合人口详细分布的人口密度空间连续分布模型,并通过实验说明该方法是可行的。     

GPS卫星运动状态算法及其软件实现

确定卫星的位置和速度是GPS定位导航的基础,以二体问题为基础,介绍了卫星运动状态的计算方法,建立了计算卫星实时位置、速度的数学模型,并运用C 语言实现了算法,证实了算法的正确性。     

区域人地系统的优化调控与可持续发展

区域人地系统的优化调控始终是现代地理学的重要任务,也是市场经济条件下中国实施可持续发展战略的理论基石。文章认为,区域人地系统优化调控的对象结构应从PRED系统改进为P_DR_DE_DE_DE_DS_D系统,人地系统优化调控的切入点与重点应坚持“以人为本”,而调控的重中之重应是人的意识建设,优化调控的目标点是追求和谐发展至上的目标。人地系统优化调控的动态机理在于模拟“人圈”与“地圈”的最佳距离,优化调控的空间结构包括核心区、发生区、支持区和作用区,各功能区相互竞争的结果形成区域定位与空间共生。协调优化和调控区域人地系统,不仅包括人地系统各要素之间以及各要素内部发展的动态协调与优化,而且包括区域之间人地系统的空间协调和优化,只有同时实现了区域之间人地系统的产业组织协调和空间组织协调,消除了区域盲目竞争与区域冲突,才能实现人地系统经济社会行为对空间区位的合理占据,才能真正实现区域之间的协调发展和空间共生。     

基于遥感与GIS技术的城镇体系空间特征的分形分析--以绍兴市为例

在遥感技术与GIS技术的支持下,采用分形几何理论对绍兴市城镇体系空间结构特征和形态特征进行分析,探讨城镇体系的演化规律。研究表明,绍兴市城镇体系无论在空间结构上还是在空间形态上都具有分形特征。城镇分布密度由绍兴市区向周围逐渐衰减,且分布不均衡,具有向交通线集中的趋势,形成了优化的空间结构。但1984～1997年间,空间结构的演化趋向于围绕绍兴市在半径方向上均匀分布,分形特性减弱。此外,各城镇基本是以各自的中心逐渐向外扩展,空间关联性大致不变。空间形态则日趋复杂,稳定性越来越低,发展的随意性越来越大。绍兴市区这一特点更明显。     

木星土星边缘的椭圆拟合

将CCD观测的木星或土星光环图像二值化,再用"四邻点模板"检测获得二值图像的边缘,最后用椭圆方程迭代拟合边缘,可以获得行星几何中心的位置。这被证明是一种高精度的位置测量方法[1,2]。本文给出了用椭圆拟合检测边缘的全部公式及有关说明。