Anthropogenic relief changes in a long-lasting lignite mining area (‘Ville’, Germany) derived from historic maps and digital elevation models

Humans constitute one of the main geomorphological agents in modern times. As an example, post-mining regions represent a typical landscape of the Anthropocene. Strong relief modifications are particularly obvious with open pit mining. However, many existing mining areas are lacking detailed pre-mining information for the quantification of anthropogenic relief changes, which is a considerable challenge in regions with historic mining activities. Here, the Ville (Rhenish lignite district, Germany) is used to quantify surface mining induced relief changes in one of the oldest and currently largest lignite districts in Europe. Historical maps from first geodetic mapping in 1893 enabled construction of a historic digital elevation model to quantify the relief changes in comparison to elevation data from 2000 and 2015. The vertical accuracy of the historic data is remarkably high, with relief differences < 2 m in areas not affected by mining. In total, 49.2% of the investigated area (184 km²) shows a relief deficit and 14.5% has positive relief differences. Absolute changes account for more than 80 m heightening (dumpsites of overburden) and lowering of the natural relief (pits). Besides these altitudinal changes, overall steeper slopes are significant for the new topography, but levelling exists likewise. The spatial variabilities are discussed in the context of the regional geology and the mining techniques. Undoubtedly, such large-scale anthropogenic relief changes persist for a very long time and will last as a human legacy far into the future. Only the detailed reconstruction of the pre-mining relief offers the ability to clarify the dimension of humans as geomorphological agents and to understand landscape perception. Due to the fact that the impact of open pit mining has such a large vertical and horizontal extension, their consideration as part of anthropogeomorphology can significantly contribute to support future Critical Zone research in the Anthropocene.     

Tectonic cycles of the New England Orogen,eastern Australia: A Review

The New England Orogen (NEO), the youngest of the orogens of the Tasmanides of eastern Australia, is defined by two main cycles of compression–extension. The compression component involves thrust tectonics and advance of the arc towards the continental plate, while extension is characterised by rifting, basin formation, thermal relaxation and retreat of the arc towards the oceanic plate. A compilation of 623 records of U–Pb zircon geochronology rock ages from Geoscience Australia, the geological surveys of Queensland and New South Wales and other published research throughout the orogen, has helped to clarify its complex tectonic history. This contribution focuses on the entire NEO and is aimed at those who are unfamiliar with the details of the orogen and who could benefit from a summary of current knowledge. It aims to fill a gap in recent literature between broad-scale overviews of the orogen incorporated as part of wider research on the Tasmanides and detailed studies usually specific to either the northern or southern parts of the orogen. Within the two main cycles of compression–extension, six accepted and distinct tectonic phases are defined and reviewed. Maps of geological processes active during each phase reveal the centres of activity during each tectonic phase, and the range in U–Pb zircon ages highlights the degree of diachronicity along the length of the NEO. In addition, remnants of the early Permian offshore arc formed during extensive slab rollback, are identified by the available geochronology. Estimates of the beginning of the Hunter-Bowen phase of compression, generally thought to commence around 265?Ma are complicated by the presence of extensional-type magmatism in eastern Queensland that occurred between 270 and 260?Ma.     

科马提岩与苦橄岩的区别及对若干晚古生代“科马提岩”的质疑

以往学术界更多的关注科马提岩和苦橄岩的相似性,忽略其差异。通过全数据模式,采集数据库内全球的太古宙科马提岩、后太古宙低/高钛苦橄岩数据,对比三者之间的差异发现,科马提岩更富MgO、Cr、Ni、Cs、Pb、Co和Zn,其次为低钛苦橄岩(除Co和Zn),其余主量、微量元素的含量由高至低依次为高钛苦橄岩、低钛苦橄岩、科马提岩。依据元素间的差异(如Cr/Ga、MgO/Ga、MnO/Zr、Cr/Zr等),采用密度分布函数(Density Distribution)在Matlab软件中绘制出可有效区分3类岩石的等密度判别图,并用该图对若干晚古生代"科马提岩"的岩性重新厘定。结合岩相学和地球化学特征研究表明,晚古生代"科马提岩"中,印度东部为高钛苦橄岩,越南为化学成分与科马提岩类似的低钛苦橄岩,印度拉达克地区为低钛苦橄岩。     

电子地图的可视化

电子地图是传统纸质地图的模拟与发展,是可交互的多功能的可视化集成地图,可以直观、生动、形象地表达地理要素实体。本文从电子地图的定义、特点及制作流程入手,介绍电子地图的可视化设计表达,给出一些电子地图的可视化表达的原则与经验。     

Point grid map: a new type of thematic map for statistical data associated with geographic points

ABSTRACT

Social, economic, and environmental statistical data associated with geographic points are currently globally available in large amounts. When conventional thematic maps, such as proportional symbol maps or point diagram maps, are used to represent these data, the maps appear cluttered if the point data volumes are relatively large or cover a relatively dense region. To overcome these limitations, we propose a new type of thematic map for statistical data associated with geographic points: the point grid map. In a point grid map, an input point data set is transformed into a grid in which each point is represented by a square grid cell of equal size while preserving the relative position of each point, which leads to a clear and uncluttered appearance, and the grid cells can be shaded or patterned with symbols or diagrams according to the attributes of the points. We present an algorithm to construct a point grid map and test it with several simulated and real data sets. Furthermore, we present some variants of the point grid map.     

Changes and continuity of wood-pastures in the lowland landscape in Czechia

The term wood-pastures is usually applied to areas with trees or other woody vegetation, scattered through a mainly grazed grassland area, and reflects one of the oldest land use types in Europe, which plays important ecological, agricultural and socio-cultural roles. However, a rapid decline in their area due to changes in land use and a lack of tree regeneration has recently been observed all over Europe, which has led to the necessity of a deeper understanding of their behaviour in relation to different factors via a detailed analysis of the history of the changes in their distribution over space and time. Despite the recent increase in the number of related studies, information on historic patterns of wood-pastures in many European locations, such as Czechia, remains incomplete. The goal of this study is to assess the habitat continuity of current wood-pastures and to analyse the land-use/land-cover changes of historical and current wood-pastures in lowlands and warm landscapes of hills and basins of Czechia. To achieve this, nine sites covering a total area of 98.6 km² were studied in Czechia. The situation on three time horizons (1820–1840s, the early 1950s and today) was analysed. The results have shown that almost all wood-pastures from the 1st half of the 19th century have now been lost and most of the currently existing ones were formed from the 1950s till today. Most wood-pastures, which were lost by the 1950s, were turned into open habitats, such as arable lands, and the ones lost from 1950 were turned into forest. New wood-pastures are mostly formed from open habitats, often in former military areas.     

Using Web Maps to Analyze the Construction of Global Scale Cognitive Maps

Game-based Web sites and applications are changing the ways in which students learn the world map. In this study, a Web map-based digital learning tool was used as a study aid for a university-level geography course in order to examine the way in which global scale cognitive maps are constructed. A network analysis revealed that clicks were negatively correlated with familiarity, but were positively correlated with area. More significantly, well-known countries did not act as central nodes within network-based mental models, but served a more complex mediating role in structuring the space between subregions.     

湖南省传统聚落景观基因组图谱的空间形态与结构特征

传统聚落保有显著的价值,深入开展相关研究有利于促进经济社会的可持续发展和新型城镇化战略的实施。结合传统聚落景观基因组图谱,本文探讨了湖南省传统聚落景观的空间形态与结构特征。首先,根据传统聚落景观基因组的空间排列特征将湖南省传统聚落的空间形态归结为向心圆环式、扇形扩张式、多向扩张式、条带式、离散式和组团式等5种基本类型,并进一步归纳了各种形态类型的特征。其次,运用空间句法理论,通过构建传统聚落景观基因组的空间轴线模型,系统地剖析了湖南省传统聚落景观的空间结构特征,发现湖南省传统聚落的空间结构具有对称和平行等鲜明的几何特征,存在着“界域”和“街—巷—码头”等典型结构,还具有典型的风水意象特征。因此,结合传统聚落景观基因组图谱从地理学的视角揭示传统聚落的地学特征,有利于完善传统聚落景观基因理论,深化对传统聚落的认识,促进相关保护工作。     

Color map design for visualization in flood risk assessment

Visualizations of flood maps from simulation models are widely used for assessing the likelihood of flood hazards in spatial planning. The choice of a suitable type of visualization as well as efficient color maps is critical to avoid errors or bias when interpreting the data. Based on a review of previous flood uncertainty visualization techniques, this paper identifies areas of improvements and suggests criteria for the design of a task-specific color scale in flood map visualization. We contribute a novel color map design for visualizing probabilities and uncertainties from flood simulation ensembles. A user study encompassing 83 participants was carried out to evaluate the effects of this new color map on user’s decisions in a spatial planning task. We found that the type of visualization makes a difference when it comes to identification of non-hazardous sites in the flood risk map and when accepting risks in more uncertain areas. In comparison with two other existing visualization techniques, we observed that the new design was superior both in terms of task compliance and efficiency. In regions with uncertain flood statuses, users were biased toward accepting less risky locations with our new color map design.     

Assessing the distribution and impacts of Prosopis juliflora through participatory approaches

Invasive species pose global biological and economic challenges. Over the past four decades, Prosopis taxa have emerged as a major invader of the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Prosopis juliflora, one of the highly invasive Prosopis species, is dominantly present in the Afar region of Ethiopia and continues to spread into the surrounding areas. The objective of this study was to aid the mapping, utilization, and management of the invasive P. juliflora in Afar, by employing participatory research techniques. We assessed the introduction history, impacts, uses, and control strategies of invasive P. juliflora by interviewing 108 pastoralists and agro-pastoralists. In addition, we used Participatory Mapping (PM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), and remote sensing technologies and approaches to map sites invaded by P. juliflora. Sketch maps were produced by men, women, pastoralist and agro-pastoralist groups. Experts aggregated, scaled and reproduced the sketch maps with support from the Afar communities. We provided GPS and GIS trainings to selected community members who assisted us in collecting the GPS locations of more than 70 key features and landmarks. The sketch maps were digitized and geo-referenced by experts using the 70 GPS records as control points. Geo-referenced community maps were superimposed on pan-sharpened Landsat 8 satellite images and presented to the communities for verification. We overlaid the verified community maps on ancillary land-cover layers, and detected the land-cover classes that were most affected by P. juliflora invasion. Despite its uses as source of fire wood, charcoal, and animal fodder, the species has adverse impacts on native species and livestock resources. Afar communities mapped P. juliflora infestations, particularly those that occurred near their villages, using high and moderate density classes. The two highly invaded land-cover categories were dense grassland, and exposed sand & soils. Participants collaborated in creating the produced maps, suggesting that participatory research approaches are another tool for early detection of invasive species and guiding fine-scale management strategies.