Rapid generation of Digital Elevation Models from topographic maps

Abstract

In this article we demonstrate that substantial gains in time can be made when using point sampling rather than contour line digitising for generation of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). A simple sampling scheme, based on regularly distributed points, was used supplemented with points near break-lines in the terrain. An evaluation of surfaces created with three different interpolation methods at three different resolutions shows that the statistical distribution was better when using points as opposed to contours, and that the accuracy was comparable despite the much smaller amount of input data.     

HUMAN IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT: UNPREDICTABILITY AND THE PRIMACY OF PLACE

Landscapes, environments, and ecosystems (i.e., places) are historically and spatially contingent and therefore unique. Generalizations and laws are based on “all other things being equal.” Owing to historical and spatial contingency, all other things are never completely equal and often do not approach that ideal closely enough to allow for reliable prediction. The problem is illustrated by examining effects of grazing and fire suppression on transitions between grass and woody vegetation communities. In three different environments in the southern United States (central Texas, southwestern Virginia, and eastern North Carolina), three different relationships exist between grazing and fire regime, and vegetation. Other examples are common in the geographic and environmental literature. This suggests that the search for a single applicable generalization or predictive model of a given human-induced environmental change that can be applied without accounting for the particular characteristics of places may be futile. Several general ways to address this issue are suggested. First is the recognition that place matters. Conditions specific to a location or region will influence what, how, or even if generalizations apply. Second is the adoption of a “demographic” approach. This is based on the idea that for places, like people, it is possible to make aggregate or probabilistic generalizations or predictions, but these cannot be applied to deterministic prediction of individuals. Third is a synoptic approach based on forecasting not via simple cause-effect relationships, but based on a typology of situations that recognizes and incorporates the unique characteristics of site and situation. Several converging threads of inquiry in geography and geosciences explicitly or implicitly address the issue of historical and spatial contingency. [Key words: landscape, environment, place, prediction.]     

LOCATING EMPLOYMENT GROWTH IN URBAN AREAS TO MINIMIZE TRAVEL TIME

The transportation requirements of an urban area are, in part, a function of its land use pattern. Reducing travel in an urban area by effective land use design appears to be a worthwhile public policy objective. The planning model derived in this article uses as its core the matrix version of the Lowry model developed by Garin. The model allocates basic employment to the zones of an urban area in order to minimize work and service trips. A hypothetical planning problem for Metropolitan Toronto illustrates use of the model.     

主体功能区情景下的土地系统变化模拟

主体功能区要求对国土实施相对严格的空间管制措施,以实现资源生态和社会经济发展的协调。选择黑龙江省哈大齐(哈尔滨-大庆-齐齐哈尔)地区为研究案例,以CLUE-S模型模拟了两种情景下的未来土地系统变化情况,结果表明,在不实施任何空间管制措施的情景下,耕地对草地的蚕食将延续,生态功能持续降低;而在主体功能区建设的情景下,居民地将大幅度扩展,且主要占用盐碱地,同时保持了耕地和生态用地的安全,在一定程度上可缓解土地利用冲突,优化土地利用结构和国土开发格局。     

基于脱钩模型的煤炭城市可持续发展动态分析——以徐州市为例

促进经济与环境协调是煤炭城市可持续发展的关键和核心。采用物质流分析、脱钩分析和分解分析等方法,深入分析了1995—2007年徐州市经济增长与资源环境之间的脱钩类型、可持续状态及驱动因素。结果表明:研究期内徐州市DMI和DPO的年均增长率分别为2.74%和0.91%,而GDP年均增长率为12.62%,二者之间呈较为明显的正相关关系,而物质代谢效率的提升又使其发展方式呈现向资源节约型、环境友好型发展模式转型的趋势;资源投入、废物排放与经济增长之间均出现弱脱钩现象,表明徐州经济系统正处于显著的弱可持续发展态势;经济规模扩大和技术效应抑制作用减弱是引起煤炭城市资源环境约束性增强、可持续发展降低的主要驱动因素。     

卫星遥感结合气象资料计算的中国干旱区夏季地面感热特征

选用美国国家海洋和大气局(NOAA)系列卫星观测的1982-2006年历年夏季每半月合成的归一化差值植被指数(NDVI)数据资料和针对我国西北干旱区不同下垫面的Ch-INDV参数化关系式,计算了我国110°E以西/35°N以北区域内84个气象站历年夏季各月的地表热力输送系数Ch值和地面感热通量序列,并将其与ERA-40再分析感热资料进行了比较分析。随后,通过数理统计和经验正交函数(EOF)分析方法,研究其时空分布的基本特征和异常变化的演变规律及其东、西部地面感热年际变化的差异。主要结论为:(1)我国西北干旱区夏季地面感热通量实际计算值与ERA-40再分析感热资料相比,两者在值的大小、分布形势和年际变化趋势上均较一致,但感热实际计算值的空间分布更加明显地突出了各气象站所在区域的局地特征。(2)对西北干旱区夏季地面感热EOF分析表明,第一模态反映了全场一致的空间变化,第二和第三模态在干旱区东部和西部区具有不同的南北反向或东西反向的空间变化。第一和第二主分量有较明显的年代际或更长时间尺度的周期变化,第三主分量的年际变化较明显。(3)西北干旱区东部和西部夏季地面感热输送具有相反的年际变化趋势,干旱区东部呈逐年增加的趋...     

地表覆盖对坡面流流速影响的模拟试验

植被覆盖对坡面流流速的影响,会引起坡面输沙特征的改变,但在陡坡条件下盖度与流速的响应关系尚不明确.针对目前国内外研究的不足,本研究采用变坡实验水槽在较大坡度(5°～ 25°)、流量(0.25 ～2 L/s)和盖度(0％～25％)范围内,系统研究了坡面流平均流速与盖度、坡度、流量之间的关系.结果表明:坡面流流速在0.15～ 1.35 m/s内变化,流速与盖度、坡度和流量关系密切.随着地表模拟盖度的增加,水流克服覆盖物的阻碍作用而消耗的能量越多,水流流速随之减小.随着坡度和流量的增加,坡面流重力势能与水流动能增加,因此流速随坡度和流量呈幂函数增加.通过统计回归发现,盖度对流速的影响最大,占45％左右,坡度和流量次之.三个因子可以较好模拟陡坡、定床条件下水流流速(R2 =0.93).研究结果有助于认识陡坡地表覆盖下坡面流的水动力学特性,为建立土壤侵蚀过程模型提供理论基础.     

基于分形维数权重的泥石流危险度评价

泥石流危险度评价是一个复杂的不确定系统问题,为了准确评价泥石流所处的危险度状态,进而为泥石流的防治提供科学依据,提出了基于分形维数权重的泥石流危险度评价方法.该方法首先选取影响泥石流危险度评价的10个主要因素,根据分类标准,采用在每级标准中随机内插的方法,得到40个标准样本,用于构建泥石流危险度评价的分形一插值模型;其次根据最大似然分类原则确定每个泥石流指标的评价分维数;然后利用加权求和法计算样本的综合评价值,并根据样本综合评价值与经验等级之间的关系建立分形插值评价模型;最后,通过实例分析表明:该方法的评价结果是准确和可靠的,与采用其他分类方法所得结论一致.此外,该模型可以得出每个样本的具体得分值,即使对属于同一级的样本也可以排出它们的优劣顺序,因而具有较高的分类精度,为泥石流危险度评价提供了一种较好的新方法.     

水流注入方式和填料层高度对人工湿地流态的影响

流态模拟实验作为评价人工净化湿地系统运行状况、物质在其中停留时间的有效工具,在污水处理领域具有重要作用。罗丹明B背景浓度低、重现性好,被选为评价升流式、降流式和填料层高度对水力流态影响的示踪剂。实验使用罗丹明B和NaCl作为示踪剂,在湿地系统中进行流态实验,探究升流式、降流式和填料层高度对人工净化湿地流态的影响。实验结果表明,升流式人工湿地比降流式人工湿地处理效果好,示踪剂水力停留时间(hydraulic retention time,HRT)的体积利用率分别为82.0%和76.8%,升流式人工湿地无效体积中死区占更大比例,而降流式人工湿地滞留区占无效体积的比例更大;人工湿地填料层高度对示踪剂停留时间分布影响不大,体积利用率都在80%以上,但是,其死区和滞留区随着填料层高度的变化在无效体积中所占的比例有所差异,死区所占的比例随着填料层高度的增加先增加后减少,滞留区所占的比例则先减少后增加。     

水汽吸收和下垫面发射率对晴空大气红外窗区遥感影响的综合分析

从数学上探讨了晴空大气红外窗区通道遥感陆面特性水汽吸收和陆面发射率的综合影响。首先,基于辐射传输方程推导出大气水汽含量和陆面发射率(ε)引起红外窗区通道遥感陆面亮温(Tg)变化的数学表达式,指出红外辐射在传输过程中水汽吸收衰减的影响主要是引起大气透过率的变化;分析了在高温高湿和低温干燥等不同地区,红外窗区通道的大气透过率所受到的不同程度的衰减,以及水汽吸收衰减和陆面发射率对不同的红外窗区通道的影响。此外,还建立了一个红外窗区通道遥感陆面温度与地面亮温差ΔT=(Ts-Tg,imax)与水汽含量变化Δq和陆面发射率ε的二元多项式拟合方程,进一步分析大气水汽含量和陆面发射率对不同的红外窗区通道遥感的影响;指出红外短波窗区通道不但受太阳辐射污染严重,而且受陆面发射率变化的影响激烈,特别是在寒冷干燥的亚北极冬季。最后强调,为了精确地反演陆面温度,最好采用热红外窗区通道;必须考虑大气订正,特别是在高温高湿区;同时应该考虑陆面发射率等因子的作用。