The thermal maturity of sedimentary basins as revealed by magnetic mineralogy

The thermal evolution of sedimentary basins is usually constrained by maturity data, which is interpreted from Rock-Eval pyrolysis and vitrinite reflectance analytical results on field or boreholes samples. However, some thermal evolution models may be inaccurate due to the use of elevated maturities measured in samples collected within an undetected metamorphic contact aureole surrounding a magmatic intrusion. In this context, we investigate the maturity and magnetic mineralogy of 16 claystone samples from Disko-Svartenhuk Basin, part of the SE Baffin Bay volcanic margin. Samples were collected within thermal contact metamorphic aureoles near magma intrusions, as well as equivalent reference samples not affected by intrusions. Rock-Eval pyrolysis (T_max), and vitrinite reflectance (Ro) analysis were performed to assess the thermal maturity, which lies in the oil window when 435°C ≤ T_max ≤ 470°C and 0.6%–0.7% ≤ Ro ≤ 1.3%. In addition, we performed low- (<300K) and high-temperature (>300K) investigations of isothermal remanent magnetization to assess the magnetic mineralogy of the selected samples. The maturity results (0.37% ≤ Ro ≤ 2%, 22°C ≤ T_max ≤ 604°C) show a predominance of immature to early mature Type III organic matter, but do not reliably identify the contact aureole when compared to the reference samples. The magnetic assemblage of the immature samples consists of iron sulphide (greigite), goethite and oxidized or non-stoichiometric magnetite. The magnetic assemblage of the early mature to mature samples consists of stoichiometric magnetite and fine-grained pyrrhotite (<1 μm). These results document the disappearance of the iron sulphide (greigite) and increase in content of magnetite during normal burial. On the other hand, magnetite is interpreted to be the dominant magnetic mineral inside the contact aureole surrounding dyke/sill intrusions where palaeotemperatures indicate mature to over-mature state. Interestingly, the iron sulphide (greigite) is still detected in the contact aureole where palaeotemperatures exceeded 130°C. Therefore, the magnetic mineralogy is a sensitive method that can characterize normal burial history, as well as identify hidden metamorphic contact aureoles where the iron sulphide greigite is present at temperatures beyond its stability field.     

Coupling numerical simulation with remotely sensed information for the study of frozen soil dynamics

The acquisition of spatial-temporal information of frozen soil is fundamental for the study of frozen soil dynamics and its feedback to climate change in cold regions. With advancement of remote sensing and better understanding of frozen soil dynamics, discrimination of freeze and thaw status of surface soil based on passive microwave remote sensing and numerical simulation of frozen soil processes under water and heat transfer principles provides valuable means for regional and global frozen soil dynamic monitoring and systematic spatial-temporal responses to global change. However, as an important data source of frozen soil processes, remotely sensed information has not yet been fully utilized in the numerical simulation of frozen soil processes. Although great progress has been made in remote sensing and frozen soil physics, yet few frozen soil research has been done on the application of remotely sensed information in association with the numerical model for frozen soil process studies. In the present study, a distributed numerical model for frozen soil dynamic studies based on coupled water-heat transferring theory in association with remotely sensed frozen soil datasets was developed. In order to reduce the uncertainty of the simulation, the remotely sensed frozen soil information was used to monitor and modify relevant parameters in the process of model simulation. The remotely sensed information and numerically simulated spatial-temporal frozen soil processes were validated by in-situ field observations in cold regions near the town of Naqu on the East-Central Tibetan Plateau. The results suggest that the overall accuracy of the algorithm for discriminating freeze and thaw status of surface soil based on passive microwave remote sensing was more than 95%. These results provided an accurate initial freeze and thaw status of surface soil for coupling and calibrating the numerical model of this study. The numerically simulated frozen soil processes demonstrated good performance of the distributed numerical model based on the coupled water-heat transferring theory. The relatively larger uncertainties of the numerical model were found in alternating periods between freezing and thawing of surface soil. The average accuracy increased by about 5% after integrating remotely sensed information on the surface soil. The simulation accuracy was significantly improved, especially in transition periods between freezing and thawing of the surface soil.     

Inter-comparison of remote sensing platforms for height estimation of mango and avocado tree crowns

To support the adoption of precision agricultural practices in horticultural tree crops, prior research has investigated the relationship between crop vigour (height, canopy density, health) as measured by remote sensing technologies, to fruit quality, yield and pruning requirements. However, few studies have compared the accuracy of different remote sensing technologies for the estimation of tree height. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy, flexibility, aerial coverage and limitations of five techniques to measure the height of two types of horticultural tree crops, mango and avocado trees. Canopy height estimates from Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) were used as a reference dataset against height estimates from Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data, WorldView-3 (WV-3) stereo imagery, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) based RGB and multi-spectral imagery, and field measurements. Overall, imagery obtained from the UAV platform were found to provide tree height measurement comparable to that from the TLS (R² = 0.89, RMSE = 0.19 m and rRMSE = 5.37 % for mango trees; R² = 0.81, RMSE = 0.42 m and rRMSE = 4.75 % for avocado trees), although coverage area is limited to 1–10 km² due to battery life and line-of-sight flight regulations. The ALS data also achieved reasonable accuracy for both mango and avocado trees (R² = 0.67, RMSE = 0.24 m and rRMSE = 7.39 % for mango trees; R² = 0.63, RMSE = 0.43 m and rRMSE = 5.04 % for avocado trees), providing both optimal point density and flight altitude, and therefore offers an effective platform for large areas (10 km²–100 km²). However, cost and availability of ALS data is a consideration. WV-3 stereo imagery produced the lowest accuracies for both tree crops (R² = 0.50, RMSE = 0.84 m and rRMSE = 32.64 % for mango trees; R² = 0.45, RMSE = 0.74 m and rRMSE = 8.51 % for avocado trees) when compared to other remote sensing platforms, but may still present a viable option due to cost and commercial availability when large area coverage is required. This research provides industries and growers with valuable information on how to select the most appropriate approach and the optimal parameters for each remote sensing platform to assess canopy height for mango and avocado trees.     

Estimating fractional cover of crop,crop residue,and soil in cropland using broadband remote sensing data and machine learning

The fractional vegetation cover (FVC), crop residue cover (CRC), and bare soil (BS) are three important parameters in vegetation–soil ecosystems, and their correct and timely estimation can improve crop monitoring and environmental monitoring. The triangular space method uses one CRC index and one vegetation index to create a triangular space in which the three vertices represent pure vegetation, crop residue, and bare soil. Subsequently, the CRC, FVC, and BS of mixed remote sensing pixels can be distinguished by their spatial locations in the triangular space. However, soil moisture and crop-residue moisture (SM-CRM) significantly reduce the performance of broadband remote sensing CRC indices and can thus decrease the accuracy of the remote estimation and mapping of CRC, FVC, and BS. This study evaluated the use of broadband remote sensing, the triangular space method, and the random forest (RF) technique to estimate and map the FVC, CRC, and BS of cropland in which SM-CRM changes dramatically. A spectral dataset was obtained using: (1) from a field-based experiment with a field spectrometer; and (2) from a laboratory-based simulation that included four distinct soil types, three types of crop residue (winter-wheat, maize, and rice), one crop (winter wheat), and varying SM-CRM. We trained an RF model [designated the broadband crop-residue index from random forest (CRRF)] that can magnify spectral features of crop residue and soil by using the broadband remote sensing angle indices as input, and uses a moisture-resistant hyperspectral index as the target. The effects of moisture on crop residue and soil were minimized by using the broadband CRRF. Then, the CRRF-NDVI triangular space method was used to estimate and map CRC, FVC, and BS. Our method was validated by using both laboratory- and field-based experiments and Sentinel-2 broadband remote-sensing images. Our results indicate that the CRRF-NDVI triangular space method can reduce the effect of moisture on the broadband remote-sensing of CRC, and may also help to obtain laboratory and field CRC, FVC, and BS. Thus, the proposed method has great potential for application to croplands in which the SM-CRM content changes dramatically.     

多时相Landsat影像的平原河网区不透水面信息提取方法与应用

不透水面是衡量城市生态环境的重要指标,针对平原河网区不透水面与水体、裸土等地物较难区分的问题,以苏北里下河平原快速城镇化区为研究对象,利用多时相Landsat影像为数据源,基于像元光谱特征及其季节性变化分析,构建了基于时序NDWI、NDVI和NDBI的决策树模型,并利用GIS空间分析技术对不透水面的时空变化特征进行了分析。结果表明：多时相光谱信息可有效改善水体、裸土和稀疏植被等像元与不透水面的混分,2005年和2016年的不透水面分类总体精度和Kappa系数均在0.85以上,合理反映了不透水面以向东和向南扩张为主的趋势特征,年均扩张速度约为6.7 km²。研究成果为该区城镇化下的生态环境效应研究提供数据基础,同时可为其他平原河网区不透水面信息提供借鉴和参考。     

The 2019 Brumadinho tailings dam collapse: Possible cause and impacts of the worst human and environmental disaster in Brazil

On 25th January 2019, the tailings dam of the Brumadinho iron mine operated by Vale S/A failed catastrophically. The death toll stood at 259 and 11 people remained missing as of January 2020. This tragedy occurred three years after Mariana’s tailings dam rupture – the most significant tailing dam disaster in Brazilian history. Thus far, a systematic investigation on the cause and effect of the failure has yet to be conducted. Here, we use satellite-driven soil moisture index, multispectral high-resolution imagery and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) products to assess pre-disaster scenarios and the direct causes of the tailings dam collapse. A decreasing trend in the moisture content at the surface and the full evanescence of pond water through time (2011–2019) suggest that the water was gradually penetrating the fill downwards and caused the seepage erosion, saturating the tailings dam. Large-scale slumping of the dam (extensional failure) upon the rupture indicates that the materials of the fill were already saturated. InSAR measurements reveal a dramatic, up to 30 cm subsidence in the dam (at the rear part) within the past 12 months before the dam collapse, signifying that the sediments had been removed from the fill. Although the information on the resistance level of the tailings dam to infiltrations is not available, these pieces of evidence collectively indicate that the seepage erosion (piping) is the primary cause for the chronic weakening of the structure and, hence, the internal “liquefaction” condition. Upon the collapse, the fully saturated mud tailings flowed down the gentle slope area (3.13 × 10⁶ m²), where 73 % were originally covered by tree, grass or agricultural tracts. The toxic mud eventually reached the Paraopeba River after travelling 10 km, abruptly increasing the suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration and the toxic chemical elements in the river, immediately affecting the local livelihoods that depend on its water. The Paraopeba River is a major tributary of the San Francisco River, the second-longest river in Brazil reaching the Atlantic Ocean. We anticipate that the environmental repercussions of this toxic seepage will be felt throughout the entire basin, especially riverine communities located downstream.     

Satellite-based monitoring and statistics for raft and cage aquaculture in China’s offshore waters

Based on Landsat 8 remote sensing images, a combination of an unsupervised classification algorithm and artificial review was used to extract areas for Chinese offshore raft and cage aquaculture in 2018. The results of the extraction showed that China’s 2018 coastal zone raft aquaculture area comprised 194,110 ha, of which the province having the largest raft aquaculture area was Jiangsu (28.77 %), followed by Fujian (20.42 %) and Shandong (13.11 %). The cage aquaculture area covered 57,847,799 square meters, of which the provinces with the largest cage aquaculture area were Fujian (64.81 %), Guangdong (17.45 %), and Liaoning (5.63 %). In addition, by combining high-resolution remote sensing image visual interpretation and field investigation, the classification of 1200 sample points in four regions was determined, and the accuracy of the aquaculture area extraction was found to be 87.35 %. The extraction results can be used not only to evaluate China’s aquaculture production but also offer significant reference value for scientific planning related to sea use, ecological environmental protection, and marine disaster prevention and mitigation.     

空-谱融合的条件随机场高光谱影像分类方法

高光谱遥感数据具有光谱信息丰富、图谱合一的特点,目前已经广泛地应用在对地观测中。传统的高光谱分类模型大多过分依赖影像光谱信息,没有充分利用空间特征信息,这使得分类精度还有很大的提升空间。条件随机场是一种概率模型,能够较好地融合空间上下文信息,在高光谱影像分类中已经得到越来越多的关注,但大部分条件随机场模型存在超平滑的现象,会导致影像细节丢失。针对该问题,本文提出了一种优化融合影像空-谱信息的高分辨率/高光谱影像分类方法,该方法将影像的纹理信息与原始光谱信息进行融合,利用SVM分类器对其进行预分类,并将各类概率定义为一元势函数,以融合空间特征信息;然后将空间平滑项和局部类别标签成本项加入二元势函数中,以考虑空间背景信息,并保留各类别中的详细信息。最后,通过两组的高分辨率/高光谱影像数据进行试验。结果表明,与SVM算法、传统的条件随机场方法和面向对象的分类方法相比,本文提出的算法在整体分类精度上分别提高了10%、9%和8%以上,同时在保持地物边缘完整性、避免“同谱异物”与“同物异谱”的现象方面有较明显的优势。     

基于深度学习理论的无人机影像分类

针对无人机影像深度学习分类方法缺乏现状,本文利用深度学习理论卷积神经网络方法对无人机影像进行了分类。该法首先抽取无人机影像作为训练集和检验集,然后建立一个2个卷积层-池化层的卷积神经网络模型进行深度学习,通过设定参数并运行模型实现无人机影像分类。实验表明,本文提出的方法可完成较复杂地区无人机影像分类,其分类精度与支持向量机方法相当,为无人机遥感影像分类提供了一个崭新的技术视点。     

FY-3D/MERSI-II全球火点监测产品及其应用

FY-3D/MERSI-II全球火点监测产品主要包括全球范围内的火点位置、亚像元火点面积和火点强度等信息,可用于实时监测全球范围的森林草原火灾、秸秆焚烧等生物质燃烧状况。火点判识算法主要根据中红外通道对高温热源的敏感特性,即含有火点的中红外通道像元辐亮度和亮温较远红外通道的辐亮度和亮温偏高,同时较周边非火点的中红外像元偏高,建立合适的阈值可探测含有火点的像元。亚像元火点面积估算主要使用中红外单通道估算,根据亚像元火点面积估算结果对火点强度进行分级,不同的级别表示不同程度的火点辐射强度。基于全球火点自动判识结果,每日生成0.01°分辨率的卫星遥感日全球火点产品,每月生产0.25°×0.25°格点的全球月火点密度图。在利用FY-3D/MERSI-II火点产品开展的全球火点监测应用中,对多起全球重大野火事件进行了监测,为防灾减灾、全球气候变化研究、生态环境保护等方面提供卫星遥感信息支持。