Permanent Scatterers for landslide investigations: outcomes from the ESA-SLAM project

Within the SLAM project (Service for Landslide Monitoring), launched in 2003 by the European Space Agency (ESA) the Permanent Scatterers (PS) technique, a multi-image interferometric approach, coupled with the interpretation of aerial-photos and optical satellite images, was carried out for landslide investigations. The PS analysis was applied at a regional scale as support for landslide inventory mapping and at local scale for the monitoring of single well-known slope movements. For the integration of the PS measurements within a landslide inventory the Arno river basin (Italy) was chosen as test site for the presence of a high number of mass movements (to date about 300 areas at high landslide risk and more than 27,000 individual landslides mapped by the institutional authorities). About 350 SAR images have been interferometrically processed by means of the PS technique, with the detection of about 600,000 PS. The use of optical images contributed spatial meaning to the point-wise information provided by the PS, making it easier to identify terrain features related to slope instability and the landslide boundaries. Here we describe the employed methodology and its impact in the updating of a preexisting landslide inventory. 6.8% of the total number of landslides were characterized by ground displacement measurements from the PS: 6.1% of already mapped landslides and 0.8% of new unstable areas detected through the PS analysis. Moreover, most of the PS are located in urban areas, showing that the proposed methodology is suitable for landslide mapping in areas with a quite high density of urbanization, but that over vegetated areas it still suffers from the limitations induced by the current space-borne SAR missions (e.g. temporal de-correlation). On the other hand, the use of InSAR for the monitoring of single slow landslides threatening built-up areas has provided satisfactory results, allowing the measurement of superficial deformations with high accuracy on the landslide sectors characterized by a good radar reflectivity and coherence.     

Soil quality changes in land degradation as indicated by soil chemical, biochemical and microbiological properties in a karst area of southwest Guizhou, China

Not only the nutritional status and biological activity but also the soil ecological functioning or soil health has been impacted profoundly by land degradation in the karst area of southwest China where the karst ecosystems are generally considered as extremely vulnerable to land degradation under intensified land-use changes. The objectives of this study are to elucidate the changes in overall soil quality by a holistic approach of soil nutritional, biological activity, and soil health indicators in the karst area as impacted by intense cultivation and vegetation degradation. Topsoil samples were collected on selected eco-tesserae in a sequence of land degradation in a karst area of southwest Guizhou in 2004. The soil nutrient pools of organic carbon (C_org), extractable extracellular carbon (C_ext), total soil nitrogen (N_t), alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (N_ah), total phosphorus (P_t), available phosphorus (P_a) were analyzed by wet soil chemistry. The soil biological properties were studied by means of measurements of microbial biomass carbon (both by fumigation–extraction, FE-C_mic, and by calculation from substrate-incubation respiration, SIR-C_mic) of respiration [respiration without addition of substrates, basal respiration (BR), and potential respiration (PR) with substrate-incubation] and of soil enzyme activities (invertase, urease, and alkaline phosphatase). Soil health status was assessed by simple indices of C_mic/C_org and BR/C_mic in conjunction with bacterial community structures determined by polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. While the nutritional pool parameters, such as C_org and C_ext, described basically the changes in soil life-supporting capacity with cultivation interference and vegetation declined, those parameters of biological activity such as FE-C_mic, SIR, and SIR-C_mic as well as bacterial community structures measured by molecular method evidenced well the changes in soil functioning for ecosystem health with the land degradation.     

Synchrotron IR study of hydrous ringwoodite (γ-Mg2SiO4) up to 30 GPa

High-pressure synchrotron infrared (IR) absorption spectra were collected between 650 and 4,000 cm⁻¹ at ambient temperature for hydrous Mg-ringwoodite (γ-Mg₂SiO₄) up to 30 GPa. The main feature in the OH⁻ stretching region is an extremely broad band centred at 3,150 cm⁻¹. The hydrogen bond is strong for most protons and the most probable site for protonation is the tetrahedral edge. With increasing pressure, this band shifts downward while decreasing its integrated intensity until disappearance at a pressure of 25 GPa. Only one band at 2,450 cm⁻¹ and an absorption plateau persist with a maximum wavenumber of 3,800 cm⁻¹. This behaviour is reversible upon pressure release. We interpret this as a second-order phase transition occurring in hydrated Mg-ringwoodite at high pressure (beyond ∼ 25 GPa). This result is compatible with the observation by Kleppe et al. (Phys Chem Miner 29:473–476, 2002a) who suggested the presence of Si–O–Si linkages and/or partial increase in the coordination of Si. Beyond the phase transition, the protons are delocalized and their environment on the ringwoodite structure is probably quite different from that at low pressure. Data obtained in situ at high pressures and temperatures are needed to better understand the effect of protonation on the structure and to better constrain this phase transition.     

全数字摄影测量系统DEM生产的质量控制

目前,数字高程模型(DEM)在理论研究和实践应用方面都有了很大的进展,已在测绘、地质、农业、工程、建筑、军事、导航等多个领域得到了广泛应用,因此高效快捷地生产高精度的DEM是十分必要和迫切的。全数字摄影测量系统DEM生产方案是解决这一问题的有效途径,文章针对该系统的特点,提出了加强质量控制的策略和方法,并阐述了对一些实践问题的解决。     

矢量数字地图数据质量的综合评估

研究和确定了矢量数字地图数据的质量评估因子和评估标准,介绍了利用模糊综合评估方法进行质量评估的过程和做法,并给出了实例.     

非等截面桩超声波成孔质量检测

分析了非等截面超声波成孔质量检测的几个主要影响因素,给出了相应得改进措施。用工程实例说明超声波反射技术是一种保证非等截面桩成孔质量和成桩质量必不可少的检测方法。     

浅析混凝土质量通病防治的措施

在混凝土工程施工时，经常会发现诸如蜂窝、麻面、孔洞、露筋、缝隙、夹层、缺棱掉角、表面不平整。混凝土强度不够，均质性差等质量通病。在分析产生混凝土施工质量问题原因的基础上，有针对性地提出了各种防治措施。     

伊敏五牧场区煤质特征及变质规律

伊敏五牧场区存在着从褐煤到贫煤完整的变质系列,其主要煤变质类型为接触变质.在本区煤系地层底部有一酸性侵入岩体,该侵入岩体是引起本区煤变质的直接热源,它提供了褐煤向烟煤转化的热动力.本区出现的隐爆角砾岩也是受热不均匀或热叠加造成煤类复杂多变的原因.区内构造十分发育,构造条件是煤变质的又一主要因素.研究该区煤变质规律对伊敏煤田及海拉尔褐煤盆地烟煤预测具有指导作用.     

四平地区生态地质环境的研究

通过对四平地区生态地质环境的调查，对该区水、土壤、大气、区域稳定性、生态资源、地层条件、放射性、矿藏、地方病、旅游地质及垃圾等进行环境现状综合评价。利用ISODATA模糊聚类分析法对该区的生态地质环境质量进行了分区。并利用面积加权法计算出该区的生态地质环境质量评价结果为中上等水平。