The national geophysical data center bathymetric program

The National Geophysical Data Center's (NGDC's) mission is data management in the broadest sense, playing a role in the nation's research into the environment and providing data to a wide group of users. NGDC also operates components of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) World Data Center A. The Marine Geology and Geophysics Division of NGDC handles bathymetric data acquisition, manipulation, archival, and dissemination and operates the International Hydrographic Organization Data Center for Digital Bathymetry. Four major data bases have been developed to manage the large volume of data received: the Global Marine Geophysical Data Base (geophysical data acquired in a time series); the NOAA National Ocean Service Hydrographic Data Base; the International Hydrographic Data Base (contains bathymetric data, other than NOS surveys, with no time‐tagging); and the Multibeam Bathymetric Data Base. In addition, gridded data sets such as ETOPO5 are available from NGDC. Bathymetric data are acquired by NGDC through data exchange, funded and contract programs, processing of long‐term data holdings, data digitization from hardcopy sources, and national and international linkages. NGDC personnel participate nationally and internationally on numerous committees associated with studies of the seafloor including charting and bathymetric needs.     

顾及广播星历误差分离吸收的分米级星载GPS实时定轨新方法

当前,在低轨导航增强、对地观测和科学应用等领域,低轨卫星对轨道参数的精度和实时性提出了更高的要求。利用国际GNSS服务组织实时服务（international global navigation satellite system service real-time service,IGS-RTS）播发的GPS卫星轨道与钟差改正数,针对极区实时改正数接收中断情况下实现厘米级星载GPS实时定轨的关键问题开展研究。首先分析了实时改正数及其短时外推引起的星历综合误差的变化特性;然后以此为依据,在星载GPS实时精密定轨数学模型中构建分段随机游走的伪模糊度参数随机模型,以减小星历综合误差对实时精密定轨的影响,从而实现厘米级精度的实时定轨。采用自主研制的实时精密定轨软件SATODS,使用GPS广播星历与CLK93实时产品,对为期一周的重力场恢复和气候实验（gravity recovery and climate experiment,GRACE）C卫星的GPS双频实测数据模拟在轨实时精密定轨处理。实验结果表明,在考虑极区改正数接收中断的情况下,所提实时精密定轨方法可以达到7.04 cm的位置精度以及0.20 mm/s的速度精度,所提方法具有可行性和有效性。     

Should deep seabed mining be allowed?

Commercial interest in deep sea minerals in the area beyond the limits of national jurisdiction has rapidly increased in recent years. The International Seabed Authority has already given out 26 exploration contracts and it is currently in the process of developing the Mining Code for eventual exploitation of the mineral resources. Priority issues have so far been feasibility and profitability of this emerging industry, while relatively little consideration has been given as to how, and to an even lesser extent, whether deep seabed mining should proceed. This article makes a case that the global community should question and scrutinize the underlying assumption that deep seabed mining is going benefit humankind as a whole before commercializing the common heritage of humankind.     

Africa in the rise of rights-based development

This paper explores the rise of rights-based development (RBD) and its endorsement by prominent international institutions (such as the United Nations) and International Development Agencies (IDAs) like the World Bank. It situates RBD in global political context and analyses it in relation to the international politics of development, especially the politics of neo-liberal adjustment policies in Africa. The paper shows how RBD emerged against a backdrop of debate about four international issues associated with neo-liberalism and its discontents, namely globalisation and uneven development; capability and good governance; human rights and human development; and NGOs in the politics of development. Debates about those four issues keep repositioning the state as the central actor in RBD, and holding the state accountable for development (or the lack thereof) under international law. The paper’s basic point is that state-centric RBD is paradoxical and highly political. Greater accountability is being demanded of states––especially in Africa––from the same neo-liberal forces (such as the World Bank) charged with weakening state capacity, undermining democracy, and diminishing state authority. In terms of international power relations and the politics of development, RBD does signal something of a willingness to rethink certain aspects of the dominant neo-liberal agenda. And yet adjusted states are being subjected––in the name of RBD––to novel methods of international surveillance and forms of conditionality. States are ultimately held responsible for human rights violations, even when it is non-state actors (and their neo-liberal policies) that caused those rights to be violated in the first place. RBD is, therefore, a partial answer (at best) to the questions of empowerment and change raised by critics of neo-liberalism.     

1980．0年东亚地区地磁场的勒让德多项式模型

根据中国、原苏联等地区的地磁复测点和地磁台资料,利用勒让德多项式方法,计算出１９８０．０年东亚地区的地磁场模型,绘制出总强度（Ｆ）、磁偏角（Ｄ）和磁倾角（Ｉ）地磁图．地磁场模型的均方偏差分别为：总强度１４４．６ｎＴ,磁偏角１９．１′,磁倾角８．５′．将勒让德多项式模型与ＤＧＲＦ１９８０进行了比较,并绘制出总强度的差值分布图．本文计算出来的地磁场勒让德多项式模型能较好地表示东亚地区地磁场的分布．     

Sharing benefits of the common heritage of mankind – Is the deep seabed mining regime ready?

The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea declares the seabed beyond national jurisdiction and its mineral resources as the “common heritage of mankind” (CHM). This article examines the operationalisation of the CHM principle in the international seabed mining regime, with focus placed on the sharing of benefits derived from mining. The article begins by providing an overview of the CHM principle, before examining four modalities provided for in the Convention, both institutional and substantial, and their role in giving effect to the CHM principle: (1) financial benefits; (2) the “Enterprise”; (3) the parallel system of reserved areas; and, (4) marine scientific research. Finally, overarching issues are discussed and some suggestions on ways forward are presented. The article considers that the deep seabed mining regime is not yet ready to effectively share the benefits derived from the common heritage of mankind. In particular, the future of the Enterprise is uncertain and changes to the so-called parallel system that affect the CHM have received minimal discussion. Moreover, a lack of publicly available research data related to seabed mining is hindering current benefits for humankind. However, work is underway at the International Seabed Authority to establish rules and policies with respect to the sharing of financial benefits. While the CHM principle remains largely untested, approaches that are transparent, inclusive, accountable, and equitable are more likely to be successful.