Tephrabase: tephrochronology and the development of a centralised European database

Tephrabase was launched on the World Wide Web in 1995 as a tool for tephrochronological research. In order to facilitate the identification, correlation and dating of tephra deposits, this database may be interrogated through multiple routes, including by source volcano, date, location, and tephra chemistry; datasets include stratigraphy, geochemistry, chronology and spatial information. Currently all the European data refer to Late Quaternary Icelandic‐sourced tephras, post‐12 k yr BP. The sites (62) where the tephra deposits are found include Iceland, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Faroe Islands, Sweden and Russia. In addition, there are also data on tephra layers in central Mexico. Use of Tephrabase highlights the importance of selected geochemical data, but this has to be used with care as major element characteristics alone do not always produce unique definitions for single tephra deposits. For the most accurate results multiple criteria must be used. Tephrabase can be found at http://www.tephrabase.org . Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assisted network governance: An inclusive innovation to mitigate extreme water scarcity

We study a local innovation of natural resource governance in Chile in times of extreme water scarcity. Through the issuance of a scarcity decree, the government obliges local water user associations (WUAs) to reach viable water redistribution agreements in order to avoid being overruled by the state. In the Aconcagua River, the government together with the WUAs created the Executive Committee, where only the WUAs have a vote, but private and public stakeholders participate in the process of negotiating water use agreements. Grounded on thematic coding of the detailed minutes of over 80 committee meetings since its inception, we examine the workings of a new local model of Assisted Network Governance (ANG). Based on content and social network analysis of over 1,000 directed interactions among committee members, we find that ANG, as an element of broader hybrid governance, has not only produced viable agreements for immediate water redistribution, but has also facilitated longer-term system improvements by building mutual understanding, resolving conflicts, and mobilizing external resources to improve infrastructure. We conclude that ANG helps accomplish common objectives in the field of natural resources under conditions of extreme water scarcity.     

Integrated Storage and Querying of Spatially Varying Data Quality Information in a Relational Spatial Database

This article investigates a new, integrated technique for storing and retrieving spatially varying data quality information in a relational spatial database. Rather than storing global data quality statements, the system enables data quality information to be referenced to a spatial framework, individual spatial objects, or even parts of spatial objects. The integrated model, called as RDBMS for Spatial Variation in Quality (RSVQ), allows flexible storage of spatially varying data quality information, and seamless querying irrespective of the underlying storage model. RSVQ is founded on a formal model of relational databases, defining a new derived, polymorphic query operator      to join quality data with spatial data. The      operator is implemented in an extension to SQL as a new WITHQUALITY keyword. A performance evaluation of RSVQ was conducted, using an Oracle Spatial database and a case study of cadastral data for parts of Victoria, Australia. The results of this evaluation demonstrated that the system is practical and efficient for a wide range of queries, as well as indicating the performance trade-offs associated with the different data quality storage models. Using the integrated RSVQ approach provides the potential for a single, consistent, database engine for a wide range of existing and proposed spatial data quality management systems.     

城市空间数据库动态更新机制研究与实现

针对长期困扰城市空间数据库建设的“更新冲突”问题进行了深入分析,提出了基于对象特征的数据动态更新机制,并完成了系统的设计与开发。实验证明：该系统可以满足城市空间数据库动态更新的需要。     

省级国土资源数据中心数据库命名规则研究

在对省级国土资源数据的多业务、多时相,多领域,海量性等特征分析的基础上,依据国家的相关标准与规范,对省级国土资源数据中心数据库分类体系进行了研究,将信息分类编码方法应用于国土资源数据中心数据库的分类编码工作,制订了适用于省级国土资源数据中心的数据库命名编码规则。     

A Spatiotemporal Data Model on Relational Databases for Coastal Dynamic Research

Spatiotemporal information is currently among the most significant data used in Geographical Information Systems (GIS), especially for modeling dynamic coastal areas. As the design of the data model is the most fundamental issue for representing spatiotemporal data, this article focuses on the basic solution of how to represent spatial, attribute, and temporal information in an integrated form. By presenting a data model on relational databases, together with an object-oriented model for system development, it is expected to provide both theoretic and technical support to the spatial and temporal analyses in GISs for various applications.     

Data model and visualization of 3D city landscape based on integrated databases

Data acquisition and modeling are the two important, difficult and costful aspects in a Cybercity project. 2D-GIS is mature and can manage a lot of spatial data. Thus 3D-GIS should make the best of data and technology of 2D-GIS. Construction of a useful synthetic environment requires integration of multiple types of information like DEM, texture images and 3D representation of objects such as buildings. In this paper, the method for 3D city landscape data model and visualization based on integrated databases is presented. Since the data volume of raster are very huge, special strategies(for example, pyramid gridded method) must be adopted in order to manage raster data efficiently. Three different methods of data acquisition, the proper data structure and a simple modeling method are presented as well. At last, a pilot project of Shanghai Cybercity is illustrated.     

海南岛不同地形上土壤性质的多样性分析

多样性指数长时间以来在生态学领域被用于分析不同生态体的发生规律,本研究将类似手段用于某些土壤性质 (土壤发生层次、土层厚度和土壤容重) 多样性的分析中,讨论基于海南岛土壤－地形体数字化数据库 (SOTER),通过对不同地形上土壤发生层次、土层厚度和土壤容重等某些土壤性质类别SOTER单元的丰富度指数 (S)、多样性指数 (Shannon指数H') 和均匀度指数 (Pielou E) 的计算,类别多度分布模型的应用,并在地理信息系统环境中实现了海南岛不同地形上某些土壤性质多样性分析的数字化表达。     

数码城市GIS的设计与实现

在介绍用于数码城市GIS建设的CCGIS体系结构的基础上，讨论了不同细节层次的三维建模、集成化空间数据库管理方式，包括基于面向对象思想的矢量、影像和DEM三库一体化的空间数据库模型和三维动态可视化表示机制等。该系统已被用于上海、深圳和北京等城市的数码小示范工程建设。实践证明，它是建设数码城市的有效平台。     

DEVELOPMENT OF A LOW-COST MOBILE MAPPING SYSTEM: A SOUTH AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

This paper presents the prototype of a low-cost terrestrial mobile mapping system (MMS) composed of a van, two digital video cameras, two GPS receivers, a notebook computer, and a sound frame synchronisation system. The imaging sensors are mounted as a stereo video camera on top of the vehicle together with the GPS antennae. The GPS receivers and the notebook computer are configured to record data referred to the vehicle position at a planned time interval. This position is subsequently transferred to the road images. This set of equipment and methods provide the opportunity to merge distinct techniques to make topographic maps and also to build georeferenced road image databases. Both vector maps and raster image databases, when integrated appropriately, can give spatial researchers and engineers a new technique whose application may realise better planning and analysis related to the road environment. The experimental results proved that the MMS developed at the São Paulo State University is an effective approach to inspecting road pavements, to map road marks and traffic signs, electric power poles, telephone booths, drain pipes, and many other applications important to people's safety and welfare. A small number of road images have already been captured by the prototype as a consequence of its application in distinct projects. An efficient organisation of those images and the prompt access to them justify the need for building a georeferenced image database. By expanding it, both at the hardware and software levels, it is possible for engineers to analyse the entire road environment on their office computers.