Searching for ancient gold mines in Filippoi area,Macedonia, Greece,using Worldview-2 satellite imagery

The study area is located near the town of Filippoi, north of the city of Kavala in northern Greece, known from ancient times for its rich gold mines, situated inside hydrothermal alteration zones (Fe–Mn oxide minerals). A Very High-Resolution (0.5 m pixel size) image of Worldview-2 satellite was digitally enhanced, yielding target areas of potential ore existence and lineaments. Ground-truth that followed digital image processing, revealed abandoned ancient mines, slags and ore occurrences. Also, a number of lineaments delineated on the satellite image were verified as faults.     

A filtering approach for estimating lake water quality from remote sensing data

In this paper we consider the estimation of lake water quality constituent distributions from hyperspectral remote sensing data. We present a computational approach that can be used to assimilate information from mathematical evolution models into data processing. The method is based on a reduced order iterated extended Kalman filter, and a convection–diffusion model is used to describe the movement of the water quality constituents. The performance of the technique is evaluated in a simulation study. The results show that the filter approach with an appropriate evolution model yields estimates that have better spatial and temporal resolutions than those obtained with conventional methods. Furthermore, the use of a feasible evolution model may make it possible to obtain information also on the concentrations in the lower parts of the lake.     

Cartographic Design and the Space–Time Cube

This paper reports on the results of an empirical evaluation that aimed to define the effectiveness and efficiency of different visual variables in depicting the Space–Time Cube’s (STC) content. Existing STC applications demonstrate that the most used visual variables are size and colour hue. Less is known, however, about their usability metrics. The research sets design criteria for STC contents, such as space–time paths, based on the cartographic design theory. The visual variables colour hue, colour value, colour saturation, size and orientation have been applied in two different use case studies. Besides, to support the three-dimensional visual environment, depth cues such as shading and transparency were considered too. User tests have been executed based on real-world problems with particular attention for the visualization strategy and data complexity. The outcomes revealed the most efficient and effective visual variables to represent data of various complexities in the STC.     

Cartographic Symbol Design Considerations for the Space–Time Cube

The cartographic representation of geographic phenomena in the space–time cube comes with special challenges and opportunities when compared with two-dimensional maps. While the added dimension allows the display of attributes that vary with time, it is difficult to display rapidly varying temporal data given the limited display height. In this study, we adapt 2D cyclic point symbols to construct 3D surfaces designed along a helical path for the space–time cube. We demonstrate how these complex?3D helical surfaces can display detailed data, including data reported daily over 100 years and data reported in four-hour intervals over a year. To create the point symbols, each value is plotted along the curve of a helix, with each turn of the helix representing one year or week, respectively. The model is modified by varying the radii from the time axis to all points using the attribute value, in these cases maximum daily temperature and four-hourly ridership, and then creating a triangulated surface from the resulting points. Using techniques common to terrain representation, we apply hue and saturation to the surface based on attribute values, and lightness based on relief shading. Multiple surfaces can be displayed in a space–time cube with a consistent time interval facing the viewer, and the surfaces or viewer perspective can be rotated to display synchronized variations. We see this method as one example of how cartographic design can refine or enhance operations in the space–time cube.     

Re-examining urban region and inferring regional function based on spatial–temporal interaction

Urban system is shaped by the interactions between different regions and regions planned by the government, then reshaped by human activities and residents’ needs. Understanding the changes of regional structure and dynamics of city function based on the residents’ movement demand are important to evaluate and adjust the planning and management of urban services and internal structures. This paper constructed a probabilistic factor model on the basis of probabilistic latent semantic analysis and tensor decomposition, for purpose of understanding the higher order interactive population mobility and its impact on urban structure changes. First, a four-dimensional tensor of time (T)?×?week (W)?×?origin (O)?×?destination (D) was constructed to identify the day-to-day activities in three time modes and weekly regularity of weekday/weekend pattern. Then we reclassified the urban regions based on the space clustering formed by the space factor matrix and core tensor. Finally, we further analysed the space–time interaction on different time scales to deduce the actual function and connection strength of each region. Our research shows that the application of individual-based spatial–temporal data in human mobility and space–time interaction study can help to analyse urban spatial structure and understand the actual regional function from a new perspective.     

Multiple statistical approaches for the discrimination of mangrove species of Rhizophoraceae using transformed field and laboratory hyperspectral data

This study aims at discriminating eight mangrove species of Rhizophoraceae family of Indian east coast using field and laboratory spectra in spectral range (350–2500 nm). Parametric and non-parametric statistical analyses were applied on spectral data in four spectral modes: (i) reflectance (ii) continuum removed, (iii) additive inverse and (iv) continuum removed additive inverse. We introduced continuum removal of inverse spectra to utilize the advantage of continuum removal in reflectance region. Non-parametric test gave better separability than parametric test. Principal component analysis and stepwise discriminant analysis were applied for feature reduction and to identify optimal wavelengths for species discrimination. To quantify the separability, Jeffries–Matusita distance measure was derived. Green (550 nm), red edge (680–720 nm) and water absorption region (1470 and 1850 nm) were found to be optimal wavelengths for species discrimination. The continuum removal of additive inverse spectra gave better separability than the continuum removed spectra.     

Quantification of LST and CO2 levels using Landsat-8 thermal bands on urban environment

Land surface temperature (LST) is an important aspect in global to regional change studies, for control of climate change and balancing of high temperature. Urbanization is one of the influencing factors increasing land surface and atmospheric temperature, by the emission of greenhouse gases (e.g. CO₂, NO and methane). In the present study, LST was derived from Landsat-8 of multitemporal data sets to analyse the spatial structure of the urban thermal environment in relation to the urban surface characteristics and land use–land cover (LULC). LST is influenced by the greenhouse gases i.e. CO₂ plays an important role in increasing the earth’s surface temperature. In order to provide the evidence of influence of CO₂ on LST, the relationship between LST, air temperature and CO₂ was analysed. Landsat-8 satellite has two thermal bands, 10 and 11. These bands were used to accurately to calculate the temperature over the study area. Results showed that the strength of correlation between ground monitoring data and satellite data was high. Based on correlation values of each month April (R² = 0.994), May (R² = 0.297) and June (R² = 0.934), observed results show that band 10 was significantly correlating with air temperature. Relationship between LST and CO₂ levels were obtained from linear regression analysis. band 11 was correlating significantly with CO₂ values in each of the months April (R² = 0.217), May (R² = 0.914) and June, (R² = 0.934), because band 11 is closer to the 15-micron band of CO₂. From the results, it was observed that band 10 can be used for calculating air temperature and band 11 can be used for estimation of greenhouse gases.     

方差分量估计理论及其在边角网平差中的应用

本文从理论上阐明了MINQE(I,U)(最小范数二次不变无偏估计)方差分量估计出现负方差的原因;论述了存在MINQE(U,NND)估计量的充要条件;对边角网平羞问题而言,MINQE(I,U)估计法不可能同时准确地求出边长误差模型中的m _a ² 和m _b ² 。文章从边角网误差模型的特点出发,提出了一种新的方差分量估计模型(改进的方差分量估计模型),该模型能合理地确定方向和边长的方差分量,从而较好地解决了边角网平差中的定权问题。     

青藏高原东北缘龙首山晚新生代多阶段构造隆升的盆地记录

龙首山地区位于青藏高原与阿拉善地块的结合部位,其盆山演化过程和断裂带扩展模式的恢复对揭示青藏高原新生代北东向生长具有重要意义。本文基于龙首山南北两麓3个新近系沉积剖面的构造特征和5个砂岩样品的碎屑锆石U-Pb同位素LA-ICP-MS年龄结果,重建了青藏高原东北缘龙首山地区晚新生代的盆山演化过程。研究结果显示,龙首山地区晚新生代沉积-构造演化经历了3个主要阶段：（1）~14Ma,龙首山南缘断裂带活化,阿拉善地块南缘沿此断裂逆冲于张掖盆地之上,张掖盆地开始接收阿拉善地块的物源;（2）~5Ma,龙首山南缘断裂带的次级断裂开始发育,使龙首山南侧山麓白垩系开始剥露并为张掖盆地提供物源,同时,龙首山北缘断裂带活化并导致潮水盆地发生挠曲沉降,接收龙首山的物源;（3）5~2.5Ma,龙首山北缘断裂带的次级断裂开始发育,导致龙首山北麓白垩系开始剥露并为潮水盆地提供物源。通过对龙首山周缘盆地沉积相和物源开展分析,本研究反演了龙首山地区中新世以来的断裂带活动和山体隆升过程,表明在14~2.5Ma,随着龙首山南缘断裂、北缘断裂的活化和次级断裂的发育,龙首山经历了3次强烈的隆升,这对揭示青藏高原北东向的扩展过程具有重要的指示意义。

     

Heterogeneity influences on stream water–groundwater interactions in a gravel-dominated floodplain

ABSTRACT

Floodplains are composed of complex depositional patterns of ancient and recent stream sediments, and research is needed to address the manner in which coarse floodplain materials affect stream–groundwater exchange patterns. Efforts to understand the heterogeneity of aquifers have utilized numerous techniques typically focused on point-scale measurements; however, in highly heterogeneous settings, the ability to model heterogeneity is dependent on the data density and spatial distribution. The objective of this research was to investigate the correlation between broad-scale methodologies for detecting heterogeneity and the observed spatial variability in stream/groundwater interactions of gravel-dominated alluvial floodplains. More specifically, this study examined the correlation between electrical resistivity (ER) and alluvial groundwater patterns during a flood event at a site on Barren Fork Creek, in the Ozark ecoregion of Oklahoma, USA, where chert gravels were common both as streambed and as floodplain material. Water table elevations from groundwater monitoring wells for a flood event on 1–5 May 2009 were compared to ER maps at various elevations. Areas with high ER matched areas with lower water table slope at the same elevation. This research demonstrated that ER approaches were capable of indicating heterogeneity in surface water–groundwater interactions, and that these heterogeneities were present even in an aquifer matrix characterized as highly conductive. Portions of gravel-dominated floodplain vadose zones characterized by high hydraulic conductivity features can result in heterogeneous flow patterns when the vadose zone of alluvial floodplains activates during storm events.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis; ASSOCIATE EDITOR X. Chen