Prevalence of the terrain reversal effect in satellite imagery

The terrain reversal effect is a perceptual phenomenon which causes an illusion in various 3D geographic visualizations where landforms appear inverted, e.g. we perceive valleys as ridges and vice versa. Given that such displays are important for spatio-visual analysis, this illusion can lead to critical mistakes in interpreting the terrain. However, it is currently undocumented how commonly this effect is experienced. In this paper, we study the prevalence of the terrain reversal effect in satellite imagery through a two-stage online user experiment. The experiment was conducted with the participation of a diverse and relatively large population (n = 535). Participants were asked to identify landforms (valley or ridge?) or judge a 3D spatial relationship (is A higher than B?). When the images were rotated by 180°, the results were reversed. In a control task with ‘illusion-free’ original images, people were successful in identifying landforms, yet a very strong illusion occurred when these images were rotated 180°. Our findings demonstrate that the illusion is acutely present; thus, we need a better understanding of the problem and its solutions. Additionally, the results caution us that in an interactive environment where people can rotate the display, we might be introducing a severe perceptual problem.     

Mapping deer habitat suitability using remote sensing and geographic information systems

This paper describes an effort to map the habitat for the Eastern Tehama Deer Herd located in Northern California. The range of this herd encompasses almost 600,000 hectares (1.5 million acres). Knowledge of the spatial distribution of suitable habitat is prerequisite to managing the deer herd. Remote sensing and GIS are appropriate tools for such an assessment. Remotely sensed data were used to map vegetation/land cover. These data along with elevation, aspect, slope, juxtaposition, and various buffer zones were input into a GIS and a model was used to produce a map of habitat suitability. The accuracy of the vegetation/land cover map was assessed and methods for validating the habitat suitability map are presented.     

An empirical test of household identification risk in geomasked maps

ABSTRACT

Geomasking techniques displace point data to new locations in order to protect privacy while maintaining overall spatial distributions. If the end users of geomasked data are unaware that the data are masked, there is a risk that they will incorrectly associate individuals at the new locations with the masked data attributes. The probability of correct and false household identification depends on human understanding of whether maps contain masked coordinates and the spatial relationships of the points to contextual geographic data. Using a map-based experiment, this study finds that confidence in performing a household identification is substantially lowered when masked points are situated equidistantly between residential parcels. Despite initial notifications that data are masked, map users often report confidence in assigning masked points to specific households. Only map users who receive frequent notifications that the points are masked have reduced confidence in associating them with particular households, thereby lowering identification risk.     

Fast Double Selectivity Index-CFAR Detection Method for the Multi-Beam Echo Sounder

Abstract

Seafloor terrain and water column target detection is of great significance in marine surveys. However, the complex clutter environment can dramatically affect the detection performance of a multi-beam echo sounder. To simultaneously and robustly detect the seafloor terrains and water column targets, this paper proposes a fast two-dimensional double selectivity index-constant false alarm rate (DSI-CFAR) detection method. A two-dimensional cross sliding window, which includes reference cells and guard cells, is used in this paper. The proposed method improves the detection performance by using the appropriate clutter power level estimation strategies in different directions. An exponential model is accurately built by fitting various distributions, so the DSI-CFAR detection performance is greatly ameliorated. To reduce the computational load of the method, this paper uses a fast algorithm based on the global threshold. The region of interest (ROI) is selected by the preset global threshold, and the DSI-CFAR detector is only performed in the region of interest, which significantly reduces the number of pixels that must be calculated. In this paper, the measured results of different sliding windows and CFAR detection methods validate the basic performance of the proposed method.     

一种模态参数识别的虚假模态剔除技术

针对背景噪声下结构的模态参数识别结果存在虚假模态的情况,分析虚假模态产生的原因,通过理论推导提出辨别虚假模态的判断条件,根据判断条件剔除识别模态参数中包含的虚假模态。以比例阻尼海洋平台结构数值模型为例,在模拟噪声水平5%的工况下,获得结构脉冲响应信号,对基于奇异值分解定阶消噪后的信号用复指数法进行模态参数识别,对识别的模态频率和阻尼比进行虚假模态剔除。结果表明:根据判断条件可有效剔除所识别参数中的虚假模态。     

基于改进Shannon伪近邻法研究易滑地层位移变形时序

合理地运用科学的理论方法,研究计算滑移地层的滑移规律并进行有效的预测,一直是亟待解决的岩土工程问题。通过基于Shannon伪近邻法时序分析理论研究易滑岩层变形破坏的演变机理;通过边坡演变的动力学方程组,建立相空间重构,得出显示边坡系统动态特性延迟时间与关联维数的计算公式,并对边坡变形破坏过程进行了实例分析,得到最佳嵌入维数取值,提取和恢复边坡系统原有的规律。在古树屋滑坡位移的外推预测中,模型计算相对误差都控制在2%以内,计算结果接近于实测位移值。工程实践表明,基于该模型的时序预测方法,在边坡位移初始变形和等速变形阶段,能保证95%以上的拟合控制精度。     

事件概率回归估计与降水等级预报

该文对比分析概率回归降水等级预报和回归降水等级预报的差异, 2007年秋季至2008年夏季全国平均检验结果表明:概率回归降水等级预报效果好于回归降水等级预报, 尤其是小雨预报, TS评分明显高于回归降水等级预报, 同预报偏差过大情况也有很大改善。进一步分析表明:回归降水等级预报方法在建立小雨预报方程的样本中, 少数较大降水量的样本方差占总方差的百分比过大, 导致预报方程中反映的预报量与预报因子的关系以少数大降水量样本为主, 是造成小雨预报空报过大的原因。与模式降水预报的对比分析表明:概率回归降水等级预报效果好于模式直接降水预报, 模式降水空报较大情况得到改善。     

勘查阶段煤层灰分的评价

本文讨论了勘查阶段对煤层灰分的评价问题 ,煤层灰分直接影响煤炭开发的经济效益。今后的工作中应尽可能地考虑各种因素对煤质的影响 ,提供比较实际的煤质资料     

TM 假彩色合成卫片在土地详查中的应用

文内涉及的 TM 假彩色三波段合成卫片的波长分别为,TM2 0.53—0.61μm,TM3 0.63—0.69μm,TM4 0.78—0.90μm。根据波谱规律卫片能直观地反映区内各地理要素的空间结构及区域分布规律。作者在玉树地区的土地调查中,利用各地类图斑的影像色调特征,建立了解译标志,结合地形图能较好地确定各地类的准确界线,显示清晰的图面结构。     

动态最优网格降水消空技术

为了提高5 km分辨率的网格降水预报准确率,针对数值模式网格降水预报产品中尚存在许多降水空报的现象,基于网格降水实况,应用动态建模和机器训练择优技术,借助新检验参数归一化后的单调性、新降水TS公式在计算上的便利性,建立了两种动态最优降水消空技术方案,开展网格降水消空研究。研究表明,两步法抑制了消空阈值偏大现象,归一化法使阈值优选更加直接。用这两种方法,晴雨准确率全部上升,其中,ECMWF(European Centre for Medium range Weather Forecasts)提高最大（2.39%～4.76%）;降水TS评分,ECMWF提高最大,白天提高多（2.98%～3.64%）,夜间提高少（1.61%～1.78%）,但CMA SH9(中国气象局上海数值预报模式系统)和CMA BJ(中国气象局北京快速更新循环数值预报系统)则出现下降。归一化法在白天使晴雨准确率提高最多。分析表明,经过消空处理后,雨空百分率下降数值明显大于雨漏百分率增加数值,从而使空报率出现大幅下降,晴雨准确率也升高明显。