Black Holes and Loose Connections in a Global Urban Network

This paper introduces the concept of black holes and loose connections in a global urban hierarchy. Black holes are defined as large cities, with a population of over 3 million, that are not classified as world cities. The paper draws upon a classification that uses advanced producer services as an indicator of world city status. Large, nonworld cities are identified, and provisional ideas about explaining their position are outlined. Connectivity and population data are used in a simple regression analysis to identify loose connections: cities whose connectivity is less than that predicted by their population.     

Correcting the Smoothing Effect of Ordinary Kriging Estimates

The smoothing effect of ordinary kriging is a well-known dangerous effect associated with this estimation technique. Consequently kriging estimates do not reproduce both histogram and semivariogram model of sample data. A four-step procedure for correcting the smoothing effect of ordinary kriging estimates is shown to be efficient for the reproduction of histogram and semivariogram without loss of local accuracy. Furthermore, this procedure provides a unique map sharing both local and global accuracies. Ordinary kriging with a proper correction for smoothing effect can be revitalized as a reliable estimation method that allows a better use of the available information.     

The Globalization of a Panethnopolis: Richmond District as the New Chinatown in San Francisco

This paper briefly reviews the sociological literature on the “New” Chinatown phenomenon stressing its structural location vis-à-vis the “Old” Chinatown and the homeland. It defines the New Chinatown as a panethnopolis, that is a global neighborhood with a majority population of Chinese immigrants and of other ethnic groups of mostly Asian descent. It analyzes more particularly the formation, development, and integration of San Francisco’s Richmond District’s New Chinatown into both the city where it is located and the network of transglobal sites to which it belongs. It provides an interpretation of the New Chinatown as a cultural enclave within the context of globalization theory.     

Impact of the Pacific–Japan Teleconnection Pattern on July Sea Fog over the Northwestern Pacific: Interannual Variations and Global Warming Effect

The northwestern Pacific(NWP) is a fog-prone area, especially the ocean east of the Kuril Islands. The present study analyzes how the Pacific–Japan(PJ) teleconnection pattern influences July sea fog in the fog-prone area using independent datasets. The covariation between the PJ index and sea fog frequency(SFF) index in July indicates a close correlation, with a coefficient of 0.62 exceeding the 99% confidence level. Composite analysis based on the PJ index, a case study, and model analysis based on GFDL-ESM2 M, show that in high PJ index years the convection over the east of the Philippines strengthens and then triggers a Rossby wave, which propagates northward to maintain an anticyclonic anomaly in the midlatitudes,indicating a northeastward shift of the NWP subtropical high. The anticyclonic anomaly facilitates the formation of relatively stable atmospheric stratification or even an inversion layer in the lower level of the troposphere, and strengthens the horizontal southerly moisture transportation from the tropical–subtropical oceans to the fog-prone area. On the other hand, a greater meridional SST gradient over the cold flank of the Kuroshio Extension, due to ocean downwelling, is produced by the anticyclonic wind stress anomaly. Both of these two aspects are favorable for the warm and humid air to cool, condense, and form fog droplets, when air masses cross the SST front. The opposite circumstances occur in low PJ index years, which are not conducive to the formation of sea fog. Finally, a multi-model ensemble mean projection reveals a prominent downward trend of the PJ index after the 2030 s, implying a possible decline of the SFF in this period.     

Trends of Regional Precipitation and Their Control Mechanisms during 1979–2013

Trends in precipitation are critical to water resources. Considerable uncertainty remains concerning the trends of regional precipitation in response to global warming and their controlling mechanisms. Here, we use an interannual difference method to derive trends of regional precipitation from GPCP(Global Precipitation Climatology Project) data and MERRA(ModernEra Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications) reanalysis in the near-global domain of 60?S–60?N during a major global warming period of 1979–2013. We find that trends of regional annual precipitation are primarily driven by changes in the top 30% heavy precipitation events, which in turn are controlled by changes in precipitable water in response to global warming, i.e., by thermodynamic processes. Significant drying trends are found in most parts of the U.S. and eastern Canada,the Middle East, and eastern South America, while significant increases in precipitation occur in northern Australia, southern Africa, western India and western China. In addition, as the climate warms there are extensive enhancements and expansions of the three major tropical precipitation centers–the Maritime Continent, Central America, and tropical Africa–leading to the observed widening of Hadley cells and a significant strengthening of the global hydrological cycle.     

月球构造新认识：基于60m高精度全月月形图的月球构造形态学研究

一直以来月球上都没有发现像地球上一样的全球板块构造现象,被认为是属于单板块构造的行星体并且是不活动的。随着月球地形探测精度的提高,人们逐渐发现了一些地质现象表明月球并不像之前想象的一样是不活动的。高精度的月形数据显示出了月球上除了存在众所周知的(撞击作用产生的)复杂的撞击构造外,仍然存在许多可能由内生作用产生的构造特征:如裂谷、山脊、火山群等。本文利用最新高精度月球激光高度数据(LOLA数据)建立了全月60m(相当于7秒网格)高精度月形图。由于数据量超大(TB级别),作者编写了基于并行架构的集群计算处理代码,其计算效率提高了近300倍。基于这些图件,作者在全球范围内找出许多重要的构造现象,并根据其构造及地质特征进行分类研究。研究结果表明并不像之前认识一样,月球上的确存在许多地质构造体是由月球的内生地质作用所产生,并建立对于月球结构和构造的新认识。此外,通过对比发现,像地球上全球尺度的线性山脉只是板块构造运动的结果;另一方面,在无板块构造的行星上,就像月球一样,会产生大面积的高地(月陆)和低地(月海地区),这种地质现象很有可能是行星地壳岩浆演化的直接结果。在文章最后,作者还将制作出的60m分辨率的全月月形系列图件附后并公开,以方便其他科研人员进一步开展相关研究;并以此敬献中国地质科学院60周年庆典。     

基于SDOG-ESSG的地球系统元胞自动机框架及其应用试验

元胞自动机结构简单且具备模拟复杂系统的能力,已被广泛应用于大气、流体力学、地球物理等领域。然而,现有元胞自动机以欧氏空间为约束进行地球系统过程模拟,忽略了地球重力等天然约束,导致计算过程中元胞状态的传递方向与真实运动的趋势方向不相符,一定程度上扭曲了最终的模拟结果。本文提出了地球系统元胞自动机这一概念,并从元胞表达及构建、邻居模型等方面设计了基于SDOG-ESSG格网的地球系统元胞自动机框架。由于演化规则取决于不同的应用,因此本文进一步以地壳的热传递为例,通过对热力学方程离散化设计了相应的演化规则。最后,借助公开的数据源开展了地壳热传递元胞自动机模拟的初步试验,并与一定区域下的数值模拟结果展开了比对。试验表明,与数值模拟方法相比,本文方法的模拟结果相对误差控制在27%以内,具备一定程度的可行性,可作为地球系统过程模拟的一种新思路。     

重力场数学拟合模型解的影响因素探究

为了提高地球重力场模型不适定方程求解的精度,该文采用谱分析方法从级数展开阶数、数据采样率及数据缺失量3个方面探索影响数学拟合效果的根本因素:从常用的三角级数及勒让德级数模型出发,引出重力场拟合模型球谐函数模型,观察在改变级数展开阶数、数据采样率及数据缺失量等情况下所对应设计矩阵谱结构的变化,并从微观上研究影响误差分配的有关因素及最小奇异值对误差的决定性作用,为探求重力场模型解不准的原因及实现更高精度的全球重力场模型的建立提供参考。