High‐resolution topography and anthropogenic feature extraction: testing geomorphometric parameters in floodplains

In floodplains, anthropogenic features such as levees or road scarps, control and influence flows. An up‐to‐date and accurate digital data about these features are deeply needed for irrigation and flood mitigation purposes. Nowadays, LiDAR Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) covering large areas are available for public authorities, and there is a widespread interest in the application of such models for the automatic or semiautomatic recognition of features. The automatic recognition of levees and road scarps from these models can offer a quick and accurate method to improve topographic databases for large‐scale applications. In mountainous contexts, geomorphometric indicators derived from DTMs have been proven to be reliable for feasible applications, and the use of statistical operators as thresholds showed a high reliability to identify features. The goal of this research is to test if similar approaches can be feasible also in floodplains. Three different parameters are tested at different scales on LiDAR DTM. The boxplot is applied to identify an objective threshold for feature extraction, and a filtering procedure is proposed to improve the quality of the extractions. This analysis, in line with other works for different environments, underlined (1) how statistical parameters can offer an objective threshold to identify features with varying shapes, size and height; (2) that the effectiveness of topographic parameters to identify anthropogenic features is related to the dimension of the investigated areas. The analysis also showed that the shape of the investigated area has not much influence on the quality of the results. While the effectiveness of residual topography had already been proven, the proposed study underlined how the use of entropy can anyway provide good extractions, with an overall quality comparable to the one offered by residual topography, and with the only limitation that the extracted features are slightly wider than the investigated one. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A New Family of Galeaspids (Jawless Stem-Gnathostomata) from the Early Silurian of Chongqing, Southwestern China

A new genus and species of agnathan Eugaleaspidiformes (Galeaspida), Yongdongaspis littoralis gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Llandovery (lower Silurian) Huixingshao Formation at Yongdong Town, Xiushan County, Chongqing, southwestern China. This new Telychian taxon morphologically exhibits some transitional states between Sinogaleaspidae and a cluster of higher eugaleaspidiforms containing Tridensaspidae, Eugaleaspidae, Yunnanogaleaspis, and Nochelaspis, which we term here as the ‘eugaleaspid cluster’. Phylogenetic analysis of an extended character matrix of Galeaspida reveals Yongdongaspis, on which Yongdongaspidae fam. nov. is erected, as the sister taxon of this ‘eugaleaspid cluster’, supported by two synapomorphies, the presence of one median transverse canal, and two lateral transverse canals leaving from the infraorbital canal. As the first fish described from the Llandovery Huixingshao Formation in Chongqing, Yongdongaspis provides new fossil evidence for the subdivision and correlation of the Upper Red Beds in South China.     

Geomorphology of a modern carbonate slope system and associated sedimentary processes: Example of the giant Great Abaco Canyon,Bahamas

The large acoustic data set acquired during the Carambar cruises is composed of high resolution bathymetry, backscatter data and very‐high resolution seismic lines which allow for an overview of the morphology and sediment transfer processes from the shallow upper slope to the abyssal plain of a modern carbonate system: the north‐eastern slope of the Little Bahama Bank. Surficial distribution of the acoustic facies and echofacies reflects a wide variety of sedimentary processes along and across the slope. The western sector of the Little Bahama Bank is dominated by depositional processes whereas its eastern sector, which is incised in the lower slope by giant canyons, is affected by erosion and bypass processes. Datasets suggest that currents play an important role both in along‐slope sedimentary processes and in the abyssal plain. The Antilles Current appears to affect a large part of the middle and lower slopes. The absence of sizeable present‐day channel/levée complexes or lobes at the mouth of the canyon – revealed by the bathymetric map – indicates that the southward flowing Deep Western Boundary Current influences modern abyssal sediment deposition. Based on depositional processes and indicators of canyon maturity observed in facies distribution, the current study proposes that differential subsidence affects the eastern versus western part of the bank. The morphology of the Great Abaco Canyon and Little Abaco Canyon, which extend parallel to the platform, and the Little Bahama Bank slope appears to be related to the Great Abaco Fracture Zone.     

基于矢耳石形态的平鲉属鱼类鉴别及研究方法比较

分析了青岛胶州湾铠平鲉(Sebastes hubbsi)、花斑平鲉(Sebastes nigricans)和许氏平鲉(Sebastes schlegelii) 3种平鲉属鱼类的矢耳石形态特征,探究基于矢耳石形态鉴别3种鱼类的可行性.以8个耳石形状指标和37个椭圆傅里叶系数进行的单因素方差分析结果基本一致,显示铠平鲉与许氏平鲉的耳石形态差异最大,铠平鲉与花斑平鲉间差异最小.利用耳石形状指标、椭圆傅里叶系数、耳石形状指标与椭圆傅里叶系数相结合的方法,对3种鱼类的综合判别率均可达95%以上,判别分析散点图可明显将3种鱼类区分开.耳石长介于4~7 mm的3种鱼类小规格组与2龄及以上成鱼组耳石样本的判别结果一致,表明针对不同发育阶段平鲉属鱼类,基于耳石形态的种类鉴别均是可行的;仅使用椭圆傅里叶系数鉴别3种鱼类时综合判别率虽高达100%,但难以快速定位3种鱼类耳石形态间,在统计上差异显著而实际上微小的形状差异所在;而使用耳石形状指标和椭圆傅里叶系数联合判别,综合判别率亦高达99%,且能快速找出3种鱼类耳石在矩形趋近率、形态因子、面密度等的形态差异.研究表明,耳石形状指标和椭圆傅里叶分析联合判别是平鲉属鱼类种类鉴别及耳石形态差异分析的有效手段.     

利用分形的北京城市空间拓展分析

北京是中国的首都,全国的政治、文化中心和国际交往的枢纽,开展北京的城市形态结构分析,并且运用分形思想规划城市对北京人居环境的改良和人地关系的协凋都有着重要意义。鉴于此,该文基于城市分形理论中的面积-半径法和Landsat卫星遥感影像,估算了北京不同时期和2011年不同方位的城市形态半径维数以确定北京城市空间范围,并分析了北京城市空间拓展特征。研究结果显示:以天安门为中心,北京1978、1990、2000和2011年城市半径分别为7.5、10.5、14.5、16.0km,各时期城市形态半径维数均高达1.95以上,反映出北京城市空间结构的相对杂乱以及人-地关系的不协调,2000年以后则有所改善。2011年北京城市西北方位半径维数高达2.0以上,显示该方位城市空间拓展的不可持续性,而西南、东南、东北方位的半径维数在1.91~1.98之间,显示这三个方位城市建设用地密度总体呈减少趋势,但需要不断降低半径维数以保证城市空间发展的可持续性。     

基于粗糙度的月表虹湾地区地形地貌解译

行星表面粗糙度是表面侵蚀、沉降和隆升等作用在行星表面留下的记录,对其进行的定量分析可以精确地反映其表面地质构造过程.对月球的虹湾地区选取水平方向的12条剖面进行了粗糙度各参数(均方根高程、均方根偏差、均方根坡度、Hurst指数)的计算,结果表明:①在1 km的剖面长度上,虹湾地区均方根高程的平均值在3 m左右;在0.2...     

沙质草地碟形风蚀坑形态气流相互作用

 呼伦贝尔沙质草地碟形风蚀坑长轴走向呈WNW-ESE。野外观测结果表明,风向与碟形风蚀坑长轴走向关系决定了风蚀坑内部的气流模式,右斜交与垂直气流促使风蚀坑横向扩展与深挖,平行与左斜交气流有利于侵蚀区内部沙物质的向外输送并导致风蚀坑沿长轴向延伸。右斜交及垂向气流在碟形坑南缘产生顺时针向的垂直轴涡流,而平行与左斜交向气流在西北缘产生逆时针向的垂直轴涡流。沿长轴向,气流进入风蚀坑边缘发生分离减速,在风蚀坑底部重新附着,沿出风段坡面开始加速上升至坑后沙丘顶部,在坑后沙丘背风坡气流发生扩散减速。在横断面或弧形断面气流以单增或单减的形式存在。观测期间风蚀坑总体上以堆积作用为主,区域风能大小决定了蚀积作用强弱,而输沙方向与风蚀坑长轴向夹角决定蚀积空间分布格局。     

中国矿业城市空间形态特征及其空间分异

矿业城市是以矿产资源开采和初加工为主的资源型城市,伴随矿业城市发展的各个阶段,城市空间会呈现相应的演变过程和格局,城市经济的转型也必将带来城市空间结构的响应.矿业城市空间结构受自然资源和产业发展的影响明显,是基于自然资源与产业转型的空间可持续发展的典型研究对象之一.选取中国33个公认的典型地级矿业城市作为研究样本,提取空间结构数据进行紧凑度和分形维数的计算与统计分析,力图总结我国矿业城市对比其他类型城市在空间形态上的基本特征和空间分异规律.结果表明,矿业城市空间形态的紧凑度较低,发展呈分散态;矿业城市空间的边界比较复杂,呈不规则状态;矿业城市紧凑度与边界维数呈负相关;矿业城市空间形态受城市发展阶段、有无依托、其他组织的人为规划等因素影响,呈现一定的空间分异规律;矿业城市空间形态与人口规模和经济发展水平存在相关.     

UGC 7388: A galaxy with two tidal loops

We present the results of our spectroscopic and morphological studies of the galaxy UGC 7388 with the 8.1-m Gemini North telescope. Judging by its observed characteristics, UGC 7388 is a giant late-type spiral galaxy seen nearly edge-on. The main body of the galaxy is surrounded by two faint (μ _B ～ 24 ^m /□″ and μ _B ～ 25 _· ^m 5/□″) extended (～ 20–30 kpc) loop-like structures. A large-scale rotation of the brighter loop about the main galaxy has been detected. We discuss the assumption that the tidal disruption of a relatively massive companion is observed in the case of UGC 7388. A detailed study and modeling of the observed structure of this unique galaxy can give important information about the influence of the absorption of massive companions on the galactic disks and about the structure of the dark halo around UGC 7388.