Phylogeography of the pelagic fish Seriola lalandi at different scales: confirmation of inter-ocean population structure and evaluation of southern African genetic diversity

The study investigated the global and regional phylogeography of the yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi by examining genetic diversity and population genetic structure of this species at inter-and intra-ocean level and on a regional scale. DNA fragments of two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome b (Cytb) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and one nuclear gene, recombination activating gene 1 (RAG1), were sequenced to investigate the global-scale phylogeography of this species. The population genetic structure within the South Pacific, as well as along the South African coastline, was examined further using six microsatellite markers. Three distinct clades were identified for S. lalandi, which correspond with previously described subspecies of the North-East Pacific, North-West Pacific and the Southern Hemisphere. Within the latter, additional divergence was observed between the South Pacific and the South-East Atlantic regions. Divergence estimates were indicative of a Pacific origin for S. lalandi populations, because of Pleistocene vicariant events. Microsatellite analyses revealed overall significant genetic differentiation between South African and South Pacific samples. This corroborates recent findings on the global phylogeography of the species. No population differentiation was observed within South Africa, indicating high levels of gene flow.     

应用两次展开法求解系泊柱体慢漂运动方程

在深海中系泊的海洋平台,如Spar平台,水下部分为带有系泊的圆柱结构,其水平方向运动响应往往具有较低的自振频率,容易在低频波浪力(源于非线性的差频效应)作用下发生共振响应,使结构发生大幅水平慢漂。当浮体的瞬时位置大幅偏离初始位置时,基于初始平衡位置的摄动展开法会存在较大误差。针对这一问题,采用两次展开方法,对大幅慢漂运动开展时域模拟研究。对双色波作用下自由漂浮圆柱的大幅运动响应问题进行数值分析,并与采用基于初始平衡位置的摄动展开法的计算结果进行了对比。结果表明,采用新的两次展开法可以计算出波浪遭遇频率的变化和波浪漂移阻尼,而这无法从基于初始平衡位置的常规摄动展开法中得到,体现了两次展开法在分析大幅慢漂问题上的优势。     

用化石天长计算地球年龄的方法及意义——如何理解地球年龄

天长（一天时长）是地球自转速度的直接反映。古生代-中生代化石记录的天长数据表明,古生代-中生代期间的天长随时间呈线性增加。根据角动量守恒定律,这意味着同时段地球自转速度呈线性衰减。如果把这个趋势应用于地球历史的全过程,计算结果为4.519～4.495 Ga,与目前公认的地球绝对年龄4.54 Ga一致。这意味着,从这个时间点起,地球有一种自转速度衰减的总趋势。地球自转速度衰减年龄等值于地球年龄说明：1）所测量的陨石样本生成的时间（表征地球年龄）与地球受月球吸引形成自转减速的时间几乎相同。这意味着地-月体系形成之前的地球比该陨石表征的地球年龄更为古老。2）地球、月球、自转速度衰减时长,三者的年龄呈现等值状态,因而此结果与月球起源于大碰撞的假说可以匹配。     

Semantic and syntactic interoperability in online processing of big Earth observation data

ABSTRACT

The challenge of enabling syntactic and semantic interoperability for comprehensive and reproducible online processing of big Earth observation (EO) data is still unsolved. Supporting both types of interoperability is one of the requirements to efficiently extract valuable information from the large amount of available multi-temporal gridded data sets. The proposed system wraps world models, (semantic interoperability) into OGC Web Processing Services (syntactic interoperability) for semantic online analyses. World models describe spatio-temporal entities and their relationships in a formal way. The proposed system serves as enabler for (1) technical interoperability using a standardised interface to be used by all types of clients and (2) allowing experts from different domains to develop complex analyses together as collaborative effort. Users are connecting the world models online to the data, which are maintained in a centralised storage as 3D spatio-temporal data cubes. It allows also non-experts to extract valuable information from EO data because data management, low-level interactions or specific software issues can be ignored. We discuss the concept of the proposed system, provide a technical implementation example and describe three use cases for extracting changes from EO images and demonstrate the usability also for non-EO, gridded, multi-temporal data sets (CORINE land cover).     

Mapping cropland fallow areas in myanmar to scale up sustainable intensification of pulse crops in the farming system

Cropland fallows are the next best-bet for intensification and extensification, leading to increased food production and adding to the nutritional basket. The agronomical suitability of these lands can decide the extent of usage of these lands. Myanmar’s agricultural land (over 13.8 Mha) has the potential to expand by another 50% into additional fallow areas. These areas may be used to grow short-duration pulses, which are economically important and nutritionally rich, and constitute the diets of millions of people as well as provide an important source of livestock feed throughout Asia. Intensifying rice fallows will not only improve the productivity of the land but also increase the income of the smallholder farmers. The enhanced cultivation of pulses will help improve nutritional security in Myanmar and also help conserve natural resources and reduce environmental degradation. The objectives of this study was to use remote sensing methods to identify croplands in Myanmar and cropland fallow areas in two important agro-ecological regions, delta and coastal region and the dry zone. The study used moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) 250-m, 16-day normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) maximum value composite (MVC), and land surface water index (LSWI) for one 1 year (1 June 2012–31 May 2013) along with seasonal field-plot level information and spectral matching techniques to derive croplands versus cropland fallows for each of the three seasons: the monsoon period between June and October; winter period between November and February; and summer period between March and May. The study showed that Myanmar had total net cropland area (TNCA) of 13.8 Mha. Cropland fallows during the monsoon season account for a meagre 2.4% of TNCA. However, in the winter season, 56.5% of TNCA (or 7.8 Mha) were classified as cropland fallows and during the summer season, 82.7% of TNCA (11.4 Mha) were cropland fallows. The producer’s accuracy of the cropland fallow class varied between 92 and 98% (errors of omission of 2 to 8%) and user’s accuracy varied between 82 and 92% (errors of commission of 8 to 18%) for winter and summer, respectively. Overall, the study estimated 19.2 Mha cropland fallows from the two major seasons (winter and summer). Out of this, 10.08 Mha has sufficient moisture (either from rainfall or stored soil water content) to grow short-season pulse crops. This potential with an estimated income of US$ 300 per hectare, if exploited sustainably, is estimated to bring an additional net income of about US$ 1.5 billion to Myanmar per year if at least half (5.04 Mha) of the total cropland fallows (10.08 Mha) is covered with short season pulses.     

The development and analysis of quasi-linear map projections

Map projections are an essential component of coordinate systems used in applications such as surveying, topographic mapping, and engineering, and care needs to be taken to select ones that minimize distortion for each case. This article explores the selection process for near-linear features on the surface of the Earth and derives limits for the extent of a project that can be projected within specified distortion tolerances. It is then demonstrated that a multifaceted set of projections of the Earth may be used to extend this concept to the mapping of features such as highways and railways that are quasi-linear but do not exactly follow a standard geometrical line (a great circle or a small circle) on the surface of the Earth. A continuous, conformal coordinate system may be derived in such situations, extending to indefinite length and applicable over a swath of several kilometers width, but it cannot be extended to cover situations with extensive variations in height. Instead, the Snake Projection is analyzed, and it is shown that this can be used to develop continuous (non-zonal) projected coordinate systems for major engineering projects extending for hundreds of kilometers and having extensive height ranges. Examples are shown of the application to railway projects.     

模式内部变率引起的1.5℃和2℃升温阈值出现时间模拟的不确定性研究

模式内部变率是模拟结果不确定性的重要来源,然而它对于1.5℃和2℃升温阈值出现时间不确定性的影响尚不清楚。因此,基于耦合模式比较计划第五阶段(CMIP5)的多模式数据研究了模式内部变率对1.5℃和2℃升温阈值出现时间不确定性的影响以及对未来排放情景的敏感性。结果表明,模式内部变率对升温阈值出现时间模拟的影响与外强迫的影响相当,单个模式内部不同成员达到全球平均1.5℃或2℃增温的年份相差2~12年;其影响具有明显的空间差异,影响极大值出现在欧亚大陆以北洋面、白令海峡周围区域、北美东北部及其与格陵兰岛之间的海域、南半球高纬地区等;低排放情景下模式内部变率的影响大于高排放情景。     

2018年一次罕见早春飑线大风过程演变和机理分析

2018年3月4—5日,华南、江南等地发生了一次大范围强对流过程,发生时间早,落区范围广,多地伴有雷暴大风、冰雹、短时强降水等剧烈对流天气,尤其飑线在江西境内造成了严重大风灾害。基于大气环流和雷达回波发展演变特征,将该次过程分为初始、发展和减弱三个阶段：初始阶段西风槽前西南急流造成的低压倒槽为强对流提供大尺度触发条件;发展阶段对流活动位于槽前暖区中,飑线在江西造成极端大风;入夜后,冷锋南下,对流进入减弱阶段。环境场及对流参数诊断表明江西中北部低层高温高湿,中层干冷,温度垂直递减率大,有利于产生雷暴大风。南昌探空长时间序列分析表明温湿要素气候态异常,与历史同期比,低层明显偏暖偏湿,中层偏干,有利于极端对流天气发生。综合多源观测资料和雷达资料分析中小尺度特征,本次江西飑线过程特点及成因包括：（1）受引导气流和前向传播共同作用,飑线移动速度快。（2）自动站分析显示飑锋后雷暴高压强,与锋前暖低压作用造成强密度流,有利于产生大范围直线型大风;（3）通过对比飑线弓状回波南北段回波结构差异表明,飑线后侧中层干后向入流促使降水粒子相变,剧烈降温形成的强下沉运动(下击暴流)是导致极端大风的主要原因,后部层云区下沉气流增强雷暴高压加之动量下传作用对雷暴大风有增幅作用。     

四川地形扰动对降水分布影响

引入一维加权平均的谱分析方法定量研究四川地形强迫对该区域降水分布的影响。结果表明:纬向地形和冬季降水谱峰锁相于同一波长（475.8 km）,呈共振关系,地形与其他季节降水呈漂移关系,这与经向和纬向上环流变动有关,即冬季纬向环流占主导,纬向地形触发的大气波动对冬季降水策动作用大;夏季降水是各种不同尺度系统相互作用的结果,地形是重要因素之一。经向和纬向地形特征尺度分别为296.8 km和475.8 km,反映了地形强迫的中尺度特征,且纬向地形谱峰比经向大1个数量级,纬向强迫更明显。夏季降水谱峰比冬季大2个数量级,降水系统纬向特征尺度比冬季小约150 km,说明夏季在纬向地形强迫下,降水系统尺度减小的同时其强度大大增加,这在一定程度上可以解释中尺度对流性降水在夏季偏多。四川夏季最大降水位于雅安地区,其地形扰动比四川整体扰动更明显,故产生的降水也更大。夏季降水和经向地形锁相于同一波长（37.1 km）,经向地形对雅安夏季强降水起关键作用。     

基于循环神经网络的单站能见度短临预报试验

由于能见度具有局地性和复杂的非线性变化特征,一直是精细化预报的难点。人工神经网络对复杂变化过程的模拟能力较高,为解决这一难题提供了可能性。本文采用循环神经网络,利用福州气象观测站地面观测数据,建立了福州单站能见度短临预报模型,并就预报能力进行了评估。随机检验结果表明,在1 h、3 h、6 h时效上,循环神经网络的预报与观测的变化趋势一致性较好;均方根误差比基于实况的预报分别减小15.75%、31.66%、41.26%,说明具备较好的预报能力;平均绝对值误差比传统BP神经网络分别减小12.90%、24.45%、 38.99%,表明循环神经网络对能见度预报具有优势,为能见度的精细化短临预报提供了新途径。