Advances in automated detection of sand dunes on Mars

This paper describes advances in an automatic approach for the detection of sand dunes of Mars, based on supervised learning techniques. A set of features (gradient histogram) is extracted from the remotely sensed images and two classifiers (Support Vector Machine and Random Forests) are trained from this data. The evaluation is conducted on 230 MOC‐NA images (spatial resolution between 1·45 and 6·80 m/pixel) leading to about 89% of correct detections. A detailed analysis of the detection results (dune/non‐dune) is performed by dune type or bulk shape, confirming high performances independently of the way the dataset is analysed. This demonstrates the robustness and adequacy of the automated approach to deal with the large variety of aeolian structures present on the surface of Mars. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evolution of sand encroachment using supervised classification of Landsat data during the period 1987–2011 in a part of Laâyoune-Tarfaya basin of Morocco

Abstract

The study anticipated to understand sand encroachment evolution through analysis of sand contribution across space and time using remote sensing in Laâyoune-Tarfaya basin, Morocco, over the period from 1987 to 2011. The assessment based on supervised classifications of Landsat imagery orthorectified data, using Maximum Likelihood (ML), Minimum Distance (MD) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers. In order to ameliorate the information, principal components analysis (PCA) and co-occurrence measurement algorithm were used for choosing bands and data transformation. Images differencing was applied on image pairs derived from classification to analyze sand encroachment evolution. All classifiers present enhanced performances, and revealed that area covered by sand was increased by 7%, 4.66% and 4.59% for ML, MD and SVM, respectively. Consequently, images differencing results confirmed that sand material increasing arise not only from coastal area contribution but also mostly from erosion of complicated sand dunes exist in the middle part of the studied area. Evaluating of the presented phenomenon dimensions and its consequences are extremely important to increase the local authorities awareness and mainly for avoiding or minimizing the consequences of the future sand dunes threats.     

SPATIAL COHERENCE AND DECAY OF WIND SPEED AND POWER IN THE NORTH-CENTRAL UNITED STATES

Hourly wind data from a network of climate stations in the north-central United States (drawn from the states of Illinois, lowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) are analyzed to evaluate the efficacy of spatial analyses of near-surface wind speed and power. Spatial autocorrelation functions (acfs) were calculated at a number of timescales: annual, monthly, daily, and hourly. Annual wind speeds have virtually no coherent distance-decay relationship; monthly data produce a more consistent relationship, but still exhibit a large amount of scatter. Both daily and hourly data have classical decay with increasing distance between stations and there appears to be an optimal level of temporal aggregation, near the daily timescale, for spatial analysis of wind. In general, however, spatial acfs overestimate the spatial coherence of both wind speed and power. Temporal nonstationarities in wind data (i.e., diurnal and annual cycles) bias spatial autocorrelation functions and need to be removed before using spatial acfs to estimate characteristics of wind fields. Because mean absolute differences (MAD) of interstation wind speed and power are less affected by temporal nonstationarities, they produce more-robust representations of the spatial variability of wind speed and power. As a result, spatial MADs are recommended over spatial acfs for analyzing spatial coherence and decay of any spatial variable that contains nonstationarities. Methods for improving the spatial analysis of wind are discussed. [Key words: wind energy, spatial autocorrelation, spatial analysis, nonstationarity, north-central United States.]     

Rare earth elements of the Altar Desert dune and coastal sands, Northwestern Mexico

Twenty-one surficial sand samples from the Altar Desert coastal and desert dune systems were analysed for rare earth elements (REE) content. This was done to observe the provenance signatures for four strategic dune localities near the Colorado River Delta, the El Pinacate dune fields, and the beaches of the north of the Gulf of California in the state of Sonora, Mexico. Our goals are to show which mechanisms (i.e., aeolian, marine) exert more influence on the composition of the Altar Desert dune sands. This study also shows the usefulness of REE spatial distribution to determine the relative mobility of the sand. Some sand samples from the dune systems in San Luis Río Colorado (SLRC), Golfo de Santa Clara (GSC), and Puerto Peñasco (PP) displayed dissimilar REE concentrations with respect to the rest of the sand samples from the same sites. These differences can be related to short aeolian transport distance in the sands with high REE concentrations and long aeolian transport distance in the sands with low REE concentrations. Besides, high REE concentration in the sands might be due to their closeness to the Colorado River Delta sediments and to recycled sands derived from granitic rocks. In contrast, all the sand samples from the El Pinacate (EP) site have similar REE concentration values, suggesting that the El Pinacate dune sands are influenced by more selective aeolian processes and less diverse heavy mineral content. The Altar Desert dune sands are derived from granitic sources eroded by the Colorado River. Our results also indicate that the Altar Desert dune sands are low in heavy mineral content (with the exception of Fe and Ti bearing minerals) and enriched in carbonates with phosphates (especially at the PP site) yielding poor correlations between REE and major element concentrations. The REE geographical distribution values in the Altar Desert dune sands indicate that light and heavy REE concentration values are related to aeolian transport, maturity of the sands, their low weathering rates, proximity of the source rocks, and the biogenic debris input from beach sands into the dune.     

A field quantification of coastal dune perennial plants as indicators of surface stability, erosion or deposition

Dune plants both modify the wind field around them and are impacted by various stress factors, among them sand erosion and sand deposition. As coastal dunes are being either stabilized or remobilized, in response to the changes in the rates of sand and dune movement, the vegetation cover and composition are expected to vary reflecting the differences in the sedimentary conditions. In this field study 315 quadrats of 100 m², in which the perennial plant species were sampled, were analysed with respect to annual rates of sand erosion and deposition that were measured using erosion pins. A visual exploratory data analysis was introduced, based on selective filtering of samples according to their vegetation cover. This method, combined with established statistical tools, enabled the authors to uncover the inclination and indicative power of nine perennial dune plants to either a stabilized or a mobile environment, and to establish whether they are more prevalent in places undergoing sand erosion or sand burial. Two species were found to be clear indicators of a stabilized environment, Stipagrostis lanata , and Retama raetam . Of the species indicating a mobile environment, only one may be stated as a clear indicator of sand erosion: Silene succulenta , with Cyperus macrorrhizus coming close to being an indicator of a less mobile erosive environment. The best indicator species for sand burial was found to be, as expected, Ammophila arenaria , with Artemisia monosperma also indicating high rates of sand mobility especially when its relative cover is higher than 80%. Such information can be used to monitor natural processes of dune stabilization or reactivation, or to assess the success of a management plan that aims at stabilizing a dune, or at remobilizing it by removing vegetation.     

Aeolian sand sea development along the mid‐Cretaceous western Tethyan margin (Spain): erg sedimentology and palaeoclimate implications

The existence of a mid‐Cretaceous erg system along the western Tethyan margin (Iberian Basin, Spain) was recently demonstrated based on the occurrence of wind‐blown desert sands in coeval shallow marine deposits. Here, the first direct evidence of this mid‐Cretaceous erg in Europe is presented and the palaeoclimate and palaeoceanographic implications are discussed. The aeolian sand sea extended over an area of 4600 km². Compound crescentic dunes, linear draa and complex aeolian dunes, sand sheets, wet, dry and evaporitic interdunes, sabkha deposits and coeval extradune lagoonal deposits form the main architectural elements of this desert system that was located in a sub‐tropical arid belt along the western Tethyan margin. Sub‐critically climbing translatent strata, grain flow and grain fall deposits, pin‐stripe lamination, lee side dune wind ripples, soft‐sediment deformations, vertebrate tracks, biogenic traces, tubes and wood fragments are some of the small‐scale structures and components observed in the aeolian dune sandstones. At the boundary between the aeolian sand sea and the marine realm, intertonguing of aeolian deposits and marine facies occurs. Massive sandstone units were laid down by mass flow events that reworked aeolian dune sands during flooding events. The cyclic occurrence of soft sediment deformation is ascribed to intermittent (marine) flooding of aeolian dunes and associated rise in the water table. The aeolian erg system developed in an active extensional tectonic setting that favoured its preservation. Because of the close proximity of the marine realm, the water table was high and contributed to the preservation of the aeolian facies. A sand‐drift surface marks the onset of aeolian dune construction and accumulation, whereby aeolian deposits cover an earlier succession of coastal coal deposits formed in a more humid period. A prominent aeolian super‐surface forms an angular unconformity that divides the aeolian succession into two erg sequences. This super‐surface formed in response to a major tectonic reactivation in the basin, and also marks the change in style of aeolian sedimentation from compound climbing crescentic dunes to aeolian draas. The location of the mid‐Cretaceous palaeoerg fits well to both the global distribution of other known Cretaceous erg systems and with current palaeoclimate data that suggest a global cooling period and a sea‐level lowstand during early mid‐Cretaceous times. The occurrence of a sub‐tropical coastal erg in the mid‐Cretaceous of Spain correlates with the exposure of carbonate platforms on the Arabian platform during much of the Late Aptian to Middle Albian, and is related to this eustatic sea‐level lowstand.     

一种面向对象的全球多分辨率纹理数据的预处理方法的研究

建立具有多分辨率、海量数据的大规模虚拟地形场景越来越受到人们的关注,海量纹理数据的管理与生成算法是三维地景仿真的关键技术之一。本文在金字塔塔模型的基础上,运用面向对象思想,设计了多分辨率纹理数据的生成方案,对其流程进行了具体实现,对一些相关技术进行了讨论。通过试验表明,采用本文提出的方法,可以灵活地对全球影像数据进行管理和使用,对全球三维可视化具有一定作用。     

基于三维GIS的海量地形数据存储和调度的研究

地形数据用来表达地形起伏特征,如何有效地存储和调度海量地形数据是三维GIS研究热点之一。本文基于金字塔影像、分片分块的方法组织三维地形数据,以此基础开发了基于三维显示平台和通用数据库(DBMS)的空间数据中间件,通过空间数据中间件对数据库进行地形数据的读写,实现了三维地形数据的存储和调度。     

三线阵CCD影像的像点自动匹配技术研究

目前国内针对三线阵CCD影像像点自动量测技术研究比较少,主要采用常规影像匹配方法进行处理。本文在分析众多匹配方法的基础上,根据三线阵CCD影像的特点,在立体环境下对三线阵CCD影像空三加密像点自动量测的方法进行研究。用实验的方法研究了基于金字塔分层动态窗口匹配运算的相关系数法在三线阵CCD影像像点立体匹配中的应用,最后通过三线阵CCD数字模拟影像试验,得出结论:采用金字塔分层动态窗口匹配运算的相关系数法是解决三线阵CCD影像空三加密像点自动量测问题比较有效的途径。     

网络三维影像地图的栅格数据组织方法研究

网络三维影像地图在全球的推广改变了地理空间信息的原有服务模式,促进了地理空间信息的共享和服务水平的提升,成为当前地理空间信息服务领域研究的热点。栅格数据作为影像地图系统的基础数据,它的高效组织是系统成功的关键。本文将对网络三维影像地图系统的栅格数据组织过程中的关键问题进行分析,结合实际提出一套解决方案。基于本文的方案组织"神州遨游"系统的栅格数据,取得了较好的效果,对同类软件的开发具有参考意义。