Embryo dune development drivers: beach morphology,growing season precipitation,and storms

For development of embryo dunes on the highly dynamic land–sea boundary, summer growth and the absence of winter erosion are essential. Other than that, however, we know little about the specific conditions that favour embryo dune development. This study explores the boundary conditions for early dune development to enable better predictions of natural dune expansion. Using a 30 year time series of aerial photographs of 33 sites along the Dutch coast, we assessed the influence of beach morphology (beach width and tidal range), meteorological conditions (storm characteristics, wind speed, growing season precipitation, and temperature), and sand nourishment on early dune development. We examined the presence and area of embryo dunes in relation to beach width and tidal range, and compared changes in embryo dune area to meteorological conditions and whether sand nourishment had been applied. We found that the presence and area of embryo dunes increased with increasing beach width. Over time, embryo dune area was negatively correlated with storm intensity and frequency. Embryo dune area was positively correlated with precipitation in the growing season and sand nourishment. Embryo dune area increased in periods of low storm frequency and in wet summers, and decreased in periods of high storm frequency or intensity. We conclude that beach morphology is highly influential in determining the potential for new dune development, and wide beaches enable development of larger embryo dune fields. Sand nourishment stimulates dune development by increasing beach width. Finally, weather conditions and non‐interrupted sequences of years without high‐intensity storms determine whether progressive dune development will take place. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

多尺度特征融合深度学习建筑物的提取方法

提出一种基于多尺度特征融合的建筑物提取方法,结合新的网络DenseASPP-UNet,以实现影像多尺度特征的融合,进而高精度提取建筑物.通过Inria开源建筑物航空影像数据集进行验证,表明DenseASPP-UNet相比其他深度学习方法建筑物提取精度有很大的提升.     

Decadal and seasonal changes in landcover at Padre Island: Implications for the role of the back-barrier in signaling island state change

Long-term and seasonal geomorphological changes at Padre Island, Texas are identified and linked with potential external drivers. Aerial and satellite images from 1950 to 2018, monthly images from 2019 to 2020, and a 2018 LiDAR data set are used to assess long-term and seasonal geomorphological changes within a 50 km² area of Padre Island near Port Mansfield, Texas. Trends in landcover are evaluated by mapping and comparing the relative areal coverage of each facies. Vegetated dunes, absent initially, emerged in the fore-island and expanded into the back-barrier to cover 14% of the study area. The active vegetation-free back-barrier dune field steadily decreased in areal extent from 12% to 6% as vegetation spread. Nebkha dune coverage fluctuated between 4% and 7%. Expansive microbial mats colonized the wind tidal and deflation flats surrounding the vegetated dunes and back-barrier dune field giving rise to a remarkably different landscape over the 50-year period studied. An assessment of external forcing factors identifies increased rates of relative sea level rise and decreased sediment influx as the most likely primary factors driving the geomorphological changes. These changes have induced a widespread shift toward stabilization of island sediments by vegetation and microbial mats, which in turn has starved the back-barrier of sediments resulting in low rates of accretion and increased flooding. These findings highlight the sensitivity of the back-barrier and, in particular, the dune facies to changes in sea level and sediment supply, and show that microbial mats are effective at stabilizing island sediments and may be harbingers to barrier island response to rising sea level. As shown in this study, long-term monitoring of geomorphic facies changes and topography can detect important shifts in the island state that can be used to inform decision making for these sensitive coastal landscapes.     

Interaction between lateral sorting in river bends and vertical sorting in dunes

Sediment is sorted in river bends under the influence of gravity that pulls the heavier grains downslope and secondary flow that drags the finer grains upslope. Furthermore, when dunes are present, sediment is also sorted vertically at the dune lee side. However, sorting functions are poorly defined, since the relation to transverse bed slope and the interaction between lateral and vertical sorting is not yet understood for lack of data under controlled conditions. The objective of this study is to describe lateral sorting as a function of transverse bed slope and to gain an understanding of the interaction between lateral and vertical sorting in river bends. To this end, experiments were conducted with a poorly sorted sediment mixture in a rotating annular flume in which secondary flow intensity can be controlled separately from the main flow velocity, and therefore transverse bed slope towards the inner bend and dune dimensions can be systematically varied. Sediment samples were taken along cross-sections at the surface of dune troughs and dune crests, and over the entire depth at the location of dune crests (bulk samples), which enabled comparison of the relative contribution of vertical sorting by dunes to lateral sorting by the transverse bed slope. The data show that lateral sorting is always the dominant sorting mechanism in bends, and bulk samples showed minor effects of vertical sorting by dunes as long as all grain-size fractions are mobile. An empirical bend sorting model was fitted that redistributes the available sediment fractions over the cross-section as a function of transverse bed slope. Comparison with field data showed that the model accurately reproduces spatially-averaged trends in sorting at the bend apex in single-thread channels. The bend sorting model therefore provides a better definition of bend sorting with conservation of mass by size fraction and adds to current understanding of bend sorting. The implication for numerical modelling is that bend sorting mechanisms can be modelled independently of dunes, allowing the application of the active layer concept.     

南海东北部东沙海域海水层反射特征分析

本文基于对南海东北部东沙海域近期采集的多道反射地震资料进行重新处理获得新的地震海洋学数据,分析了该海域内孤立波/内孤立波包、沙丘上方和陡坎附近特殊反射结构特征,从而提供了新的海水层与海底相互作用依据.研究结果表明,除之前已发表文章中地震海洋学资料显示存在的第一模态内孤立波/波包和沙丘上方常见的反射样式-披毛状发射外,地震海洋学资料上还发现了第二模态内孤立波、陡坎上方的上抬型波动反射结构样式.在新的地震海洋学数据中,第一模态内孤立波振幅均小于50 m,宽度上都小于5 km,单个内孤立波的最大振幅约为45 m.内孤立波包的内孤立波振幅都相对较小,均小于40 m,并且与之前不同的是,彼此之间振幅相差不大,没有明显的排列规律.此次地震海洋学数据记录到的第二模态内孤立波,形态较为完整,上层和下层反射的振幅相差不大,在30 m左右;中间层大约在水深130 m位置处,垂向结构的整体大小大于200 m.沙丘上方反射结构普遍存在弱反射层,可能是湍流边界层,并且存在特殊反射样式-披毛状反射.但并不是沙丘上方都存在披毛状反射样式,本文分析它出现在地震海洋学资料上可能是受测线与沙丘走向之间夹角的影响.陡坎区域的水层反射结构则表现为上抬型波动,并常常伴随着同相轴连续性的变化.该波动的大小及反射同相轴的连续性可能取决于陡坎的高度/坡度及水层动力的强度,新数据中出现的一个上抬型波动,高度达20~30 m,它的附近水层还存在一个形态不完整的内孤立波.陡坎附近的水层反射也常常出现弱反射带和小的波动.     

An improved optical flow method to estimate Arctic sea ice velocity (winter 2014?2016)

1 Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science and Technology/Key Laboratory for Land Satellite Remote Sensing Applications of Ministry of Natural Resources, School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; 2 Collaborative Innovation Center of Novel Software Technology and Industrialization, Nanjing 210023, China; 3 Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies, Nanjing 210023, China     

Differential water distribution over dune slopes as affected by slope position and microbiotic crust,Negev Desert,Israel

Runoff is one of the main water sources responsible for water redistribution within a given ecosystem. Water redistribution is especially important in arid regions, and may be of great importance on sandy dunes, where the likelihood of runoff is low owing to the high infiltration rates of sand. Redistribution of water may significantly affect plant and animal distribution, and may explain vegetation patterns within an ecosystem. Runoff yield over sandy dune slopes in the western Negev Desert was measured under natural conditions during 1990–1994. The magnitude of runoff yield on different slope sections and on north and south exposures was established. The results demonstrate that while slope position controlled the microbiotic crust cover, crust cover and crust biomass controlled the amounts of runoff obtained. Whereas no runoff was measured on the upper dune sections devoid of crust, only meagre quantities were measured on the midslope sections, characterized by discontinuous crust cover. Substantially larger amounts were, however, obtained at the bottoms of the slopes, characterized by continuous crust cover. North‐facing slopes, usually characterized by a chlorophyll a content of 29–41 mg m⁻², yielded on average 3·2 times more runoff than south‐facing footslopes, characterized by a 17 mg m⁻² chlorophyll a content. Whereas microbiotic crust was found to be responsible for runoff generation, additional water supply owing to runoff may also explain the occurrence of a high biomass crust and the dense vegetation belt at the dune–interdune interface of the northern exposure, where runoff tends to collect. Thus, whereas crust may reduce infiltration in certain habitats, runoff generated by crust may also be responsible for the promotion of crust growth in other habitats. Runoff may also be used to promote vegetation growth at the dune footslopes. The possibility of using runoff to facilitate agroforestry is discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

沙丘动力学数值模拟研究方法综述(Ⅱ):沙丘形成演变模拟

沙丘形成与发育过程强烈依赖于初始动力条件及地表特性。沙丘动力学数值模拟方法可以充分考虑其形成所依赖的这些初始条件,实现对沙丘场形成演变及沙丘间的相互作用过程和未来发展进行定量模拟和预测,是研究沙丘的一种及其有效途径。本文主要介绍了沙丘形成发育动力学数值模拟研究工作所采用的方法及所取得的主要成就。     

旱麻岗沙漠风沙地貌发育与演化

旱麻岗沙漠位于腾格里沙漠南部,是腾格里沙漠的重要组成部分。目前对该沙漠几乎没有研究。旱麻岗沙漠最主要的地貌是风沙地貌和流水地貌,且近似南北方向平行相间排列。该沙漠主要的沙丘类型有新月形沙丘链、反向沙丘和灌丛沙丘,其中新月形沙丘链和反向沙丘分布在海拔相对高的区域,且呈条带状分布,而灌丛沙丘主要分布在冲沟内。旱麻岗沙漠的起沙风主要为西北风,其次为东南风。风能环境属于低等风能环境,合成输沙方向为282°~331°,方向变率为中等变率。流动沙丘表面平均粒径最大,其次为结皮下层和结皮表层;分选性与平均粒径有相似的规律。石羊河流域、祁连山东端的冲积-洪积物和湖相沉积为旱麻岗沙漠的形成与演化提供了重要的沙源。根据野外考察,结合以往研究成果,该沙漠的形成与演化可以概括为以下几个阶段:大湖期;湖水干涸期,在退水过程形成近似平行排列的小冲沟;沙漠形成与扩张期,流动沙丘覆盖整个区域;沙漠萎缩期,降雨量增加,沙漠萎缩,平行排列的冲沟宽度和深度增加,冲沟内的流沙随流水冲向下游,而冲沟间的沙丘仍然保留在原来的位置,形成现代的地貌格局。     

Modelling palaeosol preservation in aeolian dunes

In some of the world's desert and desert‐marginal areas (e.g. Simpson/Strzelecki, Australia) dunefields preserve well‐developed palaeosols, whereas in other regions with broadly similar climatic regimes and topography (e.g. southwest Kalahari), the dunes are characterized by very poorly developed internal stratigraphy. It has been postulated that dunes such as those in the Kalahari may never have had conditions conducive to soil formation, or that soils once formed but any evidence of palaeosols has been lost due to reworking. This study develops and applies a one‐dimensional numerical model to simulate dune development, soil formation and soil preservation. Variables in the model allowed experimentation on the influence of sediment supply, the time taken for soil to form, and the additional resistance to erosion offered by the soil. Reduced sediment supply plays a vital role in landscape development during periods of initial pedogenesis. Although re‐exhumed palaeosols influence sediment supply, the effect is minimal. Although under almost all parameterized conditions more than half (and up to 80‐90%) of those soils initially formed are lost due to reworking, evidence of their past formation remains in the large majority of profiles, and the dominant factor in controlling the preservation of palaeosols is the frequency of their formation. The implication is that where dunes are found without palaeosols, the most likely (albeit not certain) inference is that they have never formed. Counter‐intuitively, the limited sediment supply means their additional resistance to erosion becomes almost inconsequential to their preservation, at least until the unit approaches complete invulnerability. Short chronostratigraphic hiatuses around palaeosols are normal, and although long gaps can occur, they are extremely infrequent. Where such gaps are observed in field studies, external forcing factors (e.g. climatic or environmental changes) are implied, as they are highly unlikely to result from stochastic net preservation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.