Why GPS makes distances bigger than they are

Global navigation satellite systems such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) is one of the most important sensors for movement analysis. GPS is widely used to record the trajectories of vehicles, animals and human beings. However, all GPS movement data are affected by both measurement and interpolation errors. In this article we show that measurement error causes a systematic bias in distances recorded with a GPS; the distance between two points recorded with a GPS is – on average – bigger than the true distance between these points. This systematic ‘overestimation of distance’ becomes relevant if the influence of interpolation error can be neglected, which in practice is the case for movement sampled at high frequencies. We provide a mathematical explanation of this phenomenon and illustrate that it functionally depends on the autocorrelation of GPS measurement error (C). We argue that C can be interpreted as a quality measure for movement data recorded with a GPS. If there is a strong autocorrelation between any two consecutive position estimates, they have very similar error. This error cancels out when average speed, distance or direction is calculated along the trajectory. Based on our theoretical findings we introduce a novel approach to determine C in real-world GPS movement data sampled at high frequencies. We apply our approach to pedestrian trajectories and car trajectories. We found that the measurement error in the data was strongly spatially and temporally autocorrelated and give a quality estimate of the data. Most importantly, our findings are not limited to GPS alone. The systematic bias and its implications are bound to occur in any movement data collected with absolute positioning if interpolation error can be neglected.     

Influence of prey abundance and abiotic factors on the long-term home-range and movement dynamics of spotted grunter Pomadasys commersonnii in an intermittently open estuary

Long-term home-range and movement dynamics of spotted grunter Pomadasys commersonnii and the distribution of their dominant prey, the sandprawn Callichirus kraussi, were investigated in the intermittently open East Kleinemonde Estuary, South Africa. In addition, the effects of fish length, diel cycle, season and other abiotic factors on home range and area use were examined. Nine adult spotted grunter (326–489?mm total length) were tagged with acoustic transmitters, and their movements were studied by manual tracking on six consecutive days and nights during each of five tracking sessions from March to November 2004. In addition, movement patterns were recorded by stationary data-logging receivers. Kernel home ranges (95% utilised distribution) varied in size (mean: 76 797?m²?, range: 26 296–165 321?m²), but were all located in the lower one-third of the 3.6 km-long estuary. There was no effect of season, the diel cycle or fish length on the home-range estimates. However, the distribution of prey corresponded with the home-range distribution of tagged fish. Although sandprawn distribution was highly variable within and among transects and depth classes, sandprawns were most abundant in the lower region of the estuary, which corresponded to the home-range distribution of spotted grunter. Spatial distribution of prey appears to be a dominant factor influencing home-range parameters of this species within an intermittently open estuary.     

Discussion on the dextral movement and its effect in continental China and adjacent areas since Cenozoic

Continental China has moved dextral Eastward since Cenozoic time, driven by the collision of the Indian with the Eurasian plate. Evidence for this comes from landscape evolution, the distribution of earthquake epicenters, Cenozoic sedimentary and volcanic rocks, and the measurement of GPS velocity vectors, the distribution of crustal stress, paleomagnetic data, and deep mantle structure, among others. This movement commenced around 40 Ma, coupled with thickened lithosphere and widespread stress release along strike-slip faults that bound the continental Chinese block. Because of continued Northward subduction of the Indian plate, manifestation of the dextral movement has intensified since 25 Ma. Far-reaching effects include extensive strike-slip movement on the Tan-Lu fault in Eastern China, formation of the Dabie ultrahigh pressure metamorphic terrane, extensive thrust faults in East China, delamination and thickening of the lithosphere of South China, a possible tectonic doubling of the Middle-Lower Yangtze Valley metallogenic belt, and the formation of the Japan, Huanghai (East China), and South China Sea.     

Design principles for origin-destination flow maps

Origin-destination flow maps are often difficult to read due to overlapping flows. Cartographers have developed design principles in manual cartography for origin-destination flow maps to reduce overlaps and increase readability. These design principles are identified and documented using a quantitative content analysis of 97 geographic origin-destination flow maps without branching or merging flows. The effectiveness of selected design principles is verified in a user study with 215 participants. Findings show that (a) curved flows are more effective than straight flows, (b) arrows indicate direction more effectively than tapered line widths, and (c) flows between nodes are more effective than flows between areas. These findings, combined with results from user studies in graph drawing, conclude that effective and efficient origin-destination flow maps should be designed according to the following design principles: overlaps between flows are minimized; symmetric flows are preferred to asymmetric flows; longer flows are curved more than shorter or peripheral flows; acute angles between crossing flows are avoided; sharp bends in flow lines are avoided; flows do not pass under unconnected nodes; flows are radially distributed around nodes; flow direction is indicated with arrowheads; and flow width is scaled with represented quantity.     

MEASURING AND MODELLING OF SOIL WATER DYNAMICS AND RUNOFF GENERATION IN AN AGRICULTURAL LOESSIAL HILLSLOPE

Surface runoff may be generated when the rainfall intensity exceeds the infiltration capacity, or when the soil profile is saturated with water. Indications exist that both types of overland flow may occur in hilly agricultural loess regions. Here, for a loessial hillslope under maize in the southern part of The Netherlands, it was shown, with pressure head and runoff measurements, that Hortonian overland flow occurs during typical summer rain events. Surface runoff was initiated after saturation of the top 5–10 cm of the soil. Deeper in the soil, unsaturated conditions prevailed while runoff took place. Peak runoff discharges at the outlet of the subcatchment occurred a few minutes after peak rainfall intensities were measured. It appeared that SWMS_2D, a two-dimensional water flow model, was capable in simulating observed pressure head changes and runoff. Simulated potential runoff for the transect studied was higher by a magnitude of three than the measured areal average. This indicates effects of surface ponding, and the probable location of this particular transect in a region with high runoff production.     

中国西部活动地块运动模型的建立及其运动学分析

中国西部的青藏和新疆地区现代构造变形活动非常强烈, 业已证实该区可以进一步划分为塔里木、 阿拉善、 天山、 柴达木和西藏5个活动地块。 利用GPS观测资料得到的中国大陆地壳水平运动的速度场, 借鉴全球板块运动模型的建模方法, 将其视为刚性的地块系统, 反演得到各地块相对欧亚板块运动的欧拉矢量, 进而求得各地块两两之间相对运动的欧拉矢量, 并计算出沿地块边界的相对运动速率。 结果显示, 与地块边界上的地震滑移矢量, 由地质学资料得到的滑移速率, 以及GPS数据本身均有较好的一致性, 从而也说明了将该地区划分为若干活动地块并视为刚性地块的合理性。     

福建及沿海地区地震活动力源探讨

综合地震震源机制解和地壳形变观测资料的研究, 求得福建及其沿海地区现代震源应力场, 认为这与台湾地区、 台湾海峡应力场相互衔接, 主压应力轴优势方位为NW-SE向, 力轴仰角较小, 应力场近于水平挤压, 形变场反映近期福建沿海亦受北西方向, 接近与海岸垂直的挤压力。 进一步分析该区域内的断裂构造特征和地震活动强度由东至西逐渐减弱的规律, 认为菲律宾海板块与欧亚板块的相互作用力不仅是台湾强震力源所在, 而且其影响向西扩展, 福建及其沿海地区地震活动主要力源仍然是来自这两大板块的相互作用力。     

中国大陆地壳运动与强震关系研究

利用GPS观测结果研究了中国大陆当前地壳运动的空间分布及其所揭示的大区域构造变形背景与趋势;讨论了区域水平运动、应变率场分布与强震地点的关系;通过对昆仑山口西Ms8.1等地震区域水平运动与形变的分析,研究了强震过程的区域形变场变化的主要特征;提出了识别孕震形变场以进行中长期强震地点预测的思路和途径。     

印支运动对济阳坳陷构造形态形成演化的影响

三叠纪中期至侏罗纪早期的印支运动动力来源于华北板块与扬子板块的聚敛,聚敛作用形成巨大的NE-SW向挤压力首先导致济阳坳陷北西向压性构造的形成,产生了一系列NW向褶皱隆起带及其伴生的宽缓向斜,其次在对济阳盆地产生多处NW向挤压逆冲构造,伴之以褶皱构造。印支运动还造成本区地势起伏不平,剥蚀程度差异还导致相对隆起区与相对低洼区相间排列,上古生界保留较完整。     

关中地区垂直形变场及其动态演化特征

应用关中地区20余年的精密水准资料,用分段线性速率动态平差法进行统一起算基准的拟稳平差计算．得出了197l～1976、1976-1980、1980-1986和1986～1996年度的垂直形变速率图,从动态的观点研究了关中地区地壳垂直形变场的演化特征。研究结果表明：（1）地壳垂直形变场有规律的变化与区域应力-应变场的微动态活动有关,青藏亚板块和华北亚板块对关中地区的构造变形交替起主导作用,并产生了不同形变特征;（2）地壳垂直运动不是线性的。有加速、反向和停顿,长期平均垂直运动速率低于各时段的变化;（3）地壳垂直变化与断裂活动密切相关。垂直形变的逆继承性构造活动时期远小于继承性构造活动时期;（4）西安是一个特殊沉降区。由于过量开采地下水引起地面急剧下降。