A spatiotemporal calculus for reasoning about land-use trajectories

Earth observation images are a powerful source of data about changes in our planet. Given the magnitude of global environmental changes taking place, it is important that Earth Science researchers have access to spatiotemporal reasoning tools. One area of particular interest is land-use change. Using data obtained from images, researchers would like to express abstractions such as ‘land abandonment’, ‘forest regrowth’, and ‘agricultural intensification’. These abstractions are specific types of land-use trajectories, defined as multi-year paths from one land cover into another. Given this need, this paper introduces a spatiotemporal calculus for reasoning about land-use trajectories. Using Allen’s interval logic as a basis, we introduce new predicates that express cases of recurrence, conversion and evolution in land-use change. The proposed predicates are sufficient and necessary to express different kinds of land-use trajectories. Users can build expressions that describe how humans modify Earth’s terrestrial surface. In this way, scientists can better understand the environmental and economic effects of land-use change.     

An interpretation of wave refraction and its influence on foreshore sediment distribution

To analyze the grain size and depositional environment of the foreshore sediments, a study was undertaken on wave refraction along the wide sandy beaches of central Tamil Nadu coast. The nearshore waves approach the coast at 45° during the northeast(NE) monsoon, at 135° during the southwest(SW) monsoon and at 90° during the non-monsoon or fair-weather period with a predominant wave period of 8 and 10 s. A computer based wave refraction pattern is constructed to evaluate the trajectories of shoreward propagating waves along the coast in different seasons. The convergent wave rays during NE monsoon, leads to high energy wave condition which conveys a continuous erosion at foreshore region while divergent and inept condition of rays during the SW and non-monsoon, leads to moderate and less energy waves that clearly demarcates the rebuilt beach sediments through littoral sediment transport. The role of wave refraction in foreshore deposits was understood by grain size and depositional environment analysis. The presence of fine grains with the mixed population, during the NE monsoon reveals that the high energy wave condition and sediments were derived from beach and river environment. Conversely, the presence of medium grains with uniform population, during SW and non-monsoon attested less turbulence and sediments were derived from prolong propagation of onshore-offshore wave process.These upshots are apparently correlated with the in situ beach condition. On the whole, from this study it is understood that beaches underwent erosion during the NE monsoon and restored its original condition during the SW and non-monsoon seasons that exposed the stability of the beach and nearshore condition.     

西南印度洋中脊表层沉积物非碳酸盐组分的粒度特征及其地质意义

The carbonate-free fraction of 20 surface sediments collected from the ultraslow-spreading Southwest Indian Ridge(SWIR) was studied by grain size analysis and mineralogical analysis with X-ray powder diffraction(XRD),stereo microscopy and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The characteristics of the carbonate-free fraction of the sediments were obtained, and related influential factors were discussed. The results show that the mean grain size of this fraction is in 1.96Φ–8.19Φ, with poorly sorting and unimodal, bimodal or irregular bimodal distribution patterns. Four grain size end members of the fraction are derived with the End Member Model method. The finest end member EM1 shows a significant contribution of terrigenous materials of the aeolian input and sediment carried by the bottom current. End member EM2 with medium size mainly reflects sediment of a siliceous bioclast origin. EM3 and EM4 are interpreted as representing the coarser volcanic materials related to bedrock weathering or volcanic activities. Multi-provenance is the dominant factor controlling the grain size pattern of the carbonate-free fraction of the sediments in that area. In addition, sediment transport processes such as the bottom current and wind are the minor factors that influence the grain size distribution of the carbonate-free fraction sediments.     

杭州湾及其邻近海域表层沉积物的沉积环境分区及重金属污染特征分析

于2017年春季和2018年春季,分两个航次,在杭州湾及其邻近海域采集了表层沉积物样品,并对其粒度组成及重金属含量进行了测定。结果表明,研究区域表层沉积物的粒级组成以砂和粉砂为主,平均占比分别为38.0%和55.4%。根据粒级组成的区域分布特征,将研究区域分为长江河口现代沉积区(Ⅰ-1)、钱塘江河口现代沉积区(Ⅰ-2)、长江羽状锋面积聚区(Ⅱ-1)、长江次级锋面积聚区(Ⅱ-2)、岛屿风化影响区(Ⅲ)、残留砂混合沉积区(Ⅳ)等4大类6个亚区。通过比较不同区域重金属含量发现,总体分布趋势为Ⅱ-1区和Ⅱ-2区含量较高,Ⅰ-2区和Ⅳ区含量较低,Ⅰ-1区和Ⅳ区相对居中。单因子污染指数评价结果显示,Ⅱ-1区和Ⅱ-2区的Cu、Pb、Zn、As、Cd、Hg已呈现出污染态势,需引起关注;Cr则未呈现出污染态势。     

Sandy gravel accumulation in a fluvial environment

Particle size, pebble shape, pebble fabric, discharge and flow velocity data are used to introduce a model of sandy gravel formation in Welsh gravel-bed rivers. The development of contact-imbrication of the typically very bladed and very platy cobbles and larger pebbles subsequently acts to significantly affect the depositional modes and patterns of small pebbles and sand particles. An important distinction is drawn between sand deposition, which can occur at or below the bed surface, and pebble and cobble deposition, which is merely a surface phenomenon.     

南海北部藻类粒级结构及色素成分对浮游植物吸收系数的影响

在珠江口、广东沿岸及南海北部三个航次生物-光学数据的基础上,研究了色素打包效应和色素成分的变化对浮游植物吸收系数的影响,结果表明,两种因素对吸收系数都有较大的贡献,但在不同的水体它们的影响程度各有不同.对网采浮游植物含量较高的珠江口和广东沿岸的水体而言,色素打包效应较强,对675 nm处比吸收系数的贡献平均分别为40%和20%;对微型浮游植物占主导地位的南海北部航次的水体,打包效应较弱,对675 nm处比吸收系数的影响平均仅为6%.采用多元线性回归的方法对吸收光谱进行分析,发现除叶绿素a之外的辅助色素对吸收系数的贡献主要表现在蓝绿光波段,三个航次440 nm波长处对总吸收的贡献平均分别为44%,43%和53%,其中对珠江口和广东沿岸航次的水体主要是光合类胡萝卜素的吸收贡献,而对南海北部航次的水体除了光合类胡萝卜素以外还要受到光保护类胡萝卜素的影响.由于河口、近岸和外海水体藻类粒级结构和辅助色素成分对浮游植物吸收系数的贡献有明显的差异,在南海北部水体建立比较精确的生物光学模型时,需考虑藻类粒级结构及色素成分对浮游植物吸收系数的影响.     

Measurements of suspended particulate matter with laser in-situ scattering and transmissometry in the Jiaozhou Bay in China

1 IntroductionKnowledge of suspended particle size and distri-bution is the key elements for better understandingthe sediment transport processes ( Wang et al.,2004), primary production (Ning et al., 2004),water quality controlling and pollution predictio…     

长江口徐六泾悬浮细颗粒泥沙絮凝体特性

2003年6月14日-22日, 利用现场激光粒度仪LISST-100在不扰动颗粒物的情况下, 于长江口徐六泾定点连续观测了洪季大、小潮表层粘性悬浮细颗粒泥沙絮凝体的实有粒径、体积浓度, 配合OBS-3A现场测量的悬沙浓度计算了现场絮凝体的有效密度和静水沉速.观测结果显示, 徐六泾大、小潮表层絮凝体体积浓度、粒径、有效密度和静水沉速的平均值分别为98.0 μl/L、39.8 μm、1173 kg/m^3、1.14 mm/s和70.8 μl/L、64.4 μm、919 kg/m^3、2.32 mm/s.研究表明： ①长江口徐六泾表层絮凝体体积浓度主要受水流流速影响, 再悬浮现象明显, 体积浓度过程线滞后流速过程线, 落潮期间滞后10-30 min, 涨潮则滞后30-50 min; ②小于一定流速时絮凝体平均粒径随流速增大而增大, 大于一定流速时絮凝体平均粒径则随流速增大而减小, 徐六泾大、小潮表层絮凝体在50 cm/s的垂线平均流速时出现平均粒径与垂线平均流速关系的转折; ③徐六泾大、小潮表层絮凝体平均粒径在体积浓度75 μl/L时出现平均粒径与体积浓度关系的转折, 体积浓度小于75 μl/L时粒径随体积浓度增加而增大, 超过75 μl/L时粒径随体积浓度的增加变化不明显; ④絮凝体有效密度由粒径大小控制, 粒径大, 有效密度小, 反之亦然, 粒径和有效密度共同决定絮凝体静水沉速, 有效密度和沉速与平均粒径之间均存在良好的幂指数关系.     

板块俯冲带岩浆作用过程的研究

综合分析了板块俯冲带岩浆活动的物质来源、岩浆上涌直至喷出的地球化学过程以及与这些过程相对应的时间尺度等研究的进展,指出了目前研究中存在的主要问题,并建议我国在该领域开展相关的研究中应:1)首先利用独有的地理优势,以处于弧后扩张作用早期的冲绳海槽为研究对象,开展相关的调查与研究;2)积极引进先进的技术手段;3)通过加强国际合作,积极参与国际合作项目,拓展研究领域.     

Diagnosis of trace metal contamination in sediments: the example of Ensenada and El Sauzal, two harbors in Baja California, Mexico

Total metal concentrations in sediments from within Ensenada and El Sauzal Harbors are generally higher than at the mouths. Grain-size analyses suggested that this enrichment could be due to the presence of fine-grained sediments in the inner part of the harbors rather than to anthropogenic perturbations. The (Me/Al)(sample) ratios for Pb, Co, Ni and Fe were significantly higher for Ensenada Harbor relative to El Sauzal Harbor, whereas the ratios for Cd, Mn, Zn and Cu were statistically equivalent for both harbors. Calculated enrichment factors [EF(Me)=(Me/Al)(sample)/(Me/Al)(shale)] indicated that the metals showing slight enrichment were those associated with anthropogenic contamination (Pb, Zn), or probably related to primary productivity in the water column (Cd, Co). The levels of most of the metals were not greatly enriched, a consideration that is of the utmost importance when contamination issues are at stake.