Assessing optical earth observation systems for mapping and monitoring temporary ponds in arid areas

Remote sensing methods for locating and monitoring temporary ponds over large areas in arid lands were tested on a study site in Northern Senegal. Three main results are presented, validated with field data and intended to highlight different spectral, spatial and temporal characteristics of the methods: (1) Among several water indices tested, two Middle Infrared-based indices (MNDWI—Modified Normalized Difference Water Index and NDWI₁—Normalized Difference Water Index) are found to be most efficient; (2) an objective method is given prescribing the necessary sensor spatial resolution in terms of minimal detected pond area; and (3) the potential of multi-temporal MODIS imagery for tracking the filling phases of small ponds is illustrated. These results should assist in epidemiological studies of vector-borne diseases that develop around these ponds, but also more generally for land and water management and preservation of threatened ecosystems in arid areas.     

估算混合植被叶绿素含量的理想波段分析

应用Lopex数据库评价了19个波谱指数对物种的敏感性, 分析了叶绿素含量与波谱反射率以及波谱导数的相关性, 目的在于探寻对叶绿素含量变化的敏感性, 对物种和叶片结构变化不敏感的理想波段, 应用大尺度遥感数据估算混合植被冠层叶绿素含量。分析结果表明：红边指数对混合植被的叶绿素含量具有较好的指示作用;估算冠层叶绿素含量的理想波段为698—710nm附近较窄的波段范围;对于波谱导数, 估算混合植被叶绿素含量的理想波段范围为720—735nm和535—550nm附近波谱导数。     

三疣梭子蟹乳化病血液生化指标诊断技术的研究

对患乳化病的三疣梭子蟹进行了血液生化指标检测．结果表明：与健康三疣梭子蟹相比，病蟹肌酐、总胆固醇、Na^＋、Cl^-、Mg^2＋、Ca^2＋等含量明显上升，而血糖、总蛋白、白蛋白、谷丙转氨酶、谷草转氨酶、乳酸脱氢酶、碱性磷酸酶等含量却显著下降．通过感染试验的追踪检测，并与对照组相比，感染后24h含量发生明显变化的血液生化指标为血糖、总胆固醇、总蛋白、谷草转氨酶和Mg^2＋，此5种指标可作为三疣梭子蟹乳化病早期诊断的参考指标．     

Study of indices for drought characterization in KBK districts in Orissa (India)

Drought is a temporary, random and regional climatic phenomenon, originating due to lack of precipitation leading to water deficit and causing economic loss. Success in drought alleviation depends on how well droughts are defined and their severity quantified. A quantitative definition identifies the beginning, end, spatial extent and the severity of drought. Among the available indices, no single index is capable of fully describing all the physical characteristics of drought. Therefore, in most cases it is useful and necessary to consider several indices, examine their sensitivity and accuracy, and investigate for correlation among them. In this study, the geographical information system‐based Spatial and Time Series Information Modeling (SPATSIM) and Daily Water Resources Assessment Modeling (DWRAM) software were used for drought analysis on monthly and daily bases respectively and its spatial distribution in both dry and wet years. SPATSIM utilizes standardized precipitation index (SPI), effective drought index (EDI), deciles index and departure from long‐term mean and median; and DWRAM employs only EDI. The analysis of data from the Kalahandi and Nuapada districts of Orissa (India) revealed that (a) droughts in this region occurred with a frequency of once in every 3 to 4 years, (b) droughts occurred in the year when the ratio of annual rainfall to potential evapotranspiration (Pae/PET) was less than 0·6, (c) EDI better represented the droughts in the area than any other index; (d) all SPI, EDI and annual deviation from the mean showed a similar trend of drought severity. The comparison of all indices and results of analysis led to several useful and pragmatic inferences in understanding the drought attributes of the study area. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geomorphic effectiveness of extraordinary floods on three large rivers of the Indian Peninsula

The efficacy of extreme events is directly linked to the flood power and the total energy expended. The geomorphic effectiveness of floods is evaluated in terms of the distribution of stream power per unit boundary area (ω) over time, for three very large floods of the 20th Century in the Indian Peninsula. These floods stand out as outliers when compared with the peak floods per unit drainage area recorded elsewhere in the world. We used flood hydrographs and at-a-station hydraulic geometry equations, computed for the same gauging site or a nearby site, to construct approximately stream-power curves and to estimate the total energy expended by each flood. Critical unit stream power values necessary to entrain cobbles and boulders were estimated on the basis of empirical relationships for coarse sediment transport developed by Williams [Williams, G.P., 1983. Paleohydrological methods and some examples from Swedish fluvial environments. I. Cobble and boulder deposits. Geografiska Annaler 65A, 227–243.] in order to determine the geomorphological effectiveness of the floods. The estimates indicate that the minimum power per unit area values for all three floods were sufficiently high, and stream energy was above the threshold of boulder movement (90 W m^− 2) for several tens of hours. The peak unit stream power values and the total energy expended during each flood were in the range of 290–325 W m^− 2 and 65–160 × 10⁶ J respectively. The average and peak flood powers were found to be higher or comparable to those estimated for extreme palaeo or modern floods on low-gradient, alluvial rivers.     

Coastal morphodynamics and Chenier-Plain evolution in southwestern Louisiana, USA: A geomorphic model

Using 28 topographic profiles, air-photo interpretation, and historical shoreline-change data, coastal processes were evaluated along the Chenier Plain to explain the occurrence, distribution, and geomorphic hierarchy of primary landforms, and existing hypotheses regarding Chenier-Plain evolution were reconsidered. The Chenier Plain of SW Louisiana, classified as a low-profile, microtidal, storm-dominated coast, is located west and downdrift of the Mississippi River deltaic plain. This Late-Holocene, marginal-deltaic environment is 200 km long and up to 30 km wide, and is composed primarily of mud deposits capped by marsh interspersed with thin sand- and shell-rich ridges (“cheniers”) that have elevations of up to 4 m.In this study, the term “ridge” is used as a morphologic term for a narrow, linear or curvilinear topographic high that consists of sand and shelly material accumulated by waves and other physical coastal processes. Thus, most ridges in the Chenier Plain represent relict open-Gulf shorelines. On the basis of past movement trends of individual shorelines, ridges may be further classified as transgressive, regressive, or laterally accreted. Geomorphic zones that contain two or more regressive, transgressive, or laterally accreted ridges are termed complexes. Consequently, we further refine the Chenier-Plain definition by Otvos and Price [Otvos, E.G. and Price, W.A., 1979. Problems of chenier genesis and terminology—an overview. Marine Geology, 31: 251–263] and define Chenier Plain as containing at least two or more chenier complexes. Based on these definitions, a geomorphic hierarchy of landforms was refined relative to dominant process for the Louisiana Chenier Plain. The Chenier Plain is defined as a first-order feature (5000 km²) composed of three second-order features (30 to 300 km²): chenier complex, beach-ridge complex, and spit complex. Individual ridges of each complex type were further separated into third-order features: chenier, beach ridge, and spit.To understand the long-term evolution of a coastal depositional system, primary process–response mechanisms and patterns found along the modern Chenier-Plain coast were first identified, especially tidal-inlet processes associated with the Sabine, Calcasieu, and Mermentau Rivers. Tidal prism (Ω) and quantity of littoral transport (M_total) are the most important factors controlling inlet stability. Greater discharge and/or tidal prism increase the ability of river and estuarine systems to interrupt longshore sediment transport, maintain and naturally stabilize tidal entrances, and promote updrift deposition. Thus, prior to human modification and stabilization efforts, the Mermentau River entrance would be classified as wave-dominated, Sabine Pass as tide-dominated, and Calcasieu Pass as tide-dominated to occasionally mixed.Hoyt [Hoyt, J.H., 1969. Chenier versus barrier, genetic and stratigraphic distinction. Am. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull., 53: 299–306] presented the first detailed depositional model for chenier genesis and mudflat progradation, which he attributed to changes in Mississippi River flow direction (i.e., delta switching) caused by upstream channel avulsion. However, Hoyt's model oversimplifies Chenier-Plain evolution because it omits ridges created by other means. Thus, the geologic evolution of the Chenier Plain is more complicated than channel avulsions of the Mississippi River, and it involved not only chenier ridges (i.e., transgressive), but also ridges that are genetically tied to regression (beach ridges) and lateral accretion (recurved spits).A six-stage geomorphic process-response model was developed to describe Chenier-Plain evolution primarily as a function of: (i) the balance between sediment supply and energy dissipation associated with Mississippi River channel avulsions, (ii) local sediment reworking and lateral transport, (iii) tidal-entrance dynamics, and (iv) possibly higher-than-present stands of Holocene sea level. Consequently, the geneses of three different ridge types (transgressive, regressive, and laterally accreted) typically occur contemporaneously along the same shoreline at different locations.     

Measuring urban sprawl in Beijing with geo-spatial indices

Concerning about the rapid urban growth in recent China, this study takes Beijing as a case and puts forward that urban sprawl can be measured from spatial configuration, urban growth efficiency and external impacts, and then develops a geo-spatial indices system for measuring sprawl, a total of 13 indicators. In order to calculate these indices, different sources data are selected, including land use maps, former land use planning, land price and floor-area-ratio samples, digitized map of the highways and city centers, population and GDP statistical data, etc. Various GIS spatial analysis methods are used to spatialize these indices into 100m×100m cells. Besides, an integrated urban sprawl index is calculated by weight sum of these 13 indices. The application result indicates that geo-spatial indices system can capture most of the typical features and interior differentia of urban sprawl. Construction land in Beijing has kept fast growing with large amount, low efficiency and disordered spatial con-figuration, indicating a typical sprawling tendency. The following specific sprawl features are identified by each indicator: (1) typical spatial configuration of sprawling: obvious fragmenta-tion and irregularity of landscape due to unsuccessful enforcement of land use planning, unadvisable pattern of typical discontinuous development, strip development and leapfrog development; (2) low efficiency of sprawl: low development density, low population density and economic output in newly developed area; and (3) negative impacts on agriculture, en-vironment and city life. According to the integrated sprawl index, the sprawling amount in the northern part is larger than that in the southern, but the sprawling extent is in converse case; most sprawling area include the marginal area of the near suburbs and the area between highways, etc. Four sprawling patterns are identified: randomly expansion at urban fringe, strip development along or between highways, scattered development of industrial land, leapfrog development of urban residence and industrial area.     

山东崂山花岗岩地质地貌特征

崂山位于山东省青岛市东部，是中国海岸上海拔最高的山。崂山花岗岩是苏鲁地区燕山期花岗岩带中的重要组成部分，是中国东部晚中生代较典型的由钙碱性岩套和碱性岩套构成的I—A型复合花岗岩体。在长期的地球内外应力作用下，崂山形成了丰富、独特的花岗岩地貌类型，发育峰林、峰墙、崮、洞、像形石、岩臼等花岗岩地貌和砾石堤、巨砾扇、砾石海岸、砾石滩等独特的花岗岩堆积地貌。特殊的大地构造位置和花岗岩类型、丰富的地质资源、典型而独特的花岗岩地貌景观使得崂山花岗岩地质地貌具有极高的科研、科普和旅游开发价值。