Deep slices and the Supercluster-Void Network

We compare the properties of superclusters of Abell clusters with those of superclusters of loose groups from the Las Campanas Redshift Survey. We show that supercluster intersections with the LCRS slices coincide with the high-density regions of the galaxy distribution. The orientation of superclusters in respect of line-of-sight is nearly random, with a slight excess of systems oriented perpendicularly to the line of sight.     

Shallow sediment transport flow computation using time-varying sediment adaptation length

Based on the common approach,the adaptation length in sediment transport is normally estimated astemporally independent.However,this approach might not be theoretically justified as the process of reaching the sediment transport equilibrium stage is affected by the flow conditions in time,especially for fast moving flows,such as scour-hole developing flows.In this study,the two-dimensional（2D） shallow water formulation together with a sediment continuity-concentration（SCC） model were applied to flow with mobile sediment boundary.A timevarying approach was proposed to determine the sediment transport adaptation length to simulate the sediment erosion-deposition rate.The proposed computational model was based on the Finite Volume（FV） method.The Monotone Upwind Scheme of Conservative Laws（MUSCL）-Hancock scheme was used with the Harten Lax van Leer-contact（HLLC） approximate Riemann solver to discretize the FV model.In the flow applications of this paper,a highly discontinuous dam-break,fast sediment transport flow was used to calibrate the proposed timevarying sediment adaptation length model.Then the calibrated model was further applied to two separate experimental sediment transport flow applications documented in the literature,i.e.a highly concentrated sediment transport flow in a wide alluvial channel and a sediment aggradation flow.Good agreement with the experimental data were obtained with the proposed model simulations.The tests prove that the proposed model,which was calibrated by the discontinuous dam-break bed scouring flow,also performed well to represent rapid bed change and steady sediment mobility conditions.     

Trajectory reconstruction from mobile positioning data using cell-to-cell travel time information

This paper proposes a technique for improving the accuracy of mobile device movement trajectory reconstruction using passive mobile positioning data. The major sources of uncertainty in trajectory reconstruction are imprecise cell shape data and ‘ping-pong’ effects caused by cell handovers. We used a novel technique for improved ‘ping-pong’ effect suppression by compensating for some cell shape distortions based on temporal cell-to-cell transit statistics. The results were evaluated by estimating traffic flow using trajectory reconstruction. The proposed technique improved the accuracy of results compared to ‘ping-pong’ suppression algorithms found in the literature.     

TanDEM-X multiparametric data features in sea ice classification over the Baltic sea

In this study, we assess the potential of X-band Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar imagery for automated classification of sea ice over the Baltic Sea. A bistatic SAR scene acquired by the TanDEM-X mission over the Bothnian Bay in March of 2012 was used in the analysis. Backscatter intensity, interferometric coherence magnitude, and interferometric phase have been used as informative features in several classification experiments. Various combinations of classification features were evaluated using Maximum likelihood (ML), Random Forests (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers to achieve the best possible discrimination between open water and several sea ice types (undeformed ice, ridged ice, moderately deformed ice, brash ice, thick level ice, and new ice). Adding interferometric phase and coherence-magnitude to backscatter-intensity resulted in improved overall classification per- formance compared to using only backscatter-intensity. The RF algorithm appeared to be slightly superior to SVM and ML due to higher overall accuracies, however, at the expense of somewhat longer processing time. The best overall accuracy (OA) for three methodologies were achieved using combination of all tested features were 71.56, 72.93, and 72.91％ for ML, RF and SVM classifiers, respectively. Compared to OAs of 62.28, 66.51, and 63.05％ using only backscatter intensity, this indicates strong benefit of SAR interferometry in discriminating different types of sea ice. In contrast to several earlier studies, we were particularly able to successfully discriminate open water and new ice classes.     

Evidence for high water levels in the Erie basin during the Younger Dryas chronozone

A high water phase in the Lake Erie basin is identified from a variety of evidence for the period 11.0 ka to 10.5 ka. It is believed to correspond to the first Agassiz inflow to the upper Great Lakes (Main Lake Algonquin phase) when Agassiz waters discharged in both catastrophic and equilibrium modes to Lake Superior. After allowing for differential isostatic rebound, a computational model is used to estimate the lake levels in the Erie basin needed to generate Agassiz-equivalent discharges out of the basin into Lake Ontario. Computations suggest that Lake Tonawanda spillways would be re-activated by the high lake levels needed to sustain Agassiz-equivalent discharges. Existing published evidence from the Erie basin, Niagara River, and western New York (including ¹⁴C dates), is consistent with this interpretation. Additional evidence from the Niagara Peninsula (pollen spectra and geomorphology) supports the inference that extensive flooding of the southern Niagara Peninsula (Lake Wainfleet) occurred due to high water levels in the Erie basin. In the Niagara Peninsula, very shallow washover spillways would only operate when standard hydrologic variations of lake level in the Erie basin coincided with short term high levels driven by catastrophic inflows to the Great Lakes from Lake Agassiz. We support the view of Lewis & Anderson (1992) that a meltwater flux from Agassiz inflows reached Lake Erie.     

Numerical modeling of the Sakuma Dam reservoir sedimentation

The present study attempts to predict the reservoir sedimentation in 32 km region of the Tenryu River between the Hiraoka and Sakuma Dams in Japan. For numerical simulations of the reservoir sedimentation, the one-dimensional model of the Hydrologic Engineering Centre-River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) is used together with the inclusion of channel geometry, bed gradation curve, Exner-5 bed sorting mechanisms, fall velocity of the particle, and flow and sediment boundary conditions pertaining to modeling region. The modeling region of the Tenryu River is divided into 48 river stations with 47 reaches in the numerical simulations. The numerical model is calibrated using the available data for 48 years from 1957 to 2004. The formulae of sediment transport function, Manning’s roughness coefficient, computational increment and fall velocity have been identified for getting the best estimation of the Sakuma Dam reservoir sedimentation. Combination of obtained sensitive parameters and erodible limits of 2 m gave the best comparison with the measured bed profile. The computed results follow the trend of measured data with a small underestimation. Although Manning’s roughness coefficient has an effect on the sedimentation, no direct relation is found between the Manning’s roughness coefficient and reservoir sedimentation. It is found that the temperature of water has no effect on the reservoir sedimentation.