0.99999999 confidence ambiguity resolution with GPS and Galileo

In this short contribution it is demonstrated how integer carrier phase cycle ambiguity resolution will perform in near future, when the US GPS gets modernized and the European Galileo becomes operational. The capability of ambiguity resolution is analyzed in the context of precise differential positioning over short, medium and long distances. Starting from dual-frequency operation with GPS at present, particularly augmenting the number of satellites turns out to have beneficial consequences on the capability of correctly resolving the ambiguities. With a 'double' constellation, on short baselines, the confidence of the integer ambiguity solution increases to a level of 0.99999999 or beyond. Electronic Publication     

Vegetation history and environmental development since ca 6000 cal yr BP in and around Ispani 2 (Kolkheti lowlands,Georgia)

The Kolkheti lowlands of western Georgia have a unique vegetation and a rich cultural history. Palynological and macrofossil analysis accompanied by AMS ¹⁴C-dates of the deposits of the Ispani 2 mire near Kobuleti allow the reconstruction of regional vegetation, environmental history and local peatland development within the context of Black Sea level and cultural changes. Comparison of two adjacent peatland cores confirms spatial differences in wetland development. Prior to 5400 cal yr BP, the Ispani basin was a floodplain of an active river system where overbank deposits with fluvially transported Castanea pollen were deposited. Subsequently, a lake or lagoon developed in which reeds expanded. These were succeeded by herb-rich open alder carrs. After 1900 cal yr BP, Carpinus and Fagus expanded on the dry grounds, where formerly Quercus was more abundant. Also Castanea declined. Local reedbeds, that burned regularly, succeeded the alder carr. After 1000 cal yr BP, a percolation bog developed resulting in the formation of 4 m of loose, porous, and largely undecomposed Sphagnum austinii peat with Molinia roots. The upper 50 cm of the analysed section show extensive human impact on the landscape during the 20th century.     

Development and carbon sequestration of tropical peat domes in south-east Asia: links to post-glacial sea-level changes and Holocene climate variability

Tropical peatlands of SE-Asia represent a significant terrestrial carbon reservoir of an estimated 65 Gt C. In this paper we present a comprehensive data synthesis of radiocarbon dated peat profiles and 31 basal dates of ombrogenous peat domes from the lowlands of Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo and integrate our peatland data with records of past sea-level and climate change in the region. Based on their developmental features three peat dome regions were distinguished: inland Central Kalimantan (Borneo), Kutai basin (Borneo) and coastal areas across the entire region. With the onset of the Holocene the first peat domes developed in Central Kalimantan as a response to rapid post-glacial sea-level rise over the Sunda Shelf and intensification of the Asian monsoon. Peat accumulation rates in Central Kalimantan strongly declined after 8500 cal BP in close relation to the lowering rate of the sea-level rise and possibly influenced by the regional impact of the 8.2 ka event. Peat growth in Central Kalimantan apparently ceased during the Late Holocene in association with amplified El Niño activity as exemplified by several truncated peat profiles. Peat domes from the Kutai basin are all younger than ～8300 cal BP. Peat formation and rates of peat accumulation were driven by accretion rates of the Mahakam River and seemingly independent of climate. Most coastal peat domes, the largest expanse of SE-Asian peatlands, initiated between 7000 and 4000 cal BP as a consequence of a Holocene maximum in regional rainfall and the stabilisation and subsequent regression of the sea-level. These boundary conditions induced the highest rates of peat accumulation of coastal peat domes. The Late Holocene sea-level regression led to extensive new land availability that allowed for continued coastal peat dome formation until the present. The time weighted mean Holocene peat accumulation rate is 0.54 mm yr^?1 for Central Kalimantan, 1.89 mm yr^?1 for Kutai and 1.77 mm yr^?1 for coastal domes of Sumatra and Borneo. The mean Holocene carbon sequestration rates amount to 31.3 g C m^?2 yr^?1 for Central Kalimantan and 77.0 g C m^?2 yr^?1 for coastal sites, which makes coastal peat domes of south-east Asia the spatially most efficient terrestrial ecosystem in terms of long term carbon sequestration.     

Possible Effects of Altered Growth Behaviour of Norway Spruce (Picea abies) on Carbon Accounting

Implementing the Kyoto Protocol necessitates precise and practical inventory methods for estimating the carbon reservoir in forests. An analysis of the German state North Rhine-Westphalia forest inventory data showed enormous deviations from the yield tables of Wiedemann (1936, 1942). Specifically the ratio of height/diameter at breast height was up to 30% lower than in the yield tables, which indicated wider annual rings and a lower basic density. Such differences most likely pose consequences for the calculation of the amount of carbon in these forests. In this study the aboveground green weight, moisture and the carbon content of fifteen 46-year old Norway spruces (Picea abies) were measured, and two approaches for calculating the aboveground carbon content of trees were discussed: the common methodology of applying expansion and conversion factors as well as using optimized regression equations. The average expansion factor deviated approximately 1.2% from the yield tables of Grundner and Schwappach (1906). The wood density was 368 kg/m³ and within the European scope of 320–420 kg/m³ (Bosshard, 1984; Hakkila, 1989; Knigge and Schulz, 1966; Trendelenburg and Mayer-Wegelin, 1955). The woody carbon content was found to be 50.42%, which corresponded well with reference values of 50.3% (Bosshard, 1984) and 51.4% (Knigge and Schulz, 1966). However, the average percentage of crown material carbon content was 0.75% higher than in the tree boles. This study demonstrated that the most reliable methodology for calculating aboveground tree carbon was a power regression function, which calculated the growing stock volume, converting it directly into tree carbon content. The results deviated by less than 1.3% (R² = 0.99) from the measured tree carbon. Using volume expansion factors and factors of basic density and carbon percentage, as in Burschel et al. (1993), the calculated results diverged –3.7% from the measured outcome. The adapted form according to Fang et al. (2001) deviated –1.2% (R² = 0.63) and the form following Brown and Schroeder (1999) about –2.5% (R² = 0.61) from the measured carbon of the sample trees. However, coefficients of variation from 12% and 13% for the presented algorithm illustrated that in reality the calculated carbon of single trees could diverge considerably from the model results.     

How a Sphagnum fuscum‐dominated bog changed into a calcareous fen: the unique Holocene history of a Slovak spring‐fed mire

In general, mires develop by autogenic succession from more groundwater‐fed to more rainwater‐fed. This study from a calcareous mire in the West Carpathians (Slovakia) describes a similar development in the Early Holocene, followed by a reverse development in the Middle and Late Holocene. Pollen, macrofossil and testate amoeba analyses show that the site started as a minerotrophic open fen woodland. After 10 700 cal a BP autogenic succession led to the accumulation of at least 1 m of Sphagnum fuscum peat. Around 9000 cal a BP, as climate could no longer sustain a stable water regime, the bog desiccated and a fire broke out. The fire removed part of the peat layer and as a consequence relative water levels rose, leading to the establishment of a wet minerotrophic swamp carr with Thelypteris palustris, Equisetum sp. and Alnus sp. with extremely slow peat accumulation. After 600 cal a BP, rapid peat accumulation with calcareous tufa formation resumed as a result of anthropogenic deforestation and hydrological changes in the catchment and resulting increased groundwater discharge. At present the mire still hosts a wealth of relict and endangered plant and animal species typical of calcareous fens and fen meadows. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Reliability of GPS Ambiguity Resolution

GPS ambiguity resolution is the process of resolving the unknown cycle ambiguities of double-difference (DD) carrier-phase data as integers. It is the key to fast and high-precision relative GPS positioning. Critical in the application of ambiguity resolution is its reliability. Unsuccessful ambiguity resolution, when passed unnoticed, will too often lead to unacceptable errors in the positioning results. High success rates are required for ambiguity resolution to be reliable. In this contribution we will introduce and evaluate such diagnostic measures. They complement existing methods of ambiguity resolution and allow the user and/or analyst to infer their reliability. ? 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Younger Dryas cold stage vegetation patterns of central Europe – climate,soil and relief controls

In the north Atlantic region the final period of the last ice age saw abrupt shifts between near present‐day warm and near ice age cold conditions, ending with the cold Younger Dryas. The effects of the cold periods may have been more severe in the vicinity of the Atlantic Ocean than in continental Europe. We use pollen percentage and influx data combined with data on substrate and relief to reconstruct spatially explicit vegetation composition, patterns and development during the Younger Dryas, with special focus on to the forest/non‐forest transition across NE Germany. Opposing trends, such as birch pollen percentages sharply increasing but accumulation rates sharply decreasing northwards, underline pitfalls in the interpretation of pollen percentage data in tree‐line situations. The combined approach reveals a sharp ecotone. Pine declined on northern sites, possibly because of permafrost formation, but was hardly affected in the south. Birch also declined in the south, possibly because of the severe winter cold. Cold‐adapted trees did not enter forest gaps. The cooling had little impact on herbal vegetation. Steppe elements (grasses, Artemisia) were largely restricted to south‐exposed slopes and did not benefit from the cooling – patches of steppe vegetation were even less abundant than during the preceding warm periods. The approach of combining fossil pollen data, including accumulation rates, with data on the contemporary distribution of substrate and relief allowed unprecedented spatial resolution to be reached in the reconstruction of Younger Dryas vegetation patterns.     

Archaeomagnetic dating of seven archaeological fireplaces in the Netherlands

The palaeomagnetic directions of seven Dutch fireplaces are compared with the archaeological age estimates which range from the first to the 17^th century AD. A comparison with the British master curve of secular variation for archaeomagnetic dating results in a refinement of the archaeological age estimates in two cases, while four other archaeological age estimates can be confirmed. For one fireplace only one sample is reliable, resulting in a very poorly defined archaeomagnetic age of 2 to 3 centuries younger than the expected age (i.e. late Middle Ages). On the other hand, accepting the archaeological age estimates, the palaeomagnetic directions can contribute to the database that is used to construct the British secular-variation master curve. We applied the classification grades proposed by Tarling & Dobson (1995) which range from unreliable (grade 1) to reliable (grade 5). Three fireplaces have grades 5, one has grade 4, one grade 3, one grade 1 and for one case no grade was assigned.     

LAMBDA: FAQs

Since its introduction in 1993, the LAMBDA method has found widespread use across the world. The method has been employed in many geodetic and navigation applications, with lots of satisfied users. Independent tests show that it is considered the best method for integer carrier phase ambiguity resolution available. But every now and then we still notice some misunderstandings concerning the principles and potential of the method. In this contribution we will briefly summarize the principles underlying the LAMBDA method, go into some of the frequently asked questions on the LAMBDA method and try to clarify some of the existing misunderstandings. Electronic Publication