Local geoid determination combining gravity disturbances and GPS/levelling: a case study in the Lake Nasser area, Aswan, Egypt

 The use of GPS for height control in an area with existing levelling data requires the determination of a local geoid and the bias between the local levelling datum and the one implicitly defined when computing the local geoid. If only scarse gravity data are available, the heights of new data may be collected rapidly by determining the ellipsoidal height by GPS and not using orthometric heights. Hence the geoid determination has to be based on gravity disturbances contingently combined with gravity anomalies. Furthermore, existing GPS/levelling data may also be used in the geoid determination if a suitable general gravity field modelling method (such as least-squares collocation, LSC) is applied. A comparison has been made in the Aswan Dam area between geoids determined using fast Fourier transform (FFT) with gravity disturbances exclusively and LSC using only the gravity disturbances and the disturbances combined with GPS/levelling data. The EGM96 spherical harmonic model was in all cases used in a remove–restore mode. A total of 198 gravity disturbances spaced approximately 3 km apart were used, as well as 35 GPS/levelling points in the vicinity and on the Aswan Dam. No data on the Nasser Lake were available. This gave difficulties when using FFT, which requires the use of gridded data. When using exclusively the gravity disturbances, the agreement between the GPS/levelling data were 0.71 ± 0.17 m for FFT and 0.63 ± 0.15 for LSC. When combining gravity disturbances and GPS/levelling, the LSC error estimate was ±0.10 m. In the latter case two bias parameters had to be introduced to account for a possible levelling datum difference between the levelling on the dam and that on the adjacent roads. Received: 14 August 2000 / Accepted: 28 February 2001     

Environmental niche of the smut lizard population on a sandy coastal ecosystem of Southeastern Tenerife (Canary Islands)

Relationships among environmental patterns and population size of the smut lizard Gallotia galloti galloti Oudart, 1839 (Sauria Lacertidae) were examined in the context of longer time-scale variability on a sandy beach and adjacent environments of Southeastern Tenerife. Seasonal and yearly patterns in the population size were likewise analyzed in relation to climatic and anthropic variables. Six sampling plots (coastal, sweet tabaiba, tuff, lava, sandy lava and crater) were selected following a perpendicular transect to the sandy fringe that extends from the beach toward the volcanic interior. Pitfall trapping was conducted from 1984 to 2005, and capture–mark–recapture technique and the Jolly–Seber method were used to estimate population sizes. The highest population size estimates were shown on the sandy lava plot and the neighboring lava plot, reaching values of about 3500 individuals ha⁻¹ during the spring. The population was active almost the whole year, with seasonal patterns of activity from March to October. Seasonal temperature and population size patterns were correlated but the 'calima' episodes produced some disturbance. Gallotia galloti galloti was one of the most abundant lizards of all the species studied and its population size has not remained stable over the study period, probably because of the absence of predation and competition, and because of human interference and environmental instability.     

Modern disturbances to a long-lasting community-based resource management system: The Taos Valley acequias

Long-lasting community-based resource management systems have offered scholars important lessons in the study of human-environment relations. The examination of such systems has suffered from a sampling bias, however, in that it has focused disproportionately on successful systems. There are fewer studies that have explored the deterioration of such systems, particularly with an interdisciplinary approach. This shortfall is problematic given the increasing social and biophysical disturbances that communities are facing as they become more integrated into, and affected by, larger-scale processes.This study addresses this gap by analyzing the modern condition of a long-lasting community-based irrigation system known as the acequias in northern New Mexico. Using a mix of interview, survey, remote sensing, and census data, I examine the extent to which important indicators for the acequias have shifted in the last several decades and explore reasons for these changes. A mix of statistical and qualitative comparative techniques is used to conduct the analysis.By examining longitudinal data we find that the acequias are producing less than they have in the past and have mostly lost their common-property-based livestock pasturing system. While some of these changes can be attributed to similar declines in water availability, much of the change results from social drivers including demographic changes, regional-to-global market forces, and public policies. Overall the shift of the acequias to their current state is a result of their integration into a much larger-scale set of social and economic forces than they have experienced in the past. This shift will be very difficult to reverse, meaning the acequia farmers must adapt to the current condition. It is likely that these themes are common across many community-based resource management systems in many locations. In the future, further progress should be made in synthetically comparing such cases in ways that have already been done for long-lasting successful systems.     

利用陆态网络实时监测电离层TEC及在地震监测中的应用分析

中国大陆构造环境监测网络(陆态网络)是中国最大的GPS综合服务网络,该网络包括260个分布全国的GPS基准站。本文首先介绍了利用GPS研究电离层TEC的基本原理与方法,然后阐述了陆态网络电离层TEC监测系统的数据处理及产品发布的详细流程,最后分析了震前电离层异常现象与地震发生的耦合关系,并利用陆态网络电离层TEC监测系统的产品分析了四川省芦山7.0级地震的同震电离层扰动现象。     

Global analysis of the lower tropospheric disturbances in the tropics during the northern summer of the FGGE year part II: Regional characteristics of the disturbances

Regional characteristics of the synoptic-scale wave disturbances in the tropical lower troposphere were examined by analyzing the FGGE level III-b data. Three tropical regions, western Pacific, eastern Pacific, and a region from the African Continent to the Atlantic, were selected for the present study. Spectrum analysis, trajectory analysis and composite analysis were used to obtain characteristics of the wave disturbances for each region.Main findings are as follows: 1.) The generation region of the western Pacific wave disturbances related to typhoon development are found around 5° N and 170° E. 2.) An interaction of the western Pacific wave disturbances with the upper Mid-Pacific trough was indicated statistically as an intensifying condition for typhoons. 3.) The wave disturbances in the eastern Pacific originate to the west of Panama and propagate west-north-westward with a period of 5.7 day and a wavelength of about 2700 km. 4.) The structure of the eastern Pacific wave disturbances is similar to that of the western Pacific disturbances. 5.) Two different paths of the African waves are found over the African Continent. The northern disturbance has a period of 4.4 days while the southern one has a period of 3.3–3.6 days. 6.) Disturbances along the northern path of the African waves are traced only to as far as 45° W, and those along the southern path are traced to the Caribbean Sea.     

中国东部降水和风场的低频振荡特征

本文对中国东部台站4—9月多年日平均降水和1978年4—9月850hPa每日东西风和南北风分量分别进行了谐波分析和带通时间滤波处理.研究结果指出:内陆和东部沿海地区准90天和45天振荡的降水扰动传播方向是自南向北的,而准60天振荡的扰动是从南北两个方向向中间地区传播.长江和珠江流域准90天和45天振荡的扰动具有相反的传播方向,而它们准60天振荡的扰动具有相同的传播方向.此外,在华南汛期、长江中下游梅雨期和华北雨季,一些地区大雨期的出现常常和正降水扰动从不同方向传播到该地区有关.关于1978年4—9月中国东     

Auto-covariance estimation of variable samples (ACEVS) and its application for monitoring random ionospheric disturbances using GPS

 Ionospheric variation may be considered as a stationary time series under quiet conditions. However, the disturbance of a stationary random process from stationarity results in the bias of corresponding samples from the stationary observations, and in the change of statistical model parameters of the process. From a general mathematical aspect, a new method is presented for monitoring ionospheric variations, based on the characteristic of time-series observation of GPS, and an investigation of the statistical properties of the estimated auto-covariance of the random ionospheric delay when changing the number of samples in the time series is carried out. A preliminary scheme for monitoring ionospheric delays is proposed. Received: 18 August 2000 / Accepted: 12 April 2001     

变形场锋生条件下斜压锋区上对称波包的发展

文中用 WKBJ方法讨论了叠加在 Hoskins- Bretherton( 1 972 )变形场锋生模型背景上对称斜压波包的发展问题。在锋区斜压气流对称稳定的条件下 ( F2 N2 - M2 =q>0 ) ,大尺度变形场强迫、锋生环流的作用及锋生过程引起的稳定度参数 ( F2 ,N2 ,M2 )的个别变化也会对对称扰动的发展产生作用 ,变形场锋生和锋区环流的上升支下方有利于对称扰动发展 ,而锋区附近非地转垂直切变和稳定度参数的变化对扰动的影响则与对称扰动的结构有关。