Dynamics and patterns of land levelling for agricultural reclamation of erosional badlands in Chambal Valley (Madhya Pradesh,India)

Gully and badland erosion constitute important land‐degradation processes with severe on‐site and off‐site effects above all in sedimentary deposits and alluvial soils of the arid and semi‐arid regions. Agricultural use of the affected land is impeded both by the irreversible loss of topsoil and the morphological dissection of the terrain. In various badland regions around the world, a solution to the latter problem is attempted by infilling of gullies and levelling of badland topography in order restore a morphology suitable for agricultural cultivation. Gully and badland levelling for agricultural reclamation has been conducted for decades in the large ravine lands of India. This study aims at analysing the distribution and dynamics of land levelling within the Chambal badlands in Morena district, Madhya Pradesh, between 1971 and 2015. Using high to medium resolution satellite images from the Corona, Landsat, Aster and RapidEye missions and a multi‐temporal classification approach, we have mapped and quantified areas that were newly levelled within eight observation periods. We analysed the spatial relation of levelled land to several physical and socio‐economic factors that potentially influence the choice of reclamation site by employing geographic information system (GIS) analysis methods and results from focus‐group discussions in selected villages. Results show that nearly 38 km² or 23% of the badlands in the study area have been levelled within 45 years. The levelling rate generally increases during the observation period, but the annual variability is high. We have found spatial relationships to badland morphology, vicinity of existing cropland and proximity to villages and drainage lines. From a socio‐economic point of view, availability of financial and technical means, access rights to the badland and ownership issues play an important role. Considering studies on soil degradation caused by levelling of badlands in other regions, the sustainability of the newly reclaimed fields in the Chambal badlands is questionable. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High-precision geoid determination in small areas: A case study in Doñana National Park (Spain)

Doñana National Park is an area of approximately 500 km² located on the SW coast of Spain that shows one of the greatest geoid gradients on the entire Iberian Peninsula, due to its peculiar tectonic characteristics. So, it is necessary to elaborate an accurate geoid model that can be used with GPS for precise surveying, since the existing ones are insufficient, due to their poor resolution and their limited adaptation to a small area with such a strong gradient. The least squares prediction method was tested in order to obtain the undulation from GPS/orthometric points. The results obtained were unsatisfactory because of the strong geoid gradient. In order to improve accuracy the remove-restore technique was used. Global geopotential model EIGEN-CG01C and a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with a 25 × 25 m resolution and an accuracy better than 3 m were used. Thus, the final geometrical geoid obtained reaches the precision required by other disciplines (3 cm in any point within the Park). Particularly, the geoid model has allowed for the acquisition of a precision DEM that is essential to formulate a hydrodynamic model for the Doñana marsh functions.     

Height transformation models from ellipsoidal into the normal orthometric height system for the territory of the City of Zagreb

The paper presents the testing of the possibility of determining the heights of GPS points in the homogeneous field in the new Croatian Height Reference System (HVRS71) by using the method of height transformation. The testing was made in the area of Zagreb. As part of the field works, normal orthometric heights of 27 GPS points were determined according to the new height system, by transferring the benchmark heights using the geometric levelling method, thus obtaining GPS/levelling points of known ellipsoidal and normal orthometric heights. The GPS/levelling points served as the basis for determining the transformation models that enabled the computation of normal orthometric heights from ellipsoidal heights of any GPS point in the observed area. The empirical data used for modelling were reduced undulation dN values of GPS/levelling points. As part of the dN modelling with parametric functions, the approximation surfaces were obtained on the basis of three polynomials: FN310, FN312 and FN318. The transformation models were also tested using non-parametric Watson and Loess algorithms. The FN318 and Loess models yielded the best results.     

水准测量资料中的地形效应

本文首先用有限元方法对几种不同的地形模型进行了分析。所得的结论是:由于实际地球表面地形的起伏不平,水准测量资料与地形之间具有相关性,即水准点高程变化与该点高程之间呈相关性。最后,本文对今后水准测量资料的分析处理提出了建议。     

Repeated Geodetic Measurements in the West Bohemia Seismoactive Region: Period 1993 - 1996

The western part of the Bohemian Massif is characterized by repeated occurrences of intraplate earthquake swarms. To study surface deformations of this anomalous region, a network covering about 2000 square kilometres for repeated geodetic measurements was established in 1993 - 1994. The positions of the individual points of the network were carefully picked with respect to local tectonic structure and earthquake foci distribution. GPS and precise levelling measurements were performed 1-2 times a year. The GPS data were processed by Bernese GPS software. No tendency to any displacement - either horizontal or vertical - of geological blocks was derived from the geodetic data for the period 1993 - 96. Only displacements of less than 5 mm/year in average could occur in the whole region in that period; larger displacements would have been revealed by our measurements.     

Determination of post-glacial land uplift from the three precise levellings in Finland

We have calculated vertical velocities and their change in time from three precise levellings in Finland, with central epochs 1902, 1946, and 1986. Models with and without simultaneous determination of heights give the same results for velocities. Evidence for velocity change in time appears at first sight strong but on closer examination turns out to be inconclusive. We offer an alternative explanation in terms of levelling errors and estimate them. A new uplift map closely reproduces main features of earlier maps from partial data, but does not support some details in them. Received: 27 January 1997/ Accepted: 20 April 1998     

北京正负电子对撞机注入器复测分析

介绍北京正负电子对撞机注和器复测的精度要求，阐述采用波带板激光准直系统与精密水准测量相结合的方法，进行注入器复测的观测、数据处理与调整。根据复测数据分析了隧道地基变形与加速管位置变形及其规律，提出了一些有益的结论与建议。     

论三角水准测量方法

三角水准测量是近年来发展起来的一类高程测量方法,目前国外主要通过实验来研究三角水准测量取代精密水准测量的可行性。本文根据我国的具体情况,从理论上分析以三角水准测量代替三等水准测量的可行性,并通过野外试验得到了一些有益的结论。     

水准测量往返测较差方差之估计

现有文献中以水准测量往返测较差为统计量估计较差方差已提出许多观点和公式,但对于较差误差模型既没有回答其正确性,也缺乏严密可行的参数估计方法。本文将方差分量的最小范数二次无偏估计(MINQUE)法用于较差方差估计,并提出了以近代回归分析原理为基础的较差误差模型统计检验与比较选择的基本方法。这些估计、分析方法既简单易行又严密合理。最后通过对部分一等水准实测数据试算分析,也初步证实了它们的实际效益。     

跨断层测量中点位稳定的相对性

本文利用云南省跨断层短水准测量资料,提出且证实了一个新的观点:在地震平静期点位基本稳定的条件下,地震前不同测点间的不同变化是一种地震前兆信息。