Linking pesticides and human health: A geographic information system (GIS) and Landsat remote sensing method to estimate agricultural pesticide exposure

Accurate pesticide exposure estimation is integral to epidemiologic studies elucidating the role of pesticides in human health. Humans can be exposed to pesticides via residential proximity to agricultural pesticide applications (drift). We present an improved geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing method, the Landsat method, to estimate agricultural pesticide exposure through matching pesticide applications to crops classified from temporally concurrent Landsat satellite remote sensing images in California. The image classification method utilizes Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values in a combined maximum likelihood classification and per-field (using segments) approach. Pesticide exposure is estimated according to pesticide-treated crop fields intersecting 500 m buffers around geocoded locations (e.g., residences) in a GIS. Study results demonstrate that the Landsat method can improve GIS-based pesticide exposure estimation by matching more pesticide applications to crops (especially temporary crops) classified using temporally concurrent Landsat images compared to the standard method that relies on infrequently updated land use survey (LUS) crop data. The Landsat method can be used in epidemiologic studies to reconstruct past individual-level exposure to specific pesticides according to where individuals are located.     

A transition in weather over the Agulhas Current

Aircraft observations were used to investigate contrasting weather conditions over the northern edge of the warm Agulhas Current south of George, South Africa, during June 1989. A sea surface temperature front of 7°C over 10 km was observed near 35°S, 23°E. Surface-sensible and latent heat fluxes increased by a factor of five on the warm side. A deepening of the moist unstable layer was indicated by increased equivalent potential temperatures over the warm side. Most significantly, convectively generated turbulence, as inferred from variances in air pressure, increased exponentially with sea surface temperature and surface layer winds doubled south of 35°S. The sea state, initially smooth over the continental shelf, became rough seawards of the northern edge of the Agulhas Current. Numerical model simulations were performed to assess air-sea interactions. Model-simulated thermodynamic variables responded in close agreement with observations, but the increase in cross-frontal winds was not fully resolved. The aircraft observations provide evidence that the Agulhas Current affects the large-scale pressure field and may enhance the rain-bearing capacity of transient weather systems.     

Deriving New Minimum Cost Pathways from Existing Paths

Without a priori cell traversing cost data, conventional GIS-based techniques cannot be used to find minimum cost paths from specified starting points to specified ending points. However, in one class of problems where these costs do not exist a priori, it may be possible to derive them. This class of problems is characterized by the presence of an existing minimum cost path that is subject to the same traversing cost mechanics as the new path that is being contemplated. This study developed and evaluated linear programming-based techniques for deriving both isotropic and anisotropic traversing costs from existing minimum cost pathways. The derived costs can then be used to find minimum cost routes for new pathways that are subject to the same cost mechanics as the existing pathways. The techniques presented here were evaluated by applying them to situations found in the forest road network of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests (ARNF) in Colorado. In 18 of the 19 situations evaluated, the predicted routes generated using the techniques presented here agreed with actual roads found in the ARNF.     

基于COST模型的热岛效应时空演变特征分析

本文选取中等城市绵阳为研究对象,以2000年、2007年TM/ETM+遥感影像为数据源,首先应用COST模型完成大气校正;然后采用Artis等提出的算法进行地表温度反演,并利用均值标准差法进行温度等级划分,获得绵阳市地表温度分布图和温度等级分布图。结果表明:①2000-2007年热岛区与建成区在空间发展趋势上基本一致,其中2000年热岛区面积为11.49 km2,到2007年增加为43.12 km2,热岛区面积所占比例增加36.36%;②7年间温度等级升高的区域面积为56.09km2,占建成区总面积的64.47%,其中从温度较低区转化为热岛区比例占42.40%。