Marine Radar Oil-Spill Monitoring through Local Adaptive Thresholding

Marine oil spills affect the environment, economy, and quality of life for coastal inhabitants. This article presents a method of X-band marine radar oil-spill identification by considering the marine radar images of the 2010 Dalian 7-16 accident. The Prewitt operator was improved and a linear interpolation was proposed to suppress co-channel interferences. In addition, a model of a gray-intensity-correcting matrix is proposed to smooth a whole image, thus displaying the oil film more intuitively. Furthermore, a contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization method was used to increase the contrast inside and outside the oil film. Moreover, the local adaptive thresholding method was improved to segment the oil spills. The results show that the proposed method is an improvement on similar previous approaches for this task when employing X-band marine radar images. The proposed method can provide technical and theoretical bases for emergency response, damage assessment, and liability identification of oil spills.     

Assessing the value of information for water quality management in the North Sea

Global Earth Observation (GEO) is one of the most important sources of information for environmental resource management and disaster prevention. With budgets for GEO increasingly under pressure, it is becoming important to be able to quantify the returns to informational investments. For this, a clear analytical framework is lacking. By combining Bayesian decision theory with an empirical, stakeholder-oriented approach, this paper attempts to develop such a framework. The analysis focuses on the use of satellite observations for Dutch water quality management in the North Sea. Dutch water quality management currently relies on information from 'in situ' measurements but is considering extending and deepening its information base with satellite observations. To estimate returns to additional investments in satellite observation, we analyze the added value of an extended monitoring system for the management of eutrophication, potentially harmful algal blooms and suspended sediment and turbidity in the North Sea. First, we develop a model to make the potential contribution of information to welfare explicit. Second, we use this model to develop a questionnaire and interpret the results. The results indicate that the expected welfare impact of investing in satellite observation is positive, but that outcomes strongly depend on the accuracy of the information system and the range of informational benefits perceived.     

Global monitoring of wetlands--the value of ENVISAT ASAR Global mode

This paper elaborates on recent advances in the use of ScanSAR technologies for wetland-related research. Applications of active satellite radar systems include the monitoring of inundation dynamics as well as time series analyses of surface soil wetness. For management purposes many wetlands, especially those in dry regions, need to be monitored for short and long-term changes. Another application of these technologies is monitoring the impact of climate change in permafrost transition zones where peatlands form one of the major land cover types. Therefore, examples from boreal and subtropical environments are presented using the analysed ENVISAT ASAR Global mode (GM, 1 km resolution) data acquired in 2005 and 2006. In the case of the ENVISAT ASAR instrument, data availability of the rather coarse Global Mode depends on request priorities of other competing modes, but acquisition frequency may still be on average fortnightly to monthly depending on latitude. Peatland types covering varying permafrost regimes of the West Siberian Lowlands can be distinguished from each other and other land cover by multi-temporal analyses. Up to 75% of oligotrophic bogs can be identified in the seasonal permafrost zone in both years. The high seasonal and inter-annual dynamics of the subtropic Okavango Delta can also be captured by GM time series. Response to increased precipitation in 2006 differs from flood propagation patterns. In addition, relative soil moisture maps may provide a valuable data source in order to account for external hydrological factors of such complex wetland ecosystems.     

Bottomfast Ice Mapping and the Measurement of Ice Thickness on Tundra Lakes Using C‐Band Synthetic Aperture Radar Remote Sensing1

Abstract: Industrial activity in Canada’s north is increasing, placing demands on the use of water from lakes to build ice roads. Winter water withdrawal from these lakes has the potential to impact overwintering fish. Removal of water from small lakes can decrease oxygen and habitat available to fish. To address this issue, a protocol has been developed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans outlining water withdrawal thresholds. Bathymetric surveys are the traditional method to determine lake depth, but are costly given the remoteness of northern lakes. This paper investigates the use of satellite C‐band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing technology as a potential alternative or complement to traditional survey methods. Previous research has shown that a SAR can detect the transition from grounded to floating ice on lakes, or if a lake is completely frozen. Grounded ice has a dark signature while floating ice appears very bright in contrast. Similar results were observed for the datasets acquired in the study area. This suggests that lakes that freeze completely to the bottom can be identified using SAR. Such water bodies would not be viable fish overwintering habitat and can therefore be used as water sources without thresholds necessary. However, attempts to accurately calculate the depth of the ice at the grounded‐floating ice boundary using bathymetric profiles acquired in the summer and lake ice thickness measurements from a reference lake near Inuvik proved to be unreliable.     

Neighborhood satisfaction,physical and perceived naturalness and openness

This study examined neighborhood satisfaction in relation to naturalness and openness. It used Geographic Information System (GIS) and Landsat satellite imagery to physically measure the environmental attributes. Through path analysis it examined the relationship among the attributes, resident ratings of those environmental attributes, their satisfaction with them, and their overall neighborhood satisfaction (n = 725). We expected overall neighborhood satisfaction to relate to the resident's ratings of the environmental attributes and to the physical measures of them. The path model showed that overall neighborhood satisfaction was associated directly with the physical measure of building density and indirectly with the physical measure of vegetation rate through perception and evaluation of them. The perceptions and evaluations of the attributes related to one another. With refinements, GIS and Landsat data geo-related to survey data can offer a powerful tool for understanding the complex nature of neighborhood satisfaction and behavior.     

基于风廓线仪等资料的珠江三角洲污染气象条件研究

利用珠江三角洲区域空气质量资料和珠海、南沙、增城的逐30 min风廓仪观测资料,以及清远探空站每天08时和20时的温度探空资料等,研究了2012年10月珠江三角洲出现的大范围持续性污染天气期间的大气边界层特征.结果表明:2012年10月珠江三角洲出现的大范围持续性污染天气主要是受到弱冷空气南下和台风外围下沉气流天气形势的影响;在污染日,增城、南沙和珠海低层风速普遍小于3 m·s-1,300m高度以下风速甚至小于2 m·s-1,增城和珠海观测站的通风量普遍小于5000~6000 m2·s-1;非污染日的通风量则远远大于污染日;在近海的南沙站和珠海站,海陆风等局地环流的的作用不利于污染物的扩散,海风约出现于下午6时,最大影响高度约600~800 m;逆温层是导致重污染的天气的重要原因,清远探空站频繁出现逆温层,甚至出现多层低空逆温,污染日的逆温层平均厚度和平均强度都较大.     

Characterization of the aerosol chemical composition during the COVID-19 lockdown period in Suzhou in the Yangtze River Delta, China

To control the spread of COVID-19, rigorous restrictions have been implemented in China, resulting in a great reduction in pollutant emissions. In this study, we evaluated the air quality in the Yangtze River Delta during the COVID-19 lockdown period using satellite and ground-based data, including particle matter (PM), trace gases, water-soluble ions (WSIs) and black carbon (BC). We found that the impacts of lockdown policy on air quality cannot be accurately assessed using MODIS aerosol optical depth (AOD) data, whereas the tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) vertical column density can well reflect the influences of these restrictions on human activities. Compared to the pre-COVID period, the PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, carbon monoxide (CO), BC and WSIs during the lockdown in Suzhou were observed to decrease by 37.2%, 38.3%, 64.5%, 26.1%, 53.3% and 58.6%, respectively, while the sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and ozone (O₃) increased by 1.5% and 104.7%. The WSIs ranked in the order of NO₃^? > NH₄⁺ > SO₄^2- > Cl^? > Ca²⁺ > K⁺ > Mg²⁺ > Na⁺ during the lockdown period. By comparisons with the ion concentrations during the pre-COVID period, we found that the ions NO₃^?, NH₄⁺, SO₄^2?, Cl^?, Ca²⁺, K⁺ and Na⁺ decreased by 66.3%, 48.8%, 52.9%, 56.9%, 57.9% and 76.3%, respectively, during the lockdown, in contrast to Mg²⁺, which increased by 30.2%. The lockdown policy was found to have great impacts on the diurnal variations of Cl^?, SO₄^2?, Na⁺ and Ca²⁺.     

太湖湖泛现象的卫星遥感监测

2010年8月20日太湖地区Landsat ETM影像显示,太湖西部沿岸带存在湖泛黑水团现象,对该景遥感影像进行了大气校正,提取了湖泛样区、其他水体样区的ETM各波段光谱反射率数据统计特征。结果表明,湖泛样区在可见光波长的ETM波段1、2、3具有很低的反射率,水色暗黑,与人眼观察一致,而在反射红外波长的ETM波段4则有比波段3高的反射率,差异植被指数DVI>0,其原因为湖泛黑水团中,虽然大量蓝藻死亡分解,然而水中还残留有一定数量的活体蓝藻,残余叶绿素及细胞造成了虽然较弱、但仍较为稳定的反射红外波长处的光谱反射能力。提出了识别湖泛现象的遥感判据为ρ0.485<0.05 andρ0.56<0.08 andρ0.66<0.065 and(ρ0.83-ρ0.66)>0 andρ0.83<0.1。     

Long‐Term High‐Resolution Radar Rainfall Fields for Urban Hydrology

Accurate records of high‐resolution rainfall fields are essential in urban hydrology, and are lacking in many areas. We develop a high‐resolution (15 min, 1 km²) radar rainfall data set for Charlotte, North Carolina during the 2001‐2010 period using the Hydro‐NEXRAD system with radar reflectivity from the National Weather Service Weather Surveillance Radar 1988 Doppler weather radar located in Greer, South Carolina. A dense network of 71 rain gages is used for estimating and correcting radar rainfall biases. Radar rainfall estimates with daily mean field bias (MFB) correction accurately capture the spatial and temporal structure of extreme rainfall, but bias correction at finer timescales can improve cold‐season and tropical cyclone rainfall estimates. Approximately 25 rain gages are sufficient to estimate daily MFB over an area of at least 2,500 km², suggesting that robust bias correction is feasible in many urban areas. Conditional (rain‐rate dependent) bias can be removed, but at the expense of other performance criteria such as mean square error. Hydro‐NEXRAD radar rainfall estimates are also compared with the coarser resolution (hourly, 16 km²) Stage IV operational rainfall product. Stage IV is adequate for flood water balance studies but is insufficient for applications such as urban flood modeling, in which the temporal and spatial scales of relevant hydrologic processes are short. We recommend the increased use of high‐resolution radar rainfall fields in urban hydrology.     

朝鲜4.13“光明星3号”卫星发射次声信号分析

朝鲜4.13"光明星3号"发射是一次包含火箭发射与爆炸次声信号的事件。对火箭发射激发次声信号的基本理论、影响火箭发射激发次声信号监测能力的因素等进行了简要阐述;在分析火箭发射历史次声信号的基础上,研究了该类信号的信号走时、频率及波形特征;对"光明星3号"发射激发的次声信号从事前预判、信号检测、爆炸区域确定、误差原因分析等方面进行了详细分析说明。研究分析结果表明:朝鲜"光明星3号"的爆炸疑似区域为北纬35.2756°～36.3887°,东经125.1675°～126.5487°。