PROCEDURES FOR THE EVALUATION OF ENGINEERING ALTERNATIVES1

ABSTRACT: This paper describes a method of analyzing the nonquantifiable parameters which should be considered in the evaluation of engineering alternatives. The nonquantifiable parameters can include environmental impact, feasibility of implementation, and performance. The method considers rating all the alternatives on the basis of a set of criteria which reflect these parameters. A procedure is discussed for obtaining review and guidance in the evaluation of engineering alternatives from the local elected officials or governing bodies and for obtaining the views and desires of the local communities. This is achieved through the formation of project review committees and an evaluation procedure which allows for the technical rating of alternatives by the engineer and the weighing of the evaluation criteria by the political and social groups. With the growing environmental concern and the high cost of engineering projects, the involvement of the public during the evaluation of engineering projects is becoming increasingly important to the final success of the project.     

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUMMER-SEASON RAINFALL EVENTS AND LAKE-SURFACE AREA1

ABSTRACT: Research is presented that statistically analyzes the relationship between lake area and precipitation. These hydrologic variables are assessed in part using LANDSAT MSS satellite data and digital-image processing techniques. Results show dramatic regional hydrologic differences in lake area fluctuations and in lake area response to short term climatic variation.     

遥感在荒地资源调查及开发利用中的应用

利用先进的遥感技术对荒地资源进行调查,可以直接、准确地圈定荒地的范围;确定荒地的土壤性质,这一手段不仅精度高,而且省时省力。另外,本文根据遥感解译,还提出了荒地资源开发利用的构想,并针对性地提出了相应的生产模式。     

HYDROLOGIC MODELING WITH REMOTELY SENSED DATABASES1

ABSTRACT: An integrated remotely sensed database was used as the basis for a hydrologic and sediment transport modeling effort for an agricultural area of western Puerto Rico. Classified spectral images of airborne radiance data provided ground cover information and were used in conjunction with topographic and soils data to guide model construction and provide input to the water balance and sediment yield simulations. Runoff and sediment discharge from hydrologically homogeneous regions were routed through the drainage network and combined at the basin outlet. The model was used to simulate four years of observed sediment discharge from the basin. Relative contributions to the total sediment yield of forested and agricultural areas were determined and compared.     

MODELING THE DISTRIBUTION OF DIFFUSE NITROGEN SOURCES AND SINKS IN THE NEUSE RIVER BASIN OF NORTH CAROLINA,USA1

This study quantified nonpoint source nitrogen (NPS‐N) sources and sinks across the 14,582 km² Neuse River Basin (NRB) located in North Carolina, to provide tabular data summaries and graphic overlay products to support the development of management approaches to best achieve established N reduction goals. First, a remote sensor derived, land cover classification was performed to support modeling needs. Modeling efforts included the development of a mass balance model to quantify potential N sources and sinks, followed by a precipitation event driven hydrologic model to effectively transport excess N across the landscape to individual stream reaches to support subsequent labeling of transported N values corresponding to source origin. Results indicated that agricultural land contributed 55 percent of the total annual NPS‐N loadings, followed by forested land at 23 percent (background), and urban areas at 21 percent. Average annual N source contributions were quantified for agricultural (1.4 kg/ha), urban (1.2 kg/ha), and forested cover types (0.5 kg/ha). Nonpoint source‐N contributions were greatest during the winter (40 percent), followed by spring (32 percent), summer (28 percent), and fall (0.3 percent). Seasonal total N loadings shifted from urban dominated and forest dominated sources during the winter, to agricultural sources in the spring and summer. A quantitative assessment of the significant NRB land use activities indicated that high (greater than 70 percent impervious) and medium (greater than 35 percent impervious) density urban development were the greatest contributors of NPS‐N on a unit area basis (1.9 and 1.6 kg/ha/yr, respectively), followed by row crops and pasture/hay cover types (1.4 kg/ha/yr).     

ACCURACY OF LAKE AND STREAM TEMPERATURES ESTIMATED FROM THERMAL INFRARED IMAGES1

Emitted thermal infrared radiation (TIR, λ= 8 to 14 μm) can be used to measure surface water temperatures (top approximately 100 μm). This study evaluates the accuracy of stream (50 to 500 m wide) and lake (300 to 5,000 m wide) radiant temperatures (15 to 22°C) derived from airborne (MASTER, 5 to 15 m) and satellite (ASTER 90 m, Landsat ETM+ 60 m) TIR images. Applied atmospheric compensations changed water temperatures by ?0.2 to +2.0°C. Atmospheric compensation depended primarily on atmospheric water vapor and temperature, sensor viewing geometry, and water temperature. Agreement between multiple TIR bands (MASTER ‐ 10 bands, ASTER ‐ 5 bands) provided an independent check on recovered temperatures. Compensations improved agreement between image and in situ surface temperatures (from 2.0 to 1.1°C average deviation); however, compensations did not improve agreement between river image temperatures and loggers installed at the stream bed (from 0.6 to 1.6°C average deviation). Analysis of field temperatures suggests that vertical thermal stratification may have caused a systematic difference between instream gage temperatures and corrected image temperatures. As a result, agreement between image temperatures and instream temperatures did not imply that accurate TIR temperatures were recovered. Based on these analyses, practical accuracies for corrected TIR lake and stream surface temperatures are around 1°C.     

ACCURACY OF IMPERVIOUS AREA VALUES ESTIMATED USING REMOTELY SENSED DATA1

ABSTRACT: Remote sensing offers an attractive alternative to conventional data collection employed in the estimation of certain hydrologic model parameters. In this investigation, the standard error of parameters estimated from Landsat data are examined. Relationships between the standard error and the size of the spatial-modeling units are developed that allow extending results to larger areas. Based upon the investigations conducted, a generalized model of the error relationships could not be developed.     

ESTIMATION OF SOIL MOISTURE WITH API ALGORITHMS AND MICROWAVE EMISSION1

Large area soil moisture estimations are required to describe input to cloud prediction models, rainfall distribution models, and global crop yield models. Satellite mounted microwave sensor systems that as yet can only detect moisture at the surface have been suggested as a means of acquiring large area estimates. Relations previously discovered between microwave emission at the 1.55 cm wavelength and surface moisture as represented by an antecedent precipitation index were used to provide a pseudo infiltration estimation. Infiltration estimates based on surface wetness on a daily basis were then used to calculate the soil moisture in the surface 0–23 cm of the soil by use of a modified antecedent precipitation index. Reasonably good results were obtained (R²= 0.7162) when predicted soil moisture for the surface 23 cm was compared to measured moisture. Where the technique was modified to use only an estimate of surface moisture each three days an R² value of 0.7116 resulted for the same data set. Correlations between predicted and actual soil moisture fall off rapidly for repeat observations more than three days apart. The algorithms developed in this study may be used over relatively flat agricultural lands to provide improved estimates of soil moisture to a depth greater than the depth of penetration for the sensor.     

农业旱灾监测中土壤水分遥感反演研究进展

土壤水分是农业干旱监测最重要的指标之一。文章全面回顾了光学遥感和微波遥感土壤水分遥感反演进展，重点讨论了符种反演方法的优点和不足。光学遥感中，热惯量法和作物缺水指数法可分别较好地应用于裸露地和作物覆盖地的土壤水分监测；距平植被指数、植被条件指数采用了植被指数因子实现农业旱情监测，温度植被指数、植被供水指数和条件植被温度指数同时考虑了作物植被指数和地表温度。微波遥感被认为是当前土壤水分监测中最有效的方法。主动微波遥感空间分辨率较高，但对土壤粗糙度和植被敏感；被动微波遥感空间分辨率低，重访周期短，对大尺度农业旱灾监测具有较大潜力。为提高农业旱灾监测巾土壤水分遥感反演的精度和效率，采用光学遥感和微波遥感的结合可能是较为实际的方法。     

无人机航空遥感系统在灾害应急救援中的应用

自然灾害具有突发性特点,灾害应急救援的关键是灾害发生后的快速反应。及时快捷的灾情信息对于及时制定救援策略,提高救援效率和质量起着至关重要的作用。目前,由于卫星遥感和载人航空遥感在获取灾害信息时受时空分辨率、外界环境和使用成本的影响,其在灾害应急救援过程中的作用受到限制。无人机航空遥感系统具有实时性强、机动灵活、影像分辨率高、成本低的特点,且能够在高危地区作业。介绍了无人机航空遥感系统的构成及其在灾害应急救援方面的应用,具体介绍了这一系统在四川5.12大地震救灾中的应用情况。最后总结了无人机航空遥感系统在灾害应急救援中的优势,并提出了该系统目前存在的缺陷和改进办法。