Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of empirical-statistical correction of intensity-dependent model errors on the temperature climate change signal

This study discusses the effect of empirical-statistical bias correction methods like quantile mapping (QM) on the temperature change signals of climate simulations. We show that QM regionally alters the mean temperature climate change signal (CCS) derived from the ENSEMBLES multi-model data set by up to 15 %. Such modification is currently strongly discussed and is often regarded as deficiency of bias correction methods. However, an analytical analysis reveals that this modification corresponds to the effect of intensity-dependent model errors on the CCS. Such errors cause, if uncorrected, biases in the CCS. QM removes these intensity-dependent errors and can therefore potentially lead to an improved CCS. A similar analysis as for the multi-model mean CCS has been conducted for the variance of CCSs in the multi-model ensemble. It shows that this indicator for model uncertainty is artificially inflated by intensity-dependent model errors. Therefore, QM also has the potential to serve as an empirical constraint on model uncertainty in climate projections. However, any improvement of simulated CCSs by empirical-statistical bias correction methods can only be realized if the model error characteristics are sufficiently time-invariant.
Video enhancement effectiveness for target detection

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capture real-time video data of military targets while keeping the warfighter at a safe distance. This keeps soldiers out of harm's way while they perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and close-air support troops in contact (CAS-TIC) situations. The military also wants to use UAV video to achieve force multiplication. One method of achieving effective force multiplication involves fielding numerous UAVs with cameras and having multiple videos processed simultaneously by a single operator. However, monitoring multiple video streams is difficult for operators when the videos are of low quality. To address this challenge, we researched several promising video enhancement algorithms that focus on improving video quality. In this paper, we discuss our video enhancement suite and provide examples of video enhancement capabilities, focusing on stabilization, dehazing, and denoising. We provide results that show the effects of our enhancement algorithms on target detection and tracking algorithms. These results indicate that there is potential to assist the operator in identifying and tracking relevant targets with aided target recognition even on difficult video, increasing the force multiplier effect of UAVs. This work also forms the basis for human factors research into the effects of enhancement algorithms on ISR missions.
The Dole Effect and its variations during the last 130,000 years as measured in the Vostok Ice Core

We review the current understanding of the Dole effect (the observed difference between the {delta}{sup 18}O of atmospheric O{sub 2} and that of seawater) and its causes, extended the record of variations in the Dole effect back to 130 kyr before present using data on the {delta}{sup 18}O of O{sub 2} obtained from studying the Vostok ice core, and discuss the significance of temporal variations. The Dole effect reflects oxygen isotope fractionation during photosynthesis, respiration, and hydrologic processes (evaporation, precipitation, and evapotranspiration). Our best prediction of the present-day Dole effect, +20.8 {per_thousand}, is considerably lower than the observed value, +23.5 {per_thousand}, and we discuss possible causes of this discrepancy. During the past 130 kyr, the Dole effect has been 0.05 {per_thousand} lower than the present value, on average. The standard deviation of the Dole effect from the mean has been only {+-} {per_thousand}, and the Dole effect is nearly unchanged between glacial maxima and interglacial periods. The small variability in the Dole effect suggests that relative rates of primary production in the land and marine realms have been relatively constant. Most periodic variability in the Dole effect is in the precession band, suggesting that changes in this global biogeochemical termmore » reflects variations in low-latitude land hydrology and productivity or possibly variability in low-latitude oceanic productivity. 65 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs. « less
Environmental Justice in Hamburg, Germany

This environmental justice study investigates whether disempowered segments of the population in Hamburg, Germany, namely, foreigners and the poor, reside disproportionately in neighborhoods that contain, have higher concentrations of, and are in closer proximity to facilities releasing toxic chemicals into the environment. Methods include choropleth mapping; comparisons of means, correlation, and ordinary least squares (OLS); and spatial econometric regression. The results provide evidence that toxic release facilities are disproportionately located within, and closer to, neighborhoods with comparatively higher proportions of foreigners and the poor as compared to those with higher proportions of German citizens and the non-poor. We speculate that the causes of this pattern of environmental inequity are similar to the causes scholars have proposed for comparable patterns observed in many U.S. cities, where marginalized immigrant or minority groups subject to discrimination in housing and employment have sought low-wage labor in industrial areas, whereas wealthier German citizens have settled in environmentally safer parts of the city.
Variation of apparent velocity of teleseismic P waves across the Large‐Aperture Seismic Array, Montana

Apparent-velocity variations across the large-aperture seismic array (Lasa) have been studied by using P waves from six teleseisms at different distances and azimuths around Lasa. Data from 13 instruments per subarray were used in the analysis. Average apparent velocities between subarrays, taken in pairs, were measured by using arrival-time data. Apparent velocities at subarrays were estimated by a cross-spectral method involving the whole signal shape. For the 2 events in the southeast direction, there is a large zone of low apparent velocity to the northwest of A0 subarray. For the events in the other azimuths, regions of low and high apparent velocities are clearly contourable across Lasa. It appears that a 30% variation in apparent velocity exists across Lasa for events from all azimuths. The apparent-velocity measurements at subarrays, in general, follow the pattern shown by the measurements based on arrival-time data. However, there are some significant differences, especially at the subarrays in E and F rings. The apparent-velocity measurements indicate that structural complexities over and above those seen in the average crustal models proposed so far exist under Lasa.
Classification of soil‐ and bedrock‐dominated landslides in British Columbia using segmentation of satellite imagery and DEM data

Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and digital elevation model (DEM) data were used in a segmentation and classification procedure to classify slide scars in the northern Cascade Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. The area was stratified into features that were likely candidates for landsliding and those that were not; shape criteria were applied that were used to identify objects as slides; and finally, rules based on shape, texture and neighbouring features were used to separate soil‐dominated slides from bedrock‐dominated slides, an important distinction in mass movement inventories and for applied and theoretical studies. Approximately 65% classification accuracy was obtained. Slopes experiencing multiple failures, which can create less distinct features on the ground, may have contributed to some of the error in classification.
Helicobacter pylori prevalence in the Southwest of China

Abstract Objectives: This epidemiological research will be aimed to evaluate the longitudinal changes of Helicobacter pylori prevalence in Southwest China during recent period through a systematic review and analysis. Methods: The database PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure will be searched. The cross-sectional studies or cohort studies on either massive or hospital-based health checkup population will be potentially eligible. The study population was originated from one of the southwestern major cities, Chengdu (Sichuan), Chongqing, Kunming (Yunnan), Guiyang (Guizhou), or Lhasa (Tibet). Two reviewers will independently select studies, extract data, and assess the quality of studies. The prevalence of H pylori infection will be estimated. In the individual city, the longitudinal comparisons will be conducted to evaluate the trends referring to the earliest cross-sectional baseline. The risk ratio and its 95% confidence interval will be estimated. Subgroup analyses will be performed in sex-specific and age-specific subsets. Trend analysis for proportions (p for trend) will be estimated in the longitudinal evaluation. If applicable, the longitudinal clearance rate (%) will be estimated. Ethics and Dissemination: The ethical approval is not required due to the nature of literature-based research. The results will be disseminated through meetings and a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO Registration Number: CRD42019120764
Uniaxial Tension Tests on Cement-Stabilized Granular Materials

This paper presents details of tests to evaluate the suitability of a double scissor friction grip system, initially developed for conventional concrete, for determining uniaxial tensile strength of cement-stabilized granular materials suitable for use in roadbase construction. The system is examined in terms of the variability of the results, the significance of fracture location, and the distribution of strain, and is judged to show promise. Test results on a cement-stabilized gravel, typical of roadbase materials used in the United Kingdom, are given, including the stress-strain characteristics in tension, the moduli of elasticity in tension and compression, and the strengths in tension, compression, and flexure. (Author)
An Experimental Study of the Small-Scale Variability of Rainfall

AbstractSmall-scale variability of rainfall has been studied employing six dual rain gauge sites at Wallops Island, Virginia. The rain gauge sites were separated between 0.4 and 5 km, matching the beamwidth of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) precipitation radars. During a 2-yr observational period, over 7100 rainy samples were received at 5-min integration. A single gauge did not report as high as 67% of the time when at least one of the other gauges had rainfall in one of the seasons. Since rainfall from one of the six rain gauges is sufficient for the rainy footprint from a satellite, this demonstrates the common occurrence of the partial beamfilling. For the periods where all gauges were reporting rainfall, a single gauge had at most 13% difference from the areal average rainfall in one of the seasons. This suggests that at the spatial scale of 5 km, the variability caused by the rain gradient is relatively less important than the variability arisin.
Spectral Induced Polarisation – a Geophysical Method for Archaeological Prospection in Peatlands

Abstract Compared to conventional electrical conductivity surveys the spectral induced polarisation (SIP) method measures the frequency dependence of conductivity amplitude and the phase shift between injected current and the resulting voltage signal. The phase shift is related to polarisation effects of materials. Laboratory investigations of peat, wood and soil samples show a considerable variation in the spectra of conductivity amplitude and phase shift. From the results of laboratory investigations it could be concluded that characteristic features of the phase spectra can be used to detect wooden relics of trackways or pile dwellings in the wetland's subsurface. Field surveys in the Federsee bog in southern Germany and the Campemoor bog in northern Germany prove that the method of spectral induced polarisation can be considered as a prospecting tool for archaeological surveying in wetlands. A shallow trackway in the Campemoor bog could be clearly verified by higher phase values measured at a frequency of 3Hz. The weak phase signal of a somewhat deeper plankway in the Federsee bog became only visible after data processing.
Infiltration into soils, with particular reference to its visualization and measurement by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

This article draws attention to the potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for studies of patterns and mechanisms of water infiltration into soils, and stresses the vitally important need for collaboration between hydrologists, soil physicists and MRI experts. A brief introduction of the principles of MRI is given. This is followed by a review of the literature relating to nonpreferential infiltration, preferential infiltration exhibiting fingering and preferential infiltration involving a wide range of macropore flow. These differing degrees of complexity of infiltration dynamics require the employment of noninvasive and nondestructive techniques for their detailed investigation. Finally, an overview of applications of MRI to the detection of the spatial and temporal distribution of soil moisture and its changes is given. General conclusions are drawn from previous and current research, and the potential of the application of MRI to infiltration studies is summarized.
Relating CO2 fluxes to spectral vegetation indices in tundra landscapes: importance of footprint definition

Abstract Carbon flux measurements made at an elevated point are associated with an effective upwind area or ‘footprint. ’ Since Arctic tundra landscapes can exhibit substantial heterogeneity within the footprint of an eddy correlation tower, it may be necessary to determine the relative point source contributions to the observed flux if landscape properties are to be related to the flux. This study evaluates the potential importance of representing footprint source contributions in relationships that are developed between tower observations of net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide (NEE) and a remotely sensed spectral vegetation index. Satellite data collected over the foothills region of the North Slope of Alaska are used to determine spatial patterns of a spectral vegetation index in the calculated footprints of 30 randomly selected tower locations. A previously developed relationship between NEE and the vegetation index is used to calculate NEE at each tower location using two techniques, one that explicitly considers the footprint pattern of relative contributions to tower fluxes and another that ignores these patterns. The results indicate that if carbon fluxes measured at a tower are to be related to remotely sensed spectral vegetation indices, then it is necessary to consider the relative flux contributions from within the tower footprints for sites on the North Slope of Alaska.
Wave Equation Migration Velocity Focusing Analysis

We present the theory behind a velocity estimation technique which uses the time-shift imaging condition for wave equation prestack depth migration. The migration time-shift parameter is converted to a perturbation in RMS velocity, which can be converted to interval velocity. Our approach can resolve velocity errors in the presence of subsurface complexity that would hamper velocity analysis with surface data. Moreover, it has no dip or offset limitations.
Prediction of Bed-Load Transport by Desert Flash Floods

A number of predictive bed-load sediment transport equations are rated against a unique set of field data collected by automatic slot samplers during flash floods in a desert wadi. The Meyer-Peter and Muller equation is shown to perform well, providing a median ratio of calculated to observed ( C /O) bed-load flux of 1.18. The Bagnold equation is shown to underpredict considerably, with a median C /O of 0.44. The Parker equation performs better, though it still underpredicts with a median C /O of 0.78. The apparent success of the Meyer-Peter and Muller formula is attributed to the ready supply of sediment to the channel system in desert and semidesert environments. This ensures that the channel bed remains unarmored, in contrast to supply-limited, armored, perennial rivers of humid zones. It also ensures that bed-load flux responds to changing hydraulic conditions in a comparatively simple fashion.
Plant colonisation patterns on a gletschervorfeld, southern Norway: a meso‐scale geographical approach to vegetation change and phytometric dating

A quantitative geographical approach is made to colonisation by vascular plant species on Storbreen gletschervorfeld, Jotunheimen, southern Norway. The approach adds a second dimension to the study of plant colonisation patterns on recently deglaciated terrain, allows inferences to be made about vegetation change and has implications for phytometric dating. An atlas of computer maps is presented based on the frequency of the most commonly occurring species over a dense pattern of sites. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling is used to compare the maps and to describe their similarities. Species diversity is mapped and described with the aid of trend surface analysis. Colonisation is interpreted as proceeding by a series of environmentally-conditioned waves of immigration by species. A ‘pioneer’ species group is replaced by ‘snowbed’ species at high altitudes and by ‘heath’ species at lower altitudes. A peak of diversity is reached after 25–35 years but diversity later declines and may then rise or fall to the climax. The marked spatial discontinuity in species occurrence at the gletschervorfeld boundary indicates that a dynamic equilibrium (the climax state) is still to be reached after 220 years of development. Few species can be regarded as universal indicators of surface age but many species are potentially useful for phytometric dating over a limited environmental range. Species that are characteristic of a particular phase of a succession are most useful for dating purposes.
Exploring Teachers’ Use of Resources to Integrate Geography and History

Abstract This article describes the findings of a study involving a professional development program that prepared middle school teachers to integrate content on the earliest eras of world history and world geography. In particular, this study focused on participants’ (n = 37) use of geographic resources to integrate geography and history and to encourage spatial thinking. Teachers were enthusiastic about all of the resources and used them to integrate geography and history content. Thus, this study found that teachers will adopt relevant and accessible materials if they are trained to use them. The Atlas of World History was the most widely adopted resource; the mapping software StrataLogica was more effective at promoting spatial thinking, but the teachers found it to be less accessible and therefore did not use it as often.
A theory of the imaging mechanism of underwater bottom topography by real and synthetic aperture radar

A simple theoretical model of the imaging mechanism of underwater bottom topography in tidal channels by real and by synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is presented. The imaging is attributed to surface effects induced by current variations over bottom topography. The current modulates the short-scale surface roughness, which in turn gives rise to changes in radar reflectivity. The bottom topography-current interaction is described by the continuity equation, and the current-short surface wave interaction is described by weak hydrodynamic interaction theory in the relaxation time approximation. This theory contains only one free parameter, which is the relaxation time. It is shown that in the case of tidal flow over large-scale bottom topographic features, e.g., over sandbanks, the radar cross-section modulation is proportional to the product of the relaxation time and the gradient of the surface current velocity, which is proportional to the slope of the water depth divided by the square of the depth. To first order, this modulation is independent of wind direction. In the case of SAR imaging, in addition to the above mentioned hydrodynamic modulation, phase modulation or velocity bunching also contributes to the imaging. However, in general, the phase modulation is small in comparison to the hydrodynamic modulation. The theory is confronted with experimental data which show that to first order our theory is capable of explaining basic features of the radar imaging mechanism of underwater bottom topography in tidal channels. In order to explain the large observed modulation of radar reflectivity we are compelled to assume a large relaxation time, which for Seasat SAR Bragg waves (wavelength 34 cm) is of the order of 30–40 s, corresponding to 60–80 wave periods.
Relationship of summer soil moisture with early winter monsoon and air temperature over eastern China

The time‐lagged effect of summer soil moisture (SM) on ensuing winter climate in eastern China is examined. The East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) in early winter (November) and associated air temperature over eastern China are shown to significantly correlate with the previous summer (June–August) SM in eastern China with a center located at the lower reaches of the Yellow River (LRYR). The positive anomalies of summer SM, persisting for a few months, may act as a buffer to defer the ground cooling of eastern China in early winter mainly through modulating thermal capacity. And the warmer ground of eastern China could lead to a warmer air temperature above the ground through direct land–air interactions and through indirectly adjusting the EAWM which is sensitive to the land–sea thermal contrast. These results provide an empirical predictor for the EAWM and for the variability of air temperature over eastern China in early winter. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
Mineralogy and geochemistry of the leucitite at Cosgrove, Victoria

Abstract Comparison of bulk chemistry confirms the comagmatic nature of the New South Wales leucitite belt and the olivine leucitite at Cosgrove, Victoria. This relationship was previously implied by general mineralogical, petrographical, and age similarities, as well as the meridional trend of the occurrences. Differences of a minor nature occur between the N.S. W. and Victorian rock types, the latter being less potassic and magnesian (poorer in leucite and olivine) and more calcic (richer in clinopyroxene). Trace‐element compositions for the Cosgrove leucitite are within the ranges recorded for the N.S. W. belt. Essentially one‐rock type—a melanocratic leucitite—characterizes the belt, with the essential minerals olivine, diopside/salite, leucite, titanomagnetite, ilmenite, nepheline, and Ti‐Ba biotite. However, a pegmatoid phase, relatively enriched in Ti, Fe, and P, is well developed at Cosgrove, with its mineralogy (salite‐titanian aegirine, sodic amphibole, K‐feldspar, nepheline, titanomagnetite, apat.
Three-dimensional imaging of multicomponent ground-penetrating radar data

Scalar imaging algorithms originally developed for the processing of remote sensing measurements (e.g., the synthetic‐aperture radar method) or seismic reflection data (e.g., the Gazdag phase‐shift method) are commonly used for the processing of ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) data. Unfortunately, these algorithms do not account for the radiation characteristics of GPR source and receiver antennas or the vectorial nature of radar waves. We present a new multicomponent imaging algorithm designed specifically for vector electromagnetic‐wave propagation. It accounts for all propagation effects, including the vectorial characteristics of the source and receiver antennas and the polarization of the electromagnetic wavefield. A constant‐offset source‐receiver antenna pair is assumed to overlie a dielectric medium. To assess the performance of the scalar and multicomponent imaging algorithms, we compute their spatial resolution function, which is defined as the image of a point scatterer at a fixed depth using a .