bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How then can the nature of these things called “mental states” be accounted for?
Authors: Oyelakin Richard Taye
Published: June 2016

Series of attempts have been made to find a sufficient account of the nature of mental states. Functionalism took up the baton and Putnam attempted to use a computational means as a potent analogy to describing the nature of the nature of mental states as a physical component of the world. Putnam discovered that to be consistent on the question, an equivalent relation between a functional state and a corresponding environmental evidence is necessary. But he concludes that no intelligent or non-intelligent agent could discover this. This is because of the conflicting and innumerable nature of the possible environmental evidences. However, even if it were possible, there is the Godel’s Incompleteness Theorem. That is to be able to justify every other proposition in the universe, there must remain some proposition which is not justified. Therefore, computation becomes arbitrary and trivial because there is no means of establishing the equivalent relation and even to justify it. In all of these, the potent question remains; what is the nature of mental states?Keywords: Physicalism, Functionalism, Equivalent Relation, Mental states, Machine States
Costs and benefits of proliferation of Christian denominations in Nigeria
Authors: Obiefuna BAC , Nwadialor KL , Umeanolue IL
Published: June 2016

The unbridled proliferation of Churches in Nigeria has steered up concerns among adherents of religious faiths, onlookers and academics alike. Nigerian society today is undergoing significant constant proliferation of Churches which has brought not only changing values, but also source of solutions to people’s problems. The origin of this phenomenon could be traced to Martin Luther’s 95 theses which sparked off religious revolution in 16th century Europe. Following Luther, Zwingli and John Calvin started reforms in Switzerland; John Lawx in Scotland, also Holland and other countries witnessed the reform. This reform gave rise to the formation of the Lutherans, the Anglicans, and the Presbyterians. The Pentecostals and the independent Churches which proliferated at last also joined. In Nigeria some of them started to surface towards the end of the 19th century. Proliferation of Churches entails multiplicity of Christian religious groups with each founder claiming divine origin of his or her ministry. However, this study has established other factors rather than divine call for Church proliferation. The study has also tried to explore Church proliferation in Nigeria pointing out its costs and benefits and solutions were suggested on how to curtail the trend in order for it not to blow out of proportion.
A contrastive study of the phonology of Igbo and Yoruba
Authors: Eme Cecilia Amaoge , Uba Ebele Deborah
Published: June 2016

This paper, a contrastive study of the phonology of Igbo and Yoruba, is aimed at finding out the phonological problems the Igbo learners of Yoruba and the Yoruba learners of Igbo will encounter in their learning Yoruba and Igbo, respectively, as their L2. Using existing works on the phonology of Igbo and Yoruba, the researchers compared the consonants, vowels and tonal systems of both languages. Igbo is made up of twentyeight consonants and eight oral vowels, while Yoruba has eighteen consonants, and twelve vowels comprising seven oral vowels and five nasal vowels. The contrastive analysis carried out evinced that there are some sounds in Igbo which are not present in Yoruba; also some sounds in Yoruba are not in Igbo. For example, /p kw gw v z η ηw η ɣ tƒ / are Igbo phonemes which Yoruba lacks. Another striking difference between the two languages is the presence of nasal vowels in Yoruba, / ĩ ε̃ ã ɔ̃ ũ/, which do not exist in Igbo. Also, /I/ and /℧/ are in Igbo and not in Yoruba, while /ε/ is present in Yoruba but absent in Igbo. Although both languages have high and low tones, Yoruba also has a mid tone while Igbo also has a downstep tone. Following the tenets of contrastive analysis (CA), these differences are presumed to constitute learning difficulties. To make the learning of these languages easy for our stated learners, all the predicted areas of difficulties must be properly handled by the language teachers to avert the manifestation of the predicted errors in the speech of the learners. This could be achieved by making the Igbo  learners of Yoruba master the production of those Yoruba sounds they are not familiar with; and the Yoruba learners of Igbo to internalise how to produce those Igbo sounds that they are not familiar with. On the issue of tone, the students should be made to be conscious of the tonotactics of mid tone and downstep tone and apply them appropriately in their speech.
Interrogating social media in education: The case of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Nigeria
Authors: Liman Rasheedah
Published: June 2016

This paper examines the relationship between Social Media use and its educational and social impact on the undergraduate students of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. It explores both the negative and positive dimensions of Social Media within the larger framework of New Media and higher education. The research draws on previous researches done with students, particularly in developed countries like the United States with the insight of highlighting the implications for students in Nigeria. Participatory Communication theory was used to ground the research and quantitative method is employed in order to collect data. The aim of the research is to provide an understanding of the usefulness and efficacy of Social Media in the educational enterprise in Nigeria.
Users’ attitudes towards personal health records
Authors: Khaneghah Peyman , Miguel-Cruz Antonio , Bentley Pamela , Liu Lili , Stroulia Eleni , Ferguson-Pell Martin
Published: June 2016

Prevention and management of chronic conditions is a priority for many healthcare systems. Personal health records have been suggested to facilitate implementation of chronic care programs. However, patients’ attitude towards personal health records (PHRs) can significantly affect the adoption rates and use of PHRs.

to evaluate the attitude of patients with Type II diabetes towards using a PHR to manage their condition.

We used a cross-sectional exploratory pilot study. Fifty-four (54) patients used a PHR to monitor and record their blood glucose levels, diet, and activities for 30 days, and to communicate with their clinicians. At the end of the study, patients responded to a survey based on three constructs borrowed from different technology acceptance frameworks: relative advantage, job fit, and perceived usefulness. A multivariate predictive model was formed using partial least squaring technique (PLS) and the effect of each construct on the patients’ attitude towards system use was evaluated. Patients also participated in a semi-structured interview.

We found a significant positive correlation between job fit and attitude (JF → ATT = +0.318, p<0.01). There was no statistical evidence of any moderating or mediating effect of other main constructs or any of the confounding factors (i.e., age, gender, time after diagnosed) on attitude.

The attitude of patients towards using PHR in management of their diabetes was positive. Their attitude was mainly influenced by the extent to which the system helped them better perform activities and self-manage their condition.
Wildfires in northern Eurasia affect the budget of black carbon in the Arctic – a 12-year retrospective synopsis (2002–2013)
Authors: Evangeliou N. , Balkanski Y. , Hao W. M. , Petkov A. , Silverstein R. P. , Corley R. , Nordgren B. L. , Urbanski S. P. , Eckhardt S. , Stohl A. , Tunved P. , Crepinsek S. , Jefferson A. , Sharma S. , Nøjgaard J. K. , Skov H.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. In recent decades much attention has been given to the Arctic environment, where climate change is happening rapidly. Black carbon (BC) has been shown to be a major component of Arctic pollution that also affects the radiative balance. In the present study, we focused on how vegetation fires that occurred in northern Eurasia during the period of 2002–2013 influenced the budget of BC in the Arctic. For simulating the transport of fire emissions from northern Eurasia to the Arctic, we adopted BC fire emission estimates developed independently by GFED3 (Global Fire Emissions Database) and FEI-NE (Fire Emission Inventory – northern Eurasia). Both datasets were based on fire locations and burned areas detected by MODIS (Moderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instruments on NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Terra and Aqua satellites. Anthropogenic sources of BC were adopted from the MACCity (Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate and megacity Zoom for the Environment) emission inventory.During the 12-year period, an average area of 250 000 km2 yr−1 was burned in northern Eurasia (FEI-NE) and the global emissions of BC ranged between 8.0 and 9.5 Tg yr−1 (FEI-NE+MACCity). For the BC emitted in the Northern Hemisphere (based on FEI-NE+MACCity), about 70 % originated from anthropogenic sources and the rest from biomass burning (BB). Using the FEI-NE+MACCity inventory, we found that 102 ± 29 kt yr−1 BC was deposited in the Arctic (defined here as the area north of 67° N) during the 12 years simulated, which was twice as much as when using the MACCity inventory (56 ± 8 kt yr−1). The annual mass of BC deposited in the Arctic from all sources (FEI-NE in northern Eurasia, MACCity elsewhere) is significantly higher by about 37 % in 2009 (78 vs. 57 kt yr−1) to 181 % in 2012 (153 vs. 54 kt yr−1), compared to the BC deposited using just the MACCity emission inventory. Deposition of BC in the Arctic from BB sources in the Northern Hemisphere thus represents 68 % of the BC deposited from all BC sources (the remaining being due to anthropogenic sources). Northern Eurasian vegetation fires (FEI-NE) contributed 85 % (79–91 %) to the BC deposited over the Arctic from all BB sources in the Northern Hemisphere.We estimate that about 46 % of the BC deposited over the Arctic from vegetation fires in northern Eurasia originated from Siberia, 6 % from Kazakhstan, 5 % from Europe, and about 1 % from Mongolia. The remaining 42 % originated from other areas in northern Eurasia. About 42 % of the BC released from northern Eurasian vegetation fires was deposited over the Arctic (annual average: 17 %) during spring and summer.
Validating MODIS Above-cloud Aerosol Optical Depth Retrieved from "Color Ratio" Algorithm using Direct Measurements made by NASA’s Airborne AATS and 4STAR Sensors
Authors: Jethva Hiren , Torres Omar , Remer Lorraine , Redemann Jens , Livingston John , Dunagan Stephen , Shinozuka Yohei , Kacenelenbogen Meloe , Segal-Rosenheimer Michal , Spurr Rob
Published: June 2016

Abstract. We present the first ever validation of above-cloud aerosol optical depth (ACAOD) retrieved from the "color ratio" method applied to MODIS cloudy-sky reflectance measurements using the limited direct measurements made by NASA's airborne AATS and 4STAR sensors. A thorough search of the airborne database collection revealed a total of five events in which airborne sunphotometer, coincident with the MODIS overpass, observed agricultural biomass burning, dust, and wildfire-emitted aerosols above a low-level cloud deck during SAFARI-2000, ACE-ASIA 2001, and SEAC4RS-2013 campaigns, respectively. The co-located satellite-airborne measurements revealed a good agreement (root-mean-square-error
Carbon and nitrogen contents in particle–size fractions of topsoil along a 3000 km aridity gradient in grasslands of northern China
Authors: Wang Xiao-Guang , Sistla Seeta A. , Wang Xiao-Bo , Lü Xiao-Tao , Han Xing-Guo
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Climate factors such as aridity significantly influence soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks in terrestrial ecosystems. Further, soil texture plays an important role in driving changes of soil C and N contents at regional scale. However, it remains uncertain whether such changes resulted from the variation of different soil particle–size factions and/or the C and N concentrations in those fractions. We examined the distribution of total C and N in both bulk soil and different soil particle–size fractions, including sand (53–2000 µm), silt (2–53 µm), and clay (< 2 µm), along a 3000 km transect in arid and semi-arid grasslands of northern China. Across the whole transect, sand content was positively and silt content was negatively correlated with increasing aridity. Carbon content in bulk soils (0–10 cm) ranged from 4.36 to 46.16 Mg C ha−1, while N content ranged from 0.22 to 4.28 Mg N ha−1 across different sampling sites on the transect. The total C and N concentrations and contents in bulk soils as well as in the three particle–size fractions tended to be negatively correlated with aridity. The concentrations and contents of total C and N in bulk soils were positively correlated with silt and clay contents and negatively correlated with sand content. Positive correlations were observed between the concentrations and contents of C or N in bulk soils and the C or N concentrations in the three soil particle–size fractions. By characterizing such a large scale aridity gradient, our results highlight that aridity would decrease soil C and N contents both by favoring increased sand content and by decreasing C and N concentrations in all the three soil fractions. These patterns thus have significant implications for understanding soil C and N sequestration under scenarios of increasing aridity in global drylands that are predicted to occur this century.
Rapid attribution of the May/June 2016 flood-inducing precipitation in France and Germany to climate change
Authors: van Oldenborgh Geert Jan , Philip Sjoukje , Aalbers Emma , Vautard Robert , Otto Friederike , Haustein Karsten , Habets Florence , Singh Roop , Cullen Heidi
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The extreme precipitation that would result in historic flooding across areas of northeastern France and southern Germany began on May 26th when a large cut-off low spurred the development of several slow moving low pressure disturbances. The precipitation took different forms in each country. Warm and humid air from the south fueled sustained, large-scale, heavy rainfall over France resulting in significant river flooding on the Seine and Loire (and their tributaries), whereas the rain came from smaller clusters of intense thunderstorms in Germany triggering flash floods in mountainous areas. The floods left tens of thousands without power, caused over a billion Euros in damage in France alone, and are reported to have killed at least 18 people in Germany, France, Romania, and Belgium. The extreme nature of this event left many asking whether anthropogenic climate change may have played a role. To answer this question objectively, a rapid attribution analysis was performed in near-real time, using the best available observational data and climate models. In this rapid attribution study, where results were completed and released to the public in one week and an additional week to finalise this article, we present a first estimate of how anthropogenic climate change affected the likelihood of meteorological variables corresponding to the event, 3-day precipitation averaged over the Seine and Loire basins and the spatial maximum of 1-day precipitation over southern Germany (excluding the Alps). We find that the precipitation in the Seine basin was very rare in April–June, with a return time of hundreds of years in this season. It was less rare on the Loire, roughly 1 in 50 years in April–June. At a given location the return times for 1-day precipitation as heavy as the highest observed in southern Germany is 1 in 3000 years in April–June. This translates to once roughly every 20 years somewhere in this region and season. The probability of 3-day extreme rainfall in this season has increased by about a factor 2.3 (> 1.6) on the Seine a factor 2.0 (> 1.4) on the Loire, with all four climate models that simulated the statistical properties of the extremes agreeing. The observed trend of heavy 1-day precipitation in southern Germany is significantly negative, whereas the one model that has the correct distribution simulates a significant positive trend, making an attribution statement for these thunderstorms impossible at this time.
COMPARISON OF PIXEL-BASED AND OBJECT-ORIENTED LAND COVER CHANGE DETECTION METHODS
Authors: Xie Zhenlei , Shi Ruoming , Zhu Ling , Peng Shu , Chen Xu
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Change detection method is an efficient way in the aim of land cover product updating on the basis of the existing products, and at the same time saving lots of cost and time. Considering the object-oriented change detection method for 30m resolution Landsat image, analysis of effect of different segmentation scales on the method of the object-oriented is firstly carried out. On the other hand, for analysing the effectiveness and availability of pixel-based change method, the two indices which complement each other are the differenced Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (dNDVI), the Change Vector (CV) were used. To demonstrate the performance of pixel-based and object-oriented, accuracy assessment of these two change detection results will be conducted by four indicators which include overall accuracy, omission error, commission error and Kappa coefficient.
EXTRACTION OF ICE SHEET LAYERS FROM TWO INTERSECTED RADAR ECHOGRAMS NEAR NEEM ICE CORE IN GREENLAND
Authors: Xiong S. , Muller J.-P.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Accumulation of snow and ice over time result in ice sheet layers. These can be remotely sensed where there is a contrast in electromagnetic properties, which reflect variations of the ice density, acidity and fabric orientation. Internal ice layers are assumed to be isochronous, deep beneath the ice surface, and parallel to the direction of ice flow. The distribution of internal layers is related to ice sheet dynamics, such as the basal melt rate, basal elevation variation and changes in ice flow mode, which are important parameters to model the ice sheet. Radar echo sounder is an effective instrument used to study the sedimentology of the Earth and planets. Ice Penetrating Radar (IPR) is specific kind of radar echo sounder, which extends studies of ice sheets from surface to subsurface to deep internal ice sheets depending on the frequency utilised. In this study, we examine a study site where folded ice occurs in the internal ice sheet south of the North Greenland Eemian ice drilling (NEEM) station, where two intersected radar echograms acquired by the Multi-channel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) employed in the NASA’s Operation IceBridge (OIB) mission imaged this folded ice. We propose a slice processing flow based on a Radon Transform to trace and extract these two sets of curved ice sheet layers, which can then be viewed in 3-D, demonstrating the 3-D structure of the ice folds.
LAND COVER CHANGE DETECTION USING SALIENCY ANDWAVELET TRANSFORMATION
Authors: Zhang Haopeng , Jiang Zhiguo , Cheng Yan
Published: June 2016

Abstract. How to obtain accurate difference map remains an open challenge in change detection. To tackle this problem, we propose a change detection method based on saliency detection and wavelet transformation. We do frequency-tuned saliency detection in initial difference image (IDI) obtained by logarithm ratio to get a salient difference image (SDI). Then, we calculate local entropy of SDI to obtain an entropic salient difference image (ESDI). The final difference image (FDI) is the wavelet fusion of IDI and ESDI, and Otsu thresholding is used to extract difference map from FDI. Experimental results validate the effectiveness and feasibility.
TRAJECTORY-BASED ANALYSIS OF URBAN LAND-COVER CHANGE DETECTION
Authors: Zhang Y. H. , Liu H. P.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. China have occurred unprecedented urban growth over the last two decades. It is reported that the level of China’s urbanization increased from 18 % in 1978 to 41 % in 2003, and this figure may exceed 65 % by 2050. The change detection of long time serious remote sensing images is the effective way to acquire the data of urban land-cover change to understand the pattern of urbanization. In this paper, we proposed the similarity index (SI) and apply it in long time series urban land-cover change detection. First of all, we built possible change trajectories in four times based on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI) that extracted from time series Landsat images. Secondly, we applied SI in similarity comparison between the observed change trajectory and the possible trajectories. Lastly, verifying the accuracy of the results. The overall accuracy in four periods is 85.7 % and the overall accuracy of each two years is about 90 % and kappa statistic is about 0.85. The results show that this method is effective for time series land-cover change detection.
AN UNSUPERVISED CHANGE DETECTION BASED ON TEST STATISTIC AND KI FROM MULTI-TEMPORAL AND FULL POLARIMETRIC SAR IMAGES
Authors: Zhao J. Q. , Yang J. , Li P. X. , Liu M. Y. , Shi Y. M.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Accurate and timely change detection of Earth’s surface features is extremely important for understanding relationships and interactions between people and natural phenomena. Many traditional methods of change detection only use a part of polarization information and the supervised threshold selection. Those methods are insufficiency and time-costing. In this paper, we present a novel unsupervised change-detection method based on quad-polarimetric SAR data and automatic threshold selection to solve the problem of change detection. First, speckle noise is removed for the two registered SAR images. Second, the similarity measure is calculated by the test statistic, and automatic threshold selection of KI is introduced to obtain the change map. The efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated by the quad-pol SAR images acquired by Radarsat-2 over Wuhan of China.
THE EFFECT OF PANSHARPENING ALGORITHMS ON THE RESULTING ORTHOIMAGERY
Authors: Agrafiotis P. , Georgopoulos A. , Karantzalos K.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. This paper evaluates the geometric effects of pansharpening algorithms on automatically generated DSMs and thus on the resulting orthoimagery through a quantitative assessment of the accuracy on the end products. The main motivation was based on the fact that for automatically generated Digital Surface Models, an image correlation step is employed for extracting correspondences between the overlapping images. Thus their accuracy and reliability is strictly related to image quality, while pansharpening may result into lower image quality which may affect the DSM generation and the resulting orthoimage accuracy. To this direction, an iterative methodology was applied in order to combine the process described by Agrafiotis and Georgopoulos (2015) with different pansharpening algorithms and check the accuracy of orthoimagery resulting from pansharpened data. Results are thoroughly examined and statistically analysed. The overall evaluation indicated that the pansharpening process didn’t affect the geometric accuracy of the resulting DSM with a 10m interval, as well as the resulting orthoimagery. Although some residuals in the orthoimages were observed, their magnitude cannot adversely affect the accuracy of the final orthoimagery.
REMOTE SENSING IMAGE FUSION USING ICA AND OPTIMIZED WAVELET TRANSFORM
Authors: Hnatushenko V. V. , Vasyliev V. V.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. In remote-sensing image processing, fusion (pan-sharpening) is a process of merging high-resolution panchromatic and lower resolution multispectral (MS) imagery to create a single high-resolution color image. Many methods exist to produce data fusion results with the best possible spatial and spectral characteristics, and a number have been commercially implemented. However, the pan-sharpening image produced by these methods gets the high color distortion of spectral information. In this paper, to minimize the spectral distortion we propose a remote sensing image fusion method which combines the Independent Component Analysis (ICA) and optimization wavelet transform. The proposed method is based on selection of multiscale components obtained after the ICA of images on the base of their wavelet decomposition and formation of linear forms detailing coefficients of the wavelet decomposition of images brightness distributions by spectral channels with iteratively adjusted weights. These coefficients are determined as a result of solving an optimization problem for the criterion of maximization of information entropy of the synthesized images formed by means of wavelet reconstruction. Further, reconstruction of the images of spectral channels is done by the reverse wavelet transform and formation of the resulting image by superposition of the obtained images. To verify the validity, the new proposed method is compared with several techniques using WorldView-2 satellite data in subjective and objective aspects. In experiments we demonstrated that our scheme provides good spectral quality and efficiency. Spectral and spatial quality metrics in terms of RASE, RMSE, CC, ERGAS and SSIM are used in our experiments. These synthesized MS images differ by showing a better contrast and clarity on the boundaries of the "object of interest - the background". The results show that the proposed approach performs better than some compared methods according to the performance metrics.
SEGMENTATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF NEPAL EARTHQUAKE INDUCED LANDSLIDES USING SENTINEL-1 PRODUCT
Authors: Kunwar Saket
Published: June 2016

Abstract. On April 26, 2015, an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 on the Richter scale occurred, with epicentre at Barpak (28°12'20''N,84°44'19''E), Nepal. Landslides induced due to the earthquake and its aftershock added to the natural disaster claiming more than 9000 lives. Landslides represented as lines that extend from the head scarp to the toe of the deposit were mapped by the staff of the British Geological Survey and is available freely under Open Data Commons Open Database License(ODC-ODbL) license at the Humanitarian Data Exchange Program. This collection of 5578 landslides is used as preliminary ground truth in this study with the aim of producing polygonal delineation of the landslides from the polylines via object oriented segmentation. Texture measures from Sentinel-1a Ground Range Detected (GRD) Amplitude data and eigenvalue-decomposed Single Look Complex (SLC) polarimetry product are stacked for this purpose. This has also enabled the investigation of landslide properties in the H-Alpha plane, while developing a classification mechanism for identifying the occurrence of landslides.
WETLAND MAPPING WITH SAR/QUAD-POL DATA ACQUIRED DURING TANDEM-X SCIENCE PHASE
Authors: Mleczko M. , Mroz M. , Fitrzyk M.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The aim of this study was to exploit fully polarimetric SAR data acquired during TanDEM-X – Science Phase (2014/2015) over herbaceous wetlands of the Biebrza National Park (BbNP) in North-Eastern Poland for mapping seasonally flooded grasslands and permanent natural vegetation associations. The main goal of this work was to estimate the advantage of fully polarimetric radar images (QuadPol) versus alternative polarization (AltPol) modes. The methodology consisted in processing of several data subsets through polarimetric decompositions of complex quad-pol datasets, classification of multitemporal backscattering images, complementing backscattering images with Shannon Entropy, exploitation of interferometric coherence from tandem operations. In each case the multidimensional stack of images has been classified using ISODATA unsupervised clustering algorithm. With 6 QUAD-POL TSX/TDX acquisitions it was possible to distinguish correctly 5 thematic classes related to their water regime: permanent water bodies, temporarily flooded areas, wet grasslands, dry grasslands and common reed. This last category was possible to distinguish from deciduous forest only with Yamaguchi 4 component decomposition. The interferometric coherence calculated for tandem pairs turned out not so efficient as expected for this wetland mapping.
COSEISMIC DEFORMATION FIELD AND FAULT SLIP DISTRIBUTION OF THE 2015 CHILE Mw8.3 EARTHQUAKE
Authors: Qu Chunyan , Zuo Ronghu , Shan Xin Jian , Zhang Guohong , Zhang Yingfeng , Song Xiaogang
Published: June 2016

Abstract. On September 16, 2015, a magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck west of Illapel, Chile. We analyzed Sentinel-1A/IW InSAR data on the descending track acquired before and after the Chile Mw8.3 earthquake of 16 September 2015. We found that the coseismic deformation field of this event consists of many semi circular fringes protruding to east in an approximately 300km long and 190km wide region. The maximum coseismic displacement is about 1.33m in LOS direction corresponding to subsidence or westward shift of the ground. We inverted the coseismic fault slip based on a small-dip single plane fault model in a homogeneous elastic half space. The inverted coseismic slip mainly concentrates at shallow depth above the hypocenter with a symmetry shape. The rupture length along strike is about 340 km with maximum slip of about 8.16m near the trench. The estimated moment is 3.126×1021 N.m (Mw8.27)，the maximum depth of coseismic slip near zero appears to 50km. We also analyzed the postseismic deformation fields using four interferograms with different time intervals. The results show that postseismic deformation occurred in a narrow area of approximately 65km wide with maximum slip 11cm, and its predominant motion changes from uplift to subsidence with time. that is to say, at first, the postseismic deformation direction is opposite to that of coseismic deformation, then it tends to be consistent with coseismic deformation.It maybe indicates the differences and changes in the velocity between the Nazca oceanic plate and the South American continental plate.
STANDWISE CHANGE DETECTION FOR GROWING STOCK USING REPEAT-PASS ALOS PALSAR / PALSAR-2 DATA
Authors: Hong M.–G. , Kim C.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. This study demonstrates the possibility of detecting the changes of growing stocks in mountainous forest stands derived from ALOS PALSAR and PALSAR-2 images. The ALOS PALSAR were obtained over the Kwangneung Experiment Forest (KEF, Korea) during the period of nineteen and a half months from the April 26, 2009 to December 12, 2010, whereas the PALSAR-2 data were acquired on the April 7, 2015. The KEF test site comprises 58 stands, which cover approximately 1,000ha and have steep slope topography. Owing to topographic effects of SAR data in mountainous areas, the DEM-assisted topographic normalized backscattering coefficient γ0 was applied to the evaluation of the relationships between the ALOS PALSAR / PALSAR-2 HV backscatter and the field inventory–based stand stock volume. The results indicate that: 1) the γ0 values for the volume obtained from ALOS PALSAR data on December 12, 2010 show a gradual increase higher than those computed from the data on April 26, 2009, here the γ0 value increases in accordance with an increase in the volume: 2) the γ0 values determined from the PALSAR-2 data increase with the same inventory-based volume, when compared with those computed from both ALOS PALSAR data. They also increase substantially as the values of the volume rise, with the exception of the volume interval from 130 m3 ha−1 to 160 m3 ha−1. This is understandable because the volume of the aforementioned interval has been reduced through clearing. Consequently, the γ0–based relationship between PALSAR-2 HV backscatter and growing stock can lead to detecting the stand growth changes in the KEF of Korea.
POLARIMETRIC SIGNATURES IDENTIFICATION FOR DIFFERENT FEATURES IN RADARSAT-2 POLSAR IMAGE: A CASE STUDY OF HALAYIB AREA, EGYPT
Authors: Nasr Ayman H. , Abdelhamid Hind Z.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. In fully polarized SAR (PolSAR) data the returned signal from a target contains all polarizations. More information about this target may be inferred with respect to single-polarization. Distinct polarization separates targets due to its different backscattering responses. A Radarsat-2 PolSAR image acquired on December 2013 of part of Halayib area (Egypt) was used in this study. Polarimetric signatures for various features (Wadi deposits, Tonalite, Chlorite schist, and Radar penetrated areas) were derived and identified. Their Co-polarized and Cross-polarized signatures were generated, based on the calculation of the backscattered power at various ellipticity and orientation angles. Graphical 3D-representation of these features was provided and more details of their physical information are depicted according to their different polarization bases. The results illustrate that polarimetric signatures, obtained due to factors like surface roughness, dielectric constant and feature orientation, can be an effective representation for analyzing various features. The shape of the signature is significant and can also indicate the scattering mechanisms dominating the features response.
EVALUATION OF RELATIVE GEOMETRIC ACCURACY OF TERRASAR-X BY PIXEL MATCHING METHODOLOGY
Authors: Nonaka T. , Asaka T. , Iwashita K.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Recently, high-resolution commercial SAR satellites with several meters of resolutions are widely utilized for various applications and disaster monitoring is one of the commonly applied areas. The information about the flooding situation and ground displacement was rapidly announced to the public after the Great East Japan Earthquake 2011. One of the studies reported the displacement in Tohoku region by the pixel matching methodology using both pre- and post- event TerraSAR-X data, and the validated accuracy was about 30 cm at the GEONET reference points. In order to discuss the spatial distribution of the displacement, we need to evaluate the relative accuracy of the displacement in addition to the absolute accuracy. In the previous studies, our study team evaluated the absolute 2D geo-location accuracy of the TerraSAR-X ortho-rectified EEC product for both flat and mountain areas. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to evaluate the spatial and temporal relative geo-location accuracies of the product by considering the displacement of the fixed point as the relative geo-location accuracy. Firstly, by utilizing TerraSAR-X StripMap dataset, the pixel matching method for estimating the displacement with sub-pixel level was developed. Secondly, the validity of the method was confirmed by comparing with GEONET data. We confirmed that the accuracy of the displacement for X and Y direction was in agreement with the previous studies. Subsequently, the methodology was applied to 20 pairs of data set for areas of Tokyo Ota-ku and Kawasaki-shi, and the displacement of each pair was evaluated. It was revealed that the time series displacement rate had the seasonal trend and seemed to be related to atmospheric delay.
ANALYSIS OF MULTIPATH PIXELS IN SAR IMAGES
Authors: Zhao J. W. , Wu J. C. , Ding X. L. , Zhang L. , Hu F. M.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. As the received radar signal is the sum of signal contributions overlaid in one single pixel regardless of the travel path, the multipath effect should be seriously tackled as the multiple bounce returns are added to direct scatter echoes which leads to ghost scatters. Most of the existing solution towards the multipath is to recover the signal propagation path. To facilitate the signal propagation simulation process, plenty of aspects such as sensor parameters, the geometry of the objects (shape, location, orientation, mutual position between adjacent buildings) and the physical parameters of the surface (roughness, correlation length, permittivity)which determine the strength of radar signal backscattered to the SAR sensor should be given in previous. However, it's not practical to obtain the highly detailed object model in unfamiliar area by field survey as it's a laborious work and time-consuming. In this paper, SAR imaging simulation based on RaySAR is conducted at first aiming at basic understanding of multipath effects and for further comparison. Besides of the pre-imaging simulation, the product of the after-imaging, which refers to radar images is also taken into consideration. Both Cosmo-SkyMed ascending and descending SAR images of Lupu Bridge in Shanghai are used for the experiment. As a result, the reflectivity map and signal distribution map of different bounce level are simulated and validated by 3D real model. The statistic indexes such as the phase stability, mean amplitude, amplitude dispersion, coherence and mean-sigma ratio in case of layover are analyzed with combination of the RaySAR output.
IMPROVEMENT EVALUATION ON CERAMIC ROOF EXTRACTION USING WORLDVIEW-2 IMAGERY AND GEOGRAPHIC DATA MINING APPROACH
Authors: Brum-Bastos V. S. , Ribeiro B. M. G. , Pinho C. M. D. , Korting T. S. , Fonseca L. M. G.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Advances in geotechnologies and in remote sensing have improved analysis of urban environments. The new sensors are increasingly suited to urban studies, due to the enhancement in spatial, spectral and radiometric resolutions. Urban environments present high heterogeneity, which cannot be tackled using pixel–based approaches on high resolution images. Geographic Object–Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA) has been consolidated as a methodology for urban land use and cover monitoring; however, classification of high resolution images is still troublesome. This study aims to assess the improvement on ceramic roof classification using WorldView-2 images due to the increase of 4 new bands besides the standard “Blue-Green-Red-Near Infrared” bands. Our methodology combines GEOBIA, C4.5 classification tree algorithm, Monte Carlo simulation and statistical tests for classification accuracy. Two samples groups were considered: 1) eight multispectral and panchromatic bands, and 2) four multispectral and panchromatic bands, representing previous high-resolution sensors. The C4.5 algorithm generates a decision tree that can be used for classification; smaller decision trees are closer to the semantic networks produced by experts on GEOBIA, while bigger trees, are not straightforward to implement manually, but are more accurate. The choice for a big or small tree relies on the user’s skills to implement it. This study aims to determine for what kind of user the addition of the 4 new bands might be beneficial: 1) the common user (smaller trees) or 2) a more skilled user with coding and/or data mining abilities (bigger trees). In overall the classification was improved by the addition of the four new bands for both types of users.
Object-based image analysis for the assessment of mineral extraction in conflict regions – a case study in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Kranz Olaf , Schoepfer Elisabeth , Spröhnle Kristin , Lang Stefan
Published: June 2016

Abstract. In this study object-based image analysis (OBIA) techniques were applied to assess land cover changes related to mineral extraction in a conflict-affected area of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) over a period of five years based on very high resolution (VHR) satellite data of different sensors. Object-based approaches explicitly consider spatio-temporal aspects which allow extracting important information to document mining activities. The use of remote sensing data as an independent, up-to-date and reliable data source provided hints on the general development of the mining sector in relation to socio-economic and political decisions. While in early 2010, the situation was still characterised by an intensification of mineral extraction, a mining ban between autumn 2010 and spring 2011 marked the starting point for a continuous decrease of mining activities. The latter can be substantiated through a decrease in the extend of the mining area as well as of the number of dwellings in the nearby settlement. A following demilitarisation and the mentioned need for accountability with respect to the origin of certain minerals led to organised, more industrialized exploitation. This development is likewise visible on satellite imagery as typical clearings within forested areas. The results of the continuous monitoring in turn facilitate non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to further foster the mentioned establishment of responsible supply chains by the mining industry throughout the entire period of investigation.
DESIGN OF A FREE AND OPEN SOURCE DATA PROCESSING, ARCHIVING, AND DISTRIBUTION SUBSYSTEM FOR THE GROUND RECEIVING STATION OF THE PHILIPPINE SCIENTIFIC EARTH OBSERVATION MICRO-SATELLITE
Authors: Aranas R. K. D. , Jiao B. J. D. , Magallon B. J. P. , Ramos M. K. F. , Amado J. A. , Tamondong A. M. , Tupas M. E. A.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The Philippines’s PHL-Microsat program aims to launch its first earth observation satellite, DIWATA, on the first quarter of 2016. DIWATA’s payload consists of a high-precision telescope (HPT), spaceborne multispectral imager (SMI) with liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF), and a wide field camera (WFC). Once launched, it will provide information about the Philippines, both for disaster and environmental applications. Depending on the need, different remote sensing products will be generated from the microsatellite sensors. This necessitates data processing capability on the ground control segment. Rather than rely on commercial turnkey solutions, the PHL-Microsat team, specifically Project 3:DPAD, opted to design its own ground receiving station data subsystems. This paper describes the design of the data subsystems of the ground receiving station (GRS) for DIWATA. The data subsystems include: data processing subsystem for automatic calibration and georeferencing of raw images as well as the generation of higher level processed data products; data archiving subsystem for storage and backups of both raw and processed data products; and data distribution subsystem for providing a web-based interface and product download facility for the user community. The design covers the conceptual design of the abovementioned subsystems, the free and open source software (FOSS) packages used to implement them, and the challenges encountered in adapting the existing FOSS packages to DIWATA GRS requirements.
New implementation of OGC Web Processing Service in Python programming language. PyWPS-4 and issues we are facing with processing of large raster data using OGC WPS
Authors: Čepický Jáchym , de Sousa Luís Moreira
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The OGC® Web Processing Service (WPS) Interface Standard provides rules for standardizing inputs and outputs (requests and responses) for geospatial processing services, such as polygon overlay. The standard also defines how a client can request the execution of a process, and how the output from the process is handled. It defines an interface that facilitates publishing of geospatial processes and client discovery of processes and and binding to those processes into workflows. Data required by a WPS can be delivered across a network or they can be available at a server. PyWPS was one of the first implementations of OGC WPS on the server side. It is written in the Python programming language and it tries to connect to all existing tools for geospatial data analysis, available on the Python platform. During the last two years, the PyWPS development team has written a new version (called PyWPS-4) completely from scratch. The analysis of large raster datasets poses several technical issues in implementing the WPS standard. The data format has to be defined and validated on the server side and binary data have to be encoded using some numeric representation. Pulling raster data from remote servers introduces security risks, in addition, running several processes in parallel has to be possible, so that system resources are used efficiently while preserving security. Here we discuss these topics and illustrate some of the solutions adopted within the PyWPS implementation.
GEOSPATIAL DATA STREAM PROCESSING IN PYTHON USING FOSS4G COMPONENTS
Authors: McFerren G. , van Zyl T.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. One viewpoint of current and future IT systems holds that there is an increase in the scale and velocity at which data are acquired and analysed from heterogeneous, dynamic sources. In the earth observation and geoinformatics domains, this process is driven by the increase in number and types of devices that report location and the proliferation of assorted sensors, from satellite constellations to oceanic buoy arrays. Much of these data will be encountered as self-contained messages on data streams - continuous, infinite flows of data. Spatial analytics over data streams concerns the search for spatial and spatio-temporal relationships within and amongst data “on the move”. In spatial databases, queries can assess a store of data to unpack spatial relationships; this is not the case on streams, where spatial relationships need to be established with the incomplete data available. Methods for spatially-based indexing, filtering, joining and transforming of streaming data need to be established and implemented in software components. This article describes the usage patterns and performance metrics of a number of well known FOSS4G Python software libraries within the data stream processing paradigm. In particular, we consider the RTree library for spatial indexing, the Shapely library for geometric processing and transformation and the PyProj library for projection and geodesic calculations over streams of geospatial data. We introduce a message oriented Python-based geospatial data streaming framework called Swordfish, which provides data stream processing primitives, functions, transports and a common data model for describing messages, based on the Open Geospatial Consortium Observations and Measurements (O&M) and Unidata Common Data Model (CDM) standards. We illustrate how the geospatial software components are integrated with the Swordfish framework. Furthermore, we describe the tight temporal constraints under which geospatial functionality can be invoked when processing high velocity, potentially infinite geospatial data streams. The article discusses the performance of these libraries under simulated streaming loads (size, complexity and volume of messages) and how they can be deployed and utilised with Swordfish under real load scenarios, illustrated by a set of Vessel Automatic Identification System (AIS) use cases. We conclude that the described software libraries are able to perform adequately under geospatial data stream processing scenarios - many real application use cases will be handled sufficiently by the software.