WorldWideScience

Sample records for resolve complex terrain

  1. Hybrid RANS/LES applied to complex terrain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bechmann, Andreas; Sørensen, Niels N.

    2011-01-01

    Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of the wind in complex terrain is limited by computational cost. The number of computational grid points required to resolve the near-ground turbulent structures (eddies) are very high. The traditional solution to the problem has been to apply a wall function...... aspect ratio in the RANS layer and thereby resolve the mean near-wall velocity profile. The method is applicable to complex terrain and the benefits of traditional LES are kept intact. Using the hybrid method, simulations of the wind over a natural complex terrain near Wellington in New Zealand...... that accounts for the whole near-wall region. Recently, a hybrid method was proposed in which the eddies close to the ground were modelled in a Reynolds-averaged sense (RANS) and the eddies above this region were simulated using LES. The advantage of the approach is the ability to use shallow cells of high...

  2. Complex terrain and wind lidars

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bingoel, F.

    2009-08-15

    This thesis includes the results of a PhD study about complex terrain and wind lidars. The study mostly focuses on hilly and forested areas. Lidars have been used in combination with cups, sonics and vanes, to reach the desired vertical measurement heights. Several experiments are performed in complex terrain sites and the measurements are compared with two different flow models; a linearised flow model LINCOM and specialised forest model SCADIS. In respect to the lidar performance in complex terrain, the results showed that horizontal wind speed errors measured by a conically scanning lidar can be of the order of 3-4% in moderately-complex terrain and up to 10% in complex terrain. The findings were based on experiments involving collocated lidars and meteorological masts, together with flow calculations over the same terrains. The lidar performance was also simulated with the commercial software WAsP Engineering 2.0 and was well predicted except for some sectors where the terrain is particularly steep. Subsequently, two experiments were performed in forested areas; where the measurements are recorded at a location deep-in forest and at the forest edge. Both sites were modelled with flow models and the comparison of the measurement data with the flow model outputs showed that the mean wind speed calculated by LINCOM model was only reliable between 1 and 2 tree height (h) above canopy. The SCADIS model reported better correlation with the measurements in forest up to approx6h. At the forest edge, LINCOM model was used by allocating a slope half-in half out of the forest based on the suggestions of previous studies. The optimum slope angle was reported as 17 deg.. Thus, a suggestion was made to use WAsP Engineering 2.0 for forest edge modelling with known limitations and the applied method. The SCADIS model worked better than the LINCOM model at the forest edge but the model reported closer results to the measurements at upwind than the downwind and this should be

  3. Wind farm design in complex terrain: the FarmOpt methodology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Feng, Ju

    Designing wind farms in complex terrain is becoming more and more important, especially for countries like China, where a large portion of the territory is featured as complex terrain. Although potential richer wind resources could be expected at complex terrain sites (thanks to the terrain effec...

  4. Optimization of Wind Farm Layout in Complex Terrain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Chang; Yang, Jianchuan; Li, Chenqi

    2013-01-01

    Microscopic site selection for wind farms in complex terrain is a technological difficulty in the development of onshore wind farms. This paper presented a method for optimizing wind farm layout in complex terrain. This method employed Lissaman and Jensen wake models, took wind velocity distribut......Microscopic site selection for wind farms in complex terrain is a technological difficulty in the development of onshore wind farms. This paper presented a method for optimizing wind farm layout in complex terrain. This method employed Lissaman and Jensen wake models, took wind velocity...... are subject to boundary conditions and minimum distance conditions. The improved genetic algorithm (GA) for real number coding was used to search the optimal result. Then the optimized result was compared to the result from the experienced layout method. Results show the advantages of the present method...

  5. Immersed boundary methods for high-resolution simulation of atmospheric boundary-layer flow over complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lundquist, Katherine Ann

    use of flux (non-zero) boundary conditions. This anabatic flow set-up is further coupled to atmospheric physics parameterizations, which calculate surface fluxes, demonstrating that the IBM can be coupled to various land-surface parameterizations in atmospheric models. Additionally, the IB method is extended to three dimensions, using both trilinear and inverse distance weighted interpolations. Results are presented for geostrophic flow over a three-dimensional hill. It is found that while the IB method using trilinear interpolation works well for simple three-dimensional geometries, a more flexible and robust method is needed for extremely complex geometries, as found in three-dimensional urban environments. A second, more flexible, immersed boundary method is devised using inverse distance weighting, and results are compared to the first IBM approach. Additionally, the functionality to nest a domain with resolved complex geometry inside of a parent domain without resolved complex geometry is described. The new IBM approach is used to model urban terrain from Oklahoma City in a one-way nested configuration, where lateral boundary conditions are provided by the parent domain. Finally, the IB method is extended to include wall model parameterizations for rough surfaces. Two possible implementations are presented, one which uses the log law to reconstruct velocities exterior to the solid domain, and one which reconstructs shear stress at the immersed boundary, rather than velocity. These methods are tested on the three-dimensional canonical case of neutral atmospheric boundary layer flow over flat terrain.

  6. Immersed Boundary Methods for High-Resolution Simulation of Atmospheric Boundary-Layer Flow Over Complex Terrain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lundquist, K A [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2010-05-12

    use of flux (non-zero) boundary conditions. This anabatic flow set-up is further coupled to atmospheric physics parameterizations, which calculate surface fluxes, demonstrating that the IBM can be coupled to various land-surface parameterizations in atmospheric models. Additionally, the IB method is extended to three dimensions, using both trilinear and inverse distance weighted interpolations. Results are presented for geostrophic flow over a three-dimensional hill. It is found that while the IB method using trilinear interpolation works well for simple three-dimensional geometries, a more flexible and robust method is needed for extremely complex geometries, as found in three-dimensional urban environments. A second, more flexible, immersed boundary method is devised using inverse distance weighting, and results are compared to the first IBM approach. Additionally, the functionality to nest a domain with resolved complex geometry inside of a parent domain without resolved complex geometry is described. The new IBM approach is used to model urban terrain from Oklahoma City in a one-way nested configuration, where lateral boundary conditions are provided by the parent domain. Finally, the IB method is extended to include wall model parameterizations for rough surfaces. Two possible implementations are presented, one which uses the log law to reconstruct velocities exterior to the solid domain, and one which reconstructs shear stress at the immersed boundary, rather than velocity. These methods are tested on the three-dimensional canonical case of neutral atmospheric boundary layer flow over flat terrain.

  7. A Research on Wind Farm Micro-sitting Optimization in Complex Terrain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Chang; Yang, Jianchuan; Li, Chenqi

    2013-01-01

    Wind farm layout optimization in complex terrain is a pretty difficult issue for onshore wind farm. In this article, a novel optimization method is proposed to optimize the layout for wind farms in complex terrain. This method utilized Lissaman and Jensen wake models for taking the terrain height...... that the CPSO method has a higher optimal value, and could be used to optimize the actual wind farm micro-sitting engineering projects.......Wind farm layout optimization in complex terrain is a pretty difficult issue for onshore wind farm. In this article, a novel optimization method is proposed to optimize the layout for wind farms in complex terrain. This method utilized Lissaman and Jensen wake models for taking the terrain height...... turbines’ park coordinates which subject to the boundary and minimum distance conditions between two wind turbines. A Cross Particle Swarm Optimization (CPSO) method is developed and applied to optimize the layout for a certain wind farm case. Compared with the uniform and experience method, results show...

  8. Complex terrain influences ecosystem carbon responses to temperature and precipitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyes, W. M.; Epstein, H. E.; Li, X.; McGlynn, B. L.; Riveros-Iregui, D. A.; Emanuel, R. E.

    2017-08-01

    Terrestrial ecosystem responses to temperature and precipitation have major implications for the global carbon cycle. Case studies demonstrate that complex terrain, which accounts for more than 50% of Earth's land surface, can affect ecological processes associated with land-atmosphere carbon fluxes. However, no studies have addressed the role of complex terrain in mediating ecophysiological responses of land-atmosphere carbon fluxes to climate variables. We synthesized data from AmeriFlux towers and found that for sites in complex terrain, responses of ecosystem CO2 fluxes to temperature and precipitation are organized according to terrain slope and drainage area, variables associated with water and energy availability. Specifically, we found that for tower sites in complex terrain, mean topographic slope and drainage area surrounding the tower explained between 51% and 78% of site-to-site variation in the response of CO2 fluxes to temperature and precipitation depending on the time scale. We found no such organization among sites in flat terrain, even though their flux responses exhibited similar ranges. These results challenge prevailing conceptual framework in terrestrial ecosystem modeling that assumes that CO2 fluxes derive from vertical soil-plant-climate interactions. We conclude that the terrain in which ecosystems are situated can also have important influences on CO2 responses to temperature and precipitation. This work has implications for about 14% of the total land area of the conterminous U.S. This area is considered topographically complex and contributes to approximately 15% of gross ecosystem carbon production in the conterminous U.S.

  9. Analyzing complex wake-terrain interactions and its implications on wind-farm performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabib, Mandar; Rasheed, Adil; Fuchs, Franz

    2016-09-01

    Rotating wind turbine blades generate complex wakes involving vortices (helical tip-vortex, root-vortex etc.).These wakes are regions of high velocity deficits and high turbulence intensities and they tend to degrade the performance of down-stream turbines. Hence, a conservative inter-turbine distance of up-to 10 times turbine diameter (10D) is sometimes used in wind-farm layout (particularly in cases of flat terrain). This ensures that wake-effects will not reduce the overall wind-farm performance, but this leads to larger land footprint for establishing a wind-farm. In-case of complex-terrain, within a short distance (say 10D) itself, the nearby terrain can rise in altitude and be high enough to influence the wake dynamics. This wake-terrain interaction can happen either (a) indirectly, through an interaction of wake (both near tip vortex and far wake large-scale vortex) with terrain induced turbulence (especially, smaller eddies generated by small ridges within the terrain) or (b) directly, by obstructing the wake-region partially or fully in its flow-path. Hence, enhanced understanding of wake- development due to wake-terrain interaction will help in wind farm design. To this end the current study involves: (1) understanding the numerics for successful simulation of vortices, (2) understanding fundamental vortex-terrain interaction mechanism through studies devoted to interaction of a single vortex with different terrains, (3) relating influence of vortex-terrain interactions to performance of a wind-farm by studying a multi-turbine wind-farm layout under different terrains. The results on interaction of terrain and vortex has shown a much faster decay of vortex for complex terrain compared to a flatter-terrain. The potential reasons identified explaining the observation are (a) formation of secondary vortices in flow and its interaction with the primary vortex and (b) enhanced vorticity diffusion due to increased terrain-induced turbulence. The implications of

  10. AAN Tactical Roles in Complex Urban Terrain

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Funkhouser, Anthony

    1998-01-01

    .... The infantryman will assume the responsibility for tasks such as mobility. However, many experts predict the future battlefields will consist of complex urban terrain where much of the world population is occupying...

  11. Atmospheric processes over complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banta, Robert M.; Berri, G.; Blumen, William; Carruthers, David J.; Dalu, G. A.; Durran, Dale R.; Egger, Joseph; Garratt, J. R.; Hanna, Steven R.; Hunt, J. C. R.

    1990-06-01

    A workshop on atmospheric processes over complex terrain, sponsored by the American Meteorological Society, was convened in Park City, Utah from 24 vto 28 October 1988. The overall objective of the workshop was one of interaction and synthesis--interaction among atmospheric scientists carrying out research on a variety of orographic flow problems, and a synthesis of their results and points of view into an assessment of the current status of topical research problems. The final day of the workshop was devoted to an open discussion on the research directions that could be anticipated in the next decade because of new and planned instrumentation and observational networks, the recent emphasis on development of mesoscale numerical models, and continual theoretical investigations of thermally forced flows, orographic waves, and stratified turbulence. This monograph represents an outgrowth of the Park City Workshop. The authors have contributed chapters based on their lecture material. Workshop discussions indicated interest in both the remote sensing and predictability of orographic flows. These chapters were solicited following the workshop in order to provide a more balanced view of current progress and future directions in research on atmospheric processes over complex terrain.

  12. CFD three dimensional wake analysis in complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castellani, F.; Astolfi, D.; Terzi, L.

    2017-11-01

    Even if wind energy technology is nowadays fully developed, the use of wind energy in very complex terrain is still challenging. In particular, it is challenging to characterize the combination effects of wind ow over complex terrain and wake interactions between nearby turbines and this has a practical relevance too, for the perspective of mitigating anomalous vibrations and loads as well improving the farm efficiency. In this work, a very complex terrain site has been analyzed through a Reynolds-averaged CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) numerical wind field model; in the simulation the inuence of wakes has been included through the Actuator Disk (AD) approach. In particular, the upstream turbine of a cluster of 4 wind turbines having 2.3 MW of rated power is studied. The objective of this study is investigating the full three-dimensional wind field and the impact of three-dimensionality on the evolution of the waked area between nearby turbines. A post-processing method of the output of the CFD simulation is developed and this allows to estimate the wake lateral deviation and the wake width. The reliability of the numerical approach is inspired by and crosschecked through the analysis of the operational SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) data of the cluster of interest.

  13. Implementation and Testing of Advanced Surface Boundary Conditions Over Complex Terrain in A Semi-idealized Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Y.; Epifanio, C.

    2017-12-01

    In numerical prediction models, the interaction between the Earth's surface and the atmosphere is typically accounted for in terms of surface layer parameterizations, whose main job is to specify turbulent fluxes of heat, moisture and momentum across the lower boundary of the model domain. In the case of a domain with complex geometry, implementing the flux conditions (particularly the tensor stress condition) at the boundary can be somewhat subtle, and there has been a notable history of confusion in the CFD community over how to formulate and impose such conditions generally. In the atmospheric case, modelers have largely been able to avoid these complications, at least until recently, by assuming that the terrain resolved at typical model resolutions is fairly gentle, in the sense of having relatively shallow slopes. This in turn allows the flux conditions to be imposed as if the lower boundary were essentially flat. Unfortunately, while this flat-boundary assumption is acceptable for coarse resolutions, as grids become more refined and the geometry of the resolved terrain becomes more complex, the appproach is less justified. With this in mind, the goal of our present study is to explore the implementation and usage of the full, unapproximated version of the turbulent flux/stress conditions in atmospheric models, thus taking full account of the complex geometry of the resolved terrain. We propose to implement the conditions using a semi-idealized model developed by Epifanio (2007), in which the discretized boundary conditions are reduced to a large, sparse-matrix problem. The emphasis will be on fluxes of momentum, as the tensor nature of this flux makes the associated stress condition more difficult to impose, although the flux conditions for heat and moisture will be considered as well. With the resulotion of 90 meters, some of the results show that the typical differences between flat-boundary cases and full/stress cases are on the order of 10%, with extreme

  14. Effect on tracer concentrations of ABL depth models in complex terrain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Galmarini, S.; Salin, P. [Joint Research Center Ispra (Italy); Anfossi, D.; Trini-Castelli, S. [CNR-ICGF, Turin (Italy); Schayes, G. [Univ. Louvain-la-Neuve, Louvain (Belgium)

    1997-10-01

    In the present preliminary study we use different ABL (atmospheric boundary layer) depth formulations to study atmospheric dispersion in complex-terrain conditions. The flow in an Alpine valley during the tracer experiment TRANSALP is simulated by means of a mesoscale model and a tracer dispersion is reproduced using a Lagrangian particle model. The ABL dept enters as key parameter in particle model turbulent-dispersion formulation. The preliminary results reveal that the ABL depth parameter can influence the dispersion process but that in the case of a dispersion in a valley-daytime flow the results depend much more strongly on the model horizontal and vertical resolution. A relatively coarse horizontal resolution implies a considerable smoothing of the topography that largely affects the dispersion characteristics. The vertical resolution does not allow on to resolve with sufficient details the rapid and large variation of the flow characteristic as the terrain feature vary. Two of the methods used to determine the ABL depth depend strongly on the resolution. The method that instead depends only on surface parameters like heat flux and surface based stability allowed us to obtain results to be considered satisfactory for what concerns the dispersion process, quite consistent with the flow model results, less numeric dependent and more physically sound. (LN)

  15. Wind farm layout optimization in complex terrain: A preliminary study on a Gaussian hill

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Feng, Ju; Shen, Wen Zhong

    2014-01-01

    this problem for WFs in flat terrain or offshore has been investigated in many studies, it is still a challenging problem for WFs in complex terrain. In this preliminary study, the wind flow conditions of complex terrain without WTs are first obtained from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation...

  16. Wind turbine wake measurement in complex terrain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Kurt Schaldemose; Larsen, Gunner Chr.; Menke, Robert

    2016-01-01

    SCADA data from a wind farm and high frequency time series measurements obtained with remote scanning systems have been analysed with focus on identification of wind turbine wake properties in complex terrain. The analysis indicates that within the flow regime characterized by medium to large dow...

  17. Large eddy simulation modeling of particle-laden flows in complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salesky, S.; Giometto, M. G.; Chamecki, M.; Lehning, M.; Parlange, M. B.

    2017-12-01

    The transport, deposition, and erosion of heavy particles over complex terrain in the atmospheric boundary layer is an important process for hydrology, air quality forecasting, biology, and geomorphology. However, in situ observations can be challenging in complex terrain due to spatial heterogeneity. Furthermore, there is a need to develop numerical tools that can accurately represent the physics of these multiphase flows over complex surfaces. We present a new numerical approach to accurately model the transport and deposition of heavy particles in complex terrain using large eddy simulation (LES). Particle transport is represented through solution of the advection-diffusion equation including terms that represent gravitational settling and inertia. The particle conservation equation is discretized in a cut-cell finite volume framework in order to accurately enforce mass conservation. Simulation results will be validated with experimental data, and numerical considerations required to enforce boundary conditions at the surface will be discussed. Applications will be presented in the context of snow deposition and transport, as well as urban dispersion.

  18. Quasi-analytical treatment of spatially averaged radiation transfer in complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    LöWe, H.; Helbig, N.

    2012-10-01

    We provide a new quasi-analytical method to compute the subgrid topographic influences on the shortwave radiation fluxes and the effective albedo in complex terrain as required for large-scale meteorological, land surface, or climate models. We investigate radiative transfer in complex terrain via the radiosity equation on isotropic Gaussian random fields. Under controlled approximations we derive expressions for domain-averaged fluxes of direct, diffuse, and terrain radiation and the sky view factor. Domain-averaged quantities can be related to a type of level-crossing probability of the random field, which is approximated by long-standing results developed for acoustic scattering at ocean boundaries. This allows us to express all nonlocal horizon effects in terms of a local terrain parameter, namely, the mean-square slope. Emerging integrals are computed numerically, and fit formulas are given for practical purposes. As an implication of our approach, we provide an expression for the effective albedo of complex terrain in terms of the Sun elevation angle, mean-square slope, the area-averaged surface albedo, and the ratio of atmospheric direct beam to diffuse radiation. For demonstration we compute the decrease of the effective albedo relative to the area-averaged albedo in Switzerland for idealized snow-covered and clear-sky conditions at noon in winter. We find an average decrease of 5.8% and spatial patterns which originate from characteristics of the underlying relief. Limitations and possible generalizations of the method are discussed.

  19. Turbulence in complex terrain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mann, Jakob [Risoe National Lab., Wind Energy and Atmosheric Physics Dept., Roskilde (Denmark)

    1999-03-01

    The purpose of this work is to develop a model of the spectral velocity-tensor in neutral flow over complex terrain. The resulting equations are implemented in a computer code using the mean flow generated by a linear mean flow model as input. It estimates turbulence structure over hills (except on the lee side if recirculation is present) in the so-called outer layer and also models the changes in turbulence statistics in the vicinity roughness changes. The generated turbulence fields are suitable as input for dynamic load calculations on wind turbines and other tall structures and is under implementation in the collection of programs called WA{sup s}P Engineering. (au) EFP-97; EU-JOULE-3. 15 refs.

  20. Atmospheric dispersion in complex terrain: Angra-1 nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lima e Silva Filho, P.P. de

    1986-01-01

    The Angra 1 plant is located in a very complex terrain, what makes the environmental impact assessment very difficult, regarding to the atmospheric transport problem as well as to the diffusion problem. Three main characteristics are responsible for that situation: the location at the shoreline, the complex topography and the high roughness of the terrain. Those characteristics generate specific phenomena and utilization of parameters from other sites are not convenient. Considering financial and technical viabilities, we must look for the local parameters, disregarding the easy, although risky, attitude of applying parameters and models incovenient to the Angra site. Some of those aspects are more important, and among them we will discuss the Plume Rise, the Critical Height, the Drainage Flow and the Atmospheric Dispersion Coefficients. (Author) [pt

  1. Wind farm layout optimization in complex terrain: A preliminary study on a Gaussian hill

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng, J; Shen, W Z

    2014-01-01

    One of the crucial problems for wind farm (WF) development is wind farm layout optimization. It seeks to find the optimal positions of wind turbines (WTs) inside a WF, so as to maximize and/or minimize a single objective or multiple objectives, while satisfying certain constraints. Although this problem for WFs in flat terrain or offshore has been investigated in many studies, it is still a challenging problem for WFs in complex terrain. In this preliminary study, the wind flow conditions of complex terrain without WTs are first obtained from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation, then an adapted Jensen wake model is developed by considering the terrain features and taking the inflow conditions as input. Using this combined method, the wake effects of WF in complex terrain are properly modelled. Besides, a random search (RS) algorithm proposed in previous study is improved by adding some adaptive mechanisms and applied to solve the layout optimization problem of a WF on a Gaussian shape hill. The layout of the WF with a certain number of WTs is optimized to maximize the total power output, which obtained steady improvements over expert guess layouts

  2. Training Revising Based Traversability Analysis of Complex Terrains for Mobile Robot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rui Song

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Traversability analysis is one of the core issues in the autonomous navigation for mobile robots to identify the accessible area by the information of sensors on mobile robots. This paper proposed a model to analyze the traversability of complex terrains based on rough sets and training revising. The model described the traversability for mobile robots by traversability cost. Through the experiment, the paper gets the conclusion that traversability analysis model based on rough sets and training revising can be used where terrain features are rich and complex, can effectively handle the unstructured environment, and can provide reliable and effective decision rules in the autonomous navigation for mobile robots.

  3. CALCULATION OF CHEMICAL ATMOSPHERE ESTIMATION GIVEN THE COMPLEX TERRAIN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. M. Biliaiev

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available The 3D numerical model was used to simulate the toxic gas dispersion over a complex terrain after an accident spillage. The model is based on the K-gradient transport model and the model of potential flow. The results of numerical experiment are presented.

  4. Complex terrain experiments in the New European Wind Atlas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mann, Jakob; Angelou, Nikolas; Arnqvist, Johan

    2017-01-01

    The New European Wind Atlas project will create a freely accessible wind atlas covering Europe and Turkey, develop the model chain to create the atlas and perform a series of experiments on flow in many different kinds of complex terrain to validate the models. This paper describes the experiment...

  5. Modeling Air-Quality in Complex Terrain Using Mesoscale and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Air-quality in a complex terrain (Colorado-River-Valley/Grand-Canyon Area, Southwest U.S.) is modeled using a higher-order closure mesoscale model and a higher-order closure dispersion model. Non-reactive tracers have been released in the Colorado-River valley, during winter and summer 1992, to study the ...

  6. Wind field and dispersion modelling in complex terrain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bartzis, J.G.; Varvayanni, M.; Catsaros, N.; Konte, K.; Amanatidis, G.

    1991-01-01

    Dispersion of airborne radioactive material can have an important environmental impact. Its prediction remains a difficult problem, especially over complex and inhomogeneous terrain, or under complicated atmospheric conditions. The ADREA-I code, a three-dimensional transport code especially designed for terrains of high complexity can be considered as contribution to the solution of the above problem. The code development has been initiated within the present CEC Radiation Program. New features are introduced into the code to describe the anomalous topography, the turbulent diffusion and numerical solution procedures. In this work besides a brief presentation of the main features of the code, a number of applications will be presented with the aim on one hand to illustrate the capability and reliability of the code and on the other hand to clarify the effects on windfield and dispersion in special cases of interest. Within the framework of ADREA-I verification studies, a I-D simulation of the experimental Wangara Day-33 mean boundary layer was attempted, reproducing the daytime wind speeds, temperatures, specific humidities and mixing depths. In order to address the effect of surface irregularities and inhomogeneities on contamination patterns, the flow field and dispersion were analyzed over a 2-D, 1000m high mountain range, surrounded by sea, with a point source assumed 40km offshore from one coastline. This terrain was studied as representing a greater Athens area idealization. The effects of a 2-D, 1000m high mountain range of Gaussian shape on long range transport has also been studied in terms of influence area, wind and concentration profile distortions and dry deposition patterns

  7. The collection of the main issues for wind farm optimisation in complex terrain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Chang; Chen, Dandan; Han, Xingxing

    2016-01-01

    The paper aims at establishing the collection of the main issues for wind farm optimisation in complex terrain. To make wind farm cost effective, this paper briefly analyses the main factors influencing wind farm design in complex terrain and sets up a series of mathematical model that includes...... micro-siting, collector circuits, access roads design for optimization problems. The paper relies on the existing one year wind data in the wind farm area and uses genetic algorithm to optimize the micro-siting problem. After optimization of the turbine layout, single-source shortest path algorithm...

  8. Simulation of Wind Farms in Flat & Complex terrain using CFD

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prospathopoulos, John; Cabezon, D.; Politis, E.S.

    2010-01-01

    , the combination of the induction factor method along with the turbulence correction provides satisfactory results. In the complex terrain case, there are some significant discrepancies with the measurements, which are discussed. In this case, the induction factor method does not provide satisfactory results....

  9. Hybrid RANS/LES method for wind flow over complex terrain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bechmann, Andreas; Sørensen, Niels N.

    2010-01-01

    for flows at high Reynolds numbers. To reduce the computational cost of traditional LES, a hybrid method is proposed in which the near-wall eddies are modelled in a Reynolds-averaged sense. Close to walls, the flow is treated with the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations (unsteady RANS...... rough walls. Previous attempts of combining RANS and LES has resulted in unphysical transition regions between the two layers, but the present work improves this region by using a stochastic backscatter model. To demonstrate the ability of the proposed hybrid method, simulations are presented for wind...... the turbulent kinetic energy, whereas the new method captures the high turbulence levels well but underestimates the mean velocity. The presented results are for a relative mild configuration of complex terrain, but the proposed method can also be used for highly complex terrain where the benefits of the new...

  10. Spectra of Velocity components over Complex Terrain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Panofsky, H. A.; Larko, D.; Lipschut, R.

    1982-01-01

    : When air moves over terrain with changed characteristics, then (1) for wavelengths very short relative to the fetch over the new terrain, the spectral densities are in equilibrium with the new terrain. (1) for wavelengths long compared to this fetch, spectral densities remain unchanged if the ground...

  11. TopoSCALE v.1.0: downscaling gridded climate data in complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiddes, J.; Gruber, S.

    2014-02-01

    Simulation of land surface processes is problematic in heterogeneous terrain due to the the high resolution required of model grids to capture strong lateral variability caused by, for example, topography, and the lack of accurate meteorological forcing data at the site or scale it is required. Gridded data products produced by atmospheric models can fill this gap, however, often not at an appropriate spatial resolution to drive land-surface simulations. In this study we describe a method that uses the well-resolved description of the atmospheric column provided by climate models, together with high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs), to downscale coarse-grid climate variables to a fine-scale subgrid. The main aim of this approach is to provide high-resolution driving data for a land-surface model (LSM). The method makes use of an interpolation of pressure-level data according to topographic height of the subgrid. An elevation and topography correction is used to downscale short-wave radiation. Long-wave radiation is downscaled by deriving a cloud-component of all-sky emissivity at grid level and using downscaled temperature and relative humidity fields to describe variability with elevation. Precipitation is downscaled with a simple non-linear lapse and optionally disaggregated using a climatology approach. We test the method in comparison with unscaled grid-level data and a set of reference methods, against a large evaluation dataset (up to 210 stations per variable) in the Swiss Alps. We demonstrate that the method can be used to derive meteorological inputs in complex terrain, with most significant improvements (with respect to reference methods) seen in variables derived from pressure levels: air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and incoming long-wave radiation. This method may be of use in improving inputs to numerical simulations in heterogeneous and/or remote terrain, especially when statistical methods are not possible, due to lack of

  12. Numerical simulation of flow over bariers in complex terrain

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bodnár, Tomáš; Beneš, L.; Kozel, Karel

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 31, 5-6 (2008), s. 619-632 ISSN 1124-1896 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR 1ET400760405 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20760514 Keywords : boundary layer * complex terrain * finite difference Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology Impact factor: 0.277, year: 2008 http://prometeo.sif.it:8080/papers/?pid=ncc9331

  13. Atmospheric stability and topography effects on wind turbine performance and wake properties in complex terrain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Han, Xingxing; Liu, Deyou; Xu, Chang

    2018-01-01

    This paper evaluates the influence of atmospheric stability and topography on wind turbine performance and wake properties in complex terrain. To assess atmospheric stability effects on wind turbine performance, an equivalent wind speed calculated with the power output and the manufacture power...... and topography have significant influences on wind turbine performance and wake properties. Considering effects of atmospheric stability and topography will benefit the wind resource assessment in complex terrain....

  14. Large-Eddy Simulations of Flows in Complex Terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosovic, B.; Lundquist, K. A.

    2011-12-01

    Large-eddy simulation as a methodology for numerical simulation of turbulent flows was first developed to study turbulent flows in atmospheric by Lilly (1967). The first LES were carried by Deardorff (1970) who used these simulations to study atmospheric boundary layers. Ever since, LES has been extensively used to study canonical atmospheric boundary layers, in most cases flat plate boundary layers under the assumption of horizontal homogeneity. Carefully designed LES of canonical convective and neutrally stratified and more recently stably stratified atmospheric boundary layers have contributed significantly to development of better understanding of these flows and their parameterizations in large scale models. These simulations were often carried out using codes specifically designed and developed for large-eddy simulations of horizontally homogeneous flows with periodic lateral boundary conditions. Recent developments in multi-scale numerical simulations of atmospheric flows enable numerical weather prediction (NWP) codes such as ARPS (Chow and Street, 2009), COAMPS (Golaz et al., 2009) and Weather Research and Forecasting model, to be used nearly seamlessly across a wide range of atmospheric scales from synoptic down to turbulent scales in atmospheric boundary layers. Before we can with confidence carry out multi-scale simulations of atmospheric flows, NWP codes must be validated for accurate performance in simulating flows over complex or inhomogeneous terrain. We therefore carry out validation of WRF-LES for simulations of flows over complex terrain using data from Askervein Hill (Taylor and Teunissen, 1985, 1987) and METCRAX (Whiteman et al., 2008) field experiments. WRF's nesting capability is employed with a one-way nested inner domain that includes complex terrain representation while the coarser outer nest is used to spin up fully developed atmospheric boundary layer turbulence and thus represent accurately inflow to the inner domain. LES of a

  15. Multi-year strategic plan for the Atmospheric Studies in Complex Terrain: ASCOT program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-06-01

    The Atmospheric Studies in Complex Terrain (ASCOT) program was developed by the Office of Health and Environmental Research of the Office of Energy Research in the Department of Energy (DOE). The program was originally designed to study atmospheric process in regions of complex terrain and the impact of energy sources on air quality in those regions. The ASCOT program has been the principal atmospheric boundary layer research program of DOE. This document contains a description of the ASCOT program's objectives over the next five years and beyond, placing them in the context of current and anticipated needs of DOE and initiatives described in the National Energy Strategy

  16. Laboratory simulations of the atmospheric mixed layer in flow over complex terrain

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — A laboratory study of the influence of complex terrain on the interface between a well-mixed boundary layer and an elevated stratified layer was conducted in the...

  17. An evaluation of WRF's ability to reproduce the surface wind over complex terrain based on typical circulation patterns.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jiménez, P.A.; Dudhia, J.; González-Rouco, J.F.; Montávez, J.P.; Garcia-Bustamante, E.; Navarro, J.; Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, J.; Munoz-Roldán, A.

    2013-01-01

    [1] The performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to reproduce the surface wind circulations over complex terrain is examined. The atmospheric evolution is simulated using two versions of the WRF model during an over 13¿year period (1992 to 2005) over a complex terrain region

  18. Optimization of wind farm micro-siting for complex terrain using greedy algorithm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, M.X.; Chen, K.; He, Z.Y.; Zhang, X.

    2014-01-01

    An optimization approach based on greedy algorithm for optimization of wind farm micro-siting is presented. The key of optimizing wind farm micro-siting is the fast and accurate evaluation of the wake flow interactions of wind turbines. The virtual particle model is employed for wake flow simulation of wind turbines, which makes the present method applicable for non-uniform flow fields on complex terrains. In previous bionic optimization method, within each step of the optimization process, only the power output of the turbine that is being located or relocated is considered. To aim at the overall power output of the wind farm comprehensively, a dependent region technique is introduced to improve the estimation of power output during the optimization procedure. With the technique, the wake flow influences can be reduced more efficiently during the optimization procedure. During the optimization process, the turbine that is being added will avoid being affected other turbines, and avoid affecting other turbine in the meantime. The results from the numerical calculations demonstrate that the present method is effective for wind farm micro-siting on complex terrain, and it produces better solutions in less time than the previous bionic method. - Highlights: • Greedy algorithm is applied to wind farm micro-siting problem. • The present method is effective for optimization on complex terrains. • Dependent region is suggested to improve the evaluation of wake influences. • The present method has better performance than the bionic method

  19. A survey of atmospheric dispersion models applicable to risk studies for nuclear facilities in complex terrain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wittek, P.

    1985-09-01

    Atmospheric dispersion models are reviewed with respect to their application to the consequence assessment within risk studies for nuclear power plants located in complex terrain. This review comprises: seven straight-line Gaussian models, which have been modified in order to take into account in a crude way terrain elevations, enhanced turbulence and some others effects; three trajectory/puff-models, which can handle wind direction changes and the resulting plume or puff trajectories; five three-dimensional wind field models, which calculate the wind field in complex terrain for the application in a grid model; three grid models; one Monte-Carlo-model. The main features of the computer codes are described, along with some informations on the necessary computer time and storage capacity. (orig.) [de

  20. Seasonal variation of wind direction fluctuations vs Pasquill stabilities in complex terrain

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Sadhuram, Y.; Murthy, K.P.R.V.

    The authors have studied the seasonal variation of sigma theta (the standard deviation of wind direction fluctuations) vs Pasquill stabilities over complex terrain. It is found that the values of sigma theta are quite high in the month of April...

  1. Validation of the simpleFoam (RANS solver for the atmospheric boundary layer in complex terrain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peralta C.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We validate the simpleFoam (RANS solver in OpenFOAM (version 2.1.1 for simulating neutral atmospheric boundary layer flows in complex terrain. Initial and boundary conditions are given using Richards and Hoxey proposal [1]. In order to obtain stable simulation of the ABL, modified wall functions are used to set the near-wall boundary conditions, following Blocken et al remedial measures [2]. A structured grid is generated with the new library terrainBlockMesher [3,4], based on OpenFOAM's blockMesh native mesher. The new tool is capable of adding orographic features and the forest canopy. Additionally, the mesh can be refined in regions with complex orography. We study both the classical benchmark case of Askervein hill [5] and the more recent Bolund island data set [6]. Our purpose is two-folded: to validate the performance of OpenFOAM steady state solvers, and the suitability of the new meshing tool to generate high quality structured meshes, which will be used in the future for performing more computationally intensive LES simulations in complex terrain.

  2. For wind turbines in complex terrain, the devil is in the detail

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lange, Julia; Mann, Jakob; Berg, Jacob

    2017-01-01

    The cost of energy produced by onshore wind turbines is among the lowest available; however, onshore wind turbines are often positioned in a complex terrain, where the wind resources and wind conditions are quite uncertain due to the surrounding topography and/or vegetation. In this study, we use...

  3. Numerical simulation of radiation fog in complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, X.; Musson-Genon, L.; Carissimo, B.; Dupont, E.

    2009-09-01

    The interest for micro-scale modeling of the atmosphere is growing for environmental applications related, for example, to energy production, transport and urban development. The turbulence in the stable layers where pollutant dispersion is low and can lead to strong pollution events. This could be further complicated by the presence of clouds or fog and is specifically difficult in urban or industrial area due to the presence of buildings. In this context, radiation fog formation and dissipation over complex terrain were therefore investigated with a state-of-the-art model. This study is divided into two phases. The first phase is a pilot stage, which consist of employing a database from the ParisFog campaign which took place in the south of Paris during winter 2006-07 to assess the ability of the cloud model to reproduce the detailed structure of radiation fog. The second phase use the validated model for the study of influence of complex terrain on fog evolution. Special attention is given to the detailed and complete simulations and validation technique used is to compare the simulated results using the 3D cloud model of computational fluid dynamical software Code_Saturne with one of the best collected in situ data during the ParisFog campaign. Several dynamical, microphysical parameterizations and simulation conditions have been described. The resulting 3D cloud model runs at a horizontal resolution of 30 m and a vertical resolution comparable to the 1D model. First results look very promising and are able to reproduce the spatial distribution of fog. The analysis of the behavior of the different parameterized physical processes suggests that the subtle balance between the various processes is achieved.

  4. Comparison of Different Measurement Techniques and a CFD Simulation in Complex Terrain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schulz, Christoph; Lutz, Thorsten; Hofsäß, Martin; Anger, Jan; Wen Cheng, Po; Rautenberg, Alexander; Bange, Jens

    2016-01-01

    This paper deals with a comparison of data collected by measurements and a simulation for a complex terrain test site in southern Germany. Lidar, met mast, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) measurements of wind speed and direction and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) data are compared to each other. The site is characterised regarding its flow features and the suitability for a wind turbine test field. A Delayed-Detached-Eddy- Simulation (DES) was employed using measurement data to generate generic turbulent inflow. A good agreement of the wind profiles between the different approaches was reached. The terrain slope leads to a speed-up, a change of turbulence intensity as well as to flow angle variations. (paper)

  5. Body shape helps legged robots climb and turn in complex 3-D terrains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Yuanfeng; Wang, Zheliang; Li, Chen

    Analogous to streamlined shapes that reduce drag in fluids, insects' ellipsoid-like rounded body shapes were recently discovered to be ``terradynamically streamlined'' and enhance locomotion in cluttered terrain by facilitating body rolling. Here, we hypothesize that there exist more terradynamic shapes that facilitate other modes of locomotion like climbing and turning in complex 3-D terrains by facilitating body pitching and yawing. To test our hypothesis, we modified the body shape of a legged robot by adding an elliptical and a rectangular shell and tested how it negotiated with circular and square vertical pillars. With a rectangular shell the robot always pitched against square pillars in an attempt to climb, whereas with an elliptical shell it always yawed and turned away from circular pillars given a small initial lateral displacement. Square / circular pillars facilitated pitching / yawing, respectively. To begin to reveal the contact physics, we developed a locomotion energy landscape model. Our model revealed that potential energy barriers to transition from pitching to yawing are high for angular locomotor and obstacle shapes (rectangular / square) but vanish for rounded shapes (elliptical / circular). Our study supports the plausibility of locomotion energy landscapes for understanding the rich locomotor transitions in complex 3-D terrains.

  6. Preliminary results from the Los Alamos TA54 complex terrain Atmospheric Transport Study (ATS)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vold, E.; Chan, M.; Sanders, L.

    1995-09-01

    The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) disposal site at TA54, Area G la located on a mesa top amidst a complex terrain of finger like mesas typically 30 motors or more In height above canyons of widths varying from 100 to 300 motors. Atmospheric dispersion from this site is of concern for routine operations and for potential Incidents during waste retrieval operations. Indian lands are located In the dominant downwind direction within 500 m from the site and provide further incentive to understand the potential and actual impacts of waste disposal operations. The permanent network of meteorological towers at LANL have been located primarily at mesa-top locations to coincide with most laboratory facilities and as such do not resolve the effects of channeling in the canyons and the influence this has on potential surface releases. An Atmospheric Transport Study (ATS) was initiated to better understand the wind flow fields and dispersion from the LANL Waste Storage and Disposal facilities at TA-54, Area G. As part of this effort, a series of six portable meteorological towers were sited in the vicinity of Area G, two at mesa top locations, one just east of the site where the mesas have dissipated to mild ridges, and three in the canyons adjacent to the disposal site mesa as indicated on the topographic representation of the local terrain. Since 1994, the towers have collected horizontal wind velocities, pressure, temperature, relative humidity and a radiation gamma reading every fifteen minutes. The data bass is being analyzed for trends and to provide a basis for comparison to computational modeling efforts to predict the flow fields.

  7. Preliminary results from the Los Alamos TA54 complex terrain Atmospheric Transport Study (ATS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vold, E.; Chan, M.; Sanders, L.

    1995-01-01

    The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) disposal site at TA54, Area G la located on a mesa top amidst a complex terrain of finger like mesas typically 30 motors or more In height above canyons of widths varying from 100 to 300 motors. Atmospheric dispersion from this site is of concern for routine operations and for potential Incidents during waste retrieval operations. Indian lands are located In the dominant downwind direction within 500 m from the site and provide further incentive to understand the potential and actual impacts of waste disposal operations. The permanent network of meteorological towers at LANL have been located primarily at mesa-top locations to coincide with most laboratory facilities and as such do not resolve the effects of channeling in the canyons and the influence this has on potential surface releases. An Atmospheric Transport Study (ATS) was initiated to better understand the wind flow fields and dispersion from the LANL Waste Storage and Disposal facilities at TA-54, Area G. As part of this effort, a series of six portable meteorological towers were sited in the vicinity of Area G, two at mesa top locations, one just east of the site where the mesas have dissipated to mild ridges, and three in the canyons adjacent to the disposal site mesa as indicated on the topographic representation of the local terrain. Since 1994, the towers have collected horizontal wind velocities, pressure, temperature, relative humidity and a radiation gamma reading every fifteen minutes. The data bass is being analyzed for trends and to provide a basis for comparison to computational modeling efforts to predict the flow fields

  8. Atmospheric dispersion experiments over complex terrain in a spanish valley site (Guardo-90)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ibarra, J.I.

    1991-01-01

    An intensive field experimental campaign was conducted in Spain to quantify atmospheric diffusion within a deep, steep-walled valley in rough, mountainous terrain. The program has been sponsored by the spanish companies of electricity and is intended to validate existing plume models and to provide the scientific basis for future model development. The atmospheric dispersion and transport processes in a 40x40 km domain were studied in order to evaluate SO 2 and SF 6 releases from an existing 185 m chimney and ground level sources in a complex terrain valley site. Emphasis was placed on the local mesoscale flows and light wind stable conditions. Although the measuring program was intensified during daytime for dual tracking of SO 2 /SF 6 from an elevated source, nighttime experiments were conducted for mountain-valley flows characterization. Two principle objectives were pursued: impaction of plumes upon elevated terrain, and diffusion of gases within the valley versus diffusion over flat, open terrain. Artificial smoke flows visualizations provided qualitative information: quantitative diffusion measurements were obtained using sulfur hexafluoride gas with analysis by highly sensitive electron capture gas chromatographs systems. Fourteen 2 hours gaseous tracer releases were conducted

  9. Basic Approaches of Complex Interaction DrumTerrain for Vibratory Compaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gigel Florin Capatana

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the author tries to use a new method to evaluate and analyze the interaction between roller and terrain. The analysis is rheological approached, with a predominantly dynamic behaviour, so as to reveal the compatibility of the working body performances with the characteristics of the terrain. The basic idea shows that it must be assured the energy transfer maximization in the interaction between the two components of the system. The model must have permanent and continuous adjustments of the material characteristics so it can be evaluated the technological capability. The fulfilling of these objectives will be provided by using a complex model with both distributed and concentrated elements which can have rheology of elastic, dissipative and plastic types. The first conclusions of the presented study goes to the idea that the harmonization of the basic parameters of the model with the experimental values can lead to structural and functional optimizations of the entire technological system.

  10. A large-eddy simulation based power estimation capability for wind farms over complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senocak, I.; Sandusky, M.; Deleon, R.

    2017-12-01

    There has been an increasing interest in predicting wind fields over complex terrain at the micro-scale for resource assessment, turbine siting, and power forecasting. These capabilities are made possible by advancements in computational speed from a new generation of computing hardware, numerical methods and physics modelling. The micro-scale wind prediction model presented in this work is based on the large-eddy simulation paradigm with surface-stress parameterization. The complex terrain is represented using an immersed-boundary method that takes into account the parameterization of the surface stresses. Governing equations of incompressible fluid flow are solved using a projection method with second-order accurate schemes in space and time. We use actuator disk models with rotation to simulate the influence of turbines on the wind field. Data regarding power production from individual turbines are mostly restricted because of proprietary nature of the wind energy business. Most studies report percentage drop of power relative to power from the first row. There have been different approaches to predict power production. Some studies simply report available wind power in the upstream, some studies estimate power production using power curves available from turbine manufacturers, and some studies estimate power as torque multiplied by rotational speed. In the present work, we propose a black-box approach that considers a control volume around a turbine and estimate the power extracted from the turbine based on the conservation of energy principle. We applied our wind power prediction capability to wind farms over flat terrain such as the wind farm over Mower County, Minnesota and the Horns Rev offshore wind farm in Denmark. The results from these simulations are in good agreement with published data. We also estimate power production from a hypothetical wind farm in complex terrain region and identify potential zones suitable for wind power production.

  11. Retrievals of Surface Air Temperature Using Multiple Satellite Data Combinations over Complex Terrain in the Korean Peninsula

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, K.; Won, M.; Yoon, S.; Lim, J.

    2016-12-01

    Surface air temperature (Tair) is a fundamental factor for terrestrial environments and plays a major role in the fields of applied meteorology, climatology, and ecology. The satellite remotely sensed data offers the opportunity to estimate Tair on the earth's surface with high spatial and temporal resolutions. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provides effective Tair retrievals although restricted to clear sky condition. MODIS Tair over complex terrain can result in significant retrieval errors due to the retrieval height mismatch to the elevation of local weather stations. In this study, we propose the methodology to estimate Tair over complex terrain for all sky conditions using multiple satellite data fusion based on the pixel-wise regression method. The combination of synergistic information from MODIS Tair and the brightness temperature (Tb) retrievals at 37 GHz frequency from the satellite microwave sensor were used for analysis. The air temperature lapse rate was applied to estimate the near-surface Tair considering the complex terrain such as mountainous regions. The retrieval results produced from this study showed a good agreement (RMSE Administration (KMA). The gaps in the MODIS Tair data due to cloud contamination were successfully filled using the proposed method which yielded similar accuracy as retrievals of clear sky. The results of this study indicate that the satellite data fusion can continuously produce Tair retrievals with reasonable accuracy and that the application of the temperature lapse rate can lead to improvement of the reliability over complex terrains such as the Korean Peninsula.

  12. Some atmospheric tracer experiments in complex terrain at LASL: experimental design and data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Archuleta, J.; Barr, S.; Clements, W.E.; Gedayloo, T.; Wilson, S.K.

    1978-03-01

    Two series of atmospheric tracer experiments were conducted in complex terrain situations in and around the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. Fluorescent particle tracers were used to investigate nighttime drainage flow in Los Alamos Canyon and daytime flow across the local canyon-mesa complex. This report describes the details of these experiments and presents a summary of the data collected. A subsequent report will discuss the analysis of these data

  13. Ensemble Sensitivity Analysis of a Severe Downslope Windstorm in Complex Terrain: Implications for Forecast Predictability Scales and Targeted Observing Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-09-01

    observations, linear regression finds the straight line that explains the linear relationship of the sample. This line is given by the equation y = mx + b...SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF A SEVERE DOWNSLOPE WINDSTORM IN COMPLEX TERRAIN: IMPLICATIONS FOR FORECAST PREDICTABILITY SCALES AND TARGETED OBSERVING...SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF A SEVERE DOWNSLOPE WINDSTORM IN COMPLEX TERRAIN: IMPLICATIONS FOR FORECAST PREDICTABILITY SCALES AND TARGETED OBSERVING NETWORKS

  14. Comparison of MODIS and SWAT evapotranspiration over a complex terrain at different spatial scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abiodun, Olanrewaju O.; Guan, Huade; Post, Vincent E. A.; Batelaan, Okke

    2018-05-01

    In most hydrological systems, evapotranspiration (ET) and precipitation are the largest components of the water balance, which are difficult to estimate, particularly over complex terrain. In recent decades, the advent of remotely sensed data based ET algorithms and distributed hydrological models has provided improved spatially upscaled ET estimates. However, information on the performance of these methods at various spatial scales is limited. This study compares the ET from the MODIS remotely sensed ET dataset (MOD16) with the ET estimates from a SWAT hydrological model on graduated spatial scales for the complex terrain of the Sixth Creek Catchment of the Western Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia. ET from both models was further compared with the coarser-resolution AWRA-L model at catchment scale. The SWAT model analyses are performed on daily timescales with a 6-year calibration period (2000-2005) and 7-year validation period (2007-2013). Differences in ET estimation between the SWAT and MOD16 methods of up to 31, 19, 15, 11 and 9 % were observed at respectively 1, 4, 9, 16 and 25 km2 spatial resolutions. Based on the results of the study, a spatial scale of confidence of 4 km2 for catchment-scale evapotranspiration is suggested in complex terrain. Land cover differences, HRU parameterisation in AWRA-L and catchment-scale averaging of input climate data in the SWAT semi-distributed model were identified as the principal sources of weaker correlations at higher spatial resolution.

  15. For wind turbines in complex terrain, the devil is in the detail

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lange, Julia; Mann, Jakob; Berg, Jacob; Parvu, Dan; Kilpatrick, Ryan; Costache, Adrian; Chowdhury, Jubayer; Siddiqui, Kamran; Hangan, Horia

    2017-09-01

    The cost of energy produced by onshore wind turbines is among the lowest available; however, onshore wind turbines are often positioned in a complex terrain, where the wind resources and wind conditions are quite uncertain due to the surrounding topography and/or vegetation. In this study, we use a scale model in a three-dimensional wind-testing chamber to show how minor changes in the terrain can result in significant differences in the flow at turbine height. These differences affect not only the power performance but also the life-time and maintenance costs of wind turbines, and hence, the economy and feasibility of wind turbine projects. We find that the mean wind, wind shear and turbulence level are extremely sensitive to the exact details of the terrain: a small modification of the edge of our scale model, results in a reduction of the estimated annual energy production by at least 50% and an increase in the turbulence level by a factor of five in the worst-case scenario with the most unfavorable wind direction. Wind farm developers should be aware that near escarpments destructive flows can occur and their extent is uncertain thus warranting on-site field measurements.

  16. Declarative Terrain Modeling for Military Training Games

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruben M. Smelik

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Military training instructors increasingly often employ computer games to train soldiers in all sorts of skills and tactics. One of the difficulties instructors face when using games as a training tool is the creation of suitable content, including scenarios, entities, and corresponding terrain models. Terrain plays a key role in many military training games, as for example, in our case game Tactical Air Defense. However, current manual terrain editors are both too complex and too time-consuming to be useful for instructors; automatic terrain generation methods show a lot of potential, but still lack user control and intuitive editing capabilities. We present a novel way for instructors to model terrain for their training games: instead of constructing a terrain model using complex modeling tools, instructors can declare the required properties of their terrain using an advanced sketching interface. Our framework integrates terrain generation methods and manages dependencies between terrain features in order to automatically create a complete 3D terrain model that matches the sketch. With our framework, instructors can easily design a large variety of terrain models that meet their training requirements.

  17. Comparison of MODIS and SWAT evapotranspiration over a complex terrain at different spatial scales

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. O. Abiodun

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available In most hydrological systems, evapotranspiration (ET and precipitation are the largest components of the water balance, which are difficult to estimate, particularly over complex terrain. In recent decades, the advent of remotely sensed data based ET algorithms and distributed hydrological models has provided improved spatially upscaled ET estimates. However, information on the performance of these methods at various spatial scales is limited. This study compares the ET from the MODIS remotely sensed ET dataset (MOD16 with the ET estimates from a SWAT hydrological model on graduated spatial scales for the complex terrain of the Sixth Creek Catchment of the Western Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia. ET from both models was further compared with the coarser-resolution AWRA-L model at catchment scale. The SWAT model analyses are performed on daily timescales with a 6-year calibration period (2000–2005 and 7-year validation period (2007–2013. Differences in ET estimation between the SWAT and MOD16 methods of up to 31, 19, 15, 11 and 9 % were observed at respectively 1, 4, 9, 16 and 25 km2 spatial resolutions. Based on the results of the study, a spatial scale of confidence of 4 km2 for catchment-scale evapotranspiration is suggested in complex terrain. Land cover differences, HRU parameterisation in AWRA-L and catchment-scale averaging of input climate data in the SWAT semi-distributed model were identified as the principal sources of weaker correlations at higher spatial resolution.

  18. Some simple improvements to an emergency response model for use in complex coastal terrain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, N.L.

    1992-06-01

    The MACHWIND model (Meyers 1989) is one of a group of models used to compute regional wind fields from tower wind data and/or vertical wind profiles. The wind fields are in turn used to calculate atmospheric diffusion, to guide emergency responses. MACHWIND has performed acceptably in uniform terrain under steady, well mixed conditions. However, extension of the model to more complex situations is problematic. In coastal, hilly terrain like that near Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in southern California, calculations of the wind field can be enhanced significantly by several modifications to the original code. This report highlights the structure of MACHWIND and details the enhancements that were implemented

  19. Simulation of tracer dispersion from elevated and surface releases in complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández, J. F.; Cremades, L.; Baldasano, J. M.

    A new version of an advanced mesoscale dispersion modeling system for simulating passive air pollutant dispersion in the real atmospheric planetary boundary layer (PBL), is presented. The system comprises a diagnostic mass-consistent meteorological model and a Lagrangian particle dispersion model (LADISMO). The former version of LADISMO, developed according to Zannetti (Air pollution modelling, 1990), was based on the Monte Carlo technique and included calculation of higher-order moments of vertical random forcing for convective conditions. Its ability to simulate complex flow dispersion has been stated in a previous paper (Hernández et al. 1995, Atmospheric Environment, 29A, 1331-1341). The new version follows Thomson's scheme (1984, Q. Jl Roy. Met. Soc.110, 1107-1120). It is also based on Langevin equation and follows the ideas given by Brusasca et al. (1992, Atmospheric Environment26A, 707-723) and Anfossi et al. (1992, Nuovo Cemento 15c, 139-158). The model is used to simulate the dispersion and predict the ground level concentration (g.l.c.) of a tracer (SF 6) released from both an elevated source ( case a) and a ground level source ( case b) in a highly complex mountainous terrain during neutral and synoptically dominated conditions ( case a) and light and apparently stable conditions ( case b). The last case is considered as being a specially difficult task to simulate. In fact, few works have reported situations with valley drainage flows in complex terrains and real stable atmospheric conditions with weak winds. The model assumes that nearly calm situations associated to strong stability and air stagnation, make the lowest layers of PBL poorly diffusive (Brusasca et al., 1992, Atmospheric Environment26A, 707-723). Model results are verified against experimental data from Guardo-90 tracer experiments, an intensive field campaign conducted in the Carrion river valley (Northern Spain) to study atmospheric diffusion within a steep walled valley in mountainous

  20. Conically scanning lidar error in complex terrain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ferhat Bingöl

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Conically scanning lidars assume the flow to be homogeneous in order to deduce the horizontal wind speed. However, in mountainous or complex terrain this assumption is not valid implying a risk that the lidar will derive an erroneous wind speed. The magnitude of this error is measured by collocating a meteorological mast and a lidar at two Greek sites, one hilly and one mountainous. The maximum error for the sites investigated is of the order of 10 %. In order to predict the error for various wind directions the flows at both sites are simulated with the linearized flow model, WAsP Engineering 2.0. The measurement data are compared with the model predictions with good results for the hilly site, but with less success at the mountainous site. This is a deficiency of the flow model, but the methods presented in this paper can be used with any flow model.

  1. Wind Ressources in Complex Terrain investigated with Synchronized Lidar Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mann, J.; Menke, R.; Vasiljevic, N.

    2017-12-01

    The Perdigao experiment was performed by a number of European and American universities in Portugal 2017, and it is probably the largest field campaign focussing on wind energy ressources in complex terrain ever conducted. 186 sonic anemometers on 50 masts, 20 scanning wind lidars and a host of other instruments were deployed. The experiment is a part of an effort to make a new European wind atlas. In this presentation we investigate whether scanning the wind speed over ridges in this complex terrain with multiple Doppler lidars can lead to an efficient mapping of the wind resources at relevant positions. We do that by having pairs of Doppler lidars scanning 80 m above the ridges in Perdigao. We compare wind resources obtained from the lidars and from the mast-mounted sonic anemometers at 80 m on two 100 m masts, one on each of the two ridges. In addition, the scanning lidar measurements are also compared to profiling lidars on the ridges. We take into account the fact that the profiling lidars may be biased due to the curvature of the streamlines over the instrument, see Bingol et al, Meteorolog. Z. vol. 18, pp. 189-195 (2009). We also investigate the impact of interruptions of the lidar measurements on the estimated wind resource. We calculate the relative differences of wind along the ridge from the lidar measurements and compare those to the same obtained from various micro-scale models. A particular subject investigated is how stability affects the wind resources. We often observe internal gravity waves with the scanning lidars during the night and we quantify how these affect the relative wind speed on the ridges.

  2. Study of integrated optimization design of wind farm in complex terrain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Chang; Chen, Dandan; Han, Xingxing

    2017-01-01

    wind farm design in complex terrain and setting up integrated optimization mathematical model for micro-site selection, power lines and road maintenance design etc.. Based on the existing 1-year wind measurement data in the wind farm area, the genetic algorithm was used to optimize the micro......-site selection. On the basis of location optimization of wind turbine, the optimization algorithms such as single-source shortest path algorithm and minimum spanning tree algorithm were used to optimize electric lines and maintenance roads. The practice shows that the research results can provide important...

  3. Recent developments and assessment of a three-dimensional PBL parameterization for improved wind forecasting over complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosovic, B.; Jimenez, P. A.; Haupt, S. E.; Martilli, A.; Olson, J.; Bao, J. W.

    2017-12-01

    At present, the planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterizations available in most numerical weather prediction (NWP) models are one-dimensional. One-dimensional parameterizations are based on the assumption of horizontal homogeneity. This homogeneity assumption is appropriate for grid cell sizes greater than 10 km. However, for mesoscale simulations of flows in complex terrain with grid cell sizes below 1 km, the assumption of horizontal homogeneity is violated. Applying a one-dimensional PBL parameterization to high-resolution mesoscale simulations in complex terrain could result in significant error. For high-resolution mesoscale simulations of flows in complex terrain, we have therefore developed and implemented a three-dimensional (3D) PBL parameterization in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The implementation of the 3D PBL scheme is based on the developments outlined by Mellor and Yamada (1974, 1982). Our implementation in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model uses a pure algebraic model (level 2) to diagnose the turbulent fluxes. To evaluate the performance of the 3D PBL model, we use observations from the Wind Forecast Improvement Project 2 (WFIP2). The WFIP2 field study took place in the Columbia River Gorge area from 2015-2017. We focus on selected cases when physical phenomena of significance for wind energy applications such as mountain waves, topographic wakes, and gap flows were observed. Our assessment of the 3D PBL parameterization also considers a large-eddy simulation (LES). We carried out a nested LES with grid cell sizes of 30 m and 10 m covering a large fraction of the WFIP2 study area. Both LES domains were discretized using 6000 x 3000 x 200 grid cells in zonal, meridional, and vertical direction, respectively. The LES results are used to assess the relative magnitude of horizontal gradients of turbulent stresses and fluxes in comparison to vertical gradients. The presentation will highlight the advantages of the 3

  4. Explicit validation of a surface shortwave radiation balance model over snow-covered complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helbig, N.; Löwe, H.; Mayer, B.; Lehning, M.

    2010-09-01

    A model that computes the surface radiation balance for all sky conditions in complex terrain is presented. The spatial distribution of direct and diffuse sky radiation is determined from observations of incident global radiation, air temperature, and relative humidity at a single measurement location. Incident radiation under cloudless sky is spatially derived from a parameterization of the atmospheric transmittance. Direct and diffuse sky radiation for all sky conditions are obtained by decomposing the measured global radiation value. Spatial incident radiation values under all atmospheric conditions are computed by adjusting the spatial radiation values obtained from the parametric model with the radiation components obtained from the decomposition model at the measurement site. Topographic influences such as shading are accounted for. The radiosity approach is used to compute anisotropic terrain reflected radiation. Validations of the shortwave radiation balance model are presented in detail for a day with cloudless sky. For a day with overcast sky a first validation is presented. Validation of a section of the horizon line as well as of individual radiation components is performed with high-quality measurements. A new measurement setup was designed to determine terrain reflected radiation. There is good agreement between the measurements and the modeled terrain reflected radiation values as well as with incident radiation values. A comparison of the model with a fully three-dimensional radiative transfer Monte Carlo model is presented. That validation reveals a good agreement between modeled radiation values.

  5. Linking aboveground net primary productivity to soil carbon and dissolved organic carbon in complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    F.S. Peterson; K. Lajtha

    2013-01-01

    Factors influencing soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content in complex terrain, where vegetation, climate, and topography vary over the scale of a few meters, are not well understood. We examined the spatial correlations of lidar and geographic information system-derived landscape topography, empirically measured soil...

  6. Topoclimate effects on growing season length and montane conifer growth in complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnard, D. M.; Barnard, H. R.; Molotch, N. P.

    2017-05-01

    Spatial variability in the topoclimate-driven linkage between forest phenology and tree growth in complex terrain is poorly understood, limiting our understanding of how ecosystems function as a whole. To characterize the influence of topoclimate on phenology and growth, we determined the start, end, and length of the growing season (GSstart, GSend, and GSL, respectively) using the correlation between transpiration and evaporative demand, measured with sapflow. We then compared these metrics with stem relative basal area increment (relative BAI) at seven sites among elevation and aspects in a Colorado montane forest. As elevation increased, we found shorter GSL (-50 d km-1) due to later GSstart (40 d km-1) and earlier GSend (-10 d km-1). North-facing sites had a 21 d shorter GSL than south-facing sites at similar elevations (i.e. equal to 200 m elevation difference on a given aspect). Growing season length was positively correlated with relative BAI, explaining 83% of the variance. This study shows that topography exerts strong environmental controls on GSL and thus forest growth. Given the climate-related dependencies of these controls, the results presented here have important implications for ecosystem responses to changes in climate and highlight the need for improved phenology representation in complex terrain.

  7. Simulations of Turbulent Flow Over Complex Terrain Using an Immersed-Boundary Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeLeon, Rey; Sandusky, Micah; Senocak, Inanc

    2018-02-01

    We present an immersed-boundary method to simulate high-Reynolds-number turbulent flow over the complex terrain of Askervein and Bolund Hills under neutrally-stratified conditions. We reconstruct both the velocity and the eddy-viscosity fields in the terrain-normal direction to produce turbulent stresses as would be expected from the application of a surface-parametrization scheme based on Monin-Obukhov similarity theory. We find that it is essential to be consistent in the underlying assumptions for the velocity reconstruction and the eddy-viscosity relation to produce good results. To this end, we reconstruct the tangential component of the velocity field using a logarithmic velocity profile and adopt the mixing-length model in the near-surface turbulence model. We use a linear interpolation to reconstruct the normal component of the velocity to enforce the impermeability condition. Our approach works well for both the Askervein and Bolund Hills when the flow is attached to the surface, but shows slight disagreement in regions of flow recirculation, despite capturing the flow reversal.

  8. Simulations of Turbulent Flow Over Complex Terrain Using an Immersed-Boundary Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeLeon, Rey; Sandusky, Micah; Senocak, Inanc

    2018-06-01

    We present an immersed-boundary method to simulate high-Reynolds-number turbulent flow over the complex terrain of Askervein and Bolund Hills under neutrally-stratified conditions. We reconstruct both the velocity and the eddy-viscosity fields in the terrain-normal direction to produce turbulent stresses as would be expected from the application of a surface-parametrization scheme based on Monin-Obukhov similarity theory. We find that it is essential to be consistent in the underlying assumptions for the velocity reconstruction and the eddy-viscosity relation to produce good results. To this end, we reconstruct the tangential component of the velocity field using a logarithmic velocity profile and adopt the mixing-length model in the near-surface turbulence model. We use a linear interpolation to reconstruct the normal component of the velocity to enforce the impermeability condition. Our approach works well for both the Askervein and Bolund Hills when the flow is attached to the surface, but shows slight disagreement in regions of flow recirculation, despite capturing the flow reversal.

  9. Soil Temperature Variability in Complex Terrain measured using Distributed a Fiber-Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seyfried, M. S.; Link, T. E.

    2013-12-01

    Soil temperature (Ts) exerts critical environmental controls on hydrologic and biogeochemical processes. Rates of carbon cycling, mineral weathering, infiltration and snow melt are all influenced by Ts. Although broadly reflective of the climate, Ts is sensitive to local variations in cover (vegetative, litter, snow), topography (slope, aspect, position), and soil properties (texture, water content), resulting in a spatially and temporally complex distribution of Ts across the landscape. Understanding and quantifying the processes controlled by Ts requires an understanding of that distribution. Relatively few spatially distributed field Ts data exist, partly because traditional Ts data are point measurements. A relatively new technology, fiber optic distributed temperature system (FO-DTS), has the potential to provide such data but has not been rigorously evaluated in the context of remote, long term field research. We installed FO-DTS in a small experimental watershed in the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed (RCEW) in the Owyhee Mountains of SW Idaho. The watershed is characterized by complex terrain and a seasonal snow cover. Our objectives are to: (i) evaluate the applicability of fiber optic DTS to remote field environments and (ii) to describe the spatial and temporal variability of soil temperature in complex terrain influenced by a variable snow cover. We installed fiber optic cable at a depth of 10 cm in contrasting snow accumulation and topographic environments and monitored temperature along 750 m with DTS. We found that the DTS can provide accurate Ts data (+/- .4°C) that resolves Ts changes of about 0.03°C at a spatial scale of 1 m with occasional calibration under conditions with an ambient temperature range of 50°C. We note that there are site-specific limitations related cable installation and destruction by local fauna. The FO-DTS provide unique insight into the spatial and temporal variability of Ts in a landscape. We found strong seasonal

  10. Objective high Resolution Analysis over Complex Terrain with VERA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayer, D.; Steinacker, R.; Steiner, A.

    2012-04-01

    VERA (Vienna Enhanced Resolution Analysis) is a model independent, high resolution objective analysis of meteorological fields over complex terrain. This system consists of a special developed quality control procedure and a combination of an interpolation and a downscaling technique. Whereas the so called VERA-QC is presented at this conference in the contribution titled "VERA-QC, an approved Data Quality Control based on Self-Consistency" by Andrea Steiner, this presentation will focus on the method and the characteristics of the VERA interpolation scheme which enables one to compute grid point values of a meteorological field based on irregularly distributed observations and topography related aprior knowledge. Over a complex topography meteorological fields are not smooth in general. The roughness which is induced by the topography can be explained physically. The knowledge about this behavior is used to define the so called Fingerprints (e.g. a thermal Fingerprint reproducing heating or cooling over mountainous terrain or a dynamical Fingerprint reproducing positive pressure perturbation on the windward side of a ridge) under idealized conditions. If the VERA algorithm recognizes patterns of one or more Fingerprints at a few observation points, the corresponding patterns are used to downscale the meteorological information in a greater surrounding. This technique allows to achieve an analysis with a resolution much higher than the one of the observational network. The interpolation of irregularly distributed stations to a regular grid (in space and time) is based on a variational principle applied to first and second order spatial and temporal derivatives. Mathematically, this can be formulated as a cost function that is equivalent to the penalty function of a thin plate smoothing spline. After the analysis field has been divided into the Fingerprint components and the unexplained part respectively, the requirement of a smooth distribution is applied to the

  11. Studies on numerical site calibration over complex terrain for wind turbines

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Daisuke; MATSUSHITA; Hikaru; MATSUMIYA; Yoshinori; HARA; Satoshi; WATANABE; Akinori; FURUKAWA

    2010-01-01

    The estimation of wind turbine performance over complex terrain is very difficult because of the document of standard IEC61400-12 is adapted for flat or slightly complex topography.And the cost of constructing a meteorological mast is higher with scaling wind turbine up.We have proposed a numerical site calibration(NSC) technique in order to estimate the inflow velocity at the position of wind turbine by using CFD tool to calculate the flow field around the site.The present paper shows the problems for the procedure of NSC in which a commercial nonlinear CFD tool and the improvement method are used to gain a more accurate result.It is clarified that the wind turbine performance which is estimated by using the wind speed on the meteorological mast has a good result for annual energy production.

  12. Numerical simulation of the aerodynamic field in complex terrain wind farm based on actuator disk model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Chang; Li, Chen Qi; Han, Xing Xing

    2015-01-01

    Study on the aerodynamic field in complex terrain is significant to wind farm micro-sitting and wind power prediction. This paper modeled the wind turbine through an actuator disk model, and solved the aerodynamic field by CFD to study the influence of meshing, boundary conditions and turbulence ...

  13. Using a Budyko Derived Index to Evaluate the Internal Hydrological Variability of Catchments in Complex Terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dominguez, M.

    2017-12-01

    Headwater catchments in complex terrain typically exhibit significant variations in microclimatic conditions across slopes. This microclimatic variability in turn, modifies land surface properties presumably altering the hydrologic dynamics of these catchments. The extent to which differences in microclimate and land cover dictate the partition of water and energy fluxes within a catchment is still poorly understood. In this study, we attempt to do an assessment of the effects of aspect, elevation and latitude (which are the principal factors that define microclimate conditions) on the hydrologic behavior of the hillslopes within catchments with complex terrain. Using a distributed hydrologic model on a number of catchments at different latitudes, where data is available for calibration and validation, we estimate the different components of the water balance to obtain the aridity index (AI = PET/P) and the evaporative index (EI = AET/P) of each slope for a number of years. We use Budyko's curve as a framework to characterize the inter-annual variability in the hydrologic response of the hillslopes in the studied catchments, developing a hydrologic sensitivity index (HSi) based on the relative change in Budyko's curve components (HSi=ΔAI/ΔEI). With this method, when the HSi values of a given hillslope are larger than 1 the hydrologic behavior of that part of the catchment is considered sensitive to changes in climatic conditions, while values approaching 0 would indicate the opposite. We use this approach as a diagnostic tool to discern the effect of aspect, elevation, and latitude on the hydrologic regime of the slopes in complex terrain catchments and to try to explain observed patterns of land cover conditions on these types of catchments.

  14. Snow cover dynamics and water balance in complex high alpine terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warscher, Michael; Kraller, Gabriele; Kunstmann, Harald; Strasser, Ulrich; Franz, Helmut

    2010-05-01

    The water balance in high alpine regions in its full complexity is so far insufficiently understood. High altitudinal gradients, a strong variability of meteorological variables in time and space, complex hydrogeological situations, unquantified lateral snow transport processes and heterogenous snow cover dynamics result in high uncertainties in the quantification of the water balance. To achieve interpretable modeling results we have complemented the deterministic hydrological model WaSiM-ETH with the high-alpine specific snow model AMUNDSEN. The integration of the new snow module was done to improve the modeling of water fluxes influenced by the dynamics of the snow cover, which greatly affect the water cycle in high alpine regions. To enhance the reproduction of snow deposition and ablation processes, the new approach calculates the energy balance of the snow cover considering the terrain-dependent radiation fluxes, the interaction between tree canopy and snow cover as well as lateral snow transport processes. The test site for our study is the Berchtesgaden National Park which is characterized by an extreme topography with mountain ranges covering an altitude from 607 to 2713 m.a.s.l. About one quarter of the investigated catchment area, which comprises 433 km² in total, is terrain steeper than 35°. Due to water soluble limestone being predominant in the region, a high number of subsurface water pathways (karst) exist. The results of several tracer experiments and extensive data of spring observations provide additional information to meet the challenge of modeling the unknown subsurface pathways and the complex groundwater system of the region. The validation of the new snow module is based on a dense network of meteorological stations which have been adapted to measure physical properties of the snow cover like snow water equivalent and liquid water content. We will present first results which show that the integration of the new snow module generates a

  15. Numerical simulations of windblown dust over complex terrain: the Fiambalá Basin episode in June 2015

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. A. Mingari

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available On 13 June 2015, the London Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC warned the Buenos Aires VAAC about a possible volcanic eruption from the Nevados Ojos del Salado volcano (6879 m, located in the Andes mountain range on the border between Chile and Argentina. A volcanic ash cloud was detected by the SEVIRI instrument on board the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG satellites from 14:00 UTC on 13 June. In this paper, we provide the first comprehensive description of this event through observations and numerical simulations. Our results support the hypothesis that the phenomenon was caused by wind remobilization of ancient pyroclastic deposits (ca. 4.5 ka Cerro Blanco eruption from the Bolsón de Fiambalá (Fiambalá Basin in northwestern Argentina. We have investigated the spatiotemporal distribution of aerosols and the emission process over complex terrain to gain insight into the key role played by the orography and the condition that triggered the long-range transport episode. Numerical simulations of windblown dust were performed using the ARW (Advanced Research WRF core of the WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF-ARW and FALL3D modeling system with meteorological fields downscaled to a spatial resolution of 2 km in order to resolve the complex orography of the area. Results indicate that favorable conditions to generate dust uplifting occurred in northern Fiambalá Basin, where orographic effects caused strong surface winds. According to short-range numerical simulations, dust particles were confined to near-ground layers around the emission areas. In contrast, dust aerosols were injected up to 5–6 km high in central and southern regions of the Fiambalá Basin, where intense ascending airflows are driven by horizontal convergence. Long-range transport numerical simulations were also performed to model the dust cloud spreading over northern Argentina. Results of simulated vertical particle column mass were compared with the

  16. Dynamical downscaling of ERA-40 in complex terrain using the WRF regional climate model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heikkilae, U. [Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Uni Bjerknes Centre, Bergen (Norway); Sandvik, A. [Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Institute for Marine Research (IMR), Bergen (Norway); Sorteberg, A. [University of Bergen, Geophysical Institute, Bergen (Norway)

    2011-10-15

    Results from a first-time employment of the WRF regional climate model to climatological simulations in Europe are presented. The ERA-40 reanalysis (resolution 1 ) has been downscaled to a horizontal resolution of 30 and 10 km for the period of 1961-1990. This model setup includes the whole North Atlantic in the 30 km domain and spectral nudging is used to keep the large scales consistent with the driving ERA-40 reanalysis. The model results are compared against an extensive observational network of surface variables in complex terrain in Norway. The comparison shows that the WRF model is able to add significant detail to the representation of precipitation and 2-m temperature of the ERA-40 reanalysis. Especially the geographical distribution, wet day frequency and extreme values of precipitation are highly improved due to the better representation of the orography. Refining the resolution from 30 to 10 km further increases the skill of the model, especially in case of precipitation. Our results indicate that the use of 10-km resolution is advantageous for producing regional future climate projections. Use of a large domain and spectral nudging seems to be useful in reproducing the extreme precipitation events due to the better resolved synoptic scale features over the North Atlantic, and also helps to reduce the large regional temperature biases over Norway. This study presents a high-resolution, high-quality climatological data set useful for reference climate impact studies. (orig.)

  17. Complex Terrain and Wind Lidars

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bingöl, Ferhat

    software WAsP Engineering 2.0 and was well predicted except for some sectors where the terrain is particularly steep. Subsequently, two experiments were performed in forested areas; where the measurements are recorded at a location deep-in forest and at the forest edge. Both sites were modelled with flow...... edge, LINCOM model was used by allocating a slope half-in half out of the forest based on the suggestions of previous studies. The optimum slope angle was reported as 17º. Thus, a suggestion was made to use WAsP Engineering 2.0 for forest edge modelling with known limitations and the applied method...

  18. Local-scale stratigraphy of grooved terrain on Ganymede

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murchie, Scott L.; Head, James W.; Helfenstein, Paul; Plescia, Jeffrey B.

    1987-01-01

    The surface of the Jovian satellite, Ganymede, is divided into two main units, dark terrain cut by arcuate and subradial furrows, and light terrain consisting largely of areas with pervasive U-shaped grooves. The grooved terrain may be subdivided on the basis of pervasive morphology of groove domains into four terrain types: (1) elongate bands of parallel grooves (groove lanes); (2) polygonal domains of parallel grooves (grooved polygons); (3) polygonal domains of two orthogonal groove sets (reticulate terrain); and (4) polygons having two to several complexly cross-cutting groove sets (complex grooved terrain). Reticulate terrain is frequently dark and not extensively resurfaced, and grades to a more hummocky terrain type. The other three grooved terrain types have almost universally been resurfaced by light material during their emplacement. The sequence of events during grooved terrain emplacement has been investigated. An attempt is made to integrate observed geologic and tectonic patterns to better constrain the relative ages and styles of emplacement of grooved terrain types. A revised model of grooved terrain emplacement is proposed and is tested using detailed geologic mapping and measurement of crater density.

  19. A real-time PUFF-model for accidental releases in complex terrain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thykier-Nielsen, S.; Mikkelsen, T.; Larsen, S.E.; Troen, I.; Baas, A.F. de; Kamada, R.; Skupniewicz, C.; Schacher, G.

    1990-01-01

    LINCOM-RIMPUFF, a combined flow/puff model, was developed at Riso National Laboratory for the Vandenberg AFB Meteorology and Plume Dispersion Handbook and is suitable as is for real time response to emergency spills and vents of gases and radionuclides. LINCOM is a linear, diagnostic, spectral, potential flow model which extends the Jackson-Hunt theory of non-hydrostatic, adiabatic wind flow over hills to the mesoscale domain. It is embedded in a weighted objective analysis (WOA) of real-time Vandenberg tower winds and may be used in ultra-high speed lookup table mode. The mesoscale dispersion model RIMPUFF is a flexible Gaussian puff model equipped with computer-time effective features for terrain and stability-dependent dispersion parameterization, plume rise formulas, inversion and ground-level reflection capabilities and wet/dry (source) depletion. It can treat plume bifurcation in complex terrain by using a puff-splitting scheme. It allows the flow-model to compute the larger scale wind field, reserving turbulent diffusion calculations for the sub-grid scale. In diagnostic mode toxic exposure are well assessed via the release of a single initial puff. With optimization, processing time for RIMPUFF should be on the order of 2 CPU minutes or less on a PC-system. In prognostic mode with shifting winds, multiple puff releases may become necessary, thereby lengthening processing time

  20. Thermophysical modeling for high-resolution digital terrain models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pelivan, I.

    2018-04-01

    A method is presented for efficiently calculating surface temperatures for highly resolved celestial body shapes. A thorough investigation of the necessary conditions leading to reach model convergence shows that the speed of surface temperature convergence depends on factors such as the quality of initial boundary conditions, thermal inertia, illumination conditions, and resolution of the numerical depth grid. The optimization process to shorten the simulation time while increasing or maintaining the accuracy of model results includes the introduction of facet-specific boundary conditions such as pre-computed temperature estimates and pre-evaluated simulation times. The individual facet treatment also allows for assigning other facet-specific properties such as local thermal inertia. The approach outlined in this paper is particularly useful for very detailed digital terrain models in combination with unfavorable illumination conditions such as little to no sunlight at all for a period of time as experienced locally on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Possible science applications include thermal analysis of highly resolved local (landing) sites experiencing seasonal, environment and lander shadowing. In combination with an appropriate roughness model, the method is very suitable for application to disk-integrated and disk-resolved data. Further applications are seen where the complexity of the task has led to severe shape or thermophysical model simplifications such as in studying surface activity or thermal cracking.

  1. Atmospheric dispersion modelling over complex terrain at small scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nosek, S.; Janour, Z.; Kukacka, L.; Jurcakova, K.; Kellnerova, R.; Gulikova, E.

    2014-03-01

    Previous study concerned of qualitative modelling neutrally stratified flow over open-cut coal mine and important surrounding topography at meso-scale (1:9000) revealed an important area for quantitative modelling of atmospheric dispersion at small-scale (1:3300). The selected area includes a necessary part of the coal mine topography with respect to its future expansion and surrounding populated areas. At this small-scale simultaneous measurement of velocity components and concentrations in specified points of vertical and horizontal planes were performed by two-dimensional Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) and Fast-Response Flame Ionization Detector (FFID), respectively. The impact of the complex terrain on passive pollutant dispersion with respect to the prevailing wind direction was observed and the prediction of the air quality at populated areas is discussed. The measured data will be used for comparison with another model taking into account the future coal mine transformation. Thus, the impact of coal mine transformation on pollutant dispersion can be observed.

  2. A high resolution complex terrain dispersion study in the Rocky Flats, Colorado vicinity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poulos, G.S.; Bossert, J.E.

    1992-01-01

    In January/February, 1991 an intensive set of measurements was taken around Rocky Flats near Denver, CO under the auspices of the Department of Energy Atmospheric Studies over Complex Terrain (ASCOT) program. This region of the country is known as the Front Range, and is characterized by a transition from the relatively flat terrain of the Great Plains to the highly varied terrain of the Rocky Mountains. One goal of the ASCOT 1991 program was to gain insight into multi-scale meteorological interaction by observing wintertime drainage conditions at the mountain-valley-plains interface. ASCOT data included surface and upper air measurements on approximately a 50km 2 scale. Simultaneously, an SF 6 tracer release study was being conducted around Rocky Flats, a nuclear materials production facility. Detailed surface concentration measurements were completed for the SF 6 plume. This combination of meteorological and tracer concentration data provided a unique data set for comparisons of mesoscale and dispersion modeling results with observations and for evaluating our capability to predict pollutant transport. Our approach is to use the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) mesoscale model to simulate atmospheric conditions and the Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model (LPDM), a component of the RAMS system, to model the dispersion of the SF 6 . We have chosen the 4--5 February, 1991 overnight period as our case study. This night was characterized by strong drainage flows from the Rocky Mountains to the west of Rocky Flats, southerly winds in a layer about lkm thick above the drainage flows, and northwesterly winds above that layer extending to the tropopause

  3. Terrain Classification of Norwegian Slab Avalanche Accidents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hallandvik, Linda; Aadland, Eivind; Vikene, Odd Lennart

    2016-01-01

    It is difficult to rely on snow conditions, weather, and human factors when making judgments about avalanche risk because these variables are dynamic and complex; terrain, however, is more easily observed and interpreted. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate (1) the type of terrain in which historical fatal snow avalanche accidents in Norway…

  4. The brasimone study (brastud) an investigation of atmospheric dispersion over complex terrain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cagnetti, P.; Ocone, R.; Racalbuto, S.

    1988-01-01

    An investigation of atmospheric dispersion over complex terrain was carried out in September 1984 and in June 1985 at the Brasimone Energy Research Centre (B.E.R.C.). This place, where an experimental nuclear reactor is under construction, is located in the Tuscan-Emilian Appennine range approximately 50 km south of Bologna. The measuring campaigns, based on survey of wind and temperature parameters, tracer (SF 6 ) experiments and tracking of tetroons by radar, were performed with the purpose of assessing the atmospheric dispersion of pollutants under nocturnal drainage flow conditions. The three-dimensional MATHEW/ADPIC model was evaluated with the Brasimone data set and the results obtained are satisfactory

  5. Effects of 4D-Var Data Assimilation Using Remote Sensing Precipitation Products in a WRF Model over the Complex Terrain of an Arid Region River Basin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoduo Pan

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Individually, ground-based, in situ observations, remote sensing, and regional climate modeling cannot provide the high-quality precipitation data required for hydrological prediction, especially over complex terrains. Data assimilation techniques can be used to bridge the gap between observations and models by assimilating ground observations and remote sensing products into models to improve precipitation simulation and forecasting. However, only a small portion of satellite-retrieved precipitation products assimilation research has been implemented over complex terrains in an arid region. Here, we used the weather research and forecasting (WRF model to assimilate two satellite precipitation products (The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission: TRMM 3B42 and Fengyun-2D: FY-2D using the 4D-Var data assimilation method for a typical inland river basin in northwest China’s arid region, the Heihe River Basin, where terrains are very complex. The results show that the assimilation of remote sensing precipitation products can improve the initial WRF fields of humidity and temperature, thereby improving precipitation forecasting and decreasing the spin-up time. Hence, assimilating TRMM and FY-2D remote sensing precipitation products using WRF 4D-Var can be viewed as a positive step toward improving the accuracy and lead time of numerical weather prediction models, particularly over regions with complex terrains.

  6. Complex terrain experiments in the New European Wind Atlas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angelou, N.; Callies, D.; Cantero, E.; Arroyo, R. Chávez; Courtney, M.; Cuxart, J.; Dellwik, E.; Gottschall, J.; Ivanell, S.; Kühn, P.; Lea, G.; Matos, J. C.; Palma, J. M. L. M.; Peña, A.; Rodrigo, J. Sanz; Söderberg, S.; Vasiljevic, N.; Rodrigues, C. Veiga

    2017-01-01

    The New European Wind Atlas project will create a freely accessible wind atlas covering Europe and Turkey, develop the model chain to create the atlas and perform a series of experiments on flow in many different kinds of complex terrain to validate the models. This paper describes the experiments of which some are nearly completed while others are in the planning stage. All experiments focus on the flow properties that are relevant for wind turbines, so the main focus is the mean flow and the turbulence at heights between 40 and 300 m. Also extreme winds, wind shear and veer, and diurnal and seasonal variations of the wind are of interest. Common to all the experiments is the use of Doppler lidar systems to supplement and in some cases replace completely meteorological towers. Many of the lidars will be equipped with scan heads that will allow for arbitrary scan patterns by several synchronized systems. Two pilot experiments, one in Portugal and one in Germany, show the value of using multiple synchronized, scanning lidar, both in terms of the accuracy of the measurements and the atmospheric physical processes that can be studied. The experimental data will be used for validation of atmospheric flow models and will by the end of the project be freely available. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Wind energy in complex terrains’. PMID:28265025

  7. Terrain-Toolkit

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Qi; Kaul, Manohar; Long, Cheng

    2014-01-01

    , as will be shown, is used heavily for query processing in spatial databases; and (3) they do not provide the surface distance operator which is fundamental for many applications based on terrain data. Motivated by this, we developed a tool called Terrain-Toolkit for terrain data which accepts a comprehensive set......Terrain data is becoming increasingly popular both in industry and in academia. Many tools have been developed for visualizing terrain data. However, we find that (1) they usually accept very few data formats of terrain data only; (2) they do not support terrain simplification well which...

  8. Experimental and Numerical Modelling of Flow over Complex Terrain: The Bolund Hill

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conan, Boris; Chaudhari, Ashvinkumar; Aubrun, Sandrine; van Beeck, Jeroen; Hämäläinen, Jari; Hellsten, Antti

    2016-02-01

    In the wind-energy sector, wind-power forecasting, turbine siting, and turbine-design selection are all highly dependent on a precise evaluation of atmospheric wind conditions. On-site measurements provide reliable data; however, in complex terrain and at the scale of a wind farm, local measurements may be insufficient for a detailed site description. On highly variable terrain, numerical models are commonly used but still constitute a challenge regarding simulation and interpretation. We propose a joint state-of-the-art study of two approaches to modelling atmospheric flow over the Bolund hill: a wind-tunnel test and a large-eddy simulation (LES). The approach has the particularity of describing both methods in parallel in order to highlight their similarities and differences. The work provides a first detailed comparison between field measurements, wind-tunnel experiments and numerical simulations. The systematic and quantitative approach used for the comparison contributes to a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each model and, therefore, to their enhancement. Despite fundamental modelling differences, both techniques result in only a 5 % difference in the mean wind speed and 15 % in the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). The joint comparison makes it possible to identify the most difficult features to model: the near-ground flow and the wake of the hill. When compared to field data, both models reach 11 % error for the mean wind speed, which is close to the best performance reported in the literature. For the TKE, a great improvement is found using the LES model compared to previous studies (20 % error). Wind-tunnel results are in the low range of error when compared to experiments reported previously (40 % error). This comparison highlights the potential of such approaches and gives directions for the improvement of complex flow modelling.

  9. Influence of Microclimate on Semi-Arid Montane Conifer Forest Sapflux Velocity in Complex Terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thirouin, K. R.; Barnard, D. M.; Barnard, H. R.

    2016-12-01

    Microclimate variation in complex terrain is key to our understanding of large-scale climate change effects on montane ecosystems. Modern climate models forecast that semi-arid montane ecosystems in the western United States are to experience increases in temperature, number of extreme drought events, and decreases in annual snowpack, all of which will potentially influence ecosystem water, carbon, and energy balances. In this study, we developed response curves that describe the relationships between stem sapflux velocity, air temperature (Tair), incoming solar radiation (SWin), soil temperature (Tsoil), and soil moisture content (VWC) in sites of Pinus contorta and Pinus ponderosa distributed along an elevation and aspect gradient in the montane zone of the Central Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA. Among sites we found sapflux velocity to be significantly correlated with all four environmental factors (p physiological differences, the highest elevation south-facing P. contorta site behaved similarly to the south-facing P. ponderosa, suggesting that environmental drivers may dominate the response. In response to Tair, peak sapflux velocity occurred at 12-13 degrees C at all sites except the mid-slope north-facing P. contorta site, which also had the lowest Tsoil. The responses of stem sapflux velocity to climate drivers indicate that forest transpiration is regulated by microclimate gradients across small spatial scales in complex terrain, which need to be characterized in order to understand broader ecosystem dynamics and the role that large-scale climate change will play in these systems.

  10. What model resolution is required in climatological downscaling over complex terrain?

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Samra, Renalda; Bou-Zeid, Elie; El-Fadel, Mutasem

    2018-05-01

    This study presents results from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model applied for climatological downscaling simulations over highly complex terrain along the Eastern Mediterranean. We sequentially downscale general circulation model results, for a mild and wet year (2003) and a hot and dry year (2010), to three local horizontal resolutions of 9, 3 and 1 km. Simulated near-surface hydrometeorological variables are compared at different time scales against data from an observational network over the study area comprising rain gauges, anemometers, and thermometers. The overall performance of WRF at 1 and 3 km horizontal resolution was satisfactory, with significant improvement over the 9 km downscaling simulation. The total yearly precipitation from WRF's 1 km and 3 km domains exhibited quantitative measure of the potential errors for various hydrometeorological variables.

  11. Complex terrain wind resource estimation with the wind-atlas method: Prediction errors using linearized and nonlinear CFD micro-scale models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Troen, Ib; Bechmann, Andreas; Kelly, Mark C.

    2014-01-01

    Using the Wind Atlas methodology to predict the average wind speed at one location from measured climatological wind frequency distributions at another nearby location we analyse the relative prediction errors using a linearized flow model (IBZ) and a more physically correct fully non-linear 3D...... flow model (CFD) for a number of sites in very complex terrain (large terrain slopes). We first briefly describe the Wind Atlas methodology as implemented in WAsP and the specifics of the “classical” model setup and the new setup allowing the use of the CFD computation engine. We discuss some known...

  12. Assessing the Value of UAV Photogrammetry for Characterizing Terrain in Complex Peatlands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julie Lovitt

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Microtopographic variability in peatlands has a strong influence on greenhouse gas fluxes, but we lack the ability to characterize terrain in these environments efficiently over large areas. To address this, we assessed the capacity of photogrammetric data acquired from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV or drone to reproduce ground elevations measured in the field. In particular, we set out to evaluate the role of (i vegetation/surface complexity and (ii supplementary LiDAR data on results. We compared remote-sensing observations to reference measurements acquired with survey grade GPS equipment at 678 sample points, distributed across a 61-hectare treed bog in northwestern Alberta, Canada. UAV photogrammetric data were found to capture elevation with accuracies, by root mean squares error, ranging from 14–42 cm, depending on the state of vegetation/surface complexity. We judge the technology to perform well under all but the most-complex conditions, where ground visibility is hindered by thick vegetation. Supplementary LiDAR data did not improve results significantly, nor did it perform well as a stand-alone technology at the low densities typically available to researchers.

  13. Forecasting short-term wind farm production in complex terrain. Volume 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    LeBlanc, M.

    2005-01-01

    Wind energy forecasting adds financial value to wind farms and may soon become a regulatory requirement. A robust information technology system is essential for addressing industry demands. Various forecasting methodologies for short-term wind production in complex terrain were presented. Numerical weather predictions were discussed with reference to supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system site measurements. Forecasting methods using wind speed, direction, temperature and pressure, as well as issues concerning statistical modelling were presented. Model output statistics and neural networks were reviewed, as well as significant components of error. Results from a Garrad Hassan forecaster with a European wind farm were presented, including wind speed evaluation, and forecast horizon for T + 1 hours, T + 12 hours, and T + 36 hours. It was suggested that buy prices often reflect the cost of under-prediction, and that forecasting has more potential where the spread is greatest. Accurate T + 19 hours to T + 31 hours could enable participation in the day-ahead market, which is less volatile and prices are usually better. Estimates of possible profits per annum through the use of GH forecaster power predictions were presented, calculated over and above spilling power to the grid. It was concluded that accurate forecasts combined with certainty evaluation enables the optimization of wind energy in the market, and is applicable to a wide range of weather regimes and terrain types. It was suggested that site feedback is essential for good forecasts at short horizons, and that the value of forecasting is dependent on the market. refs., tabs., figs

  14. Representativeness of wind measurements in moderately complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    van den Bossche, Michael; De Wekker, Stephan F. J.

    2018-02-01

    We investigated the representativeness of 10-m wind measurements in a 4 km × 2 km area of modest relief by comparing observations at a central site with those at four satellite sites located in the same area. Using a combination of established and new methods to quantify and visualize representativeness, we found significant differences in wind speed and direction between the four satellite sites and the central site. The representativeness of the central site wind measurements depended strongly on surface wind speed and direction, and atmospheric stability. Through closer inspection of the observations at one of the satellite sites, we concluded that terrain-forced flows combined with thermally driven downslope winds caused large biases in wind direction and speed. We used these biases to generate a basic model, showing that terrain-related differences in wind observations can to a large extent be predicted. Such a model is a cost-effective way to enhance an area's wind field determination and to improve the outcome of pollutant dispersion and weather forecasting models.

  15. Shifts in wind energy potential following land-use driven vegetation dynamics in complex terrain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Jiannong; Peringer, Alexander; Stupariu, Mihai-Sorin; Pǎtru-Stupariu, Ileana; Buttler, Alexandre; Golay, Francois; Porté-Agel, Fernando

    2018-10-15

    Many mountainous regions with high wind energy potential are characterized by multi-scale variabilities of vegetation in both spatial and time dimensions, which strongly affect the spatial distribution of wind resource and its time evolution. To this end, we developed a coupled interdisciplinary modeling framework capable of assessing the shifts in wind energy potential following land-use driven vegetation dynamics in complex mountain terrain. It was applied to a case study area in the Romanian Carpathians. The results show that the overall shifts in wind energy potential following the changes of vegetation pattern due to different land-use policies can be dramatic. This suggests that the planning of wind energy project should be integrated with the land-use planning at a specific site to ensure that the expected energy production of the planned wind farm can be reached over its entire lifetime. Moreover, the changes in the spatial distribution of wind and turbulence under different scenarios of land-use are complex, and they must be taken into account in the micro-siting of wind turbines to maximize wind energy production and minimize fatigue loads (and associated maintenance costs). The proposed new modeling framework offers, for the first time, a powerful tool for assessing long-term variability in local wind energy potential that emerges from land-use change driven vegetation dynamics over complex terrain. Following a previously unexplored pathway of cause-effect relationships, it demonstrates a new linkage of agro- and forest policies in landscape development with an ultimate trade-off between renewable energy production and biodiversity targets. Moreover, it can be extended to study the potential effects of micro-climatic changes associated with wind farms on vegetation development (growth and patterning), which could in turn have a long-term feedback effect on wind resource distribution in mountainous regions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights

  16. Investigation of Microphysical Parameters within Winter and Summer Type Precipitation Events over Mountainous [Complex] Terrain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stalker, James R.; Bossert, James E.

    1997-10-01

    In this study we investigate complex terrain effects on precipitation with RAMS for both in winter and summer cases from a microphysical perspective. We consider a two dimensional east-west topographic cross section in New Mexico representative of the Jemez mountains on the west and the Sangre de Cristo mountains on the east. Located between these two ranges is the Rio Grande Valley. In these two dimensional experiments, variations in DSDs are considered to simulate total precipitation that closely duplicate observed precipitation

  17. Evaluation of ERA-Interim precipitation data in complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Lu; Bernhardt, Matthias; Schulz, Karsten

    2013-04-01

    Precipitation controls a large variety of environmental processes, which is an essential input parameter for land surface models e.g. in hydrology, ecology and climatology. However, rain gauge networks provides the necessary information, are commonly sparse in complex terrains, especially in high mountainous regions. Reanalysis products (e.g. ERA-40 and NCEP-NCAR) as surrogate data are increasing applied in the past years. Although they are improving forward, previous studies showed that these products should be objectively evaluated due to their various uncertainties. In this study, we evaluated the precipitation data from ERA-Interim, which is a latest reanalysis product developed by ECMWF. ERA-Interim daily total precipitation are compared with high resolution gridded observation dataset (E-OBS) at 0.25°×0.25° grids for the period 1979-2010 over central Alps (45.5-48°N, 6.25-11.5°E). Wet or dry day is defined using different threshold values (0.5mm, 1mm, 5mm, 10mm and 20mm). The correspondence ratio (CR) is applied for frequency comparison, which is the ratio of days when precipitation occurs in both ERA-Interim and E-OBS dataset. The result shows that ERA-Interim captures precipitation occurrence very well with a range of CR from 0.80 to 0.97 for 0.5mm to 20mm thresholds. However, the bias of intensity increases with rising thresholds. Mean absolute error (MAE) varies between 4.5 mm day-1 and 9.5 mm day-1 in wet days for whole area. In term of mean annual cycle, ERA-Interim almost has the same standard deviation of the interannual variability of daily precipitation with E-OBS, 1.0 mm day-1. Significant wet biases happened in ERA-Interim throughout warm season (May to August) and dry biases in cold season (November to February). The spatial distribution of mean annual daily precipitation shows that ERA-Interim significant underestimates precipitation intensity in high mountains and northern flank of Alpine chain from November to March while pronounced

  18. Wind turbine power performance verification in complex terrain and wind farms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Friis Pedersen, Troels; Gjerding, S.; Enevoldsen, P.

    2002-01-01

    is a power performance verification procedure for individual wind turbines. The third is a power performance measurement procedure of whole wind farms, and the fourth is a power performance measurement procedurefor non-grid (small) wind turbines. This report presents work that was made to support the basis......The IEC/EN 61400-12 Ed 1 standard for wind turbine power performance testing is being revised. The standard will be divided into four documents. The first one of these is more or less a revision of the existing document on power performance measurementson individual wind turbines. The second one...... then been investigated in more detail. The work has given rise to a range of conclusionsand recommendations regarding: guaranties on power curves in complex terrain; investors and bankers experience with verification of power curves; power performance in relation to regional correction curves for Denmark...

  19. Quantifying the added value of convection-permitting climate simulations in complex terrain: a systematic evaluation of WRF over the Himalayas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karki, Ramchandra; Hasson, Shabeh ul; Gerlitz, Lars; Schickhoff, Udo; Scholten, Thomas; Böhner, Jürgen

    2017-07-01

    Mesoscale dynamical refinements of global climate models or atmospheric reanalysis have shown their potential to resolve intricate atmospheric processes, their land surface interactions, and subsequently, realistic distribution of climatic fields in complex terrains. Given that such potential is yet to be explored within the central Himalayan region of Nepal, we investigate the skill of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model with different spatial resolutions in reproducing the spatial, seasonal, and diurnal characteristics of the near-surface air temperature and precipitation as well as the spatial shifts in the diurnal monsoonal precipitation peak over the Khumbu (Everest), Rolwaling, and adjacent southern areas. Therefore, the ERA-Interim (0.75°) reanalysis has been dynamically refined to 25, 5, and 1 km (D1, D2, and D3) for one complete hydrological year (October 2014-September 2015), using the one-way nested WRF model run with mild nudging and parameterized convection for the outer but explicitly resolved convection for the inner domains. Our results suggest that D3 realistically reproduces the monsoonal precipitation, as compared to its underestimation by D1 but overestimation by D2. All three resolutions, however, overestimate precipitation from the westerly disturbances, owing to simulating anomalously higher intensity of few intermittent events. Temperatures are generally reproduced well by all resolutions; however, winter and pre-monsoon seasons feature a high cold bias for high elevations while lower elevations show a simultaneous warm bias. Unlike higher resolutions, D1 fails to realistically reproduce the regional-scale nocturnal monsoonal peak precipitation observed in the Himalayan foothills and its diurnal shift towards high elevations, whereas D2 resolves these characteristics but exhibits a limited skill in reproducing such a peak on the river valley scale due to the limited representation of the narrow valleys at 5 km resolution

  20. Quantifying the added value of convection-permitting climate simulations in complex terrain: a systematic evaluation of WRF over the Himalayas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Karki

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Mesoscale dynamical refinements of global climate models or atmospheric reanalysis have shown their potential to resolve intricate atmospheric processes, their land surface interactions, and subsequently, realistic distribution of climatic fields in complex terrains. Given that such potential is yet to be explored within the central Himalayan region of Nepal, we investigate the skill of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF model with different spatial resolutions in reproducing the spatial, seasonal, and diurnal characteristics of the near-surface air temperature and precipitation as well as the spatial shifts in the diurnal monsoonal precipitation peak over the Khumbu (Everest, Rolwaling, and adjacent southern areas. Therefore, the ERA-Interim (0.75° reanalysis has been dynamically refined to 25, 5, and 1 km (D1, D2, and D3 for one complete hydrological year (October 2014–September 2015, using the one-way nested WRF model run with mild nudging and parameterized convection for the outer but explicitly resolved convection for the inner domains. Our results suggest that D3 realistically reproduces the monsoonal precipitation, as compared to its underestimation by D1 but overestimation by D2. All three resolutions, however, overestimate precipitation from the westerly disturbances, owing to simulating anomalously higher intensity of few intermittent events. Temperatures are generally reproduced well by all resolutions; however, winter and pre-monsoon seasons feature a high cold bias for high elevations while lower elevations show a simultaneous warm bias. Unlike higher resolutions, D1 fails to realistically reproduce the regional-scale nocturnal monsoonal peak precipitation observed in the Himalayan foothills and its diurnal shift towards high elevations, whereas D2 resolves these characteristics but exhibits a limited skill in reproducing such a peak on the river valley scale due to the limited representation of the narrow valleys at 5

  1. IMPACT OF DIFFERENT TOPOGRAPHIC CORRECTIONS ON PREDICTION ACCURACY OF FOLIAGE PROJECTIVE COVER (FPC IN A TOPOGRAPHICALLY COMPLEX TERRAIN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Ediriweera

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Quantitative retrieval of land surface biological parameters (e.g. foliage projective cover [FPC] and Leaf Area Index is crucial for forest management, ecosystem modelling, and global change monitoring applications. Currently, remote sensing is a widely adopted method for rapid estimation of surface biological parameters in a landscape scale. Topographic correction is a necessary pre-processing step in the remote sensing application for topographically complex terrain. Selection of a suitable topographic correction method on remotely sensed spectral information is still an unresolved problem. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of topographic corrections on the prediction of FPC in hilly terrain using an established regression model. Five established topographic corrections [C, Minnaert, SCS, SCS+C and processing scheme for standardised surface reflectance (PSSSR] were evaluated on Landsat TM5 acquired under low and high sun angles in closed canopied subtropical rainforest and eucalyptus dominated open canopied forest, north-eastern Australia. The effectiveness of methods at normalizing topographic influence, preserving biophysical spectral information, and internal data variability were assessed by statistical analysis and by comparing field collected FPC data. The results of statistical analyses show that SCS+C and PSSSR perform significantly better than other corrections, which were on less overcorrected areas of faintly illuminated slopes. However, the best relationship between FPC and Landsat spectral responses was obtained with the PSSSR by producing the least residual error. The SCS correction method was poor for correction of topographic effect in predicting FPC in topographically complex terrain.

  2. Application of an atmospheric CFD code to wind resource assessment in complex terrain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laporte, Laurent

    2008-01-01

    This thesis is organized in two parts. The first part presents the use of the atmospheric CFD code Mercure Saturne to estimate the wind resource in complex terrain. A measurement campaign was led by EDF to obtain data for validation. A methodology was developed using meso-scale profiles as boundary conditions. Clustering of meteorological situations was used to reduce the number of simulations needed to calculate the wind resource. The validation of the code on the Askervein hill, the methodology and comparisons with measurements from the complex site are presented. The second part presents the modeling of wakes with the Mercure Saturne code. Forces, generated by the blades on the wind, are modeled by source terms, calculated by the BEM method. Two comparisons are proposed to validate the method: the first compares the numerical model with wind tunnel measurements from a small wind turbine, the second with measurements made on porous disks in an atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel (author) [fr

  3. Micro-meteorological data from the Guardo dispersion experiment in complex terrain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nielsen, M.; Mikkelsen, T.

    1992-11-01

    The present report contains micrometeorological data from an atmospheric dispersion experiment in complex terrain. The experiment took place near the Guardo power plant, Palencia, Spain under various atmospheric conditions during the month of November 1990. It consisted of 14 tracer releases either from the power plant chimney or from the valley floor north of the town. Two kinds of observations are presented: (1) The 25 m meteorological mast at the Vivero site in the central part of the experimental area measured surface-layer profiles of wind velocity, wind direction, temperature and thermal stability together with turbulent wind and temperature fluctuations at the top level. (2) A radiosonde on a tethered balloon was launched at Camporredondo de Alba in the northern part of the area and measured boundary-layer profiles of pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind direction. (au) (4 tabs., 227 ills., 7 refs.).

  4. Estimation of potential solar radiation using 50m grid digital terrain model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurose, Y.; Nagata, K.; Ohba, K.; Maruyama, A.

    1999-01-01

    To clarify the spatial distribution of solar radiation, a model to estimate the potential incoming solar radiation with 50m grid size was developed. The model is based on individual calculation of direct and diffuse solar radiation accounting for the effect of topographic shading. Using the elevation data in the area with radius 25km, which was offered by the Digital Map 50m Grid, the effect of topographic shading is estimated as angle of elevation for surrounding configuration to 72 directions. The estimated sunshine duration under clear sky conditions agreed well with observed values at AMeDAS points of Kyushu and Shikoku region. Similarly, there is a significant agreement between estimated and observed variation of solar radiation for monthly mean conditions over complex terrain. These suggest that the potential incoming solar radiation can be estimated well over complex terrain using the model. Locations of large fields over complex terrain agreed well with the area of the abundant insolation condition, which is defined by the model. The model is available for the investigation of agrometeorological resources over complex terrain. (author)

  5. Improvement of a three-dimensional atmospheric dynamic model and examination of its performance over complex terrain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagai, Haruyasu; Yamazawa, Hiromi

    1994-11-01

    A three-dimensional atmospheric dynamic model (PHYSIC) was improved and its performance was examined using the meteorological data observed at a coastal area with a complex terrain. To introduce synoptic meteorological conditions into the model, the initial and boundary conditions were improved. By this improvement, the model can predict the temporal change of wind field for more than 24 hours. Moreover, the model successfully simulates the land and sea breeze observed at Shimokita area in the summer of 1992. (author)

  6. Knowledge-inducing Global Path Planning for Robots in Environment with Hybrid Terrain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-nan Guo

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available In complex environment with hybrid terrain, different regions may have different terrain. Path planning for robots in such environment is an open NP-complete problem, which lacks effective methods. The paper develops a novel global path planning method based on common sense and evolution knowledge by adopting dual evolution structure in culture algorithms. Common sense describes terrain information and feasibility of environment, which is used to evaluate and select the paths. Evolution knowledge describes the angle relationship between the path and the obstacles, or the common segments of paths, which is used to judge and repair infeasible individuals. Taken two types of environments with different obstacles and terrain as examples, simulation results indicate that the algorithm can effectively solve path planning problem in complex environment and decrease the computation complexity for judgment and repair of infeasible individuals. It also can improve the convergence speed and have better computation stability.

  7. Photometric diversity of terrains on Triton

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hillier, J.; Veverka, J.; Helfenstein, P.; Lee, P.

    1994-01-01

    Voyager disk-resolved images of Triton in the violet (0.41 micrometers) and green (0.56 micrometer wavelengths have been analyzed to derive the photometric characteristics of terrains on Triton. Similar conclusions are found using two distinct but related definitions of photometric units, one based on color ratio and albedo properties (A. S. McEwen, 1990), the other on albedo and brightness ratios at different phase angles (P. Lee et al., 1992). A significant diversity of photometric behavior, much broader than that discovered so far on any other icy satellite, occurs among Triton's terrains. Remarkably, differences in photometric behavior do not correlate well with geologic terrain boundaries defined on the basis of surface morphology. This suggests that in most cases photometric properties on Triton are controlled by thin deposits superposed on underlying geologic units. Single scattering albedos are 0.98 or higher and asymmetry factors range from -0.35 to -0.45 for most units. The most distinct scattering behavior is exhibited by the reddish northern units already identified as the Anomalously Scattering Region (ASR), which scatters light almost isotropically with g = -0.04. In part due to the effects of Triton's clouds and haze, it is difficult to constrain the value of bar-theta, Hapke's macroscopic roughness parameter, precisely for Triton or to map differences in bar-theta among the different photometric terrains. However, our study shows that Triton must be relatively smooth, with bar-theta less than 15-20 degs and suggests that a value of 14 degs is appropriate. The differences in photometric characteristics lead to significantly different phase angle behavior for the various terrains. For example, a terrain (e.g., the ASR) that appears dark relative to another at low phase angles will reverse its contrast (become relatively brighter) at larger phase angles. The photometric parameters have been used to calculate hemispherical albedos for the units and to

  8. New high-fidelity terrain modeling method constrained by terrain semanteme.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bo Zhou

    Full Text Available Production of higher-fidelity digital elevation models is important; as such models are indispensable components of space data infrastructure. However, loss of terrain features is a constant problem for grid digital elevation models, although these models have already been defined in such a way that their distinct usage as data sources in terrain modeling processing is prohibited. Therefore, in this study, the novel concept-terrain semanteme is proposed to define local space terrain features, and a new process for generating grid digital elevation models based on this new concept is designed. A prototype system is programmed to test the proposed approach; the results indicate that terrain semanteme can be applied in the process of grid digital elevation model generation, and that usage of this new concept improves the digital elevation model fidelity. Moreover, the terrain semanteme technique can be applied for recovery of distorted digital elevation model regions containing terrain semantemes, with good recovery efficiency indicated by experiments.

  9. Method for Measuring the Information Content of Terrain from Digital Elevation Models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lujin Hu

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available As digital terrain models are indispensable for visualizing and modeling geographic processes, terrain information content is useful for terrain generalization and representation. For terrain generalization, if the terrain information is considered, the generalized terrain may be of higher fidelity. In other words, the richer the terrain information at the terrain surface, the smaller the degree of terrain simplification. Terrain information content is also important for evaluating the quality of the rendered terrain, e.g., the rendered web terrain tile service in Google Maps (Google Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA. However, a unified definition and measures for terrain information content have not been established. Therefore, in this paper, a definition and measures for terrain information content from Digital Elevation Model (DEM, i.e., a digital model or 3D representation of a terrain’s surface data are proposed and are based on the theory of map information content, remote sensing image information content and other geospatial information content. The information entropy was taken as the information measuring method for the terrain information content. Two experiments were carried out to verify the measurement methods of the terrain information content. One is the analysis of terrain information content in different geomorphic types, and the results showed that the more complex the geomorphic type, the richer the terrain information content. The other is the analysis of terrain information content with different resolutions, and the results showed that the finer the resolution, the richer the terrain information. Both experiments verified the reliability of the measurements of the terrain information content proposed in this paper.

  10. SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating of Archean core complex formatio and pancratonic strike-slip deformation in the East Pilbara Granite-Greenstone Terrain

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zegers, T.E.; Nelson, D.R.; Wijbrans, J.R.; White, S.H.

    2001-01-01

    Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U-Pb dating of zircons from granitic rocks in the East Pilbara Granite-Greenstone Terrain has provided time constraints for main tectonic events in the Shaw Granitoid Complex and has shown that deformation was intricately related to granitoid

  11. Convective boundary layer heights over mountainous terrain - A review of concepts -

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Wekker, Stephan; Kossmann, Meinolf

    2015-12-01

    Mountainous terrain exerts an important influence on the Earth's atmosphere and affects atmospheric transport and mixing at a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. The vertical scale of this transport and mixing is determined by the height of the atmospheric boundary layer, which is therefore an important parameter in air pollution studies, weather forecasting, climate modeling, and many other applications. It is recognized that the spatio-temporal structure of the daytime convective boundary layer (CBL) height is strongly modified and more complex in hilly and mountainous terrain compared to flat terrain. While the CBL over flat terrain is mostly dominated by turbulent convection, advection from multi-scale thermally driven flows plays an important role for the CBL evolution over mountainous terrain. However, detailed observations of the CBL structure and understanding of the underlying processes are still limited. Characteristics of CBL heights in mountainous terrain are reviewed for dry, convective conditions. CBLs in valleys and basins, where hazardous accumulation of pollutants is of particular concern, are relatively well-understood compared to CBLs over slopes, ridges, or mountain peaks. Interests in the initiation of shallow and deep convection, and of budgets and long-range transport of air pollutants and trace gases, have triggered some recent studies on terrain induced exchange processes between the CBL and the overlying atmosphere. These studies have helped to gain more insight into CBL structure over complex mountainous terrain, but also show that the universal definition of CBL height over mountains remains an unresolved issue. The review summarizes the progress that has been made in documenting and understanding spatio-temporal behavior of CBL heights in mountainous terrain and concludes with a discussion of open research questions and opportunities for future research.

  12. Airborne measurements of turbulent trace gas fluxes and analysis of eddy structure in the convective boundary layer over complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasel, M.; Kottmeier, Ch.; Corsmeier, U.; Wieser, A.

    2005-03-01

    Using the new high-frequency measurement equipment of the research aircraft DO 128, which is described in detail, turbulent vertical fluxes of ozone and nitric oxide have been calculated from data sampled during the ESCOMPTE program in the south of France. Based on airborne turbulence measurements, radiosonde data and surface energy balance measurements, the convective boundary layer (CBL) is examined under two different aspects. The analysis covers boundary-layer convection with respect to (i) the control of CBL depth by surface heating and synoptic scale influences, and (ii) the structure of convective plumes and their vertical transport of ozone and nitric oxides. The orographic structure of the terrain causes significant differences between planetary boundary layer (PBL) heights, which are found to exceed those of terrain height variations on average. A comparison of boundary-layer flux profiles as well as mean quantities over flat and complex terrain and also under different pollution situations and weather conditions shows relationships between vertical gradients and corresponding turbulent fluxes. Generally, NO x transports are directed upward independent of the terrain, since primary emission sources are located near the ground. For ozone, negative fluxes are common in the lower CBL in accordance with the deposition of O 3 at the surface. The detailed structure of thermals, which largely carry out vertical transports in the boundary layer, are examined with a conditional sampling technique. Updrafts mostly contain warm, moist and NO x loaded air, while the ozone transport by thermals alternates with the background ozone gradient. Evidence for handover processes of trace gases to the free atmosphere can be found in the case of existing gradients across the boundary-layer top. An analysis of the size of eddies suggests the possibility of some influence of the heterogeneous terrain in mountainous area on the length scales of eddies.

  13. Prediction of wind energy distribution in complex terrain using CFD

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Chang; Li, Chenqi; Yang, Jianchuan

    2013-01-01

    Based on linear models, WAsP software predicts wind energy distribution, with a good accuracy for flat terrain, but with a large error under complicated topography. In this paper, numerical simulations are carried out using the FLUENT software on a mesh generated by the GAMBIT and ARGIS software ...

  14. Wind Resource Assessment in Complex Terrain with a High-Resolution Numerical Weather Prediction Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruber, Karin; Serafin, Stefano; Grubišić, Vanda; Dorninger, Manfred; Zauner, Rudolf; Fink, Martin

    2014-05-01

    A crucial step in planning new wind farms is the estimation of the amount of wind energy that can be harvested in possible target sites. Wind resource assessment traditionally entails deployment of masts equipped for wind speed measurements at several heights for a reasonably long period of time. Simplified linear models of atmospheric flow are then used for a spatial extrapolation of point measurements to a wide area. While linear models have been successfully applied in the wind resource assessment in plains and offshore, their reliability in complex terrain is generally poor. This represents a major limitation to wind resource assessment in Austria, where high-altitude locations are being considered for new plant sites, given the higher frequency of sustained winds at such sites. The limitations of linear models stem from two key assumptions in their formulation, the neutral stratification and attached boundary-layer flow, both of which often break down in complex terrain. Consequently, an accurate modeling of near-surface flow over mountains requires the adoption of a NWP model with high horizontal and vertical resolution. This study explores the wind potential of a site in Styria in the North-Eastern Alps. The WRF model is used for simulations with a maximum horizontal resolution of 800 m. Three nested computational domains are defined, with the innermost one encompassing a stretch of the relatively broad Enns Valley, flanked by the main crest of the Alps in the south and the Nördliche Kalkalpen of similar height in the north. In addition to the simulation results, we use data from fourteen 10-m wind measurement sites (of which 7 are located within valleys and 5 near mountain tops) and from 2 masts with anemometers at several heights (at hillside locations) in an area of 1600 km2 around the target site. The potential for wind energy production is assessed using the mean wind speed and turbulence intensity at hub height. The capacity factor is also evaluated

  15. Constraining the Surface Energy Balance of Snow in Complex Terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lapo, Karl E.

    Physically-based snow models form the basis of our understanding of current and future water and energy cycles, especially in mountainous terrain. These models are poorly constrained and widely diverge from each other, demonstrating a poor understanding of the surface energy balance. This research aims to improve our understanding of the surface energy balance in regions of complex terrain by improving our confidence in existing observations and improving our knowledge of remotely sensed irradiances (Chapter 1), critically analyzing the representation of boundary layer physics within land models (Chapter 2), and utilizing relatively novel observations to in the diagnoses of model performance (Chapter 3). This research has improved the understanding of the literal and metaphorical boundary between the atmosphere and land surface. Solar irradiances are difficult to observe in regions of complex terrain, as observations are subject to harsh conditions not found in other environments. Quality control methods were developed to handle these unique conditions. These quality control methods facilitated an analysis of estimated solar irradiances over mountainous environments. Errors in the estimated solar irradiance are caused by misrepresenting the effect of clouds over regions of topography and regularly exceed the range of observational uncertainty (up to 80Wm -2) in all regions examined. Uncertainty in the solar irradiance estimates were especially pronounced when averaging over high-elevation basins, with monthly differences between estimates up to 80Wm-2. These findings can inform the selection of a method for estimating the solar irradiance and suggest several avenues of future research for improving existing methods. Further research probed the relationship between the land surface and atmosphere as it pertains to the stable boundary layers that commonly form over snow-covered surfaces. Stable conditions are difficult to represent, especially for low wind speed

  16. TERRAIN TECTONICS OF THE CENTRAL ASIAN FOLDED BELT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. M. Buslov

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The terrain analysis concept envisages primarily a possibility of approximation of fragments / terrains of various geodynamic settings which belong to different plates. The terrain analysis can supplement the theory of plate tectonics in solving problems of geodynamics and tectonics of regions of the crust with complex structures. The Central Asian belt is among such complicated regions. Terrain structures occurred as a result of combined movements in the system of 'frontal' and/or oblique subduction – collision. In studies of geological objects, it is required first of all to prove their (vertical and horizontal autochthony in relations to each other and then proceed to paleogeodynamic, paleotectonic and paleogeographic reconstructions. Obviously, such a complex approach needs data to be obtained by a variety of research methods, including those applied to study geologic structures, stratigraphy, paleontology, paleogeography, lithothlogy, geochemistry, geochronology, paleomagnetism etc. Only by correlating such data collected from inter-disciplinary studies of the regions, it is possible to establish reliable characteristics of the geological settings and avoid mistakes and misinterpretations that may be associated with the 'stratigraphic' approach to solutions of both regional and global problems of geodynamics and tectonics of folded areas. The terrain analysis of the Central Asian folded belt suggests that its tectonic structure combines marginal continental rock complexes that were formed by the evolution of two major oceanic plates. One of them is the plate of the Paleo-Asian Ocean. As the analogue of the current Indo-Atlantic segment of Earth, it is characterised by the presence of continental blocks in the composition of the oceanic crust and the formation of oceanic basins resulting from the breakup of Rodinia and Gondvana. In the course of its evolution, super-continents disintegrated, and the blocks were reunited into the Kazakhstan

  17. Complex terrain alters temperature and moisture limitations of forest soil respiration across a semiarid to subalpine gradient

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berryman, Erin Michele; Barnard, H.R.; Adams, H.R.; Burns, M.A.; Gallo, E.; Brooks, P.D.

    2015-01-01

    Forest soil respiration is a major carbon (C) flux that is characterized by significant variability in space and time. We quantified growing season soil respiration during both a drought year and a nondrought year across a complex landscape to identify how landscape and climate interact to control soil respiration. We asked the following questions: (1) How does soil respiration vary across the catchments due to terrain-induced variability in moisture availability and temperature? (2) Does the relative importance of moisture versus temperature limitation of respiration vary across space and time? And (3) what terrain elements are important for dictating the pattern of soil respiration and its controls? Moisture superseded temperature in explaining watershed respiration patterns, with wetter yet cooler areas higher up and on north facing slopes yielding greater soil respiration than lower and south facing areas. Wetter subalpine forests had reduced moisture limitation in favor of greater seasonal temperature limitation, and the reverse was true for low-elevation semiarid forests. Coincident climate poorly predicted soil respiration in the montane transition zone; however, antecedent precipitation from the prior 10 days provided additional explanatory power. A seasonal trend in respiration remained after accounting for microclimate effects, suggesting that local climate alone may not adequately predict seasonal variability in soil respiration in montane forests. Soil respiration climate controls were more strongly related to topography during the drought year highlighting the importance of landscape complexity in ecosystem response to drought.

  18. Wind Tunnel Modeling Of Wind Flow Over Complex Terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banks, D.; Cochran, B.

    2010-12-01

    This presentation will describe the finding of an atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) wind tunnel study conducted as part of the Bolund Experiment. This experiment was sponsored by Risø DTU (National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Technical University of Denmark) during the fall of 2009 to enable a blind comparison of various air flow models in an attempt to validate their performance in predicting airflow over complex terrain. Bohlund hill sits 12 m above the water level at the end of a narrow isthmus. The island features a steep escarpment on one side, over which the airflow can be expected to separate. The island was equipped with several anemometer towers, and the approach flow over the water was well characterized. This study was one of only two only physical model studies included in the blind model comparison, the other being a water plume study. The remainder were computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, including both RANS and LES. Physical modeling of air flow over topographical features has been used since the middle of the 20th century, and the methods required are well understood and well documented. Several books have been written describing how to properly perform ABL wind tunnel studies, including ASCE manual of engineering practice 67. Boundary layer wind tunnel tests are the only modelling method deemed acceptable in ASCE 7-10, the most recent edition of the American Society of Civil Engineers standard that provides wind loads for buildings and other structures for buildings codes across the US. Since the 1970’s, most tall structures undergo testing in a boundary layer wind tunnel to accurately determine the wind induced loading. When compared to CFD, the US EPA considers a properly executed wind tunnel study to be equivalent to a CFD model with infinitesimal grid resolution and near infinite memory. One key reason for this widespread acceptance is that properly executed ABL wind tunnel studies will accurately simulate flow separation

  19. Spatio-temporal precipitation climatology over complex terrain using a censored additive regression model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stauffer, Reto; Mayr, Georg J; Messner, Jakob W; Umlauf, Nikolaus; Zeileis, Achim

    2017-06-15

    Flexible spatio-temporal models are widely used to create reliable and accurate estimates for precipitation climatologies. Most models are based on square root transformed monthly or annual means, where a normal distribution seems to be appropriate. This assumption becomes invalid on a daily time scale as the observations involve large fractions of zero observations and are limited to non-negative values. We develop a novel spatio-temporal model to estimate the full climatological distribution of precipitation on a daily time scale over complex terrain using a left-censored normal distribution. The results demonstrate that the new method is able to account for the non-normal distribution and the large fraction of zero observations. The new climatology provides the full climatological distribution on a very high spatial and temporal resolution, and is competitive with, or even outperforms existing methods, even for arbitrary locations.

  20. Radar-derived quantitative precipitation estimation in complex terrain over the eastern Tibetan Plateau

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gou, Yabin; Ma, Yingzhao; Chen, Haonan; Wen, Yixin

    2018-05-01

    Quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) is one of the important applications of weather radars. However, in complex terrain such as Tibetan Plateau, it is a challenging task to obtain an optimal Z-R relation due to the complex spatial and temporal variability in precipitation microphysics. This paper develops two radar QPE schemes respectively based on Reflectivity Threshold (RT) and Storm Cell Identification and Tracking (SCIT) algorithms using observations from 11 Doppler weather radars and 3264 rain gauges over the Eastern Tibetan Plateau (ETP). These two QPE methodologies are evaluated extensively using four precipitation events that are characterized by different meteorological features. Precipitation characteristics of independent storm cells associated with these four events, as well as the storm-scale differences, are investigated using short-term vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR) clusters. Evaluation results show that the SCIT-based rainfall approach performs better than the simple RT-based method for all precipitation events in terms of score comparison using validation gauge measurements as references. It is also found that the SCIT-based approach can effectively mitigate the local error of radar QPE and represent the precipitation spatiotemporal variability better than the RT-based scheme.

  1. Airborne lidar-based estimates of tropical forest structure in complex terrain: opportunities and trade-offs for REDD+

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leitold, Veronika; Keller, Michael; Morton, Douglas C; Cook, Bruce D; Shimabukuro, Yosio E

    2015-12-01

    Carbon stocks and fluxes in tropical forests remain large sources of uncertainty in the global carbon budget. Airborne lidar remote sensing is a powerful tool for estimating aboveground biomass, provided that lidar measurements penetrate dense forest vegetation to generate accurate estimates of surface topography and canopy heights. Tropical forest areas with complex topography present a challenge for lidar remote sensing. We compared digital terrain models (DTM) derived from airborne lidar data from a mountainous region of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil to 35 ground control points measured with survey grade GNSS receivers. The terrain model generated from full-density (~20 returns m -2 ) data was highly accurate (mean signed error of 0.19 ± 0.97 m), while those derived from reduced-density datasets (8 m -2 , 4 m -2 , 2 m -2 and 1 m -2 ) were increasingly less accurate. Canopy heights calculated from reduced-density lidar data declined as data density decreased due to the inability to accurately model the terrain surface. For lidar return densities below 4 m -2 , the bias in height estimates translated into errors of 80-125 Mg ha -1 in predicted aboveground biomass. Given the growing emphasis on the use of airborne lidar for forest management, carbon monitoring, and conservation efforts, the results of this study highlight the importance of careful survey planning and consistent sampling for accurate quantification of aboveground biomass stocks and dynamics. Approaches that rely primarily on canopy height to estimate aboveground biomass are sensitive to DTM errors from variability in lidar sampling density.

  2. Environmental impacts of forest road construction on mountainous terrain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caliskan, Erhan

    2013-03-15

    Forest roads are the base infrastructure foundation of forestry operations. These roads entail a complex engineering effort because they can cause substantial environmental damage to forests and include a high-cost construction. This study was carried out in four sample sites of Giresun, Trabzon(2) and Artvin Forest Directorate, which is in the Black Sea region of Turkey. The areas have both steep terrain (30-50% gradient) and very steep terrain (51-80% gradient). Bulldozers and hydraulic excavators were determined to be the main machines for forest road construction, causing environmental damage and cross sections in mountainous areas.As a result of this study, the percent damage to forests was determined as follows: on steep terrain, 21% of trees were damaged by excavators and 33% of trees were damaged by bulldozers during forest road construction, and on very steep terrain, 27% of trees were damaged by excavators and 44% of trees were damaged by bulldozers during forest road construction. It was also determined that on steep terrain, when excavators were used, 12.23% less forest area was destroyed compared with when bulldozers were used and 16.13% less area was destroyed by excavators on very steep terrain. In order to reduce the environmental damage on the forest ecosystem, especially in steep terrains, hydraulic excavators should replace bulldozers in forest road construction activities.

  3. Environmental Impacts of Forest Road Construction on Mountainous Terrain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erhan Caliskan

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Forest roads are the base infrastructure foundation of forestry operations. These roads entail a complex engineering effort because they can cause substantial environmental damage to forests and include a high-cost construction. This study was carried out in four sample sites of Giresun, Trabzon(2 and Artvin Forest Directorate, which is in the Black Sea region of Turkey. The areas have both steep terrain (30-50% gradient and very steep terrain (51-80% gradient. Bulldozers and hydraulic excavators were determined to be the main machines for forest road construction, causing environmental damage and cross sections in mountainous areas.As a result of this study, the percent damage to forests was determined as follows: on steep terrain, 21% of trees were damaged by excavators and 33% of trees were damaged by bulldozers during forest road construction, and on very steep terrain, 27% of trees were damaged by excavators and 44% of trees were damaged by bulldozers during forest road construction. It was also determined that on steep terrain, when excavators were used, 12.23% less forest area was destroyed compared with when bulldozers were used and 16.13% less area was destroyed by excavators on very steep terrain. In order to reduce the environmental damage on the forest ecosystem, especially in steep terrains, hydraulic excavators should replace bulldozers in forest road construction activities.

  4. A new method for determination of most likely landslide initiation points and the evaluation of digital terrain model scale in terrain stability mapping

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Tarolli

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper introduces a new approach for determining the most likely initiation points for landslides from potential instability mapped using a terrain stability model. This approach identifies the location with critical stability index from a terrain stability model on each downslope path from ridge to valley. Any measure of terrain stability may be used with this approach, which here is illustrated using results from SINMAP, and from simply taking slope as an index of potential instability. The relative density of most likely landslide initiation points within and outside mapped landslide scars provides a way to evaluate the effectiveness of a terrain stability measure, even when mapped landslide scars include run out zones, rather than just initiation locations. This relative density was used to evaluate the utility of high resolution terrain data derived from airborne laser altimetry (LIDAR for a small basin located in the Northeastern Region of Italy. Digital Terrain Models were derived from the LIDAR data for a range of grid cell sizes (from 2 to 50 m. We found appreciable differences between the density of most likely landslide initiation points within and outside mapped landslides with ratios as large as three or more with the highest ratios for a digital terrain model grid cell size of 10 m. This leads to two conclusions: (1 The relative density from a most likely landslide initiation point approach is useful for quantifying the effectiveness of a terrain stability map when mapped landslides do not or can not differentiate between initiation, runout, and depositional areas; and (2 in this study area, where landslides occurred in complexes that were sometimes more than 100 m wide, a digital terrain model scale of 10 m is optimal. Digital terrain model scales larger than 10 m result in loss of resolution that degrades the results, while for digital terrain model scales smaller than 10 m the physical processes responsible for triggering

  5. Analysis of the existing Standard on Power performance measurement and its application in complex terrain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cuerva, A.

    1997-01-01

    There are some groups working on the improvement of the existing Standard and recommendation on WECS power performance measurement and analysis. One of them, besides the one working in this project, is the MEASNET expert group. This one is trying to adequate the main reference, the IEC1400-12 Ref. [9]. to the current requirements on technical quality and trueness. Within this group and the MEASNET one, many deficiencies have been detected in the procedure followed up to now. Several of them belong to general aspects of the method (calculations, assumptions, etc. ) but the most critical fact regards to the inherent characteristics of complex terrain and to the issue of site calibration and uncertainties due to it, specifically. (Author)

  6. Analysis of the existing Standard on Power performance measurement and its application in complex terrain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cuerva, A.

    1997-10-01

    There are some groups working on the improvement of the existing Standard and recommendation on WECS power performance measurement and analysis. One of them, besides the one working in this project, is the MEASNET expert group. This one is trying to adequate the main reference, the IEC 1400-12 Re.[9]. to the current requirements on technical quality and trueness. Within this group and the MEASNET one, many deficiencies have been detected in the procedure followed up to now. Several of them belong to general aspects of the method (calculations, assumptions, etc.) but the most critical fact regards to the inherent characteristics of complex terrain and to the issue of site calibration and uncertainties due to it, specifically. (Author)

  7. Methodological approach in determination of small spatial units in a highly complex terrain in atmospheric pollution research: the case of Zasavje region in Slovenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kukec, Andreja; Boznar, Marija Z; Mlakar, Primoz; Grasic, Bostjan; Herakovic, Andrej; Zadnik, Vesna; Zaletel-Kragelj, Lijana; Farkas, Jerneja; Erzen, Ivan

    2014-05-01

    The study of atmospheric air pollution research in complex terrains is challenged by the lack of appropriate methodology supporting the analysis of the spatial relationship between phenomena affected by a multitude of factors. The key is optimal design of a meaningful approach based on small spatial units of observation. The Zasavje region, Slovenia, was chosen as study area with the main objective to investigate in practice the role of such units in a test environment. The process consisted of three steps: modelling of pollution in the atmosphere with dispersion models, transfer of the results to geographical information system software, and then moving on to final determination of the function of small spatial units. A methodology capable of designing useful units for atmospheric air pollution research in highly complex terrains was created, and the results were deemed useful in offering starting points for further research in the field of geospatial health.

  8. Analysis of the Response of a 600 kW Stall Controlled Wind Turbine in Complex Terrain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cuerva, A.; Bercebal, D.; De la Cruz, S.; Lopez-Diez, S.; Lopez-Roque, V.; Vazquez-Aguado, A.; Marti, I.; Marchante, M.; Navarro, J. [CIEMAT. Madrid (Spain)

    1998-12-31

    This work presents a detailed analysis of the operating characteristics of a 600 kW rated power wind turbine installed in complex terrain. The description of the experimental set up and analysis system is included. The relationships between parameters that describe the wind turbine response and the environmental conditions are established via high level statistical analysis, fatigue analysis and analysis is the frequency domain. Dimensionless factors are calculated to explain the intrinsic response of the structure before stochastic and deterministic wind conditions, independently from its size and wind intensity. Finally, conclusions are presented regarding the parameters that affect the loading state and power production of the machine. (Author) 12 refs.

  9. Analysis of the Response of a 600 kW Stall Controlled Wind Turbine in Complex Terrain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cuerva, A.; Bercebal, D.; De La Cruz, M.; Lopez-Diez, S.; Lopez-Roque, V.; Vazquez-Aguado, A.; Marti, I.; Marchante, M.; Navarro, J.

    1998-01-01

    This work presents a detailed analysis of the operating characteristics of a 600 kW rated power wind turbine installed in complex terrain. The description of the experimental set up and analysis system is included. The relationships between parameters that describe the wind turbine response and the environmental conditions are established via high level statistical analysis, fatigue analysis and analysis in the frequency domain. Dimension less factors are calculated to explain the intrinsic response of the structure before stochastic and deterministic wind conditions, independently from its size and wind intensity. Finally, conclusions are presented regarding the parameters that affect the loading state and power production of the machine. (Author) 12 refs

  10. Wind turbine power performance verification in complex terrain and wind farms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Friis Pedersen, T.; Gjerding, S.; Ingham, P.; Enevoldsen, P.; Kjaer Hansen, J.; Kanstrup Joergensen, H.

    2002-04-01

    The IEC/EN 61400-12 Ed 1 standard for wind turbine power performance testing is being revised. The standard will be divided into four documents. The first one of these is more or less a revision of the existing document on power performance measurements on individual wind turbines. The second one is a power performance verification procedure for individual wind turbines. The third is a power performance measurement procedure of whole wind farms, and the fourth is a power performance measurement procedure for non-grid (small) wind turbines. This report presents work that was made to support the basis for this standardisation work. The work addressed experience from several national and international research projects and contractual and field experience gained within the wind energy community on this matter. The work was wide ranging and addressed 'grey' areas of knowledge regarding existing methodologies, which has then been investigated in more detail. The work has given rise to a range of conclusions and recommendations regarding: guaranties on power curves in complex terrain; investors and bankers experience with verification of power curves; power performance in relation to regional correction curves for Denmark; anemometry and the influence of inclined flow. (au)

  11. Modeling wake effects in large wind farms in complex terrain: the problem, the methods and the issues

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Politis, E.S.; Prospathopoulos, J.; Cabezon, D.

    2012-01-01

    turbulence closures, are used. The wind turbines are modeled as momentum absorbers by means of their thrust coefficient through the actuator disk approach. Alternative methods for estimating the reference wind speed in the calculation of the thrust are tested. The work presented in this paper is part......Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) methods are used in this paper to predict the power production from entire wind farms in complex terrain and to shed some light into the wake flow patterns. Two full three-dimensional Navier–Stokes solvers for incompressible fluid flow, employing k - ε and k - ω...

  12. Research on 3-D terrain correction methods of airborne gamma-ray spectrometry survey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Yanyang; Liu Qingcheng; Zhang Zhiyong

    2008-01-01

    The general method of height correction is not effectual in complex terrain during the process of explaining airborne gamma-ray spectrometry data, and the 2-D terrain correction method researched in recent years is just available for correction of section measured. A new method of 3-D sector terrain correction is studied. The ground radiator is divided into many small sector radiators by the method, then the irradiation rate is calculated in certain survey distance, and the total value of all small radiate sources is regarded as the irradiation rate of the ground radiator at certain point of aero- survey, and the correction coefficients of every point are calculated which then applied to correct to airborne gamma-ray spectrometry data. The method can achieve the forward calculation, inversion calculation and terrain correction for airborne gamma-ray spectrometry survey in complex topography by dividing the ground radiator into many small sectors. Other factors are considered such as the un- saturated degree of measure scope, uneven-radiator content on ground, and so on. The results of for- ward model and an example analysis show that the 3-D terrain correction method is proper and effectual. (authors)

  13. Rapid Optimal Generation Algorithm for Terrain Following Trajectory Based on Optimal Control

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    杨剑影; 张海; 谢邦荣; 尹健

    2004-01-01

    Based on the optimal control theory, a 3-dimensionnal direct generation algorithm is proposed for anti-ground low altitude penetration tasks under complex terrain. By optimizing the terrain following(TF) objective function,terrain coordinate system, missile dynamic model and control vector, the TF issue is turning into the improved optimal control problem whose mathmatical model is simple and need not solve the second order terrain derivative. Simulation results prove that this method is reasonable and feasible. The TF precision is in the scope from 0.3 m to 3.0 m,and the planning time is less than 30 min. This method have the strongpionts such as rapidness, precision and has great application value.

  14. LINCOM wind flow model: Application to complex terrain with thermal stratification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dunkerley, F.; Moreno, J.; Mikkelsen, T.

    2001-01-01

    LINCOM is a fast linearised and spectral wind flow model for use over hilly terrain. It is designed to rapidly generate mean wind field predictions which provide input to atmospheric dispersion models and wind engineering applications. The thermal module, LINCOM-T, has recently been improved to p...

  15. One-level modeling for diagnosing surface winds over complex terrain. II - Applicability to short-range forecasting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alpert, P.; Getenio, B.; Zak-Rosenthal, R.

    1988-01-01

    The Alpert and Getenio (1988) modification of the Mass and Dempsey (1985) one-level sigma-surface model was used to study four synoptic events that included two winter cases (a Cyprus low and a Siberian high) and two summer cases. Results of statistical verification showed that the model is not only capable of diagnosing many details of surface mesoscale flow, but might also be useful for various applications which require operative short-range prediction of the diurnal changes of high-resolution surface flow over complex terrain, for example, in locating wildland fires, determining the dispersion of air pollutants, and predicting changes in wind energy or of surface wind for low-level air flights.

  16. Local curvature entropy-based 3D terrain representation using a comprehensive Quadtree

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Qiyu; Liu, Gang; Ma, Xiaogang; Mariethoz, Gregoire; He, Zhenwen; Tian, Yiping; Weng, Zhengping

    2018-05-01

    Large scale 3D digital terrain modeling is a crucial part of many real-time applications in geoinformatics. In recent years, the improved speed and precision in spatial data collection make the original terrain data more complex and bigger, which poses challenges for data management, visualization and analysis. In this work, we presented an effective and comprehensive 3D terrain representation based on local curvature entropy and a dynamic Quadtree. The Level-of-detail (LOD) models of significant terrain features were employed to generate hierarchical terrain surfaces. In order to reduce the radical changes of grid density between adjacent LODs, local entropy of terrain curvature was regarded as a measure of subdividing terrain grid cells. Then, an efficient approach was presented to eliminate the cracks among the different LODs by directly updating the Quadtree due to an edge-based structure proposed in this work. Furthermore, we utilized a threshold of local entropy stored in each parent node of this Quadtree to flexibly control the depth of the Quadtree and dynamically schedule large-scale LOD terrain. Several experiments were implemented to test the performance of the proposed method. The results demonstrate that our method can be applied to construct LOD 3D terrain models with good performance in terms of computational cost and the maintenance of terrain features. Our method has already been deployed in a geographic information system (GIS) for practical uses, and it is able to support the real-time dynamic scheduling of large scale terrain models more easily and efficiently.

  17. Path Planning and Replanning for Mobile Robot Navigation on 3D Terrain: An Approach Based on Geodesic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kun-Lin Wu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, mobile robot navigation on a 3D terrain with a single obstacle is addressed. The terrain is modelled as a smooth, complete manifold with well-defined tangent planes and the hazardous region is modelled as an enclosing circle with a hazard grade tuned radius representing the obstacle projected onto the terrain to allow efficient path-obstacle intersection checking. To resolve the intersections along the initial geodesic, by resorting to the geodesic ideas from differential geometry on surfaces and manifolds, we present a geodesic-based planning and replanning algorithm as a new method for obstacle avoidance on a 3D terrain without using boundary following on the obstacle surface. The replanning algorithm generates two new paths, each a composition of two geodesics, connected via critical points whose locations are found to be heavily relying on the exploration of the terrain via directional scanning on the tangent plane at the first intersection point of the initial geodesic with the circle. An advantage of this geodesic path replanning procedure is that traversability of terrain on which the detour path traverses could be explored based on the local Gauss-Bonnet Theorem of the geodesic triangle at the planning stage. A simulation demonstrates the practicality of the analytical geodesic replanning procedure for navigating a constant speed point robot on a 3D hill-like terrain.

  18. Sculpting Mountains: Interactive Terrain Modeling Based on Subsurface Geology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordonnier, Guillaume; Cani, Marie-Paule; Benes, Bedrich; Braun, Jean; Galin, Eric

    2018-05-01

    Most mountain ranges are formed by the compression and folding of colliding tectonic plates. Subduction of one plate causes large-scale asymmetry while their layered composition (or stratigraphy) explains the multi-scale folded strata observed on real terrains. We introduce a novel interactive modeling technique to generate visually plausible, large scale terrains that capture these phenomena. Our method draws on both geological knowledge for consistency and on sculpting systems for user interaction. The user is provided hands-on control on the shape and motion of tectonic plates, represented using a new geologically-inspired model for the Earth crust. The model captures their volume preserving and complex folding behaviors under collision, causing mountains to grow. It generates a volumetric uplift map representing the growth rate of subsurface layers. Erosion and uplift movement are jointly simulated to generate the terrain. The stratigraphy allows us to render folded strata on eroded cliffs. We validated the usability of our sculpting interface through a user study, and compare the visual consistency of the earth crust model with geological simulation results and real terrains.

  19. Evaluating terrain based criteria for snow avalanche exposure ratings using GIS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delparte, Donna; Jamieson, Bruce; Waters, Nigel

    2010-05-01

    Snow avalanche terrain in backcountry regions of Canada is increasingly being assessed based upon the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES). ATES is a terrain based classification introduced in 2004 by Parks Canada to identify "simple", "challenging" and "complex" backcountry areas. The ATES rating system has been applied to well over 200 backcountry routes, has been used in guidebooks, trailhead signs and maps and is part of the trip planning component of the AVALUATOR™, a simple decision-support tool for backcountry users. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offers a means to model and visualize terrain based criteria through the use of digital elevation model (DEM) and land cover data. Primary topographic variables such as slope, aspect and curvature are easily derived from a DEM and are compatible with the equivalent evaluation criteria in ATES. Other components of the ATES classification are difficult to extract from a DEM as they are not strictly terrain based. An overview is provided of the terrain variables that can be generated from DEM and land cover data; criteria from ATES which are not clearly terrain based are identified for further study or revision. The second component of this investigation was the development of an algorithm for inputting suitable ATES criteria into a GIS, thereby mimicking the process avalanche experts use when applying the ATES classification to snow avalanche terrain. GIS based classifications were compared to existing expert assessments for validity. The advantage of automating the ATES classification process through GIS is to assist avalanche experts with categorizing and mapping remote backcountry terrain.

  20. Statistical downscaling of historical monthly mean winds over a coastal region of complex terrain. II. Predicting wind components

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kamp, Derek van der [University of Victoria, Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium, Victoria, BC (Canada); University of Victoria, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Victoria, BC (Canada); Curry, Charles L. [Environment Canada University of Victoria, Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis, Victoria, BC (Canada); University of Victoria, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Victoria, BC (Canada); Monahan, Adam H. [University of Victoria, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Victoria, BC (Canada)

    2012-04-15

    A regression-based downscaling technique was applied to monthly mean surface wind observations from stations throughout western Canada as well as from buoys in the Northeast Pacific Ocean over the period 1979-2006. A predictor set was developed from principal component analysis of the three wind components at 500 hPa and mean sea-level pressure taken from the NCEP Reanalysis II. Building on the results of a companion paper, Curry et al. (Clim Dyn 2011), the downscaling was applied to both wind speed and wind components, in an effort to evaluate the utility of each type of predictand. Cross-validated prediction skill varied strongly with season, with autumn and summer displaying the highest and lowest skill, respectively. In most cases wind components were predicted with better skill than wind speeds. The predictive ability of wind components was found to be strongly related to their orientation. Wind components with the best predictions were often oriented along topographically significant features such as constricted valleys, mountain ranges or ocean channels. This influence of directionality on predictive ability is most prominent during autumn and winter at inland sites with complex topography. Stations in regions with relatively flat terrain (where topographic steering is minimal) exhibit inter-station consistencies including region-wide seasonal shifts in the direction of the best predicted wind component. The conclusion that wind components can be skillfully predicted only over a limited range of directions at most stations limits the scope of statistically downscaled wind speed predictions. It seems likely that such limitations apply to other regions of complex terrain as well. (orig.)

  1. An assessment of differences in gridded precipitation datasets in complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henn, Brian; Newman, Andrew J.; Livneh, Ben; Daly, Christopher; Lundquist, Jessica D.

    2018-01-01

    Hydrologic modeling and other geophysical applications are sensitive to precipitation forcing data quality, and there are known challenges in spatially distributing gauge-based precipitation over complex terrain. We conduct a comparison of six high-resolution, daily and monthly gridded precipitation datasets over the Western United States. We compare the long-term average spatial patterns, and interannual variability of water-year total precipitation, as well as multi-year trends in precipitation across the datasets. We find that the greatest absolute differences among datasets occur in high-elevation areas and in the maritime mountain ranges of the Western United States, while the greatest percent differences among datasets relative to annual total precipitation occur in arid and rain-shadowed areas. Differences between datasets in some high-elevation areas exceed 200 mm yr-1 on average, and relative differences range from 5 to 60% across the Western United States. In areas of high topographic relief, true uncertainties and biases are likely higher than the differences among the datasets; we present evidence of this based on streamflow observations. Precipitation trends in the datasets differ in magnitude and sign at smaller scales, and are sensitive to how temporal inhomogeneities in the underlying precipitation gauge data are handled.

  2. Development of a ratiometric time-resolved luminescence sensor for pH based on lanthanide complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Mingjing; Ye, Zhiqiang; Xin, Chenglong; Yuan, Jingli

    2013-01-25

    Time-resolved luminescence bioassay technique using lanthanide complexes as luminescent probes/sensors has shown great utilities in clinical diagnostics and biotechnology discoveries. In this work, a novel terpyridine polyacid derivative that can form highly stable complexes with lanthanide ions in aqueous media, (4'-hydroxy-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine-6,6''-diyl) bis(methylenenitrilo) tetrakis(acetic acid) (HTTA), was designed and synthesized for developing time-resolved luminescence pH sensors based on its Eu(3+) and Tb(3+) complexes. The luminescence characterization results reveal that the luminescence intensity of HTTA-Eu(3+) is strongly dependent on the pH values in weakly acidic to neutral media (pK(a) = 5.8, pH 4.8-7.5), while that of HTTA-Tb(3+) is pH-independent. This unique luminescence response allows the mixture of HTTA-Eu(3+) and HTTA-Tb(3+) (the HTTA-Eu(3+)/Tb(3+) mixture) to be used as a ratiometric luminescence sensor for the time-resolved luminescence detection of pH with the intensity ratio of its Tb(3+) emission at 540 nm to its Eu(3+) emission at 610 nm, I(540 nm)/I(610 nm), as a signal. Moreover, the UV absorption spectrum changes of the HTTA-Eu(3+)/Tb(3+) mixture at different pHs (pH 4.0-7.0) also display a ratiometric response to the pH changes with the ratio of absorbance at 290 nm to that at 325 nm, A(290 nm)/A(325 nm), as a signal. This feature enables the HTTA-Eu(3+)/Tb(3+) mixture to have an additional function for the pH detection with the absorption spectrometry technique. For loading the complexes into the living cells, the acetoxymethyl ester of HTTA was synthesized and used for loading HTTA-Eu(3+) and HTTA-Tb(3+) into the cultured HeLa cells. The luminescence imaging results demonstrated the practical utility of the new sensor for the time-resolved luminescence cell imaging application. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Information measures for terrain visualization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonaventura, Xavier; Sima, Aleksandra A.; Feixas, Miquel; Buckley, Simon J.; Sbert, Mateu; Howell, John A.

    2017-02-01

    Many quantitative and qualitative studies in geoscience research are based on digital elevation models (DEMs) and 3D surfaces to aid understanding of natural and anthropogenically-influenced topography. As well as their quantitative uses, the visual representation of DEMs can add valuable information for identifying and interpreting topographic features. However, choice of viewpoints and rendering styles may not always be intuitive, especially when terrain data are augmented with digital image texture. In this paper, an information-theoretic framework for object understanding is applied to terrain visualization and terrain view selection. From a visibility channel between a set of viewpoints and the component polygons of a 3D terrain model, we obtain three polygonal information measures. These measures are used to visualize the information associated with each polygon of the terrain model. In order to enhance the perception of the terrain's shape, we explore the effect of combining the calculated information measures with the supplementary digital image texture. From polygonal information, we also introduce a method to select a set of representative views of the terrain model. Finally, we evaluate the behaviour of the proposed techniques using example datasets. A publicly available framework for both the visualization and the view selection of a terrain has been created in order to provide the possibility to analyse any terrain model.

  4. Development of a ratiometric time-resolved luminescence sensor for pH based on lanthanide complexes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Mingjing; Ye Zhiqiang; Xin Chenglong; Yuan Jingli

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► A lanthanide complex-based ratiometric luminescent pH sensor was developed. ► The sensor can luminously respond to pH in weakly acidic to neutral media. ► The sensor can be used for monitoring pH with time-resolved luminescence mode. ► The sensor can be also used for monitoring pH with absorbance mode. ► The utility of the sensor for the luminescent cell imaging was demonstrated. - Abstract: Time-resolved luminescence bioassay technique using lanthanide complexes as luminescent probes/sensors has shown great utilities in clinical diagnostics and biotechnology discoveries. In this work, a novel terpyridine polyacid derivative that can form highly stable complexes with lanthanide ions in aqueous media, (4′-hydroxy-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine-6,6′′-diyl) bis(methylenenitrilo) tetrakis(acetic acid) (HTTA), was designed and synthesized for developing time-resolved luminescence pH sensors based on its Eu 3+ and Tb 3+ complexes. The luminescence characterization results reveal that the luminescence intensity of HTTA–Eu 3+ is strongly dependent on the pH values in weakly acidic to neutral media (pK a = 5.8, pH 4.8–7.5), while that of HTTA–Tb 3+ is pH-independent. This unique luminescence response allows the mixture of HTTA–Eu 3+ and HTTA–Tb 3+ (the HTTA–Eu 3+ /Tb 3+ mixture) to be used as a ratiometric luminescence sensor for the time-resolved luminescence detection of pH with the intensity ratio of its Tb 3+ emission at 540 nm to its Eu 3+ emission at 610 nm, I 540nm /I 610nm , as a signal. Moreover, the UV absorption spectrum changes of the HTTA–Eu 3+ /Tb 3+ mixture at different pHs (pH 4.0–7.0) also display a ratiometric response to the pH changes with the ratio of absorbance at 290 nm to that at 325 nm, A 290nm /A 325nm , as a signal. This feature enables the HTTA–Eu 3+ /Tb 3+ mixture to have an additional function for the pH detection with the absorption spectrometry technique. For loading the complexes into the

  5. Hexographic Method of Complex Town-Planning Terrain Estimate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khudyakov, A. Ju

    2017-11-01

    The article deals with the vital problem of a complex town-planning analysis based on the “hexographic” graphic analytic method, makes a comparison with conventional terrain estimate methods and contains the method application examples. It discloses a procedure of the author’s estimate of restrictions and building of a mathematical model which reflects not only conventional town-planning restrictions, but also social and aesthetic aspects of the analyzed territory. The method allows one to quickly get an idea of the territory potential. It is possible to use an unlimited number of estimated factors. The method can be used for the integrated assessment of urban areas. In addition, it is possible to use the methods of preliminary evaluation of the territory commercial attractiveness in the preparation of investment projects. The technique application results in simple informative graphics. Graphical interpretation is straightforward from the experts. A definite advantage is the free perception of the subject results as they are not prepared professionally. Thus, it is possible to build a dialogue between professionals and the public on a new level allowing to take into account the interests of various parties. At the moment, the method is used as a tool for the preparation of integrated urban development projects at the Department of Architecture in Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “South Ural State University (National Research University)”, FSAEIHE SUSU (NRU). The methodology is included in a course of lectures as the material on architectural and urban design for architecture students. The same methodology was successfully tested in the preparation of business strategies for the development of some territories in the Chelyabinsk region. This publication is the first in a series of planned activities developing and describing the methodology of hexographical analysis in urban and architectural practice. It is also

  6. Geological terrain models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaupp, V. H.; Macdonald, H. C.; Waite, W. P.

    1981-01-01

    The initial phase of a program to determine the best interpretation strategy and sensor configuration for a radar remote sensing system for geologic applications is discussed. In this phase, terrain modeling and radar image simulation were used to perform parametric sensitivity studies. A relatively simple computer-generated terrain model is presented, and the data base, backscatter file, and transfer function for digital image simulation are described. Sets of images are presented that simulate the results obtained with an X-band radar from an altitude of 800 km and at three different terrain-illumination angles. The simulations include power maps, slant-range images, ground-range images, and ground-range images with statistical noise incorporated. It is concluded that digital image simulation and computer modeling provide cost-effective methods for evaluating terrain variations and sensor parameter changes, for predicting results, and for defining optimum sensor parameters.

  7. Wind Regimes in Complex Terrain of the Great Valley of Eastern Tennessee

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Birdwell, Kevin R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2011-05-01

    This research was designed to provide an understanding of physical wind mechanisms within the complex terrain of the Great Valley of Eastern Tennessee to assess the impacts of regional air flow with regard to synoptic and mesoscale weather changes, wind direction shifts, and air quality. Meteorological data from 2008 2009 were analyzed from 13 meteorological sites along with associated upper level data. Up to 15 ancillary sites were used for reference. Two-step complete linkage and K-means cluster analyses, synoptic weather studies, and ambient meteorological comparisons were performed to generate hourly wind classifications. These wind regimes revealed seasonal variations of underlying physical wind mechanisms (forced channeled, vertically coupled, pressure-driven, and thermally-driven winds). Synoptic and ambient meteorological analysis (mixing depth, pressure gradient, pressure gradient ratio, atmospheric and surface stability) suggested up to 93% accuracy for the clustered results. Probabilistic prediction schemes of wind flow and wind class change were developed through characterization of flow change data and wind class succession. Data analysis revealed that wind flow in the Great Valley was dominated by forced channeled winds (45 67%) and vertically coupled flow (22 38%). Down-valley pressure-driven and thermally-driven winds also played significant roles (0 17% and 2 20%, respectively), usually accompanied by convergent wind patterns (15 20%) and large wind direction shifts, especially in the Central/Upper Great Valley. The behavior of most wind regimes was associated with detectable pressure differences between the Lower and Upper Great Valley. Mixing depth and synoptic pressure gradients were significant contributors to wind pattern behavior. Up to 15 wind classes and 10 sub-classes were identified in the Central Great Valley with 67 joined classes for the Great Valley at-large. Two-thirds of Great Valley at-large flow was defined by 12 classes. Winds

  8. A Mesoscale Model-Based Climatography of Nocturnal Boundary-Layer Characteristics over the Complex Terrain of North-Western Utah.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serafin, Stefano; De Wekker, Stephan F J; Knievel, Jason C

    Nocturnal boundary-layer phenomena in regions of complex topography are extremely diverse and respond to a multiplicity of forcing factors, acting primarily at the mesoscale and microscale. The interaction between different physical processes, e.g., drainage promoted by near-surface cooling and ambient flow over topography in a statically stable environment, may give rise to special flow patterns, uncommon over flat terrain. Here we present a climatography of boundary-layer flows, based on a 2-year archive of simulations from a high-resolution operational mesoscale weather modelling system, 4DWX. The geographical context is Dugway Proving Ground, in north-western Utah, USA, target area of the field campaigns of the MATERHORN (Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations Program) project. The comparison between model fields and available observations in 2012-2014 shows that the 4DWX model system provides a realistic representation of wind speed and direction in the area, at least in an average sense. Regions displaying strong spatial gradients in the field variables, thought to be responsible for enhanced nocturnal mixing, are typically located in transition areas from mountain sidewalls to adjacent plains. A key dynamical process in this respect is the separation of dynamically accelerated downslope flows from the surface.

  9. Flame propagation in two-dimensional solids: Particle-resolved studies with complex plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yurchenko, S. O.; Yakovlev, E. V.; Couëdel, L.; Kryuchkov, N. P.; Lipaev, A. M.; Naumkin, V. N.; Kislov, A. Yu.; Ovcharov, P. V.; Zaytsev, K. I.; Vorob'ev, E. V.; Morfill, G. E.; Ivlev, A. V.

    2017-10-01

    Using two-dimensional (2D) complex plasmas as an experimental model system, particle-resolved studies of flame propagation in classical 2D solids are carried out. Combining experiments, theory, and molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that the mode-coupling instability operating in 2D complex plasmas reveals all essential features of combustion, such as an activated heat release, two-zone structure of the self-similar temperature profile ("flame front"), as well as thermal expansion of the medium and temperature saturation behind the front. The presented results are of relevance for various fields ranging from combustion and thermochemistry, to chemical physics and synthesis of materials.

  10. Time-resolved homo-FRET studies of biotin-streptavidin complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andreoni, Alessandra; Nardo, Luca; Rigler, Rudolf

    2016-09-01

    Förster resonance energy transfer is a mechanism of fluorescence quenching that is notably useful for characterizing properties of biomolecules and/or their interactions. Here we study water-solutions of Biotin-Streptavidin complexes, in which Biotin is labeled with a rigidly-bound fluorophore that can interact by Förster resonance energy transfer with the fluorophores labeling the other, up to three, Biotins of the same complex. The fluorophore, Atto550, is a Rhodamine analogue. We detect the time-resolved fluorescence decay of the fluorophores with an apparatus endowed with single-photon sensitivity and temporal resolution of ~30ps. The decay profiles we observe for samples containing constant Biotin-Atto550 conjugates and varying Streptavidin concentrations are multi-exponential. Each decay component can be associated with the rate of quenching exerted on each donor by each of the acceptors that label the other Biotin molecules, depending on the binding site they occupy. The main features that lead to this result are that (i) the transition dipole moments of the up-to-four Atto550 fluorophores that label the complexes are fixed as to both relative positions and mutual orientations; (ii) the fluorophores are identical and the role of donor in each Biotin-Streptavidin complex is randomly attributed to the one that has absorbed the excitation light (homo-FRET). Obviously the high-temporal resolution of the excitation-detection apparatus is necessary to discriminate among the fluorescence decay components. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Performance and evaluation of a coupled prognostic model TAPM over a mountainous complex terrain industrial area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthaios, Vasileios N.; Triantafyllou, Athanasios G.; Albanis, Triantafyllos A.; Sakkas, Vasileios; Garas, Stelios

    2018-05-01

    Atmospheric modeling is considered an important tool with several applications such as prediction of air pollution levels, air quality management, and environmental impact assessment studies. Therefore, evaluation studies must be continuously made, in order to improve the accuracy and the approaches of the air quality models. In the present work, an attempt is made to examine the air pollution model (TAPM) efficiency in simulating the surface meteorology, as well as the SO2 concentrations in a mountainous complex terrain industrial area. Three configurations under different circumstances, firstly with default datasets, secondly with data assimilation, and thirdly with updated land use, ran in order to investigate the surface meteorology for a 3-year period (2009-2011) and one configuration applied to predict SO2 concentration levels for the year of 2011.The modeled hourly averaged meteorological and SO2 concentration values were statistically compared with those from five monitoring stations across the domain to evaluate the model's performance. Statistical measures showed that the surface temperature and relative humidity are predicted well in all three simulations, with index of agreement (IOA) higher than 0.94 and 0.70 correspondingly, in all monitoring sites, while an overprediction of extreme low temperature values is noted, with mountain altitudes to have an important role. However, the results also showed that the model's performance is related to the configuration regarding the wind. TAPM default dataset predicted better the wind variables in the center of the simulation than in the boundaries, while improvement in the boundary horizontal winds implied the performance of TAPM with updated land use. TAPM assimilation predicted the wind variables fairly good in the whole domain with IOA higher than 0.83 for the wind speed and higher than 0.85 for the horizontal wind components. Finally, the SO2 concentrations were assessed by the model with IOA varied from 0

  12. On characterizing terrain visibility graphs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William Evans

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available A terrain is an $x$-monotone polygonal line in the $xy$-plane. Two vertices of a terrain are mutually visible if and only if there is no terrain vertex on or above the open line segment connecting them. A graph whose vertices represent terrain vertices and whose edges represent mutually visible pairs of terrain vertices is called a terrain visibility graph. We would like to find properties that are both necessary and sufficient for a graph to be a terrain visibility graph; that is, we would like to characterize terrain visibility graphs.Abello et al. [Discrete and Computational Geometry, 14(3:331--358, 1995] showed that all terrain visibility graphs are “persistent”. They showed that the visibility information of a terrain point set implies some ordering requirements on the slopes of the lines connecting pairs of points in any realization, and as a step towards showing sufficiency, they proved that for any persistent graph $M$ there is a total order on the slopes of the (pseudo lines in a generalized configuration of points whose visibility graph is $M$.We give a much simpler proof of this result by establishing an orientation to every triple of vertices, reflecting some slope ordering requirements that are consistent with $M$ being the visibility graph, and prove that these requirements form a partial order. We give a faster algorithm to construct a total order on the slopes. Our approach attempts to clarify the implications of the graph theoretic properties on the ordering of the slopes, and may be interpreted as defining properties on an underlying oriented matroid that we show is a restricted type of $3$-signotope.

  13. The Mysteries and Curiosities of Mars: A Tour of Unusual and Unexplained Terrains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerber, L.

    2017-12-01

    The large amount of data available from orbiting satellites around Mars has provided a wealth of information about the Martian surface and geological history. The published literature tends to focus on regions of Mars for which there are ready explanations; however, many regions of Mars remain mysterious. In this contribution, we present some of the strangest and least explained terrains on Mars: The Taffy Terrain: This complex terrain, consisting of swirling layers with variably sized bands, is present mostly at the bottom of Hellas Basin, but versions of it can also be found on the floor of Melas Chasma and in the Medusae Fossae Formation near Apollinaris Sulci. While little has been written about the taffy terrain, hypotheses include "glacial features" and salt domes. The taffy terrain bears some resemblance to submarine salt domes in the Gulf of Mexico, glacial deposits with mixed ash and ice in Iceland, or chalk formations in Egypt's White Desert. The Fishscale Terrain: At the northern edge of Lucus Planum, the friable Medusae Fossae Formation transitions into a chaos-like terrain with hundreds of mesas forming a pattern like the scales of a fish. While chaos terrains are mysterious in general, this morphologically fresh, near-equatorial chaos is especially unusual. Polygonal Ridges in Gordii Dorsum: Also a part of the Medusae Fossae Formation, the ridges in Gordii Dorsum represent a negative image of the fishscale terrain—a intricate lattice of slender black ridges. These are thought to form via the embayment of the fishscale terrain with lava and the subsequent erosion of the original mesas. Horseshoe Features: These geomorphological features look like inverted barchan dunes, but they are actually pits eroded into the surface of the Medusae Fossae Formation. Channels surrounding Elysium Mons: These channel systems are among the most complex on Mars, but they appear on a young Amazonian lava surface. The channels cut through topography, anastomose, and

  14. Submarine Salt Karst Terrains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nico Augustin

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Karst terrains that develop in bodies of rock salt (taken as mainly of halite, NaCl are special not only for developing in one of the most soluble of all rocks, but also for developing in one of the weakest rocks. Salt is so weak that many surface-piercing salt diapirs extrude slow fountains of salt that that gravity spread downslope over deserts on land and over sea floors. Salt fountains in the deserts of Iran are usually so dry that they flow at only a few cm/yr but the few rain storms a decade so soak and weaken them that they surge at dm/day for a few days. We illustrate the only case where the rates at which different parts of one of the many tens of subaerial salt karst terrains in Iran flows downslope constrains the rates at which its subaerial salt karst terrains form. Normal seawater is only 10% saturated in NaCl. It should therefore be sufficiently aggressive to erode karst terrains into exposures of salt on the thousands of known submarine salt extrusions that have flowed or are still flowing over the floors of hundreds of submarine basins worldwide. However, we know of no attempt to constrain the processes that form submarine salt karst terrains on any of these of submarine salt extrusions. As on land, many potential submarine karst terrains are cloaked by clastic and pelagic sediments that are often hundreds of m thick. Nevertheless, detailed geophysical and bathymetric surveys have already mapped likely submarine salt karst terrains in at least the Gulf of Mexico, and the Red Sea. New images of these two areas are offered as clear evidence of submarine salt dissolution due to sinking or rising aggressive fluids. We suggest that repeated 3D surveys of distinctive features (± fixed seismic reflectors of such terrains could measure any downslope salt flow and thus offer an exceptional opportunity to constrain the rates at which submarine salt karst terrains develop. Such rates are of interest to all salt tectonicians and the many

  15. Atmospheric flow over terrain using hybrid RANS/LES

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bechmann, Andreas; Sørensen, Niels N.; Johansen, Jeppe

    2007-01-01

    Due to years of growth in installed wind power, new sites for wind turbines are in constant demand. With increased use of ever more complex sites, local wind phenomena can be expected to greatly increase the load on wind turbines. This work describes how Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) can be used...... to estimate the wind in complex terrain. A newly developed LES-model is presented and is validated by predicting the wind over the Askervein hill. We believe, that the ability of LES to capture load generating turbulent structures like wind gusts, is crucial for further development of complex sites....

  16. Adding complex terrain and stable atmospheric condition capability to the OpenFOAM-based flow solver of the simulator for on/offshore wind farm applications (SOWFA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Churchfield Matthew J.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Simulator for On/Offshore Wind Farm Applications contains an OpenFOAM-based flow solver for performing large-eddy simulation of flow through wind plants. The solver computes the atmospheric boundary layer flow and models turbines with actuator lines. Until recently, the solver was limited to flows over flat terrain and could only use the standard Smagorinsky subgrid-scale model. In this work, we present our improvements to the flow solver that enable us to 1 use any OpenFOAM-standard subgrid-scale model and 2 simulate flow over complex terrain. We used the flow solver to compute a stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer using both the standard and the Lagrangian-averaged scale-independent dynamic Smagorinsky models. Surprisingly, the results using the standard Smagorinsky model compare well to other researchers' results of the same case, although it is often said that the standard Smagorinsky model is too dissipative for accurate stable stratification calculations. The scale-independent dynamic subgrid-scale model produced poor results, probably due to the spikes in model constant with values as high as 4.6. We applied a simple bounding of the model constant to remove these spikes, which caused the model to produce results much more in line with other researchers' results. We also computed flow over a simple hilly terrain and performed some basic qualitative analysis to verify the proper operation of the terrain-local surface stress model we employed.

  17. A review of the analysis of complex time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, Trevor A; Ghiggino, Kenneth P

    2015-01-01

    Time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy measurements (TRAMs) are widely used to probe the dynamics of the various processes that can lead to the depolarisation of emission following photoselection by polarised excitation. The most commonly investigated of these emission depolarising phenomena is molecular rotational motion, but TRAMs are very useful for determining the kinetics of a host of other processes. In this paper we review several examples for which we have observed in our laboratories initially unexpectedly complex temporal behaviour of the time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy signal from relatively ‘simple’ chemical systems. In certain circumstances the anisotropy (i) decays on timescales when superficially it might be thought it should remain constant, (ii) shows marked ‘dip and rise’ behaviour in its intensity, or (iii) can change sign as the anisotropy evolves in time. Fundamentally simple processes, including molecular rotational motion, energy migration and excited state photophysics, can cause such behaviour. (topical review)

  18. Probing the Terrain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johannessen, Runa

    2016-01-01

    Whether manifest in built structures or invisible infrastructures, architectures of control in the occupied Palestinian West Bank is structurally defined by endemic uncertainty. Shifting lines and frontiers are recorded on the terrain, creating elastic zones of uncertainty necessitating navigatio...... to the territory through its lines and laws, and how the very structure of the occupation has changed over the years, I seek to make visible the ways in which architectures of uncertainty compensate for the fleeting terrain that HH is probing.......Whether manifest in built structures or invisible infrastructures, architectures of control in the occupied Palestinian West Bank is structurally defined by endemic uncertainty. Shifting lines and frontiers are recorded on the terrain, creating elastic zones of uncertainty necessitating...

  19. Transitional dispersive scenarios driven by mesoscale flows on complex terrain under strong dry convective conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. L. Palau

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available By experimentation and modelling, this paper analyses the atmospheric dispersion of the SO2 emissions from a power plant on complex terrain under strong convective conditions, describing the main dispersion features as an ensemble of "stationary dispersive scenarios" and reformulating some "classical" dispersive concepts to deal with the systematically monitored summer dispersive scenarios in inland Spain. The results and discussions presented arise from a statistically representative study of the physical processes associated with the multimodal distribution of pollutants aloft and around a 343-m-tall chimney under strong dry convective conditions in the Iberian Peninsula. This paper analyses the importance of the identification and physical implications of transitional periods for air quality applications. The indetermination of a transversal plume to the preferred transport direction during these transitional periods implies a small (or null physical significance of the classical definition of horizontal standard deviation of the concentration distribution.

  20. Treinta y Tres stratigraphic terrain: ex Cuchilla Dionisio terrain. Uruguay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bossi, J.

    2010-01-01

    From 1998 we are discussing if the eastern area of ZCSB is an allochtonous block named TCD or if it belongs to Dom Feliciano belt with an age of 500 - 700 Ma. This crustal block is difficult to study because Laguna Merin Graben cut it in two around 4000 k m2 crustal fragments distant s more de 100 km between them. Southern block which was named T PE by Masquelín (2006) was demonstrated as allochtonous by Bossi and Gaucher (2004) destroying the Cdf model but seriously complicating the stratigraphic terminology. It is proposed to do some changes in order to profit the general agreement about allochtomy. The CDT with change by Treinta y Tres terrane; T PE become sub - terrain Punta del Este; sub - terrain Cuchilla Dionisio for the septetrional block. From 1998 we are discussing if the eastern area of ZCSB is an allochtonous block named TCD or if it belongs to Dom Feliciano belt with an age of 500 - 700 Ma. This crustal block is difficult to study because Laguna Merín Graben cut it in two around 4000 k m2 crustal fragments distant s more de 100 km between them. Southern block which was named T PE by Masquelín (2006) was demonstrated as allochtonous by Bossi and Gaucher (2004) destroying the CDF model but seriously complicating the stratigraphic terminology. It is proposed to do some changes in order to profit the general agreement about allochtomy. The CDT with change by Treinta y Tres terrain; TPE become sub - terrain Punta del Este; sub - terrain Cuchilla Dionisio for the septetrional block

  1. Terrain assessment guidelines : CAGC best practice. Version 3

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2009-07-01

    This terrain classification assessment guideline discussed the steps required for personnel to understand terrain hazards present during seismic operations. Maps and other sources must be used to classify terrain steepness and surface conditions using geographical information systems (GIS), LIDAR, or satellite photographs. The impact of managing steep terrain within projects must also be considered when class 3, 4, 5, or 6 terrain has been identified. Terrains must also be classified according to colours. Secondary terrain assessments must be conducted when class 3, 4, 5, or 6 terrain has been identified. Terrain management plans should included methods of keeping untrained workers out of areas with classes greater than 3. Methods of entering and exiting steep terrain must be identified. Workers must be trained to work in areas with steep terrains. Methods of rescue and evacuation must also be established. Procedures were outlined for all terrain classes. Footwear, head protection and general safety requirements were outlined. 14 figs.

  2. Ranging error analysis of single photon satellite laser altimetry under different terrain conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jiapeng; Li, Guoyuan; Gao, Xiaoming; Wang, Jianmin; Fan, Wenfeng; Zhou, Shihong

    2018-02-01

    Single photon satellite laser altimeter is based on Geiger model, which has the characteristics of small spot, high repetition rate etc. In this paper, for the slope terrain, the distance of error's formula and numerical calculation are carried out. Monte Carlo method is used to simulate the experiment of different terrain measurements. The experimental results show that ranging accuracy is not affected by the spot size under the condition of the flat terrain, But the inclined terrain can influence the ranging error dramatically, when the satellite pointing angle is 0.001° and the terrain slope is about 12°, the ranging error can reach to 0.5m. While the accuracy can't meet the requirement when the slope is more than 70°. Monte Carlo simulation results show that single photon laser altimeter satellite with high repetition rate can improve the ranging accuracy under the condition of complex terrain. In order to ensure repeated observation of the same point for 25 times, according to the parameters of ICESat-2, we deduce the quantitative relation between the footprint size, footprint, and the frequency repetition. The related conclusions can provide reference for the design and demonstration of the domestic single photon laser altimetry satellite.

  3. NPSNET: Dynamic Terrain and Cultured Feature Depiction

    Science.gov (United States)

    1992-09-01

    defaults. bridge(terrain *ptr, vertex pos, bridge mattype bmat ); This constructor takes only the pointer to the underlying terrain, a placement, and a...material to use for construction. bridge(terrain *ptr, vertex pos, bridge-mattype bmat , float dir); This constructor takes a terrain pointer, a...placement position, a material to use, and a direction to run. bridge(terrain *ptr, vertex pos, bridge-mattype bmat , float dir, float width, float height

  4. An Immersed Boundary - Adaptive Mesh Refinement solver (IB-AMR) for high fidelity fully resolved wind turbine simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angelidis, Dionysios; Sotiropoulos, Fotis

    2015-11-01

    The geometrical details of wind turbines determine the structure of the turbulence in the near and far wake and should be taken in account when performing high fidelity calculations. Multi-resolution simulations coupled with an immersed boundary method constitutes a powerful framework for high-fidelity calculations past wind farms located over complex terrains. We develop a 3D Immersed-Boundary Adaptive Mesh Refinement flow solver (IB-AMR) which enables turbine-resolving LES of wind turbines. The idea of using a hybrid staggered/non-staggered grid layout adopted in the Curvilinear Immersed Boundary Method (CURVIB) has been successfully incorporated on unstructured meshes and the fractional step method has been employed. The overall performance and robustness of the second order accurate, parallel, unstructured solver is evaluated by comparing the numerical simulations against conforming grid calculations and experimental measurements of laminar and turbulent flows over complex geometries. We also present turbine-resolving multi-scale LES considering all the details affecting the induced flow field; including the geometry of the tower, the nacelle and especially the rotor blades of a wind tunnel scale turbine. This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy under Award Number DE-EE0005482 and the Sandia National Laboratories.

  5. Studies on the power output of a MADEAE-30 operating on complex terrain. Annual Energy Production estimation and Multivariable analysis. A case of multi-stall effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cuerva, A.

    1996-01-01

    The main need of the EWTS-II Sub-project IV group is to have a suitable data-base which allows it to reach proper conclusions on the characteristics of power performance of wind turbines in complex terrain. With this aim, this document presents an analysis on the power output of the MADE AE-30 Wind turbine operating at Tarifa (also data from flat terrain are enclosed as a reference). An application of the bin method and AEP estimation for energy production method. In the two last issues a directional analysis and an study for two different turbulence intensity ranges are enclosed. Finally the STEPWISE multirregression method is applied on the measurements to identify the stored parameters that have influence on the power output. A brief description of multi stall effect is enclosed. (Author) 7 refs

  6. Running over unknown rough terrain with a one-legged planar robot

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrews, Ben; Miller, Bruce; Clark, Jonathan E; Schmitt, John

    2011-01-01

    The ability to traverse unknown, rough terrain is an advantage that legged locomoters have over their wheeled counterparts. However, due to the complexity of multi-legged systems, research in legged robotics has not yet been able to reproduce the agility found in the animal kingdom. In an effort to reduce the complexity of the problem, researchers have developed single-legged models to gain insight into the fundamental dynamics of legged running. Inspired by studies of animal locomotion, researchers have proposed numerous control strategies to achieve stable, one-legged running over unknown, rough terrain. One such control strategy incorporates energy variations into the system during the stance phase by changing the force-free leg length as a sinusoidal function of time. In this research, a one-legged planar robot capable of implementing this and other state-of-the-art control strategies was designed and built. Both simulated and experimental results were used to determine and compare the stability of the proposed controllers as the robot was subjected to unknown drop and raised step perturbations equal to 25% of the nominal leg length. This study illustrates the relative advantages of utilizing a minimal-sensing, active energy removal control scheme to stabilize running over rough terrain.

  7. Evaluation of the TMPA-3B42 precipitation product using a high-density rain gauge network over complex terrain in northeastern Iberia

    KAUST Repository

    El Kenawy, Ahmed M.

    2015-08-29

    The performance of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA)-3B42 version 7 product is assessed over north-eastern Iberia, a region with considerable topographical gradients and complexity. Precipitation characteristics from a dense network of 656 rain gauges, spanning the period from 1998 to 2009, are used to evaluate TMPA-3B42 estimates on a daily scale. A set of accuracy estimators, including the relative bias, mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE) and Spearman coefficient was used to evaluate the results. The assessment indicates that TMPA-3B42 product is capable of describing the seasonal characteristics of the observed precipitation over most of the study domain. In particular, TMPA-3B42 precipitation agrees well with in situ measurements, with MAE less than 2.5mm.day-1, RMSE of 6.4mm.day-1 and Spearman correlation coefficients generally above 0.6. TMPA-3B42 provides improved accuracies in winter and summer, whereas it performs much worse in spring and autumn. Spatially, the retrieval errors show a consistent trend, with a general overestimation in regions of low altitude and underestimation in regions of heterogeneous terrain. TMPA-3B42 generally performs well over inland areas, while showing less skill in the coastal regions. A set of skill metrics, including a false alarm ratio [FAR], frequency bias index [FBI], the probability of detection [POD] and threat score [TS], is also used to evaluate TMPA performance under different precipitation thresholds (1, 5, 10, 25 and 50mm.day-1). The results suggest that TMPA-3B42 retrievals perform well in specifying moderate rain events (5-25mm.day-1), but show noticeably less skill in producing both light (<1mm.day-1) and heavy rainfall thresholds (more than 50mm.day-1). Given the complexity of the terrain and the associated high spatial variability of precipitation in north-eastern Iberia, the results reveal that TMPA-3B42 data provide an

  8. Evaluation of the TMPA-3B42 precipitation product using a high-density rain gauge network over complex terrain in northeastern Iberia

    KAUST Repository

    El Kenawy, Ahmed M.; Lopez-Moreno, Juan I.; McCabe, Matthew; Vicente-Serrano, Sergio M.

    2015-01-01

    The performance of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA)-3B42 version 7 product is assessed over north-eastern Iberia, a region with considerable topographical gradients and complexity. Precipitation characteristics from a dense network of 656 rain gauges, spanning the period from 1998 to 2009, are used to evaluate TMPA-3B42 estimates on a daily scale. A set of accuracy estimators, including the relative bias, mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE) and Spearman coefficient was used to evaluate the results. The assessment indicates that TMPA-3B42 product is capable of describing the seasonal characteristics of the observed precipitation over most of the study domain. In particular, TMPA-3B42 precipitation agrees well with in situ measurements, with MAE less than 2.5mm.day-1, RMSE of 6.4mm.day-1 and Spearman correlation coefficients generally above 0.6. TMPA-3B42 provides improved accuracies in winter and summer, whereas it performs much worse in spring and autumn. Spatially, the retrieval errors show a consistent trend, with a general overestimation in regions of low altitude and underestimation in regions of heterogeneous terrain. TMPA-3B42 generally performs well over inland areas, while showing less skill in the coastal regions. A set of skill metrics, including a false alarm ratio [FAR], frequency bias index [FBI], the probability of detection [POD] and threat score [TS], is also used to evaluate TMPA performance under different precipitation thresholds (1, 5, 10, 25 and 50mm.day-1). The results suggest that TMPA-3B42 retrievals perform well in specifying moderate rain events (5-25mm.day-1), but show noticeably less skill in producing both light (<1mm.day-1) and heavy rainfall thresholds (more than 50mm.day-1). Given the complexity of the terrain and the associated high spatial variability of precipitation in north-eastern Iberia, the results reveal that TMPA-3B42 data provide an

  9. A New Terrain Classification Framework Using Proprioceptive Sensors for Mobile Robots

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kai Zhao

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Mobile robots that operate in real-world environments interact with the surroundings to generate complex acoustics and vibration signals, which carry rich information about the terrain. This paper presents a new terrain classification framework that utilizes both acoustics and vibration signals resulting from the robot-terrain interaction. As an alternative to handcrafted domain-specific feature extraction, a two-stage feature selection method combining ReliefF and mRMR algorithms was developed to select optimal feature subsets that carry more discriminative information. As different data sources can provide complementary information, a multiclassifier combination method was proposed by considering a priori knowledge and fusing predictions from five data sources: one acoustic data source and four vibration data sources. In this study, four conceptually different classifiers were employed to perform the classification, each with a different number of optimal features. Signals were collected using a tracked robot moving at three different speeds on six different terrains. The new framework successfully improved classification performance of different classifiers using the newly developed optimal feature subsets. The greater improvement was observed for robot traversing at lower speeds.

  10. Assessment of the ARW-WRF model over complex terrain: the case of the Stellenbosch Wine of Origin district of South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soltanzadeh, Iman; Bonnardot, Valérie; Sturman, Andrew; Quénol, Hervé; Zawar-Reza, Peyman

    2017-08-01

    Global warming has implications for thermal stress for grapevines during ripening, so that wine producers need to adapt their viticultural practices to ensure optimum physiological response to environmental conditions in order to maintain wine quality. The aim of this paper is to assess the ability of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to accurately represent atmospheric processes at high resolution (500 m) during two events during the grapevine ripening period in the Stellenbosch Wine of Origin district of South Africa. Two case studies were selected to identify areas of potentially high daytime heat stress when grapevine photosynthesis and grape composition were expected to be affected. The results of high-resolution atmospheric model simulations were compared to observations obtained from an automatic weather station (AWS) network in the vineyard region. Statistical analysis was performed to assess the ability of the WRF model to reproduce spatial and temporal variations of meteorological parameters at 500-m resolution. The model represented the spatial and temporal variation of meteorological variables very well, with an average model air temperature bias of 0.1 °C, while that for relative humidity was -5.0 % and that for wind speed 0.6 m s-1. Variation in model performance varied between AWS and with time of day, as WRF was not always able to accurately represent effects of nocturnal cooling within the complex terrain. Variations in performance between the two case studies resulted from effects of atmospheric boundary layer processes in complex terrain under the influence of the different synoptic conditions prevailing during the two periods.

  11. Effect of an isolated elliptical terrain (Jeju Island on rainfall enhancement in a moist environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keun-OK Lee

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available A series of idealised experiments using a cloud-resolving storm simulator (CReSS was performed to investigate the effects of the isolated elliptically shaped terrain of Jeju Island (oriented east–west, southern Korea, on the enhancement of pre-existing rainfall systems under the influence of prevailing southwesterly moist flows. Control parameters were the low-altitude wind speed (Froude numbers: 0.2, 0.4, 0.55 and the initial location of the elongated (oriented north–east rainfall system (off the northwestern or western shores of the island. Simulations were conducted for all combinations of initial location and wind regime. Overall, results indicate that weak southwesterlies flowing around the steep mountain on the island (height, 2 km generate two local convergences, on the northern lateral side and on the lee side of the island, both in regions of moist environments, thus producing conditions favourable for enhanced rainfall. As an eastward-moving rainfall system approaches the northwestern shore of the island, the southwesterlies at low altitudes accelerate between the system and the terrain, generating a local updraft region that causes rainfall enhancement onshore in advance of the system's arrival over the terrain. Thus, the prevailing southwesterlies at low altitudes that are parallel to the terrain are a crucial element for the enhancement. Relatively weak southwesterlies at low altitudes allow system enhancement on the lee side by generating a convergence of relatively weak go-around northwesterlies from the northern island and relatively strong moist southwesterlies from the southern island, thus producing a relatively long-lived rainfall system. As the southwesterlies strengthen, a dry descending air mass intensifies on the northeastern downwind side of the terrain, rapidly dissipating rainfall and resulting in a relatively short-lived rainfall system. A coexisting terrain-generated local convergence, combined with the absence

  12. The complex ion structure of warm dense carbon measured by spectrally resolved x-ray scattering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kraus, D.; Barbrel, B.; Falcone, R. W. [Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Vorberger, J. [Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Nöthnitzer Straße 38, 01187 Dresden (Germany); Helfrich, J.; Frydrych, S.; Ortner, A.; Otten, A.; Roth, F.; Schaumann, G.; Schumacher, D.; Siegenthaler, K.; Wagner, F.; Roth, M. [Institut für Kernphysik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstraße 9, 64289 Darmstadt (Germany); Gericke, D. O.; Wünsch, K. [Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom); Bachmann, B.; Döppner, T. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States); Bagnoud, V.; Blažević, A. [GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Planckstraße 1, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany); and others

    2015-05-15

    We present measurements of the complex ion structure of warm dense carbon close to the melting line at pressures around 100 GPa. High-pressure samples were created by laser-driven shock compression of graphite and probed by intense laser-generated x-ray sources with photon energies of 4.75 keV and 4.95 keV. High-efficiency crystal spectrometers allow for spectrally resolving the scattered radiation. Comparing the ratio of elastically and inelastically scattered radiation, we find evidence for a complex bonded liquid that is predicted by ab-initio quantum simulations showing the influence of chemical bonds under these conditions. Using graphite samples of different initial densities we demonstrate the capability of spectrally resolved x-ray scattering to monitor the carbon solid-liquid transition at relatively constant pressure of 150 GPa. Showing first single-pulse scattering spectra from cold graphite of unprecedented quality recorded at the Linac Coherent Light Source, we demonstrate the outstanding possibilities for future high-precision measurements at 4th Generation Light Sources.

  13. Processing Terrain Point Cloud Data

    KAUST Repository

    DeVore, Ronald

    2013-01-10

    Terrain point cloud data are typically acquired through some form of Light Detection And Ranging sensing. They form a rich resource that is important in a variety of applications including navigation, line of sight, and terrain visualization. Processing terrain data has not received the attention of other forms of surface reconstruction or of image processing. The goal of terrain data processing is to convert the point cloud into a succinct representation system that is amenable to the various application demands. The present paper presents a platform for terrain processing built on the following principles: (i) measuring distortion in the Hausdorff metric, which we argue is a good match for the application demands, (ii) a multiscale representation based on tree approximation using local polynomial fitting. The basic elements held in the nodes of the tree can be efficiently encoded, transmitted, visualized, and utilized for the various target applications. Several challenges emerge because of the variable resolution of the data, missing data, occlusions, and noise. Techniques for identifying and handling these challenges are developed. © 2013 Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

  14. Studies on the power output of a MADE AE-30 operating on complex terrain. Annual Energy Production estimation and Multivariable analysis. A case of multi-stall effect

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cuerva, A.

    1996-12-01

    The main need of the EWTS-II Sub-project IV group is to have a suitable data-base which allows it to reach proper conclusions on the characteristics of power performance of wind turbines in complex terrain. With this aim, this document presents an analysis on the power output of the MADE AE-30 Wind turbine operating at Tarifa (also data from flat terrain are enclosed as a reference). An application of the bin method and AEP estimation for energy production method, in the two last issues a directional analysis and an study for two different turbulence intensity ranges are enclosed. Finally the Stepwise multirregression method is applied on the measurements to identify the stored parameters that have influence on the power output. A brief description of multi stall effect is enclosed. (Author)

  15. Complex analyses on clinical information systems using restricted natural language querying to resolve time-event dependencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safari, Leila; Patrick, Jon D

    2018-06-01

    This paper reports on a generic framework to provide clinicians with the ability to conduct complex analyses on elaborate research topics using cascaded queries to resolve internal time-event dependencies in the research questions, as an extension to the proposed Clinical Data Analytics Language (CliniDAL). A cascaded query model is proposed to resolve internal time-event dependencies in the queries which can have up to five levels of criteria starting with a query to define subjects to be admitted into a study, followed by a query to define the time span of the experiment. Three more cascaded queries can be required to define control groups, control variables and output variables which all together simulate a real scientific experiment. According to the complexity of the research questions, the cascaded query model has the flexibility of merging some lower level queries for simple research questions or adding a nested query to each level to compose more complex queries. Three different scenarios (one of them contains two studies) are described and used for evaluation of the proposed solution. CliniDAL's complex analyses solution enables answering complex queries with time-event dependencies at most in a few hours which manually would take many days. An evaluation of results of the research studies based on the comparison between CliniDAL and SQL solutions reveals high usability and efficiency of CliniDAL's solution. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. MELSAR: a mesoscale air quality model for complex terrain. Volume 2. Appendices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Allwine, K.J.; Whiteman, C.D.

    1985-04-01

    This final report is submitted as part of the Green River Ambient Model Assessment (GRAMA) project conducted at the US Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest Laboratory for the US Environmental Protection Agency. The GRAMA Program has, as its ultimate goal, the development of validated air quality models that can be applied to the complex terrain of the Green River Formation of western Colorado, eastern Utah and southern Wyoming. The Green River Formation is a geologic formation containing large reserves of oil shale, coal, and other natural resources. Development of these resources may lead to a degradation of the air quality of the region. Air quality models are needed immediately for planning and regulatory purposes to assess the magnitude of these regional impacts. This report documents one of the models being developed for this purpose within GRAMA - specifically a model to predict short averaging time (less than or equal to 24 h) pollutant concentrations resulting from the mesoscale transport of pollutant releases from multiple sources. MELSAR has not undergone any rigorous operational testing, sensitivity analyses, or validation studies. Testing and evaluation of the model are needed to gain a measure of confidence in the model's performance. This report consists of two volumes. This volume contains the Appendices, which include listings of the FORTRAN code and Volume 1 contains the model overview, technical description, and user's guide. 13 figs., 10 tabs.

  17. UAS applications in high alpine, snow-covered terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bühler, Y.; Stoffel, A.; Ginzler, C.

    2017-12-01

    Access to snow-covered, alpine terrain is often difficult and dangerous. Hence parameters such as snow depth or snow avalanche release and deposition zones are hard to map in situ with adequate spatial and temporal resolution and with spatial continuous coverage. These parameters are currently operationally measured at automated weather stations and by observer networks. However such isolated point measurements are not able to capture the information spatial continuous and to describe the high spatial variability present in complex mountain topography. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have the potential to fill this gap by frequently covering selected high alpine areas with high spatial resolution down to ground resolutions of even few millimeters. At the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF we test different photogrammetric UAS with visual and near infrared bands. During the last three years we were able to gather experience in more than 100 flight missions in extreme terrain. By processing the imagery applying state-of-the-art structure from motion (SfM) software, we were able to accurately document several avalanche events and to photogrammetrically map snow depth with accuracies from 1 to 20 cm (dependent on the flight height above ground) compare to manual snow probe measurements. This was even possible on homogenous snow surfaces with very little texture. A key issue in alpine terrain is flight planning. We need to cover regions at high elevations with large altitude differences (up to 1 km) with high wind speeds (up to 20 m/s) and cold temperatures (down to - 25°C). Only a few UAS are able to cope with these environmental conditions. We will give an overview on our applications of UAS in high alpine terrain that demonstrate the big potential of such systems to acquire frequent, accurate and high spatial resolution geodata in high alpine, snow covered terrain that could be essential to answer longstanding questions in avalanche and snow hydrology

  18. Processing Terrain Point Cloud Data

    KAUST Repository

    DeVore, Ronald; Petrova, Guergana; Hielsberg, Matthew; Owens, Luke; Clack, Billy; Sood, Alok

    2013-01-01

    Terrain point cloud data are typically acquired through some form of Light Detection And Ranging sensing. They form a rich resource that is important in a variety of applications including navigation, line of sight, and terrain visualization

  19. Estimating Catchment-Scale Snowpack Variability in Complex Forested Terrain, Valles Caldera National Preserve, NM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harpold, A. A.; Brooks, P. D.; Biederman, J. A.; Swetnam, T.

    2011-12-01

    Difficulty estimating snowpack variability across complex forested terrain currently hinders the prediction of water resources in the semi-arid Southwestern U.S. Catchment-scale estimates of snowpack variability are necessary for addressing ecological, hydrological, and water resources issues, but are often interpolated from a small number of point-scale observations. In this study, we used LiDAR-derived distributed datasets to investigate how elevation, aspect, topography, and vegetation interact to control catchment-scale snowpack variability. The study area is the Redondo massif in the Valles Caldera National Preserve, NM, a resurgent dome that varies from 2500 to 3430 m and drains from all aspects. Mean LiDAR-derived snow depths from four catchments (2.2 to 3.4 km^2) draining different aspects of the Redondo massif varied by 30%, despite similar mean elevations and mixed conifer forest cover. To better quantify this variability in snow depths we performed a multiple linear regression (MLR) at a 7.3 by 7.3 km study area (5 x 106 snow depth measurements) comprising the four catchments. The MLR showed that elevation explained 45% of the variability in snow depths across the study area, aspect explained 18% (dominated by N-S aspect), and vegetation 2% (canopy density and height). This linear relationship was not transferable to the catchment-scale however, where additional MLR analyses showed the influence of aspect and elevation differed between the catchments. The strong influence of North-South aspect in most catchments indicated that the solar radiation is an important control on snow depth variability. To explore the role of solar radiation, a model was used to generate winter solar forcing index (SFI) values based on the local and remote topography. The SFI was able to explain a large amount of snow depth variability in areas with similar elevation and aspect. Finally, the SFI was modified to include the effects of shading from vegetation (in and out of

  20. Selection method of terrain matching area for TERCOM algorithm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qieqie; Zhao, Long

    2017-10-01

    The performance of terrain aided navigation is closely related to the selection of terrain matching area. The different matching algorithms have different adaptability to terrain. This paper mainly studies the adaptability to terrain of TERCOM algorithm, analyze the relation between terrain feature and terrain characteristic parameters by qualitative and quantitative methods, and then research the relation between matching probability and terrain characteristic parameters by the Monte Carlo method. After that, we propose a selection method of terrain matching area for TERCOM algorithm, and verify the method correctness with real terrain data by simulation experiment. Experimental results show that the matching area obtained by the method in this paper has the good navigation performance and the matching probability of TERCOM algorithm is great than 90%

  1. Improved progressive morphological filter for digital terrain model generation from airborne lidar data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hui, Zhenyang; Wu, Beiping; Hu, Youjian; Ziggah, Yao Yevenyo

    2017-12-01

    Obtaining high-precision filtering results from airborne lidar point clouds in complex environments has always been a hot topic. Mathematical morphology was widely used for filtering, owing to its simplicity and high efficiency. However, the morphology-based algorithms are deficient in preserving terrain details. In order to obtain a better filtering effect, this paper proposed an improved progressive morphological filter based on hierarchical radial basis function interpolation (PMHR) to refine the classical progressive morphological filter. PMHR involved two main improvements, namely, automatic setting of self-adaptive thresholds and terrain details preservation, respectively. The performance of PMHR was evaluated using datasets provided by the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Experimental results show that PMHR achieved good performance under variant terrain features with an average total error of 4.27% and average Kappa coefficient of 84.57%.

  2. Survivor shielding. Part C. Improvements in terrain shielding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Egbert, Stephen D.; Kaul, Dean C.; Roberts, James A.; Kerr, George D.

    2005-01-01

    A number of atomic-bomb survivors were affected by shielding provided by terrain features. These terrain features can be a small hill, affecting one or two houses, or a high mountain that shields large neighborhoods. In the survivor dosimetry system, terrain shielding can be described by a transmission factor (TF), which is the ratio between the dose with and without the terrain present. The terrain TF typically ranges between 0.1 and 1.0. After DS86 was implemented at RERF, the terrain shielding categories were examined and found to either have a bias or an excessive uncertainty that could readily be removed. In 1989, an improvement in the terrain model was implemented at RERF in the revised DS86 code, but the documentation was not published. It is now presented in this section. The solution to the terrain shielding in front of a house is described in this section. The problem of terrain shielding of survivors behind Hijiyama mountain at Hiroshima and Konpirasan mountain at Nagasaki has also been recognized, and a solution to this problem has been included in DS02. (author)

  3. Error Analysis of Satellite Precipitation-Driven Modeling of Flood Events in Complex Alpine Terrain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yiwen Mei

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The error in satellite precipitation-driven complex terrain flood simulations is characterized in this study for eight different global satellite products and 128 flood events over the Eastern Italian Alps. The flood events are grouped according to two flood types: rain floods and flash floods. The satellite precipitation products and runoff simulations are evaluated based on systematic and random error metrics applied on the matched event pairs and basin-scale event properties (i.e., rainfall and runoff cumulative depth and time series shape. Overall, error characteristics exhibit dependency on the flood type. Generally, timing of the event precipitation mass center and dispersion of the time series derived from satellite precipitation exhibits good agreement with the reference; the cumulative depth is mostly underestimated. The study shows a dampening effect in both systematic and random error components of the satellite-driven hydrograph relative to the satellite-retrieved hyetograph. The systematic error in shape of the time series shows a significant dampening effect. The random error dampening effect is less pronounced for the flash flood events and the rain flood events with a high runoff coefficient. This event-based analysis of the satellite precipitation error propagation in flood modeling sheds light on the application of satellite precipitation in mountain flood hydrology.

  4. Non-SMC Element 2 (NSMCE2 of the SMC5/6 Complex Helps to Resolve Topological Stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dideke E. Verver

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC protein complexes shape and regulate the structure and dynamics of chromatin, thereby controlling many chromosome-based processes such as cell cycle progression, differentiation, gene transcription and DNA repair. The SMC5/6 complex is previously described to promote DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs repair by sister chromatid recombination, and found to be essential for resolving recombination intermediates during meiotic recombination. Moreover, in budding yeast, SMC5/6 provides structural organization and topological stress relief during replication in mitotically dividing cells. Despite the essential nature of the SMC5/6 complex, the versatile mechanisms by which SMC5/6 functions and its molecular regulation in mammalian cells remain poorly understood. By using a human osteosarcoma cell line (U2OS, we show that after the CRISPR-Cas9-mediated removal of the SMC5/6 subunit NSMCE2, treatment with the topoisomerase II inhibitor etoposide triggered an increased sensitivity in cells lacking NSMCE2. In contrast, NSMCE2 appeared not essential for a proper DNA damage response or cell survival after DSB induction by ionizing irradiation (IR. Interestingly, by way of immunoprecipitations (IPs and mass spectrometry, we found that the SMC5/6 complex physically interacts with the DNA topoisomerase II α (TOP2A. We therefore propose that the SMC5/6 complex functions in resolving TOP2A-mediated DSB-repair intermediates generated during replication.

  5. ISOSTATICALLY DISTURBED TERRAIN OF NORTHWESTERN ANDES MOUNTAINS FROM SPECTRALLY CORRELATED FREE-AIR AND GRAVITY TERRAIN DATA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hernández P Orlando

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Recently revised models on global tectonics describe the convergence of the North Andes, Nazca, Caribbean and South American Plates and their seismicity, volcanism, active faulting and extreme
    topography. The current plate boundaries of the area are mainly interpreted from volcanic and seismic datasets with variable confidence levels. New insights on the isostatic state and plate boundaries of
    the northwestern Andes Mountains can be obtained from the spectral analysis of recently available gravity and topography data.
    Isostatically disturbed terrain produces free-air anomalies that are highly correlated with the gravity effects of the terrain. The terrain gravity effects (TGE and free air gravity anomalies (FAGA of the
    Andes mountains spectral correlation data confirms that these mountains are isostatically disturbed. Strong negative terrain-correlated FAGA along western South America and the Greater and Lesser Antilles are consistent with anomalously deepened mantle displaced by subducting oceanic plates.

    Inversion of the compensated terrain gravity effects (CTGE reveals plate subduction systems with alternating shallower and steeper subduction angles. The gravity modeling highlights crustal
    deformation from plate collision and subduction and other constraints on the tectonism of the plate boundary zones for the region.

  6. Digital terrain data base - new possibilities of 3D terrain modeling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mateja Rihtaršič

    1992-12-01

    Full Text Available GISs has brought new dimensions in the field of digital terrain modelling, too. Modem DTMs must be real (relational databases with high degree of "intelligence". This paper presents some of the demands, ivhich have to be solved in modern digital terrain databases, together with main steps of their's generation. Problems, connected to regional level, multi-pur pose use, new possibilities and direct integration into GIS are presented. The practical model was created across smaller test area, so few lines with practical experiences can be droped, too.

  7. Terrain Perception in a Shape Shifting Rolling-Crawling Robot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fuchida Masataka

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Terrain perception greatly enhances the performance of robots, providing them with essential information on the nature of terrain being traversed. Several living beings in nature offer interesting inspirations which adopt different gait patterns according to nature of terrain. In this paper, we present a novel terrain perception system for our bioinspired robot, Scorpio, to classify the terrain based on visual features and autonomously choose appropriate locomotion mode. Our Scorpio robot is capable of crawling and rolling locomotion modes, mimicking Cebrenus Rechenburgi, a member of the huntsman spider family. Our terrain perception system uses Speeded Up Robust Feature (SURF description method along with color information. Feature extraction is followed by Bag of Word method (BoW and Support Vector Machine (SVM for terrain classification. Experiments were conducted with our Scorpio robot to establish the efficacy and validity of the proposed approach. In our experiments, we achieved a recognition accuracy of over 90% across four terrain types namely grass, gravel, wooden deck, and concrete.

  8. ARAC terrain data base

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walker, H.

    1982-11-01

    A terrain data base covering the continental United States at 500-meter resolution has been generated. Its function is to provide terrain data for input to mesoscale atmospheric models that are used as part of the Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLNL). The structure of the data base as it exists on the LLNL computer system is described. The data base has been written to tapes for transfer to other systems and the format of these tapes is also described

  9. Wind farm layout optimization in complex terrain with CFD wakes: Paper presented at EWEA 2015, Europe's Premier Wind Energy Event, 17 - 20 November 2015, Paris, France

    OpenAIRE

    Schmidt, J.; Stoevesandt, B.

    2015-01-01

    For a complex terrain site in Bahia, Brazil, 28 CFDRANS simulations were carried out, representing the relevant states of a wind rose with three degrees resolution. The resulting wind fields provide the background wind for the layout optimization of a wind farm with 64 wind turbines based on the AEP. The underlying wake model was deduced from CFD-RANS simulation results of an isolated actuator disk. We find that a hybrid optimization algorithm that combines genetic and gradient-based optimize...

  10. A framework for WRF to WRF-IBM grid nesting to enable multiscale simulations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wiersema, David John [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lundquist, Katherine A. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Chow, Fotini Katapodes [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2016-09-29

    With advances in computational power, mesoscale models, such as the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, are often pushed to higher resolutions. As the model’s horizontal resolution is refined, the maximum resolved terrain slope will increase. Because WRF uses a terrain-following coordinate, this increase in resolved terrain slopes introduces additional grid skewness. At high resolutions and over complex terrain, this grid skewness can introduce large numerical errors that require methods, such as the immersed boundary method, to keep the model accurate and stable. Our implementation of the immersed boundary method in the WRF model, WRF-IBM, has proven effective at microscale simulations over complex terrain. WRF-IBM uses a non-conforming grid that extends beneath the model’s terrain. Boundary conditions at the immersed boundary, the terrain, are enforced by introducing a body force term to the governing equations at points directly beneath the immersed boundary. Nesting between a WRF parent grid and a WRF-IBM child grid requires a new framework for initialization and forcing of the child WRF-IBM grid. This framework will enable concurrent multi-scale simulations within the WRF model, improving the accuracy of high-resolution simulations and enabling simulations across a wide range of scales.

  11. THE DISTRIBUTION MODELING OF IMPURITIES IN THE ATMOSPHERE WITH TAKING INTO ACCOUNT OF TERRAIN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. B. Mashyhina

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available The 2D numerical model to simulate the pollutant dispersion over complex terrain was proposed. The model is based on the equation of potential flow and the equation of admixture transfer. Results of the numerical experiment are presented.

  12. Ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy of the light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) from the photosynthetic bacterium Thermochromatium tepidum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niedzwiedzki, Dariusz M; Fuciman, Marcel; Kobayashi, Masayuki; Frank, Harry A; Blankenship, Robert E

    2011-10-01

    The light-harvesting complex 2 from the thermophilic purple bacterium Thermochromatium tepidum was purified and studied by steady-state absorption and fluorescence, sub-nanosecond-time-resolved fluorescence and femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy. The measurements were performed at room temperature and at 10 K. The combination of both ultrafast and steady-state optical spectroscopy methods at ambient and cryogenic temperatures allowed the detailed study of carotenoid (Car)-to-bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) as well BChl-to-BChl excitation energy transfer in the complex. The studies show that the dominant Cars rhodopin (N=11) and spirilloxanthin (N=13) do not play a significant role as supportive energy donors for BChl a. This is related with their photophysical properties regulated by long π-electron conjugation. On the other hand, such properties favor some of the Cars, particularly spirilloxanthin (N=13) to play the role of the direct quencher of the excited singlet state of BChl. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

  13. A method for separation of the terrain and non-terrain from Vehicle-borne Laser Scanning Data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, Jiangxia; Zhong, Ruofei

    2014-01-01

    Half the points from vehicle-borne laser scanning data are terrain data. If you want to extract features such as trees, street lights and buildings, terrain points must be removed. Nowadays, either airborne or vehicle-borne laser data, are mostly used to set an elevation threshold based on the scanning line or POS data to determine whether the point is a terrain point or not, but the disadvantage is part of low buildings or other feature objects will be lost. If the study area has high differences in the horizontal or the forward direction, this method is not applicable. This paper investigates a new methodology to extract the terrain points, which has great significance for data reduction and classification. The procedure includes the following steps: 1)Pre-processing: to remove discrete points and abnormal points. 2) Divided all the points into grid, calculating the average value of the XY and the minimum value of the Z of all the points in the same grid as the central point of the grid.3) Choose nearest six points which are close to the centre point to fitting the quadratic surface.4)Compare the normal vector of the fitting surface of the grid to the normal vector of the 8-neighborhood, if the difference is too big, it will be smoothed.5) Determine whether the point in the grid is on the surface, if the point belongs to the surface, it will be classified as terrain point. The results and evaluation have shown the effectiveness of the method and its potential in separation of the terrain of various areas

  14. Risø 1978: Further Investigations into the Effects of Local Terrain Irregularties on Tower-Measured Wind Profiles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peterson, E. W.; Taylor, P. A.; Højstrup, Jørgen

    1980-01-01

    Observations of flow over complex terrain taken at Risø during June–July 1978 and numerical studies confirm earlier findings that small variations in surface elevation have significant effects on mean wind profiles. Measured shear stresses in the nonequilibrium region of the flow are consistent w...... with theory but quite different from those obtained assuming simple flux-profile relationships. These findings imply that flux-profile relationships can be quite complicated over other than simple homogeneous terrain....

  15. Remote Sensing Assessment of Forest Disturbance across Complex Mountainous Terrain: The Pattern and Severity of Impacts of Tropical Cyclone Yasi on Australian Rainforests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robinson I. Negrón-Juárez

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Topography affects the patterns of forest disturbance produced by tropical cyclones. It determines the degree of exposure of a surface and can alter wind characteristics. Whether multispectral remote sensing data can sense the effect of topography on disturbance is a question that deserves attention given the multi-scale spatial coverage of these data and the projected increase in intensity of the strongest cyclones. Here, multispectral satellite data, topographic maps and cyclone surface wind data were used to study the patterns of disturbance in an Australian rainforest with complex mountainous terrain produced by tropical cyclone Yasi (2011. The cyclone surface wind data (H*wind was produced by the Hurricane Research Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (HRD/NOAA, and this was the first time that this data was produced for a cyclone outside of United States territory. A disturbance map was obtained by applying spectral mixture analyses on satellite data and presented a significant correlation with field-measured tree mortality. Our results showed that, consistent with cyclones in the southern hemisphere, multispectral data revealed that forest disturbance was higher on the left side of the cyclone track. The highest level of forest disturbance occurred in forests along the path of the cyclone track (±30°. Levels of forest disturbance decreased with decreasing slope and with an aspect facing off the track of the cyclone or away from the dominant surface winds. An increase in disturbance with surface elevation was also observed. However, areas affected by the same wind intensity presented increased levels of disturbance with increasing elevation suggesting that complex terrain interactions act to speed up wind at higher elevations. Yasi produced an important offset to Australia’s forest carbon sink in 2010. We concluded that multispectral data was sensitive to the main effects of complex topography on disturbance

  16. Air pollution modeling over very complex terrain: An evaluation of WRF-Chem over Switzerland for two 1-year periods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ritter, Mathias; Müller, Mathias D.; Tsai, Ming-Yi; Parlow, Eberhard

    2013-10-01

    The fully coupled chemistry module (WRF-Chem) within the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model has been implemented over a Swiss domain for the years 2002 and 1991. The very complex terrain requires a high horizontal resolution (2 × 2 km2), which is achieved by nesting the Swiss domain into a coarser European one. The temporal and spatial distribution of O3, NO2 and PM10 as well as temperature and solar radiation are evaluated against ground-based measurements. The model performs well for the meteorological parameters with Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.92 for temperature and 0.88-0.89 for solar radiation. Temperature has root mean square errors (RMSE) of 3.30 K and 3.51 K for 2002 and 1991 and solar radiation has RMSEs of 122.92 and 116.35 for 2002 and 1991, respectively. For the modeled air pollutants, a multi-linear regression post-processing was used to eliminate systematic bias. Seasonal variations of post-processed air pollutants are represented correctly. However, short-term peaks of several days are not captured by the model. Averaged daily maximum and daily values of O3 achieved Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.69-0.77 whereas averaged NO2 and PM10 had the highest correlations for yearly average values (0.68-0.78). The spatial distribution reveals the importance of PM10 advection from the Po valley to southern Switzerland (Ticino). The absolute errors are ranging from - 10 to 15 μg/m3 for ozone, - 9 to 3 μg/m3 for NO2 and - 4 to 3 μg/m3 for PM10. However, larger errors occur along heavily trafficked roads, in street canyons or on mountains. We also compare yearly modeled results against a dedicated Swiss dispersion model for NO2 and PM10. The dedicated dispersion model has a slightly better statistical performance, but WRF-Chem is capable of computing the temporal evolution of three-dimensional data for a variety of air pollutants and meteorological parameters. Overall, WRF-Chem with the application of post-processing algorithms can

  17. Validation of satellite daily rainfall estimates in complex terrain of Bali Island, Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahmawati, Novi; Lubczynski, Maciek W.

    2017-11-01

    Satellite rainfall products have different performances in different geographic regions under different physical and climatological conditions. In this study, the objective was to select the most reliable and accurate satellite rainfall products for specific, environmental conditions of Bali Island. The performances of four spatio-temporal satellite rainfall products, i.e., CMORPH25, CMORPH8, TRMM, and PERSIANN, were evaluated at the island, zonation (applying elevation and climatology as constraints), and pixel scales, using (i) descriptive statistics and (ii) categorical statistics, including bias decomposition. The results showed that all the satellite products had low accuracy because of spatial scale effect, daily resolution and the island complexity. That accuracy was relatively lower in (i) dry seasons and dry climatic zones than in wet seasons and wet climatic zones; (ii) pixels jointly covered by sea and mountainous land than in pixels covered by land or by sea only; and (iii) topographically diverse than uniform terrains. CMORPH25, CMORPH8, and TRMM underestimated and PERSIANN overestimated rainfall when comparing them to gauged rain. The CMORPH25 had relatively the best performance and the PERSIANN had the worst performance in the Bali Island. The CMORPH25 had the lowest statistical errors, the lowest miss, and the highest hit rainfall events; it also had the lowest miss rainfall bias and was relatively the most accurate in detecting, frequent in Bali, ≤ 20 mm day-1 rain events. Lastly, the CMORPH25 coarse grid better represented rainfall events from coastal to inlands areas than other satellite products, including finer grid CMORPH8.

  18. Construction Method of the Topographical Features Model for Underwater Terrain Navigation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Lihui

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Terrain database is the reference basic for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV to implement underwater terrain navigation (UTN functions, and is the important part of building topographical features model for UTN. To investigate the feasibility and correlation of a variety of terrain parameters as terrain navigation information metrics, this paper described and analyzed the underwater terrain features and topography parameters calculation method. Proposing a comprehensive evaluation method for terrain navigation information, and constructing an underwater navigation information analysis model, which is associated with topographic features. Simulation results show that the underwater terrain features, are associated with UTN information directly or indirectly, also affect the terrain matching capture probability and the positioning accuracy directly.

  19. GIS TECHNOLOGY AND TERRAIN ORTHOPHOTOMAP MAKING FOR MILITARY APPLICATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elshan Hashimov

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, it is shown that GIS and photogrammetry technologiyes, determination of searching target coordinates for the operational desicion making are very important for the military application, for the combat control. With aim of orthophotomap making of the terrain and identification of terrain supervision there has been constructed 3D model for choosen mountainous terrain of Azerbaijan Republic using GIS technology. Based on this model there has been obtained a terrain profile and carried out mapping. Using ArcGis software there has been investigated possibility remain control on obserbvable and unobservable parties of terrain on supervision line from supervision point to target point.

  20. Searching for Feedbacks between Land-use/Land-cover Changes and the Water Budget in Complex Terrain at the Dry Creek Experimental Watershed in Idaho, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Y.; Engdahl, N.

    2017-12-01

    Proactive management to improve water resource sustainability is often limited by a lack of understanding about the hydrological consequences of human activities and climate induced land use and land cover (LULC) change. Changes in LULC can alter runoff, soil moisture, and evapotranspiration, but these effects are complex and traditional modeling techniques have had limited successes in realistically simulating the relevant feedbacks. Recent studies have investigated the coupled interactions but typically do so at coarse resolutions with simple topographic settings, so it is unclear if the previous conclusions remain valid in the steep, complex terrains that dominate the western USA. This knowledge gap was explored with a series of integrated hydrologic simulations based on the Dry Creek Experimental Watershed (DCEW) in southwestern Idaho, USA, using the ParFlow.CLM model. The DCEW has extensive monitoring data that allowed for a direct calibration and validation of the base-case simulation, which is not commonly done with integrated models. The effects of LULC change on the hydrologic and water budgets were then assessed at two grid resolutions (20m and 40m) under four LULC scenarios: 1) current LULC; 2) LULC change from a small but gradual decrease in potential recharge (PR); 3) LULC change from a large but rapid decrease in PR; and 4) LULC change from a large but gradual decrease in PR. The results show that the methods used for terrain processing and the grid resolution can both heavily impact the simulation results and that LULC change can significantly alter the relative amounts of groundwater storage and runoff.

  1. Automatic terrain modeling using transfinite element analysis

    KAUST Repository

    Collier, Nathan; Calo, Victor M.

    2010-01-01

    An automatic procedure for modeling terrain is developed based on L2 projection-based interpolation of discrete terrain data onto transfinite function spaces. The function space is refined automatically by the use of image processing techniques

  2. Time-Resolved and Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Complex Cognitive Processes and their Role in Disorders like Developmental Dyscalculia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mórocz, István Akos; Janoos, Firdaus; van Gelderen, Peter; Manor, David; Karni, Avi; Breznitz, Zvia; von Aster, Michael; Kushnir, Tammar; Shalev, Ruth

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this article is to report on the importance and challenges of a time-resolved and spatio-temporal analysis of fMRI data from complex cognitive processes and associated disorders using a study on developmental dyscalculia (DD). Participants underwent fMRI while judging the incorrectness of multiplication results, and the data were analyzed using a sequence of methods, each of which progressively provided more a detailed picture of the spatio-temporal aspect of this disease. Healthy subjects and subjects with DD performed alike behaviorally though they exhibited parietal disparities using traditional voxel-based group analyses. Further and more detailed differences, however, surfaced with a time-resolved examination of the neural responses during the experiment. While performing inter-group comparisons, a third group of subjects with dyslexia (DL) but with no arithmetic difficulties was included to test the specificity of the analysis and strengthen the statistical base with overall fifty-eight subjects. Surprisingly, the analysis showed a functional dissimilarity during an initial reading phase for the group of dyslexic but otherwise normal subjects, with respect to controls, even though only numerical digits and no alphabetic characters were presented. Thus our results suggest that time-resolved multi-variate analysis of complex experimental paradigms has the ability to yield powerful new clinical insights about abnormal brain function. Similarly, a detailed compilation of aberrations in the functional cascade may have much greater potential to delineate the core processing problems in mental disorders. PMID:22368322

  3. Cross-Coupled Control for All-Terrain Rovers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giulio Reina

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Mobile robots are increasingly being used in challenging outdoor environments for applications that include construction, mining, agriculture, military and planetary exploration. In order to accomplish the planned task, it is critical that the motion control system ensure accuracy and robustness. The achievement of high performance on rough terrain is tightly connected with the minimization of vehicle-terrain dynamics effects such as slipping and skidding. This paper presents a cross-coupled controller for a 4-wheel-drive/4-wheel-steer robot, which optimizes the wheel motors’ control algorithm to reduce synchronization errors that would otherwise result in wheel slip with conventional controllers. Experimental results, obtained with an all-terrain rover operating on agricultural terrain, are presented to validate the system. It is shown that the proposed approach is effective in reducing slippage and vehicle posture errors.

  4. Distribution of tessera terrain on Venus: Prediction for Magellan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bindschadler, D.L.; Head, J.W.; Kreslavsky, M.A.; Shkuratov, Yu.G.; Ivanov, M.A.; Basilevsky, A.T.

    1990-01-01

    Tessera terrain is the dominant tectonic unit in the northern hemisphere of Venus and is characterized by complex sets of intersecting structural trends and distinctive radar properties due to a high degree of meter and sub-meter scale (5 cm to 10 m) roughness. Based on these distinctive radar properties, a prediction of the global distribution of tessera can be made using Pioneer Venus (PV) reflectivity and roughness data. Where available, Venera 15/16 and Arecibo images and PV diffuse scattering data were used to evaluate the prediction. From this assessment, the authors conclude that most of the regions with prediction values greater than 0.6 (out of 1) are likely to be tessera, and are almost certain to be tectonically deformed. Lada Terra and Phoebe Regio are very likely to contain tessera terrain, while much of Aphrodite Terra is most likely to be either tessera or a landform which has not yet been recognized on Venus. This prediction map will assist in targeting Magellan investigations of Venus tectonics

  5. Ultrafast time-resolved carotenoid to-bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer in LH2 complexes from photosynthetic bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cong, Hong; Niedzwiedzki, Dariusz M; Gibson, George N; LaFountain, Amy M; Kelsh, Rhiannon M; Gardiner, Alastair T; Cogdell, Richard J; Frank, Harry A

    2008-08-28

    Steady-state and ultrafast time-resolved optical spectroscopic investigations have been carried out at 293 and 10 K on LH2 pigment-protein complexes isolated from three different strains of photosynthetic bacteria: Rhodobacter (Rb.) sphaeroides G1C, Rb. sphaeroides 2.4.1 (anaerobically and aerobically grown), and Rps. acidophila 10050. The LH2 complexes obtained from these strains contain the carotenoids, neurosporene, spheroidene, spheroidenone, and rhodopin glucoside, respectively. These molecules have a systematically increasing number of pi-electron conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds. Steady-state absorption and fluorescence excitation experiments have revealed that the total efficiency of energy transfer from the carotenoids to bacteriochlorophyll is independent of temperature and nearly constant at approximately 90% for the LH2 complexes containing neurosporene, spheroidene, spheroidenone, but drops to approximately 53% for the complex containing rhodopin glucoside. Ultrafast transient absorption spectra in the near-infrared (NIR) region of the purified carotenoids in solution have revealed the energies of the S1 (2(1)Ag-)-->S2 (1(1)Bu+) excited-state transitions which, when subtracted from the energies of the S0 (1(1)Ag-)-->S2 (1(1)Bu+) transitions determined by steady-state absorption measurements, give precise values for the positions of the S1 (2(1)Ag-) states of the carotenoids. Global fitting of the ultrafast spectral and temporal data sets have revealed the dynamics of the pathways of de-excitation of the carotenoid excited states. The pathways include energy transfer to bacteriochlorophyll, population of the so-called S* state of the carotenoids, and formation of carotenoid radical cations (Car*+). The investigation has found that excitation energy transfer to bacteriochlorophyll is partitioned through the S1 (1(1)Ag-), S2 (1(1)Bu+), and S* states of the different carotenoids to varying degrees. This is understood through a consideration of the

  6. Stratigraphy of the layered terrain in Valles Marineris, Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Komatsu, G.; Strom, Roger G.

    1991-01-01

    The layered terrain in Valles Marineris provides information about its origin and the geologic history of this canyon system. Whether the terrain is sedimentary material deposited in a dry or lacustrine environment, or volcanic material related to the tectonics of the canyon is still controversial. However, recent studies of Gangis Layered Terrain suggests a cyclic sequence of deposition and erosion under episodic lacustrine conditions. The stratigraphic studies are extended to four other occurrences of layered terrains in Valles Marineris in an attempt to correlate and distinguish between depositional environments. The Juvantae Chasma, Hebes Chasma, Ophir and Candor Chasmata, Melas Chasma, and Gangis Layered Terrain were examined. Although there are broad similarities among the layered terrains, no two deposits are exactly alike. This suggests that there was no synchronized regional depositional processes to form all the layered deposits. However, the similar erosional style of the lower massive weakly bedded unit in Hebes, Gangis, and Ophir-Candor suggests it may have been deposited under similar circumstances.

  7. Sink detection on tilted terrain for automated identification of glacial cirques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasicek, Günther; Robl, Jörg; Lang, Andreas

    2016-04-01

    Glacial cirques are morphologically distinct but complex landforms and represent a vital part of high mountain topography. Their distribution, elevation and relief are expected to hold information on (1) the extent of glacial occupation, (2) the mechanism of glacial cirque erosion, and (3) how glacial in concert with periglacial processes can limit peak altitude and mountain range height. While easily detectably for the expert's eye both in nature and on various representations of topography, their complicated nature makes them a nemesis for computer algorithms. Consequently, manual mapping of glacial cirques is commonplace in many mountain landscapes worldwide, but consistent datasets of cirque distribution and objectively mapped cirques and their morphometrical attributes are lacking. Among the biggest problems for algorithm development are the complexity in shape and the great variability of cirque size. For example, glacial cirques can be rather circular or longitudinal in extent, exist as individual and composite landforms, show prominent topographic depressions or can entirely be filled with water or sediment. For these reasons, attributes like circularity, size, drainage area and topology of landform elements (e.g. a flat floor surrounded by steep walls) have only a limited potential for automated cirque detection. Here we present a novel, geomorphometric method for automated identification of glacial cirques on digital elevation models that exploits their genetic bowl-like shape. First, we differentiate between glacial and fluvial terrain employing an algorithm based on a moving window approach and multi-scale curvature, which is also capable of fitting the analysis window to valley width. We then fit a plane to the valley stretch clipped by the analysis window and rotate the terrain around the center cell until the plane is level. Doing so, we produce sinks of considerable size if the clipped terrain represents a cirque, while no or only very small sinks

  8. Vertical structure and microphysical characteristics of precipitation on the high terrain and lee side of the Olympic Mountains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zagrodnik, J. P.; McMurdie, L. A.; Houze, R.

    2017-12-01

    As mid-latitude cyclones pass over coastal mountain ranges, the processes producing their clouds and precipitation are modified when they encounter complex terrain, leading to a maximum in precipitation fallout on the windward slopes and a minimum on the lee side. The precipitation that does reach the high terrain and lee side of a mountain range can be theoretically determined by a complex interaction between the dynamics of air lifting over the terrain, the thermodynamics of moist air, and the microphysical time required to grow particles large enough to fall out. To date, there have been few observational studies that have focused on the nonlinear microphysical processes contributing to the variability of precipitation that is received on the lee side slopes of a mountain range such as the Olympic Mountains. The 2015-16 Olympic Mountains Experiment (OLYMPEX) collected unprecedented observations on the high terrain and lee side of the Olympic Mountains including frequent soundings on Vancouver Island, dual-polarization Doppler radar, multi-frequency airborne radar, and ground-based particle size and crystal habit observations at the higher elevation Hurricane Ridge site. We utilize these observations to examine the evolution of the vertical structure and microphysical precipitation characteristics over the high terrain and leeside within the context of large-scale dynamic and thermodynamic conditions that evolve during the passage of cold season mid-latitude cyclones. The primary goal is to determine the degree to which the observed variability in lee side precipitation amount and microphysical properties are controlled by variations in temperature, flow speed and direction, shear, and stability associated with characteristic synoptic storm sectors and frontal passages.

  9. Stereo-vision-based terrain mapping for off-road autonomous navigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rankin, Arturo L.; Huertas, Andres; Matthies, Larry H.

    2009-05-01

    Successful off-road autonomous navigation by an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) requires reliable perception and representation of natural terrain. While perception algorithms are used to detect driving hazards, terrain mapping algorithms are used to represent the detected hazards in a world model a UGV can use to plan safe paths. There are two primary ways to detect driving hazards with perception sensors mounted to a UGV: binary obstacle detection and traversability cost analysis. Binary obstacle detectors label terrain as either traversable or non-traversable, whereas, traversability cost analysis assigns a cost to driving over a discrete patch of terrain. In uncluttered environments where the non-obstacle terrain is equally traversable, binary obstacle detection is sufficient. However, in cluttered environments, some form of traversability cost analysis is necessary. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has explored both approaches using stereo vision systems. A set of binary detectors has been implemented that detect positive obstacles, negative obstacles, tree trunks, tree lines, excessive slope, low overhangs, and water bodies. A compact terrain map is built from each frame of stereo images. The mapping algorithm labels cells that contain obstacles as nogo regions, and encodes terrain elevation, terrain classification, terrain roughness, traversability cost, and a confidence value. The single frame maps are merged into a world map where temporal filtering is applied. In previous papers, we have described our perception algorithms that perform binary obstacle detection. In this paper, we summarize the terrain mapping capabilities that JPL has implemented during several UGV programs over the last decade and discuss some challenges to building terrain maps with stereo range data.

  10. Self-Supervised Learning of Terrain Traversability from Proprioceptive Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bajracharya, Max; Howard, Andrew B.; Matthies, Larry H.

    2009-01-01

    Robust and reliable autonomous navigation in unstructured, off-road terrain is a critical element in making unmanned ground vehicles a reality. Existing approaches tend to rely on evaluating the traversability of terrain based on fixed parameters obtained via testing in specific environments. This results in a system that handles the terrain well that it trained in, but is unable to process terrain outside its test parameters. An adaptive system does not take the place of training, but supplements it. Whereas training imprints certain environments, an adaptive system would imprint terrain elements and the interactions amongst them, and allow the vehicle to build a map of local elements using proprioceptive sensors. Such sensors can include velocity, wheel slippage, bumper hits, and accelerometers. Data obtained by the sensors can be compared to observations from ranging sensors such as cameras and LADAR (laser detection and ranging) in order to adapt to any kind of terrain. In this way, it could sample its surroundings not only to create a map of clear space, but also of what kind of space it is and its composition. By having a set of building blocks consisting of terrain features, a vehicle can adapt to terrain that it has never seen before, and thus be robust to a changing environment. New observations could be added to its library, enabling it to infer terrain types that it wasn't trained on. This would be very useful in alien environments, where many of the physical features are known, but some are not. For example, a seemingly flat, hard plain could actually be soft sand, and the vehicle would sense the sand and avoid it automatically.

  11. High resolution simulations of orographic flow over a complex terrain on the Southeast coast of Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chou, S. C.; Zolino, M. M.; Gomes, J. L.; Bustamante, J. F.; Lima-e-Silva, P. P.

    2012-04-01

    The Eta Model is used operationally by CPTEC to produce weather forecasts over South America since 1997. The model has gone through upgrades. In order to prepare the model for operational higher resolution forecasts, the model is configured and tested over a region of complex topography located near the coast of Southeast Brazil. The Eta Model was configured, with 2-km horizontal resolution and 50 layers. The Eta-2km is a second nesting, it is driven by Eta-15km, which in its turn is driven by Era-Interim reanalyses. The model domain includes the two Brazilians cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, urban areas, preserved tropical forest, pasture fields, and complex terrain and coastline. Mountains can rise up to about 700m. The region suffers frequent events of floods and landslides. The objective of this work is to evaluate high resolution simulations of wind and temperature in this complex area. Verification of model runs uses observations taken from the nuclear power plant. Accurate near-surface wind direction and magnitude are needed for the plant emergency plan and winds are highly sensitive to model spatial resolution and atmospheric stability. Verification of two cases during summer shows that model has clear diurnal cycle signal for wind in that region. The area is characterized by weak winds which makes the simulation more difficult. The simulated wind magnitude is about 1.5m/s, which is close to observations of about 2m/s; however, the observed change of wind direction of the sea breeze is fast whereas it is slow in the simulations. Nighttime katabatic flow is captured by the simulations. Comparison against Eta-5km runs show that the valley circulation is better described in the 2-km resolution run. Simulated temperatures follow closely the observed diurnal cycle. Experiments improving some surface conditions such as the surface temperature and land cover show simulation error reduction and improved diurnal cycle.

  12. Hot Air Balloon Experiments to Measure the Break-up of the Nocturnal Drainage Flow in Complex Terrain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berman, N. S.; Fernando, H. J. S.; Colomer, J.; Levy, M.; Zieren, L.

    1997-11-01

    In order to extend our understanding of the thermally driven atmospheric winds and their influence on pollutant transport, a hot air balloon experiment was conducted over a four day period in June, 1997 near Nogales, Arizona. The focus was on the early morning break-up of the stable down-slope and down-valley flow and the establishment of a convective boundary layer near the surface in the absence of synoptic winds. Temperature, elevation, position and particulate matter concentration were measured aloft and temperature gradient and wind velocity were measured at ground level. The wind velocity within the stable layer was generally less than 1.5 m/s. Just above the stable layer (about 300 meters above the valley) the wind shifted leading to an erosion of the stable layer from above. Surface heating after sunrise created a convective layer which rose from the ground until the stable layer was destroyed. Examples of temperature fluctuation measurements at various elevations during the establishment of the convective flow will be presented. Implications of results for turbulence parameterizations needed for numerical models of wind fields in complex terrain will be discussed.

  13. Wind resource assessment in heterogeneous terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanderwel, C.; Placidi, M.; Ganapathisubramani, B.

    2017-03-01

    variance in thrust and power also appears to be significant in the presence of secondary flows. Finally, there are substantial differences in the dispersive and turbulent stresses across the terrain, which could lead to variable fatigue life depending on the placement of the turbines within such heterogeneous terrain. Overall, these results indicate the importance of accounting for heterogeneous terrain when siting individual turbines and wind farms. This article is part of the themed issue 'Wind energy in complex terrains'.

  14. Progress on resolving the Gonatocerus tuberculifemur complex: neither COI nor ITS2 sequence data alone can discriminate all the species within the complex, whereas, ISSR-PCR DNA fingerprinting can

    Science.gov (United States)

    We utilized two molecular methods to aid in resolving the Gonatocerus tuberculifemur complex, potential glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS) biological control candidate agents from South America. The two methods used were DNA sequencing of both the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene (COI...

  15. Considerations and Optimization of Time-Resolved PIV Measurements near Complex Wind-Generated Air-Water Wave Interface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stegmeir, Matthew; Markfort, Corey

    2017-11-01

    Time Resolved PIV measurements are applied on both sides of air-water interface in order to study the coupling between air and fluid motion. The multi-scale and 3-dimensional nature of the wave structure poses several unique considerations to generate optimal-quality data very near the fluid interface. High resolution and dynamic range in space and time are required to resolve relevant flow scales along a complex and ever-changing interface. Characterizing the two-way coupling across the air-water interface provide unique challenges for optical measurement techniques. Approaches to obtain near-boundary measurement on both sides of interface are discussed, including optimal flow seeding procedures, illumination, data analysis, and interface tracking. Techniques are applied to the IIHR Boundary-Layer Wind-Wave Tunnel and example results presented for both sides of the interface. The facility combines a 30m long recirculating water channel with an open-return boundary layer wind tunnel, allowing for the study of boundary layer turbulence interacting with a wind-driven wave field.

  16. Parallel Implementation of the Terrain Masking Algorithm

    Science.gov (United States)

    1994-03-01

    contains behavior rules which can define a computation or an algorithm. It can communicate with other process nodes, it can contain local data, and it can...terrain maskirg calculation is being performed. It is this algorithm that comsumes about seventy percent of the total terrain masking calculation time

  17. A GPS inspired Terrain Referenced Navigation algorithm

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vaman, D.

    2014-01-01

    Terrain Referenced Navigation (TRN) refers to a form of localization in which measurements of distances to the terrain surface are matched with a digital elevation map allowing a vehicle to estimate its own position within the map. The main goal of this dissertation is to improve TRN performance

  18. Computing visibility on terrains in external memory

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haverkort, H.J.; Toma, L.; Zhuang, Yi

    2007-01-01

    We describe a novel application of the distribution sweeping technique to computing visibility on terrains. Given an arbitrary viewpoint v, the basic problem we address is computing the visibility map or viewshed of v, which is the set of points in the terrain that are visible from v. We give the

  19. 47 CFR 80.759 - Average terrain elevation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Average terrain elevation. 80.759 Section 80.759 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES STATIONS IN THE MARITIME SERVICES Standards for Computing Public Coast Station VHF Coverage § 80.759 Average terrain elevation. (a)(1) Draw radials...

  20. Automatic Computer Mapping of Terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smedes, H. W.

    1971-01-01

    Computer processing of 17 wavelength bands of visible, reflective infrared, and thermal infrared scanner spectrometer data, and of three wavelength bands derived from color aerial film has resulted in successful automatic computer mapping of eight or more terrain classes in a Yellowstone National Park test site. The tests involved: (1) supervised and non-supervised computer programs; (2) special preprocessing of the scanner data to reduce computer processing time and cost, and improve the accuracy; and (3) studies of the effectiveness of the proposed Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) data channels in the automatic mapping of the same terrain, based on simulations, using the same set of scanner data. The following terrain classes have been mapped with greater than 80 percent accuracy in a 12-square-mile area with 1,800 feet of relief; (1) bedrock exposures, (2) vegetated rock rubble, (3) talus, (4) glacial kame meadow, (5) glacial till meadow, (6) forest, (7) bog, and (8) water. In addition, shadows of clouds and cliffs are depicted, but were greatly reduced by using preprocessing techniques.

  1. Very low frequency electromagnetic (VLF-EM) and electrical resistivity (ER) investigation for groundwater potential evaluation in a complex geological terrain around the Ijebu-Ode transition zone, southwestern Nigeria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osinowo, Olawale O; Olayinka, A Idowu

    2012-01-01

    Groundwater exploration in either a basement or sedimentary environment is often fairly well defined and focuses on delineating weathered/fractured rocks or saturated formations, respectively. Conversely, unique geological structures, the complex coexistence of different rock types and poorly defined basal/lateral contacts between basement and sedimentary rocks make groundwater development in a geological transition environment very challenging. Ijebu-Ode and its environs lie within such a problematic transition zone, between the Precambrian basement rocks and Cretaceous sediments of the Dahomey Basin, in southwestern Nigeria, where associated acute groundwater development challenges require adequate subsurface information to maximize its groundwater resource potential. This study integrated very low frequency electromagnetic (VLF-EM) and electrical resistivity (ER) geophysical prospecting techniques for a detailed terrain study of Ijebu-Ode in order to establish the reasons for the low groundwater resource potential in the area. Thirty five VLF-EM profiles, 140 vertical electrical soundings (VES) and relevant hydrogeological data were acquired along grids and profiles. Data were filtered, inverted and enhanced using appropriate software packages. The current density and geoelectric parameters of the VLF-EM and VES data were employed to generate terrain maps, the conductivity distribution and a subsurface basement model of the study area. Current density plots and geoelectric parameters identified up to three layers in the basement complex terrain which comprised lateritic topsoil, weathered basement and fresh basement rocks. The five layers encountered in the sedimentary terrain were topsoil, a lateritic unit, a dry sandy unit, a saturated sandy unit and fresh basement rocks. The hydraulic conductivity of the thick (3–18 m) lateritic unit was determined to be 1.32 × 10 −5 mm s −1 , while that of the underlying sandy units ranged from 2.65 × 10 −4 to 1

  2. On the vertical exchange of heat, mass and momentum over complex, mountainous terrain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mathias Walter Rotach

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The role of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL in the atmosphere-climate system is the exchange of heat, mass and momentum between ‘the earth’s surface’ and the atmosphere. Traditionally, it is understood that turbulent transport is responsible for this exchange and hence the understanding and physical description of the turbulence structure of the boundary layer is key to assess the effectiveness of earth-atmosphere exchange. This understanding is rooted in the (implicit assumption of a scale separation or spectral gap between turbulence and mean atmospheric motions, which in turn leads to the assumption of a horizontally homogeneous and flat (HHF surface as a reference, for which both physical understanding and model parameterizations have successfully been developed over the years. Over mountainous terrain, however, the ABL is generically inhomogeneous due to both thermal (radiative and dynamic forcing. This inhomogeneity leads to meso-scale and even sub-meso-scale flows such as slope and valley winds or wake effects. It is argued here that these (submeso-scale motions can significantly contribute to the vertical structure of the boundary layer and hence vertical exchange of heat and mass between the surface and the atmosphere. If model grid resolution is not high enough the latter will have to be parameterized (in a similar fashion as gravity wave drag parameterizations take into account the momentum transport due to gravity waves in large-scale models. In this contribution we summarize the available evidence of the contribution of (submeso-scale motions to vertical exchange in mountainous terrain from observational and numerical modeling studies. In particular, a number of recent simulation studies using idealized topography will be summarized and put into perspective – so as to identify possible limitations and areas of necessary future research.

  3. Improved visibility computation on massive grid terrains

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fishman, J.; Haverkort, H.J.; Toma, L.; Wolfson, O.; Agrawal, D.; Lu, C.-T.

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes the design and engineering of algorithms for computing visibility maps on massive grid terrains. Given a terrain T, specified by the elevations of points in a regular grid, and given a viewpoint v, the visibility map or viewshed of v is the set of grid points of T that are

  4. Exchange Processes in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Over Mountainous Terrain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefano Serafin

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The exchange of heat, momentum, and mass in the atmosphere over mountainous terrain is controlled by synoptic-scale dynamics, thermally driven mesoscale circulations, and turbulence. This article reviews the key challenges relevant to the understanding of exchange processes in the mountain boundary layer and outlines possible research priorities for the future. The review describes the limitations of the experimental study of turbulent exchange over complex terrain, the impact of slope and valley breezes on the structure of the convective boundary layer, and the role of intermittent mixing and wave–turbulence interaction in the stable boundary layer. The interplay between exchange processes at different spatial scales is discussed in depth, emphasizing the role of elevated and ground-based stable layers in controlling multi-scale interactions in the atmosphere over and near mountains. Implications of the current understanding of exchange processes over mountains towards the improvement of numerical weather prediction and climate models are discussed, considering in particular the representation of surface boundary conditions, the parameterization of sub-grid-scale exchange, and the development of stochastic perturbation schemes.

  5. Virtual terrain: a security-based representation of a computer network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holsopple, Jared; Yang, Shanchieh; Argauer, Brian

    2008-03-01

    Much research has been put forth towards detection, correlating, and prediction of cyber attacks in recent years. As this set of research progresses, there is an increasing need for contextual information of a computer network to provide an accurate situational assessment. Typical approaches adopt contextual information as needed; yet such ad hoc effort may lead to unnecessary or even conflicting features. The concept of virtual terrain is, therefore, developed and investigated in this work. Virtual terrain is a common representation of crucial information about network vulnerabilities, accessibilities, and criticalities. A virtual terrain model encompasses operating systems, firewall rules, running services, missions, user accounts, and network connectivity. It is defined as connected graphs with arc attributes defining dynamic relationships among vertices modeling network entities, such as services, users, and machines. The virtual terrain representation is designed to allow feasible development and maintenance of the model, as well as efficacy in terms of the use of the model. This paper will describe the considerations in developing the virtual terrain schema, exemplary virtual terrain models, and algorithms utilizing the virtual terrain model for situation and threat assessment.

  6. Walking Robots Dynamic Control Systems on an Uneven Terrain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MUNTEANU, M. S.

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents ZPM dynamic control of walking robots, developing an open architecture real time control multiprocessor system, in view of obtaining new capabilities for walking robots. The complexity of the movement mechanism of a walking robot was taken into account, being a repetitive tilting process with numerous instable movements and which can lead to its turnover on an uneven terrain. The control system architecture for the dynamic robot walking is presented in correlation with the control strategy which contains three main real time control loops: balance robot control using sensorial feedback, walking diagram control with periodic changes depending on the sensorial information during each walk cycle, predictable movement control based on a quick decision from the previous experimental data. The results obtained through simulation and experiments show an increase in mobility, stability in real conditions and obtaining of high performances related to the possibility of moving walking robots on terrains with a configuration as close as possible to real situations, respectively developing new technological capabilities of the walking robot control systems for slope movement and walking by overtaking or going around obstacles.

  7. LOD-based clustering techniques for efficient large-scale terrain storage and visualization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bao, Xiaohong; Pajarola, Renato

    2003-05-01

    Large multi-resolution terrain data sets are usually stored out-of-core. To visualize terrain data at interactive frame rates, the data needs to be organized on disk, loaded into main memory part by part, then rendered efficiently. Many main-memory algorithms have been proposed for efficient vertex selection and mesh construction. Organization of terrain data on disk is quite difficult because the error, the triangulation dependency and the spatial location of each vertex all need to be considered. Previous terrain clustering algorithms did not consider the per-vertex approximation error of individual terrain data sets. Therefore, the vertex sequences on disk are exactly the same for any terrain. In this paper, we propose a novel clustering algorithm which introduces the level-of-detail (LOD) information to terrain data organization to map multi-resolution terrain data to external memory. In our approach the LOD parameters of the terrain elevation points are reflected during clustering. The experiments show that dynamic loading and paging of terrain data at varying LOD is very efficient and minimizes page faults. Additionally, the preprocessing of this algorithm is very fast and works from out-of-core.

  8. Dynamic Modeling and Vibration Analysis for the Vehicles with Rigid Wheels Based on Wheel-Terrain Interaction Mechanics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianfeng Wang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The contact mechanics for a rigid wheel and deformable terrain are complicated owing to the rigid flexible coupling characteristics. Bekker’s equations are used as the basis to establish the equations of the sinking rolling wheel, to vertical load pressure relationship. Since vehicle movement on the Moon is a complex and on-going problem, the researcher is poised to simplify this problem of vertical loading of the wheel. In this paper, the quarter kinetic models of a manned lunar rover, which are both based on the rigid road and deformable lunar terrain, are used as the simulation models. With these kinetic models, the vibration simulations were conducted. The simulation results indicate that the quarter kinetic model based on the deformable lunar terrain accurately reflects the deformable terrain’s influence on the vibration characteristics of a manned lunar rover. Additionally, with the quarter kinetic model of the deformable terrain, the vibration simulations of a manned lunar rover were conducted, which include a parametric analysis of the wheel parameters, vehicle speed, and suspension parameters. The results show that a manned lunar rover requires a lower damping value and stiffness to achieve better vibration performance.

  9. Improving Radar QPE's in Complex Terrain for Improved Flash Flood Monitoring and Prediction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cifelli, R.; Streubel, D. P.; Reynolds, D.

    2010-12-01

    Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE) is extremely challenging in regions of complex terrain due to a combination of issues related to sampling. In particular, radar beams are often blocked or scan above the liquid precipitation zone while rain gauge density is often too low to properly characterize the spatial distribution of precipitation. Due to poor radar coverage, rain gauge networks are used by the National Weather Service (NWS) River Forecast Centers as the principal source for QPE across the western U.S. The California Nevada River Forecast Center (CNRFC) uses point rainfall measurements and historical rainfall runoff relationships to derive river stage forecasts. The point measurements are interpolated to a 4 km grid using Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) data to develop a gridded 6-hour QPE product (hereafter referred to as RFC QPE). Local forecast offices can utilize the Multi-sensor Precipitation Estimator (MPE) software to improve local QPE’s and thus local flash flood monitoring and prediction. MPE uses radar and rain gauge data to develop a combined QPE product at 1-hour intervals. The rain gauge information is used to bias correct the radar precipitation estimates so that, in situations where the rain gauge density and radar coverage are adequate, MPE can take advantage of the spatial coverage of the radar and the “ground truth” of the rain gauges to provide an accurate QPE. The MPE 1-hour QPE analysis should provide better spatial and temporal resolution for short duration hydrologic events as compared to 6-hour analyses. These hourly QPEs are then used to correct radar derived rain rates used by the Flash Flood Monitoring and Prediction (FFMP) software in forecast offices for issuance of flash flood warnings. Although widely used by forecasters across the eastern U.S., MPE is not used extensively by the NWS in the west. Part of the reason for the lack of use of MPE across the west is that there has

  10. Generating color terrain images in an emergency response system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belles, R.D.

    1985-08-01

    The Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability (ARAC) provides real-time assessments of the consequences resulting from an atmospheric release of radioactive material. In support of this operation, a system has been created which integrates numerical models, data acquisition systems, data analysis techniques, and professional staff. Of particular importance is the rapid generation of graphical images of the terrain surface in the vicinity of the accident site. A terrain data base and an associated acquisition system have been developed that provide the required terrain data. This data is then used as input to a collection of graphics programs which create and display realistic color images of the terrain. The graphics system currently has the capability of generating color shaded relief images from both overhead and perspective viewpoints within minutes. These images serve to quickly familiarize ARAC assessors with the terrain near the release location, and thus permit them to make better informed decisions in modeling the behavior of the released material. 7 refs., 8 figs

  11. Productive uncertainty. Notes on Terrain Vague

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Marullo

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Terrain vague is usually synonym for a place exceeding the traditional categories of the city. Juxtaposing entropy to definite zones of containment, abandonment and emptiness to consolidated urban fabric, ceaseless transformation to historical stratification, informality and illegal activities to controlled jurisdictions, the terrain vague acts a sort of ruin, where the city is at the point of both being forgotten and disclosing its imminent future, eluding any of its regular uses and functioning mechanisms.

  12. Vorticity and turbulence observations during a wildland fire on sloped terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Contezac, J.; Clements, C. B.; Hall, D.; Seto, D.; Davis, B.

    2013-12-01

    Fire-atmosphere interactions represent an atmospheric boundary-layer regime typically associated with complex circulations that interact with the fire front. In mountainous terrain, these interactions are compounded by terrain-driven circulations that often lead to extreme fire behavior. To better understand the role of complex terrain on fire behavior, a set of field experiments was conducted in June 2012 in the Coast Range of central California. The experiments were conducted on steep valley sidewalls to allow fires to spread upslope. Instrumentation used to measure fire-atmosphere interactions included three micrometeorological towers arranged along the slope and equipped with sonic anemometers, heat flux radiometers, and fine-wire thermocouples. In addition, a scanning Doppler lidar was used to measured winds within and above the valley, and airborne video imagery was collected to monitor fire behavior characteristics. The experimental site was located on the leeside of a ridge where terrain-induced flow and opposing mesoscale winds aloft interacted to create a zone of high wind shear. During the burn, the interaction between the fire and atmosphere caused the generation of several fire whirls that develop as a result of several environmental conditions including shear-generated vorticity and fire front geometry. Airborne video imagery indicated that upon ignition, the plume tilted in the opposite direction from the fire movement suggesting that higher horizontal momentum from aloft was brought to the surface, resulting in much slower fire spread rates due to opposing winds. However, after the fire front had passed the lowest tower located at the base of the slope, a shift in wind speed and direction caused a fire whirl to develop near an L-shaped kink in the fire front. Preliminary results indicate that at this time, winds at the bottom of the slope began to rotate with horizontal vorticity values of -0.2 s^-1. Increased heat flux values at this time indicated

  13. Numerical Simulation of a Lee Wave Case over Three-Dimensional Mountainous Terrain under Strong Wind Condition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Li

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This study of a lee wave event over three-dimensional (3D mountainous terrain in Lantau Island, Hong Kong, using a simulation combining mesoscale model and computational fluid dynamics (CFD model has shown that (1 3D steep mountainous terrain can trigger small scale lee waves under strong wind condition, and the horizontal extent of the wave structure is in a dimension of few kilometers and corresponds to the dimension of the horizontal cross-section of the mountain; (2 the life cycle of the lee wave is short, and the wave structures will continuously form roughly in the same location, then gradually move downstream, and dissipate over time; (3 the lee wave triggered by the mountainous terrain in this case can be categorized into “nonsymmetric vortex shedding” or “turbulent wake,” as defined before based on water tank experiments; (4 the magnitude of the wave is related to strength of wind shear. This study also shows that a simulation combining mesoscale model and CFD can capture complex wave structure in the boundary layer over realistic 3D steep terrain, and have a potential value for operational jobs on air traffic warning, wind energy utilization, and atmospheric environmental assessment.

  14. TERRAIN, BERKS COUNTY, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  15. TERRAIN, PIERCE, COUNTY, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  16. TERRAIN, DARKE COUNTY, OH

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  17. TERRAIN, RICE COUNTY, MN

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  18. TERRAIN, JONES COUNTY, IA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  19. TERRAIN, Norfolk County, Massachusetts

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  20. TERRAIN, JEFFERSON COUNTY, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  1. TERRAIN, WRIGHT COUNTY, IA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  2. TERRAIN, RANKIN COUNTY, MS

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  3. TERRAIN, Pierce County, WA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  4. TERRAIN, MITCHELL COUNTY, IA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  5. TERRAIN, DAWSON COUNTY, NE

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  6. TERRAIN, BARNSTABLE COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  7. TERRAIN, FRANKLIN COUNTY, IA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  8. TERRAIN, CLALLAM COUNTY, WASHINGTON

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  9. TERRAIN, HOWARD COUNTY, IA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  10. TERRAIN, NEWTON COUNTY, GA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describe the digital topographical data that were used to create...

  11. TERRAIN, PIKE COUNTY, MS

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  12. TERRAIN, Lincoln County, AR

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  13. TERRAIN, KENDALL COUNTY, TEXAS

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  14. TERRAIN, LEON COUNTY, TEXAS

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  15. TERRAIN, SNOHOMISH COUNTY, WASHINGTON

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  16. TERRAIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  17. TERRAIN, Bennington County, Vermont

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  18. TERRAIN, Northampton COUNTY, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that were used to create...

  19. TERRAIN, POTTER COUNTY, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that were used to create...

  20. TERRAIN, UNION PARISH, LOUSIANA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  1. TERRAIN, KITSAP COUNTY, WASHINGTON

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  2. TERRAIN, WAYNE COUNTY, TENNESSEE

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  3. TERRAIN, TROUSDALE COUNTY, TENNESSEE

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  4. Evaluation of REMTECH PA-2 phased array SODAR performance in Complex Terrain using in-situ turbulence instruments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Murray, D.R.; Catizone, P.A.; Hoffnagle, G.F. [TRC Environmental Corp., Windsor, CT (United States)

    1994-12-31

    The introduction of the Complex Terrain Dispersion Model Plus Algorithms for Unstable Situations (CTDMPLUS model) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created a need for detailed vertical profiles of wind speed, direction and turbulence for regulatory modeling. Most EPA models use only a single level of wind data, assume wind direction within the boundary layer is uniform and extrapolate wind speed based on logarithmic profiles. CTDMPLUS offers a more realistic paradigm for transport and dispersion in the boundary layer by utilizing measured wind profiles if available. Profile data used by CTDMPLUS must include the layer in which the plume is dispersing. For tall stack, heated effluent plume, the profile must extend to heights of several hundred meters above stack top. Doppler SOund Detection And Ranging (SODAR) systems provide a cost effective method for collecting the profile data. While EPA has approved the use of mean wind speed and direction data from SODARs for regulatory modeling purposes, the use of turbulence data has not been unconditionally accepted. In order to use turbulence data from a SODAR, the user must obtain concurrence from the agency that the turbulence data are acceptable and may be required to demonstrate that the data are reliable. This paper presents the results of a SODAR data evaluation project.

  5. Spatiotemporal Variability of Turbulence Kinetic Energy Budgets in the Convective Boundary Layer over Both Simple and Complex Terrain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rai, Raj K. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; Berg, Larry K. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; Pekour, Mikhail [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; Shaw, William J. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; Kosovic, Branko [National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado; Mirocha, Jeffrey D. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California; Ennis, Brandon L. [Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico

    2017-12-01

    The assumption of sub-grid scale (SGS) horizontal homogeneity within a model grid cell, which forms the basis of SGS turbulence closures used by mesoscale models, becomes increasingly tenuous as grid spacing is reduced to a few kilometers or less, such as in many emerging high-resolution applications. Herein, we use the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) budget equation to study the spatio-temporal variability in two types of terrain—complex (Columbia Basin Wind Energy Study [CBWES] site, north-eastern Oregon) and flat (ScaledWind Farm Technologies [SWiFT] site, west Texas) using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. In each case six-nested domains (three domains each for mesoscale and large-eddy simulation [LES]) are used to downscale the horizontal grid spacing from 10 km to 10 m using the WRF model framework. The model output was used to calculate the values of the TKE budget terms in vertical and horizontal planes as well as the averages of grid cells contained in the four quadrants (a quarter area) of the LES domain. The budget terms calculated along the planes and the mean profile of budget terms show larger spatial variability at CBWES site than at the SWiFT site. The contribution of the horizontal derivative of the shear production term to the total production shear was found to be 45% and 15% of the total shear, at the CBWES and SWiFT sites, respectively, indicating that the horizontal derivatives applied in the budget equation should not be ignored in mesoscale model parameterizations, especially for cases with complex terrain with <10 km scale.

  6. Tests of high-resolution simulations over a region of complex terrain in Southeast coast of Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chou, Sin Chan; Luís Gomes, Jorge; Ristic, Ivan; Mesinger, Fedor; Sueiro, Gustavo; Andrade, Diego; Lima-e-Silva, Pedro Paulo

    2013-04-01

    The Eta Model is used operationally by INPE at the Centre for Weather Forecasts and Climate Studies (CPTEC) to produce weather forecasts over South America since 1997. The model has gone through upgrades along these years. In order to prepare the model for operational higher resolution forecasts, the model is configured and tested over a region of complex topography located near the coast of Southeast Brazil. The model domain includes the two Brazilians cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, urban areas, preserved tropical forest, pasture fields, and complex terrain where it can rise from sea level up to about 1000 m. Accurate near-surface wind direction and magnitude are needed for the power plant emergency plan. Besides, the region suffers from frequent events of floods and landslides, therefore accurate local forecasts are required for disaster warnings. The objective of this work is to carry out a series of numerical experiments to test and evaluate high resolution simulations in this complex area. Verification of model runs uses observations taken from the nuclear power plant and higher resolution reanalyses data. The runs were tested in a period when flow was predominately forced by local conditions and in a period forced by frontal passage. The Eta Model was configured initially with 2-km horizontal resolution and 50 layers. The Eta-2km is a second nesting, it is driven by Eta-15km, which in its turn is driven by Era-Interim reanalyses. The series of experiments consists of replacing surface layer stability function, adjusting cloud microphysics scheme parameters, further increasing vertical and horizontal resolutions. By replacing the stability function for the stable conditions substantially increased the katabatic winds and verified better against the tower wind data. Precipitation produced by the model was excessive in the region. Increasing vertical resolution to 60 layers caused a further increase in precipitation production. This excessive

  7. Sensing of nucleosides, nucleotides and DNA using luminescent Eu complex by normal and time resolved fluorescence techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Azab, Hassan A.; Anwar, Zeinab M. [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, 41522 Ismailia (Egypt); Kamel, Rasha M., E-mail: rashamoka@yahoo.com [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Suez University, 43518 Suez (Egypt); Rashwan, Mai S. [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, 41522 Ismailia (Egypt)

    2016-01-15

    The interaction of Eu-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (Cyclen) complex by using 4,4,4 trifluoro-1-(2-naphthyl)1,3-butanedione (TNB) as antenna with some nucleosides (guanosine, adenosine, cytidine and inosine), nucleotides (AMP, GMP, CMP, ATP and IMP) and DNA is studied using fluorescence technique. Two detection modes are employed one is the time-resolved mode, and the other is the normal luminescence mode. The time-resolved mode is more sensing than the normal luminescence mode in the present study. By using Benesi–Hildebrand equation binding constants were determined at various temperatures. Thermodynamic parameters showed that the reaction is spontaneous through the obtained negative values of free energy change ΔG. The enthalpy ΔH and the entropy ΔS of reactions were all determined. - Highlights: • This is an application for the detection of biologically important ligands. • The detection limits, binding constants and thermodynamic parameters were evaluated. • Effect of some interferents on the detection of DNA has been investigated.

  8. Sensing of nucleosides, nucleotides and DNA using luminescent Eu complex by normal and time resolved fluorescence techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azab, Hassan A.; Anwar, Zeinab M.; Kamel, Rasha M.; Rashwan, Mai S.

    2016-01-01

    The interaction of Eu-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (Cyclen) complex by using 4,4,4 trifluoro-1-(2-naphthyl)1,3-butanedione (TNB) as antenna with some nucleosides (guanosine, adenosine, cytidine and inosine), nucleotides (AMP, GMP, CMP, ATP and IMP) and DNA is studied using fluorescence technique. Two detection modes are employed one is the time-resolved mode, and the other is the normal luminescence mode. The time-resolved mode is more sensing than the normal luminescence mode in the present study. By using Benesi–Hildebrand equation binding constants were determined at various temperatures. Thermodynamic parameters showed that the reaction is spontaneous through the obtained negative values of free energy change ΔG. The enthalpy ΔH and the entropy ΔS of reactions were all determined. - Highlights: • This is an application for the detection of biologically important ligands. • The detection limits, binding constants and thermodynamic parameters were evaluated. • Effect of some interferents on the detection of DNA has been investigated.

  9. Studies on Ternary Complex Formation of U(VI)-salicylate by Using Time-resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cha, Wan Sik; Cho, H. R.; Park, K. K.; Kim, W. H.; Jung, E. C. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-05-15

    Organic ligands containing carboxylic and phenolic functional groups naturally occur in groundwater environment, particularly in forms of polyelectrolytes such as humic and fulvic acids, from microbial degradation of biomass, e.g., plant and animal tissues. These ligands play important roles in dissolution and migration of actinide radionuclide species since they can form stable ternary actinide complexes with common inorganic ions like hydroxides and carbonates. Therefore, model ternary complexes of lanthanides and actinides have been targets of studies to understand their chemical behaviors under near-neutral pH groundwater conditions. Previous model carboxylic ligands include phthalates, maleic acids, or alpha- substituted carboxylic acids. However, majority of previous studies investigated binary systems or used potentiometric titration method that requires high ligand concentration in mM levels. Recently, highly sensitive time-resolved laserinduced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) has been used to investigate lower concentration (e.g., a few {mu}M levels) reactions of binary complexes between of ligands and metal ions. This technique provides information regarding electronic structures and complexation constants as well as fluorescence quenching mechanism. In the present study, we studied the U(VI)-OH-salicylate (SA) ternary complex formation at higher pH (> 4) via TRLF spectrum and UV-Vis absorbance measurement. Preliminary studies show that the fluorescence (FL) intensity of hydroxouranyl species at pH 4.5 decreases as SA concentration elevates in aqueous solution. Fluorescence quenching mechanism by SA is suggested based on FL intensity (I) and lifetime (tau) measurement via TRLFS

  10. Slip estimation methods for proprioceptive terrain classification using tracked mobile robots

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Masha, Ditebogo F

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Recent work has shown that proprioceptive measurements such as terrain slip can be used for terrain classification. This paper investigates the suitability of four simple slip estimation methods for differentiating between indoor and outdoor terrain...

  11. Interactive Editing of GigaSample Terrain Fields

    KAUST Repository

    Treib, Marc

    2012-05-01

    Previous terrain rendering approaches have addressed the aspect of data compression and fast decoding for rendering, but applications where the terrain is repeatedly modified and needs to be buffered on disk have not been considered so far. Such applications require both decoding and encoding to be faster than disk transfer. We present a novel approach for editing gigasample terrain fields at interactive rates and high quality. To achieve high decoding and encoding throughput, we employ a compression scheme for height and pixel maps based on a sparse wavelet representation. On recent GPUs it can encode and decode up to 270 and 730 MPix/s of color data, respectively, at compression rates and quality superior to JPEG, and it achieves more than twice these rates for lossless height field compression. The construction and rendering of a height field triangulation is avoided by using GPU ray-casting directly on the regular grid underlying the compression scheme. We show the efficiency of our method for interactive editing and continuous level-of-detail rendering of terrain fields comprised of several hundreds of gigasamples. © 2012 The Author(s).

  12. Gravity Terrain Effect of the Seafloor Topography in Taiwan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lun-Tao Tong Tai-Rong Guo

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Gravity terrain correction is used to compensate for the gravitational effects of the topography residual to the Bouguer plate. The seafloor topography off the eastern offshore of Taiwan is extremely rugged, and the depth of the sea bottom could be greater than 5000 m. In order to evaluate the terrain effect caused by the seafloor topography, a modern computer algorithm is used to calculate the terrain correction based on the digital elevation model (DEM.

  13. Estimating Slopes In Images Of Terrain By Use Of BRDF

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scholl, Marija S.

    1995-01-01

    Proposed method of estimating slopes of terrain features based on use of bidirectional reflectivity distribution function (BRDF) in analyzing aerial photographs, satellite video images, or other images produced by remote sensors. Estimated slopes integrated along horizontal coordinates to obtain estimated heights; generating three-dimensional terrain maps. Method does not require coregistration of terrain features in pairs of images acquired from slightly different perspectives nor requires Sun or other source of illumination to be low in sky over terrain of interest. On contrary, best when Sun is high. Works at almost all combinations of illumination and viewing angles.

  14. Terrain aided navigation for autonomous underwater vehicles with coarse maps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Ling; Cheng, Xianghong; Zhu, Yixian

    2016-01-01

    Terrain aided navigation (TAN) is a form of geophysical localization technique for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) operating in GPS-denied environments. TAN performance on sensor-rich AUVs has been evaluated in sea trials. However, many challenges remain before TAN can be successfully implemented on sensor-limited AUVs, especially with coarse maps. To improve TAN performance over coarse maps, a Gaussian process (GP) is proposed for the modeling of bathymetric terrain and integrated into the particle filter (GP-PF). GP is applied to provide not only the bathymetric value prediction through learning a set of bathymetric data from coarse maps but also the variance of the prediction. As a measurement update, calculated on bathymetric deviation is performed through the PF to obtain absolute and bounded positioning accuracy. Through the analysis of TAN performance on experimental data for two different terrains with map resolutions of 10–50 m, both the ability of the proposed model to represent the actual bathymetric terrain with accuracy and the effect of the GP-PF for TAN on sensor-limited systems in suited terrain are demonstrated. The experiment results further verify that there is an inverse relationship between the coarseness of the map and the overall TAN accuracy in rough terrains, but there is hardly any relationship between them in relatively flat terrains. (paper)

  15. Interrelationship of Cn2 & Eddy Dissipation rate based on Scintillometer and Doppler Lidar observations in complex terrain during the Perdigao Campaign 2017

    Science.gov (United States)

    Creegan, E. D.; Krishnamurthy, R.; Hocut, C. M.; Pattantyus, A.; Leo, L. S.; Wang, Y.; Fernando, H. J.; Bariteau, L.

    2017-12-01

    The Perdigao campaign is a joint EU/US science project designed to provide information on flow field(s) over complex terrain and through wind turbines at unprecedented high spatial and temporal resolution. The goal is to improve wind energy physics and overcome the current deficiencies of wind resource models. Topographically the Perdigao location is an expansion of the "double hill in crossflow", consisting of two parallel ridges along the NW-SE direction. The site was heavily instrumented with an array of towers (with multiple transects along the valley and across two ridges) and a large suite of ground based and aerial remote sensing platforms. On the outflow side of the NW ridge a scintillometer was emplaced with the line-of-sight (LOS) running adjacent to the towers comprising the NE transect from the ridgetop down to the base. Scanning lidars were placed at both ends of this LOS. Other instruments included a tethered lifting system (TLS), sodar, microwave radiometer, an energy budget flux tower and radiosonde releases. Scintillomoter data provides a quantitative measure of the intensity of optical turbulence, through the refractive index structure parameter, Cn2, where averaged Cn2 is often determined as a function of local differences in temperature, moisture, and wind velocity at discrete points. The refractive index structure parameter is also a function of the inner (dissipation) and outer (energy producing) turbulent scales. The scintillometer directly gives path averaged Cn2 and Eddy Dissipation rate along the LOS. Coplanar scans along the same path were synchronized using two scanning coherent Doppler lidars. Algorithms have been developed to estimate both eddy dissipation rate and Cn2 from Doppler lidar data effectively creating a new lidar data product. Additionally, from TLS measurements, Cn2 and dissipation rate are calculated using the high frequency spectra of the hot-wire sensor. In this work, measurements of Cn2 and Eddy Dissipation rate

  16. Periglacial complexes in Utopia Planitia: rimless, tiered depressions, (clastically) sorted and unsorted polygonised terrain and an ice-rich mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soare, Richard; Conway, Susan; Gallagher, Colman; Dohm, James; Clifford, Stephen M.; Williams, Jean-pierre

    2016-10-01

    We report the spatial and possible genetic-relationship at the mid-latitudes of Utopia Planitia (45-500N 115-1200E), Mars, of: (a) metre to decametre deep, rimless, tiered depressions; terrain that exhibits (b) (clastically) sorted and (c) unsorted (small-sized) polygons; and, (d) a very youthful, ice-rich mantle. We show that these individual landscape features are separated stratigraphically, this being presented to the Mars community for the first time, and suggest that the stratigraphical separation of these features could be the result of boundary conditions and formation processes that have varied much more widely than has been thought hitherto. In cold-climate and non-glacial regions such as the Yamal Peninsula of eastern Russia and the Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands of northern Canada, landscape assemblages comprised of similar features are referenced as "ice complexes" and are indicative of periglacialism on two fronts: first, the presence of "ice-rich" permafrost or permafrost comprised of "excess ice", i.e. "permafrost" whose pore space is exceeded by the "water ice" within that body of sediment; and, second, antecedently or currently active freeze-thaw cycling, minimally, to the full depth of the "ice-complex" depressions. In the Dry Valleys of the Antarctic, where the atmospheric aridity and cold-temperatures approach those of Mars, ice-vapour diffusion and adsorption cycles are cited as the means by which the near-surface, permafrost, i.e. ≤1m deep, has become ice-cemented. However, the metre to decametre depths of the "ice-complex" depressions on Earth and the morphologically-similar ones on Mars lie beyond the vertical reach of the Antarctic diffusion and adsorption cycles, both empirically and theoretically. By deduction, this points to the freeze-thaw cycling of water to depth, fostered either by exogenic or endogenic means, perhaps playing a more important role in the formation of the possible Martian "ice complexes" than might be expected were

  17. Automatic terrain modeling using transfinite element analysis

    KAUST Repository

    Collier, Nathan

    2010-05-31

    An automatic procedure for modeling terrain is developed based on L2 projection-based interpolation of discrete terrain data onto transfinite function spaces. The function space is refined automatically by the use of image processing techniques to detect regions of high error and the flexibility of the transfinite interpolation to add degrees of freedom to these areas. Examples are shown of a section of the Palo Duro Canyon in northern Texas.

  18. Smoke plume trajectory from in-situ burning of crude oil: complex terrain modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McGrattan, K.

    1997-01-01

    Numerical models have been used to predict the concentration of particulate matter or other combustion products downwind from a proposed in- situ burning of an oil spill. One of the models used was the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) model, ALOFT (A Large Outdoor Fire plume Trajectory), which is based on the conservation equations that govern the introduction of hot gases and particulate matter into the atmosphere. By using a model based on fundamental equations, it becomes a relatively simple matter to simulate smoke dispersal flow patterns, and to compute the solution to the equations of motion that govern the transport of pollutants in the lower atmosphere at a resolution that is comparable to that of the underlying terrain data. 9 refs., 2 tabs., 5 figs

  19. Pitch discrimination learning: specificity for pitch and harmonic resolvability, and electrophysiological correlates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carcagno, Samuele; Plack, Christopher J

    2011-08-01

    Multiple-hour training on a pitch discrimination task dramatically decreases the threshold for detecting a pitch difference between two harmonic complexes. Here, we investigated the specificity of this perceptual learning with respect to the pitch and the resolvability of the trained harmonic complex, as well as its cortical electrophysiological correlates. We trained 24 participants for 12 h on a pitch discrimination task using one of four different harmonic complexes. The complexes differed in pitch and/or spectral resolvability of their components by the cochlea, but were filtered into the same spectral region. Cortical-evoked potentials and a behavioral measure of pitch discrimination were assessed before and after training for all the four complexes. The change in these measures was compared to that of two control groups: one trained on a level discrimination task and one without any training. The behavioral results showed that learning was partly specific to both pitch and resolvability. Training with a resolved-harmonic complex improved pitch discrimination for resolved complexes more than training with an unresolved complex. However, we did not find evidence that training with an unresolved complex leads to specific learning for unresolved complexes. Training affected the P2 component of the cortical-evoked potentials, as well as a later component (250-400 ms). No significant changes were found on the mismatch negativity (MMN) component, although a separate experiment showed that this measure was sensitive to pitch changes equivalent to the pitch discriminability changes induced by training. This result suggests that pitch discrimination training affects processes not measured by the MMN, for example, processes higher in level or parallel to those involved in MMN generation.

  20. Airflows and turbulent flux measurements in mountainous terrain: Part 1. Canopy and local effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turnipseed, Andrew A.; Anderson, Dean E.; Blanken, Peter D.; Baugh, William M.; Monson, Russell K.

    2003-01-01

    We have studied the effects of local topography and canopy structure on turbulent flux measurements at a site located in mountainous terrain within a subalpine, coniferous forest. Our primary aim was to determine whether the complex terrain of the site affects the accuracy of eddy flux measurements from a practical perspective. We observed displacement heights, roughness lengths, spectral peaks, turbulent length scales, and profiles of turbulent intensities that were comparable in magnitude and pattern to those reported for forest canopies in simpler terrain. We conclude that in many of these statistical measures, the local canopy exerts considerably more influence than does topographical complexity. Lack of vertical flux divergence and modeling suggests that the flux footprints for the site are within the standards acceptable for the application of flux statistics. We investigated three different methods of coordinate rotation: double rotation (DR), triple rotation (TR), and planar-fit rotation (PF). Significant variability in rotation angles at low wind speeds was encountered with the commonly used DR and TR methods, as opposed to the PF method, causing some overestimation of the fluxes. However, these differences in fluxes were small when applied to large datasets involving sensible heat and CO2 fluxes. We observed evidence of frequent drainage flows near the ground during stable, stratified conditions at night. Concurrent with the appearance of these flows, we observed a positive bias in the mean vertical wind speed, presumably due to subtle topographic variations inducing a flow convergence below the measurement sensors. In the presence of such drainage flows, advection of scalars and non-zero bias in the mean vertical wind speed can complicate closure of the mass conservation budget at the site.

  1. Irregular Morphing for Real-Time Rendering of Large Terrain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Kalem

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The following paper proposes an alternative approach to the real-time adaptive triangulation problem. A new region-based multi-resolution approach for terrain rendering is described which improves on-the-fly the distribution of the density of triangles inside the tile after selecting appropriate Level-Of-Detail by an adaptive sampling. This proposed approach organizes the heightmap into a QuadTree of tiles that are processed independently. This technique combines the benefits of both Triangular Irregular Network approach and region-based multi-resolution approach by improving the distribution of the density of triangles inside the tile. Our technique morphs the initial regular grid of the tile to deformed grid in order to minimize approximation error. The proposed technique strives to combine large tile size and real-time processing while guaranteeing an upper bound on the screen space error. Thus, this approach adapts terrain rendering process to local surface characteristics and enables on-the-fly handling of large amount of terrain data. Morphing is based-on the multi-resolution wavelet analysis. The use of the D2WT multi-resolution analysis of the terrain height-map speeds up processing and permits to satisfy an interactive terrain rendering. Tests and experiments demonstrate that Haar B-Spline wavelet, well known for its properties of localization and its compact support, is suitable for fast and accurate redistribution. Such technique could be exploited in client-server architecture for supporting interactive high-quality remote visualization of very large terrain.

  2. A Multi-Scale Validation Strategy for Albedo Products over Rugged Terrain and Preliminary Application in Heihe River Basin, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xingwen Lin

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The issue for the validation of land surface remote sensing albedo products over rugged terrain is the scale effects between the reference albedo measurements and coarse scale albedo products, which is caused by the complex topography. This paper illustrates a multi-scale validation strategy specified for coarse scale albedo validation over rugged terrain. A Mountain-Radiation-Transfer-based (MRT-based albedo upscaling model was proposed in the process of multi-scale validation strategy for aggregating fine scale albedo to coarse scale. The simulated data of both the reference coarse scale albedo and fine scale albedo were used to assess the performance and uncertainties of the MRT-based albedo upscaling model. The results showed that the MRT-based model could reflect the albedo scale effects over rugged terrain and provided a robust solution for albedo upscaling from fine scale to coarse scale with different mean slopes and different solar zenith angles. The upscaled coarse scale albedos had the great agreements with the simulated coarse scale albedo with a Root-Mean-Square-Error (RMSE of 0.0029 and 0.0017 for black sky albedo (BSA and white sky albedo (WSA, respectively. Then the MRT-based model was preliminarily applied for the assessment of daily MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS Albedo Collection V006 products (MCD43A3 C6 over rugged terrain. Results showed that the MRT-based model was effective and suitable for conducting the validation of MODIS albedo products over rugged terrain. In this research area, it was shown that the MCD43A3 C6 products with full inversion algorithm, were generally in agreement with the aggregated coarse scale reference albedos over rugged terrain in the Heihe River Basin, with the BSA RMSE of 0.0305 and WSA RMSE of 0.0321, respectively, which were slightly higher than those over flat terrain.

  3. Terrain Adaptive Reconfiguration of Mobility

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Develop an algorithm (and software) to automatically adapt a reconfigurable robot to different types of terrains for improved mobility, that compared to SOA:...

  4. VTAC: virtual terrain assisted impact assessment for cyber attacks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Argauer, Brian J.; Yang, Shanchieh J.

    2008-03-01

    Overwhelming intrusion alerts have made timely response to network security breaches a difficult task. Correlating alerts to produce a higher level view of intrusion state of a network, thus, becomes an essential element in network defense. This work proposes to analyze correlated or grouped alerts and determine their 'impact' to services and users of the network. A network is modeled as 'virtual terrain' where cyber attacks maneuver. Overlaying correlated attack tracks on virtual terrain exhibits the vulnerabilities exploited by each track and the relationships between them and different network entities. The proposed impact assessment algorithm utilizes the graph-based virtual terrain model and combines assessments of damages caused by the attacks. The combined impact scores allow to identify severely damaged network services and affected users. Several scenarios are examined to demonstrate the uses of the proposed Virtual Terrain Assisted Impact Assessment for Cyber Attacks (VTAC).

  5. Colour based off-road environment and terrain type classification

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jansen, P.; Mark, W. van der; Heuvel, J.C. van den; Groen, F.C.A.

    2005-01-01

    Terrain classification is an important problem that still remains to be solved for off-road autonomous robot vehicle guidance. Often, obstacle detection systems are used which cannot distinguish between solid obstacles such as rocks or soft obstacles such as tall patches of grass. Terrain

  6. Unified Geomorphological Analysis Workflows with Benthic Terrain Modeler

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shaun Walbridge

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available High resolution remotely sensed bathymetric data is rapidly increasing in volume, but analyzing this data requires a mastery of a complex toolchain of disparate software, including computing derived measurements of the environment. Bathymetric gradients play a fundamental role in energy transport through the seascape. Benthic Terrain Modeler (BTM uses bathymetric data to enable simple characterization of benthic biotic communities and geologic types, and produces a collection of key geomorphological variables known to affect marine ecosystems and processes. BTM has received continual improvements since its 2008 release; here we describe the tools and morphometrics BTM can produce, the research context which this enables, and we conclude with an example application using data from a protected reef in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.

  7. ATRAN Terrain Sensing Guidance-The Grand-Daddy System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koch, Richard F.; Evans, Donald C.

    1980-12-01

    ATRAN was the pioneer terrain sensing guidance system developed in the 1950 era and deployed in Europe on the Air Force's mobile, ground launched TM-76A MACE cruise missile in the late 1950's and early 1960's. The background, principles and technology are described for this system which was the forerunner of todays modern autonomous standoff terrain sensing guided weapons.

  8. Wind flow simulation over flat terrain using CFD based software

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petrov, Peter; Terziev, Angel; Genovski, Ivan

    2009-01-01

    Velocity distribution recognition over definite place (terrain) is very important because due to that the zones with high energy potential could be defined (the fields with high velocities). This is a precondition for optimal wind turbine generators micro-sitting. In current work a simulation of the open flow over the flat terrain using the CFD based software is reviewed. The simulations are made of a real fluid flow in order to be defined the velocity fields over the terrain

  9. Semi-Global Filtering of Airborne LiDAR Data for Fast Extraction of Digital Terrain Models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiangyun Hu

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Automatic extraction of ground points, called filtering, is an essential step in producing Digital Terrain Models from airborne LiDAR data. Scene complexity and computational performance are two major problems that should be addressed in filtering, especially when processing large point cloud data with diverse scenes. This paper proposes a fast and intelligent algorithm called Semi-Global Filtering (SGF. The SGF models the filtering as a labeling problem in which the labels correspond to possible height levels. A novel energy function balanced by adaptive ground saliency is employed to adapt to steep slopes, discontinuous terrains, and complex objects. Semi-global optimization is used to determine labels that minimize the energy. These labels form an optimal classification surface based on which the points are classified as either ground or non-ground. The experimental results show that the SGF algorithm is very efficient and able to produce high classification accuracy. Given that the major procedure of semi-global optimization using dynamic programming is conducted independently along eight directions, SGF can also be paralleled and sped up via Graphic Processing Unit computing, which runs at a speed of approximately 3 million points per second.

  10. TERRAIN, ALLENDALE COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  11. TERRAIN, WAKULLA COUNTY, FL, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  12. TERRAIN, BRADFORD COUNTY, FL, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  13. TERRAIN, GADSDEN COUNTY, FL, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  14. TERRAIN, LEVY COUNTY, FL, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  15. TERRAIN, WOODFORD COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  16. TERRAIN, TANEY COUNTY, Missouri USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  17. TERRAIN, FRANKLIN PARISH, LA, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  18. TERRAIN, Catahoula PARISH, LA, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  19. TERRAIN, RICHLAND PARISH, LA, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  20. TERRAIN, OVERTON COUNTY, TN, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  1. TERRAIN, STEWART COUNTY, TN, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  2. TERRAIN, POWELL COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  3. TERRAIN, HENRY COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  4. TERRAIN, BARREN COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  5. TERRAIN, LOWNDES COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  6. TERRAIN, FRANKLIN COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  7. TERRAIN, HARRISON COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  8. TERRAIN, LOGAN COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  9. TERRAIN, WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWA, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  10. TERRAIN, CHEROKEE COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  11. TERRAIN, JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  12. TERRAIN, POWESHIEK COUNTY, IOWA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  13. TERRAIN, RANDOLPH COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  14. TERRAIN, ELMORE COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  15. TERRAIN, ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  16. TERRAIN, WASHINGTON COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  17. TERRAIN, WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ohio USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  18. TERRAIN, LAWRENCE COUNTY, Ohio USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  19. TERRAIN, SEBASTIAN COUNTY, AR, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describe the digital topographical data that were used to create...

  20. TERRAIN, BALLARD COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  1. TERRAIN, NELSON COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  2. TERRAIN, EVANGELINE PARISH, LA, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  3. TERRAIN, HOUSTON COUNTY, TN, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  4. TERRAIN, JESSAMINE COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  5. TERRAIN Submission for CHICKASAW, IA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  6. TERRAIN, TALLAPOOSA COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  7. TERRAIN, MOREHOUSE PARISH, LA, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  8. TERRAIN, ALLEN COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  9. TERRAIN, LEWIS COUNTY, Missouri USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  10. TERRAIN, BUFFALO COUNTY, WISCONSIN, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  11. TERRAIN, MARENGO COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  12. TERRAIN, CLARKE COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  13. TERRAIN, HART COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  14. TERRAIN, MONROE COUNTY, Michigan USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  15. TERRAIN, WAYNE COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  16. TERRAIN, MCLEAN COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  17. TERRAIN, WINSTON COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  18. TERRAIN, CHAMBERS COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  19. TERRAIN, PERRY COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  20. TERRAIN, ESTILL COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  1. TERRAIN, NATCHITOCHES PARISH, LA, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  2. TERRAIN, CLINTON COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  3. TERRAIN, CHILTON COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  4. TERRAIN, GRAYSON COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  5. TERRAIN, GARRARD COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  6. TERRAIN, Sedgwick COUNTY, Kansas USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  7. TERRAIN, MACOMB COUNTY, MI, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  8. TERRAIN, MARSHALL COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  9. Terrain Data, Caroline COUNTY, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  10. TERRAIN, SUWANNEE COUNTY, FLORIDA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  11. TERRAIN, CHOCTAW COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  12. TERRAIN, CARLISLE COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  13. TERRAIN, SIMPSON COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  14. TERRAIN, GRAVES COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  15. TERRAIN, MADISON COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  16. TERRAIN, LAWRENCE COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  17. TERRAIN, MENIFEE COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  18. TERRAIN, SHELBY COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  19. TERRAIN, Platte County, Missouri USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  20. TERRAIN, SCOTT COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  1. TERRAIN, FAYETTE COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  2. TERRAIN, CARTER COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  3. TERRAIN, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, AZ

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  4. TERRAIN, MUHLENBERG COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  5. TERRAIN, CAMPBELL COUNTY, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  6. Resolving Ethical Dilemmas in Financial Audit

    OpenAIRE

    Professor PhD Turlea Eugeniu; PhD Student Mocanu Mihaela

    2010-01-01

    Resolving ethical dilemmas is a difficult endeavor in any field and financial auditing makes no exception. Ethical dilemmas are complex situations which derive from a conflict and in which a decision among several alternatives is needed. Ethical dilemmas are common in the work of the financial auditor, whose mission is to serve the interests of the public at large, not those of the auditee’s managers who mandate him/her. The objective of the present paper is to offer support in resolving ethi...

  7. Spatial and temporal variability of hyperspectral signatures of terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, K. F.; Perovich, D. K.; Koenig, G. G.

    2008-04-01

    Electromagnetic signatures of terrain exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity on a range of scales as well as considerable temporal variability. A statistical characterization of the spatial heterogeneity and spatial scaling algorithms of terrain electromagnetic signatures are required to extrapolate measurements to larger scales. Basic terrain elements including bare soil, grass, deciduous, and coniferous trees were studied in a quasi-laboratory setting using instrumented test sites in Hanover, NH and Yuma, AZ. Observations were made using a visible and near infrared spectroradiometer (350 - 2500 nm) and hyperspectral camera (400 - 1100 nm). Results are reported illustrating: i) several difference scenes; ii) a terrain scene time series sampled over an annual cycle; and iii) the detection of artifacts in scenes. A principal component analysis indicated that the first three principal components typically explained between 90 and 99% of the variance of the 30 to 40-channel hyperspectral images. Higher order principal components of hyperspectral images are useful for detecting artifacts in scenes.

  8. Are Titan's radial Labyrinth terrains surface expressions of large laccoliths?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schurmeier, L.; Dombard, A. J.; Malaska, M.; Radebaugh, J.

    2017-12-01

    The Labyrinth terrain unit may be the one of the best examples of the surface expression of Titan's complicated history. They are characterized as highly eroded, dissected, and elevated plateaus and remnant ridges, with an assumed composition that is likely organic-rich based on radar emissivity. How these features accumulated organic-rich sediments and formed topographic highs by either locally uplifting or surviving pervasive regional deflation or erosion is an important question for understanding the history of Titan. There are several subsets of Labyrinth terrains, presumably with differing evolutionary histories and formation processes. We aim to explain the formation of a subset of Labyrinth terrain units informally referred to as "radial Labyrinth terrains." They are elevated and appear dome-like, circular in planform, have a strong radial dissection pattern, are bordered by Undifferentiated Plains units, and are found in the mid-latitudes. Based on their shape, clustering, and dimensions, we suggest that they may be the surface expression of large subsurface laccoliths. A recent study by Manga and Michaut (Icarus, 2017) explained Europa's lenticulae (pits, domes, spots) with the formation of saucer-shaped sills that form laccoliths around the brittle-ductile transition depth within the ice shell (1-5 km). Here, we apply the same scaling relationships and find that the larger size of radial labyrinth terrains with Titan's higher gravity implies deeper intrusion depths of around 20-40 km. This intrusion depth matches the expected brittle-ductile transition on Titan based on our finite element simulations and yield strength envelope analyses. We hypothesize that Titan's radial labyrinth terrains formed as cryovolcanic (water) intrusions that rose to the brittle-ductile transition within the ice shell where they spread horizontally, and uplifted the overlying ice. The organic-rich sedimentary cover also uplifted, becoming more susceptible to pluvial and fluvial

  9. 47 CFR 1.959 - Computation of average terrain elevation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Computation of average terrain elevation. 1.959 Section 1.959 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Wireless Radio Services Applications and Proceedings Application Requirements and Procedures § 1.959 Computation of average terrain elevation. Except a...

  10. Dirt bikes and all terrain vehicles: the real threat to pediatric kidneys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Hsi-Yang; Gaines, Barbara A

    2007-10-01

    Recent reviews show that bicycles are the major cause of significant renal injury with few injuries occurring during contact sports. All-terrain vehicles are also responsible for significant pediatric renal trauma. We determined whether dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles cause more significant renal injuries than contact sports. A retrospective review of our pediatric trauma database revealed 115 consecutive patients treated for renal trauma from 2000 to 2005. A total of 20 bicycle injuries occurred, including 6 on dirt bikes. A total of 13 all-terrain vehicle injuries occurred, including 4 involving rollovers. A total of 12 contact sport injuries occurred, including 2 during pick-up games. The mean grade of renal injury was compared among the mechanisms, with grades III-V considered high grade. In descending order of renal injury the mechanisms were dirt bike (2.8), all-terrain vehicle rollover (2.8), bicycle (2.3), all-terrain vehicle (2.1), contact sports (1.8) and organized contact sports (1.4). Dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicle rollovers caused significantly greater renal trauma than organized contact sports (2.8 vs 1.4, p = 0.007 and 0.02, respectively), whereas overall bicycle and all-terrain vehicle accidents resulted in similar renal trauma grades compared to those of all contact sports. The 2 high grade renal injuries during contact sports occurred during pick-up football games without protective gear. Physician advice regarding children with a solitary kidney should include avoiding dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles. Efforts to limit all-terrain vehicle use in children younger than 16 years would decrease the risk of significant renal injury in this population more effectively than limiting contact sports participation.

  11. Resolving dual binding conformations of cellulosome cohesin-dockerin complexes using single-molecule force spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jobst, Markus A; Milles, Lukas F; Schoeler, Constantin; Ott, Wolfgang; Fried, Daniel B; Bayer, Edward A; Gaub, Hermann E; Nash, Michael A

    2015-10-31

    Receptor-ligand pairs are ordinarily thought to interact through a lock and key mechanism, where a unique molecular conformation is formed upon binding. Contrary to this paradigm, cellulosomal cohesin-dockerin (Coh-Doc) pairs are believed to interact through redundant dual binding modes consisting of two distinct conformations. Here, we combined site-directed mutagenesis and single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) to study the unbinding of Coh:Doc complexes under force. We designed Doc mutations to knock out each binding mode, and compared their single-molecule unfolding patterns as they were dissociated from Coh using an atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever. Although average bulk measurements were unable to resolve the differences in Doc binding modes due to the similarity of the interactions, with a single-molecule method we were able to discriminate the two modes based on distinct differences in their mechanical properties. We conclude that under native conditions wild-type Doc from Clostridium thermocellum exocellulase Cel48S populates both binding modes with similar probabilities. Given the vast number of Doc domains with predicted dual binding modes across multiple bacterial species, our approach opens up new possibilities for understanding assembly and catalytic properties of a broad range of multi-enzyme complexes.

  12. Digital Modeling Phenomenon Of Surface Ground Movement

    OpenAIRE

    Ioan Voina; Maricel Palamariu; Iohan Neuner; Tudor Salagean; Dumitru Onose; Mircea Ortelecan; Anca Maria Moscovici; Mariana Calin

    2016-01-01

    With the development of specialized software applications it was possible to approach and resolve complex problems concerning automating and process optimization for which are being used field data. Computerized representation of the shape and dimensions of the Earth requires a detailed mathematical modeling, known as "digital terrain model". The paper aims to present the digital terrain model of Vulcan mining, Hunedoara County, Romania. Modeling consists of a set of mathematical equations th...

  13. Convenient method for resolving degeneracies due to symmetry of the magnetic susceptibility tensor and its application to pseudo contact shift-based protein-protein complex structure determination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kobashigawa, Yoshihiro; Saio, Tomohide [Hokkaido University, Department of Structural Biology, Faculty of Advanced Life Science (Japan); Ushio, Masahiro [Hokkaido University, Graduate School of Life Science (Japan); Sekiguchi, Mitsuhiro [Astellas Pharma Inc., Analysis and Pharmacokinetics Research Labs, Department of Drug Discovery (Japan); Yokochi, Masashi; Ogura, Kenji; Inagaki, Fuyuhiko, E-mail: finagaki@pharm.hokudai.ac.jp [Hokkaido University, Department of Structural Biology, Faculty of Advanced Life Science (Japan)

    2012-05-15

    Pseudo contact shifts (PCSs) induced by paramagnetic lanthanide ions fixed in a protein frame provide long-range distance and angular information, and are valuable for the structure determination of protein-protein and protein-ligand complexes. We have been developing a lanthanide-binding peptide tag (hereafter LBT) anchored at two points via a peptide bond and a disulfide bond to the target proteins. However, the magnetic susceptibility tensor displays symmetry, which can cause multiple degenerated solutions in a structure calculation based solely on PCSs. Here we show a convenient method for resolving this degeneracy by changing the spacer length between the LBT and target protein. We applied this approach to PCS-based rigid body docking between the FKBP12-rapamycin complex and the mTOR FRB domain, and demonstrated that degeneracy could be resolved using the PCS restraints obtained from two-point anchored LBT with two different spacer lengths. The present strategy will markedly increase the usefulness of two-point anchored LBT for protein complex structure determination.

  14. Convenient method for resolving degeneracies due to symmetry of the magnetic susceptibility tensor and its application to pseudo contact shift-based protein–protein complex structure determination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobashigawa, Yoshihiro; Saio, Tomohide; Ushio, Masahiro; Sekiguchi, Mitsuhiro; Yokochi, Masashi; Ogura, Kenji; Inagaki, Fuyuhiko

    2012-01-01

    Pseudo contact shifts (PCSs) induced by paramagnetic lanthanide ions fixed in a protein frame provide long-range distance and angular information, and are valuable for the structure determination of protein–protein and protein–ligand complexes. We have been developing a lanthanide-binding peptide tag (hereafter LBT) anchored at two points via a peptide bond and a disulfide bond to the target proteins. However, the magnetic susceptibility tensor displays symmetry, which can cause multiple degenerated solutions in a structure calculation based solely on PCSs. Here we show a convenient method for resolving this degeneracy by changing the spacer length between the LBT and target protein. We applied this approach to PCS-based rigid body docking between the FKBP12-rapamycin complex and the mTOR FRB domain, and demonstrated that degeneracy could be resolved using the PCS restraints obtained from two-point anchored LBT with two different spacer lengths. The present strategy will markedly increase the usefulness of two-point anchored LBT for protein complex structure determination.

  15. The electronically excited states of LH2 complexes from Rhodopseudomonas acidophila strain 10050 studied by time-resolved spectroscopy and dynamic Monte Carlo simulations. I. Isolated, non-interacting LH2 complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pflock, Tobias J; Oellerich, Silke; Southall, June; Cogdell, Richard J; Ullmann, G Matthias; Köhler, Jürgen

    2011-07-21

    We have employed time-resolved spectroscopy on the picosecond time scale in combination with dynamic Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the photophysical properties of light-harvesting 2 (LH2) complexes from the purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas acidophila. The variations of the fluorescence transients were studied as a function of the excitation fluence, the repetition rate of the excitation and the sample preparation conditions. Here we present the results obtained on detergent solubilized LH2 complexes, i.e., avoiding intercomplex interactions, and show that a simple four-state model is sufficient to grasp the experimental observations quantitatively without the need for any free parameters. This approach allows us to obtain a quantitative measure for the singlet-triplet annihilation rate in isolated, noninteracting LH2 complexes.

  16. An Optimized Method for Terrain Reconstruction Based on Descent Images

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xu Xinchao

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available An optimization method is proposed to perform high-accuracy terrain reconstruction of the landing area of Chang’e III. First, feature matching is conducted using geometric model constraints. Then, the initial terrain is obtained and the initial normal vector of each point is solved on the basis of the initial terrain. By changing the vector around the initial normal vector in small steps a set of new vectors is obtained. By combining these vectors with the direction of light and camera, the functions are set up on the basis of a surface reflection model. Then, a series of gray values is derived by solving the equations. The new optimized vector is recorded when the obtained gray value is closest to the corresponding pixel. Finally, the optimized terrain is obtained after iteration of the vector field. Experiments were conducted using the laboratory images and descent images of Chang’e III. The results showed that the performance of the proposed method was better than that of the classical feature matching method. It can provide a reference for terrain reconstruction of the landing area in subsequent moon exploration missions.

  17. Terrain Simplification Research in Augmented Scene Modeling

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2001-01-01

    environment. As one of the most important tasks in augmented scene modeling, terrain simplification research has gained more and more attention. In this paper, we mainly focus on point selection problem in terrain simplification using triangulated irregular network. Based on the analysis and comparison of traditional importance measures for each input point, we put forward a new importance measure based on local entropy. The results demonstrate that the local entropy criterion has a better performance than any traditional methods. In addition, it can effectively conquer the "short-sight" problem associated with the traditional methods.

  18. Comparison of Three Supervised Learning Methods for Digital Soil Mapping: Application to a Complex Terrain in the Ecuadorian Andes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Hitziger

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A digital soil mapping approach is applied to a complex, mountainous terrain in the Ecuadorian Andes. Relief features are derived from a digital elevation model and used as predictors for topsoil texture classes sand, silt, and clay. The performance of three statistical learning methods is compared: linear regression, random forest, and stochastic gradient boosting of regression trees. In linear regression, a stepwise backward variable selection procedure is applied and overfitting is controlled by minimizing Mallow’s Cp. For random forest and boosting, the effect of predictor selection and tuning procedures is assessed. 100-fold repetitions of a 5-fold cross-validation of the selected modelling procedures are employed for validation, uncertainty assessment, and method comparison. Absolute assessment of model performance is achieved by comparing the prediction error of the selected method and the mean. Boosting performs best, providing predictions that are reliably better than the mean. The median reduction of the root mean square error is around 5%. Elevation is the most important predictor. All models clearly distinguish ridges and slopes. The predicted texture patterns are interpreted as result of catena sequences (eluviation of fine particles on slope shoulders and landslides (mixing up mineral soil horizons on slopes.

  19. Lunar terrain mapping and relative-roughness analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowan, Lawrence C.; McCauley, John F.; Holm, Esther A.

    1971-01-01

    Terrain maps of the equatorial zone (long 70° E.-70° W. and lat 10° N-10° S.) were prepared at scales of 1:2,000,000 and 1:1,000,000 to classify lunar terrain with respect to roughness and to provide a basis for selecting sites for Surveyor and Apollo landings as well as for Ranger and Lunar Orbiter photographs. The techniques that were developed as a result of this effort can be applied to future planetary exploration. By using the best available earth-based observational data and photographs 1:1,000,000-scale and U.S. Geological Survey lunar geologic maps and U.S. Air Force Aeronautical Chart and Information Center LAC charts, lunar terrain was described by qualitative and quantitative methods and divided into four fundamental classes: maria, terrae, craters, and linear features. Some 35 subdivisions were defined and mapped throughout the equatorial zone, and, in addition, most of the map units were illustrated by photographs. The terrain types were analyzed quantitatively to characterize and order their relative-roughness characteristics. Approximately 150,000 east-west slope measurements made by a photometric technique (photoclinometry) in 51 sample areas indicate that algebraic slope-frequency distributions are Gaussian, and so arithmetic means and standard deviations accurately describe the distribution functions. The algebraic slope-component frequency distributions are particularly useful for rapidly determining relative roughness of terrain. The statistical parameters that best describe relative roughness are the absolute arithmetic mean, the algebraic standard deviation, and the percentage of slope reversal. Statistically derived relative-relief parameters are desirable supplementary measures of relative roughness in the terrae. Extrapolation of relative roughness for the maria was demonstrated using Ranger VII slope-component data and regional maria slope data, as well as the data reported here. It appears that, for some morphologically homogeneous

  20. What Influences Youth to Operate All-Terrain Vehicles Safely?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grummon, A. H.; Heaney, C. A.; Dellinger, W. A.; Wilkins, J. R., III

    2014-01-01

    The operation of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) by youth has contributed to the incidence of serious and fatal injuries among children. This study explored factors related to the frequency with which youth wore a helmet and refrained from engaging in three risky driving behaviors (driving at risky speeds, on paved roads and on unfamiliar terrain)…

  1. Improving Radar Quantitative Precipitation Estimation over Complex Terrain in the San Francisco Bay Area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cifelli, R.; Chen, H.; Chandrasekar, V.

    2017-12-01

    A recent study by the State of California's Department of Water Resources has emphasized that the San Francisco Bay Area is at risk of catastrophic flooding. Therefore, accurate quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) and forecast (QPF) are critical for protecting life and property in this region. Compared to rain gauge and meteorological satellite, ground based radar has shown great advantages for high-resolution precipitation observations in both space and time domain. In addition, the polarization diversity shows great potential to characterize precipitation microphysics through identification of different hydrometeor types and their size and shape information. Currently, all the radars comprising the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) network are operating in dual-polarization mode. Enhancement of QPE is one of the main considerations of the dual-polarization upgrade. The San Francisco Bay Area is covered by two S-band WSR-88D radars, namely, KMUX and KDAX. However, in complex terrain like the Bay Area, it is still challenging to obtain an optimal rainfall algorithm for a given set of dual-polarization measurements. In addition, the accuracy of rain rate estimates is contingent on additional factors such as bright band contamination, vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR) correction, and partial beam blockages. This presentation aims to improve radar QPE for the Bay area using advanced dual-polarization rainfall methodologies. The benefit brought by the dual-polarization upgrade of operational radar network is assessed. In addition, a pilot study of gap fill X-band radar performance is conducted in support of regional QPE system development. This paper also presents a detailed comparison between the dual-polarization radar-derived rainfall products with various operational products including the NSSL's Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor (MRMS) system. Quantitative evaluation of various rainfall products is achieved

  2. Passive Microwave Precipitation Retrieval Uncertainty Characterized based on Field Campaign Data over Complex Terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derin, Y.; Anagnostou, E. N.; Anagnostou, M.; Kalogiros, J. A.; Casella, D.; Marra, A. C.; Panegrossi, G.; Sanò, P.

    2017-12-01

    Difficulties in representation of high rainfall variability over mountainous areas using ground based sensors make satellite remote sensing techniques attractive for hydrologic studies over these regions. Even though satellite-based rainfall measurements are quasi global and available at high spatial resolution, these products have uncertainties that necessitate use of error characterization and correction procedures based upon more accurate in situ rainfall measurements. Such measurements can be obtained from field campaigns facilitated by research quality sensors such as locally deployed weather radar and in situ weather stations. This study uses such high quality and resolution rainfall estimates derived from dual-polarization X-band radar (XPOL) observations from three field experiments in Mid-Atlantic US East Coast (NASA IPHEX experiment), the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State (NASA OLYMPEX experiment), and the Mediterranean to characterize the error characteristics of multiple passive microwave (PMW) sensor retrievals. The study first conducts an independent error analysis of the XPOL radar reference rainfall fields against in situ rain gauges and disdrometer observations available by the field experiments. Then the study evaluates different PMW precipitation products using the XPOL datasets (GR) over the three aforementioned complex terrain study areas. We extracted matchups of PMW/GR rainfall based on a matching methodology that identifies GR volume scans coincident with PMW field-of-view sampling volumes, and scaled GR parameters to the satellite products' nominal spatial resolution. The following PMW precipitation retrieval algorithms are evaluated: the NASA Goddard PROFiling algorithm (GPROF), standard and climatology-based products (V 3, 4 and 5) from four PMW sensors (SSMIS, MHS, GMI, and AMSR2), and the precipitation products based on the algorithms Cloud Dynamics and Radiation Database (CDRD) for SSMIS and Passive microwave Neural network

  3. Pollutant transport over complex terrain: Flux and budget calculations for the pollumet field campaign

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehning, Michael; Richner, Hans; Kok, Gregory L.

    Especially over complex terrain, transport processes dominate the local pollutant concentrations observed. The data gathered during the POLLUMET measuring campaign in 1993 allow a quantitative analysis of the pollutant fluxes and the pollutant budgets. The data include airborne measurements by NCAR's King Air, radio soundings, radar wind profiles, and data from meteorological ground stations. The regions of interest were the rather densely populated Swiss Plateau, which is embedded between the Alps and the Jura Mountains, and a box south of the Alps covering the south Ticino region and parts of northern Italy. An interpolation scheme was developed to reconstruct the wind field from all available measurements. From the wind field and the reconstruction of the concentration field the fluxes into and out of a box with fixed boundaries are calculated. The pollutant budgets are obtained from the sum of the fluxes and considering a mean vertical velocity. To assess the uncertainties introduced through the interpolation of the measurements, an extensive sensitivity analysis is included. The Swiss Plateau exports ozone and nitrogen oxides. The export rates can be interpreted as an ozone accumulation or fraction of 'homemade pollution' between 3 and 10% and require a net production rate of 1-2 ppb h -1. Accumulation of nitrogen oxides amounts to 20-60%. The box south of the Alps imports polluted air from northern Italy. Thus, oxidized nitrogen is not exported but a net production of ozone still occurs at a rate of 1-2 ppb h -1. The interpolated flow and concentration fields are decomposed into the mean over a box-boundary and the deviation from that mean. This allows isolation of the contribution of local circulations and large-scale turbulence to the total flux. It is shown how the local thermotopographic circulations increasingly dominate the transport as typical Alpine topography is approached. Even over the Swiss Plateau, approximately 20 km away from Alpine topography

  4. Effect of load carriage and natural terrain conditions on cognitive performance in desert environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhattacharyya, Debojyoti; Pal, Madhusudan; Chatterjee, Tirthankar; Majumdar, Dhurjati

    2017-10-01

    Correct decision making is a critical component of cognitive performance of a soldier, which may be influenced by the load carriage and terrain conditions during their deployment in desert environment. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of loads and terrain conditions on the cognitive performance in a group of twelve healthy heat acclimatized infantry soldiers under natural desert environment. The soldiers participated in a 10min walking trial during carrying no load and also carrying 10.7, 21.4 and 30kg at two terrain conditions viz., sandy and hard. We studied attention, memory and executive function, which are having immense functional importance in military operations. Standardized cognitive test battery was applied to the participants after carrying each magnitude of load at each terrain. Baseline cognitive performance was recorded on a separate day and was compared with the performances recorded after the load carriage trials. An attempt was made to reveal the relationship between physiological workload (relative workload) and cognitive performance at the point of completion of load carriage trials. Load, terrains and load×terrain interaction did not produce any significant effect (p>0.05) on the cognitive performance. Attention and relative workload were found significantly correlated at hard terrain under no load, 21.4kg and 30kg. Significant correlation was found between executive function and relative workload at hard terrain under no load. Carrying upto 30kg load for 10min at 3.5-4kmph walking speed resulted in improvement in attention at sandy terrain, decrement in memory at both sandy and hard terrains and improvement in executive function at sandy terrain. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Platform for Testing Robotic Vehicles on Simulated Terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindemann, Randel

    2006-01-01

    The variable terrain tilt platform (VTTP) is a means of providing simulated terrain for mobility testing of engineering models of the Mars Exploration Rovers. The VTTP could also be used for testing the ability of other robotic land vehicles (and small vehicles in general) to move across terrain under diverse conditions of slope and surface texture, and in the presence of obstacles of various sizes and shapes. The VTTP consists mostly of a 16-ft-(4.88-m)-square tilt table. The tilt can be adjusted to any angle between 0 (horizontal) and 25 . The test surface of the table can be left bare; can be covered with hard, high-friction material; or can be covered with sand, gravel, and/or other ground-simulating material or combination of materials to a thickness of as much as 6 in. (approx. 15 cm). Models of rocks, trenches, and other obstacles can be placed on the simulated terrain. For example, for one of the Mars- Rover tests, a high-friction mat was attached to the platform, then a 6-in.- ( 15 cm) deep layer of dry, loose beach sand was deposited on the mat. The choice of these two driving surface materials was meant to bound the range of variability of terrain that the rover was expected to encounter on the Martian surface. At each of the different angles at which tests were performed, for some of the tests, rocklike concrete obstacles ranging in height from 10 to 25 cm were placed in the path of the rover (see figure). The development of the VTTP was accompanied by development of a methodology of testing to characterize the performance and modes of failure of a vehicle under test. In addition to variations in slope, ground material, and obstacles, testing typically includes driving up-slope, down-slope, cross-slope, and at intermediate angles relative to slope. Testing includes recording of drive-motor currents, wheel speeds, articulation of suspension mechanisms, and the actual path of the vehicle over the simulated terrain. The collected data can be used to

  6. Global terrain classification using Multiple-Error-Removed Improved-Terrain (MERIT) to address susceptibility of landslides and other geohazards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwahashi, J.; Yamazaki, D.; Matsuoka, M.; Thamarux, P.; Herrick, J.; Yong, A.; Mital, U.

    2017-12-01

    A seamless model of landform classifications with regional accuracy will be a powerful platform for geophysical studies that forecast geologic hazards. Spatial variability as a function of landform on a global scale was captured in the automated classifications of Iwahashi and Pike (2007) and additional developments are presented here that incorporate more accurate depictions using higher-resolution elevation data than the original 1-km scale Shuttle Radar Topography Mission digital elevation model (DEM). We create polygon-based terrain classifications globally by using the 280-m DEM interpolated from the Multi-Error-Removed Improved-Terrain DEM (MERIT; Yamazaki et al., 2017). The multi-scale pixel-image analysis method, known as Multi-resolution Segmentation (Baatz and Schäpe, 2000), is first used to classify the terrains based on geometric signatures (slope and local convexity) calculated from the 280-m DEM. Next, we apply the machine learning method of "k-means clustering" to prepare the polygon-based classification at the globe-scale using slope, local convexity and surface texture. We then group the divisions with similar properties by hierarchical clustering and other statistical analyses using geological and geomorphological data of the area where landslides and earthquakes are frequent (e.g. Japan and California). We find the 280-m DEM resolution is only partially sufficient for classifying plains. We nevertheless observe that the categories correspond to reported landslide and liquefaction features at the global scale, suggesting that our model is an appropriate platform to forecast ground failure. To predict seismic amplification, we estimate site conditions using the time-averaged shear-wave velocity in the upper 30-m (VS30) measurements compiled by Yong et al. (2016) and the terrain model developed by Yong (2016; Y16). We plan to test our method on finer resolution DEMs and report our findings to obtain a more globally consistent terrain model as there

  7. Using game engine for 3D terrain visualisation of GIS data: A review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Che Mat, Ruzinoor; Shariff, Abdul Rashid Mohammed; Nasir Zulkifli, Abdul; Shafry Mohd Rahim, Mohd; Hafiz Mahayudin, Mohd

    2014-06-01

    This paper reviews on the 3D terrain visualisation of GIS data using game engines that are available in the market as well as open source. 3D terrain visualisation is a technique used to visualise terrain information from GIS data such as a digital elevation model (DEM), triangular irregular network (TIN) and contour. Much research has been conducted to transform the 2D view of map to 3D. There are several terrain visualisation softwares that are available for free, which include Cesium, Hftool and Landserf. This review paper will help interested users to better understand the current state of art in 3D terrain visualisation of GIS data using game engines.

  8. Using game engine for 3D terrain visualisation of GIS data: A review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mat, Ruzinoor Che; Zulkifli, Abdul Nasir; Mahayudin, Mohd Hafiz; Shariff, Abdul Rashid Mohammed; Rahim, Mohd Shafry Mohd

    2014-01-01

    This paper reviews on the 3D terrain visualisation of GIS data using game engines that are available in the market as well as open source. 3D terrain visualisation is a technique used to visualise terrain information from GIS data such as a digital elevation model (DEM), triangular irregular network (TIN) and contour. Much research has been conducted to transform the 2D view of map to 3D. There are several terrain visualisation softwares that are available for free, which include Cesium, Hftool and Landserf. This review paper will help interested users to better understand the current state of art in 3D terrain visualisation of GIS data using game engines

  9. Cloud, Aerosol, and Complex Terrain Interactions (CACTI) Preliminary Science Plan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Varble, Adam [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Nesbitt, Steve [Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States); Salio, Paola [Univ. of Buenos Aires (Argentina); Zipser, Edward [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); van den Heever, Susan [Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States); McFarquhar, Greg [Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States); Kollias, Pavlos [Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States); Kreidenweis, Sonia [Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States); DeMott, Paul [Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States); Jensen, Michael [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Houze, Jr., Robert [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Rasmussen, Kristen [Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States); Leung, Ruby [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Romps, David [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Gochis, David [National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States); Avila, Eldo [National Univ. of Cordoba (Argentina); Williams, Christopher [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)

    2017-02-01

    General circulation models and downscaled regional models exhibit persistent biases in deep convective initiation location and timing, cloud top height, stratiform area and precipitation fraction, and anvil coverage. Despite important impacts on the distribution of atmospheric heating, moistening, and momentum, nearly all climate models fail to represent convective organization, while system evolution is not represented at all. Improving representation of convective systems in models requires characterization of their predictability as a function of environmental conditions, and this characterization depends on observing many cases of convective initiation, non-initiation, organization, and non-organization. The Cloud, Aerosol, and Complex Terrain Interactions (CACTI) experiment in the Sierras de Córdoba mountain range of north-central Argentina is designed to improve understanding of cloud life cycle and organization in relation to environmental conditions so that cumulus, microphysics, and aerosol parameterizations in multi-scale models can be improved. The Sierras de Córdoba range has a high frequency of orographic boundary-layer clouds, many reaching congestus depths, many initiating into deep convection, and some organizing into mesoscale systems uniquely observable from a single fixed site. Some systems even grow upscale to become among the deepest, largest, and longest-lived in the world. These systems likely contribute to an observed regional trend of increasing extreme rainfall, and poor prediction of them likely contributes to a warm, dry bias in climate models downstream of the Sierras de Córdoba range in a key agricultural region. Many environmental factors influence the convective lifecycle in this region including orographic, low-level jet, and frontal circulations, surface fluxes, synoptic vertical motions influenced by the Andes, cloud detrainment, and aerosol properties. Local and long-range transport of smoke resulting from biomass burning as

  10. Landing Control of Foot with Springs for Walking Robots on Rough Terrain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moyuru Yamada

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Landing control is one of the important issues for biped walking robot, because robots are expected to walk on not only known flat surfaces but also unknown and uneven terrain for working at various fields. This paper presents a new controller design for a robotic foot to land on unknown terrain. The robotic foot considered in this study equips springs to reduce the impact force at the foot landing. There are two objectives in the landing control; achieving the desired ground reaction force and positioning the foot on unknown terrain. To achieve these two objectives simultaneously by adjusting the foot position, we propose a PI force controller with a desired foot position, which guarantees the robust stability of control system with respect to terrain variance, and exact positioning of the foot to unknown terrain. Simulation results using the Open Dynamics Engine demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.

  11. Bathymetric terrain model of the Atlantic margin for marine geological investigations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrews, Brian D.; Chaytor, Jason D.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Brothers, Daniel S.; Gardner, James V.; Lobecker, Elizabeth A.; Calder, Brian R.

    2016-01-01

    A bathymetric terrain model of the Atlantic margin covering almost 725,000 square kilometers of seafloor from the New England Seamounts in the north to the Blake Basin in the south is compiled from existing multibeam bathymetric data for marine geological investigations. Although other terrain models of the same area are extant, they are produced from either satellite-derived bathymetry at coarse resolution (ETOPO1), or use older bathymetric data collected by using a combination of single beam and multibeam sonars (Coastal Relief Model). The new multibeam data used to produce this terrain model have been edited by using hydrographic data processing software to maximize the quality, usability, and cartographic presentation of the combined 100-meter resolution grid. The final grid provides the largest high-resolution, seamless terrain model of the Atlantic margin..

  12. VHF/UHF imagery and RCS measurements of ground targets in forested terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gatesman, Andrew J.; Beaudoin, Christopher J.; Giles, Robert H.; Waldman, Jerry; Nixon, William E.

    2002-08-01

    The monostatic VV and HH-polarized radar signatures of several targets and trees have been measured at foliage penetration frequencies (VHF/UHF) by using 1/35th scale models and an indoor radar range operating at X-band. An array of high-fidelity scale model ground vehicles and test objects as well as scaled ground terrain and trees have been fabricated for the study. Radar measurement accuracy has been confirmed by comparing the signature of a test object with a method of moments radar cross section prediction code. In addition to acquiring signatures of targets located on a smooth, dielectric ground plane, data have also been acquired with targets located in simulated wooded terrain that included scaled tree trunks and tree branches. In order to assure the correct backscattering behavior, all dielectric properties of live tree wood and moist soil were scaled properly to match the complex dielectric constant of the full-scale materials. The impact of the surrounding tree clutter on the VHF/UHF radar signatures of ground vehicles was accessed. Data were processed into high-resolution, polar-formatted ISAR imagery and signature comparisons are made between targets in open-field and forested scenarios.

  13. Ecosystem function in complex mountain terrain: Combining models and long-term observations to advance process-based understanding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wieder, William R.; Knowles, John F.; Blanken, Peter D.; Swenson, Sean C.; Suding, Katharine N.

    2017-04-01

    Abiotic factors structure plant community composition and ecosystem function across many different spatial scales. Often, such variation is considered at regional or global scales, but here we ask whether ecosystem-scale simulations can be used to better understand landscape-level variation that might be particularly important in complex terrain, such as high-elevation mountains. We performed ecosystem-scale simulations by using the Community Land Model (CLM) version 4.5 to better understand how the increased length of growing seasons may impact carbon, water, and energy fluxes in an alpine tundra landscape. The model was forced with meteorological data and validated with observations from the Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research Program site. Our results demonstrate that CLM is capable of reproducing the observed carbon, water, and energy fluxes for discrete vegetation patches across this heterogeneous ecosystem. We subsequently accelerated snowmelt and increased spring and summer air temperatures in order to simulate potential effects of climate change in this region. We found that vegetation communities that were characterized by different snow accumulation dynamics showed divergent biogeochemical responses to a longer growing season. Contrary to expectations, wet meadow ecosystems showed the strongest decreases in plant productivity under extended summer scenarios because of disruptions in hydrologic connectivity. These findings illustrate how Earth system models such as CLM can be used to generate testable hypotheses about the shifting nature of energy, water, and nutrient limitations across space and through time in heterogeneous landscapes; these hypotheses may ultimately guide further experimental work and model development.

  14. Object Georeferencing in UAV-Based SAR Terrain Images

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Łabowski Michał

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Synthetic aperture radars (SAR allow to obtain high resolution terrain images comparable with the resolution of optical methods. Radar imaging is independent on the weather conditions and the daylight. The process of analysis of the SAR images consists primarily of identifying of interesting objects. The ability to determine their geographical coordinates can increase usability of the solution from a user point of view. The paper presents a georeferencing method of the radar terrain images. The presented images were obtained from the SAR system installed on board an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV. The system was developed within a project under acronym WATSAR realized by the Military University of Technology and WB Electronics S.A. The source of the navigation data was an INS/GNSS system integrated by the Kalman filter with a feed-backward correction loop. The paper presents the terrain images obtained during flight tests and results of selected objects georeferencing with an assessment of the accuracy of the method.

  15. TERRAIN Submission for Waushara Countywide DFIRM

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  16. DCS Terrain for Middlesex County, NJ

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that were used to create...

  17. DCS Terrain Submission for Seminole, GA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  18. DCS Terrain Submission for Stephens, OK

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  19. TERRAIN, Pointe Coupee PARISH, LA, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  20. DCS Terrain Submission for Carter, OK

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  1. DCS Terrain Submission for Mono, CA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  2. Terrain Sumbission for Howard County NE

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  3. TERRAIN Submission for Outagamie Countywide DFIRM

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  4. TERRAIN, ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS - Coastal PMR

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  5. DCS Terrain for HOUSTON COUNTY, ALABAMA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  6. DCS Terrain for Clay County, GA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  7. TERRAIN, UPPER CUMBERLAND WATERSHED, KENTUCKY USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  8. Terrain, CEDAR RAPIDS, LINN COUNTY, IA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  9. DCS Terrain Submission for Irwin, GA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  10. DCS Terrain Submission for Brazos TX

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  11. DCS Terrain for Harris County, GA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  12. TERRAIN Submission for CHISAGO COUNTY, MN

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describe the digital topographic data that were used to create...

  13. DCS Terrain for Jasper County, GA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  14. DCS Terrain Submission for Garvin, OK

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  15. Terrain Data, Queen Anne's COUNTY, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  16. DCS Terrain for Gilmer County, GA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  17. DCS Terrain Submission for Houston TX

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  18. DCS Terrain for Marion County, GA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  19. DCS Terrain for Washington County, GA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  20. DCS Terrain Submission for Sioux Falls

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  1. DCS Terrain Submission for Mohave, AZ

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  2. DCS Terrain for Hancock County, GA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  3. TERRAIN, ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ALABAMA USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  4. DCS Terrain for Lincoln County, GA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  5. DCS Terrain for Greene County, GA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  6. TERRAIN, CERRO GORDO COUNTY, IOWA, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  7. DCS Terrain Submission for Merced, CA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  8. DCS Terrain Submission for Ouachita, AR

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  9. DCS Terrain for Pickens County, GA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  10. DCS Terrain for Williamson County, TX

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  11. DCS Terrain Submission for Clark, AR

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  12. DCS Terrain Submission for Drew AR

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  13. DCS Terrain for Cobb County, GA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  14. TERRAIN, ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Missouri USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  15. DCS Terrain Submission for Logan, OK

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  16. GIS-based terrain analysis of linear infrastructure corridors in the Mackenzie River Valley, NWT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ednie, M.; Wright, J.F.; Duchesne, C.

    2007-01-01

    The impact of global warming on permafrost terrain was discussed with particular reference to the structural stability and performance reliability of the proposed pipelines and roads in the Mackenzie River Valley in the Northwest Territories. Engineers, regulators and decision makers responsible for the development of these networks must have access to information about current and future terrain conditions, both local and regional. The Geological Survey of Canada is developing an ArcGIS resident, multi-component terrain analysis methodology for evaluating permafrost terrain in terms of the probable geothermal and geomorphological responses to climate warming. A GIS-integrated finite-element transient ground thermal model (T-ONE) can predict local-regional permafrost conditions and future responses of permafrost to climate warming. The influences of surface and channel hydrology on local erosion potentials can be determined by analyzing the topographic and topologic characteristics of the terrain. A weights of evidence-based landscape-process model, currently under development, will consider multiple terrain factors for mapping terrain that is susceptible to slope failure, subsidence or erosion. This terrain analysis methodology is currently being applied to a 2 km buffer spanning the proposed Mackenzie Gas Pipeline right-of-way, and along winter and all-weather road networks in the Mackenzie River Valley. Initial ground thermal modeling has identified thermally sensitive terrain for which permafrost will either completely disappear or warm significantly to near isothermal conditions within the next 25 to 55 years

  17. Terrain Extraction by Integrating Terrestrial Laser Scanner Data and Spectral Information

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, C. L.; Halim, S.; Zulkepli, M.; Azwan, A. M.; Tang, W. L.; Chong, A. K.

    2015-10-01

    The extraction of true terrain points from unstructured laser point cloud data is an important process in order to produce an accurate digital terrain model (DTM). However, most of these spatial filtering methods just utilizing the geometrical data to discriminate the terrain points from nonterrain points. The point cloud filtering method also can be improved by using the spectral information available with some scanners. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of using the three-channel (red, green and blue) of the colour image captured from built-in digital camera which is available in some Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) for terrain extraction. In this study, the data acquisition was conducted at a mini replica landscape in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai campus using Leica ScanStation C10. The spectral information of the coloured point clouds from selected sample classes are extracted for spectral analysis. The coloured point clouds which within the corresponding preset spectral threshold are identified as that specific feature point from the dataset. This process of terrain extraction is done through using developed Matlab coding. Result demonstrates that a higher spectral resolution passive image is required in order to improve the output. This is because low quality of the colour images captured by the sensor contributes to the low separability in spectral reflectance. In conclusion, this study shows that, spectral information is capable to be used as a parameter for terrain extraction.

  18. Autonomous terrain characterization and modelling for dynamic control of unmanned vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talukder, A.; Manduchi, R.; Castano, R.; Owens, K.; Matthies, L.; Castano, A.; Hogg, R.

    2002-01-01

    This end-to-end obstacle negotiation system is envisioned to be useful in optimized path planning and vehicle navigation in terrain conditions cluttered with vegetation, bushes, rocks, etc. Results on natural terrain with various natural materials are presented.

  19. An Effective Terrain Aided Navigation for Low-Cost Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ling; Cheng, Xianghong; Zhu, Yixian; Dai, Chenxi; Fu, Jinbo

    2017-03-25

    Terrain-aided navigation is a potentially powerful solution for obtaining submerged position fixes for autonomous underwater vehicles. The application of terrain-aided navigation with high-accuracy inertial navigation systems has demonstrated meter-level navigation accuracy in sea trials. However, available sensors may be limited depending on the type of the mission. Such limitations, especially for low-grade navigation sensors, not only degrade the accuracy of traditional navigation systems, but further impact the ability to successfully employ terrain-aided navigation. To address this problem, a tightly-coupled navigation is presented to successfully estimate the critical sensor errors by incorporating raw sensor data directly into an augmented navigation system. Furthermore, three-dimensional distance errors are calculated, providing measurement updates through the particle filter for absolute and bounded position error. The development of the terrain aided navigation system is elaborated for a vehicle equipped with a non-inertial-grade strapdown inertial navigation system, a 4-beam Doppler Velocity Log range sensor and a sonar altimeter. Using experimental data for navigation performance evaluation in areas with different terrain characteristics, the experiment results further show that the proposed method can be successfully applied to the low-cost AUVs and significantly improves navigation performance.

  20. Terrain and subsurface influences on runoff generation in a steep, deep, highly weathered system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallard, J. M.; McGlynn, B. L.; Richter, D. D., Jr.

    2017-12-01

    topographically mediated redistribution of shallow groundwater downslope. Our findings suggest that understanding streamflow generation in regions possessing both complex terrain and complex vertical soil structure requires synchronous characterization of terrain mediated water redistribution and subsurface soil hydrology.

  1. Realistic terrain visualization based on 3D virtual world technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Fengru; Lin, Hui; Chen, Bin; Xiao, Cai

    2010-11-01

    The rapid advances in information technologies, e.g., network, graphics processing, and virtual world, have provided challenges and opportunities for new capabilities in information systems, Internet applications, and virtual geographic environments, especially geographic visualization and collaboration. In order to achieve meaningful geographic capabilities, we need to explore and understand how these technologies can be used to construct virtual geographic environments to help to engage geographic research. The generation of three-dimensional (3D) terrain plays an important part in geographical visualization, computer simulation, and virtual geographic environment applications. The paper introduces concepts and technologies of virtual worlds and virtual geographic environments, explores integration of realistic terrain and other geographic objects and phenomena of natural geographic environment based on SL/OpenSim virtual world technologies. Realistic 3D terrain visualization is a foundation of construction of a mirror world or a sand box model of the earth landscape and geographic environment. The capabilities of interaction and collaboration on geographic information are discussed as well. Further virtual geographic applications can be developed based on the foundation work of realistic terrain visualization in virtual environments.

  2. Flight-appropriate 3D Terrain-rendering Toolkit for Synthetic Vision, Phase II

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The TerraBlocksTM 3D terrain data format and terrain-block-rendering methodology provides an enabling basis for successful commercial deployment of...

  3. Integrating remote sensing and terrain data in forest fire modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medler, Michael Johns

    Forest fire policies are changing. Managers now face conflicting imperatives to re-establish pre-suppression fire regimes, while simultaneously preventing resource destruction. They must, therefore, understand the spatial patterns of fires. Geographers can facilitate this understanding by developing new techniques for mapping fire behavior. This dissertation develops such techniques for mapping recent fires and using these maps to calibrate models of potential fire hazards. In so doing, it features techniques that strive to address the inherent complexity of modeling the combinations of variables found in most ecological systems. Image processing techniques were used to stratify the elements of terrain, slope, elevation, and aspect. These stratification images were used to assure sample placement considered the role of terrain in fire behavior. Examination of multiple stratification images indicated samples were placed representatively across a controlled range of scales. The incorporation of terrain data also improved preliminary fire hazard classification accuracy by 40%, compared with remotely sensed data alone. A Kauth-Thomas transformation (KT) of pre-fire and post-fire Thematic Mapper (TM) remotely sensed data produced brightness, greenness, and wetness images. Image subtraction indicated fire induced change in brightness, greenness, and wetness. Field data guided a fuzzy classification of these change images. Because fuzzy classification can characterize a continuum of a phenomena where discrete classification may produce artificial borders, fuzzy classification was found to offer a range of fire severity information unavailable with discrete classification. These mapped fire patterns were used to calibrate a model of fire hazards for the entire mountain range. Pre-fire TM, and a digital elevation model produced a set of co-registered images. Training statistics were developed from 30 polygons associated with the previously mapped fire severity. Fuzzy

  4. Terrain Commander: Unattended Ground-Based Surveillance System

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Steadman, Bob

    2000-01-01

    .... Terrain Commander OASIS provides next generation target detection, classification, and tracking through smart sensor fusion of beamforming acoustic, seismic, passive infrared, and magnetic sensors...

  5. Terrain Mapping and Obstacle Detection Using Gaussian Processes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjærgaard, Morten; Massaro, Alessandro Salvatore; Bayramoglu, Enis

    2011-01-01

    In this paper we consider a probabilistic method for extracting terrain maps from a scene and use the information to detect potential navigation obstacles within it. The method uses Gaussian process regression (GPR) to predict an estimate function and its relative uncertainty. To test the new...... show that the estimated maps follow the terrain shape, while protrusions are identified and may be isolated as potential obstacles. Representing the data with a covariance function allows a dramatic reduction of the amount of data to process, while maintaining the statistical properties of the measured...... and interpolated features....

  6. GOTHiC, a probabilistic model to resolve complex biases and to identify real interactions in Hi-C data.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Borbala Mifsud

    Full Text Available Hi-C is one of the main methods for investigating spatial co-localisation of DNA in the nucleus. However, the raw sequencing data obtained from Hi-C experiments suffer from large biases and spurious contacts, making it difficult to identify true interactions. Existing methods use complex models to account for biases and do not provide a significance threshold for detecting interactions. Here we introduce a simple binomial probabilistic model that resolves complex biases and distinguishes between true and false interactions. The model corrects biases of known and unknown origin and yields a p-value for each interaction, providing a reliable threshold based on significance. We demonstrate this experimentally by testing the method against a random ligation dataset. Our method outperforms previous methods and provides a statistical framework for further data analysis, such as comparisons of Hi-C interactions between different conditions. GOTHiC is available as a BioConductor package (http://www.bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/GOTHiC.html.

  7. GOTHiC, a probabilistic model to resolve complex biases and to identify real interactions in Hi-C data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mifsud, Borbala; Martincorena, Inigo; Darbo, Elodie; Sugar, Robert; Schoenfelder, Stefan; Fraser, Peter; Luscombe, Nicholas M

    2017-01-01

    Hi-C is one of the main methods for investigating spatial co-localisation of DNA in the nucleus. However, the raw sequencing data obtained from Hi-C experiments suffer from large biases and spurious contacts, making it difficult to identify true interactions. Existing methods use complex models to account for biases and do not provide a significance threshold for detecting interactions. Here we introduce a simple binomial probabilistic model that resolves complex biases and distinguishes between true and false interactions. The model corrects biases of known and unknown origin and yields a p-value for each interaction, providing a reliable threshold based on significance. We demonstrate this experimentally by testing the method against a random ligation dataset. Our method outperforms previous methods and provides a statistical framework for further data analysis, such as comparisons of Hi-C interactions between different conditions. GOTHiC is available as a BioConductor package (http://www.bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/GOTHiC.html).

  8. Amazon rainforest exchange of carbon and subcanopy air flow: Manaus LBA site--a complex terrain condition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tóta, Julio; Fitzjarrald, David Roy; da Silva Dias, Maria A F

    2012-01-01

    On the moderately complex terrain covered by dense tropical Amazon Rainforest (Reserva Biologica do Cuieiras--ZF2--02°36'17.1'' S, 60°12'24.4'' W), subcanopy horizontal and vertical gradients of the air temperature, CO(2) concentration and wind field were measured for the dry and wet periods in 2006. We tested the hypothesis that horizontal drainage flow over this study area is significant and can affect the interpretation of the high carbon uptake rates reported by previous works at this site. A similar experimental design as the one by Tóta et al. (2008) was used with a network of wind, air temperature, and CO(2) sensors above and below the forest canopy. A persistent and systematic subcanopy nighttime upslope (positive buoyancy) and daytime downslope (negative buoyancy) flow pattern on a moderately inclined slope (12%) was observed. The microcirculations observed above the canopy (38 m) over the sloping area during nighttime presents a downward motion indicating vertical convergence and correspondent horizontal divergence toward the valley area. During the daytime an inverse pattern was observed. The micro-circulations above the canopy were driven mainly by buoyancy balancing the pressure gradient forces. In the subcanopy space the microcirculations were also driven by the same physical mechanisms but probably with the stress forcing contribution. The results also indicated that the horizontal and vertical scalar gradients (e.g., CO(2)) were modulated by these micro-circulations above and below the canopy, suggesting that estimates of advection using previous experimental approaches are not appropriate due to the tridimensional nature of the vertical and horizontal transport locally. This work also indicates that carbon budget from tower-based measurement is not enough to close the system, and one needs to include horizontal and vertical advection transport of CO(2) into those estimates.

  9. Risk-Aware Planetary Rover Operation: Autonomous Terrain Classification and Path Planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ono, Masahiro; Fuchs, Thoams J.; Steffy, Amanda; Maimone, Mark; Yen, Jeng

    2015-01-01

    Identifying and avoiding terrain hazards (e.g., soft soil and pointy embedded rocks) are crucial for the safety of planetary rovers. This paper presents a newly developed groundbased Mars rover operation tool that mitigates risks from terrain by automatically identifying hazards on the terrain, evaluating their risks, and suggesting operators safe paths options that avoids potential risks while achieving specified goals. The tool will bring benefits to rover operations by reducing operation cost, by reducing cognitive load of rover operators, by preventing human errors, and most importantly, by significantly reducing the risk of the loss of rovers.

  10. CONTEXT-BASED URBAN TERRAIN RECONSTRUCTION FROM UAV-VIDEOS FOR GEOINFORMATION APPLICATIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Bulatov

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Urban terrain reconstruction has many applications in areas of civil engineering, urban planning, surveillance and defense research. Therefore the needs of covering ad-hoc demand and performing a close-range urban terrain reconstruction with miniaturized and relatively inexpensive sensor platforms are constantly growing. Using (miniaturized unmanned aerial vehicles, (MUAVs, represents one of the most attractive alternatives to conventional large-scale aerial imagery. We cover in this paper a four-step procedure of obtaining georeferenced 3D urban models from video sequences. The four steps of the procedure – orientation, dense reconstruction, urban terrain modeling and geo-referencing – are robust, straight-forward, and nearly fully-automatic. The two last steps – namely, urban terrain modeling from almost-nadir videos and co-registration of models 6ndash; represent the main contribution of this work and will therefore be covered with more detail. The essential substeps of the third step include digital terrain model (DTM extraction, segregation of buildings from vegetation, as well as instantiation of building and tree models. The last step is subdivided into quasi- intrasensorial registration of Euclidean reconstructions and intersensorial registration with a geo-referenced orthophoto. Finally, we present reconstruction results from a real data-set and outline ideas for future work.

  11. The electronically excited states of LH2 complexes from Rhodopseudomonas acidophila strain 10050 studied by time-resolved spectroscopy and dynamic Monte Carlo simulations. II. Homo-arrays of LH2 complexes reconstituted into phospholipid model membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pflock, Tobias J; Oellerich, Silke; Krapf, Lisa; Southall, June; Cogdell, Richard J; Ullmann, G Matthias; Köhler, Jürgen

    2011-07-21

    We performed time-resolved spectroscopy on homoarrays of LH2 complexes from the photosynthetic purple bacterium Rhodopseudomonas acidophila. Variations of the fluorescence transients were monitored as a function of the excitation fluence and the repetition rate of the excitation. These parameters are directly related to the excitation density within the array and to the number of LH2 complexes that still carry a triplet state prior to the next excitation. Comparison of the experimental observations with results from dynamic Monte Carlo simulations for a model cluster of LH2 complexes yields qualitative agreement without the need for any free parameter and reveals the mutual relationship between energy transfer and annihilation processes.

  12. I/O-Efficient Computation of Water Flow Across a Terrain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arge, Lars Allan; Revsbæk, Morten; Zeh, Norbert

    2010-01-01

    ). We present an I/O-efficient algorithm that solves this problem using O(sort(X) log (X/M) + sort(N)) I/Os, where N is the number of terrain vertices, X is the number of pits of the terrain, sort(N) is the cost of sorting N data items, and M is the size of the computer's main memory. Our algorithm...

  13. Terrain and building effects on the transport of radioactive material at a nuclear site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong, Hyojoon; Park, Misun; Jeong, Haesun; Hwang, Wontae; Kim, Eunhan; Han, Moonhee

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • This study is to quantify the building and terrain effects on the atmospheric dispersion. • Statistical methods with AERMOD-PRIME and CFD were used. • To assess the risk in nuclear power plants, terrain and building effects have to be considered. - Abstract: This study identified the terrain and building effects on the atmospheric dispersion of radioactive materials at the Wolsong Nuclear Site. To analyze the atmospheric dispersion of radioactive materials, the AERMOD-PRIME model, CFD model and meteorological data from 2010 were used. The terrain and building effects on the atmospheric dispersion of radioactive materials within a 1 km radius of the site were statistically significant. The maximum concentration of the radioactive material increased by 7 times compared to the concentration when the terrain and building effects were not considered. It was found that the terrain and building influenced the decrease in the concentration of radioactive material in a concentric circle with a 914 m radius from the center of the site. The concentration of radioactive material in a concentric circle with a 350 m radius was two-times higher than the concentration estimated at the backside of the building, which is the downwind side, without any consideration of the terrain and building effects. In consideration of the Korean situation, in which multiple nuclear reactors are built on the same nuclear site, it is necessary to evaluate the risk that may affect workers and nearby residents by reflecting the terrain and building effects

  14. Complex mountain terrain and disturbance history drive variation in forest aboveground live carbon density in the western Oregon Cascades, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zald, Harold S.J.; Spies, Thomas A.; Seidl, Rupert; Pabst, Robert J.; Olsen, Keith A.; Steel, E. Ashley

    2016-01-01

    Forest carbon (C) density varies tremendously across space due to the inherent heterogeneity of forest ecosystems. Variation of forest C density is especially pronounced in mountainous terrain, where environmental gradients are compressed and vary at multiple spatial scales. Additionally, the influence of environmental gradients may vary with forest age and developmental stage, an important consideration as forest landscapes often have a diversity of stand ages from past management and other disturbance agents. Quantifying forest C density and its underlying environmental determinants in mountain terrain has remained challenging because many available data sources lack the spatial grain and ecological resolution needed at both stand and landscape scales. The objective of this study was to determine if environmental factors influencing aboveground live carbon (ALC) density differed between young versus old forests. We integrated aerial light detection and ranging (lidar) data with 702 field plots to map forest ALC density at a grain of 25 m across the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, a 6369 ha watershed in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, USA. We used linear regressions, random forest ensemble learning (RF) and sequential autoregressive modeling (SAR) to reveal how mapped forest ALC density was related to climate, topography, soils, and past disturbance history (timber harvesting and wildfires). ALC increased with stand age in young managed forests, with much greater variation of ALC in relation to years since wildfire in old unmanaged forests. Timber harvesting was the most important driver of ALC across the entire watershed, despite occurring on only 23% of the landscape. More variation in forest ALC density was explained in models of young managed forests than in models of old unmanaged forests. Besides stand age, ALC density in young managed forests was driven by factors influencing site productivity, whereas variation in ALC density in old unmanaged forests

  15. The steady-state and time-resolved photophysical properties of a dimeric indium phthalocyanine complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Yu; Araki, Yasuyuki; Dini, Danilo; Liu Ying; Ito, Osamu; Fujitsuka, Mamoru

    2006-01-01

    The steady-state and time-resolved photophysical properties and some molecular orbital calculation results of a dimeric indium phthalocyanine complex with an indium-indium bond, i.e., [tBu 4 PcIn] 2 .2tmed, have been described. The results regarding triplet excited state lifetimes can be ascribed to strong intramolecular interactions existing only in the excited state of this dimer because no significant difference in the absorption spectra of the tBu 4 PcInCl monomer and the [tBu 4 PcIn] 2 .2tmed dimer is observed, suggesting that no ground-state interaction can be assessed. The deactivation processes of the excited singlet state of [tBu 4 PcIn] 2 .2tmed are apparently faster than that of μ-oxo-bridged PcIn dimer [tBu 4 PcIn] 2 O. Molecular orbital calculation on the PcIn dimer shows no node between two indium atoms was found in the HOMO - 2 of the PcIn-InPc dimer, suggesting that bonding electrons distribute between two indium atoms

  16. Planning Routes Across Economic Terrains: Maximizing Utility, Following Heuristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hang; Maddula, Soumya V.; Maloney, Laurence T.

    2010-01-01

    We designed an economic task to investigate human planning of routes in landscapes where travel in different kinds of terrain incurs different costs. Participants moved their finger across a touch screen from a starting point to a destination. The screen was divided into distinct kinds of terrain and travel within each kind of terrain imposed a cost proportional to distance traveled. We varied costs and spatial configurations of terrains and participants received fixed bonuses minus the total cost of the routes they chose. We first compared performance to a model maximizing gain. All but one of 12 participants failed to adopt least-cost routes and their failure to do so reduced their winnings by about 30% (median value). We tested in detail whether participants’ choices of routes satisfied three necessary conditions (heuristics) for a route to maximize gain. We report failures of one heuristic for 7 out of 12 participants. Last of all, we modeled human performance with the assumption that participants assign subjective utilities to costs and maximize utility. For 7 out 12 participants, the fitted utility function was an accelerating power function of actual cost and for the remaining 5, a decelerating power function. We discuss connections between utility aggregation in route planning and decision under risk. Our task could be adapted to investigate human strategy and optimality of route planning in full-scale landscapes. PMID:21833269

  17. Shape-assisted body reorientation enhances trafficability through cluttered terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Chen; Pullin, Andrew; Haldane, Duncan; Fearing, Ronald; Full, Robert

    2014-11-01

    Many birds and fishes have slender, streamlined bodies that reduce fluid dynamic drag and allow fast and efficient locomotion. Similarly, numerous terrestrial animals run through cluttered terrain where 3-D, multi-component obstacles like grass, bushes, trees, walls, doors, and pillars also resist motion, but it is unknown whether their body shape plays a major role. Here, we challenged discoid cockroaches that possess a rounded, thin, nearly ellipsoidal body to run through tall, narrowly spaced, grass-like beams. The animals primarily rolled their body to the side to maneuver through the obstacle gaps. Reduction of body roundness by artificial shells inhibited this side roll maneuver, resulting in a lower traversal probability and a longer traversal time (P exoskeleton shell to a legged robot of a nearly cuboidal body. The rounded shell enabled the robot to use passive side rolling to maneuver through beams. To explain the mechanism, we developed a simple physics model to construct an energy landscape of the body-terrain interaction, which allowed estimation of body forces and torques exerted by the beams. Our model revealed that, by passive interaction with the terrain, a rounded body (ellipsoid) rolled more easily than an angular body (cuboid) to access energy valleys between energy barriers caused by obstacles. Our study is the first to demonstrate that a terradynamically ``streamlined'' shape can reduce terrain resistance and enhance trafficability by assisting body reorientation.

  18. PLANNING ROUTES ACROSS ECONOMIC TERRAINS: MAXIMIZING UTILITY, FOLLOWING HEURISTICS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hang eZhang

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available We designed an economic task to investigate human planning of routes in landscapes where travel in different kinds of terrain incurs different costs. Participants moved their finger across a touch screen from a starting point to a destination. The screen was divided into distinct kinds of terrain and travel within each kind of terrain imposed a cost proportional to distance traveled. We varied costs and spatial configurations of terrains and participants received fixed bonuses minus the total cost of the routes they chose. We first compared performance to a model maximizing gain. All but one of 12 participants failed to adopt least-cost routes and their failure to do so reduced their winnings by about 30% (median value. We tested in detail whether participants’ choices of routes satisfied three necessary conditions (heuristics for a route to maximize gain. We report failures of one heuristic for 7 out of 12 participants. Last of all, we modeled human performance with the assumption that participants assign subjective utilities to costs and maximize utility. For 7 out 12 participants, the fitted utility function was an accelerating power function of actual cost and for the remaining 5, a decelerating power function. We discuss connections between utility aggregation in route planning and decision under risk. Our task could be adapted to investigate human strategy and optimality of route planning in full-scale landscapes.

  19. Periodic spring–mass running over uneven terrain through feedforward control of landing conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    III, Luther R Palmer; Eaton, Caitrin E

    2014-01-01

    This work pursues a feedforward control algorithm for high-speed legged locomotion over uneven terrain. Being able to rapidly negotiate uneven terrain without visual or a priori information about the terrain will allow legged systems to be used in time-critical applications and alongside fast-moving humans or vehicles. The algorithm is shown here implemented on a spring-loaded inverted pendulum model in simulation, and can be configured to approach fixed running height over uneven terrain or self-stable terrain following. Offline search identifies unique landing conditions that achieve a desired apex height with a constant stride period over varying ground levels. Because the time between the apex and touchdown events is directly related to ground height, the landing conditions can be computed in real time as continuous functions of this falling time. Enforcing a constant stride period reduces the need for inertial sensing of the apex event, which is nontrivial for physical systems, and allows for clocked feedfoward control of the swing leg. (paper)

  20. Periodic spring-mass running over uneven terrain through feedforward control of landing conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmer, Luther R; Eaton, Caitrin E

    2014-09-01

    This work pursues a feedforward control algorithm for high-speed legged locomotion over uneven terrain. Being able to rapidly negotiate uneven terrain without visual or a priori information about the terrain will allow legged systems to be used in time-critical applications and alongside fast-moving humans or vehicles. The algorithm is shown here implemented on a spring-loaded inverted pendulum model in simulation, and can be configured to approach fixed running height over uneven terrain or self-stable terrain following. Offline search identifies unique landing conditions that achieve a desired apex height with a constant stride period over varying ground levels. Because the time between the apex and touchdown events is directly related to ground height, the landing conditions can be computed in real time as continuous functions of this falling time. Enforcing a constant stride period reduces the need for inertial sensing of the apex event, which is nontrivial for physical systems, and allows for clocked feedfoward control of the swing leg.

  1. The influence of terrain forcing on the initiation of deep convection over Mediterranean islands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barthlott, Christian; Kirshbaum, Daniel

    2013-04-01

    The influence of mountainous islands on the initiation of deep convection is investigated using the Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO) model. The study day is 26 August 2009 on which moist convection occurred over both the Corsica and Sardinia island in the Mediterranean Sea. Sensitivity runs with systematically modified topography are explored to evaluate the relative importance of the land-sea contrast and the terrain height for convection initiation. Whereas no island precipitation is simulated when the islands are completely removed, all simulations that represent these land surfaces develop convective precipitation. Although convection initiates progressively earlier in the day over taller islands, the precipitation rates and accumulations do not show a fixed relationship with terrain height. This is due to the competing effects of different physical processes. First, whereas the forcing for low-level ascent increases over taller islands, the boundary-layer moisture supply decreases, which diminishes the conditional instability and precipitable water. Second, whereas taller islands enhance the inland propagation speeds of sea-breeze fronts, they also mechanically block these fronts and prevent them from reaching the island interior. As a result, the island precipitation is rather insensitive to island terrain height except for one particular case in which the island precipitation increases considerably due to an optimal superposition of the sea breeze and upslope flow. These results demonstrate the complexity of interactions between sea breezes and orography and reinforce that an adequate representation of detailed topographic features is necessary to account for thermally induced wind systems that initiate deep convection.

  2. An improved method of continuous LOD based on fractal theory in terrain rendering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Lan; Li, Lijun

    2007-11-01

    With the improvement of computer graphic hardware capability, the algorithm of 3D terrain rendering is going into the hot topic of real-time visualization. In order to solve conflict between the rendering speed and reality of rendering, this paper gives an improved method of terrain rendering which improves the traditional continuous level of detail technique based on fractal theory. This method proposes that the program needn't to operate the memory repeatedly to obtain different resolution terrain model, instead, obtains the fractal characteristic parameters of different region according to the movement of the viewpoint. Experimental results show that the method guarantees the authenticity of landscape, and increases the real-time 3D terrain rendering speed.

  3. DOGWOOD RUN TERRAIN, YORK COUNTY, PA, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data includes digital elevation models, LIDAR derived contours, LIDAR three-dimensional spot elevations and breaklines, field surveyed ground elevations and...

  4. TERRAIN DATA CAPTURE STANDARDS, Bedford PA, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data includes digital elevation models, LIDAR derived contours, LIDAR three-dimensional spot elevations and breaklines, field surveyed ground elevations and...

  5. Study plan for the sensitivity analysis of the Terrain-Responsive Atmospheric Code (TRAC)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Restrepo, L.F.; Deitesfeld, C.A.

    1987-01-01

    Rocky Flats Plant, Golden, Colorado is presently developing a computer code to model the dispersion of potential or actual releases of radioactive or toxic materials to the environment, along with the public consequences from these releases. The model, the Terrain-Responsive Atmospheric Code (TRAC), considers several complex features which could affect the overall dispersion and consequences. To help validate TRAC, a sensitivity analysis is being planned to determine how sensitive the model's solutions are to input variables. This report contains a brief description of the code, along with a list of tasks and resources needed to complete the sensitivity analysis

  6. Walking on uneven terrain with a powered ankle prosthesis: A preliminary assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shultz, Amanda H; Lawson, Brian E; Goldfarb, Michael

    2015-01-01

    A successful walking gait with a powered prosthesis depends heavily on proper timing of power delivery, or push-off. This paper describes a control approach which provides improved walking on uneven terrain relative to previous work intended for use on even (level) terrain. This approach is motivated by an initial healthy subject study which demonstrated less variation in sagittal plane shank angle than sagittal plane ankle angle when walking on uneven terrain relative to even terrain. The latter therefore replaces the former as the control signal used to initiate push-off in the powered prosthesis described herein. The authors demonstrate improvement in consistency for several gait characteristics, relative to healthy, as well as controller characteristics with the new control approach, including a 50% improvement in the consistency of the percentage of stride at which push-off is initiated.

  7. Validation of solar radiation surfaces from MODIS and reanalysis data over topographically complex terrain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Todd A. Schroeder; Robbie Hember; Nicholas C. Coops; Shunlin Liang

    2009-01-01

    The magnitude and distribution of incoming shortwave solar radiation (SW) has significant influence on the productive capacity of forest vegetation. Models that estimate forest productivity require accurate and spatially explicit radiation surfaces that resolve both long- and short-term temporal climatic patterns and that account for topographic variability of the land...

  8. Transpirational water use and its regulation in the mountainous terrain of S. Korea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otieno Dennis, O.; Eunyoung, J.; Sinkyu, K.; Tenhunen, J. D.

    2009-12-01

    Quantifying water use by forests growing on complex mountainous terrain is difficult and understanding of controls on water use by these forests a challenge. Yet mountains are crucial as water towers and better understanding of their hydrology and ecology is critical for sustainable management. Consequently, there is a growing need for new research approaches designed with attention to the particular needs and constraints of large-scale studies and that have the potential to generate reliable and accurate data. The use of a combination of different sapflow-measurement techniques provides a unique opportunity to monitor water use by the understory and canopy forest tree species at micro-scale, allowing for accurate estimation of total forest water use. The obtained data, in conjunction with intensively measured climatic variables, allow for better understanding and interpretation of transpiration results. A research initiative under the International Training Group: Complex Terrain and Ecological Heterogeneity (TERRECO) seeks to address pertinent issues related to forest water use and production in complex terrain. Stem Heat balance (SHB) and Heat Dissipation techniques have been employed to measure sapflow in the understory woody plants and tree branches and on stems of canopy trees respectively. Measurements have been stratified to account for differences in tree sizes and species diversity. To better understand the data, we are intensively monitoring soil moisture at 5, 10 and 30 cm depths, in addition to a range of micrometeorology sensors that have been set up below, within and above the canopy. These measurements have been planned, taking into account altitudinal/elevation gradient, aspect and within site differences in species composition and tree sizes and to generate data for large-scale modeling of the entire catchment. A total of 70 trees from 9 species growing in six different locations at varying elevations and aspects are being monitored. Peak daily

  9. Robot navigation in unknown terrains: Introductory survey of non-heuristic algorithms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rao, N.S.V. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (US); Kareti, S.; Shi, Weimin [Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA (US). Dept. of Computer Science; Iyengar, S.S. [Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (US). Dept. of Computer Science

    1993-07-01

    A formal framework for navigating a robot in a geometric terrain by an unknown set of obstacles is considered. Here the terrain model is not a priori known, but the robot is equipped with a sensor system (vision or touch) employed for the purpose of navigation. The focus is restricted to the non-heuristic algorithms which can be theoretically shown to be correct within a given framework of models for the robot, terrain and sensor system. These formulations, although abstract and simplified compared to real-life scenarios, provide foundations for practical systems by highlighting the underlying critical issues. First, the authors consider the algorithms that are shown to navigate correctly without much consideration given to the performance parameters such as distance traversed, etc. Second, they consider non-heuristic algorithms that guarantee bounds on the distance traversed or the ratio of the distance traversed to the shortest path length (computed if the terrain model is known). Then they consider the navigation of robots with very limited computational capabilities such as finite automata, etc.

  10. DCS TERRAIN SUBMISSION FOR PUTNAM COUNTY, FL

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describe the digital topographic data that were used to create...

  11. DCS Terrain Submission for Dawes County, NE

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  12. TERRAIN, CITY OF DALLAS, DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  13. TERRAIN, Priest Lake, Bonner County, Idaho USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  14. DCS Terrain Submission for LeFlore, OK

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  15. DCS Terrain Submission for Mason County, KY

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that were used to create...

  16. DCS TERRAIN SUBMISSION FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FL

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describe the digital topographic data that were used to create...

  17. DCS Terrain Submission for Cass County, MO

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  18. DCS Terrain Submission for Bark River PMR

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  19. DCS Terrain Submission for Lee County MS

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  20. DCS Terrain for Greer County, Oklahoma, USA

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  1. DCS Terrain Submission for Angelina County, TX

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  2. TERRAIN DATA, CITY OF CARSON CITY, NV

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describe the digital topographic data that were used to create...

  3. DCS Terrain Submission for Fulton County, IN

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  4. DCS Terrain Submission for Miami County, IN

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  5. DCS Terrain Submittal for Socorro County NM

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describe the digital topographic data that were used to create...

  6. Digital Terrain Submittal for Duval County, FL

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  7. DCS TERRAIN SUBMISSION FOR KNOX COUNTY, TN

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describe the digital topographic data that were used to create...

  8. DCS Terrain Submission for Cass County, TX

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  9. DCS Terrain Submission for Lancaster County, NE

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  10. DCS Terrain Submission for Benton County, AR

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describe the digital topographic data that were used to create...

  11. DCS Terrain Submission for Pike County, KY

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that were used to create...

  12. DCS Terrain Submission for Winston County, AL

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  13. DCS Terrain Submission for Chemung County, NY

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  14. DCS Terrain Submission for Chippewa County, Wisconsin

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  15. DCS TERRAIN SUBMISSION FOR SHELBY COUNTY, TN

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describe the digital topographic data that were used to create...

  16. DCS Terrain Submission for Albany County NY

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describe the digital topographic data that were used to create...

  17. DCS Terrain Submission for Gunnison County, CO

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  18. DCS Terrain Submission for Lewis County, KY

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix M: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that were used to create...

  19. DCS Terrain Submission for Lake County, Montana

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...

  20. DCS Terrain Submission for Missoula County,Montana

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — Terrain data, as defined in FEMA Guidelines and Specifications, Appendix N: Data Capture Standards, describes the digital topographic data that was used to create...