scholarly journals Extracting small deformation beyond individual station precision from dense GNSS networks in France and Western Europe

Author(s):  
Christine Masson ◽  
Stephane Mazzotti ◽  
Philippe Vernant ◽  
Erik Doerflinger

Abstract. We use dense geodetic networks and large GPS datasets to extract regionally coherent velocities and deformation rates in France and neighboring Western Europe. This analysis is combined with statistical tests on synthetic data to quantify the deformation detection thresholds and significance levels. By combining two distinct methods, Gaussian smoothing and k-means clustering, we extract horizontal deformations with a 95% confidence level ca. 0.1–0.2 mm yr−1 (ca. 0.5–1 × 10-9 yr−1) on spatial scales of 100–200 km or more. From these analyses, we show that the regionally average velocity and strain rate fields are statistically significant in most of our study area. The first order deformation signal in France and neighboring Western Europe is a belt of N-S to NE-SW shortening ca. 0.2–0.4 mm yr−1 (1–2 × 10−9 yr−1) in central and eastern France. In addition to this large-scale signal, patterns of orogen-normal extension are observed in the Alps and the Pyrenees, but methodological biases, mainly related to GPS solution combinations, limit the spatial resolution and preclude associations with specific geological structures. The patterns of deformation in western France show either tantalizing correlation (Brittany) or anti-correlation (Aquitaine Basin) with the seismicity. Overall, more detailed analyses are required to address the possible origin of these signals and the potential role of aseismic deformation.

Solid Earth ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1905-1920 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Masson ◽  
Stephane Mazzotti ◽  
Philippe Vernant ◽  
Erik Doerflinger

Abstract. We use 2 decades of data from a dense geodetic network to extract regionally coherent velocities and deformation rates in France and neighboring western European countries. This analysis is combined with statistical tests on synthetic data to quantify the deformation detection thresholds and significance levels. By combining two distinct methods – Gaussian smoothing and k-means clustering – we extract horizontal deformations with a 95 % confidence level of ca. 0.1–0.2 mm yr−1 (ca. 0.5–1×10-9 yr−1) on spatial scales of 100–200 km or more. From these analyses, we show that the regionally average velocity and strain rate fields are statistically significant in most of our study area. The first-order deformation signal in France and neighboring western European countries is a belt of N–S to NE–SW shortening of ca. 0.2–0.4 mm yr−1 (1–2×10-9 yr−1) in central and eastern France. In addition to this large-scale signal, patterns of orogen-normal extension are observed in the Alps and the Pyrenees, but methodological biases, mainly related to GPS (Global Positioning System) solution combinations, limit the spatial resolution and preclude associations with specific geological structures. The patterns of deformation in western France show either tantalizing correlation (Brittany) or anticorrelation (Aquitaine Basin) with the seismicity. Overall, more detailed analyses are required to address the possible origin of these signals and the potential role of aseismic deformation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 113 (9) ◽  
pp. 3432-3445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Kreuz ◽  
Mario Mulansky ◽  
Nebojsa Bozanic

Techniques for recording large-scale neuronal spiking activity are developing very fast. This leads to an increasing demand for algorithms capable of analyzing large amounts of experimental spike train data. One of the most crucial and demanding tasks is the identification of similarity patterns with a very high temporal resolution and across different spatial scales. To address this task, in recent years three time-resolved measures of spike train synchrony have been proposed, the ISI-distance, the SPIKE-distance, and event synchronization. The Matlab source codes for calculating and visualizing these measures have been made publicly available. However, due to the many different possible representations of the results the use of these codes is rather complicated and their application requires some basic knowledge of Matlab. Thus it became desirable to provide a more user-friendly and interactive interface. Here we address this need and present SPIKY, a graphical user interface that facilitates the application of time-resolved measures of spike train synchrony to both simulated and real data. SPIKY includes implementations of the ISI-distance, the SPIKE-distance, and the SPIKE-synchronization (an improved and simplified extension of event synchronization) that have been optimized with respect to computation speed and memory demand. It also comprises a spike train generator and an event detector that makes it capable of analyzing continuous data. Finally, the SPIKY package includes additional complementary programs aimed at the analysis of large numbers of datasets and the estimation of significance levels.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephane Mazzotti ◽  
Juliette Grosset ◽  
Christine Masson ◽  
Philippe Vernant

<p>We constrain present-day deformation rates and styles in metropolitan France and neighboring Western Europe using a dataset of ca. 1200 GNSS horizontal and vertical velocities from continuous and semi-continuous stations. The characterization and correction of network-scale common-mode noise, combined with two independent network analysis technics allow the resolution of very small horizontal velocities (resp. strain rates) with a 95% confidence ca. 0.1–0.2 mm/yr (resp. ca. 1 x 10<sup>-9</sup> yr<sup>-9</sup>) on a spatial scale of 100–200 km. The resulting velocity and strain rate fields show regional coherent patterns that can be associated with features that have been previously identified (e.g., orogen-normal extension in the Pyrenees and Western Alps), but also with new deformation patterns such as North-South shortening in northeastern France - southwestern Germany north of the Alpine Front (Vosges - Rhine Graben - Black Forest). A joint analysis of these new geodetic data with seismicity and focal mechanism catalogs allows the definition of regional seismo-tectonic models that can be compared with the numerous models of deformation processes proposed for Western Europe, from plate tectonics to erosion or Glacial Isostatic Adjustment. We show that plate and micro-plate tectonics play a minor (probably negligible) role in present-day deformation in metropolitan France and that alternative non-tectonic processes must be considered to better understand the origin of recent moderate earthquakes such as the March 2019 Ml=4.9 Montendre earthquake in the Aquitaine Basin or the Nov. 2019 Mw=4.8 Teil earthquake in the Rhone Valley.</p>


Author(s):  
Joshua B. Burt ◽  
Markus Helmer ◽  
Maxwell Shinn ◽  
Alan Anticevic ◽  
John D. Murray

AbstractStudies of large-scale brain organization have revealed interesting relationships between spatial gradients in brain maps across multiple modalities. Evaluating the significance of these findings requires establishing statistical expectations under a null hypothesis of interest. Through generative modeling of synthetic data that instantiate a specific null hypothesis, quantitative benchmarks can be derived for arbitrarily complex statistical measures. Here, we present a generative null model, provided as an open-access software platform, that generates surrogate maps with spatial autocorrelation (SA) matched to SA of a target brain map. SA is a prominent and ubiquitous property of brain maps that violates assumptions of independence in conventional statistical tests. Our method can simulate surrogate brain maps, constrained by empirical data, that preserve the SA of cortical, subcortical, parcellated, and dense brain maps. We characterize how SA impacts p-values in pairwise brain map comparisons. Furthermore, we demonstrate how SA-preserving surrogate maps can be used in gene ontology enrichment analyses to test hypotheses of interest related to brain map topography. Our findings demonstrate the utility of SA-preserving surrogate maps for hypothesis testing in complex statistical analyses, and underscore the need to disambiguate meaningful relationships from chance associations in studies of large-scale brain organization.


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek J Martin ◽  
Carol P Harden ◽  
Liem Tran ◽  
Robert T Pavlowsky

In-channel large wood (LW) plays an important role in the eco-morphological functionality of many river systems. This importance has been widely recognized, yet there continues to be a poor understanding of relationships between morphodynamics and locations of wood deposition within the channel, particularly in low-gradient, semi-confined rivers. This research investigates the following hypotheses: 1) LW deposition locations (DLs) occur periodically in relation to the periodic arrangement of morphological features in the Big River, Missouri, USA, a low-gradient, variably-confined, alluvial river system; 2) geomorphic controls on DLs in the Big River exert varying levels of influence at different spatial scales. A large-scale field inventory of LW DLs was performed along the Big River. A spectral analysis was then used to identify periodic patterns of DLs along the Big River and various statistical tests of association were used to investigate the relationships between DLs and morphological variables, and between periodicity (where identified) and morphological variables. The results suggest that under certain circumstances, DLs are spatially periodic, with periodicities ranging from 270 m to 1371 m, and in some cases exhibit periodicity at different spatial scales. Regression analysis was unable to statistically associate periodicity with morphological features; however, correlation and stepwise Poisson regression models suggest that channel-scale (100 m to 500 m) sinuosity, and valley width exert more influence on DLs than other variables. The lack of strong statistical associations suggests that either 1) LW dynamics in the Big River contain a high level of stochasticity or 2) controlling variables were not included in this analysis. These results support the need for better theoretical and numerical models of stochastic LW processes in order to better manage LW in complex geomorphic systems.


Author(s):  
Ron Harris

Before the seventeenth century, trade across Eurasia was mostly conducted in short segments along the Silk Route and Indian Ocean. Business was organized in family firms, merchant networks, and state-owned enterprises, and dominated by Chinese, Indian, and Arabic traders. However, around 1600 the first two joint-stock corporations, the English and Dutch East India Companies, were established. This book tells the story of overland and maritime trade without Europeans, of European Cape Route trade without corporations, and of how new, large-scale, and impersonal organizations arose in Europe to control long-distance trade for more than three centuries. It shows that by 1700, the scene and methods for global trade had dramatically changed: Dutch and English merchants shepherded goods directly from China and India to northwestern Europe. To understand this transformation, the book compares the organizational forms used in four major regions: China, India, the Middle East, and Western Europe. The English and Dutch were the last to leap into Eurasian trade, and they innovated in order to compete. They raised capital from passive investors through impersonal stock markets and their joint-stock corporations deployed more capital, ships, and agents to deliver goods from their origins to consumers. The book explores the history behind a cornerstone of the modern economy, and how this organizational revolution contributed to the formation of global trade and the creation of the business corporation as a key factor in Europe's economic rise.


1987 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 155-174
Author(s):  
Henk L. F. Saeijs

The Delta Project is in its final stage. In 1974 it was subjected to political reconsideration, but it is scheduled now for completion in 1987. The final touches are being put to the storm-surge barrier and two compartment dams that divide the Oosterschelde into three areas: one tidal, one with reduced tide, and one a freshwater lake. Compartmentalization will result in 13% of channels, 45% of intertidal flats and 59% of salt marshes being lost. There is a net gain of 7% of shallow-water areas. Human interventions with large scale impacts are not new in the Oosterschelde but the large scale and short time in which these interventions are taking place are, as is the creation of a controlled tidal system. This article focusses on the area with reduced tide and compares resent day and expected characteristics. In this reduced tidal part salt marshes will extend by 30–70%; intertidal flats will erode to a lower level and at their edges, and the area of shallow water will increase by 47%. Biomass production on the intertidal flats will decrease, with consequences for crustaceans, fishes and birds. The maximum number of waders counted on one day and the number of ‘bird-days' will decrease drastically, with negative effects for the wader populations of western Europe. The net area with a hard substratum in the reduced tidal part has more than doubled. Channels will become shallower. Detritus import will not change significantly. Stratification and oxygen depletion will be rare and local. The operation of the storm-surge barrier and the closure strategy chosen are very important for the ecosystem. Two optional closure strategies can be followed without any additional environmental consequences. It was essential to determine a clearly defined plan of action for the whole area, and to make land-use choices from the outset. How this was done is briefly described.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 141
Author(s):  
Firoza Akhter ◽  
Maurizio Mazzoleni ◽  
Luigia Brandimarte

In this study, we explore the long-term trends of floodplain population dynamics at different spatial scales in the contiguous United States (U.S.). We exploit different types of datasets from 1790–2010—i.e., decadal spatial distribution for the population density in the US, global floodplains dataset, large-scale data of flood occurrence and damage, and structural and nonstructural flood protection measures for the US. At the national level, we found that the population initially settled down within the floodplains and then spread across its territory over time. At the state level, we observed that flood damages and national protection measures might have contributed to a learning effect, which in turn, shaped the floodplain population dynamics over time. Finally, at the county level, other socio-economic factors such as local flood insurances, economic activities, and socio-political context may predominantly influence the dynamics. Our study shows that different influencing factors affect floodplain population dynamics at different spatial scales. These facts are crucial for a reliable development and implementation of flood risk management planning.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Germain ◽  
Daniel Kneeshaw ◽  
Louis De Grandpré ◽  
Mélanie Desrochers ◽  
Patrick M. A. James ◽  
...  

Abstract Context Although the spatiotemporal dynamics of spruce budworm outbreaks have been intensively studied, forecasting outbreaks remains challenging. During outbreaks, budworm-linked warblers (Tennessee, Cape May, and bay-breasted warbler) show a strong positive response to increases in spruce budworm, but little is known about the relative timing of these responses. Objectives We hypothesized that these warblers could be used as sentinels of future defoliation of budworm host trees. We examined the timing and magnitude of the relationships between defoliation by spruce budworm and changes in the probability of presence of warblers to determine whether they responded to budworm infestation before local defoliation being observed by standard detection methods. Methods We modelled this relationship using large-scale point count surveys of songbirds and maps of cumulative time-lagged defoliation over multiple spatial scales (2–30 km radius around sampling points) in Quebec, Canada. Results All three warbler species responded positively to defoliation at each spatial scale considered, but the timing of their response differed. Maximum probability of presence of Tennessee and Cape May warbler coincided with observations of local defoliation, or provided a one year warning, making them of little use to guide early interventions. In contrast, the probability of presence of bay-breasted warbler consistently increased 3–4 years before defoliation was detectable. Conclusions Early detection is a critical step in the management of spruce budworm outbreaks and rapid increases in the probability of presence of bay-breasted warbler could be used to identify future epicenters and target ground-based local sampling of spruce budworm.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 228
Author(s):  
Jian Kang ◽  
Rui Jin ◽  
Xin Li ◽  
Yang Zhang

In recent decades, microwave remote sensing (RS) has been used to measure soil moisture (SM). Long-term and large-scale RS SM datasets derived from various microwave sensors have been used in environmental fields. Understanding the accuracies of RS SM products is essential for their proper applications. However, due to the mismatched spatial scale between the ground-based and RS observations, the truth at the pixel scale may not be accurately represented by ground-based observations, especially when the spatial density of in situ measurements is low. Because ground-based observations are often sparsely distributed, temporal upscaling was adopted to transform a few in situ measurements into SM values at a pixel scale of 1 km by introducing the temperature vegetation dryness index (TVDI) related to SM. The upscaled SM showed high consistency with in situ SM observations and could accurately capture rainfall events. The upscaled SM was considered as the reference data to evaluate RS SM products at different spatial scales. In regard to the validation results, in addition to the correlation coefficient (R) of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) SM being slightly lower than that of the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) SM, SMAP had the best performance in terms of the root-mean-square error (RMSE), unbiased RMSE and bias, followed by the CCI. The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) products were in worse agreement with the upscaled SM and were inferior to the R value of the X-band SM of the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2). In conclusion, in the study area, the SMAP and CCI SM are more reliable, although both products were underestimated by 0.060 cm3 cm−3 and 0.077 cm3 cm−3, respectively. If the biases are corrected, then the improved SMAP with an RMSE of 0.043 cm3 cm−3 and the CCI with an RMSE of 0.039 cm3 cm−3 will hopefully reach the application requirement for an accuracy with an RMSE less than 0.040 cm3 cm−3.


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