Evaluating the impact of visualization of wildfire hazard upon decision-making under uncertainty     

Lisa Cheong  Susanne Bleisch  Allison Kealy  Kevin Tolhurst  Tom Wilkening  Matt Duckham 《International journal of geographical information science》2016,30(7):1377-1404

The paper investigates whether the methods chosen for representing uncertain geographic information aid or impair decision-making in the context of wildfire hazard. Through a series of three human subject experiments, utilizing 180 subjects and employing increasingly difficult tasks, this research evaluates the effect of five different visualizations and a text-based representation on decision-making under uncertainty. Our quantitative experiments focus specifically on the task of decision-making under uncertainty, rather than the task of reading levels of uncertainty from the map. To guard against the potential for generosity and risk seeking in decision-making under uncertainty, the experimental design uses performance-based incentives. The experiments showed that the choice of representation makes little difference to performance in cases where subjects are allowed the time and focus to consider their decisions. However, with the increasing difficulty of time pressure, subjects performed best using a spectral color hue-based representation, rather than more carefully designed cartographic representations. Text-based and simplified boundary encodings were among the worst performers. The results have implications for the performance of decision-making under uncertainty using static maps, especially in the stressful environments surrounding an emergency.  相似文献   

A User-Oriented Perspective of Error-sensitive GIS Development     

Matt Duckham 《Transactions in GIS》2002,6(2):179-193

The current lack of error-sensitive functionality found in commercial GIS is at odds with the research focus error-sensitive GIS development has enjoyed over recent years. In an attempt to address this undesirable situation, this paper explores the development of error handling capabilities within GIS from the perspective of GIS users. Increasingly, GIS users need to fulfil a variety of different roles, from database designers and data capture personnel through to decision makers, each of which may require an awareness of data quality issues. The user-oriented approach taken here contrasts with the predominately developer-oriented perspective in the literature. The paper concludes that from a user's perspective it is possible to identify a number of simple reformulations of current research that would help bring about the desired increase in availability and use of error-sensitive functionality within commercial GIS technology and applications.  相似文献   

Contracts and member checks in qualitative research in human geography: reason for caution?   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

Matt Bradshaw 《Area》2001,33(2):202-211

Contracts with, and member checks by, research participants are increasingly recommended in qualitative research in human geography. However, differences in qualitatively researching 'the powerful', as opposed to researching 'down' mean that contracts and member checks may need to be approached with caution regarding the former. The possibility of the censorship of critique by powerful research participants is exemplified in this article, and a number of more general dilemmas in qualitatively researching 'up' are also discussed. Finally, some choices which might help address possible difficulties in qualitatively researching the powerful are outlined.  相似文献   

Interaction of secondary circulations with the summer monsoon and diurnal rainfall over Hong Kong     

Mickey M. -K. Wai  Patrick T. Welsh  W. -M. Ma 《Boundary-Layer Meteorology》1996,81(2):123-146

A complete yearly record (1988) of surface measurements is used to examine the atmospheric diurnal secondary circulations over the entire area of Hong Kong in conjunction with spatial and temporal variations of surface temperature, wind speed and rainfall. Evidence of atmospheric diurnal secondary circulations is found at 10 sites. The occurrence of a summer morning rainfall maximum over the coast results from the interaction of the large-scale summer monsoon and local mesoscale secondary circulations. The afternoon onshore secondary circulation accelerates the advection of warm, humid unstable air and, coupled with the upward orographic lifting, produces enhanced rainfall along windward mountain ridges.Dynamical and scaling considerations suggest that the blocking effect is negligible and the primary forcing mechanism is land-sea temperature difference, but terrain effects are also important. Although the secondary circulation system's strength and timing vary, the circulation behaves like a classic sea-land breeze circulation, complicated by superimposed mountain-valley breezes.  相似文献   

Evolution of late pleistocene and holocene climates in the circum-south pacific land areas     

Vera Markgraf  John R. Dodson  A. Peter Kershaw  Matt S. McGlone  Neville Nicholls 《Climate Dynamics》1992,6(3-4):193-211

Paleovegetation maps were reconstructed based on a network of pollen records from Australia, New Zealand, and southern South America for 18 000, 12000, 9000, 6000, and 3000 BP and interpreted in terms of paleoclimatic patterns. These patterns permitted us to speculate on past atmospheric circulation in the South Pacific and the underlying forcing missing line mechanisms. During full glacial times, with vastly extended Australasian land area and circum-Antarctic ice-shelves, arid and cold conditions characterized all circum-South Pacific land areas, except for a narrow band in southern South America (43° to 45°S) that might have been even wetter and moister than today. This implies that ridging at subtropical and mid-latitudes must have been greatly increased and that the storm tracks were located farther south than today. At 12000 BP when precipitation had increased in southern Australia, New Zealand, and the mid-latitudes of South America, ridging was probably still as strong as before but had shifted into the eastern Pacific, leading to weaker westerlies in the western Pacific and more southerly located westerlies in the eastern Pacific. At 9000 BP when, except for northernmost Australia, precipitation reached near modern levels, the south Pacific ridges and the westerlies must have weakened. Because of the continuing land connection between New Guinea and Australia, and reduced seasonality, the monsoon pattern had still not developed. By 6000 BP, moisture levels in Australia and New Zealand reached their maximum, indicating that the monsoon pattern had become established. Ridging in the South Pacific was probably weaker than today, and the seasonal shift of the westerlies was stronger than before. By 3000 BP essentially modern conditions had been achieved, characterized by patterns of high seasonal variability.Contribution to Clima Locarno — Past and Present Climate Dynamics; Conference September 1990, Swiss Academy of Sciences — National Climate Program  相似文献   

THE BEAVER-HARRISON,BEAVER COUNTY,UTAH L6 CHONDRITE     

Klaus Keil  George Conrad  J.E. Welsh 《Meteoritics & planetary science》1981,16(1):13-16

The Beaver-Harrison, Utah chondrite (find July 24, 1979), a single, shock-veined stone of 925 grams, consists of major olivine (Fa_25.0), low-Ca pyroxene (En_77.3Fs_21.1Wo_1.6) and metallic nickel-iron; minor troilite and plagioclase (Ab_82.6An_11.1Or_6.3), accessory high-Ca pyroxene (En_47.0Fs_8.5Wo_44.5), chromite (Cm_8.7Sp_10.6Uv_9.4Pc_0.6Hc_0.7), chlorapatite and whitlockite; and hydrous ferric oxide of terrestrial weathering origin. Mineral compositions indicate L-group classification, and homogeneity of minerals, highly recrystallized texture and presence of clear plagioclase suggest that the meteorite belongs to petrologic type 6.  相似文献   

Contaminant concentrations in sport fish from San Francisco Bay, 1997     

Davis JA  May MD  Greenfield BK  Fairey R  Roberts C  Ichikawa G  Stoelting MS  Becker JS  Tjeerdema RS 《Marine pollution bulletin》2002,44(10):1117-1129

In 1997, seven sport fish species were sampled from seven popular fishing areas in San Francisco Bay. Mercury exceeded a human health screening value in 44 of 84 (52%) samples. All collected samples of leopard shark and striped bass exceeded the mercury screening value of 0.23 microg/g wet weight. PCBs exceeded the screening value in 51 of 72 (71%) samples. DDT, chlordane, and dieldrin, had lower numbers of samples above screening values: 16 of 72 (22%) for DDT, 11 of 72 (15%) for chlordanes, and 27 of 72 (37%) for dieldrin. Concentrations of PCBs and other trace organics were highest in white croaker and shiner surfperch, the two species with the highest fat content in their muscle tissue. Fish from one location, Oakland Harbor, had significantly elevated wet weight concentrations of mercury, PCBs, DDTs, and chlordanes compared to other locations. Removal of skin from white croaker fillets reduced lipid concentrations by 27-49% and concentrations of trace organics by 33-40%.  相似文献   

Precision Ground Water Sampling in Coastal Aquifers Using a Direct-Push, Shielded-Screen Well-Point System   总被引：5，自引：0，他引：5  

Matthew A. Charette  Matt C. Allen 《Ground Water Monitoring & Remediation》2006,26(2):87-93

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The environments and clustering properties of 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey selected starburst galaxies     

Matt S. Owers  Chris Blake  Warrick J. Couch  Michael B. Pracy  Kenji Bekki 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2007,381(2):494-510

We investigate the environments and clustering properties of starburst galaxies selected from the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) in order to determine which, if any, environmental factors play a role in triggering a starburst. We quantify the local environments, clustering properties and luminosity functions of our starburst galaxies and compare to random control samples. The starburst galaxies are also classified morphologically in terms of their broad Hubble type and evidence of tidal merger/interaction signatures. We find the starburst galaxies to be much less clustered on large (5–15 Mpc) scales compared to the overall 2dFGRS galaxy population. In terms of their environments, we find just over half of the starburst galaxies to reside in low to intermediate luminosity groups, and a further ∼30 per cent residing in the outskirts and infall regions of rich clusters. Their luminosity functions also differ significantly from that of the overall 2dFGRS galaxy population, with the sense of the difference being critically dependent on the way their star formation rates are measured. In terms of pin-pointing what might trigger the starburst, it would appear that factors relating to their local environment are most germane. Specifically, we find clear evidence that the presence of a near neighbour of comparable luminosity/mass within 20 kpc is likely to be important in triggering a starburst. We also find that a significant fraction (20–30 per cent) of the galaxies in our starburst samples have morphologies indicative of either an ongoing or a recent tidal interaction and/or merger. These findings notwithstanding, there remain a significant portion of starburst galaxies where such local environmental influences are not in any obvious way playing a triggering role, leading us to conclude that starbursts can also be internally driven.  相似文献   

A Geoarchaeological Study of the Middle and Upper Pleistocene Levels at Canteen Kopje,Northern Cape Province,South Africa     

Matt G. Lotter  Ryan J. Gibbon  Kathleen Kuman  George M. Leader  Tim Forssman  Darryl E. Granger 《Geoarchaeology》2016,31(4):304-323

Canteen Kopje, situated in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, has two main archaeological deposits: alluvial gravels and a mantle of overlying fine sediments known locally as the “Hutton Sands.” This paper focuses on the fine sediments, the three industries contained within them, and the interface with the underlying gravels in an attempt to clarify their formation and transformation. A Fauresmith assemblage is found at this interface; it is thus crucial to understand the processes of deposition and modification at this poorly understood boundary. The methods used in this study involved the analysis of artifact depositional (dip and orientation) and spatial data, artifact condition, raw materials, and assemblage size profiles. Data presented document the mixing between the lowest levels of the fine sediments and the underlying alluvial gravels. This study thus provides important contextual information for the Fauresmith industry at Canteen Kopje.  相似文献