Search

The purpose of this study is to determine whether hyper spectral images can be used to identify plant diseases and crop pressure from aerial photographs. With extensive research on the prevalent methods used closer to the problem, this study offers a potent strategy for identifying crop distress and illnesses using this efficient imaging technique. To identify the spectral fingerprints of common indications and symptoms of plant diseases and crop strains, this study evaluates the available hyper spectral photo datasets. After that, the data are examined using two learning algorithms--the highly randomized trees and the Random Woodland set of rules--to create predictions that are entirely dependent on the results that are discovered. In the end, a benchmarked set of test statistics is used to assess the prediction accuracy. The results of this study show that hyper spectral photo evaluation has a strong and promising utility for crop stress and disease identification. Hyper spectral light evaluation is a method for identifying plant diseases caused by strain on crops. By gathering and evaluating high-dimensional spectral reflection data from satellite or aircraft structures, details regarding the physiological homes of flowers can be identified. The health of plants, illnesses brought on by stress, and agricultural productivity predictions can all be made using these facts. Hyper spectral recordings can also be used to create actions that reduce agricultural losses and enhance the health of plants that are prone to disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing and living with geohazards is especially challenging in mountain landscapes and requires an understanding of catchment‐scale sediment dynamics and internal system functioning. While sediment budgeting is a valuable framework, challenges remain including partitioning sediment yield by source and grain size and addressing scale issues. This study advances our understanding of bed material dynamics in glacierized mountain catchments by applying a range of complementary techniques to measure sediment transfers in the Fitzsimmons Creek watershed. First, we measured the historical bed material yield using field surveys and historical air photo analysis, revealing an average specific sediment yield of 210 Mg km−2 yr−1, that varied by a factor of 17 over the 76‐year record. Hydro‐meteorological and historical analyses suggest that gravel extraction had the largest impact over the past three decades, while an extreme landslide and flood event produced the highest recorded sediment yield. Second, we constructed a detailed sediment budget along the river system using high‐resolution, multi‐temporal lidar and geomorphic mapping data. Sediment source partitioning indicates that landslide, active channel, and floodplain sources each contributed about one‐third of the total sediment supply. Net degradation occurred along the valley bottom upstream of the fan‐delta, resulting in steadily increasing downstream sediment yield. This trend is punctuated by chronic landsliding near the outlet, driven by postglacial incision through glaciogenic sediments at a hanging valley step. Contemporary glacial and proglacial sources were not measured directly but surprisingly contributed minimally. These findings provide insight into the sediment dynamics of glacierized mountain catchments and their potential controls. Plain Language Summary: Managing and living with geohazards in mountain landscapes can be quite challenging. To manage these risks effectively, it's crucial to understand how sediment moves through these landscapes and how they change over time. Sediment budgeting, which describes how much sediment is added to, stored in, or removed from the landscape, can be used as a practical management tool. In this study, we aimed to refine our understanding of sediment movement in mountain landscapes with glaciers using the Fitzsimmons Creek watershed as an example. To do this, we first looked at how much sediment had accumulated in the river delta over the past 76 years and found that the amount varied by up to 17 times. Gravel removal and a very large landslide and flood event had the most control on the amount of sediment reaching the delta. Next, we used detailed elevation data and field surveys to look at the spatial patterns of erosion, deposition, and transport. Interestingly, we found that landslides, the riverbed, and floodplains each contributed about one‐third of the sediment, while very little sediment came from glaciers. This research provides valuable insights into sediment dynamics in glacierized mountain areas and helps inform better management strategies. Key Points: The 76‐year bed material yield record varied by up to a factor of 17, primarily in response to an extreme event and gravel extractionSediment source partitioning suggests that landslide, active channel, and floodplain sources each contribute one third of the total yieldGlacial landscape configuration was important, while contemporary glacial and proglacial sources supplied little sediment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Eurasian forest-steppe, with increasing aridity, the balance between naturally co-existing forest and grassland patches is expected to shift towards grassland dominance in the long run, although feedback mechanisms and changes in land-use may alter this process. In this study, we compared old and recent aerial photographs of Hungarian forest-steppes to find out whether and how the forest proportion and the number of forest patches change at the decadal time scale. The percentage area covered by forest significantly increased in all study sites. The observed forest encroachment may be a legacy from earlier land-use: due to ceased or reduced grazing pressure, forests are invading grasslands until the potential forest cover allowed by climate and soil is reached. The number of forest patches significantly increased at one site (Fülöpháza), while it decreased at two sites (Bugac and Orgovány) and showed no significant change at the fourth site (Tázlár). This indicates that forest encroachment can happen at least in two different ways: through the emergence of new forest patches in the grassland, and through the extension and coalescence of already existing forest patches. Though the present work revealed increasing tree cover at a decadal time scale, the dynamic process should be monitored in the future to see how the vegetation reacts to further aridification. This could help devise a conservation strategy, as the woody/non-woody balance has a profound influence on basic ecosystem properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to support disaster recovery, we have developed a new method to extract damaged buildings by using machine learning that combines 10 explanatory variables obtained from analysis of aerial photographs and observation data. We used site amplification factors, seismic intensities of foreshock and mainshock, distance from faults, estimated building structures and ages, coverage by blue tarps, texture analysis, and digital surface model differences before and after the earthquake as explanatory variables, in addition to convolutional neural network prediction results based on post-earthquake aerial photographs. The random forest method resulted in an overall accuracy of about 81% and an average F-measure of three classes was about 70%, indicating that it can classify possible damage to buildings more accurately than our previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how river systems adjust to hydrologic alterations is critical to sustainable river management. Remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) provide a reliable and cost‐effective approach to studying river adjustment, including the possible attainment of dynamic equilibrium. We used this approach to study the highly managed lower South Platte River in northeastern Colorado, USA. We assessed the active channel (inclusive of open water, sand bars and adjacent sparsely vegetated areas) in three 30 km study sections, using General Land Office (GLO) maps circa 1870, and a time series of eight sets of aerial photographs from 1941 to 2015. In the GLO surveys, the active channel was 72–80% larger and 65–85% wider than in the later aerial photographs. Mean daily discharge in the prior photo interval was the strongest hydrologic predictor of channel area, while mean June daily discharge was the strongest predictor of channel width. Maximum daily discharge was the only significant predictor of lateral movement of the main channel. The highest rates of channel movement occurred when the primary channel switched locations to occupy a pre‐existing secondary channel. An average of 17% of the total active channel area was persistent, defined as consisting of channels at ≥7 of the eight photo years, and there was a narrow, persistent active channel throughout 68–72% of the length of each section. Thus, the location of the river has been stable since 1941, though flanking the channel location were areas of the active channel that were more temporally dynamic. After 1956, the post‐development lower South Platte River channel planform achieved a state of dynamic equilibrium, fluctuating thereafter within a relatively narrow range of values. As conditions in the basin change in the future due to increased municipal and industrial water demand and climate change, we can expect the river to also change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decades, human interventions, such as dam construction and land‐use change, have caused changes in geomorphic patterns and riparian zones in many rivers in Iran. This study aimed to assess the spatio‐temporal evolution of riparian vegetation and the spatial area of biogeomorphic feedback windows (BFWs) located in the riparian Salicaceae vegetation patches and their traits responding to human interventions in the Taleqan River during 1990–2022. The river was divided into five reaches using the geomorphic unit system (GUS) method, and the river sensitivity index (SI), location of BFWs, vegetation typology and main cover typology were investigated in the reaches using aerial photographs and satellite images from 1990 to 2022. For this purpose, the main cover typology was classified into grassland, woody vegetation, bank‐attached bars, islands, vegetated islands, river channels and urban areas. The stem diameter and density, degradation level and longitudinal/latitudinal alluvial bars in each of the BFWs were investigated using the field survey. Based on the findings, the lowest values of the SI (braiding index [BI], channel activity [CA] and channel width [CW]) and the highest expansion of BFWs were observed in the upstream reaches of the Taleqan River. Human disturbances in these reaches were less than in the reaches downstream, allowing the expansion of vegetation habitats. The vegetation patches were unstable and scattered in the midstream and downstream, and the width decrease of the river channel was created by land‐use change and channelization. A significant direct relationship was observed between BFW establishment, stem diameter and density, and vegetation height. The BFWs create an opportunity for engineer vegetation to prevent erosion and expand new habitats by creating biogeomorphic accumulation landforms and trapping alluvial bars on the lee side of engineer woody vegetation. This study highlights the interactions between riparian areas and hydrogeomorphic processes within riparian corridors exposed to human disturbances to help better define a comprehensive plan for river management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riparian forests contribute to the resilience and biocomplexity of floodplains but may be catastrophically impacted by large floods. Forest disturbances will expose floodplains to stripping and pulses of large wood recruitment to the floodplain and channel. The widespread uprooting of trees follows hydrodynamic loading from floodwaters and the associated moments of these forces about the tree bases. A tree will uproot when the drag moment exceeds the anchorage resistance capacity. Alternatively, trunks will rupture when the tensile stresses caused by bending exceed the tensile strength of the outer trunk fibres. The likelihood and pattern of trees dislodging during floods on a subtropical river was investigated by developing a tree stability model. The modeling framework included development of a drag moment model and testing several potential formulations for anchorage resistance. Model parameters were calibrated to data collected in experiments and from observations in aerial photographs before and after a large flood in 2011. The prediction accuracy for the adopted tree stability model was 78%. Results from design flood simulations suggest that less than a third of the forest will dislodge even during the largest floods conceivable. This remarkable stability moderates the quantity of large wood recruited from riparian forests during extreme floods, which can impact infrastructure such as bridges and culverts downstream. Low rates of wood recruitment from dislodged floodplain trees in extreme floods suggests bank erosion is the dominant source of wood recruitment in these catchments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anthropogenic relief transformations of the mining landscape are characterised by high dynamics of changes over time that can be effectively mapped on a large scale using aerial images. The Karviná part of the Ostrava-Karviná mining district, which stands for significant hard coal mining area in the Czech Republic, has been selected to analyse the spatio-temporal development of anthropogenic landforms. Anthropogenic landforms were visually identified from the aerial images from 1947, 1966, 1971, 1985, 1994, 2009, and 2018. Specific anthropogenic landforms were analysed along with their spatio-temporal changes based on obtained vector data. The total extent and number of anthropogenic landforms increased the most during the periods 1947–1966 and 1971–1985. The same anthropogenic landforms occurred on circa 24 hectares in the entire period 1947–2018. The most anthropogenic landforms remained preserved in the last observed period 2009–2018. The multi-temporal analysis of aerial photographs and overlay operations in GIS enabled to map the age of specific landforms and to identify changed or unchanged anthropogenic landforms. This method is suitable for the study of landform dynamics at mining sites and is particularly relevant for the planning challenges in post-mining reclamation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of rural settlements into commuter towns in the hinterland of large cities, coupled with intensive agriculture and climate change, may negatively affect the prosperity of these areas. The presented analysis focused on randomly selected rapidly growing settlements in the Prague metropolitan area, examining their development with a focus on the peripheral parts of such settlements. Settlement margins constitute a specific part of rural settlements as it typically contributes to the rural character by providing the gradual gradient between the settlement and the open landscape. The representation of water-absorbing and non-water-absorbing areas and their suitability for the development of taller vegetation along the margins of three randomly selected suburbanised settlements in the hinterland of Prague are analysed from the perspective of the possibility to maintain the traditional character of the settlement margins. Historical maps, aerial photographs, spatial planning documents, and data on current land use and landscape cover were used for the analysis of the settlements' development over the last approx. 200 years. In order to determine whether an area is water absorbing or not, a manual approach was used for historical maps and a machine learning process for present orthophoto maps. The automated machine learning classification process could be utilised, because the used orthophoto imagery includes a near-infrared portion of the spectrum (i.e. NIR imagery). We have observed the trend of decreasing plot size and of reduction in the water-absorbing surfaces suitable for planting taller vegetation, especially in the twenty-first century residential developments, which disrupts the traditional rural character of these settlements. The utilisation and stabilisation of the current vegetation in the historical areas, together with the creation of the vegetation belts along the margins of the newly developed areas, could improve the environmental quality of these settlements, promote ecosystem services, and increase biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using landscape archaeology methods, field survey, remote sensing, and the analysis of historical aerial photographs, a distinct landscape has been documented in the town of Obrovac, Zadar County, Croatia. This landscape consists of material remains of various military structures from World War II, constituting the defence and occupation system of the town of Obrovac by the armed Italian. These material remains of military structures represent a highly significant material presence in the landscape. The research results presented in this study represent the types of fortifications used by the Italian army during World War II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Williams, H.F.L., 2024. Testing digital elevation model of difference (DoD) estimation of washover fan thickness, Matagorda Peninsula, Texas. Journal of Coastal Research, 40(5), 852–859. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Washover fans are a fundamental component of coastal sediment budgets. While fans can be relatively easily delineated on air photos to obtain fan area, measurement of fan thickness, which is required for volume estimation, is problematic. Field surveys can be conducted, but fieldwork can be labor-intensive, costly, and time-consuming and have access problems. This study used pre- and poststorm LIDAR digital elevation models (DEMs) to create a digital elevation model of difference (DoD), which was then used to estimate the mean thicknesses of 10 Hurricane Harvey washover fans on Matagorda Peninsula, Texas. The accuracy of the LIDAR-derived fan thicknesses was assessed by comparing the LIDAR results to fan mean thicknesses based on pits excavated into fans. Seven out of 10 LIDAR-based thicknesses underestimated pit-based thicknesses, suggesting the presence of systematic bias in the LIDAR-derived DEMs. Underestimation of fan thicknesses was in the range of 36% to 56%. The source of the suspected bias is uncertain; it is possible that compaction of marsh sediments by the washover fans lowered the fans and reduced their apparent thicknesses. It is concluded that pre- and post-storm LIDAR DEMs can be used to estimate washover fan thickness, but in areas of compactible substrates, such as coastal marshes, steps should be taken to identify, evaluate, and address potential bias in the DEM data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing availability of unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS, also referred to as drones) has led to their use in taking vertical aerial photographs at relatively small spatial scales. These photographs can be used to measure the distances between objects appearing in the photographs. However, relief displacement can cause an object above or below ground level to appear at a point in a vertical aerial photograph that is not directly in-line with the object's actual location, causing a measurement error. A UAS was used in this study as a photographed airborne object because its location and altitude could be controlled. We were interested in predicting the horizontal distance of the UAS's appearance from the centre of a vertical aerial photograph. Predictions of the location of the photographed UAS's appearance in vertical aerial photographs over both level and sloped surfaces matched measured appearance distances within 0.06–0.48 m. This study shows that the relief displacement formulas typically used to compute the height of a vertical structure appearing in a vertical aerial photograph can additionally be used to compute the actual location of an airborne object (e.g., a flying UAS, bird, bat) if the object's altitude is known or can be estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poland as well as other countries keep extensive collections of 20th and 21st-century aerial photos, which are underexploited compared to such other archival materials as satellite imagery. Meanwhile, they offer significant research potential in various areas, including urban development, land use changes, and long-term environmental monitoring. Archival photographs are detailed, often obtained every five to ten years, and feature high resolution, from 20 cm to 1 m. Their overlap can facilitate creating precise digital models that illustrate topography and land cover, which are essential variables in many scientific contexts. However, rapidly transforming these photographs into geographically accurate measurements of the Earth's surface poses challenges. This article explores the obstacles in automating the processing of historical photographs and presents the main scientific research directions associated with these images. Recent advancements in enhancing work˚ows, including the development of modern digital photogrammetry tools, algorithms, and machine learning techniques are also discussed. These developments are crucial for unlocking the full potential of aerial photographs, making them easier accessible and valuable for a broader range of scientific fields. These underutilized photographs are increasingly recognized as vital in various research domains due to technological advancements. Integrating new methods with these historical images offers unprecedented opportunities for scientific discovery and historical understanding, bridging the past with the future through innovative research techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their extensive global presence and the importance of variations in their speed as an essential climate variable, only about a dozen global time series document long-term changes in the velocity of rock glaciers – large tongue-shaped flows of frozen mountain debris. By analysing historical aerial photographs, we reconstruct here 16 new time series, a type of data that has not previously existed for the North American continent. We observe substantial accelerations, as much as 2–3 fold, in the surface displacement rates of rock glaciers across the mountains of the western contiguous United States over the past six to seven decades, most consistent with strongly increasing air temperatures in that region. Variations between individual time series suggest that different local and internal conditions of the frozen debris bodies modulate this overall climate response. Our observations indicate fundamental long-term environmental changes associated with frozen ground in the study region. The study reconstructs 16 new time series for rock glacier flow in North America, marking the first for the continent. Analysis shows 2-3 fold accelerations in surface velocities over the past 60-70 years, linked to rising air temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryospheric hazards - in this case, thaw slumps (TS) and thermo-erosion gullies (TEG) - are phenomena typical of permafrost-dominated landscapes. Open datasets informing about their spatial, temporal and size distributions in the Arctic are still uncommon, as opposed to the systematic availability of this information for geomorphic processes in mid- to low- latitudes. To date, only the most populated region of Svalbard was covered with TS and TEG inventories. Here, we extend the respective information to most of the Archipelago, totalling 8491 polygons, out of which 3679 are TSs and 4812 are TEGs. These have been manually mapped from aerial photographs throughout Svalbard across the 14 largest ice-free regions. The SvalCryo inventory is highly relevant as the Arctic environment undergoes alarming changes in response to global warming. The idea behind the two inventories is to support the geoscientific community in the quest to evaluate the environmental response to climate change, by creating a baseline for change monitoring, and ultimately to serve as basis for susceptibility, hazard and risk assessment models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean plastic pollution is one of the global environmental problems of our time. "Rubbish islands" formed in the ocean are increasing every year, damaging the marine ecosystem. In order to effectively address this type of pollution, it is necessary to accurately and quickly identify the sources of plastic entering the ocean, identify where it is accumulating, and track the dynamics of waste movement. To this end, remote sensing methods using satellite imagery and aerial photographs from unmanned aerial vehicles are a reliable source of data. Modern machine learning technologies make it possible to automate the detection of floating plastics. This review presents the main projects and research aimed at solving the "plastic" problem. The main data acquisition techniques and the most effective deep learning algorithms are described, various limitations of working with space images are analyzed, and ways to eliminate such shortcomings are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The currently used standardised precipitation index (SPI) does not allow for a reliable assessment of the impact of drought due to the small and unevenly distributed network of meteorological stations. Hopes for developing methods to assess the impact of droughts are pinned on remote data acquisition and the use of analysis of aerial photographs and satellite scenes. The aim of this study is to assess the occurrence of drought based on the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) and SPI at multiple time scales (1-, 3-, and 6-, 9- and 12-month). NDVI values do not simply reflect meteorological drought. However, the spatial co-occurrence of meteorological drought with drought defined on the basis of the NDVI index was demonstrated. The study presents a new approach to identifying drought characterized by SPI and NDVI based on the bivariate choropleth map method, which can indicate the actual places of drought occurrence. The study was carried out for the upper Noteć catchment located in Central Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The folded Zagros is a part of the active Zagros belt in the southwest of Iran. This area has main faults and active rock formations, the activity of these faults has somehow affected the strata and sediments of different geological periods. In this study First, by studying satellite images and aerial photographs, five locations were selected in different parts of Fars and the hinterland of Bandar Abbas, and finally, the tectonostratigraphy of these locations was compared with each other. The sinology column and the paleogeographical map of these regions in the Miocene period were reconstructed Using the data obtained from five places of folded Zagros (Bastak, Bahar anticline, Arjan plain, Saadi mountain and Yasouj). The obtained results and the resulting diagrams were obtained using the RockWorks geological program. the minimum and maximum stratified thicknesses of the Miocene period formation in these five studied points are related to Arjan Plain and Saadi mountain sections By comparing the obtained results and the Hesar diagrams and the isopach map. It was done between the studied locations, which shows the highest thickness of this formation in the Arjan plain section and the lowest thickness is in Saadi Mountain. The facies changes of sedimentary rocks of the Miocene period seem to be due to the operation and activity of bedrock faults such as Kare Bes, Sabzpushan, Sarvestan and Kazeron faults in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 21st century, climate change and its consequences are getting more serious. The changes in temperature and precipitation alter the run-off conditions, subsequently influencing the channel processes of rivers. The study aims to analyse the hydrological changes in a small, sub-alpine river (Rába/Raab River, Central Europe) and the bank erosional processes (1951–2024). The bank erosion was determined based on topographical maps, aerial photographs, and field (RTK–GPS) surveys. Short (2–3 days) floods were common between 1950 and 1980, and low stages occurred in 65–81% of a year. However, extreme regimes developed in the 21st century, as record-high, flash floods altered with long low stages (91–96% of a year). The bank erosion shows a cyclic temporal pattern, gradually increasing until it reaches a high value (4.1–4.9 m/y), followed by a limited erosional rate (2.2–2.8 m/y). However, the magnitude of the bank erosion is decreasing. This could be explained by (1) the lower transport capacity of the more common low stages and (2) the seasonal shift of the flood waves, which appear in the growing season when the riparian vegetation can more effectively protect the banks from erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to map and analyze the spatial pattern of the surface deformation associated with the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake (Mw7.5) using structure-from-motion/multi-view-stereo (SfM–MVS), an advanced photogrammetric technique. The analysis was conducted using digital aerial photographs with a ground pixel dimension of 0.2 m (captured the day after the earthquake). Horizontal locations of GCPs were determined using pre-earthquake data to remove the wide-area horizontal crustal deformation component. The elevations of the GCPs were corrected by incorporating quasi-vertical values derived from a 2.5-dimensional analysis of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) results. In the synclinorium structure area, where no active fault had previously been identified, we observed a 5 km long uplift zone (0.1 to 0.2 km in width), along with multiple scarps that reached a maximum height of 2.2 m. The area and shape of the surface deformation suggested that the induced uplift and surrounding landslides were related to fold structures and their growth. Thus, our study shows the efficacy of SfM–MVS with respect to accurately mapping earthquake-induced deformations, providing crucial data for understanding seismic activity and informing disaster-response strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology implementation, particularly the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and photogrammetry, is being employed in road works for regional and road planning. The current study deploys aerial photographs and data processing along with software, like Agisoft Metashape, PCI Geomatica, Global Mapper, and Autocad Civil 3D as an efficient and effective way to generate digital maps and perform geometric road reviews. The accuracy test of CE90 performed for horizontal accuracy was 0.003 m and the LE90 carried out for vertical accuracy was 0.006 m. This accuracy level is valuable for road planning, ensuring that the data utilized for decision-making are reliable and precise. The study focused on Wori Street spanning from Pandu to Kima Atas Street Manado, covering the section from Sta. 0+000 to Sta. 5+225, which is a collector road with a designated speed of 50 km/h. Among the 16 bends analyzed, 11 met highways’ standards for the collector road class, certifying compliance with safety guidelines. Furthermore, the existing road slope conforms to standard requirements, remaining below 8%. This adherence to safety criteria is vital for the design and operation of safe roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photo air oxidation combines the use of ultraviolet (UV) light and air as an oxidant to degrade diethylene glycol (DEG) in wastewater. DEG is well known for its high chemical oxygen demand and has raised some serious environmental issues, since the conventional biological treatment package in plants may not be able to treat the waste in an effective manner. UV light generates highly reactive species, such as hydroxyl radicals (•OH), which can react with DEG and break it down into smaller, less harmful compounds. Air, specifically oxygen (O2), can act as an additional oxidant in the process, assisting in the degradation of DEG. The UV light source, such as low-pressure mercury lamps that emit at around 254 nm, is still needed to initiate the generation of hydroxyl radicals. The presence of oxygen in wastewater allows the hydroxyl radicals to react with DEG more effectively, improving the oxidation process. In the present research work, the effect of airflow rate, UV light intensities, oxygen partial pressure, and initial DEG concentration on photo-oxidation of DEG in wastewater was examined. We have also performed a kinetic study, from which the reaction order and the rate constant were determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NW-SE-trending dextral strike-slip faults on the north side of the Tian Shan, e.g., the Karatau fault, Talas–Fergana fault, Dzhalair–Naiman fault, Aktas fault, Dzhungarian fault, and Chingiz fault, play an important role in accommodating crustal shortening. The classic viewpoint is that these strike-slip faults are an adjustment product caused by the difference in the crustal shortening from west to east. Another viewpoint attributes the dextral strike-slip fault to large-scale sinistral shearing. The Alakol Lake fault is a typical dextral strike-slip fault in the north Tian Shan that has not been reported. It is situated along the northern margin of the Dzhungarian gate, stretching for roughly 150 km from Lake Ebinur to Lake Alakol. Our team utilized aerial photographs, satellite stereoimagery, and field observations to map the spatial distribution of the Alakol Lake fault. Our findings provided evidence supporting the assertion that the fault is a dextral strike-slip fault. In reference to its spatial distribution, the Lake Alakol is situated in a pull-apart basin that lies between two major dextral strike-slip fault faults: the Chingiz and Dzhungarian faults. The Alakol Lake fault serves as a connecting structure for these two faults, resulting in the formation of a mega NW-SE dextral strike-slip fault zone. According to our analysis of the dating samples taken from the alluvial fan, as well as our measurement of the displacement of the riser and gully, it appears that the Alakol Lake fault has a dextral strike-slip rate of 0.8–1.2 mm/a (closer to 1.2 mm/a). The strike-slip rate of the Alakol Lake fault is comparatively higher than that of the Chingiz fault in the northern region (~0.7 mm/a) but slower than that of the Dzhungarian fault in the southern region (3.2–5 mm/a). The Chingiz–Alakol–Dzhungarian fault zone shows a gradual decrease in deformation towards the interior of the Kazakhstan platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of map development has been shaped by advancing techniques and technologies. Nevertheless, field and remote mapping with cabinet data analysis remains essential in this process. Geological maps are thematic maps that delineate diverse geological features. These maps undergo updates reflecting changes in the mapped area, technological advancements, and the availability of new data. Herein, a geological assessment example focused on enhancing mapped data using digitally processed historical (legacy) aerial images is presented for a case study in the Dinarides karst area in Croatia. The study area of Bribirske Mostine is covered by the Basic Geological Map of Yugoslavia (BGMY) at a 100,000 scale, which was developed during the 1960s. As the BGMY was developed 60+ years ago, one of its segments is further analyzed and discussed, namely, faults. Moreover, applying modern-day technologies and reinterpretation, its data, scale, presentation, and possible areas of improvement are presented. Georeferenced digital historical geological data (legacy), comprising BGMY, archive field maps, and aerial images from 1959 used in BGMY development, are reviewed. Original faults were digitalized and reinterpreted within the geographic information system with the following conclusions: (i) more accurate data (spatial positioning) on faults can be gained by digitally processing aerial photographs taken 60+ years ago with detailed review and analysis; (ii) simultaneously, new data were acquired (additional fault lines were interpreted); (iii) the map scale can be up-scaled to 1:25,000 for the investigated area of Bribirske Mostine; and (iv) a newly developed map for the Bribirske Mostine study area is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ruins of stone‐walled towns, villages, and homesteads mark the residential nodes of Bokoni, a polity that thrived in northeastern South Africa from the late 15th to the early 19th century and extended over about 30 000 km2. These residential structures are generally observable on aerial photographs and satellite imagery, but with a few exceptions, the terraced gardens and fields are less visible. Lidar data from one of Bokoni's towns—Khutwaneng—has made finding the fields easier. In this 17th to early 19th‐century town, all homesteads have adjacent terraced gardens or fields, irrespective of whether they are well‐established or newly built. Lidar imagery of terraces that were being built in newly established homesteads supports the view that most terraces grew over time and were the result of quotidian actions by farmers. The pervasiveness of terraces throughout the town suggests that urban farming was an entrenched component of Bokoni's urban life. In southern Africa, daily farming duties were historically performed by women, and it is likely that this was also the case in Bokoni. Understanding the terraces as the product of women's quotidian labor allows for reflection on the role that women and their actions as farmers played in shaping the Khutwaneng farmscape, and it in shaping them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central European Agriculture is the property of Journal of Central European Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article recounts the experiences of Pedro Hernan Halke Arevalos and his involvement in the establishment of the Tierra Prometida campesino settlement in Nueva Germania. The landless farmers formed a committee called El Resto to secure land for those who were left out when a piece of land was given to others before the year 2000. They faced obstacles such as lack of recognition from the government and conflicts with the landowner and a Brazilian buyer. Despite these challenges, they persisted in their fight for the land. The article also mentions the murder of the narrator's brother and the difficulties encountered in constructing the houses. The government provided support in the form of houses, infrastructure, and food provisions, but the campesinos had to begin repaying the loan after ten years. The text includes photographs that document the lives and activities of the campesinos. [Extracted from the article]

Melt ponds are a core component of the summer sea ice system in the Arctic, increasing the uptake of solar energy and impacting the ice-associated ecosystem. They were thus one of the key topics during the 1-year drift campaign Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) in the Transpolar Drift 2019/2020. Pond depth is a dominating factor in describing the surface meltwater volume; it is necessary to estimate budgets and used in model parameterization to simulate pond coverage evolution. However, observational data on pond depth are spatially and temporally strongly limited to a few in situ measurements. Pond bathymetry, which is pond depth spatially fully resolved, remains unexplored. Here, we present a newly developed method to derive pond bathymetry from aerial images. We determine it from a photogrammetric multi-view reconstruction of the summer ice surface topography. Based on images recorded on dedicated grid flights and facilitated assumptions, we were able to obtain pond depth with a mean deviation of 3.5 cm compared to manual in situ observations. The method is independent of pond color and sky conditions, which is an advantage over recently developed radiometric airborne retrieval methods. It can furthermore be implemented in any typical photogrammetry workflow. We present the retrieval algorithm, including requirements for the data recording and survey planning, and a correction method for refraction at the air–pond interface. In addition, we show how the retrieved surface topography model synergizes with the initial image data to retrieve the water level of individual ponds from the visually determined pond margins. We use the method to give a profound overview of the pond coverage on the MOSAiC floe, on which we found unexpected steady pond coverage and volume. We were able to derive individual pond properties of more than 1600 ponds on the floe, including their size, bathymetry, volume, surface elevation above sea level, and temporal evolution. We present a scaling factor for single in situ depth measurements, discuss the representativeness of in situ pond measurements and the importance of such high-resolution data for new satellite retrievals, and show indications for non-rigid pond bottoms. The study points out the great potential to derive geometric properties of the summer sea ice surface emerging from the increasingly available visual image data recorded from uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) or aircraft, allowing for an integrated understanding and improved formulation of the thermodynamic and hydrological pond system in models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Channel incision is an evident trend for river evolution in many European rivers and notably the Western Carpathians, whose former braided and multichannel wandering river system is transforming into a single‐thread channel, but it is often difficult to separate drivers and determine if incision is finished or is still ongoing. To overpass these research gaps, this paper presents an innovative approach to assess the multidecadal incision of the Belá River in the Western Carpathians since 1949 by LiDAR‐based analyses of floodplain surfaces above the river channel dated from historical aerial images. Detailed analyses of ongoing incision were also calculated based on DEM of differences (DoD) using Structure‐from‐Motion (SfM) photogrammetry‐derived topo‐bathymetric models. The study applied the BACI (Before‐After‐Control‐Impact) approach that compared pre‐state (Before), post‐state (After) and reach (Control) that is not affected by potential external effects with degraded (impacted) reach to be able to distinguish the driver effects. Floodplain channel surface analyses indicate the maximum incision up to 4 m and incision rate of 5.7 cm/year that occurred in the most degraded reach. Moreover, cross‐section profiles point to accelerated incision of 24.5 cm/year in the last 10 years (2011–2021) by the propagation of incision upstream. Overall, the net changes from the UAV survey pointed to 22 759 m3 of gravel sediments, constituting outwash from the 1.6 km long channel system (2015–2022) by incision, whereas analyses of historical channel surfaces estimated erosion of 573 303 m3 from impacted reaches between 1949 and 2020. Incision evidence is only observed in the downstream part below the control section due to local drivers (channel regulation, comprising embankment and gravel mining that activated a backward erosion of the system with knickpoint migration upstream). This analysis shows the benefits of combining different sources of data to separate long‐term and ongoing channel responses and the BACI‐approach to better target cause–effect relationships in space and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Results of spatial and temporal comparison of malaria hotspots and coldspots could improve the health measures of malaria control and eradication strategies. The study aimed to reveal the spatially and temporally independent correlations between the potentially most effective background variables and the number of autochthonous malaria cases. Methods: Relationships between malaria cases and background variables were studied in 2 km × 2 km sized quadrates (10 Central European and 10 African). In addition to the current habitat structure of the African sites, annual precipitation, and annual mean temperature, data of the above parameters detected in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and currently in the Central European sites were included in the analyses (n = 40). Mann–Whitney tests, Principal Component Analysis, and Generalized Linear Models were used for the examinations. Results: In addition to the apparent significant positive correlation of malaria cases with annual rainfall and mean temperature, several correlations were found for habitat parameters. The cover of marshlands in the 19th-century habitat structure of Central European quadrates was considerably the same as in the recent African ones. The extent of rural residential areas was significantly smaller in the 19th-century habitat structure of Central European quadrats than in present-day African ones. According to the revealed correlations, the surface cover of rural residential areas is the main driver of the number of autochthonous malaria cases that we can directly impact. Conclusions: The study confirmed with historical comparison that not only the annual rainfall and mean temperature, the cover of marshlands and other habitats with breeding sites, but also the elements of the rural human environment play a significant role in the high number of autochthonous malaria cases, probably through the concentration and enhancing sites for vector mosquitoes. The latter confirms that a rapid urbanization process could reduce malaria cases in the most infected areas of Africa. Until the latter happens, extensive biological control of Anopheles larvae and chemical control (both outdoor and indoor) of their imagoes, further mosquito nets, repellents, and carbon dioxide traps will need to be applied more widely in the most heavily infested areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of VAD: Veredes, Arquitectura y Divulgación is the property of Alberto Alonso Oro and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles is increasingly present in agricultural activities, representing an important innovation tool, being advantageous, for example, for the management of difficult-to-access areas and continuous monitoring of plantations, producing, with a relative low cost, high quality images. In this sense, the present work aimed to use a remotely piloted aircraft to carry out a statistical-spectral analysis of vegetation indices in sugarcane plantations in the Brazilian Eastern Amazon. To achieve this objective, an EbeeSQ model aircraft was used, which has a multispectral camera with a Sequoia sensor, which allowed aerial photographs to be obtained in four distinct spectral bands: green, red, red-edge and near-infrared. For the spectral analyses, thirteen study zones were considered, where four vegetation indices were calculated: NDVI, SAVI, GNDVI and NDRE. After generating the indices, it was possible to perform descriptive statistics for each one of them, as well as for the pixels of the original photograph. Tests were also carried out to verify the normality of the data, as well as correlation and regression tests between the vegetation indices and the digital numbers of the aerial photograph. Through the analyses, it was noticed that the GNDVI was the index that best adjusted to the data, presenting the highest mean, range, magnitude of correlation and R-square. While, NDVI and SAVI presented the least satisfactory results. Finally, from the GNDVI, it was possible to perform an image classification and area calculation of the low, medium and high portions of the GNDVI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interaction of Anthropic interventions (rigid structures) with coasts is an essential aspect for understanding their geomorphic evolution and incorporating these data into adequate coastal management. This study analyses the short and long-term behavior (1985 to 2019) of shoreline at Santa Marta Bay (Caribbean - Colombia) and their relationship with coastal protection structures. The shoreline variations were analyzed through aerial photographs and satellite images using DSAS tools. The short-term assessment showed initial intense 1985–1991 erosion, with an average retreat speed rate of − 1.6 m·y− 1. It changed gradually since 2003, due to the construction of rigid structures and beach nourishment, decreasing shoreline retreat and even a progradation rate of 0.2 m·y− 1 was observed. The 2009–2019 period, despite recording a positive average value, exhibited a high percentage of erosion profiles. Therefore, in a decadal or long-term analysis (1985–2019), despite engineering works present positive results in the short term, new interventions are required. The coastal erosion is not uniform along the shoreline, because the area is a closed bay with small sediment inputs, the variations in erosion and accretion rates change with human intervention and the installation of new structures. Therefore, quantifying the scale and rate of shoreline changes and correlating them with anthropogenic structures is an essential step in assessing shoreline vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rockfalls are incidents of nature that take place when rocks or boulders break from a steep slope and fall to the ground. They can pose considerable threats to buildings placed in high-risk zones. Despite the fact that the impact of a rockfall on a building can cause structural and non-structural damage, few studies have been undertaken to investigate the danger associated with this event. Most of these studies indicated that the risk resulting from rockfall hazards is hard to forecast and assess. A comprehensive quantitative risk assessment approach for rockfalls on buildings is developed and described in this paper and applied for the Mtein village in Mount Lebanon. This method employs a 3D model to simulate the rockfall trajectories using a combination of digital elevation data, field surveys, and orthorectified aerial photographs. The spatial and temporal probability of rockfalls were evaluated using the analysis of historical data in two triggering-factor scenarios: earthquake and precipitation. The findings show that, during the period of 1472 years between the years 551 (the first observed large earthquake in Lebanon) and the current year of the study (2023), the temporal probability will potentially be equal to 0.002 and 0.105 in the cases of earthquake- and rainfall-triggered rockfalls, respectively, while the maximal damage values are expected to be 232 USD and 10,511 USD per year, respectively. The end result is a final map presenting the risk values assigned to each building that could be damaged by rockfalls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For accurate urban planning, three-dimensional (3D) building models with a high level of detail (LOD) must be developed. However, most large-scale 3D building models are limited to a low LOD of 1–2, as the creation of higher LOD models requires the modeling of detailed building elements such as walls, windows, doors, and roof shapes. This process is currently not automated and is performed manually. In this study, an end-to-end framework for the creation of 3D building models was proposed by integrating multi-source data such as omnidirectional images, building footprints, and aerial photographs. These different data sources were matched with the building ID considering their spatial location. The building element information related to the exterior of the building was extracted, and detailed LOD3 3D building models were created. Experiments were conducted using data from Kobe, Japan, yielding a high accuracy for the intermediate processes, such as an 86.9% accuracy in building matching, an 88.3% pixel-based accuracy in the building element extraction, and an 89.7% accuracy in the roof type classification. Eighty-one LOD3 3D building models were created in 8 h, demonstrating that our method can create 3D building models that adequately represent the exterior information of actual buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Aerial Photo Database is a collection of aerial photographs obtained through aerial photography using specific cameras or sensors with manned or unmanned aerial vehicles across the territory of the Republic of Indonesia. These photographs are stored in a computer system for easy access, management, and updating. No national aerial photo database system currently meets the need for accurate and complete aerial photos and other geospatial information to support decision-making. The present study aimed to develop a model for the National Aerial Photo Database from a geospatial intelligence perspective based on statutory regulations. The collection of aerial photo data in a centralized database commenced with scanning negative film based on location and flight paths and copying all digital data. The original negative films were scanned at 20 µm resolution in a Vexcel Ultrascan 5000 photogrammetry scanner. The resulting size of one scanned photo is 140 Mb to 160 Mb. This research adopts a qualitative research method with a case study approach. This research involved the electronic implementation of geospatial data and information by utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS) software, image and geospatial information data management, and the Scrum framework. This research concluded that geospatial intelligence efforts can better understand activity patterns, infrastructure development, and potential threats in the national territory. The insights gained from the aerial photo database aid in identifying trends, detecting anomalies, and assessing risks, all of which are critical for better decisionmaking in national security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meandering rivers experience fluctuations in width whenever riverbanks migrate in different directions or at different rates, which can be observed after individual floods. However, meandering rivers maintain approximately constant widths over decadal timescales. This implies some timescale below which width fluctuates as banks migrate independently, and above which width is maintained by a bank‐coupling process. This coupling is thought to occur either as point bar deposition events induce cutbank erosion (bar‐push), or as cutbank erosion events induce point bar deposition (bank‐pull). This coupling, however, has been challenging to observe in natural rivers due to limited event‐scale field data. We present results from a 4.5‐year campaign with 22 drone‐based lidar surveys of a single point bar and cutbank (∼0.35 km2 in area) on the White River near Worthington, Indiana, USA. The middle point bar experienced net erosion (5,400 m3), but net aggradation (17,100 m3) between 2019 and 2022 when including perennially submerged regions. This aggradation was less than the 35,700 m3 of cutbank erosion over the same period. Combined, we have observed widening (1.58 m/yr bend‐averaged; 3.08 m/yr near apex) over the study period as point bar deposition has not kept up with cutbank erosion. Finally, we suggest that the difference between bar‐push and bank‐pull as width‐maintenance mechanisms may not be resolvable by observing bend widening or narrowing alone without an advancement of current theory, such as determining a long‐term equilibrium width and measuring deviations relative thereto. Plain Language Summary: Rivers are critical resources for humans, their economies, and the environment. Meandering rivers gradually wander across landscapes as their inner banks grow and their outer banks erode. Our understanding of this growth and erosion is still limited over the timespan of individual floods, which are likely the events that cause river movement. Partly due to a lack of observations, this is a critical knowledge gap that needs to be filled for humans to more‐safely build and live alongside rivers. Over 4.5 years, we collected 22 high‐resolution laser scans of the landscape of a single meandering river bend on the White River near Worthington, Indiana, USA. We tracked growth and erosion by comparing these maps to one another. We found complex behavior occurring due to individual floods, but that year‐over‐year changes are more predictable. While the research community has a long‐held understanding that meandering rivers generally have stable widths over decades (unless water or sediment supplied to the river change), we used historical aerial photographs and modern laser scanning to find that this bend has been widening for >45 years. Key Points: We collected 22 drone‐based lidar scans of a single, rapidly migrating point bar and cutbank over 4.5 yearsWe observed high spatial and temporal variability in both point bar and cutbank deposition and erosionThe point bar did not accrete enough to match cutbank erosion, continuing an apparent ∼55 years of overall meander‐bend widening [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unfavorable orientations of geological discontinuities and their geometrical relationship with the topographic slopes play a crucial role in controlling slope instability. This study developed a GIS-based kinematic model based on the mutual relationship between topographic slope and geological discontinuities to delineate rockfall zones and understand their spatial association with debris slide head scars in the Anakeesta rock formation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA. We mapped the exposed debris slide head scars from aerial photographs, satellite imagery, and field surveys and orientations of geological discontinuities were measured from the field along with other geotechnical parameters. Findings revealed the presence of four distinct sets of discontinuities, resulting in 11 possible slope failure mechanisms that could predict 57% of the existing debris slide. Wedge failure was the most prominent mode of slope failure, with wedge forming between the bedding plane and a joint set predicted for 27% of all failures in the debris slide head scars. The final rock kinematical susceptibility model was developed using the cumulative prediction capacity of individual discontinuity-driven kinematical rockfall failures through a weighted sum analysis. The model classified 77.9% of the area as safe, 14.7% to be moderately, and 7.4% as highly prone to kinematical rockfall failure. The susceptibility model was validated using the receiver operating characteristic curve on test data, which yielded an area under the curve (AUC) value of 65%, indicating a discriminatory power of the model separating the debris slide and non-debris slide scars. Finally, the spatial association between the kinematical susceptibility model and existing debris slide was statistically confirmed through a spatial Kolmogorov–Smirnov test of complete spatial randomness, signifying the role of kinematic rockfalls in generating the debris slide scars in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, many aerial photographic archives have started to be digitized for multiple purposes, including digital preservation and geoprocessing. This paper analyzes the effects of professional photogrammetric versus consumer-grade scanners on the processing of analog historical aerial photographs. An image block over Warsaw is considered, featuring 38 photographs acquired in 1986 (Wild RC10, Normal Aviogon II lens, 23 × 23 cm format) with a ground sampling distance (GSD) of 4 cm. Aerial triangulation (AT) and dense image matching (DIM) procedures are considered, analyzing how scanning modalities are important in the massive digitization of analog images for georeferencing and 3D product generation. The achieved results show how consumer-grade scanners, unlike more expensive photogrammetric scanners, do not possess adequate recording quality to ensure high accuracy and geometric precision for geoprocessing purposes. However, consumer-grade scanners can be used for time and cost-efficient applications where a partial loss of data quality is not critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]