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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]

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]

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]

This research implements GIS in transportation, specifically road maintenance. The system is built by utilizing 2D/3D models from aerial photographs using UAV as a base map. Attribute data such as the type and dimensions of road damage can be obtained by interpreting high-resolution 2D/3D models, which display each road damage, making it easier to measure the dimensions of road damage. The assessment of road conditions is done using the PCI method, which indicates that 51% of the roads fall under the category of people with low incomes to severely damaged category. These roads are prioritized on a map based on their area and cost of maintenance. The projection calculation of the amount of damage is analyzed with one do-nothing scenario, where the roads have not been maintained for ten years. The progression of the damage is observed each year, and the reactive maintenance cost is calculated from 2023 to 2032. The cost and duration are analyzed using three do-something scenarios: optimistic, moderate, and pessimistic. The research results show that the moderate scenario has the lowest cost among the other scenarios and is the most effective scenario, as it produces road conditions with an International Roughness Index (IRI) value of less than 6. This research can assist the government in making informed decisions regarding road maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A good understanding of historical change rates is a key requirement for effective coastal zone management and reliable predictions of shoreline evolution. Historical shoreline erosion for the coast of Guardamar del Segura (Alicante, Spain) is analyzed based on aerial photographs dating from 1930 to 2022 using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). This area is of special interest because the construction of a breakwater in the 1990s, which channels the mouth of the Segura River, has caused a change in coastal behavior. The prediction of future shorelines is conducted up to the year 2040 using two models based on data analysis techniques: the extrapolation of historical data (including the uncertainty of the historical measurements) and the Bruun-type model (considering the effect of sea level rises). The extrapolation of the natural erosion of the area up to 1989 is also compared with the reality, already affected by anthropic actions, in the years 2005 and 2022. The construction of the breakwater has accelerated the erosion along the coast downstream of this infrastructure by about 260%, endangering several houses that are located on the beach itself. The estimation models predict transects with erosions ranging from centimeters (±70 cm) to tens of meters (±30 m). However, both models are often overlapping, which gives a band where the shoreline may be thought to be in the future. The extrapolation of erosion up to 1989, and its subsequent comparison, shows that in most of the study areas, anthropic actions have increased erosion, reaching values of more than 35 m of shoreline loss. The effect of anthropic actions on the coast is also analyzed on the housing on the beach of Babilonia, which has lost around 17% of its built-up area in 40 years. This work demonstrates the importance of historical analysis and predictions before making any significant changes in coastal areas to develop sustainable plans for coastal area management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delineation of areas susceptible to gully erosion with high accuracy and low cost using significant factors and statistical model is essential. In the present study, a gully susceptibility erosion map (GEM) was developed using hydro-geomorphometric parameters and geographic information system in western Iran. For this aim, a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model was applied, and its results compared to frequency ratio (FreqR) and logistic regression (LogR) models. Almost twenty effective parameters on gully erosion were detected and mapped in the ArcGIS®10.7 environment. These layers and gully inventory maps (375 gully locations) were prepared using aerial photographs, Google Earth images, and field surveys divided into 70% and 30% (263 and 112 samples) ArcGIS®10.7. The GWR, FreqR, and LogR models were developed to generate gully erosion susceptibility maps. The area under the receiver/relative operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) was calculated to validate the generated maps. Based on the LogR model results, soil type (SOT), rock unit (RUN), slope aspect (SLA), Altitude (ALT), annual average precipitation (AAP), morphometric position index (MPI), terrain surface convexity (TSC), and land use (LLC) factors were the most critical conditioning parameters, respectively. The AUC-ROC results show the accuracy of 84.5%, 79.1%, and 78% for GWR, LogR, and FreqR models, respectively. The results show high performance for the GWR compared to LogR and FreqR multivariate and bivariate statistic models. The application of hydro-geomorphological parameters has a significant role in the gully erosion susceptibility zonation. The suggested algorithm can be used for natural hazards and human-made disasters such a gully erosion on a regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the end of the Bronze Age, the territory of present-day eastern Romania was occupied by Noua communities, belonging to the Noua-Sabatinovka-Coslogeni (NSC) cultural complex. Although these communities have left us a large number of archaeological sites, this period is rather poorly known and understood, mostly because the investigation of Late Bronze Age (LBA) sites is very rare, usually consisting of small test trenches or fieldwalks. The main characteristic of these communities and the subject of our study is represented by the so-called ashmounds (grey, quasi-circular spots, visible on the soil surface, with small elevations and diameters of 25–30 m), present inside most settlements. Our paper aims at highlighting the spatial characteristics of these sites, using GIS (Geographic Information System) tools, as well as aerial photographs, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) measurements, magnetometry and geo-electrical methods, in order to identify the relationship existing between Noua communities and the inhabited environment, in the area known as the Jijia River catchment. Thus, our approach was able to outline the way in which the geographical peculiarities determined the establishment of new settlements, revealing that the human groups from the end of the Bronze Age preferred low terrains with smooth slopes, located in the immediate vicinity of the most important watercourse of the inhabited micro-area. Additionally, our geophysical studies allowed us to confirm the lack of ash located within the ashmound, as well as to signal the possibility that these features have become visible on the soil surface only due to the irreversible damage caused by intensive agricultural processes. Despite the small number of excavations, to this day an important number of studies have been dedicated to the communities and features in question; however, no analysis has yet been performed that unites the tools specific to GIS software with the usage of non-invasive methods (such as aerial photographs, LiDAR measurements and geophysical techniques). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a method to generate historical orthomosaics using Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry, historical aerial photographs, and lidar data, and then analyzes the horizontal accuracy and factors that can affect the quality of historical orthoimagery products made with these approaches. Two sets of historical aerial photographs (1934 and 1951) were analyzed, focused on the town of Woodstock in Connecticut, U.S.A. Ground control points (GCPs) for georeferencing were obtained by overlaying multiple data sets, including lidar elevation data and derivative hillshades, and recent orthoimagery. Root-Mean-Square Error values of check points (CPs) for 1934 and 1951 orthomosaics without extreme outliers are 0.83 m and 1.37 m, respectively. Results indicate that orthomosaics can be used for standard mapping and geographic information systems (GIS) work according to the ASPRS 1990 accuracy standard. In addition, results emphasize that three main factors can affect the horizontal accuracy of orthomosaics: (1) types of CPs, (2) the number of tied photos, and (3) terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining the micro topographic characteristic of river has a decisive role in urban flood mapping and modelling. However, the approachability of high resolution and detail river morphography and micro relief have been often difficult. Furthermore, the variation of spatial and temporal of observation coverage have been often challenging to make the study more low-cost and effective. Nowadays, the advanced of remote sensing technologies can outgrow many of these limitations. the recent development of remote sensing based on small format unmanned drone is capable to produces detail scale of topographic data of the study area. The drone technology is actually a simple system, relatively cheap, effective and well-timed technique in generating high resolution aerial photographs of study area. The objectives of this research were to generate detail land cover and digital elevation by using low-cost drone mapping, also to obtain the historical flood inundation information from local people to support the urban flood mapping in study area. By combining the flood inundation data which was obtained from the participatory GIS process and detail landcover condition, the distribution of flood susceptibility area can be obtained. Further, this data can be used to generate the flood model which is essential for planning, monitoring and controlling the flood in urban area. The results showed that highest flood inundation was 1.7 meter. The most susceptible areas were located between Sungai Pepe and Sungai Kali Gajah Putih especially in ward 1, 2, and 3. Ward 1 is dominated by dense settlement area which is identic to slump. The ward 2 and 3 is dominated by the medium settlement with some agricultural area in between. Furthermore, the risk reduction effort needs to be focused on these wards to reduce the damage and loss when the flood occurs again in study area, by conducting several mitigation programs such as increase the people capacity, establish the evacuation route, and educate the local people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographic information systems (GIS) are an effective tool for storing, managing and displaying spatial data. The application of GIS in water resources management is constantly increasing. In this regard, the purpose of this article is to study the morphological anthropogenic changes occurring in the surface water body BG2PR210R1005 (Devnya River after the village of Chernevo to the inflow in Provadiyska River). For this purpose, GIS was created, which includes aerial photographs (taken in 1942 and 1957), analog topographic maps 1: 5000 (1966 and 1987) and orthophoto maps (2006, 2011 and 2014), digital elevation model (DEM). As a result of the performed spatial analysis of the indicated sources, the anthropogenic factors and the morphological changes caused by them on the Devnya River after the village of Chernevo have been determined. In the course of the research it was proved that the river Hamam Dere (considered to be the beginning of the river Devnya) has no connection with the river Devnya. In addition, the Hamam Dere River is defined as a Heavily Modified Surface Water Body (HMSWB) only within the boundaries of a spring (Myziiska cheshma) to the Kairyaka area. The obtained results are important for the responsible institutions (Basin Directorate of the Black Sea Water Management Region) and the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this study, we use an integrated geologic mapping technique for remote mapping of lineaments and geologic terrain. Our workflow is based on geographic information system tools and consists of stream network delineation, lineaments mapping, terrain roughness index calculation, and interpretation of structural fabrics from google earth aerial photographs. The case study area, the Idanre Hills in southwestern Nigeria, has a protracted history and is characterized by steep-sided outcrops of a granitic batholith and migmatite-gneiss. Lineaments are widespread and dense around the batholith, occurring in areas of high elevation, and slope gradient. Terrain roughness indices are high at the outcrops and lineament sites. Streams in the area exhibit variable flow and partly align with the lineaments. The high roughness indices observed have tectonic connotations and are related to the occurrence of lineaments, strain domains, and high degree of rock weathering. Importantly, our method is effective in remote mapping of lineaments and terrain attributes within the study area and has wider applications in other basement complex terrains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Prokopos Lagoon is part of the Kotychi Strofilias National Wetlands Park, which is supervised by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change of Greece. The lagoon is situated at the northwestern coast of the Peloponnese and is protected by the Ramsar Convention. It is an important ecosystem with ecological services providing habitats for many plants and animals and essential goods and services for humans as well. No previous relevant studies for the wider wetland area are available, and given that lagoons are important ecosystems, their diachronic evolution should be under constant monitoring. Using remote sensing techniques in Geographic Information System (GIS) environment, alterations in critical parameters could be measured and applied for the protection of the area. The present study examines the spatiotemporal changes of the water extent of the Prokopos Lagoon, estimating landscape metrics and several morphometric parameters and indices related to the geomorphological features of the lagoon for the 1945–2021 period. Moreover, the adjacent shoreline was studied for each past decade evolution from 1945 to present, and it is discussed to whether there is a relationship between shoreline changes and the lagoon. High resolution satellite images and air photos at scale 1:30,000 were used to digitize the shorelines and the polygons of the lagoon's surface. Linear Regression Rates (LRR), Net Shoreline Movement (NSM), End Point Rate (EPR) and Shoreline Change Envelope (SCE) provided by the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) were used to determine the changes. Finally, future shoreline positions for 2021 and 2031 are estimated, while based on statistic models, we found that in the coastal area, the erosion–accretion cycle is predicted to be completed in 2031, after almost 86 years since 1945. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of reservoirs has a major impact on the floodplain landscape, and their existence also affects land use in the hinterland. The aim of this article is to evaluate the influence of artificial lakes on changes in landscape use and transport networks; in this context, an assessment is provided of the significance of this anthropogenic activity as one of the drivers of landscape change. Old topographic maps and archival aerial photographs are used to analyze changes in the use of landscape and road networks, and these materials are complemented with the latest geographic data in digital form. Utilizing geographic information systems, we assessed the landscape changes and processes in the hinterland of those Czech Republic reservoirs that have an area of 100 ha or more. The results of the research show that landscape change processes are more intensive in the hinterland of the lakes than in the surrounding landscape. The predominant utility function of a reservoir emerged as a key factor in landscape use changes and ongoing processes. A different landscape use scenario can be observed in drinking water reservoirs, especially regarding the leisure and irrigation functions that dominate elsewhere. After the completion of reservoirs, the road and railway networks had an impact on, above all, the connection of the nearest villages in the hinterland of the lakes. The information that we found can be employed in projecting future changes in land use and road networks at newly planned dams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated detection of the content of images remains a challenging problem in artificial intelligence. Hence, continuous manual monitoring of restricted development zones is critical to maintaining territorial integrity and national security. In this regard, local governments of the Republic of Korea conduct four periodic inspections per year to preserve national territories from illegal encroachments and unauthorized developments in restricted zones. The considerable expense makes responding to illegal developments difficult for local governments. To address this challenge, we propose a deep-learning-based Cascade Mask region-based convolutional neural network (R-CNN) algorithm designed to perform automated detection of greenhouses in aerial photographs for efficient and continuous monitoring of restricted development zones in the Republic of Korea. Our proposed model is regional-based because it was optimized for the Republic of Korea via transfer learning and hyperparameter tuning, which improved the efficiency of the automated detection of greenhouse facilities. The experimental results demonstrated that the mAP value of the proposed Cascade Mask R-CNN model was 83.6, which was 12.83 higher than baseline mask R-CNN, and 0.9 higher than Mask R-CNN with hyperparameter tuning and transfer learning considered. Similarly, the F1-score of the proposed Cascade Mask R-CNN model was 62.07, which outperformed those of the baseline mask R-CNN and the Mask R-CNN with hyperparameter tuning and transfer learning considered (i.e., the F1-score 52.33 and 59.13, respectively). The proposed improved Cascade Mask R-CNN model is expected to facilitate efficient and continuous monitoring of restricted development zones through routine screening procedures. Moreover, this work provides a baseline for developing an integrated management system for national-scale land-use planning and development infrastructure by synergizing geographical information systems, remote sensing, and deep learning models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient methods for shallow water data collection have been employed to create comprehensive bathymetric surfaces for 3 Georgia sounds. Survey areas were characterized using existing charted depths, aerial photographs, and lidar-derived elevation data to identify regions shallower than 3-m mean lower low water. Single-beam sonar missions were completed for these shallow areas using various marine platforms to constrain the existing 3-m isobath. Below 3 m, waters are deep enough, and swath width is wide enough, to use a larger vessel with an interferometric sonar system collecting swath bathymetry and sidescan imagery. The collected data were merged and gridded in a geographic information system environment to generate digital elevation models. The modern digital surfaces were compared with historic depth data to identify areas of shoaling and deepening. The mean overall change between the historic data and modern data was relatively small (0.7 m for Wassaw Sound, 0.4 m for Ossabaw Sound, and 0.1 m for Sapelo Sound); only the change in Wassaw was greater than the error in the analysis. However, each sound exhibited up to 20 m of shoaling and deepening associated with entrance channel migration, illustrating that a significant change occurs in specific geomorphic zones in each of these settings. Sediment grabs ground-truth sidescan sonar imagery to interpret environmental energy and bottom character. The mean sediment size for all sounds fell in the fine to very fine sand range (2–4 phi), reflecting the characteristics of the coastal sediment prism, although gravels and muds characterize areas of scour and quiescent conditions, respectively. These surveys led to the first identification of hard-bottom habitats of erosion-resistant, vertical cliffs up to 10 m high and 1000 m long in Southeastern US estuaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a steady increase in impervious surfaces due to urbanization in Korea, there is a growing burden and an urgent need to fund better management of nonpoint sources of pollution and stormwater. A prerequisite for securing the necessary financial resources is the determination of basic data for the accurate calculation of impervious surfaces as the basis for estimating the costs of nonpoint source pollution control and billing of stormwater utility fees. This requires the extraction of landcover information in a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment and development of a landcover map that accurately delineates pervious surfaces within impervious surface areas. However, since landcover maps in Korea are generated and updated at irregular intervals, it is difficult to properly track land use changes. To address this problem, this study has developed a new method for the detailed updating of landcover maps in developing urban areas to facilitate the calculation of stormwater utility fees. Sejong City was selected as the study site because it has experienced large-scale land use changes due to the recent relocation of the national administrative capital and continuous urbanization. The methodology proposed in this study is based on various spatial data such as aerial photographs and digital topographic maps and follows four process steps: preprocessing, first and second updates of landcover information, and quality assurance. In a test of this method, a total of 19,049 reclassified items were generated in the first and second updates, affecting a total area of 26.49 km2 within the original landcover map. The accuracy of these updates reached 99.78%, considering the changed areas and rate of change. This study provides fundamental data for further application of a stormwater utility fee policy in Korea. However, further research is required to automate the generation of accurate pervious/impervious maps and develop pertinent guidelines so that individual municipal and provincial governments can generate and update their own pervious/impervious maps as a basis for calculating the impervious surfaces in their regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article overviews the prairie and tree planting tool or PT2 (1.0), an online GIS-based decision support tool for landowners interested in exploring opportunities to plant prairie or trees in and around their farm fields for conservation or production purposes. PT2 1.0 can be found online at: https://pt2.nrem.iastate.edu/. With the PT2 (1.0) users locate farm fields of interest in an online aerial photograph and mapping geographic information system (GIS). Users explore areas they are considering for prairie or tree cover by examining different data layers: soil maps, 2-foot contour topography maps, LiDAR hillshade maps, and a map of current land values based on estimated land rent. Users then utilize scaled dimensional drawing tools to measure and delineate areas of interest for planting trees and or prairie. Once an area is delineated, users select from drop-down menus prairie seed mixes or woody species that are suitable for the soils present, and users can select basic long-term management options. PT2 (1.0) estimates total annualized costs for tree or prairie establishment, long-term management, and opportunity costs (based on area weighted expected soil rent), and factors in the potential benefit of utilizing government cost-share programming, e.g., Environmental Quality Incentive Program or the Conservation Reserve Program. Key data layers are currently functional in Iowa, likewise the financial data underlying the cost analysis are specific to Iowa. PT2 (1.0) is, however, open source and open code and guidance is provided regarding how to access and adapt the data for use in other states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to identify land cover and land use transformations in the Lom River valley to reveal how the pressure of agriculture on the environment in the southwestern part of the Lower Danube basin has changed over the last 60 years. The classes at the fourth level of the CORINE Land Cover nomenclature were mapped using aerial photographs of 1961, 1985 and 1998, complemented with a detailed orthophoto mosaic of 2019. While the changes in the main classes were relatively small over the years, the transformations of the land cover in the lower classes reached up to 60% of the study area at the end of the investigated period. We have identified constant trends of expanding pastures and shrinking labour-intensive crops such as vegetables, fruits, and vines over the past 60 years. The land cover classes were classified into four groups according to pesticides use and the related load of heavy metals for soil. Changes in land use suggest a reduction in the use of pesticides and less intensive accumulation of contaminant metals in the soil of the southwestern part of the Lower Danube Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide susceptibility mapping is a necessary tool in order to manage the landslides hazard and improve the risk mitigation. In this research, we validate and compare the landslide susceptibility maps (LSMs) produced by applying four geographic information system (GIS)-based statistical approaches including frequency ratio (FR), statistical index (SI), weights of evidence (WoE), and logistic regression (LR) for the urban area of Azazga. For this purpose, firstly, a landslide inventory map was prepared from aerial photographs and high-resolution satellite imagery interpretation, and detailed fieldwork. Seventy percent of the mapped landslides were selected for landslide susceptibility modeling, and the remaining (30%) were used for model validation. Secondly, ten landslide factors including the slope, aspect, altitude, land use, lithology, precipitation, distance to drainage, distance to faults, distance to lineaments, and distance to roads have been derived from high-resolution Alsat 2A satellite images, aerial photographs, geological map, DEM, and rainfall database. Thirdly, we established LSMs by evaluating the relationships between the detected landslide locations and the ten landslides factors using FR, SI, LR, and WoE models in GIS. Finally, the obtained LSMs of the four models have been validated using the receiver operating characteristics curves (ROCs). The validation process indicated that the FR method provided more accurate prediction (78.4%) in generating LSMs than the SI (78.1%),WoE (73.5%), and LR (72.1%) models. The results revealed also that all the used statistical models provided good accuracy in landslide susceptibility mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treeline advance is a well-established response of treeline ecotones to climate change. However, the degree to which tree growth and establishment drives treeline movement is widely debated. We used geographic information system (GIS) analysis of aerial photographs and dendrochronological analysis of tree growth and age structure to examine treeline dynamics on Pikes Peak (Colorado). The rate of treeline advance at the site (1938–2017) was 0.235 m·year–1, and it accelerated through time. Several sites have transformed from abrupt to diffuse topology. Regional temperatures significantly increased after the 1890s, particularly in the last half-century. Tree growth was inhibited by late spring snow in the 1935–1985 window and enhanced by growing season temperature in the 1965–2009 window. Tree establishment above treeline appears to have transformed treeline topology and set up the potential for further treeline advance. We conclude that if current climatic trends and system relationships continue, treeline should continue to advance because (i) there are large numbers of seedlings and saplings above the treeline due to continuous significant seedling recruitment and (ii) growth of trees in the treeline ecotone is positively related to growing season temperatures, which are increasing. Other limits to the system, such as drought or topographic barriers, may arise in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dry stone wall landscape surrounding the town of Cres is a unique cultural landscape; it is one of the largest well-preserved historical olive groves in the Croatian Adriatic, while simultaneously serving as pasture for sheep. Still, there are currently no studies that capture this landscape as a multifunctional whole or which acknowledge its relevance within the current multidisciplinary discussions. The aim of this paper is to clarify past and current circumstances surrounding and affecting it. The study focuses on two main pillars of landscape preservation: (1) dry stone wall structures and (2) agro-pastoral practices; giving an overview of its historical formation and current management and trends. The goal is to establish knowledge that can be used as a foundation for the management of this area and present a good practice example for the preservation of historical landscapes in the Mediterranean region. The research involved combined desk and fieldwork: cartographic data analysis, literature analysis, GIS elaboration, terrestrial and aerial photographs and observations, followed by interviews with local informants. Continuous investing in the production of quality olive oil and the evolution of the landscape into a multifunctional agro-pastoral-touristic space is what enabled its preservation. This multifunctionality can only be matched by a diversity of scientific studies and this study aimed at providing the first step--a foundation for the identification of the values of the Cres landscape, with the scope of better precising further planning and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective is to propose and verify an ensemble approach based on fuzzy system and bivariate statistics for landslide susceptibility assessment (LSA) at Azarshahr Chay Basin (Iran). In this regard, various integrations of fuzzy membership value (FMV), frequency ratio (FR), and information value (IV) with index of entropy (IOE) were investigated. Aerial photograph interpretations and substantial field checking were used to identify the landslide locations. Out of 75 identified landslides, 52 (≈70%) locations were utilized for the training of the models, whereas the remaining 23 (≈30%) cases were employed for the validation of the models. Fourteen landslide conditioning factors including altitude, slope aspect, slope degree, lithology, distance to fault, curvature, land use, distance to river, topographic position index (TPI), topographic wetness index (TWI), stream power index (SPI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), distance to road, and rainfall were prepared and utilized during the analysis. The FMV _ IOE , FR _ IOE , and IV _ IOE models were designed utilizing the dataset for training. Finally, to validate as well as to compare the model's predictive abilities, the statistical measures of receiver operating characteristic (ROC), including sensitivity, accuracy, and specificity, were employed. The accuracy of 92.7, 92.5, and 91.8% of the models such as FMV _ IOE , FR _ IOE , and IV _ IOE ensembles, respectively, was by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) values developed from the ROC curve. For the validation dataset, the FMV _ IOE model had the maximum sensitivity, accuracy, and specificity values of 95.7, 91.3, and 87.0%, respectively. Thus, the ensemble of FMV_IOE was introduced as a promising and premier approach that could be used for LSA in the study area. Also, IOE results indicated that altitude, lithology, and slope degree were main drivers of landslide occurrence. The results of the present research can be employed as a platform for appropriate basined management practices in order to plan the highly susceptible zones to landslide and hence minimize the expected losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: High Andean flamingos also known as parihuanas, are species of recurrent presence in the high Andean areas which find this area as an important resting, feeding and in some cases breeding area The species recorded here correspond to Phoenicoparrus jamesi, Phoenicoparrus andinus and Phoenicopterus chilensis, the latter being the most abundant and common. During the censuses performed during 2018 and 2019, in the high Andean lake of Salinas, Ramsar site, located within the Reserva Nacional Salinas y Aguada Blanca in Southern Peru, atypical behaviors of these birds were recorded in a sector of the lake, observing reproductive courtship and the settlement of colonies of P. chilensis. Objective: The study aimed to confirm and evaluate reproductive events of P. chilenesis (Chilean flamingo) through the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and image processing tools using geographic information systems. Methodology: Monitoring was conducted during 2018 and 2019 to breeding colonies of P. chilensis, we used a UAV Phantom 4 testing different flight altitudes to avoid disturbing the birds and performed records of aerial photographs and GIS post-processing with the creation of panchromatic images for the identification and counting of individuals and eggs automated, and manual verification. Results: During 2018 were identified nests and presence of six eggs, this occurred between March and June where the event was interrupted not observing chicks or juveniles during this period, for 2019 the breeding was more successful, where a higher number of eggs were counted (40-66) and with the formation of three reproductive colonies with 4 185 adult individuals, also verified the presence of chicks and juveniles that reached a maximum of 1 491 individuals. Conclusions: We confirmed two continuous reproductive events of P. chilensis in the Salinas lake, where during 2019 was the most successful incorporating several new individuals to the initial population, likewise the methodology applied in the image processing allowed differentiating between adult individuals and eggs but did not allow differentiating juveniles, however, the images directly acquired by the UAV allow distinguishing the types of individuals to perform a manual count. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thailand’s agriculture is economically remarkable but most of agriculturists and farmers, on the contrary, have significantly low profit. Nowadays, technology is used to solve many agricultural problems, especially analyze area to find the most suitable crops and area for efficient growth rate of crops. Agricultural Exploration Assistant Satellite or AEASat is the CanSat prototype that participated in Thailand CanSat Competition 2018 and received The First Place Winner and The Best Presentation Awards. The goals of AEASat are to study environmental growth factors (temperature, relative humidity, average rainfall, carbon dioxide intensity, red and blue light intensity) of six Thai economic crops (rice, cassava, maize, sugarcane, rubber tree, palm) and find the most suitable area for many agricultural actions. The first mission of AEASat takes place in Chai Badan, Lop Buri Province, Thailand. Electronic structure of AEASat is categorized into four floors respect to their functions: sensors floor, main controller floor, data logger and wireless communication floor, and power management floor. Another part of the mission is the ground unit. The ground unit also collects environmental factors including light intensity which AEASat does not collect. The last part of the mission is ground station. The function of the ground station is receiving data from AEASat with wireless 488-MHz-frequency LoRa module. The ground station is also used to track AEASat from deployment to a touchdown. Qualitative data and quantitative data are analyzed with different methods. The qualitative data is evaluated to find the growing suitability in the area by using Geographic Information System (GIS) software. Aerial photograph, a part of qualitative data, is analyzed by visual interpretation. The quantitative data is analyzed by calculating average of the correlation coefficients of six factors by using MATLAB. It is calculated in order to find the most suitable crop out of six to grow in the area. As a result, sugarcane is the most suitable crop to grow in Chai Badan area. Agriculturists and farmers can have access to website which the results, detail, and description of the exploration are uploaded. In conclusion, if agriculturists and farmers grow the crops as advised, they can expect more products quantity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a case study of the remains of Kharaib al‐Dasht (Kuwait), a Late Islamic fishing village. Collaboration between archaeologists from Kuwait and Poland of the Kuwaiti–Polish Archaeological Mission led to a long‐term research project of this archaeological site. In this contribution we are presenting the results of a geographic information system (GIS)‐structured survey. Different archaeological and geographical methods used in this work, including orthorectification and georeferencing of historical aerial photographs, enabled us to conduct a more in‐depth analysis. The multi‐layer GIS study resulted in a comprehensive recognition of the archaeological landscape of the site, and also helped us to determine the sources of changes and possible threats to the heritage of Failaka Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional map library full of map drawers, aerial photographs, atlases and globes has evolved to include computer terminals and data collection equipment. Library patrons are accessing maps and geospatial data digitally. As the library has changed, so has the role of the map librarian. Historically, specialized coursework for map librarianship has been minimal in graduate library science programs. To effectively support library users of geographic information system (GIS), education is needed in this field, as well. A survey was distributed to map librarians via email listserv with a goal of observing trends in job duties and educational backgrounds of today's map librarians. The views of 67 responding map librarians regarding training, professional development and the direction of map librarianship as a profession were also collected. The resulting data show a strong need for training opportunities for work with paper maps as well as GIS data and software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The indicators related to the Regulatory, Provisioning and Cultural Ecosystem Services were mapped, based on semi-structured interviews of owners and Administrators of 32 farms with banana crops, in Quindío Colombia. Three visits were made per site and ethnographic methods were used as a means of data collection, such as dialogue, approach to farmers and their families and semi-structured interviews. Aerial photographs were taken, in order to effect the division of the lots. In these lots, the geospatial position of the SE indicators was considered. The maps were created by means of the Argis 10.1.1 software, a Geographic Information System (GIS) tool. The combination of the participatory mapping of the indicators associated with the ecosystem services, with the GIS tool and the hierarchical analysis of clusters, allowed the grouping of the farms, facilitating the identification of the lots in which both threats and strengths in the generation of said services are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, the use of technology is becoming more widespread in collecting, processing, documenting, and most importantly presenting the data obtained from archaeological surveys and site excavations. Presentation methods such as 3D modelling and 360° panoramic view allow analyzing archeological sites at the maximum granularity as well as utilizing the material for touristic purposes. Areas of focus can be apprehended easily with detailed images when they are set in motion and are approached from different perspectives allowing to move between the detail and the general views. In the study, coordinated aerial photographs are used to obtain three-dimensional images of Yazılıkaya / Midas Fortress and the entire valley, which are located within the borders of Yazılıkaya Village in the Northwest of Han District of Eskişehir. And, a panoramic view of Yazılıkaya Valley was created and examined including the fortresses in the valley, and thus it was made possible to grasp this topography as a whole. All the work done in the field is made available to public via web access after including archaeological data on the images obtained. In this article, all steps of the methods applied across the valley are explained, and the necessary actions to produce 3D models and 360-degree panoramic images are stated as well as their possible areas of use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Paddy fields in the Osaka Prefecture were heavily flooded by heavy rain in July 2018 due to levee breaches. To estimate the flooded area and water level, it was necessary to combine aerial- and ground-based surveying. Accordingly, aerial photographs of the flooded area were taken on the day after the heavy rain. In this study, we developed a digital surface model (DSM) of the flooded area using the structure-from-motion (SfM) software, which can produce three-dimensional (3D) models based on multiple aerial photographs and multiple ground control points (GCPs). Using the global navigation satellite system (GNSS), we surveyed the target area to observe the 3D coordinate values of the GCPs. The DSM of the flooded area could be made by the SfM with the aerial photographs and GCPs. The DSM was input into the geographic information system to analyze the flooded area and water level. The water levels were calculated from the differences between the DSM and the digital elevation model (DEM). We used airborne laser surveying to build the DEM because it provides higher accuracy than the SfM software. To check the accuracy of the DSM, we compared the elevations of the DSM on the ground points of non-flooded areas with those of the DEM, and the differences were found to be less than 0.2 m. Then, the water levels on the actual water level observation points were compared to verify their accuracy, and the differences were found to be less than 0.4 m. The flooded area was found by overlaying the water level on the existing map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the characteristics of landslides triggered by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake (Mw = 7.0: focal depth=10.0 km) in forests and grasslands within two affected watersheds (Tokosegawa: 6.9 km2 and Nigorigawa: 6.1 km2) in southwestern Japan. We identified 190 landslides using aerial photographs and analyzed their sizes by geographic information system (GIS). Field investigations were conducted to obtain landslide depth, volume and residual sediment for 38 selected landslides (21 in forests and 17 in grasslands). The minimum area of detected landslides in grasslands (400 m2) was smaller than in forests (1000 m2), probably because of reduced detectability of landslides under tree cover. The ratio of total area occupied by landslides for a given range of slope gradient in the watersheds increased from 3.2% on gentle grassland slopes (10–15°) to 15.5% on steep (>45°) slopes, whereas the maximum landslide‐area ratio in forest sites (7.4%) occurred on relatively gentle slopes (25–30°). Estimated landslide volume ranged from 27 to 9622 m3, based on mean depth of each landslide measured around individual landslide scars. Moreover, the volumetric ratio of landslide deposit volume to total landslide volume exceeded 100% for 48% of the landslides within forests and 35% of the landslides within grasslands. Our findings show that land cover had extensive and recognizable effects on the characteristics of landslides and resulting in‐channel sediment accumulations. Resetting sediment dynamics after earthquakes associated with different land cover distributions needs to be considered within watersheds. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the use of satellite data for crop area estimation in the northern part of the West Bank, Palestine. The satellite data were obtained by the SPOT HRV (High Resolution Visible) on 19 May 1994. The satellite data were geometrically corrected to the Palestine Grid using 1: 50,000 Israeli topographic maps. The study investigated the ability of SPOT HRV data to produce accurate crop area estimation of the northern part of the West Bank that is characterized with small field sizes and complex physical environment. The study area was divided into five strata and training data were selected using field survey, aerial photographs, maps, and interviewing farmers. A land cover classification scheme appropriate to the study area was designed. Twenty three land cover classes were produced from the SPOT HRV classification. Land cover classes were developed to produce thematic land use classes. The classification accuracy obtained from SPOT HRV image classification was 81%. Classification results were assessed by using the known land use information obtained from the field during the training stage. The results were analyzed on stratum and crop type basis. Remote sensing and thematic agricultural perspectives were used in the analysis. Results of the study suggest that it is possible to improve image classification accuracy by using better spatial and spectral resolution imagery and the integration of remote sensing data with agricultural data using the Geographical Information Systems (GIS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I measure the damage that urban and industrial development has done to precolonial stone-walled structures (SWS) in southern Gauteng Province. I do so by comparing SWS distribution on aerial photographs from 1961 with recent satellite images viewed on Google Earth. In this review, I further investigate how many SWS in southern Gauteng had been recorded by cultural resource managers before they were destroyed. This study tests Sadr's (2017) estimates that for every additional 10 km2 of urban sprawl, another five SWS might be destroyed. The study shows that while many SWS have been destroyed over the years, most of these were not adequately recorded prior to their obliteration. To improve matters, the Gauteng Provincial Heritage Resources Agency must play a critical role in preserving the disappearing heritage of the province, including SWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been long-term observation of coastal erosion in Koh Kho Khao , Ban Nam Khem, Phang Nga province, in Thailand, which was affected by a tsunami on December 26, 2004. The disaster, as is well known, caused the loss of lives and property. This area is recognized as one of the best tourist areas in Thailand. The objective of the research was to identify the coastal changes to the island, Koh Kho Khao. The Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing were used. Five- time periods were used, in which aerial photographs and satellite images were taken, with the aerial photographs taken in February, 2002. IKONOS images were taken on December 29, 2004, and Quick Bird images were dated the 23rd of February, 2009. Worldview-2 images were dated the 6th of December, 2012, while the Pleiades images were dated January 8, 2016. The coastlines were compared using the overlay technique. Coastal erosion and coastal deposition during consecutive years were calculated. The results showed that the tsunami in 2004 caused coastal erosion in the area, as coastal changes during those years were found. Additionally, natural adaptation was found after 14 years at the middle and upper parts of the island. Severe coastal erosion of the lower part of the island has been continuously found, with an erosion rate between 2002 and 2004 (2-year period), 2004 and 2009 (5-year period), 2009 and 2012 (3-year period), and 2012 and 2016 (4-year period) of 22.44, 9.96, 19.63, and 12.34 meters per year respectively. In addition the erosion rate between 2002 and 2016 (14-year period) was 100.97 meters per year. It was also found that the seawall was the main factor in the coastal erosion in the lower part of the island because it was recognized that the coastline was sharply cut along the seawall. It is recommended that the lower part of the island be declared a special observation area in order to prevent further coastal erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A large‐scale mapping of gully density was carried out for the Middle Volga region of the Russian Plain (188 000 km2) based on the interpretation of aerial photographs (scale 1:17 000; surveys undertaken during 1956–1970). In addition, spatial‐temporal dynamic of gully density were assessed for some parts of the study area (the Udmurt Republic and the Mesha and Ulema River basins of Tatarstan), based on the interpretation of aerial photographs (survey 1986–1991) and high resolution satellite images (2012–2015). Information on factors potentially controlling gully formation and development were collected and a geographic information system (GIS) analysis was conducted. Results show the strong development of gullies in the study area over the 1956–1970 period with an average gully density of 0.21 km km−2. For the Udmurt region, we found that gully densities varied little in the period 1956–1986, during which the total active gully length reduced with only 2%. This period was characterized by low variable climatic conditions and a stable fraction of arable land with a relatively continuous crop rotation system. However, gully dynamics seems to have changed more strongly during recent decades. We found a strong (order of magnitude) reduction in active gully density for the period 2010–2015 as compared to 1986–1991. The main reason for this is likely the increasing winter air temperatures. This leads to a significant reduction in surface runoff during spring as a result of snowmelt. Nonetheless, in some regions (i.e. the Udmurt Republic in the taiga zone), the abandonment of arable land after 1991 likely plays a significant role. Likewise, a decline in the frequency of extreme rainfall events (> 50 mm) may have played a role. All of these factors contribute to a reduction of surface runoff to the gullies and their subsequent stabilization. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery allows for a new way of obtaining geographic information. In this work, a Geographical Information System (GIS) open source application was developed in QGIS software that estimates several parameters and metrics on tree crown through image analysis techniques (image segmentation and image classification) and fractal analysis. The metrics that have been estimated were: area, perimeter, number of trees, distance between trees and a missing tree check. This methodology was tested on three different plantations: olive, eucalyptus and vineyard. The application developed is free, open source and takes advantage of QGIS integration with external software. Several tools available from Orfeo Toolbox and Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS) GIS were employed to generate a classified raster image which allows calculating the metrics referred before. The application was developed in the Python 2.7 language. Also, some functions, modules and classes from the QGIS Application Programming Interface (API) and PyQt4 API were used. This new plugin is a valuable tool, which allowed for automatizing several parameters and metrics on tree crown using GIS analysis tools, while considering data acquired by UAV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many activities and uses in the coastal environment, which has historically attracted the humans. This attraction has led to many anthropic actions that have generated imbalances, more important as the human pressure increases. This research focuses on the effects of these pressures along of 11 km of the coastline of Guardamar del Segura, a high-value environmental area where is the Segura River mouth and one of the last dune systems of the southeast of Spain. The historic evolution of the shoreline position has been analysed using 60 years of aerial images from 1950s to 2014, the seabed depth changes, the maritime climate, the distribution of the sediment grain size and the anthropic actions such as urban development or the channelling of the river. All data were integrated and processed using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The results show that the lack of sediment supply by Segura River and the cut-off in the longshore transport due to the breakwaters and others anthropic actions has led into an increase in the beaches erosion rates, with a loss of > 3.2 million m 3 of sand in the last 58 years (≈ 55,200 m 3 /year). The conclusions of this research could be useful to the coastal managers at the moment of making the decisions of action and/or conservation on a coastal system to achieve positive results in the medium and long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the study was to evaluate and compare the overall performance of three methods, frequency ratio (FR), certainty factor (CF) and index of entropy (IOE), for rainfall-induced landslide susceptibility mapping at the Chongren area (China) using geographic information system and remote sensing. First, a landslide inventory map for the study area was constructed from field surveys and interpretations of aerial photographs. Second, 15 landslide-related factors such as elevation, slope, aspect, plan curvature, profile curvature, stream power index, sediment transport index, topographic wetness index, distance to faults, distance to rivers, distance to roads, landuse, NDVI, lithology and rainfall were prepared for the landslide susceptibility modelling. Using these data, three landslide susceptibility models were constructed using FR, CF and IOE. Finally, these models were validated and compared using known landslide locations and the receiver operating characteristics curve. The result shows that all the models perform well on both the training and validation data. The area under the curve showed that the goodness-of-fit with the training data is 79.12, 80.34 and 80.42% for FR, CF and IOE whereas the prediction power is 80.14, 81.58 and 81.73%, for FR, CF and IOE, respectively. The result of this study may be useful for local government management and land use planning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

From 1997 until 2014 we carried out a GIS-based systematic mapping of mosquito breeding sites on a 2,690 km2 area in the important touristic regions of Hungary. During the process of data collection of the mosquito fauna, 42,547 adults of 26 species and 34,409 larvae of 28 species were collected. The ecological characteristics of the breeding sites were recorded by means of 4,543 samples. We have specified 13,808 breeding sites playing important role in mosquito harm for the human population with an overall area of 7,967 hectares in topologically correct digital maps. We have established that approximately 1% of the administrative area of mosquito affected lands and 10% of wetlands can be considered as target areas for biological control taking human viewpoints into account. According to the results of our research, the most environment-friendly (affecting about 10% of the wetland areas routinely treated), economical and effective mosquito control can be carried out by BTI treatments based on GIS mappings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving mechanistic prediction of shoreline response to sea level rise is currently limited by 1) morphologic complexity of tidal creek shorelines that confounds application of mechanistic models, and 2) availability of suspended sediment measurements to parameterize mechanistic models. To address these challenges we developed a metric to distinguish two morphodynamic classes of tidal creek and tested whether this metric could be used to predict suspended sediment concentration. We studied three small tidal creeks in North Carolina, U.S.A. We collected suspended sediment at one non-tidal and two tidal sites in each creek and measured the wetland and channel width using a geographic information system. In each creek, tidal harmonics were measured for one year, sediment accretion on the salt marsh was measured for three years, and shoreline erosion was measured from aerial photographs spanning 50 years. Additional total suspended solids measurements from seven creeks reported in a national database supplemented our analysis. Among the three intensively studied creeks, shoreline erosion was highest in the most embayed creek (having a wider channel than the width of adjoining wetlands) and lowest in the wetland-dominated creek (having a channel narrower than the width of adjoining wetlands). Wetland sediment accretion rate in the wetland-dominated creek was four times higher than the accretion in the embayed creek. The wetland-dominated tidal creek had over twice the suspended sediment as the most embayed creek. Based on these results, we conclude that our metric of embayed and contrasting wetland-dominated creek morphology provides a guide for choosing between two types of morphodynamic models that are widely used to predict wetland shoreline change. This metric also allowed us to parse the 10 tidal creeks studied into two groups with different suspended sediment concentrations. This relationship between suspended sediment concentration and creek morphology provides a method to estimate sediment concentration for individual tidal creek shorelines from spatial data alone, enabling more accurate parameterization of shoreline change models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary trajectories and related control factors of the Fortore River (southern Italy) are analyzed over a 150-year period as to assess channel modifications. A multitemporal GIS analysis of topographic maps and aerial photographs together with topographic and geomorphological field surveys were performed. Attention was focused on the impact caused by human disturbance, above all the presence of the Occhito dam at only 40 km upstream of the Fortore mouth (central Adriatic coast). Results show that channel adjustments occurred in three distinct phases and were primarily driven by human disturbance that diversely affected reaches located upstream and downstream of the dam. From the last decades of the nineteenth century to the 1950s (phase 1), channel widening prevailed along upstream reaches whilst narrowing along downstream reaches. Major channel adjustments occurred from the 1950s until the end of the 1990s (phase 2), especially channel narrowing of up to 81% in upstream reaches and 98% in downstream reaches. Narrowing was accompanied by channel-bed lowering of 1 to 5 m and by pattern changes in prevalence from multithread to largely prevailing single-thread channel configurations. In-channel mining, channel works, and hydraulic interventions are considered key driving factors of observed channel adjustments. The closure of the Occhito dam in 1966 had significant and permanent effects on downstream reaches through overall discharge regulation and permanent sediment trapping as also proved by the progressive retreat of the Fortore river mouth area. From 2000 to 2015 (phase 3), a substantial trend inversion was observed with overall channel widening and partial aggradation of upstream reaches and total stabilization of downstream reaches. As highlighted by an integrated multitemporal analysis of recent channel changes and flood events, the latter have played an important role in channel recovery of upstream reaches. Comparison between the Fortore River and other rivers in southern Italy has allowed us to ascertain that the reconstructed evolutionary trajectories are quite similar and that control factors are essentially the same. In particular, it confirms the role of major hydraulic structures as to the amount of channel adjustments of downstream reaches and the ensuing scarce to nil potential to channel recovery of regulated reaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classical approach for transmission line (TL) routing based on paper maps, aerial photographs and field visits can generate inconsistent results, besides being a time consuming and intensive labour activity. The application of methodologies based on geographic information system (GIS) combined with multi‐criteria assessment (MCA) methods can generate time and cost savings on the planning step. However, this methodology still must be better assessed for its applicability and improvements can be made. Therefore, this study aims at verifying the applicability of a GIS methodology for TL routing using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for weighting criteria. In addition, the effectiveness of AHP method is evaluated comparing the previously attained results with a route modelled using monetary values to weight the criteria. To achieve the objectives, the methodology is applied for an area in the northern region of Brazil (state of Pará) where a 230 kV TL is already implemented: the TL Vila do Conde‐Castanhal. As a result, routes with lower length and lower total cost than the implemented TL were obtained, which suggest the potential benefits of applying the proposed methodology compared with traditional route planning, which does not use quantitative MCA and more advanced GIS tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to apply and to verify the use of artificial neural network (ANN) and weight of evidence (WoE) models to landslide susceptibility mapping in the Gongliu county, China, using a geographic information system (GIS). For this aim, in this study, a landslide inventory map was prepared using earlier reports and aerial photographs as well as by carrying out field surveys. A total of 163 landslides (70% out of 233 detected landslides) were randomly selected for model training, and the remaining 70 landslides (30%) were used for the model validation. Then, a total number of twelve landslide conditioning factors, such as slope angle, slope aspect, general curvature, plan curvature, profile curvature, altitude, distance to rivers, distance to roads, lithology, rainfall, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and sediment transport index (STI), were used in the analysis. Landslide hazardous areas were analyzed and mapped using the landslide-occurrence factors by ANN and WoE models. Finally the output maps were validated using the area under the curve (AUC) method. The validation results showed that the ANN model with a success rate of 82.51% and predictive accuracy of 77.31% performs better than WoE (success rate, 79.82%; predictive accuracy, 74.59%) model. Overall, both models showed almost similar results. Therefore, the two landslide susceptibility maps obtained were successful and can be useful for preliminary general land use planning and hazard mitigation purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the eroding bench of the Ocean Shore Railroad (1907-1920) along the central California coast. Investigation of the remnant feature demonstrates the impacts of landscape change on the human timescale. Topographic maps and georeferenced aerial photographs aid in the first digital registration of the coastal rail sections. Sixty locations at the northern end of the study area provide site-specific rates of erosion. The geographic information system-based effort reveals a 66.7 km route divided among steep hillslope- and terrace-dominated sections, where natural and anthropogenic processes have shifted land cover from railway to roadway, open, agricultural, and developed spaces. For the 60 erosion assessment locations, only 25 percent of the 1928 rail bench width remains after 82 years, and, in areas repurposed for the Pacific Coast Highway (1936-1957), only 38 percent of the 1956 road bench width remains after 54 years. The highest estimates of erosion are greater than 0.6 m yr-1. These erosion values do not reflect episodic mass wasting, highlighting the limited utility of steady erosion rates in land-use decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The methods used in the process of updating maps have evolved and become more complex, especially upon the development of the digital technology. At the same time, the development of technology has led to an abundance of available data that can be used in the updating process. The data sources came in a great variety of forms and formats from different acquisition sensors. Satellite images provided by certain satellite missions are now available on space agencies portals. Images stored in archives of satellite missions such us Sentinel, Landsat and other can be downloaded free of charge.The main advantages are represented by the large coverage area and rather good spatial resolution that enables the use of these images for the map updating at an appropriate scale. In our study we focused our research of these images on 1: 50.000 scale map. DEM that are globally available could represent an appropriate input for watershed delineation and stream network generation, that can be used as support for hydrography thematic layer update. If, in addition to remote sensing aerial photogrametry and LiDAR data are ussed, the accuracy of data sources is enhanced. Ortophotoimages and Digital Terrain Models are the main products that can be used for feature extraction and update. On the other side, the use of georeferenced analogical basemaps represent a significant addition to the process. Concerning the thematic maps, the classic representation of the terrain by contour lines derived from DTM, remains the best method of surfacing the earth on a map, nevertheless the correlation with other layers such as Hidrography are mandatory. In the context of the current national coverage of the Digital Terrain Model, one of the main concerns of the National Center of Cartography, through the Cartography and Photogrammetry Department, is represented by the exploitation of the available data in order to update the layers of the Topographic Reference Map 1:5000, known as TOPRO5 and at the same time, through the generalization and additional data sources of the Romanian 1:50 000 scale map. This paper also investigates the general perspective of DTM automatic use derived products in the process of updating the topographic maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to assess the value of urban views in a bay city (Yokohama), Japan. Firstly, three types of views, open view (goodness of visibility), green view (visibility of open space), and ocean view (visibility of ocean), were quantified employing the viewshed analysis implemented on the GIS with airborne LiDAR data and 0.5 m × 0.5 m high resolution aerial photos. Secondly, hedonic analyses were conducted to test the capitalization of value of those views into condominium prices using the spatial multilevel additive regression (SMAR) model, where possible non-linearity, multilevel structure of condominiums (unit-building), and spatial dependence were considered. This study implies that “very nice” open view (in terms of the amount of visibility) and ocean view may have a positive premium, whereas “slightly nice” open and ocean views may not. Also, a “moderate amount” of green view may raise condominium prices, but “poor” and “too much” green view may reduce condominium prices. These results indicate that the effects of views are indeed non-linear, and therefore it may be misleading to interpret the results obtained by linear models as existing studies have done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]