Satellite Remote Sensing for the Analysis of the Micia and Germisara Archaeological Sites

The capabilities of satellite remote sensing technologies and their derived data for the analysis of archaeological sites have been demonstrated in a large variety of studies over the last decades. Likewise, the Earth Observation (EO) data contribute to the disaster management process through the provision of updated information for areas under investigation. In addition, long term studies may be performed for the in–depth analysis of the disaster–prone areas using archive satellite imagery and other cartographic materials. Hence, satellite remote sensing represents an essential tool for the study of hazards in cultural heritage sites and landscapes. Depending on the size of the archaeological sites and considering the fact that some parts of the site might be covered, the main concern regards the suitability of satellite data in terms of spatial and spectral resolution. Using a multi–temporal Sentinel–2 dataset between 2016 and 2019, the present study focuses on the hazard risk identification for the Micia and Germisara archaeological sites in Romania as they are endangered by industrialisation and major infrastructure works and soil erosion, respectively. Furthermore, the study includes a performance assessment of remote sensing vegetation indices for the detection of buried structures. The results clearly indicate that Sentinel–2 imagery proved to be fundamental in meeting the objectives of the study, particularly due to the extensive archaeological knowledge that was available for the cultural heritage sites. The main conclusion to be drawn is that satellite–derived products may be enhanced by integrating valuable archaeological context, especially when the resolution of satellite data is not ideally fitting the peculiarities (e.g., in terms of size, underground structures, type of coverage) of the investigated cultural heritage sites.

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SpaCeborne SAR Interferometry as a Noninvasive tool to assess the vulnerability over Cultural hEritage sites (SCIENCE)

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-13397 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Athanasia-Maria Tompolidi ◽

Issaak Parcharidis ◽

Constantinos Loupasakis ◽

Michalis Fragkiadakis ◽

Pantelis Soupios ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Cultural Heritage ◽

Ming Dynasty ◽

Ground Deformation ◽

Sar Interferometry ◽

Archaeological Sites ◽

Science Project ◽

Heritage Sites ◽

Persistent Scatterers ◽

Great Wall

Cultural heritage is a key element of history as the ancient monuments and archaeological sites enrich today&#8217;s societies and help connect us to our cultural origins. The project entitled ''SpaCeborne SAR Interferometry as a Nonivasive tool to assess the vulnerability over Cultural hEritage sites (SCIENCE)'' has as ultimate objective to predict the vulnerability of the archaeological sites to ground deformation in time and space and protect them against natural/man-made damage. The SCIENCE project aims to develop, demonstrate, and validate, in terms of geotechnical local conditions and monuments&#8217; structural health, SAR interferometric techniques to monitor potential ground deformation affecting the archaeological sites and monuments of great importance.&#160;During the last few years, spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) interferometry has proven to be a powerful remote sensing tool for detecting and measuring ground deformation and studying the deformation&#8217;s impact on man-made structures. It provides centimeter to millimeter resolution and even single buildings/monuments can be mapped from space. Considering the limitations of conventional MT-InSAR techniques, such as Persistent Scatterers Interferometry (PSI), in this project a two-step Tomography-based Persistent Scatterers (PS) Interferometry (Tomo-PSInSAR) approach is proposed for monitoring ground deformation and structural instabilities over the Ancient City Walls (Ming Dynasty) in Nanjing city, China and in the Great Wall in Zhangjiakou, China. The Tomo-PSInSAR is capable of separating overlaid PS in the same location, minimizing the unfavorable layover effects of slant-range imaging in SAR data. Moreover, the demonstrations are performed on well-known test sites in China and in Greece, such as: a) Ming Dynasty City Walls in Nanjing, b) Great Wall in Zhangjiakou, c) Acropolis complex of Athens and d) Heraklion walls (Crete Island), respectively.In particular, in the framework of SCIENCE project are processed several radar datasets such as Sentinel 1 A & B data of Copernicus program and the high resolution TerraSAR-X data. The products of Persistent Scatterers Interferometry (PSI) are exported in various formats for the identification of the persistent scatterers using high resolution optical images, aerial photographs and fusing with high accuracy Digital Surface Models (DSM). In addition, the validation of the results is taking place through in-situ measurements (geological, geothechnical e.t.c) and data for the cultural heritage sites conditions.SCIENCE project&#8217;s final goal is the risk assessment analysis of the cultural heritage monuments and their surrounding areas aiming to benefit institutions, organizations, stakeholders and private agencies in the cultural heritage domain through the creation of a validated pre-operation non-invasive system and service based on earth observation data supporting end-user needs by the provision knowledge about cultural heritage protection. In conclusion, SCIENCE project is composed by a bilateral consortium of the Greek delegation of Harokopio University of Athens, National Technical University of Athens, Terra Spatium S.A, Ephorate of Antiquities of Heraklion (Crete), Acropolis Restoration Service (Athens) of Ministry of Culture and Sports and by the Chinese delegation of Science Academy of China (Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth) and &#160;International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST) under the auspices of UNESCO (HIST-UNESCO).

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Long Term Monitoring of Air Pollution on Monuments and Cultural Heritage Sites in Cyprus Using Satellite Remote Sensing

International Journal of Heritage in the Digital Era ◽

10.1260/2047-4970.1.1.145 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 145-167

Author(s):

K. Themistocleous ◽

A. Nisantzi ◽

A. Agapiou ◽

D. D. Alexakis ◽

D. G. Hadjimitsis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Cultural Heritage ◽

Satellite Remote Sensing ◽

Heritage Sites ◽

Long Term Monitoring ◽

Term Monitoring

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Heritage monitoring and surveillance using Sentinel satellite data in the Lower Alentejo (Portugal)

Ge-conservacion ◽

10.37558/gec.v17i1.755 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 ◽

pp. 186-192

Author(s):

Steffan Davies ◽

Martino Correia ◽

Ricardo Cabral

Keyword(s):

Surveillance System ◽

Satellite Remote Sensing ◽

Large Scale ◽

Synthetic Aperture ◽

Optical Data ◽

Archaeological Sites ◽

Satellite Constellations ◽

Heritage Sites ◽

Monitoring And Surveillance ◽

Sentinel 2

In this article, the potential of Satellite Remote Sensing (SRS) for large-scale monitoring of archaeological sites is analysed. This analysis focuses on the Portuguese Lower Alentejo region, where multiple sites have been destroyed over the last years, mainly due to intensive agriculture. The development of a surveillance system based on data from the Sentinel 1 and Sentinel 2 satellite constellations, named SENSEOS, had its pilot application in this region during the first half of 2019. In a vast region where authorities lacked the proper resources to timely detect events endangering the integrity of heritage sites, this system tried to overcome these issues. By using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and optical data, it was possible to detect such events through a technique labelled Normalized Difference Amplitude Index (NDAI). The identification of these changes on the surface, associated with potentially destructive events, contributed to minimize the damage and destruction of archaeological sites.

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Natural and human hazard assessment of the archaeological sites of Paphos area (Cyprus) with the use of remote sensing and GIS.

Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece ◽

10.12681/bgsg.10983 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 47 (3) ◽

pp. 1448

Author(s):

D. D. Alexakis ◽

A. Agapiou ◽

K. Themistocleous ◽

V. Lysandrou ◽

A. Sarris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Risk Assessment ◽

Cultural Heritage ◽

Remote Sensing And Gis ◽

Assessment Model ◽

Archaeological Sites ◽

Integrated Monitoring ◽

Vast Number ◽

Environmental Threats ◽

Heritage Sites

The study focuses on the creation of an innovative methodology for the development of a risk assessment model for the archaeological sites of western Cyprus (Paphos district). On site observation is the most common way for monitoring cultural heritage sites and monuments in Cyprus. However, this procedure which includes data collection, periodical observations, and multivariate risk assessment analysis, is practically difficult to be accomplished with the traditional practices and methods since it is time consuming and cost insufficient. Thus, the use of modern technologies such as Remote Sensing and GIS is anticipated to provide a tool of directives for the protection and preservation of cultural heritage sites from anthropogenic and environmental threats. These technologies provide to scientists integrated monitoring capabilities and have the unique advantage to store and manipulate a large amount of spatial and attribute data simultaneously. This study aims to integrate both satellite remote sensing techniques and GIS in a multidisciplinary approach, for monitoring natural and anthropogenic hazards with the use of archived and up-to-dated multi-temporal remotely sensed images in the study area, namely in areas nearby cultural heritage sites and monuments in Paphos area (Cyprus).According to the results, extensive construction and building development has taken placein the broader area. It was also proved that vast number of sites is established on areas prone to erosion and landslide phenomena.

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Satellite Remote Sensing and the Management of Natural Resources

10.1093/oso/9780198717263.001.0001 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Nathalie Pettorelli

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Resource Management ◽

Natural Resource Management ◽

Natural Resource ◽

Satellite Data ◽

Satellite Remote Sensing ◽

Habitat Restoration ◽

Remote Sensing Data ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Postgraduate Students

This book intends to familiarise prospective users in the environmental community with satellite remote sensing technology and its applications, introducing terminology and principles behind satellite remote sensing data and analyses. It provides a detailed overview of the possible applications of satellite data in natural resource management, demonstrating how ecological knowledge and satellite-based information can be effectively combined to address a wide array of current natural resource management needs. Topics considered include the use of satellite data to monitor the various dimensions of biodiversity; the use of this technology to track pressures on biodiversity such as invasive species, pollution, and illegal fishing; the utility of satellite remote sensing to inform the management of protected areas, translocation, and habitat restoration; and the contribution of satellite remote sensing towards the monitoring of ecosystem services and wellbeing. The intended audience is ecologists and environmental scientists; the book is targeted as a handbook and is therefore also suitable for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students in the biological and ecological sciences, as well as policy makers and specialists in the fields of conservation biology, biodiversity monitoring, and natural resource management. The book assumes no prior technical knowledge of satellite remote sensing systems and products. It is written so as to generate interest in the ecological, environmental management, and remote sensing communities, highlighting issues associated with the emergence of truly synergistic approaches between these disciplines.

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Remote Sensing for Cultural Heritage Assessment and Monitoring: The Case Study of Alba Iulia

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13031406 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 1406 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Cristian Moise ◽

Iulia Dana Negula ◽

Cristina Elena Mihalache ◽

Andi Mihai Lazar ◽

Andreea Luminita Dedulescu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Cultural Heritage ◽

Heritage Management ◽

Time Interval ◽

Urban Landscapes ◽

Persistent Scatterer Interferometry ◽

Heritage Site ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

Assessment And Monitoring ◽

Historical Past

In recent times, satellite-based remote sensing has a growing role in archaeology and inherently in the cultural heritage management process. This paper demonstrates the potential and usefulness of satellite imagery for the documentation, mapping, monitoring, and in-depth analysis of cultural heritage and the archaeological sites located in urban landscapes. The study focuses on the assessment and monitoring of Alba Iulia, which is one of the Romanian cities with the richest historical past. Multitemporal analysis was performed to identify the land use/land cover changes that might contribute to an increased cultural heritage vulnerability to natural disasters. A special emphasis was dedicated to the assessment of the built-up area growth and consequently of the urbanization trend over a large time interval (30 years). Next, the urbanization and urban area expansion impact was further analyzed by concentrating on the urban heat island within Alba Iulia city and Alba Iulia Fortress (located in the center of the city). As temperature change represents a key element of climate change, the temperature trend within the same temporal framework and its impact on cultural heritage were determined. In the end, with regard to the cultural heritage condition assessment, the research was complemented with an assessment of the urban ground and individual building stability, using persistent scatterer interferometry. The results contribute to the detailed depiction of the cultural heritage site in such a manner that the site is monitored over an extensive timeframe, its current state of conservation is accurately determined, and the future trends can be identified. In conclusion, the present study offers reliable results regarding the main factors that might endanger the cultural heritage site as a basis for future preservation measures.

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Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 Data Fusion for Mapping and Monitoring Wetlands

10.20944/preprints201807.0244.v1 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gordana Kaplan ◽

Ugur Avdan

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Satellite Data ◽

Classification Accuracy ◽

Accuracy Assessment ◽

Geographical Information ◽

Wetland Classification ◽

Significant Information ◽

Data Set ◽

Object Based ◽

Sentinel 2

Wetlands benefits can be summarized but are not limited to their ability to store floodwaters and improve water quality, providing habitats for wildlife and supporting biodiversity, as well as aesthetic values. Over the past few decades, remote sensing and geographical information technologies has proven to be a useful and frequent applications in monitoring and mapping wetlands. Combining both optical and microwave satellite data can give significant information about the biophysical characteristics of wetlands and wetlands` vegetation. Also, fusing data from different sensors, such as radar and optical remote sensing data, can increase the wetland classification accuracy. In this paper we investigate the ability of fusion two fine spatial resolution satellite data, Sentinel-2 and the Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite, Sentinel-1, for mapping wetlands. As a study area in this paper, Balikdami wetland located in the Anatolian part of Turkey has been selected. Both Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 images require pre-processing before their use. After the pre-processing, several vegetation indices calculated from the Sentinel-2 bands were included in the data set. Furthermore, an object-based classification was performed. For the accuracy assessment of the obtained results, number of random points were added over the study area. In addition, the results were compared with data from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle collected on the same data of the overpass of the Sentinel-2, and three days before the overpass of Sentinel-1 satellite. The accuracy assessment showed that the results significant and satisfying in the wetland classification using both multispectral and microwave data. The statistical results of the fusion of the optical and radar data showed high wetland mapping accuracy, with an overall classification accuracy of approximately 90% in the object-based classification. Compared with the high resolution UAV data, the classification results give promising results for mapping and monitoring not just wetlands, but also the sub-classes of the study area. For future research, multi-temporal image use and terrain data collection are recommended.

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Satellite remote sensing, environmental quality, and human health and wellbeing

Satellite Remote Sensing and the Management of Natural Resources ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198717263.003.0009 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 120-132

Author(s):

Nathalie Pettorelli

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Human Health ◽

Satellite Data ◽

Satellite Remote Sensing ◽

Pollen Grains ◽

Volcanic Eruptions ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

Algae Blooms ◽

Welfare And Poverty

This chapter reviews how satellite data can provide key information relevant to efforts to improve human health and wellbeing. It first discusses how satellite remote sensing can be used to track, predict, and manage vectorborne disease such as malaria, dengue fever, and trypanosomiasis. The second section of this chapter focuses on the use of satellite data to monitor air quality, looking at how satellites can help (1) track air pollution associated with the release of harmful substances into the atmosphere through human activities, such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs); (2) detect and forecast outbreaks of airborne substances that trigger an allergic reaction, such as pollen grains; (3) assess emissions from volcanic eruptions; and (4) monitor dust storms in space and time. The third part of this chapter explores how satellite data can be used to report on water quality, detailing how these data can be used to predict and manage harmful algae blooms and to study eutrophication. The fourth section addresses satellite remote sensing in the context of human wellbeing, highlighting how satellite data can be used to estimate economic welfare and poverty, and how this information can be used to test various hypotheses pertaining to the role of greenness in determining various aspects of our physical and mental health.

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Preventive Archaeology Based on Open Remote Sensing Data and Tools: The Cases of Sant’Arsenio (SA) and Foggia (FG), Italy

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11154145 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (15) ◽

pp. 4145 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Nicodemo Abate ◽

Rosa Lasaponara

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Cultural Heritage ◽

Urban Sprawl ◽

Southern Italy ◽

Open Data ◽

Remote Sensing Data ◽

Public Works ◽

Oil Pipelines ◽

Specific Reason ◽

Sentinel 2

Sentinel-2 data have been used in various fields of human activity. In cultural heritage, their potential is still to be fully explored. This paper aims to illustrate how remote sensing and open source tools are useful for archaeological investigations. The whole issue revolves around the application of satellite (Sentinel-2) and accessory tools for the identification, knowledge and protection of the cultural heritage of two areas of southern Italy: Sant’Arsenio (SA) and Foggia (FG). Both study cases were selected for a specific reason: to demonstrate the usefulness of open data and software for research and preservation of cultural heritage, as in the case of urban sprawl, development of public works (gas- and oil-pipelines, etc.) or intensive use of land for agricultural purposes. The results obtained are relevant for the knowledge improvement and very useful to operate in the field of preventive archaeology, for the evaluation and management of risk, the planning of city-expansion or infrastructures that could damage the buried heritage.

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