scholarly journals Regional-Scale Systematic Mapping of Archaeological Mounds and Detection of Looting Using COSMO-SkyMed High Resolution DEM and Satellite Imagery

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 3106
Author(s):  
Deodato Tapete ◽  
Arianna Traviglia ◽  
Eleonora Delpozzo ◽  
Francesca Cigna
Keyword(s):  
Hot Spot ◽  
Accuracy Assessment ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Systematic Mapping ◽  
Enhanced Resolution ◽  
Gis Environment ◽  
Surrounding Landscape ◽  
Elevation Model

“Tells” are archaeological mounds formed by deposition of large amounts of anthropogenic material and sediments over thousands of years and are the most important and prominent features in Near and Middle Eastern archaeological landscapes. In the last decade, archaeologists have exploited free-access global digital elevation model (DEM) datasets at medium resolution (i.e., up to 30 m) to map tells on a supra-regional scale and pinpoint tentative tell sites. Instead, the potential of satellite DEMs at higher resolution for this task was yet to be demonstrated. To this purpose, the 3 m resolution imaging capability allowed by the Italian Space Agency’s COSMO-SkyMed Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) constellation in StripMap HIMAGE mode was used in this study to generate DEM products of enhanced resolution to undertake, for the first time, a systematic mapping of tells and archaeological deposits. The demonstration is run at regional scale in the Governorate of Wasit in central Iraq, where the literature suggested a high density of sites, despite knowledge gaps about their location and spatial distribution. Accuracy assessment of the COSMO-SkyMed DEM is provided with respect to the most commonly used SRTM and ALOS World 3D DEMs. Owing to the 10 m posting and the consequent enhanced observation capability, the COSMO-SkyMed DEM proves capable to detect both well preserved and levelled or disturbed tells, standing out for more than 4 m from the surrounding landscape. Through the integration with CORONA KH-4B tiles, 1950s Soviet maps and recent Sentinel-2 multispectral images, the expert-led visual identification and manual mapping in the GIS environment led to localization of tens of sites that were not previously mapped, alongside the computation of a figure as up-to-date as February 2019 of the survived tells, with those affected by looting. Finally, this evidence is used to recognize hot-spot areas of potential concern for the conservation of tells. To this purpose, we upgraded the spatial resolution of the observations up to 1 m by using the Enhanced Spotlight mode to collect a bespoke time series. The change detection tests undertaken on selected clusters of disturbed tells prove how a dedicated monitoring activity may allow a regular observation of the impacts due to anthropogenic disturbance (e.g., road and canal constructions or ploughing).

scholarly journals The new remote-sensing-derived Swiss glacier inventory: I. Methods

2002 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 355-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Paul ◽  
Andreas Kääb ◽  
Max Maisch ◽  
Tobias Kellenberger ◽  
Wilfried Haeberli
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Data ◽  
Accuracy Assessment ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Glacier Inventory ◽  
Ratio Image ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
First Results ◽  
Gis Environment ◽  
Elevation Model

AbstractA new Swiss glacier inventory is to be compiled from satellite data for the year 2000. The study presented here describes two major tasks: an accuracy assessment of different methods for glacier classification with Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data and a digital elevation model (DEM); the geographical information system (GIS)-based methods for automatic extraction of individual glaciers from classified satellite data and the computation of three-dimensional glacier parameters (such as minimum, maximum and median elevation or slope and orientation) by fusion with a DEM. First results obtained by these methods are presented in Part II of this paper (Kääb and others, 2002). Thresholding of a ratio image from TM4 and TM5 reveals the best-suited glacier map. The computation of glacier parameters in a GIS environment is efficient and suitable for worldwide application. The methods developed contribute to the U. S. Geological Survey-led Global Land Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS) project which is currently compiling a global inventory of land ice masses within the framework of global glacier monitoring (Haeberli and others, 2000).

scholarly journals A methodology for the preliminary characterisation of the river boundary condition in finite difference groundwater flow numerical models

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel M. Oliveira ◽  
Tiago N. Martins
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Condition ◽  
Finite Difference ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
River Stage ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Model Cell ◽  
Gis Environment ◽  
Elevation Model

The characterization of the river boundary condition in finite difference numerical models based on MODFLOW requires the quantification of a set of parameters, some of them usually difficult to define. A methodology is presented based on the digital elevation model (DEM) and the river network, to characterize two of these parameters: the stage of the river and the length of the river in each model cell. Suggestions are presented for the other parameters such as the riverbed bottom elevation and the width of the river to be calculated as a function of the river stage, and the riverbed thickness and hydraulic conductivity. The part of the methodology depending on the DEM is explained and demonstrated using a GIS environment with reference to the GIS tools needed to produce the main steps. This methodology produces more representative values of the river stage parameter if at least 9 DEM cells per model cell are used. This methodology allows a first approximation, at a regional scale, for the characterization of the river boundary condition in numerical modelling.

scholarly journals Assessing Riyadh’s Urban Change Utilizing High-Resolution Imagery

Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 193
Author(s):  
Ali Alghamdi ◽  
Anthony R. Cummings
Keyword(s):  
Maximum Likelihood ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Accuracy Assessment ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Object Oriented ◽  
Training Data ◽  
High Resolution Imagery ◽  
Significant Research ◽  
Desert Areas ◽  
Spot 5

The implications of change on local processes have attracted significant research interest in recent times. In urban settings, green spaces and forests have attracted much attention. Here, we present an assessment of change within the predominantly desert Middle Eastern city of Riyadh, an understudied setting. We utilized high-resolution SPOT 5 data and two classification techniques—maximum likelihood classification and object-oriented classification—to study the changes in Riyadh between 2004 and 2014. Imagery classification was completed with training data obtained from the SPOT 5 dataset, and an accuracy assessment was completed through a combination of field surveys and an application developed in ESRI Survey 123 tool. The Survey 123 tool allowed residents of Riyadh to present their views on land cover for the 2004 and 2014 imagery. Our analysis showed that soil or ‘desert’ areas were converted to roads and buildings to accommodate for Riyadh’s rapidly growing population. The object-oriented classifier provided higher overall accuracy than the maximum likelihood classifier (74.71% and 73.79% vs. 92.36% and 90.77% for 2004 and 2014). Our work provides insights into the changes within a desert environment and establishes a foundation for understanding change in this understudied setting.

2020 hurricane impact assessment for the northern Gulf of Mexico: Hurricane Sally and Hurricane Zeta

Shore & Beach ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 56-64
Author(s):  
S. McGill ◽  
C. Sylvester ◽  
L. Dunkin ◽  
E. Eisemann ◽  
J. Wozencraft
Keyword(s):  
Change Detection ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Shoreline Change ◽  
Airborne Lidar ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
The Status ◽  
Northern Gulf Coast ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Beach Volume

Regional-scale shoreline and beach volume changes are quantified using the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise’s digital elevation model products in a change detection framework following the passage of the two landfalling hurricanes, Hurricanes Sally and Zeta, along the northern Gulf Coast in late fall 2020. Results derived from this work include elevation change raster products and a standard set of beach volume and shoreline change metrics. The rapid turn-around and delivery of data products to include volume and shoreline change assessments provide valuable information about the status of the coastline and identification of areas of significant erosion or other impacts, such as breaching near Perdido Key, FL, from Hurricane Sally’s impact. These advanced change detection products help inform sediment budget development and support decisions related to regional sediment management and coastal storm risk management.

scholarly journals Remote sensing of <i>Trichodesmium</i> spp. mats in the western tropical South Pacific

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (16) ◽  
pp. 5203-5219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillaume Rousset ◽  
Florian De Boissieu ◽  
Christophe E. Menkes ◽  
Jérôme Lefèvre ◽  
Robert Frouin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Atmospheric Correction ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Aggregation Processes ◽  
Modis Imagery ◽  
Generate Surface

Abstract. Trichodesmium is the major nitrogen-fixing species in the western tropical South Pacific (WTSP) region, a hot spot of diazotrophy. Due to the paucity of in situ observations, remote-sensing methods for detecting Trichodesmium presence on a large scale have been investigated to assess the regional-to-global impact of this organism on primary production and carbon cycling. A number of algorithms have been developed to identify Trichodesmium surface blooms from space, but determining with confidence their accuracy has been difficult, chiefly because of the scarcity of sea-truth information at the time of satellite overpass. Here, we use a series of new cruises as well as airborne surveys over the WTSP to evaluate their ability to detect Trichodesmium surface blooms in the satellite imagery. The evaluation, performed on MODIS data at 250 m and 1 km resolution acquired over the region, shows limitations due to spatial resolution, clouds, and atmospheric correction. A new satellite-based algorithm is designed to alleviate some of these limitations, by exploiting optimally spectral features in the atmospherically corrected reflectance at 531, 645, 678, 748, and 869 nm. This algorithm outperforms former ones near clouds, limiting false positive detection and allowing regional-scale automation. Compared with observations, 80 % of the detected mats are within a 2 km range, demonstrating the good statistical skill of the new algorithm. Application to MODIS imagery acquired during the February-March 2015 OUTPACE campaign reveals the presence of surface blooms northwest and east of New Caledonia and near 20∘ S–172∘ W in qualitative agreement with measured nitrogen fixation rates. Improving Trichodesmium detection requires measuring ocean color at higher spectral and spatial (<250 m) resolution than MODIS, taking into account environment properties (e.g., wind, sea surface temperature), fluorescence, and spatial structure of filaments, and a better understanding of Trichodesmium dynamics, including aggregation processes to generate surface mats. Such sub-mesoscale aggregation processes for Trichodesmium are yet to be understood.

scholarly journals GIS spatial analysis of the distribution of snow depth: A study of western Rhodopes, Bulgaria

2016 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-55
Author(s):  
Valentina Nikolova ◽  
Aleksandar Penkov
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Snow Cover ◽  
Snow Depth ◽  
Kriging Interpolation ◽  
Map Algebra ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Distance Weighted ◽  
Point Data ◽  
Gis Environment ◽  
Elevation Model

The aim of the present research is to show the advantages of information technology in investigating the snow cover. The snow data is usually taken from the measurement in meteorological stations which are often sparsely and insufficient. The problem in the analysis of the snow cover is how to present point data spatially and what is the most appropriate model. The area of the present research is the western part of Rhodopes mountain (Southern Bulgaria). The relief is variable from low to high mountainous and the climate is influenced by the high altitude and Mediterranean air advections. The spatial analysis of the distribution of snow depth is done in ArcGIS by application of Spatial Statistics Tools and Geostatistical Analyst. We considered altitude, aspect and slope as explanatory variables that could be used for determination of the territorial distribution of the snow depth. These factors are determined on the base of digital elevation model and the relationship between variables is evaluated by application of regression analysis, ordinary less squares (OLS) analysis and geographically weighted regression (GWR). The high values of R2 (above 0.7) show the representativeness of the model. A map of spatial distribution of snow depth is created by Map algebra in GIS environment, applying the regression equation of the relation snow depth - altitude. Inverse distance weighted and ordinary kriging interpolation are also carried out. The research shows that spatial presentation of point snow data and its interpretation should be done taking into account the relief and the exposition of the territory.

scholarly journals Compartimentação dos elementos do relevo da bacia hidrográfica do arroio Pantanoso – Canguçu/RS, através da proposta dos geomorphons

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 713
Author(s):  
Danilo Da Silva Dutra ◽  
André Ricardo Furlan ◽  
Luís Eduardo De Souza Robaina
Keyword(s):  
Digital Elevation Model ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Relief Elements ◽  
Gis Environment ◽  
Elevation Model

O relevo é a base onde todas as populações vivem e desenvolvem suas atividades, derivando dessa relação vantagens e desvantagens, daí a importância de conhecê-lo através do estudo de suas diferentes formas e elementos. Nesse contexto insere-se a importância de metodologias para o seu estudo, sendo que atualmente vivencia-se a expressividade de dados disponíveis para aplicação de geoprocessamento. A partir das geotecnologias pode-se empreender diversas análises sobre o relevo, destacando-se nesse contexto, a proposta dos geomorphons a qual foi aplicada na bacia hidrográfica do arroio Pantanoso. O objetivo da pesquisa é a identificação e análise dos elementos do relevo definido por geomorphons, quais sejam: 1) Planos, 2) Picos, 3) Cristas, 4) Ressaltos, 5) Crista secundária, 6) Encostas, 7) Escavado, 8) Base de encosta, 9) Vales e 10) Fosso. A determinação dos geomorphons foi a partir do processamento em ambiente SIG do Modelo Digital de Elevação (MDE) do Shuttle Radar Topograph Mission (SRTM) com resolução espacial 3 arcsec (90 metros), “L” Lookup (distância em metros) definiu-se como de 20 pixels (1800 metros) e o “T” Theresholdt (nivelamento em graus) definiu-se em 2º. Para visualização do comportamento dos elementos do relevo na área de estudo realizaram-se trabalhos de campo, o que contribuiu para evidenciar a padronização desses elementos. Os quatro elementos geomorphons mais representativos são encostas, vales, cristas e planos. Subdivision of relief elements through the proposal of geomorphons: river basin of arroio Pantanoso - Canguçu/RS A B S T R A C TRelief is the basis where all populations live and develop their activities, deriving from this relation advantages and disadvantages, hence the importance of knowing it through the study of its different forms and elements. In this context, the importance of methodologies for its study is inserted and geoprocessing application for data available for is currently experienced. From the geotechnologies one can undertake several analyzes on the relief, highlighting in this context, the proposal of the geomorphons which was applied in Pantanoso stream basin. The objective of the research is to identify and analyze the elements of the relief defined by geomorphons, namely: 1) Flats, 2) Peaks, 3) Ridges, 4) Shoulders, 5) Spurs, 6)Slopes, 7) Hollows, 8) Footslope, 9) Valley and 10) Pits. The determination of the geomorphons was based on the GIS environment of the Shuttle Radar Topograph Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with spatial resolution 3 arcsec (90 meters), "L" Lookup (distance in meters) was defined as of 20 pixels (1800 meters) and the "T" Theresholdt (leveling in degrees) was defined in 2º. In order to visualize the behavior of the relief elements in the study area, fieldwork was carried out, which contributed to the standardization of these elements. The four most representative geomorphons, which are: Slopes, Valleys, Ridges and Flat.Keywords: SIG, Geomorphons; Canguçu/RS; relief

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document