Spatial Analysis of Urban Thermal Island in Northern Iran (Case Study: Rasht City)

Land surface temperature (LST) is one of the key parameters in hydrology, meteorology, and the surface energy balance.The one-window algorithm of Kim et al. Uses Landsat satellite imagery to model the earth's surface temperature.These trends are validated using meteorological data. Two main and basic factors play a major role in the temporal and spatial trend of the thermal islands of Rasht. These two factors of climate change that have occurred in the last two decades in the region of Gilan province and the city of Rasht. The second factor that has greatly enhanced the effect of the first factor is the human factor that has greatly included other urban factors in Rasht, including urban management and proper urban planning in the province and the city of Rasht. These two factors in the temporal and spatial trend of urban thermal islands have caused thermal islands to rapidly increase the growth of the city and urban population from the urban center to the western and southwestern regions and have very negative effects on land use changes and human areas. It has caused the construction of Rasht city.

Sea-Level Fingerprints Due to Present-Day Water Mass Redistribution in Observed Sea-Level Data

Satellite altimetry over the oceans shows that the rate of sea-level rise is far from uniform, with reported regional rates up to two to three times the global mean rate of rise of ~3.3 mm/year during the altimeter era. The mechanisms causing the regional variations in sea-level trends are dominated by ocean temperature and salinity changes, and other processes such as ocean mass redistribution as well as solid Earth’s deformations and gravitational changes in response to past and ongoing mass redistributions caused by land ice melt and terrestrial water storage changes (respectively known as Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) and sea-level fingerprints). Here, we attempt to detect the spatial trend patterns of the fingerprints associated with present-day land ice melt and terrestrial water mass changes, using satellite altimetry-based sea-level grids corrected for the steric component. Although the signal-to-noise ratio is still very low, a statistically significant correlation between altimetry-based sea-level and modelled fingerprints is detected in some ocean regions. We also examine spatial trend patterns in observed GRACE ocean mass corrected for atmospheric and oceanic loading and find that some oceanic regions are dominated by the fingerprints of present-day water mass redistribution.

Spatio-Temporal Spread Pattern of COVID-19 in Italy

This paper investigates the spatio-temporal spread pattern of COVID-19 in Italy, during the first wave of infections, from February to October 2020. Disease mappings of the virus infections by using the Besag–York–Mollié model and some spatio-temporal extensions are provided. This modeling framework, which includes a temporal component, allows the studying of the time evolution of the spread pattern among the 107 Italian provinces. The focus is on the effect of citizens’ mobility patterns, represented here by the three distinct phases of the Italian virus first wave, identified by the Italian government, also characterized by the lockdown period. Results show the effectiveness of the lockdown action and an inhomogeneous spatial trend that characterizes the virus spread during the first wave. Furthermore, the results suggest that the temporal evolution of each province’s cases is independent of the temporal evolution of the other ones, meaning that the contagions and temporal trend may be caused by some province-specific aspects rather than by the subjects’ spatial movements.

Land change-based forest management scenario in the typology of island clusters in Maluku Province, Indonesia

Papilaya PPE, Jaya INS, Rusolono T, Puspaningsih N. 2021. Land change-based forest management scenario in the typology of island clusters in Maluku Province, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 3756-3763. This study aims to describe the development of forest area utilization scenarios with biophysical, social and spatial trend approaches. In this study, spatial trends were identified using forest and land cover maps from 2000 to 2018, and the methods used include change detection, spatial trend and overlay. The study was designed using forest cover scenarios along with spatial trends and social and biophysical approaches. The results of the 5 typologies of island clusters analysis showed that forest degradation has occurred in an area of ± 77102 ha between 2000 and 2018 with an average of 4283.4 ha/year. Furthermore, Total Land Cover Loss at the location of the five island cluster typology for 18 years was found to be ± 422805 Ha with an average of ± 23489.06 ha/year. The land capability was categorized into 3 classes. Therefore, the five spatial trends were known to form in the typology of five island clusters with different directions and magnitudes.

Spatial scales, patterns, and positivity trends of SARS-CoV-2 pandemics in mass rapid antigen testing in Slovakia

We study geographical epidemic scales and patterns and positivity trends of SARS-CoV-2 pandemics in mass antigen testing in Slovakia in 2020. The observed test positivity was exponentially distributed with a long scale exponential spatial trend, and its characteristic correlation length was approximately 10 km. Spatial scales also play an important role in test positivity reduction between two consecutive testing rounds. While test positivity decreased in all counties, it increased in individual municipalities with low test positivity in the earlier testing round in a way statistically different from a mean-reversion process. Also, non-residents testing influences the mass testing results as test positivity of non-residents was higher than of residents when testing was offered only in municipalities with the highest positivity in previous rounds. Our results provide direct guidance for pandemic geographical data surveillance and epidemic response management.

Delineating reclamation zones for site-specific reclamation of saline-sodic soils in Dushak, Turkmenistan

Soil salinization is the widespread problem seriously affecting the agricultural sustainability and causing income losses in arid regions. The major objective of the study was to quantify and map the spatial variability of soil salinity and sodicity. Determining salinity and sodicity variability in different soil layers was the second objective. Finally, proposing an approach for delineating different salinity and sodicity zones was the third objective. The study was carried out in 871.1 ha farmland in Southeast of Dushak town of Ahal Province, Turkmenistan. Soil properties, including electrical conductivity (EC), soil reaction (pH), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), calcium carbonate and particle size distribution (clay, silt and sand fractions) in 0–30, 30–60, 60–90 and 90–120 cm soil layers were recorded. The EC values in different soil layers indicated serious soil salinization problem in the study area. The mean EC values in 0–90 cm depth were high (8 dS m-1), classifying the soils as moderate to strongly saline. Spatial dependence calculated by the nugget to sill ratio indicated a strong spatial autocorrelation. The elevation was the primary factor affecting spatial variation of soil salinity in the study area. The reclamation of the field can be planned based on three distinct areas, i.e., high (≥12 dS m-1), moderate (12–8 dS m-1) and low (<8 dS m-1) EC values. The spatial trend analyses of SAR values revealed similar patterns for EC and pH; both of which gradually decreased from north to the south-west. The amount of water needed to leach down the salts from 60 cm of soil profile is between 56.4–150.0 ton ha-1 and the average leaching water was 89.8 tons ha-1. The application of leaching water based on the amount of average leaching water will result in higher or lower leaching water application to most locations and the efficiency of the reclamation efforts will be low. Similar results were recorded for sulfur, sulfuric acid and gypsum requirements to remediate sodicity. The results concluded that the best management strategy in planning land development and reclamation schemes for saline and sodic soils require accurate information about the spatial distribution of salinity and sodicity across the target area.

Exploratory Analysis of Urban Sustainability by Applying a Strategy-Based Tailor-Made Weighting Method

The Hungarian cities are rarely analyzed in current urban studies, especially in terms of urban sustainability. The present study aimed at analyzing the Hungarian county seats by comparing them through economic, social, and environmental indicators, which cover a broad spectrum of urban sustainability by applying independent indicators. Altogether 30 variables have been involved from 2014 and 2018–2019 to reveal the regional pattern of urban sustainability among the Hungarian county seats by applying the strategy-based tailor-made (SBTM) weighting methodology. It takes into consideration the different emphases regarding local aspects and main issues of sustainability through the analysis of integrated settlement development strategies, which is a unique method compared to current approaches. After the evaluation of the results, it can be stated that the east–west axis was revealed regarding weighted and unweighted sustainability indices; furthermore, a highly heterogeneous spatial trend can be drawn with regard to the relative changes in urban sustainability performance without clearly defined regional clusters. This analysis can fill the current literature gap by analyzing the Hungarian context and elaborating an easy-to-use weighting methodology based on the cities’ development strategies which contribute to improving the variety of planning and decision-making tools in the field of urban development.

Spatial variability and mapping of soil fertility status in a high-potential smallholder farming area under sub-humid conditions in Zimbabwe

A study was conducted to examine spatial variability of soil properties related to fertility in maize fields across varying soil types in ward 10 of Hurungwe district, Zimbabwe; a smallholder farming area with sub-humid conditions and high yield potential. Purposively collected and geo-referenced soil samples were analyzed for texture, pH, soil organic carbon (OC), mineral N, bicarbonate P, and exchangeable K. Linear mixed model was used to analyze spatial variation of the data. The model allowed prediction of soil properties at unsampled sites by the empirical best linear unbiased predictor (EBLUP). Evidence for spatial dependence in the random component of the model was evaluated by calculating Akaike’s information criterion. Soil pH ranged from 4.0 to 6.9 and showed a strong spatial trend increasing from north to south, strong evidence for a difference between the home and outfields with homefields significantly higher and between soil textural classes with the sand clay loam fraction generally higher. Soil OC ranged from 0.2 to 2.02% and showed no spatial trend, but there was strong evidence for a difference between home and outfields, with mean soil OC in homefields significantly larger, and between soil textural classes, with soil OC largest in the sandy clay loams. Both soil pH and OC showed evidence for spatial dependence in the random effect, providing a basis for spatial prediction by the EBLUP, which was presented as a map. There were significant spatial trends in mineral N, available P and exchangeable K, all increasing from north to south; significant differences between homefields and outfields (larger concentrations in homefields), and differences between the soil textural classes with larger concentrations in the sandy clay loams. However, there was no evidence for spatial dependence in the random component, so no attempt was made to map these variables. These results show how management (home fields vs outfields), basic soil properties (texture) and other factors emerging as spatial trends influence key soil properties that determine soil fertility in these conditions. This implies that the best management practices may vary spatially, and that site-specific management is a desirable goal in conditions such as those which apply in Ward 10 of Hurungwe district in Zimbabwe.