Spatial Analysis on Networks: Towards identifying similarity of routes

Finding an optimal path in a road network is a method of planning and decision-making that is mainly related to transportations and emergency response. The paper presents an algorithm for finding optimal paths in spatial networks, through the utilization of open source GIS and mathematical analysis of Networks using Graph Theory as well as using geographical proximity attributes of network nodes. The geometric and spatial information of the network as well as its relations with points of interest (POI) of the study areas located at the nodes and edges of the network, are transformed into spatial information, which by applying spatial queries in a geographical database (Postgis/Pgrouting) give query-enabled paths. The case study for the application of the algorithm and finding a route based on spatial queries is the island of Lesvos. This island combines intense topography and a complex road network with multiple geometric relationships. The area also has points of interest such as cultural, tourist and social. The final route will be a synthesis of morphological, tourist and cultural elements similar to the spatial search queries. Finally, the methodology as well as the search algorithm can be applied to any Spatial Network (transportations, environment, energy) described by its geographical features, considering all kinds of geographical issues, thus solving spatial problems and contributing to local development.

Geodiversity mapping of the Bakony–Balaton UNESCO Global Geopark, Hungary

Geodiversity is the natural range of elements in the physical environment. The relationships, properties, and systems of geoscientific features have an impact not only on the natural world but also on cultural and societal aspects of life. Geodiversity can be considered as a quantitative variable that is unevenly distributed all over the world. This spatial variability helps to locate areas with a high degree of geodiversity. These areas can be the basis of further nature protection and geotourism purposes: high geodiversity usually means higher scientific/cultural/ecological values in an area. We present a GIS-based workflow in which we collect, evaluate, and visualize geoscientific variables to provide information on the geodiversity of the Bakony–Balaton UNESCO Global Geopark in Hungary. By using mainly freely accessible data and an open-source GIS environment, we aim to develop a method that can be applied in many areas of the world. The evaluation is built up by the determination of five sub-indices per unit area, which are related to the elements of geodiversity: geology, relief, hydrology, soil, palaeontology, and mineralogy. The geodiversity index is the sum of the sub-indices. The current tourism potential is mainly found in the high geodiversity regions: the Balaton Uplands, the Tapolca Basin, the Káli Basin, and the Bakony Mountains. The results show that the current geopark infrastructure is in accordance with the geodiversity, but it took several years to reach this state. However, new geoparks are established every year and their infrastructure is yet to be planned. The method we apply helps in this process by using open-source data in the assessment and provides a workflow in areas that have not been evaluated before.

Urban Boundary Demarcation—An iCN Model Approach

During the last two decades, determining the urban boundaries of cities has become one of the major concerns in the urban and regional planning subject domains. Many scholars have tried to model the change of urban boundaries as it helps with sustainable development, population projections and social policy making, but such efforts have been futile, owing to the complex nature of urbanization and the theoretical and technical limitations of the proposed applications. Hence, many countries continue to rely on the administrative boundary demarcation, which rarely represent the actual urbanizing pattern. In such context, this study utilized the “Intersection-Based Clustered Network Model—(iCN Model)” to determine the urban boundaries of cities and selected Sri Lanka as the study area and considered few cities to test the model empirically, with satellite imagery classified urban boundaries. The findings of the study depict that the iCN Model is capable of capturing the complex and dynamic socioeconomic interdependencies of cities via the transportation network configurations. Therefore, the proposed approach is an excellent proxy to derive the urban boundaries of cities, which correspond with the same, derived by the satellite imageries. The proposed model is entirely based on open-source GIS applications and is free to implement and modify using the methods described in this paper.

Lifelong training program on QGIS tools for earth observation sciences in south-east Europe

Earth Observation (EO) data are an indispensable source of useful geospatial information, which can be efficiently combined with other data within the latest released open-source QGIS software. This paper aims: i) to present a general overview of the QGIS EO plugins; ii) to promote the Lifelong Learning (LLL) courses for open-source QGIS software tools provided by the Geo-SEE Institute from Skopje; iii) to appreciate the advantages of open-source QGIS for developing and improving EO applications. The training objectives are to enhance the research, development tools and technologies of QGIS and stimulate the obtaining and disseminating knowledge to utilize the open-source GIS software. Furthermore, there is a growing need to increase the number of well-educated professionals on issues related to the EO sciences in South-East Europe (SEE), who are better prepared for the labor market in today's digital revolution by using QGIS tools and plugins combined with other related GIS software platforms provided by the OSGeo family.

Using Landsat Images to Determine Water Storing Capacity in Mediterranean Environments

Reservoirs play an important role in water management and are key elements for water supply. Monitoring is needed in order to guarantee the quantity and quality of stored water. However, this task is sometimes not easy. The objective of this study was to develop a procedure for predicting volume of stored water with remote sensing in water bodies under Mediterranean climate conditions. To achieve this objective,multispectral Landsat 7 and 8 images (NASA) were analyzed for the following five reservoirs: La Serena,La Pedrera, Beniarrés, Cubillas and Negratín (Spain). Reservoirs water surface was computed with the spectral angle mapper (SAM) algorithm.After that, cross-validation regression models were computed in order to assess the capability of water surface estimations to predict stored water in each of the reservoirs. The statistical models were trained with Landsat 7 images and were validated by using Landsat 8 images. Our results suggest a good capability of water volume prediction from free satellite imagery derived from surface water estimations. Combining free remote sensing images and open source GIS algorithms can be a very useful tool for water management and an integrated and efficient way to control water storage,especially in low accessible sites.

P.A.S.T. in Coast Project: A Tool for the Research and Enhancement of Prehistoric Archaeology on the Amalfi Coast

The archaeological complex of the Amalfi Coast represents a sector of great development capacity within an area defined as a UNESCO World Heritage site on the basis of the typical stratified cultural landscape. The project presented in this report acts in a specific field of archaeology, prehistoric and protohistoric, of which there are many examples in the Amalfi Coast, even if they are not always clearly legible, and focuses on the analysis of old data, on the acquisition of new information and on their processing through an open-source GIS database. The project seeks results on two different levels: the purely scientific and the more sociocultural.

Geomorphological Analysis in an Open-Source GIS for a Context of Peri-Urban Archaeology: The Medieval Settlement of San Lorenzo in Carmignano (Foggia, Italy)

The archaeological investigations conducted at the medieval site of San Lorenzo in Carmignano, just outside the city of Foggia, Italy, fall within a broader context of archaeological research on earthworks in the Middle Ages, in the area of the Tavoliere plain. The settlement is attested as a casale since 1092, in 1166 it was classified as a castrum, until the Late Medieval abandonment. Evident traces of ditches and embankments, over an area of over 25 ha, were already visible in the aerial photos, taken during the Second World War by British military aircrafts and analysed by J. Bradford. Since 2005, stratigraphic excavations have been undertaken by the Department of Humanities of the University of Foggia and, more recently, it has been possible to obtain satellite images and high-resolution digital models of the land from satellite data, orienting research on the analysis of micro-relief, aimed at finding the traces relating to the earth fortifications still perceptible on the site. The integration between the data obtained from modern satellite images and those returned by the pioneering archaeological aerial photography of the 40 s of the last century allowed to shed new light on a relevant settlement in the context of the landscape and medieval population of northern Puglia.