Mass movements susceptibility mapping by using heuristic approach. Case study: province of Tétouan (North of Morocco)

This research paper aims to model Mass Movements Susceptibility (MMS) in the province of Tétouan. First, we identified the characteristics and spatial mapping of the different types of MM (collapse, mudflows, and complex landslides) by means of the interpretation of satellite images and from fieldwork. Subsequently, we selected the predictive parameters controlling the occurrence of MM e.g. lithology, land use, fault density, hydrographic network density, slope degrees, slope aspects, and elevation. We used the heuristic method for Modeling Mass Movements Susceptibility (MMMS). The choice of this method compared to other methods (fractal, factorial, and neurons) is justified by the possibilities of intervention and the judgment of the expert who relies on the ground truth to select the parameters, to identify the classes, and to assign the weights to each one; unlike to other methods with steps that are done automatically and randomly. The results of the validation of the susceptibility map correspond to 70% compared to the field data and it includes five susceptibility classes (not susceptible, low, moderate, high, and very high). Indeed, the originality of this paper relies on the fact that the creation of our susceptibility map will eventually indicate the areas of roads, dwellings, the extension of urbanization, and dams, which are located in areas at risk of MM. Our map is also a powerful decision-making tool to conduct management plans and to guide the selection of sites to build new projects; which help mitigate the socio-economic impacts usually encountered when mass movements in Tétouan province are triggered.

How to Define a New Metropolitan Area? The Case of Quito, Ecuador, and Contributions for Urban Planning

The Metropolitan Area of Quito has experienced exponential growth in recent decades, especially in peri-urban sectors. The literature has described this process as “urban sprawl”, a phenomenon that is changing the landscape by increasing land consumption and forming conurbations with the nearest populated centers. This article proposes a new, broader and more complex metropolitan structure for the metropolis of Quito, the linking of neighboring and conurbed areas to the form a new metropolitan area based on the case study of the Metropolitan District of Quito (DMQ). This new metropolitan area identification considers the interpretation of satellite images and the classification of land uses, highlighting the main urban growth areas located outside, but contiguous to the administrative limit of the DMQ, over a period of 19 years (1998 to 2017), the demographics analysis, particularly the densification of new urban peripheral areas close to the DMQ border and the mobility links of population, goods and services between human settlements that allows the configuration of urban corridors and the integration of the territory. The main findings evaluated are the need to evaluate urban planning strategies aimed at sustainable development.

Evaluation and Monitoring of Urban Public Greenspace Planning Using Landscape Metrics in Kunming

Urban greenspace planning plays a crucial role in improving the quality of human settlements and the living standard of citizens. Urban public greenspace (UPGS) is an important part of urban greenspaces. Existing literature rarely includes a scientific evaluation of greenspace plans (including of UPGS) and plan implementation effects. To bridge this gap, this study evaluated and monitored the UPGS plan enacted in 2010 in Kunming, China. Object-based image classification and visual interpretation of satellite images and Google Earth imagery were used to quantify the different periods of UPGS implementation. Six indicators and monitoring at four classic sites were applied to explore the change at two scales (overall scale and district scale) for monitoring the UPGS plan execution. The results showed that UPGS structure greatly improved after plan implementation. However, UPGS provision per capita has not reached the level of greenspace planning and the connectivity was poor. Significant implementation inequalities existed in each district and implementation has lagged behind schedule. This study contributes to a better understanding of greenspace planning and urban planning in general, which can help improve future planning and planning decisions.

New Catastrophic Gas Blowout and Giant Crater on the Yamal Peninsula in 2020: Results of the Expedition and Data Processing

This article describes the results of an Arctic expedition studying the new giant gas blowout crater in the north of Western Siberia, in the central part of the Yamal Peninsula in 2020. It was named C17 in the geoinformation system “Arctic and the World Ocean” created by the Oil and Gas Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (OGRI RAS). On the basis of remote sensing, it can be seen that the formation of the crater C17 was preceded by a long-term growth of the perennial heaving mound (PHM) on the surface of the third marine terrace. Based on the interpretation of satellite images, it was substantiated that the crater C17 was formed in the period 15 May–9 June 2020. For the first time, as a result of aerial photography from inside the crater with a UAV, a 3D model of the crater and a giant cavity in the ground ice, formed during its thawing from below, was built. The accumulation of gas, the pressure rise and the development of gas-dynamic processes in the cavity led to the growth of the PHM, and the explosion and formation of the crater.

INFLUENCE OF NATURAL CONDITIONS OF THE TERRITORY ON FLOODING OF ARTIFICIAL COVERINGS OF THE AIRPORT OF CHITA

he study of flooding of engineering structures as a dangerous engineering and geological process and the prevention of emergencies and environmentally adverse consequences is an important task of national economic importance. The purpose of this work was to study the natural conditions of the area of the Kadala airport in Chita to identify the main causes of flooding of the artificial runway (IVPP). The object of research was the near-surface part of the geological environment, the subject-the factors of formation of hydrogeological, engineering-geological and geocryological conditions. In the course of the research, the following tasks were solved: 1) identification of factors that affect flooding; 2) assessment and proposal of acceptable protective measures. The research methodology included: collection and analysis of materials from previous engineering and geological studies; interpretation of satellite images; field survey of the artificial runway and adjacent territory; analysis of hydrometeorological conditions. As a result of the research, the factors that lead to flooding of the south-eastern section of the airport, and in winter to the formation of ice and deformations on this section of the airport’s artificial surfaces are determined. The identified factors are divided into regional and local. The hydrogeological and engineering-geological conditions of the territory and their dynamics over time are considered. It is determined that the main factors of flooding are the creation of barrages in the path of the movement of underground water and the intensive freezing of the soil on the section of the artificial runway. Recommendations for the stabilization of the ground base on this site and measures for the engineering protection of the airport territory are given. The implementation of the recommendations will ensure the accident-free operation of the artificial runway and improve the environmental condition of the settlement adjacent to the airport from the south-east

Identification of urban infrastructure objects using the remote satellite sensing of traffic flows on streets with irregular traffic

The article deals with the problems of determining the intensity of traffic flows on streets and roads with irregular traffic for the purposes of design, heavy repair, reconstruction and traffic management. The impossibility of using existing monitoring methods at decentralized transport facilities and algorithms for decrypting remote satellite surveillance materials predetermined the necessity of developing a mathematical model within the framework of multifactor forecasting. During the studying of significant factors, the influence of variability in the population density and the capacity of general education facilities was investigated. Identification signs of educational institutions used in the interpretation of satellite images were obtained. The polynomial dependences of the traffic intensity on the specified characteristics were developed. The carried out correlation assessment allows us to talk about the high degree of reliability of results of analytical determination of intensity on the streets with irregular traffic.

Transformation of Geosystems of the Pre-Baikal Pre-Drift Zone

The results of the work are aimed at solving a fundamental problem related to the forecast of changes in the natural environment of the Russian regions.Modern problems of geographical research are aimed at studying geosystems that develop under the conditions of climatic or geodynamic changes. The territory is characterized by the diversity and contrast of geosystems, which makes the study area unique for identifying the factors of their transformation. The article presents the results of generalization of information obtained in the course of field research, in the analysis of literary and cartographic data in order to identify the specifics of the transformation of plateau geosystems. The features of transformation of geosystems of the research area are revealed. Various blocks of transformation of geosystems are considered, the synthesis of knowledge about which made it possible to create a systematic picture of the transformation of geosystems of the territory. It is shown that the history of the development of geosystems in the research area is largely related to the impact of the Baikal rift zone on the outskirts of the Siberian Platform. The specificity of the spatial organization of geosystems within its boundaries is shown. It is established that at present the most intensive transformations are characteristic of the area of the upper reaches of the Orlinga River, where new young geosystems are being formed. The materials are presented in the form of information synthesis of data and knowledge about the territory, based on the theory of geosystems of Academician V. B. Sochava, the results of long-term ground route research, cartographic information, and the interpretation of satellite images.

DEFORESTATION MONITORING IN DIFFERENT BRAZILIAN BIOMES: CHALLENGES AND LESSONS

Monitoring the conversion of native vegetation has challenged Brazilian government and scientists since the 1980s. In the case of the Amazonian forests, the Amazon Gross Deforestation Monitoring Project - PRODES has developed an effective methodology that provides consistent annual data on deforestation areas on a scale of 1:250,000, since 1988. In this article, we present some aspects of the evolution of this methodology, the key processes to produce accurate deforestation maps during the last 30 years and the new challenges that the Project would face. A central lesson is that no computational technique has, to date, been able to achieve the quality of deforestation maps produced by visual interpretation of satellite images and manual mapping.

Land Cover Dynamics (from 1986 to 2015) and its Relation with Area Closure and Slope in Hita-Borkena Watershed, Northeastern Ethiopia

Background: Land cover dynamics take place as a result of the integration of both physical and man-made factors. This situation is common in Ethiopia and in the study watershed as well. The study was intended to assess the land cover dynamics through 1986 – 2015 and to identify its relation with slope and landscape restoration that incorporates area closure. The analysis was made based on the interpretation of satellite images. Methods: Both ERDAS IMAGINE 9.1 and ARC GIS 10.3 software were employed in order to generate land cover maps of the study area from satellite images. Also, slope map of the study area was processed from DEM of Ethiopia. Results: The study found out that forestlands and shrublands shrunk through 1986 – 2015, grasslands expanded mainly due to the implementation of landscape restoration including area closure since 2001. Cropland expanded remarkably. Similarly, the coverage of bareland and settlement also increased. Conclusions: Based on the results of the study, it is concluded that similar restoration activities shall be implemented in similar environments in Ethiopia to keep the natural resources, and the vegetation cover of Hita-Borkena watershed shall be improved.