Geographical Distribution of Kumadugu-Yobe River Basin Wetlands

Understanding the availability and distribution of wetlands is key to conservation, exploitation and better management of wetlands resources. The wetlands of Kumadugu-Yobe river basin are widely spread within the sedimentary formation beyond the famous Hadejia Nguru wetlands. This study identified and map out the spatial distribution of KYRB wetlands using field observation information, the basin base map, the topographical map and high resolution Google image and Advance very High Resolution spectroradiometer (AVHRS) NDVI (Normalized Vegetation Differncial Index) data of 2018, in mapping the wetlands spatial distribution pattern. The findings of the study classified the basin wetlands in to flood plain along the river banks, surface depressions ponds and Oasis. The basin wetlands are spread all over the sedimentary geological formation of the basin. The wetlands of the mid and downstream parts of KYRB are largely spread along river Yobe, river Kumadugu-Gana, small tributaries (Alaraba, Damaturu, Budum-Gana among others), famous Hadejia-Nguru wetlands, Oases at the northern parts of the river Yobe and isolated pockets of ponds. The study recommended for effective geo data base for the wetlands.

A provisional guide to German military topographic map series of Ottoman Asia in the First World War

In acknowledgment that no war can be fought without maps, German military cartography between 1915 and 1918 gradually extended its cartographic involvement in the Ottoman theaters of Sinai, Mesopotamia and Palestine. By the end of the Great War, six topographical map series had been specially produced: Operationskarte in 1:800,000, Karte des türkisch-ägyptischen Grenzgebietes in 1:250,000, Karte von Mesopotamien (und Syrien) in 1:400,000, Karte von Nordbabylonien in 1:200,000, and Karte von Palästina in three scales 1:100,000, 1:50,000, and 1:25,000. The paper makes the first attempt on a carto-bibliographical appraisal of these map series.

Geotourism Potentials of Geosites in Durrës Municipality, Albania

Present geological and geomorphological objects are non-living features that can enhance curiosity and increase the knowledge of Earth's history, through the development of geotourism. The municipality of Durrës, located in western Albania represents an active tectonic area with numerous landforms, an evidence of geodiversity and geoheritage. In this paper, the most typical geosites are identified mainly based on their scientific values as well as their geotourism potential. After the defining of 5 geosites, through geological and topographical map, we applied the Geosite assessment model (GAM). GAM is widely used in Europe on different areas and has given good results in the evaluation of geosites. The GAM method involves only experts’ opinions, which are essential for the preliminary development of geotourism in Albania. This method produce different main values (MV) and additional values (AV) score, which are very useful results in preservation, conservation and promotion of the area.

Updating Topographic Maps at Scale 1:250000 for Libyan Territory Using Quantum GIS (QGIS) and Open Geospatial Data: Libya Topo-Project

From the beginning of the twentieth century, topographic maps for the Libyan state carried out by various compilers, where the first mapping was carried out by the Italian Military Geographical Institute, the Soviet Union Military, and the U.S. Army, followed by mapping carried out by the Libyan state from the 1950s to the 2000s. Most of these maps have not been digitized and updated using the techniques of geographic information systems and remote sensing. This paper discusses on the objectives, methodology and results of the Libya Topography Project, “Libya Topo” for updating the previously compiled topographical map at scale, 1:250000. Open spatial data from different platforms (OSM, Logistics Cluster, Landsat 8 satellite imagery, and SRTM data, etc.). Also, POIs extracted from previously compiled topographic and geological maps. Spatial database for each UTM zone created to store the features and raster. As for the cartographic style, the map layout adopted is the style of the U.S. Defense Mapping Agency maps. The results of the project are an update of 121 topographical map sheets using Quantum (GIS), those will be freely available for the interested users on request (e.g., environmentalists, academics, and university students, etc.).