Use of Mobile Devices for E-Learning in Geomatics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mills, H.

2015-05-01

For the last 4 years, the School of Civil Engineering & Geosciences at Newcastle University, UK adapted mobile devices as learning approach only for undergraduate within Geomatics. All incoming students were given a mobile device as learning tool, which was supposed to be there main way to accessing teaching material. This paper will present how students adopted the mobile devices and how their learning has changed using mobile devices. It will highlight which apps can be used in a Geomatics teaching environment to engage students in their learning and teaching environment. The paper will furthermore look into apps which help students within the area of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, such as the Autodesk 123D catch up or the Remote RDP app to remotely control surveying instrumentations, such as laser scanners. Those apps are easy tools to engage students within digital learning environment which the students are familiar with. The paper will show how students embrace the technology but also current limitation of using those within Higher education establishments, such as sufficient Wifi and student support for using mobile devices.

Geomatic methods applied to the study of the front position changes of Johnsons and Hurd Glaciers, Livingston Island, Antarctica, between 1957 and 2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez Cielos, Ricardo; Aguirre de Mata, Julián; Díez Galilea, Andrés; Álvarez Alonso, Marina; Rodríguez Cielos, Pedro; Navarro Valero, Francisco

2016-08-01

Various geomatic measurement techniques can be efficiently combined for surveying glacier fronts. Aerial photographs and satellite images can be used to determine the position of the glacier terminus. If the glacier front is easily accessible, the classic surveys using theodolite or total station, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) techniques, laser-scanner or close-range photogrammetry are possible. When the accessibility to the glacier front is difficult or impossible, close-range photogrammetry proves to be useful, inexpensive and fast. In this paper, a methodology combining photogrammetric methods and other techniques is applied to determine the calving front position of Johnsons Glacier. Images taken in 2013 with an inexpensive nonmetric digital camera are georeferenced to a global coordinate system by measuring, using GNSS techniques, support points in accessible areas close to the glacier front, from which control points in inaccessible points on the glacier surface near its calving front are determined with theodolite using the direct intersection method. The front position changes of Johnsons Glacier during the period 1957-2013, as well as those of the land-terminating fronts of Argentina, Las Palmas and Sally Rocks lobes of Hurd glacier, are determined from different geomatic techniques such as surface-based GNSS measurements, aerial photogrammetry and satellite optical imagery. This provides a set of frontal positions useful, e.g., for glacier dynamics modeling and mass balance studies.Link to the data repository: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.845379.

Geomatics for Maritime Parks and Preserved Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lo Tauro, Agata

2009-11-01

The aim of this research is to use hyperspectral MIVIS data for protection of sensitive cultural, natural resources, Nature Reserves and maritime parks. A knowledge of the distribution of submerged vegetation is useful to monitor the health of ecosystems in coastal areas. The objective of this project was to develop a new methodology within geomatic environment to facilitate the analysis and application of Local Institutions who are not familiar with Spatial Analysis softwares in order to implement new research activities in this field of study. Field controls may be carried out with the support of accurate and novel in situ analysis in order to determine the training sites for the novel tested classification. The methodology applied demonstrates that the combination of hyperspectral sensors and ESA Remote Sensing (RS) data can be used to analyse thematic cartography of submerged vegetation and land use analysis for Sustainable Development. This project will be implemented for Innovative Educational and Research Programmes.

Virtual 3d City Modeling: Techniques and Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, S. P.; Jain, K.; Mandla, V. R.

2013-08-01

3D city model is a digital representation of the Earth's surface and it's related objects such as Building, Tree, Vegetation, and some manmade feature belonging to urban area. There are various terms used for 3D city models such as "Cybertown", "Cybercity", "Virtual City", or "Digital City". 3D city models are basically a computerized or digital model of a city contains the graphic representation of buildings and other objects in 2.5 or 3D. Generally three main Geomatics approach are using for Virtual 3-D City models generation, in first approach, researcher are using Conventional techniques such as Vector Map data, DEM, Aerial images, second approach are based on High resolution satellite images with LASER scanning, In third method, many researcher are using Terrestrial images by using Close Range Photogrammetry with DSM & Texture mapping. We start this paper from the introduction of various Geomatics techniques for 3D City modeling. These techniques divided in to two main categories: one is based on Automation (Automatic, Semi-automatic and Manual methods), and another is Based on Data input techniques (one is Photogrammetry, another is Laser Techniques). After details study of this, finally in short, we are trying to give the conclusions of this study. In the last, we are trying to give the conclusions of this research paper and also giving a short view for justification and analysis, and present trend for 3D City modeling. This paper gives an overview about the Techniques related with "Generation of Virtual 3-D City models using Geomatics Techniques" and the Applications of Virtual 3D City models. Photogrammetry, (Close range, Aerial, Satellite), Lasergrammetry, GPS, or combination of these modern Geomatics techniques play a major role to create a virtual 3-D City model. Each and every techniques and method has some advantages and some drawbacks. Point cloud model is a modern trend for virtual 3-D city model. Photo-realistic, Scalable, Geo-referenced virtual 3-D City model is a very useful for various kinds of applications such as for planning in Navigation, Tourism, Disasters Management, Transportations, Municipality, Urban Environmental Managements and Real-estate industry. So the Construction of Virtual 3-D city models is a most interesting research topic in recent years.

Integration of Geomatics Techniques for Digitizing Highly Relevant Geological and Cultural Heritage Sites: the Case of San Leo (italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girelli, V. A.; Borgatti, L.; Dellapasqua, M.; Mandanici, E.; Spreafico, M. C.; Tini, M. A.; Bitelli, G.

2017-08-01

The research activities described in this contribution were carried out at San Leo (Italy). The town is located on the top of a quadrangular rock slab affected by a complex system of fractures and has a wealth of cultural heritage, as evidenced by the UNESCO's nomination. The management of this fragile set requires a comprehensive system of geometrical information to analyse and preserve all the geological and cultural features. In this perspective, the latest Geomatics techniques were used to perform some detailed surveys and to manage the great amount of acquired geometrical knowledge of both natural (the cliff) and historical heritage. All the data were also georeferenced in a unique reference system. In particular, high accurate terrestrial laser scanner surveys were performed for the whole cliff, in order to obtain a dense point cloud useful for a large number of geological studies, among others the analyses of the last rockslide by comparing pre- and post-event data. Moreover, the geometrical representation of the historical centre was performed using different approaches, in order to generate an accurate DTM and DSM of the site. For these purposes, a large scale numerical map was used, integrating the data with GNSS and laser surveys of the area. Finally, many surveys were performed with different approaches on some of the most relevant monuments of the town. In fact, these surveys were performed by terrestrial laser scanner, light structured scanner and photogrammetry, the last mainly applied with the Structure from Motion approach.

Geoinformation postgraduate education at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia - towards a centre of high quality postgraduate education and research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, S.; Kanniah, K. D.; Rahman, A. A.

2015-10-01

Studying at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) will ensure academic and technological excellence. The Faculty of Geoinformation and Real Estate (FGHT), established in 1972, focus on education and research for undergraduate as well as postgraduate programs in the related disciplines such as geomatic engineering, geoinformatics, remote sensing, property management and land administration & development. FGHT strives to be a leading academic center in geoinformation and real estate in Southeast Asia. Graduates and alumni form major strong professional societies and work force in the related industries. Many of our graduates end up with good jobs not just in Malaysia but also in other countries (Asian, Middle East, Africa and Europe). The strong team and knowledgeable academic members in this faculty provide excellent ingredients for the success of the programs (i.e. with the relevant and up-to-date curriculum and syllabus). FGHT is continuously working to provide and offer first-class geoinformation and real estate education and research in the country and be at a par with other leading institutions in other parts of the globe. The Department of Geoinformation at FGHT runs a Bachelor of Engineering in Geomatic and a Bachelor of Science in Geoinformatics. At the postgraduate levels, namely M.Sc. and PhD programs, the offered disciplines are Geomatic Engineering, Geoinformatics and Remote Sensing. In the following, the state of the art of FGHT's postgraduate education in Geoinformation is presented, including a comparison with other universities in Malaysia, program content and curriculum information, alumni statistics as well as future strategies.

The Tempio della Consolazione in Todi: Integrated Geomatic Techniques for a Monument Description Including Structural Damage Evolution in Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radicioni, F.; Matracchi, P.; Brigante, R.; Brozzi, A.; Cecconi, M.; Stoppini, A.; Tosi, G.

2017-05-01

The Tempio della Consolazione in Todi (16th cent.) has always been one of the most significant symbols of the Umbrian landscape. Since the first times after its completion (1606) the structure has exhibited evidences of instability, due to foundation subsiding and/or seismic activity. Structural and geotechnical countermeasures have been undertaken on the Tempio and its surroundings from the 17th century until recent times. Until now a truly satisfactory analysis of the overall deformation and attitude of the building has not been performed, since the existing surveys record the overhangs of the pillars, the crack pattern or the subsidence over limited time spans. Describing the attitude of the whole church is in fact a complex operation due to the architectural character of the building, consisting of four apses (three polygonal and one semicircular) covered with half domes, which surround the central area with the large dome. The present research aims to fill the gap of knowledge with a global study based on geomatic techniques for an accurate 3D reconstruction of geometry and attitude, integrated with a historical research on damage and interventions and a geotechnical analysis. The geomatic survey results from the integration of different techniques: GPS-GNSS for global georeferencing, laser scanning and digital photogrammetry for an accurate 3D reconstruction, high precision total station and geometric leveling for a direct survey of deformations and cracks, and for the alignment of the laser scans. The above analysis allowed to assess the dynamics of the cracks occurred in the last 25 years by a comparison with a previous survey. From the photographic colour associated to the point cloud was also possible to map the damp patches showing on the domes intrados, mapping their evolution over the last years.

The Geomatics Contribution for the Valorisation Project in the Rocca of San Silvestro Landscape Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brocchini, D.; Chiabrando, F.; Colucci, E.; Sammartano, G.; Spanò, A.; Teppati Losè, L.; Villa, A.

2017-05-01

This paper proposes an emblematic project where several multi-sensor strategies for spatial data acquisition and management, range based and image based, were combined to create a series of integrated territorial and architectural scale products characterized by a rich multi-content nature. The work presented here was finalized in a test site that is composed by an ensemble of diversified cultural deposits; the objects that were surveyed and modelled range from the landscape with its widespread mining sites, the main tower with its defensive role, the urban configuration of the settlement, the building systems and techniques, a medieval mine. For this reason, the Rocca of San Silvestro represented a perfect test case, due to its complex and multi-stratified character. This archaeological site is a medieval fortified village near the municipality of Campiglia Marittima (LI), Italy. The Rocca is part of an Archaeological Mines Park and is included in the Parchi della Val di Cornia (a system of archaeological parks, natural parks and museums in the south-west of Tuscany). The fundamental role of a deep knowledge about a cultural artefact before the planning of a restoration and valorisation project is globally recognized; the qualitative and quantitative knowledge provided by geomatics techniques is part of this process. The paper will present the different techniques that were used, the products that were obtained and will focus on some mapping and WEB GIS applications and analyses that were performed and considerations that were made.

Computer Aided Teaching in Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, and Geomatics - A Status Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vyas, A.; Koenig, G.

2014-04-01

Education and training play vital role in the utilization of the technology. Shared and coordinated knowledge that geospatial technology and GIS deliver provides a deeper understanding of our present and will also help to better understand our future development. But it is not enough to explain new technological developments during congresses or workshops; it is also necessary to promote these new ideas and to distribute the knowledge by applying new learning strategies. This paper will review the status of computer aided teaching advances during the last decade, with a particular emphasis on photogrammetry, remote sensing, and geomatics. Some best practise examples will be presented featuring prominently recent Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) related to our fields. The consideration of mainly free online learning resources will include a commentary on quality and perceived effectiveness.

D Modeling with Photogrammetry by Uavs and Model Quality Verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrile, V.; Bilotta, G.; Nunnari, A.

2017-11-01

This paper deals with a test lead by Geomatics laboratory (DICEAM, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria), concerning the application of UAV photogrammetry for survey, monitoring and checking. The study case relies with the surroundings of the Department of Agriculture Sciences. In the last years, such area was interested by landslides and survey activities carried out to take the phenomenon under control. For this purpose, a set of digital images were acquired through a UAV equipped with a digital camera and GPS. Successively, the processing for the production of a 3D georeferenced model was performed by using the commercial software Agisoft PhotoScan. Similarly, the use of a terrestrial laser scanning technique allowed to product dense cloud and 3D models of the same area. To assess the accuracy of the UAV-derived 3D models, a comparison between image and range-based methods was performed.

Geomatic 3d Modeling of a Statue (also) for Structural Analysis and Risk Evaluation: the Example of San Giovannino Martelli in Florence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spangher, A.; Visintini, D.; Tucci, G.; Bonora, V.

2017-05-01

This work has been developed among the researches of a PhD thesis in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture of the University of Udine in cooperation with the GECO Laboratory of the University of Florence. It focuses on the interaction between Geomatics and Structural Analysis, both applied to cultural heritage, and expressly to artefacts and structures in stone materials, like the case study of this paper, the marble statue called "San Giovannino Martelli" (Saint John the Baptist) conserved in Florence. At the beginning, some interesting examples of surveying and structural analyses on statues are reported, in order to remind the complementary tasks and requirements of geomatics and structural analysis. Current laser scanning systems can accurately survey the geometry of a statue or any cultural heritage artefact, essential to understand their structural behaviour and resilience capability. Afterwards, following the few Italian regulations in this field, the possible risks of museum goods are described: topics of this part are more familiar for structural engineers as object classification, seismic reactions, damage mechanisms, possible movements (adherent, slipping and oscillation), dynamic domains, anyway necessary steps to evaluate the risk and so to define eventual interventions. The artistic description of the statue, its debated attribution to Donatello or/and to Desiderio da Settignano and its history is later recalled, remembering that the surveying has been done for the idea to 3D print a replica and to place it in the original place. Having used a close range laser scanner, the obtained 3D model has an impressive geometrical Level of Detail (LoD), whose geometric features are explained in the paper, underlying that such extremely detailed mesh is directly given as output from the laser scanner software. The model simplifications by four decimation are therefore explained and also changes to geometry, like shifts on centre of the mass or barycentre with respect to the original one, are evaluated: since these are pretty null, all the models can be used for structural analysis. Software Scan-and-Solve, a Rhinoceros plug-in, has been employed for Finite Elements Method (FEM) analysis, considering the sole weight and also a horizontal force, as a seismic event or an accidental push, that can synthesize the possible statue risks. The force intensity and geometry have been computed considering the resistance to the overturning for the adherence among statue and pedestal. The more numerically accurate results has been obtained with the more simplified model, having only 7% of initial triangles, since this situation better exploits the computational resources for solver precision and for congruent geometrical LoD and FEM resolution.

Informatics: A Brief Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

He, Shaoyi

2003-01-01

Provides a brief survey of informatics, defined as the application of information technology to various fields, with respect to its historical background, disciplinary identity, fundamental aspects, applications, and challenges. Highlights include biological, clinical, dental, environmental, geomatics, health, legal, management, medical, museum,…

Canadian and U.S. Cooperation for the development of standards and specifications for emerging mapping technologies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Habib, A.; Jarvis, A.; Al-Durgham, M. M.; Lay, J.; Quackenbush, P.; Stensaas, G.; Moe, D.

2007-01-01

The mapping community is witnessing significant advances in available sensors, such as medium format digital cameras (MFDC) and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems. In this regard, the Digital Photogrammetry Research Group (DPRG) of the Department of Geomatics Engineering at the University of Calgary has been actively involved in the development of standards and specifications for regulating the use of these sensors in mapping activities. More specifically, the DPRG has been working on developing new techniques for the calibration and stability analysis of medium format digital cameras. This research is essential since these sensors have not been developed with mapping applications in mind. Therefore, prior to their use in Geomatics activies, new standards should be developed to ensure the quality of the developed products. In another front, the persistent improvement in direct geo-referencing technology has led to an expansion in the use of LiDAR systems for the acquisition of dense and accurate surface information. However, the processing of the raw LiDAR data (e.g., ranges, mirror angles, and navigation data) remains a non-transparent process that is proprietary to the manufacturers of LiDAR systems. Therefore, the DPRG has been focusing on the development of quality control procedures to quantify the accuracy of LiDAR output in the absence of initial system measurements. This paper presents a summary of the research conducted by the DPRG together with the British Columbia Base Mapping and Geomatic Services (BMGS) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for the development of quality assurance and quality control procedures for emerging mapping technologies. The outcome of this research will allow for the possiblity of introducing North American Standards and Specifications to regulate the use of MFDC and LiDAR systems in the mapping industry.

Mission-Oriented Sensor Arrays and UAVs - a Case Study on Environmental Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figueira, N. M.; Freire, I. L.; Trindade, O.; Simões, E.

2015-08-01

This paper presents a new concept of UAV mission design in geomatics, applied to the generation of thematic maps for a multitude of civilian and military applications. We discuss the architecture of Mission-Oriented Sensors Arrays (MOSA), proposed in Figueira et Al. (2013), aimed at splitting and decoupling the mission-oriented part of the system (non safety-critical hardware and software) from the aircraft control systems (safety-critical). As a case study, we present an environmental monitoring application for the automatic generation of thematic maps to track gunshot activity in conservation areas. The MOSA modeled for this application integrates information from a thermal camera and an on-the-ground microphone array. The use of microphone arrays technology is of particular interest in this paper. These arrays allow estimation of the direction-of-arrival (DOA) of the incoming sound waves. Information about events of interest is obtained by the fusion of the data provided by the microphone array, captured by the UAV, fused with information from the termal image processing. Preliminary results show the feasibility of the on-the-ground sound processing array and the simulation of the main processing module, to be embedded into an UAV in a future work. The main contributions of this paper are the proposed MOSA system, including concepts, models and architecture.

Geomatics Education in Saudi Arabia: Status, Challenges and Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aina, Yusuf Adedoyin

2009-01-01

Geospatial technology has been identified as one of the three most important emerging fields along with nanotechnology and biotechnology. The application of the technology is expected to grow and become more diversified in the coming years. In Saudi Arabia, the utilization of geotechnology is growing but still limited compared to the Western…

Redeveloping Nicosia International Airport: An Extroverting Y2 Group Design Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yiatros, S.

2017-01-01

This article follows the timeline of the "Nicosia International Airport: The Return" Integrated Design Project which was undertaken by Year 2 students of Civil Engineering and Geomatics at the Cyprus University of Technology in Cyprus. The Nicosia International Airport was the first and main airport of the Republic of Cyprus since its…

Metric Documentation of Cultural Heritage: Research Directions from the Italian Gamher Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bitelli, G.; Balletti, C.; Brumana, R.; Barazzetti, L.; D'Urso, M. G.; Rinaudo, F.; Tucci, G.

2017-08-01

GAMHer is a collaborative project that aims at exploiting and validating Geomatics algorithms, methodologies and procedures in the framework of new European regulations, which require a more extensive and productive use of digital information, as requested by the Digital Agenda for Europe as one of the seven pillars of the Europe 2020 Strategy. To this aim, GAMHer focuses on the need of a certified accuracy for surveying and monitoring projects with photogrammetry and laser scanning technologies, especially when used in a multiscale approach for landscape and built heritage documentation, conservation, and management. The approach used follows a multi-LoD (level of detail) transition that exploits GIS systems at the landscape scale, BIM technology and "point cloud based" 3d modelling for the scale of the building, and an innovative BIM/GIS integrated approach to foster innovation, promote users' collaboration and encourage communication between users. The outcomes of GAMHer are not intended to be used only by a community of Geomatics specialists, but also by a heterogeneous user community that exploit images and laser scans in their professional activities.

Geomatic Methodologies for the Study of Teatro Massimo in Palermo (italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dardanelli, G.; Allegra, M.; Giammarresi, V.; Lo Brutto, M.; Pipitone, C.; Baiocchi, V.

2017-05-01

This work illustrates the use of geomatics techniques for the documentation of Teatro Massimo in Palermo (Italy), one of the most important and big in Italy and in Europe. The theatre is characterized by a very complex structure and is realized also using innovative solution, studied at the time of the project specifically for this building; for example, an original system was realized for a natural air-conditioning system of the auditorium. Due to his complexity, the documentation of the Teatro Massimo requires studying specific survey solutions for the different parts of the building. In this paper, some studies on two of the most representative parts of the building were described. In particular, a 3D survey of the auditorium was carried out to obtain a first 3D model of the most important internal part; a very accurate monitoring of structure inside the dome of the theatre was also carried out. The survey of the auditorium was realized by a Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), that has allowed the creation of a digital archive of point clouds, showing, however, the some level of criticality due to the complex shapes of building and of architectural details. The work has highlighted that specific strategy to optimize the number of acquisitions needed for the complete documentation of the auditorium. The monitoring of the structure inside the dome was carried out by topographic and photogrammetric techniques. The monitoring was aimed at measuring the displacements of the support devices connecting the iron structure of the dome. The monitoring has allowed to understand and to test the proper functionality of this complex system. Some tests were carried out also by a thermal camera to correlate the displacements of the support devices with the dilatations produced by steel thermal gradients.

Overview of 3D Documentation Data and Tools available for Archaeological Researches: case study of the Romanesque Church of Dugny-sur-Meuse (France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macher, H.; Grussenmeyer, P.; Kraemer, C.; Guillemin, S.

2015-08-01

In this paper, the 3D documentation of the full structure of the Romanesque church of Dugny-sur-Meuse is discussed. In 2012 and 2013, a 3D recording project was carried out under the supervision of the Photogrammetry and Geomatics Research Group from INSA Strasbourg (France) in cooperation with C. Kraemer, archaeologist from Nancy (France). The goal of the project was on one hand to propose new solutions and tools to the archaeologists in charge of the project especially for stone by stone measurements. On the other hand, a simplified 3D model was required by the local authorities for communication purposes. To achieve these goals several techniques were applied namely GNSS measurements and accurate traverse networks, photogrammetric recordings and terrestrial laser scanning acquisitions. The various acquired data are presented in this paper. Based on these data, several deliverables are also proposed. The generation of orthoimages from plane as well as cylindrical surfaces is considered. Moreover, the workflow for the creation of a 3D simplified model is also presented.

Geomatics, Support for an Efficient Urban Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moscovici, Anca-Maria; Grecea, Carmen

2017-10-01

Geomatics represents a natural consequence of the accelerated development of information technology; it’s a combination of the basic concepts of Geodesy and Geoinformation and encompasses a wide range of the fields, including tools and techniques used in surveying, mapping, remote sensing, Geographic information systems (GIS), global navigation systems by satellite (GPS), geography, planning and decision making in almost all areas: infrastructure, environment, demography, urbanism, health, sociology, economics, tourism, administration, transportation and many others. As a consequence of the population growth and industrialization, society has become more complex for government and other institutions, with the result that more complex and complicated tasks have to be performed. In order to solve these tasks properly, more and more information is required. Having passed through the stages of agricultural and industrial societies, we now live in an information society. Town planning cadastre defines itself as a particular cadastre, a part of the general one, which involves inventory and systematic evidence of the buildings, fields, networks and utilities inside towns. All these problems regard both technical and economic aspects. In order to automate cadastral activity, the first important procedure is to collect all physical information from a certain territory, which will supply later on the database for town cadastre. Geodetic activity for engineering projects is able to provide accurate solutions for positioning, setting out, control, mapping in order to cover basic needs of land administrative information and decision making for the local authorities. The paper points out the purpose and the importance of town planning cadastre for providing the exact data on the situation of the urban fond in order to identify its needs; it presents the case of Timisoara city located in the western side of Romania that has been chosen as the European Capital of Culture for 2021. As a national strategy, a key component in the policies of growth poles is promoting urban development as part of a long-term project with sustainable impact on economic, cultural and social development.

Use of Openly Available Satellite Images for Remote Sensing Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, C.-K.

2011-09-01

With the advent of Google Earth, Google Maps, and Microsoft Bing Maps, high resolution satellite imagery are becoming more easily accessible than ever. It have been the case that the college students may already have wealth experiences with the high resolution satellite imagery by using these software and web services prior to any formal remote sensing education. It is obvious that the remote sensing education should be adjusted to the fact that the audience are already the customers of remote sensing products (through the use of the above mentioned services). This paper reports the use of openly available satellite imagery in an introductory-level remote sensing course in the Department of Geomatics of National Cheng Kung University as a term project. From the experience learned from the fall of 2009 and 2010, it shows that this term project has effectively aroused the students' enthusiastic toward Remote Sensing.

Distributed UAV-Swarm Real-Time Geomatic Data Collection Under Dynamically Changing Resolution Requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almeida, Miguel; Hildmann, Hanno; Solmaz, Gürkan

2017-08-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been used for reconnaissance and surveillance missions as far back as the Vietnam War, but with the recent rapid increase in autonomy, precision and performance capabilities - and due to the massive reduction in cost and size - UAVs have become pervasive products, available and affordable for the general public. The use cases for UAVs are in the areas of disaster recovery, environmental mapping & protection and increasingly also as extended eyes and ears of civil security forces such as fire-fighters and emergency response units. In this paper we present a swarm algorithm that enables a fleet of autonomous UAVs to collectively perform sensing tasks related to environmental and rescue operations and to dynamically adapt to e.g. changing resolution requirements. We discuss the hardware used to build our own drones and the settings under which we validate the proposed approach.

Modelling and mapping trace element accumulation in Sphagnum peatlands at the European scale using a geomatic model of pollutant emissions dispersion.

PubMed

Diaz-de-Quijano, Maria; Joly, Daniel; Gilbert, Daniel; Toussaint, Marie-Laure; Franchi, Marielle; Fallot, Jean-Michel; Bernard, Nadine

2016-07-01

Trace elements (TEs) transported by atmospheric fluxes can negatively impact isolated ecosystems. Modelling based on moss-borne TE accumulation makes tracking TE deposition in remote areas without monitoring stations possible. Using a single moss species from ombrotrophic hummock peatlands reinforces estimate quality. This study used a validated geomatic model of particulate matter dispersion to identify the origin of Cd, Zn, Pb and Cu accumulated in Sphagnum capillifolium and the distance transported from their emission sources. The residential and industrial sectors of particulate matter emissions showed the highest correlations with the TEs accumulated in S. capillifolium (0.28(Zn)-0.56(Cu)) and (0.27(Zn)-0.47(Cu), respectively). Distances of dispersion varied depending on the sector of emissions and the considered TE. The greatest transportation distances for mean emissions values were found in the industrial (10.6 km when correlating with all TEs) and roads sectors (13 km when correlating with Pb). The residential sector showed the shortest distances (3.6 km when correlating with Cu, Cd, and Zn). The model presented here is a new tool for evaluating the efficacy of air pollution abatement policies in non-monitored areas and provides high-resolution (200 × 200 m) maps of TE accumulation that make it possible to survey the potential impacts of TEs on isolated ecosystems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geomatics as a Survey Tool to Document and Enhance the Cultural and Landscaped Heritage of the Monumental Complexes in the Mountains of Abruzzo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palestini, C.; Basso, A.

2017-05-01

The themes of the conference provide an opportunity to exchange views on topics of study in which multidisciplinary contributions of geomatics and restoration contribute to the cognitive process aimed at the conservation of cultural Heritage. In this regard, the contribution exposes research aimed at understanding the documentation and the enhancement of unique architectural - landscape patrimony kept in the Abruzzo mountains. It is about the numerous spiritual retreats established by Pietro da Morrone, Pope Celestino V, mounted among unpassable rocky walls, where the architecture blends with its natural environment camouflaging with it. The analysis refers, specifically to the aspects of survey conducted during the years with the aid of integrated methodologies, able to allow the acquisition, management and comparison of the data. The analysis refers, specifically, to recent digital acquisitions involving the development of San Bartolomeo in Legio, on the slopes of Majella near Roccamorice detected with the use of comparative Agisoft Photoscan and Pix4d software, with shots taken with drones of different sizes, able to mount professional photographic cameras and associate to each picture the coordinates Gps of the point of shooting. Follows a confrontation between a survey carried out with 3d laser scanner, Faro Ls1105, and described acquisitions, obtained from ground and from drone with Photoscan, in order to compare the two scans and the metric differences obtained with the two methods.

"Geomat.dk": Historical Instruments of Navigation--Used as Educational Tools in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jakobsen, Ivan Tafteberg; Matthiasen, Jesper

2016-01-01

This paper gives a short description of the scope and content of an educational project. The approach is to use historical navigational devices, such as sextants and cross staffs, to teach mathematics in secondary schools. By making collections of these devices available to teachers and bringing them into the class room a new approach to combine…

Examining the Potential Use of the Collaborative-Geomatics Informatics Tool to Foster Intergenerational Transfer of Knowledge in a Remote First Nation Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isogai, Andrea; McCarthy, Daniel D.; Gardner, Holly L.; Karagatzides, Jim D.; Vandenberg, Skye; Barbeau, Christine; Charania, Nadia; Edwards, Vicky; Cowan, Don; Tsuji, Leonard J. S.

2013-01-01

Northern First Nations in Canada have experienced environmental change throughout history, adapting to these changes based on personal experience interacting with their environment. Community members of Fort Albany First Nation of northern Ontario, Canada, have voiced their concern that their youths' connection to the land is diminishing, making…

Monitoring implementation of desertification combating plan using geomatics - A case study, districts Dhar and Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arunima, Dasgupta; Dhinwa, P. S.; Rajawat, A. S.

2015-02-01

The world's drylands are subject to desertification as a result of extended droughts, climate change, and human activities. Development in drylands depends on addressing degradation of the ecosystem, mainstreaming sustainable natural resources management, and building upon the existing adaptive capacities of communities and institutions. In this regard, recent scientific results aimed to promote sustainable development through action plans for combating desertification. In India, under the Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (IMSD) programme, remote sensing based integrated land and water resource studies were carried out with an objective to generate locale specific action plans for sustainable development of a region. A specific study was carried out, in districts of Jhabua and Dhar, in Madhya Pradesh using Composite Land Development Sites (CLDS) approach for forest and wasteland development and soil and water conservation. Various treatments were suggested and implemented in 1995. The present study was carried out with an objective to monitor the positive impacts of combating plan implementation through visual interpretation and NDVI analysis of temporal images of LISS III data, since 1991 to 2013. The study reveals that there is substantial increase in the area of irrigated agricultural land with increase in number of check dams along with the stream channels.

On The Geodynamics In Latvia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balodis, Janis; Haritonova, Diana; Janpaule, Inese; Normand, Madara; Silabiedis, Gunars; Zarinjsh, Ansis; Rubans, Agusts; Kalinka, Maris; Jumare, Izolde; Lasmane, Ieva

2013-12-01

This paper discusses the research work done in Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformation, University of Latvia, and Department of Geomatics, Riga Technical Univesity, devoted to the geodynamics in Latvia: national geoid model computation, using different methods and data sets, in order to improve its precision; analysis of LatPos and EUPOS®-Riga GNSS permanent station observation data time series for time period of 5 years; development of digital zenith camera for vertical deflection determination.

Redeveloping Nicosia International Airport: an extroverting Y2 group design project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yiatros, S.

2017-11-01

This article follows the timeline of the 'Nicosia International Airport: The Return' Integrated Design Project which was undertaken by Year 2 students of Civil Engineering and Geomatics at the Cyprus University of Technology in Cyprus. The Nicosia International Airport was the first and main airport of the Republic of Cyprus since its independence from the British Empire in 1960. The airport remains closed since the Turkish invasion of 1974 and is located in the buffer zone administered by the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus. In this work, the innovative aspects of a project to inspire and train engineering students are highlighted, while special attention is given to the dissemination and outreach of the project through the social media. The attracted attention of national media and the project's impact on the local society had a cyclical effect, further inspiring students to work hard and act as responsible professional engineers. 'Nicosia International Airport: The Return' is a case study of how an academic engineering project can have societal impact, by inspiring students, engaging practitioners from a wide spectrum of disciplines, captivating the general public and raising the profile of Civil Engineering in the society.

Main Features of a 3d GIS for a Monumental Complex with AN Historical-Cultural Relevance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scianna, A.; La Guardia, M.

2017-05-01

The last achievements of technologies in geomatics especially in survey and restitution of 3D models (UAV/drones and laser scanner technologies) generated new procedures and higher standards of quality in representation of archaeological sites. Together with Geomatics, the recent development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) strongly contribute to document and the Cultural Heritage (CH). The representation and documentation of CH using these new technologies has became necessary in order to satisfy different needs: - for restorers in order to acquire a deep knowledge of the cultural good and to define possible strategies of restoration; - for the conservation of information, allowing to preserve the 3D geometry of the monumental complex with the integration of descriptions about architectural elements; - for touristic aims, giving the opportunity of sharing CH information on web, allowing users to visit and explore, in a virtual way, monumental complexes, acquiring information details about architectural elements or the history of monumental complex. Looking through these new scenarios, the development of a 3D Geographic Information System (GIS) applied to a cultural good could be, today, an added value of fundamental importance for full description and data management of monumental complexes. In this work, the main features necessary for the correct construction of a 3D GIS of a monumental complex will be analyzed, with a particular focus on the possibilities for creating a standardized procedure to follow.

Accuracy Assessment of the GLOBELAND30 Dataset in Jiangxi Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, H.; Cai, G.; Zhao, G.; Li, Z.

2018-04-01

The Globeland30 dataset is the most highly spatial resolution global land cover mapping product, which developed by the National Geomatics Center of China (NGCC) in 2015. It plays a significant role in environmental monitoring, climate change, and ecosystem assessment, etc. In this study, Jiangxi province was selected as our study area, the 1 : 100000 land use data in 2010 was employed as the reference data. We aim to examine the accuracy of the Globeland30 from three methods, including area error analysis, shape consistency analysis and confusion matrix. The results show as follows: The land cover types in the study area are primarily occupied by the cultivated land and forest, and secondarily by grassland, water bodies and artificial surfaces. The area error of cultivated land, forest and water bodies are all less than 13 %; The general conformance of the shape consistency reaches to 67 %, but the shape consistency of every land type differs to a large degree, the best shape consistency of forests is up to 75 %; The confusion matrix is obtained in two cases of different class boundary with buffer and no buffer area. It is found that the overall accuracy and kappa coefficient of GlobeLand30 are improved with buffer area. The value of overall accuracy is higher than 78 %, the value of kappa coefficient is higher than 0.52.

Confronting Passive and Active Sensors with Non-Gaussian Statistics

PubMed Central

Rodríguez-Gonzálvez, Pablo.; Garcia-Gago, Jesús.; Gomez-Lahoz, Javier.; González-Aguilera, Diego.

2014-01-01

This paper has two motivations: firstly, to compare the Digital Surface Models (DSM) derived by passive (digital camera) and by active (terrestrial laser scanner) remote sensing systems when applied to specific architectural objects, and secondly, to test how well the Gaussian classic statistics, with its Least Squares principle, adapts to data sets where asymmetrical gross errors may appear and whether this approach should be changed for a non-parametric one. The field of geomatic technology automation is immersed in a high demanding competition in which any innovation by one of the contenders immediately challenges the opponents to propose a better improvement. Nowadays, we seem to be witnessing an improvement of terrestrial photogrammetry and its integration with computer vision to overcome the performance limitations of laser scanning methods. Through this contribution some of the issues of this “technological race” are examined from the point of view of photogrammetry. A new software is introduced and an experimental test is designed, performed and assessed to try to cast some light on this thrilling match. For the case considered in this study, the results show good agreement between both sensors, despite considerable asymmetry. This asymmetry suggests that the standard Normal parameters are not adequate to assess this type of data, especially when accuracy is of importance. In this case, standard deviation fails to provide a good estimation of the results, whereas the results obtained for the Median Absolute Deviation and for the Biweight Midvariance are more appropriate measures. PMID:25196104

Geomatics contributions to key indicators for estimation and monitoring of snow cover input to hydrogeological resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Somma, J.; Drapeau, L.; Abou Chakra, C.; El-Ali, T.

2014-12-01

Climate change is a subject of concern for the inhabitants of the semi-arid zones because water needs are greatly increasing with population growth. For the Middle East region, the karstic geology of Lebanon with its high and steep mountains makes it a real water tower and promotes an essential snow cover. Studies carried out on snow water equivalent reserve [1] remain still insufficient for the development of continuous monitoring. Modeling the lebanese high plateau made of sinkholes and undulations eases the computations of land capacity for snow retention. It is therefore an interesting testing ground for snow volumes calculations [2]. To improve previous attempts, a research project focuses on snow melting processes. It uses the cessation date of snow melt water infiltration which is crucial in the precocity or the delay of low water level [3]; and geomatics to determinate the major factor for the evaluation of storaged water (spatial or vertical extension of snow cover). The project studies the sensitivity of temporal snow melting variabilities to quantities of snow precipitations and climatic conditions. Field measurements were collected at very high topographic precision [4] in a specific sinkhole and were used to create volumes models for measuring indicators such as: snow water equivalent; melting speed in relation to climatic data; forecast of completed meting date; correlations with springs discharges. Other methodological procedures take into account snow depressions (sinkholes and ripples) capacity retention; daily webcam images to monitor the accumulation and melt rate and remotely sensed Pleiades stereoscopic images to create snow cover elevation model at the time of acquisition. [1]Corbane et al., 2004 ; 2005 ; Corbane, 2002 ; Bernier et al., 2001, 2003 ; Shaban et al., 2004; Aouad et al., 2004, Aouad-Rizk et al., 2005 ; Gédéon el al., 2004 [2] Somma et al ; 2014 [3] Drapeau et al ; 2013 [4] Drapeau et al, 2013; Somma et Drapeau, 2011 ; Somma et Luxey, 2006

Role of the repartition of wetland breeding sites on the spatial distribution of Anopheles and Culex, human disease vectors in southern France.

PubMed

Cailly, Priscilla; Balenghien, Thomas; Ezanno, Pauline; Fontenille, Didier; Toty, Céline; Tran, Annelise

2011-05-06

In this study, carried out in the Camargue region (France), we combined entomological data with geomatic and modelling tools to assess whether the location of breeding sites may explain the spatial distribution of adult mosquitoes. The species studied are important and competent disease vectors in Europe: Culex modestus Ficalbi and Cx. pipiens Linnaeus (West Nile virus), Anopheles atroparvus Van Thiel, a former Plasmodium vector, and An. melanoon Hackett, competent to transmit Plasmodium.Using a logistic regression model, we first evaluated which land cover variables determined the presence of Culex and Anopheles larva. The resulting probability map of larval presence then was used to project the average probability of finding adults in a buffer area. This was compared to the actual number of adults collected, providing a quantitative assessment of adult dispersal ability for each species. The distribution of Cx. modestus and An. melanoon is mainly driven by the repartition of irrigated farm fields and reed beds, their specific breeding habitats. The presence of breeding sites explained the distribution of adults of both species. The buffer size, reflecting the adult dispersal ability, was 700 m for Cx. modestus and 1000 m for An. melanoon. The comparatively stronger correlation observed for Cx. modestus suggested that other factors may affect the distribution of adult An. melanoon. We did not find any association between Cx. pipiens larval presence and the biotope due to the species' ubiquist character. By applying the same method to different species, we highlighted different strengths of association between land cover (irrigated farm fields and reed beds), larval presence and adult population distribution.This paper demonstrates the power of geomatic tools to quantify the spatial organization of mosquito populations, and allows a better understanding of links between landcover, breeding habitats, presence of immature mosquito populations and adult distributions for different species.

The contribution of multidimensional spatial analysis to a waste management policy: implementation of the ELECTRE method for characterizing transfer centers in the region of Oran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saidi, A.; Trache, M. A.; Khelfi, M. F.

2016-08-01

The social and economic activity steadily growing in our cities creates a significant waste production in constantly evolving. The management of this waste is problematic because it is the center of many issues and interests. Indeed, any action or decision to the collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste should be considered in the economic, social, political and especially environmental aspect. A global Geomatic solution requires implementing a GIS with powerful multidimensional spatial analysis tools that support really waste management problem. Algeria has adopted a solution of waste landfill for all urban cities. In the Oran region, it exists three Centers Controlled landfill (CET) which the most important is that of Hassi-Bounif. This center currently meeting the needs of the region is unsustainable solution at the long-term because of its rapid saturation and its geographic location, which is still far from city centers (20-30 km) implying a negative impact on the vehicle park collecting such frequent breakdowns, the rapid degradation, slow delivery time and especially the high cost of the maintenance operation. This phenomenon is aggravated by the absence of real and actual initiatives targeting the recycling and recovery of waste, which makes the CET an endpoint for all types of waste. We present in this study, the use of the ELECTRE method (Multicriteria Analysis) integrated into a GIS to characterize the impact of the implementation of transfers centers at Oran region. The results of this study will accentuate the advantages of the activation of waste warehouse closer to the city, and relieving considerably the volume of transfer towards CET. The objective of our presentation is to show the leading role of the new Geomatics tools and the multidimensional spatial analysis in the apprehension of an environmental problem such the waste management and more generally in the urban management.

Role of the repartition of wetland breeding sites on the spatial distribution of Anopheles and Culex, human disease vectors in Southern France

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background In this study, carried out in the Camargue region (France), we combined entomological data with geomatic and modelling tools to assess whether the location of breeding sites may explain the spatial distribution of adult mosquitoes. The species studied are important and competent disease vectors in Europe: Culex modestus Ficalbi and Cx. pipiens Linnaeus (West Nile virus), Anopheles atroparvus Van Thiel, a former Plasmodium vector, and An. melanoon Hackett, competent to transmit Plasmodium. Using a logistic regression model, we first evaluated which land cover variables determined the presence of Culex and Anopheles larva. The resulting probability map of larval presence then was used to project the average probability of finding adults in a buffer area. This was compared to the actual number of adults collected, providing a quantitative assessment of adult dispersal ability for each species. Results The distribution of Cx. modestus and An. melanoon is mainly driven by the repartition of irrigated farm fields and reed beds, their specific breeding habitats. The presence of breeding sites explained the distribution of adults of both species. The buffer size, reflecting the adult dispersal ability, was 700 m for Cx. modestus and 1000 m for An. melanoon. The comparatively stronger correlation observed for Cx. modestus suggested that other factors may affect the distribution of adult An. melanoon. We did not find any association between Cx. pipiens larval presence and the biotope due to the species' ubiquist character. Conclusion By applying the same method to different species, we highlighted different strengths of association between land cover (irrigated farm fields and reed beds), larval presence and adult population distribution. This paper demonstrates the power of geomatic tools to quantify the spatial organization of mosquito populations, and allows a better understanding of links between landcover, breeding habitats, presence of immature mosquito populations and adult distributions for different species. PMID:21548912

Rpas and Tls Tecniques for Archaeological Survey: the Case Study of the Archaeological Site of Eraclea Minoa (italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lo Brutto, M.; Sciortino, R.; Garraffa, A.

2017-02-01

Digital documentation and 3D modelling of archaeological sites are important for understanding, definition and recognition of the values of the sites and of the archaeological finds. The most part of archaeological sites are outdoor location, but a cover to preserve the ruins protects often parts of the sites. The possibility to acquire data with different techniques and merge them by using a single reference system allows creating multi-parties models in which 3D representations of the individual objects can be inserted. The paper presents the results of a recent study carried out by Geomatics Laboratory of University of Palermo for the digital documentation and 3D modelling of Eraclea Minoa archaeological site. This site is located near Agrigento, in the south of Sicily (Italy) and is one of the most famous ancient Greek colonies of Sicily. The paper presents the results of the integration of different data source to survey the Eraclea Minoa archaeological site. The application of two highly versatile recording systems, the TLS (Terrestrial Laser Scanning) and the RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System), allowed the Eraclea Minoa site to be documented in high resolution and with high accuracy. The integration of the two techniques has demonstrated the possibility to obtain high quality and accurate 3D models in archaeological survey.

Programs for Watershed-Plus phase for rainfed regions in India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramachandran, Kausalya; Ramakrishna, Y. S.

2006-12-01

Watershed-based development is the strategy for sustainable growth in the vast rain-fed regions of India since 1980s to enhance agricultural production, conservation of natural resources and raising rural livelihood of farming communities. Although soil and water conservation was initially the primary objective of watershed program that saw large public investment since inception, later its focus shifted to principles of equity and enhancing rural livelihood opportunities and more recently to sustainable development since mid-1990s. At present a major emphasis under watershed program is the regeneration of degraded fragile lands in rain-fed regions. Several noteworthy watershed programs have been carried out since inception that have yielded sterling results while many others have yielded little by way of unbalanced development because of improper characterization of watersheds and poor project planning and implementation. Tools of Geomatics like satellite data, GIS and GPS besides conventional ones like field survey, topographical and cadastral maps along with traditional multi-disciplinary methods like PRA, soil and water analysis, socio-economic survey etc. provide insight into characterization of watersheds, project formulation and proper implementation of such development programs. The present paper illustrates the methodology for characterization of watersheds using the tools of Geomatics on one hand, besides exhibiting its utility for scaling-out the program benefits like sustaining higher agricultural productivity, enhancing irrigation efficiency, equity, enhanced rural livelihood opportunities, women empowerment, drought-proofing etc. during Watershed-Plus phase in the coming decades, on the other.

Virtual Modeling for Cities of the Future. State-Of Art and Virtual Modeling for Cities of the Future. State-Of Art AN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valencia, J.; Muñoz-Nieto, A.; Rodriguez-Gonzalvez, P.

2015-02-01

3D virtual modeling, visualization, dissemination and management of urban areas is one of the most exciting challenges that must face geomatics in the coming years. This paper aims to review, compare and analyze the new technologies, policies and software tools that are in progress to manage urban 3D information. It is assumed that the third dimension increases the quality of the model provided, allowing new approaches to urban planning, conservation and management of architectural and archaeological areas. Despite the fact that displaying 3D urban environments is an issue nowadays solved, there are some challenges to be faced by geomatics in the coming future. Displaying georeferenced linked information would be considered the first challenge. Another challenge to face is to improve the technical requirements if this georeferenced information must be shown in real time. Are there available software tools ready for this challenge? Are they useful to provide services required in smart cities? Throughout this paper, many practical examples that require 3D georeferenced information and linked data will be shown. Computer advances related to 3D spatial databases and software that are being developed to convert rendering virtual environment to a new enriched environment with linked information will be also analyzed. Finally, different standards that Open Geospatial Consortium has assumed and developed regarding the three-dimensional geographic information will be reviewed. Particular emphasis will be devoted on KML, LandXML, CityGML and the new IndoorGML.

a Multi-Data Source and Multi-Sensor Approach for the 3d Reconstruction and Visualization of a Complex Archaelogical Site: the Case Study of Tolmo de Minateda

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torres-Martínez, J. A.; Seddaiu, M.; Rodríguez-Gonzálvez, P.; Hernández-López, D.; González-Aguilera, D.

2015-02-01

The complexity of archaeological sites hinders to get an integral modelling using the actual Geomatic techniques (i.e. aerial, closerange photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanner) individually, so a multi-sensor approach is proposed as the best solution to provide a 3D reconstruction and visualization of these complex sites. Sensor registration represents a riveting milestone when automation is required and when aerial and terrestrial dataset must be integrated. To this end, several problems must be solved: coordinate system definition, geo-referencing, co-registration of point clouds, geometric and radiometric homogeneity, etc. Last but not least, safeguarding of tangible archaeological heritage and its associated intangible expressions entails a multi-source data approach in which heterogeneous material (historical documents, drawings, archaeological techniques, habit of living, etc.) should be collected and combined with the resulting hybrid 3D of "Tolmo de Minateda" located models. The proposed multi-data source and multi-sensor approach is applied to the study case of "Tolmo de Minateda" archaeological site. A total extension of 9 ha is reconstructed, with an adapted level of detail, by an ultralight aerial platform (paratrike), an unmanned aerial vehicle, a terrestrial laser scanner and terrestrial photogrammetry. In addition, the own defensive nature of the site (i.e. with the presence of three different defensive walls) together with the considerable stratification of the archaeological site (i.e. with different archaeological surfaces and constructive typologies) require that tangible and intangible archaeological heritage expressions can be integrated with the hybrid 3D models obtained, to analyse, understand and exploit the archaeological site by different experts and heritage stakeholders.

Geodiversity, Geoheritage and Geomatics: interactions for a new learner-based geoeducational model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magagna, Alessandra; Giardino, Marco; Perotti, Luigi; Ferrero, Elena

2016-04-01

The increasing sensitivity among the academics towards a holistic approach to Geoheritage and Geodiversity implies the involvement of society in geoscience topics. The mixture of social values and features related to Geodiversity predisposes for the design of educational projects based on experimental and cooperative activities with local communities. Moreover, the first step towards an effective geoconservation action plan is by raising public awareness of the value of Geodiversity (Carrada 2006; Gray 2011, 2013; Henriques et al. 2011). By taking awareness of the spatial and temporal scales related to landforms and geomorphical processes, as well as to Man-Nature interactions, we want help people to realize the "dynamic dimension" of Geodiversity and its role as archive of the memory of the Earth. As a consequence, people will be enabled to perceive the geomorphological environment as a system changing over time and as fragile Geoheritage, therefore worthy of protection. In this context, during four years of a PhD research, a series of actions have been designed and tested to implement innovative educational practices for spreading Geodiversity and Geoheritage awareness, by integrating geoscience knowledge, geoconservation principles, learner-based educational approaches, geomatics tools, ICTs, and geoethics. More than 300 secondary school students and their teachers have been therefore involved in monitored educational activities developed in a variety of areas in the Piemonte Region (NW Italy): the Susa and the Sangone Valleys, the Morainic Amphiteatre of Ivrea, and the Sesia Val Grande Geopark. Results based on data form analysis confirmed the use of familiar, informal, and friendly ICTs devices (smartphones, tablets and PCs) being effective in encouraging students to approach Geodiversity. For achieving successful results the use of ICTs has to be: 1. learner centered (Mayer 2009). It is fundamental to propose them within a well-designed educational project. In this context, the IBSE approach (European Commission 2007) allows to nurture critical thinking and increase students' interest towards geoscience topics; the BSCS 5E model (Bybee et al. 2006) proposes steps which are very similar to those previewed by the scientific method, thus allowing students to approach geological topics through a process of research, instead of simply studying results. 2. combined with the use of analogical tools. This is useful for showing students the processes which are under geomatics. Moreover, this allow students to discover by themselves which are the pros and the cons of both digital and analogical tools, becoming able at choosing the better tool needed for achieving their goal. The PhD research allowed to bring a new discipline such as geoconservation in schools, and to teach students the meaning of the terms Geoheritage and Geodiversity. Moreover, teachers confirmed that students increased their critical and systemic thinking concerning Earth system. A final action plan has been therefore developed: it is proposed as a model to be modified and adapted both in the timetable and in the region visited during the field trips, for achieving a variety of geoeducational results.

Angular Distributions of Discrete Mesoscale Mapping Functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kroszczyński, Krzysztof

2015-08-01

The paper presents the results of analyses of numerical experiments concerning GPS signal propagation delays in the atmosphere and the discrete mapping functions defined on their basis. The delays were determined using data from the mesoscale non-hydrostatic weather model operated in the Centre of Applied Geomatics, Military University of Technology. A special attention was paid to investigating angular characteristics of GPS slant delays for low angles of elevation. The investigation proved that the temporal and spatial variability of the slant delays depends to a large extent on current weather conditions.

Analysis of flood modeling through innovative geomatic methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zazo, Santiago; Molina, José-Luis; Rodríguez-Gonzálvez, Pablo

2015-05-01

A suitable assessment and management of the exposure level to natural flood risks necessarily requires an exhaustive knowledge of the terrain. This study, primarily aimed to evaluate flood risk, firstly assesses the suitability of an innovative technique, called Reduced Cost Aerial Precision Photogrammetry (RC-APP), based on a motorized technology ultra-light aircraft ULM (Ultra-Light Motor), together with the hybridization of reduced costs sensors, for the acquisition of geospatial information. Consequently, this research generates the RC-APP technique which is found to be a more accurate-precise, economical and less time consuming geomatic product. This technique is applied in river engineering for the geometric modeling and risk assessment to floods. Through the application of RC-APP, a high spatial resolution image (orthophoto of 2.5 cm), and a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of 0.10 m mesh size and high density points (about 100 points/m2), with altimetric accuracy of -0.02 ± 0.03 m have been obtained. These products have provided a detailed knowledge of the terrain, afterward used for the hydraulic simulation which has allowed a better definition of the inundated area, with important implications for flood risk assessment and management. In this sense, it should be noted that the achieved spatial resolution of DEM is 0.10 m which is especially interesting and useful in hydraulic simulations through 2D software. According to the results, the developed methodology and technology allows for a more accurate riverbed representation, compared with other traditional techniques such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), with a Root-Mean-Square Error (RMSE ± 0.50 m). This comparison has revealed that RC-APP has one lower magnitude order of error than the LiDAR method. Consequently, this technique arises as an efficient and appropriate tool, especially in areas with high exposure to risk of flooding. In hydraulic terms, the degree of detail achieved in the 3D model, has allowed reaching a significant increase in the knowledge of hydraulic variables in natural waterways.

"Dynamic Geodiversity" of glacial environments: new techniques for monitoring landscape variations on Alpine areas. Examples from the Gran Paradiso National Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertotto, Stefania; Giardino, Marco; Perotti, Luigi; Mortara, Giovanni; Baroni, Carlo

2014-05-01

The importance of keeping memory of past morpho-climatic events is particular evident in recently deglaciated areas. The survival of glaciers is now very uncertain, due to climate changes and related effects occurring in the last decades. In the Western Alps, many glaciers are now extinct or show a dramatic reduction of area and thickness. Permafrost and periglacial areas are also responding promptly to climate changes as glaciers do, but they are not good "visual" indicators of climate changes, because they are not easily recognizable. Indeed, Italian glacial elements are constantly monitored by the Italian Glaciological Committe (CGI) in the last two centuries. The volunteers of CGI constantly monitor variations of glacier snout position of a great majority of Italian glaciers. CGI is not only a very important source of historical documentation and information, but also a very important scientific reference of the studies conducted in glacial areas. Particularly, thanks to CGI, it was created an inventory of Italian glaciers was created. Anyway, due to recent rapid changes, it is difficult to quickly update the inventory, also considering the difficulty of reaching alpine high mountain areas. The recent use of Geomatics in geological and geomorphological studies can be applied to evaluate landform changes in glacial and periglacial areas. The combination of remote sensing and on field techniques (i.e. aerial photogrammetry, GPS, Terrestrial photogrammetry, satellite images and LiDaR) provides constant monitoring of landform changes and updating inventories. The Gran Paradiso National Park (Piemonte and Valle d'Aosta Regions, Western Italian Alps) represents an excellent example of conservation of geodiversity. Many key-elements of the high mountain landscape are present here: glaciers, glacial cirques, rock glaciers, moraines (not only from Holocene, but also from Little Ice Age, of XVI-XIX centuries), steepled peaks, rock walls, roche moutonnée, ravines, debris fans, torrents, falls, lakes; being "starting points" for studying geodiversity of the Park, they have been mapped in detail. Updates of historical geomorphological maps, monitoring of glacier outline evolution and detailed digital field surveys have been conducted through Geomatics techniques within this area thanks to the support of several research programs: 1) seasonal activities of the Italian Glaciological Committee; 2) the MIUR-PRIN 2011 Project "Response of morphoclimatic system dynamics to global changes and related geomorphological hazards"; 3) the planning program of the National Park; 4) activities in the framework of GlaRiskAlp project n.56 Alcotra 2007-2013. At a local scale, detailed analysis have been performed by using integrated geomatics techniques such as in the Capra Glacier site, in the Orco Valley, near Serrù Lake (Piemonte Region). Results have been obtained in tracing changes of "dynamic geodiversity" features that can trigger natural processes (e.g. moraines, lakes, debris). These are useful features for preventing natural hazards in touristic or anthropized areas, by means of proper planning of access of the area and geodiversity exploitation measures. Results demonstrated that knowledge on dynamic geodiversity of glacial environments is crucial for understanding how these high altitude dynamic landscapes are changing, not only for their external appearance, but also for their complex internal mechanisms and values.

Sensors integration for smartphone navigation: performances and future challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aicardi, I.; Dabove, P.; Lingua, A.; Piras, M.

2014-08-01

Nowadays the modern smartphones include several sensors which are usually adopted in geomatic application, as digital camera, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers, inertial platform, RFID and Wi-Fi systems. In this paper the authors would like to testing the performances of internal sensors (Inertial Measurement Unit, IMU) of three modern smartphones (Samsung GalaxyS4, Samsung GalaxyS5 and iPhone4) compared to external mass-market IMU platform in order to verify their accuracy levels, in terms of positioning. Moreover, the Image Based Navigation (IBN) approach is also investigated: this approach can be very useful in hard-urban environment or for indoor positioning, as alternative to GNSS positioning. IBN allows to obtain a sub-metrical accuracy, but a special database of georeferenced images (Image DataBase, IDB) is needed, moreover it is necessary to use dedicated algorithm to resizing the images which are collected by smartphone, in order to share it with the server where is stored the IDB. Moreover, it is necessary to characterize smartphone camera lens in terms of focal length and lens distortions. The authors have developed an innovative method with respect to those available today, which has been tested in a covered area, adopting a special support where all sensors under testing have been installed. Geomatic instrument have been used to define the reference trajectory, with purpose to compare this one, with the path obtained with IBN solution. First results leads to have an horizontal and vertical accuracies better than 60 cm, respect to the reference trajectories. IBN method, sensors, test and result will be described in the paper.

From Geometry to Diagnosis: Experiences of Geomatics in Structural Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riveiro, B.; Arias, P.; Armesto, J.; Caamaño, J. C.; Solla, M.

2012-07-01

Terrestrial photogrammetry and laser scanning are technologies that have been successfully used for metric surveying and 3D modelling in many different fields (archaeological and architectural documentation, industrial retrofitting, mining, structural monitoring, road surveying, etc.). In the case of structural applications, these techniques have been successfully applied to 3D modelling and sometimes monitoring; but they have not been sufficiently implemented to date, as routine tools in infrastructure management systems, in terms of automation of data processing and integration in the condition assessment procedures. In this context, this paper presents a series of experiences in the usage of terrestrial photogrammetry and laser scanning in the context of dimensional and structural evaluation of structures. These experiences are particularly focused on historical masonry structures, but modern prestressed concrete bridges are also investigated. The development of methodological procedures for data collection, and data integration in some cases, is tackled for each particular structure (with access limitations, geometrical configuration, range of measurement, etc.). The accurate geometrical information provided by both terrestrial techniques motivates the implementation of such results in the complex, and sometimes slightly approximated, geometric scene that is frequently used in structural analysis. In this sense, quantitative evaluating of the influence of real and accurate geometry in structural analysis results must be carried out. As main result in this paper, a series of experiences based on the usage of photogrammetric and laser scanning to structural engineering are presented.

Geospatial Tools for Prevention of Urban Floods Case Study: River of EL Maleh (city of Mohammedia - Morocco)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaabane, M. S.; Abouali, N.; Boumeaza, T.; Zahouily, M.

2017-11-01

Today, the prevention and the risk management occupy an important part of public policy activities and are considered as major components in the process of sustainable development of territories. Due to the expansion of IT processes, in particular the geomatics sciences, decision-makers are increasingly requesting for digital tools before, during and after the risks of natural disasters. Both, the geographic information system (GIS) and the remote sensing are considered as geospatial and fundamental tools which help to understand the evolution of risks, to analyze their temporality and to make the right decisions. The historic events (on 1996, 2002 and 2010) which struck the city of Mohammedia and having caused the consequent damage to vital infrastructure and private property, require a thorough and rational analyze to benefit from it and well manage the floods phenomena. This article present i) the contribution of the geospatial tools for the floods simulation of Oued of el Maleh city at various return periods. These tools allow the demarcation of flood-risk areas and so to make floods simulations in several scenarios (decadal flood, 20-year flood, 50-year flood, 100-year flood, 500-year flood & also millennial flood) and besides (ii) present a synthesis map combining the territorial stakes superposed on the flood scenarios at different periods of return.

From Point Cloud to Digital Fabrication: a Tangible Reconstruction of Ca' Venier Dei Leoni, the Guggenheim Museum in Venice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balletti, C.; D'Agnano, F.; Guerra, F.; Vernier, P.

2016-06-01

The paper describes how new digital methodologies can be used within the field of Cultural Heritage, not only with the aim of documenting the actual state of an architecture but to review the past transformations it has undergone, conserving and representing these histories as well. The premise to conservation and enhancement of our Heritage is a deep study in terms of position, shape, colour, and also of the historical and artistic features. Survey methods have acquired data acquisition techniques in line with technological progress: today's electronic and IT technologies, that are the tools of modern Geomatics, allow the effective survey and representation of 3D objects, from architectural structures to sculptures or archaeological finds. Over the last few years, the methodologies of acquisition and integrated representation for 3D patrimony documentation have developed and consolidated considerably: the possibilities of the digital realm can augment the understanding and the valorisation of a monument. The specific case offered in the present paper, Ca' Venier dei Leoni, the palace where is the Guggenheim Museum in Venice, is a significant example. It suggests not only the theme of the "no longer existing", or better never built, but also the opportunity to formulate hypotheses regarding its implementation and the impact that the palace would have had in the Venetian contest.

The Survey of Cultural Heritage after AN Earthquake: the Case of Emilia-Lombardia in 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adami, A.; Chiarini, S.; Cremonesi, S.; Fregonese, L.; Taffurelli, L.; Valente, M. V.

2016-06-01

In recent years many earthquakes hit Italy and its Cultural Heritage. The topic of survey of buildings damaged by seismic events and their interpretation has become very relevant and involved many research groups and Italian Civil Protection. The damage survey has different roles: in the first stage, immediately after the emergency, the documentation is necessary for the shoring and protection of damaged structures (AEDES forms of Civil Protection). The aim of the second stage is the study and the documentation for the restoration, reconstruction and retrofitting of buildings. In this context, this study presents methods and instruments used in the survey of 24 churches in the province of Mantua, Lombardy, after the 2012 earthquake sequence. The paper examines the difficulties in surveying damaged buildings and presents the classification used to define, time by time, the most suitable survey approach in the field of Geomatics. In this classification, many aspects are taken into account, such as logistical and practical problems, safety conditions, time preserving methods, economic decisions, complexity of building and required results. The accurate documentation obtained as a three-dimensional architectural database allows for the observation and analysis of the damage, the definition of interpretative models and the development of intervention projects. Different results are obtained from the point cloud database: traditional 2D representations for architectural projects as well as 3D models for structural analysis or for the development of BIM.

Impact of Land Use Change to the Soil Erosion Estimation for Cultural Landscapes: Case Study of Paphos Disrict in Cyprus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuca, B.; Agapiou, A.

2017-05-01

In 2006 UNESCO report has identified soil loss as one of the main threats of climate change with possible impact to natural and cultural heritage. The study illustrated in this paper shows the results from geomatic perspective, applying an interdisciplinary approach undertaken in order to identify major natural hazards affecting cultural landscapes and archaeological heritage in rural areas in Cyprus. In particular, Earth Observation (EO) and ground-based methods were identified and applied for mapping, monitoring and estimation of the possible soil loss caused by soil erosion. Special attention was given to the land use/land cover factor (C) and its impact on the overall estimation of the soil-loss. Cover factor represents the effect of soil-disturbing activities, plants, crop sequence and productivity level, soil cover and subsurface bio-mass on soil erosion. Urban areas have a definite role in retarding the recharge process, leading to increased runoff and soil loss in the broader area. On the other hand, natural vegetation plays a predominant role in reducing water erosion. The land use change was estimated based on the difference of the NDVI value between Landsat 5 TM and Sentinel-2 data for the period between 1980s' until today. Cover factor was then estimated for both periods and significant land use changes were further examined in areas of significant cultural and natural landscape value. The results were then compared in order to study the impact of land use change on the soil erosion and hence on the soil loss rate in the selected areas.

Regional Renewable Energy Cooperatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazendonk, P.; Brown, M. B.; Byrne, J. M.; Harrison, T.; Mueller, R.; Peacock, K.; Usher, J.; Yalamova, R.; Kroebel, R.; Larsen, J.; McNaughton, R.

2014-12-01

We are building a multidisciplinary research program linking researchers in agriculture, business, earth science, engineering, humanities and social science. Our goal is to match renewable energy supply and reformed energy demands. The program will be focused on (i) understanding and modifying energy demand, (ii) design and implementation of diverse renewable energy networks. Geomatics technology will be used to map existing energy and waste flows on a neighbourhood, municipal, and regional level. Optimal sites and combinations of sites for solar and wind electrical generation (ridges, rooftops, valley walls) will be identified. Geomatics based site and grid analyses will identify best locations for energy production based on efficient production and connectivity to regional grids and transportation. Design of networks for utilization of waste streams of heat, water, animal and human waste for energy production will be investigated. Agriculture, cities and industry produce many waste streams that are not well utilized. Therefore, establishing a renewable energy resource mapping and planning program for electrical generation, waste heat and energy recovery, biomass collection, and biochar, biodiesel and syngas production is critical to regional energy optimization. Electrical storage and demand management are two priorities that will be investigated. Regional scale cooperatives may use electric vehicle batteries and innovations such as pump storage and concentrated solar molten salt heat storage for steam turbine electrical generation. Energy demand management is poorly explored in Canada and elsewhere - our homes and businesses operate on an unrestricted demand. Simple monitoring and energy demand-ranking software can easily reduce peaks demands and move lower ranked uses to non-peak periods, thereby reducing the grid size needed to meet peak demands. Peak demand strains the current energy grid capacity and often requires demand balancing projects and infrastructure that is highly inefficient due to overall low utilization.

An Application of Close-Up Photogrammetry in Viticulture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grazia D'Urso, Maria; Marino, Costantino Luis

2016-06-01

Within the context of Geomatic-based Agriculture an application of close-up photogrammetry is illustrated with reference to precision farming. The application has been carried out in a particularly attractive archaeological site and concerns some viticulture species produced in situ by following a farming technique dated about two thousand years. Specifically we illustrate and comment the photogrammetric close-range acquisitions, carried out both outdoor and indoor, aimed at producing a digital botanic atlas that can adequately replace the traditional ones drawn by hand. High precision geometric measurements of vineyard leaves and grapes, are suitable indices of their growth rate and an objective estimate of the relevant repening degree.

Geospatial Analysis Using Remote Sensing Images: Case Studies of Zonguldak Test Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayık, Çağlar; Topan, Hüseyin; Özendi, Mustafa; Oruç, Murat; Cam, Ali; Abdikan, Saygın

2016-06-01

Inclined topographies are one of the most challenging problems for geospatial analysis of air-borne and space-borne imageries. However, flat areas are mostly misleading to exhibit the real performance. For this reason, researchers generally require a study area which includes mountainous topography and various land cover and land use types. Zonguldak and its vicinity is a very suitable test site for performance investigation of remote sensing systems due to the fact that it contains different land use types such as dense forest, river, sea, urban area; different structures such as open pit mining operations, thermal power plant; and its mountainous structure. In this paper, we reviewed more than 120 proceeding papers and journal articles about geospatial analysis that are performed on the test field of Zonguldak and its surroundings. Geospatial analysis performed with imageries include elimination of systematic geometric errors, 2/3D georeferencing accuracy assessment, DEM and DSM generation and validation, ortho-image production, evaluation of information content, image classification, automatic feature extraction and object recognition, pan-sharpening, land use and land cover change analysis and deformation monitoring. In these applications many optical satellite images are used i.e. ASTER, Bilsat-1, IKONOS, IRS-1C, KOMPSAT-1, KVR-1000, Landsat-3-5-7, Orbview-3, QuickBird, Pleiades, SPOT-5, TK-350, RADARSAT-1, WorldView-1-2; as well as radar data i.e. JERS-1, Envisat ASAR, TerraSAR-X, ALOS PALSAR and SRTM. These studies are performed by Departments of Geomatics Engineering at Bülent Ecevit University, at İstanbul Technical University, at Yıldız Technical University, and Institute of Photogrammetry and GeoInformation at Leibniz University Hannover. These studies are financially supported by TÜBİTAK (Turkey), the Universities, ESA, Airbus DS, ERSDAC (Japan) and Jülich Research Centre (Germany).

Multispectral Imaging in Cultural Heritage Conservation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Del Pozo, S.; Rodríguez-Gonzálvez, P.; Sánchez-Aparicio, L. J.; Muñoz-Nieto, A.; Hernández-López, D.; Felipe-García, B.; González-Aguilera, D.

2017-08-01

This paper sums up the main contribution derived from the thesis entitled "Multispectral imaging for the analysis of materials and pathologies in civil engineering, constructions and natural spaces" awarded by CIPA-ICOMOS for its connection with the preservation of Cultural Heritage. This thesis is framed within close-range remote sensing approaches by the fusion of sensors operating in the optical domain (visible to shortwave infrared spectrum). In the field of heritage preservation, multispectral imaging is a suitable technique due to its non-destructive nature and its versatility. It combines imaging and spectroscopy to analyse materials and land covers and enables the use of a variety of different geomatic sensors for this purpose. These sensors collect both spatial and spectral information for a given scenario and a specific spectral range, so that, their smaller storage units save the spectral properties of the radiation reflected by the surface of interest. The main goal of this research work is to characterise different construction materials as well as the main pathologies of Cultural Heritage elements by combining active and passive sensors recording data in different ranges. Conclusions about the suitability of each type of sensor and spectral range are drawn in relation to each particular case study and damage. It should be emphasised that results are not limited to images, since 3D intensity data from laser scanners can be integrated with 2D data from passive sensors obtaining high quality products due to the added value that metric brings to multispectral images.

On 3D Dimension: Study cases for Archaeological sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Urso, M. G.; Marino, C. L.; Rotondi, A.

2014-04-01

For more than a century the tridimensional vision has been of interest for scientists and users in several fields of application. The mathematical bases have remained substantially unchanged but only the new technologies have allowed us to make the vision really impressive. Photography opens new frontiers and has enriched of physical, mathematical, chemical, informatical and topographic notions by making the images so real to make the observer fully immersed into the represented scene. By means of active googless the 3D digital technique, commonly used for video games, makes possible animations without limitations in the dimension of the images thanks to the improved performances of the graphic processor units and related hardware components. In this paper we illustrate an experience made by the students of the MSc'degree course of Topography, active at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, in which the photography has been applied as an innovative technique for the surveying of cultural heritage. The tests foresee the use of traditional techniques of survey with 3D digital images and use of GPS sensors. The ultimate objective of our experience is the insertion in the web, allowing us the visualization of the 3D images equipped with all data. In conclusion these new methods of survey allow for the fusion of extremely different techniques, in such an impressive way to make them inseparable and justifying the origin of the neologism "Geomatics" coined at the Laval University (Canada) during the eighties.

A walk by the river: three-dimensional reconstruction of surface sedimentology and topography using wearable laser scanning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, R.; Lamy, M. L.; Stott, E.; Maniatis, G.

2017-12-01

In the last two decades, quantification of fluvial topography has been transformed by a number of geomatics technologies that have enabled the acquisition of data with unprecedented spatial resolution. Hyperscale surveys with spatial extents of <1 km2 have been widely demonstrated, by means of Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry. Recent advances in the development and integration of GNSS, IMU, lightweight laser scanning and SLAM technologies are now resulting in the emergence of wearable, mobile laser scanning systems that have the potential to increase data acquisition and processing rates by 1-2 orders of magnitude compared to TLS/SfM, and thus challenge the recent dominance of these two geomatics technologies. In this study we describe the methods and results of a comparison between a wearable laser scanning survey, using a Leica Pegasus Backpack, and a multi-station static TLS survey, using a Riegl VZ-1000 scanner. The evaluation is undertaken on a 600 m long reach of the braided River Feshie, Scotland, using data acquired in June 2017. Comparison between the DEMs produced from static and mobile laser scanning, across non-vegetated areas, revealed a Mean Error (ME) of -0.002 m and a Standard Deviation Error (SDE) of 0.109 m. Comparison to 100 independent check point resulted in a similar ME and SDE for static (ME = 0.061m; SDE = 0.030 m) and mobile (ME = 0.044 m; SDE = 0.029 m) laser scanning. Empirical relationships between sub-metre topographic variability and median sediment grain size (10-100 mm), across 14 grid-by-number samples, were similar and demonstrate that surface roughness from wearable laser scanning can be used to derive reach-scale maps of median grain size. These results demonstrate that wearable laser scanning generates hyperscale topographic models that are comparable in quality to more time-consuming multi-station TLS setups. Wearable laser scanning is likely to be commonly adopted for fluvial topographic surveys and will become established as a versatile survey technology.

D Survey in Complex Archaeological Environments: AN Approach by Terrestrial Laser Scanning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebolese, D.; Dardanelli, G.; Lo Brutto, M.; Sciortino, R.

2018-05-01

The survey of archaeological sites by appropriate geomatics technologies is an important research topic. In particular, the 3D survey by terrestrial laser scanning has become a common practice for 3D archaeological data collection. Even if terrestrial laser scanning survey is quite well established, due to the complexity of the most archaeological contexts, many issues can arise and make the survey more difficult. The aim of this work is to describe the methodology chosen for a terrestrial laser scanning survey in a complex archaeological environment according to the issues related to the particular structure of the site. The developed approach was used for the terrestrial laser scanning survey and documentation of a part of the archaeological site of Elaiussa Sebaste in Turkey. The proposed technical solutions have allowed providing an accurate and detailed 3D dataset of the study area. In addition, further products useful for archaeological analysis were also obtained from the 3D dataset of the study area.

The documentation and reintegration of a lost past

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balletti, C.; Brussa, N.; Gottardi, C.; Guerra, F.

2014-05-01

The paper describes how new digital methodologies can be used within the field of Cultural Heritage, not only with the aim of documenting the actual state of an architecture but to review the past transformations it has undergone, conserving and representing these histories as well. Over the last few years, the methodologies of acquisition and integrated representation for 3D patrimony documentation have developed and consolidated considerably: the possibilities of the digital realm can augment the understanding and the valorisation of a monument. The specific case offered in the present paper, the Scuola Vecchia della Misericordia in Venice, is a significant example. It suggests not only the theme of the "no longer existing" regarding its façade, which has undergone evident modifications, but also the recontextualization of a number of decorative elements, such as the bas-reliefs which once marked the entrance and are today conserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The described experience shows how integrated methodology, from high resolution laser scanning and photogrammetric survey to 3d modelling, can develop a reliably virtual diachronical reconstruction from different sources of an historical building. Geomatic tools combined with computer graphics provide a better understanding of building history through the use historical documents, playing a paramount role in preserving and valorizing the cultural and environmental heritage.

A virtual tour of geological heritage: Valourising geodiversity using Google Earth and QR code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez-Graña, A. M.; Goy, J. L.; Cimarra, C. A.

2013-12-01

When making land-use plans, it is necessary to inventory and catalogue the geological heritage and geodiversity of a site to establish an apolitical conservation protection plan to meet the educational and social needs of society. New technologies make it possible to create virtual databases using virtual globes - e.g., Google Earth - and other personal-use geomatics applications (smartphones, tablets, PDAs) for accessing geological heritage information in “real time” for scientific, educational, and cultural purposes via a virtual geological itinerary. Seventeen mapped and georeferenced geosites have been created in Keyhole Markup Language for use in map layers used in geological itinerary stops for different applications. A virtual tour has been developed for Las Quilamas Natural Park, which is located in the Spanish Central System, using geological layers and topographic and digital terrain models that can be overlaid in a 3D model. The Google Earth application was used to import the geosite placemarks. For each geosite, a tab has been developed that shows a description of the geology with photographs and diagrams and that evaluates the scientific, educational, and tourism quality. Augmented reality allows the user to access these georeferenced thematic layers and overlay data, images, and graphics in real time on their mobile devices. These virtual tours can be incorporated into subject guides designed by public. Seven educational and interpretive panels describing some of the geosites were designed and tagged with a QR code that could be printed at each stop or in the printed itinerary. These QR codes can be scanned with the camera found on most mobile devices, and video virtual tours can be viewed on these devices. The virtual tour of the geological heritage can be used to show tourists the geological history of the Las Quilamas Natural Park using new geomatics technologies (virtual globes, augmented reality, and QR codes).

D Recording, Modelling and Visualisation of the Fortification Kristiansten in Trondheim (norway) by Photogrammetric Methods and Terrestrial Laser Scanning in the Framework of Erasmus Programmes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kersten, T.; Lindstaedt, M.; Maziull, L.; Schreyer, K.; Tschirschwitz, F.; Holm, K.

2015-02-01

In this contribution the 3D recording, 3D modelling and 3D visualisation of the fortification Kristiansten in Trondheim (Norway) by digital photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning are presented. The fortification Kristiansten was built after the large city fire in the year 1681 above the city and has been a museum since 1997. The recording of the fortress took place in each case at the end of August/at the beginning of September 2010 and 2011 during two two-week summer schools with the topic "Digital Photogrammetry & Terrestrial Laser Scanning for Cultural Heritage Documentation" at NTNU Trondheim with international students in the context of ERASMUS teaching programs. For data acquisition, a terrestrial laser scanner and digital SLR cameras were used. The establishment of a geodetic 3D network, which was later transformed into the Norwegian UTM coordinate system using control points, ensured a consistent registration of the scans and an orientation of the photogrammetric images. The fortress buildings were constructed in detail from photogrammetric photographs and point clouds using AutoCAD, while the fortress area and walls were modelled by triangle meshing in Geomagic. The visualisation of the fortress was carried out 2013 with the software Cinema 4D in the context of a lecture in the Master study programme Geomatics. The 3D model was textured and afterwards presented in a video. This 3D model was finally transferred into the game engine Unity for an interactive 3D visualisation on 3D monitors.

Linked Forests: Semantic similarity of geographical concepts "forest"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Čerba, Otakar; Jedlička, Karel

2016-01-01

Linked Data represents the new trend in geoinformatics and geomatics. It produces a structure of objects (in a form of concepts or terms) interconnected by object relations expressing a type of semantic relationships of various concepts. The research published in this article studies, if objects connected by above mentioned relations are more similar than objects representing the same phenomenon, but standing alone. The phenomenon "forest" and relevant geographical concepts were chosen as the domain of the research. The concepts similarity (Tanimoto coefficient as a specification of Tversky index) was computed on the basis of explicit information provided by thesauri containing particular concepts. Overall in the seven thesauri (AGROVOC, EuroVoc, GEMET, LusTRE/EARTh, NAL, OECD and STW) there was tested if the "forest" concept interconnected by the relation skos:exactMatch are more similar than other, not interlinked concepts. The results of the research are important for the sharing and combining of geographical data, information and knowledge. The proposed methodology can be reused to a comparison of other geographical concepts.

Proof-of-Concept of the Phytoimmobilization Technology for TNX Outfall Delta: Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kaplan, D.I.

2001-06-04

A series of proof-of-principle studies was initiated to evaluate the soil remediation technology, phytoimmobilization, for application at the TNX Outfall Delta (TNX OD) operable unit. Phytoimmobilization involves two steps. The first step is entitled phytoextraction, and it takes place mostly during the spring and summer. During this step the plants extract contaminants from the sediment into the roots and then translocate the contaminants to the aboveground plant parts. The second step is referred to as sequestration and it takes place largely during the autumn and winter when annual plants senesce or deciduous trees drop their leaves. This step involves themore » immobilization of the contaminant once it leaches form the fallen leaves into a ''geomat,'' a geotextile embedded with mineral sequestering agents. This final report describes the results to date, including those reported in the status report (Kaplan et al. 2000a), those completed since the report was issued, and the preliminary calculations of the phytoimmobilization effectiveness.« less

Top-down approach from satellite to terrestrial rover application for environmental monitoring of landfills.

PubMed

Manzo, C; Mei, A; Zampetti, E; Bassani, C; Paciucci, L; Manetti, P

2017-04-15

This paper describes a methodology to perform chemical analyses in landfill areas by integrating multisource geomatic data. We used a top-down approach to identify Environmental Point of Interest (EPI) based on very high-resolution satellite data (Pleiades and WorldView 2) and on in situ thermal and photogrammetric surveys. Change detection techniques and geostatistical analysis supported the chemical survey, undertaken using an accumulation chamber and an RIIA, an unmanned ground vehicle developed by CNR IIA, equipped with a multiparameter sensor platform for environmental monitoring. Such an approach improves site characterization, identifying the key environmental points of interest where it is necessary to perform detailed chemical analyses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Remote Sensing through Low-Cost UAVs.

PubMed

Calvario, Gabriela; Sierra, Basilio; Alarcón, Teresa E; Hernandez, Carmen; Dalmau, Oscar

2017-06-16

The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) based on remote sensing has generated low cost monitoring, since the data can be acquired quickly and easily. This paper reports the experience related to agave crop analysis with a low cost UAV. The data were processed by traditional photogrammetric flow and data extraction techniques were applied to extract new layers and separate the agave plants from weeds and other elements of the environment. Our proposal combines elements of photogrammetry, computer vision, data mining, geomatics and computer science. This fusion leads to very interesting results in agave control. This paper aims to demonstrate the potential of UAV monitoring in agave crops and the importance of information processing with reliable data flow.

Design and Development of a Low-Cost Aerial Mobile Mapping System for Multi-Purpose Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acevedo Pardo, C.; Farjas Abadía, M.; Sternberg, H.

2015-08-01

The research project with the working title "Design and development of a low-cost modular Aerial Mobile Mapping System" was formed during the last year as the result from numerous discussions and considerations with colleagues from the HafenCity University Hamburg, Department Geomatics. The aim of the project is to design a sensor platform which can be embedded preferentially on an UAV, but also can be integrated on any adaptable vehicle. The system should perform a direct scanning of surfaces with a laser scanner and supported through sensors for determining the position and attitude of the platform. The modular design allows his extension with other sensors such as multispectral cameras, digital cameras or multiple cameras systems.

A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Remote Sensing through Low-Cost UAVs

PubMed Central

Calvario, Gabriela; Sierra, Basilio; Alarcón, Teresa E.; Hernandez, Carmen; Dalmau, Oscar

2017-01-01

The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) based on remote sensing has generated low cost monitoring, since the data can be acquired quickly and easily. This paper reports the experience related to agave crop analysis with a low cost UAV. The data were processed by traditional photogrammetric flow and data extraction techniques were applied to extract new layers and separate the agave plants from weeds and other elements of the environment. Our proposal combines elements of photogrammetry, computer vision, data mining, geomatics and computer science. This fusion leads to very interesting results in agave control. This paper aims to demonstrate the potential of UAV monitoring in agave crops and the importance of information processing with reliable data flow. PMID:28621740

Rapid Mapping for Built Heritage at Risk Using Low-Cost and Cots Sensors. a Test in the Duomo Vecchio of San Severino Marche

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calantropio, A.; Colucci, E.; Teppati Losè, L.

2017-11-01

In the last years, the researchers in the field of Geomatics have focused their attention in the experimentation and validation of new methodologies and techniques, stressing especially the potential of low-cost and COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) solutions and sensors. In particular, these tools have been used with purposes of rapid mapping in different contexts (ranging from the construction industry, environmental monitoring, mining activities, etc.). The Built Heritage, due to its intrinsic nature of endangered artefact, can largely benefit from the technological and methodological innovations in this research field. The contribute presented in this paper will highlight these main topics: the rapid mapping of the Built Heritage (in particular the one subjected to different types of risk) using low-cost and COTS solutions. Different sensors and techniques were chosen to be evaluated on a specific test site: the Duomo Vecchio of San Severino Marche (MC - Italy), that was partially affected by the earthquake swarm that hit the area of Central Italy starting from the 24th of August 2016. One of the main aims of this work is to demonstrate how low-cost and COTS sensors can contribute to the documentation of the Built Heritage for its safeguard, for damage assessment in case of disastrous events and operations of restoration and preservation.

a Comparison among Different Optimization Levels in 3d Multi-Sensor Models. a Test Case in Emergency Context: 2016 Italian Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiabrando, F.; Sammartano, G.; Spanò, A.

2017-02-01

In sudden emergency contexts that affect urban centres and built heritage, the latest Geomatics technique solutions must enable the demands of damage documentation, risk assessment, management and data sharing as efficiently as possible, in relation to the danger condition, to the accessibility constraints of areas and to the tight deadlines needs. In recent times, Unmanned Vehicle System (UAV) equipped with cameras are more and more involved in aerial survey and reconnaissance missions, and they are behaving in a very cost-effective way in the direction of 3D documentation and preliminary damage assessment. More and more UAV equipment with low-cost sensors must become, in the future, suitable in every situation of documentation, but above all in damages and uncertainty frameworks. Rapidity in acquisition times and low-cost sensors are challenging marks, and they could be taken into consideration maybe with time spending processing. The paper will analyze and try to classify the information content in 3D aerial and terrestrial models and the importance of metric and non-metric withdrawable information that should be suitable for further uses, as the structural analysis one. The test area is an experience of Team Direct from Politecnico di Torino in centre Italy, where a strong earthquake occurred in August 2016. This study is carried out on a stand-alone damaged building in Pescara del Tronto (AP), with a multi-sensor 3D survey. The aim is to evaluate the contribution of terrestrial and aerial quick documentation by a SLAM based LiDAR and a camera equipped multirotor UAV, for a first reconnaissance inspection and modelling in terms of level of details, metric and non-metric information.

Inside the polygonal walls of Amelia (Central Italy): A multidisciplinary data integration, encompassing geodetic monitoring and geophysical prospections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ercoli, M.; Brigante, R.; Radicioni, F.; Pauselli, C.; Mazzocca, M.; Centi, G.; Stoppini, A.

2016-04-01

We investigate a portion of the ancient (VI and IV centuries BC) polygonal walls of Amelia, in Central Italy. After the collapse of a portion of the walls which occurred in January 2006, a wide project started in order to monitor their external facade and inspect the characteristics of the internal structure, currently not clearly known. In this specific case, the preservation of such an important cultural heritage was mandatory, therefore invasive methods like drilling or archaeological essays cannot be used. For this purpose, a multidisciplinary approach represents an innovative way to shed light on their inner structure. We combine several non-invasive techniques such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), specifically adapted for this study, Laser Scanning and Digital Terrestrial Photogrammetry, integrated with other geomatic measures provided by a Total Station and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). After collecting some historical information, we gather the whole datasets exploring for their integration an interpretation approach borrowed from the reflection seismic (attribute analysis and three dimensional visualization). The results give rise for the first time to the internal imaging of this ancient walls, highlighting features associable to different building styles related to different historical periods. Among the result, we define a max wall thickness of about 3.5 m for the cyclopic sector, we show details of the internal block organization and we detect low resistivity values interpretable with high water content behind the basal part of the walls. Then, quantitative analyses to assess their reliable geotechnical stability are done, integrating new geometrical constrains provided by the geophysics and geo-technical ground parameters available in literature. From this analysis, we highlight how the Amelia walls are interested, in the investigated sector, by a critical pseudo-static equilibrium.

LIME: 3D visualisation and interpretation of virtual geoscience models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckley, Simon; Ringdal, Kari; Dolva, Benjamin; Naumann, Nicole; Kurz, Tobias

2017-04-01

Three-dimensional and photorealistic acquisition of surface topography, using methods such as laser scanning and photogrammetry, has become widespread across the geosciences over the last decade. With recent innovations in photogrammetric processing software, robust and automated data capture hardware, and novel sensor platforms, including unmanned aerial vehicles, obtaining 3D representations of exposed topography has never been easier. In addition to 3D datasets, fusion of surface geometry with imaging sensors, such as multi/hyperspectral, thermal and ground-based InSAR, and geophysical methods, create novel and highly visual datasets that provide a fundamental spatial framework to address open geoscience research questions. Although data capture and processing routines are becoming well-established and widely reported in the scientific literature, challenges remain related to the analysis, co-visualisation and presentation of 3D photorealistic models, especially for new users (e.g. students and scientists new to geomatics methods). Interpretation and measurement is essential for quantitative analysis of 3D datasets, and qualitative methods are valuable for presentation purposes, for planning and in education. Motivated by this background, the current contribution presents LIME, a lightweight and high performance 3D software for interpreting and co-visualising 3D models and related image data in geoscience applications. The software focuses on novel data integration and visualisation of 3D topography with image sources such as hyperspectral imagery, logs and interpretation panels, geophysical datasets and georeferenced maps and images. High quality visual output can be generated for dissemination purposes, to aid researchers with communication of their research results. The background of the software is described and case studies from outcrop geology, in hyperspectral mineral mapping and geophysical-geospatial data integration are used to showcase the novel methods developed.

D Modeling of Industrial Heritage Building Using COTSs System: Test, Limits and Performances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piras, M.; Di Pietra, V.; Visintini, D.

2017-08-01

The role of UAV systems in applied geomatics is continuously increasing in several applications as inspection, surveying and geospatial data. This evolution is mainly due to two factors: new technologies and new algorithms for data processing. About technologies, from some years ago there is a very wide use of commercial UAV even COTSs (Commercial On-The-Shelf) systems. Moreover, these UAVs allow to easily acquire oblique images, giving the possibility to overcome the limitations of the nadir approach related to the field of view and occlusions. In order to test potential and issue of COTSs systems, the Italian Society of Photogrammetry and Topography (SIFET) has organised the SBM2017, which is a benchmark where all people can participate in a shared experience. This benchmark, called "Photogrammetry with oblique images from UAV: potentialities and challenges", permits to collect considerations from the users, highlight the potential of these systems, define the critical aspects and the technological challenges and compare distinct approaches and software. The case study is the "Fornace Penna" in Scicli (Ragusa, Italy), an inaccessible monument of industrial architecture from the early 1900s. The datasets (images and video) have been acquired from three different UAVs system: Parrot Bebop 2, DJI Phantom 4 and Flytop Flynovex. The aim of this benchmark is to generate the 3D model of the "Fornace Penna", making an analysis considering different software, imaging geometry and processing strategies. This paper describes the surveying strategies, the methodologies and five different photogrammetric obtained results (sensor calibration, external orientation, dense point cloud and two orthophotos), using separately - the single images and the frames extracted from the video - acquired with the DJI system.

Regulations in the field of Geo-Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felus, Y.; Keinan, E.; Regev, R.

2013-10-01

The geomatics profession has gone through a major revolution during the last two decades with the emergence of advanced GNSS, GIS and Remote Sensing technologies. These technologies have changed the core principles and working procedures of geomatics professionals. For this reason, surveying and mapping regulations, standards and specifications should be updated to reflect these changes. In Israel, the "Survey Regulations" is the principal document that regulates the professional activities in four key areas geodetic control, mapping, cadastre and Georaphic information systems. Licensed Surveyors and mapping professionals in Israel are required to work according to those regulations. This year a new set of regulations have been published and include a few major amendments as follows: In the Geodesy chapter, horizontal control is officially based on the Israeli network of Continuously Operating GNSS Reference Stations (CORS). The regulations were phrased in a manner that will allow minor datum changes to the CORS stations due to Earth Crustal Movements. Moreover, the regulations permit the use of GNSS for low accuracy height measurements. In the Cadastre chapter, the most critical change is the move to Coordinate Based Cadastre (CBC). Each parcel corner point is ranked according to its quality (accuracy and clarity of definition). The highest ranking for a parcel corner is 1. A point with a rank of 1 is defined by its coordinates alone. Any other contradicting evidence is inferior to the coordinates values. Cadastral Information is stored and managed via the National Cadastral Databases. In the Mapping and GIS chapter; the traditional paper maps (ranked by scale) are replaced by digital maps or spatial databases. These spatial databases are ranked by their quality level. Quality level is determined (similar to the ISO19157 Standard) by logical consistency, completeness, positional accuracy, attribute accuracy, temporal accuracy and usability. Metadata is another critical component of any spatial database. Every component in a map should have a metadata identification, even if the map was compiled from multiple resources. The regulations permit the use of advanced sensors and mapping techniques including LIDAR and digita l cameras that have been certified and meet the defined criteria. The article reviews these new regulations and the decision that led to them.

Accuracy assessment of high resolution satellite imagery orientation by leave-one-out method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brovelli, Maria Antonia; Crespi, Mattia; Fratarcangeli, Francesca; Giannone, Francesca; Realini, Eugenio

Interest in high-resolution satellite imagery (HRSI) is spreading in several application fields, at both scientific and commercial levels. Fundamental and critical goals for the geometric use of this kind of imagery are their orientation and orthorectification, processes able to georeference the imagery and correct the geometric deformations they undergo during acquisition. In order to exploit the actual potentialities of orthorectified imagery in Geomatics applications, the definition of a methodology to assess the spatial accuracy achievable from oriented imagery is a crucial topic. In this paper we want to propose a new method for accuracy assessment based on the Leave-One-Out Cross-Validation (LOOCV), a model validation method already applied in different fields such as machine learning, bioinformatics and generally in any other field requiring an evaluation of the performance of a learning algorithm (e.g. in geostatistics), but never applied to HRSI orientation accuracy assessment. The proposed method exhibits interesting features which are able to overcome the most remarkable drawbacks involved by the commonly used method (Hold-Out Validation — HOV), based on the partitioning of the known ground points in two sets: the first is used in the orientation-orthorectification model (GCPs — Ground Control Points) and the second is used to validate the model itself (CPs — Check Points). In fact the HOV is generally not reliable and it is not applicable when a low number of ground points is available. To test the proposed method we implemented a new routine that performs the LOOCV in the software SISAR, developed by the Geodesy and Geomatics Team at the Sapienza University of Rome to perform the rigorous orientation of HRSI; this routine was tested on some EROS-A and QuickBird images. Moreover, these images were also oriented using the world recognized commercial software OrthoEngine v. 10 (included in the Geomatica suite by PCI), manually performing the LOOCV since only the HOV is implemented. The software comparison guaranteed about the overall correctness and good performances of the SISAR model, whereas the results showed the good features of the LOOCV method.

Integrated renewable energy networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansouri Kouhestani, F.; Byrne, J. M.; Hazendonk, P.; Brown, M. B.; Spencer, L.

2015-12-01

This multidisciplinary research is focused on studying implementation of diverse renewable energy networks. Our modern economy now depends heavily on large-scale, energy-intensive technologies. A transition to low carbon, renewable sources of energy is needed. We will develop a procedure for designing and analyzing renewable energy systems based on the magnitude, distribution, temporal characteristics, reliability and costs of the various renewable resources (including biomass waste streams) in combination with various measures to control the magnitude and timing of energy demand. The southern Canadian prairies are an ideal location for developing renewable energy networks. The region is blessed with steady, westerly winds and bright sunshine for more hours annually than Houston Texas. Extensive irrigation agriculture provides huge waste streams that can be processed biologically and chemically to create a range of biofuels. The first stage involves mapping existing energy and waste flows on a neighbourhood, municipal, and regional level. Optimal sites and combinations of sites for solar and wind electrical generation, such as ridges, rooftops and valley walls, will be identified. Geomatics based site and grid analyses will identify best locations for energy production based on efficient production and connectivity to regional grids.

The Segmentation of Point Clouds with K-Means and ANN (artifical Neural Network)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuçak, R. A.; Özdemir, E.; Erol, S.

2017-05-01

Segmentation of point clouds is recently used in many Geomatics Engineering applications such as the building extraction in urban areas, Digital Terrain Model (DTM) generation and the road or urban furniture extraction. Segmentation is a process of dividing point clouds according to their special characteristic layers. The present paper discusses K-means and self-organizing map (SOM) which is a type of ANN (Artificial Neural Network) segmentation algorithm which treats the segmentation of point cloud. The point clouds which generate with photogrammetric method and Terrestrial Lidar System (TLS) were segmented according to surface normal, intensity and curvature. Thus, the results were evaluated. LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and Photogrammetry are commonly used to obtain point clouds in many remote sensing and geodesy applications. By photogrammetric method or LIDAR method, it is possible to obtain point cloud from terrestrial or airborne systems. In this study, the measurements were made with a Leica C10 laser scanner in LIDAR method. In photogrammetric method, the point cloud was obtained from photographs taken from the ground with a 13 MP non-metric camera.

DTM Generation with Uav Based Photogrammetric Point Cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polat, N.; Uysal, M.

2017-11-01

Nowadays Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are widely used in many applications for different purposes. Their benefits however are not entirely detected due to the integration capabilities of other equipment such as; digital camera, GPS, or laser scanner. The main scope of this paper is evaluating performance of cameras integrated UAV for geomatic applications by the way of Digital Terrain Model (DTM) generation in a small area. In this purpose, 7 ground control points are surveyed with RTK and 420 photographs are captured. Over 30 million georeferenced points were used in DTM generation process. Accuracy of the DTM was evaluated with 5 check points. The root mean square error is calculated as 17.1 cm for an altitude of 100 m. Besides, a LiDAR derived DTM is used as reference in order to calculate correlation. The UAV based DTM has o 94.5 % correlation with reference DTM. Outcomes of the study show that it is possible to use the UAV Photogrammetry data as map producing, surveying, and some other engineering applications with the advantages of low-cost, time conservation, and minimum field work.

Geomatics for Mapping of Groundwater Potential Zones in Northern Part of the United Arab Emiratis - Sharjah City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Ruzouq, R.; Shanableh, A.; Merabtene, T.

2015-04-01

In United Arab Emirates (UAE) domestic water consumption has increased rapidly over the last decade. The increased demand for high-quality water, create an urgent need to evaluate the groundwater production of aquifers. The development of a reasonable model for groundwater potential is therefore crucial for future systematic developments, efficient management, and sustainable use of groundwater resources. The objective of this study is to map the groundwater potential zones in northern part of UAE and assess the contributing factors for exploration of potential groundwater resources. Remote sensing data and geographic information system will be used to locate potential zones for groundwater. Various maps (i.e., base, soil, geological, Hydro-geological, Geomorphologic Map, structural, drainage, slope, land use/land cover and average annual rainfall map) will be prepared based on geospatial techniques. The groundwater availability of the basin will qualitatively classified into different classes based on its hydro-geo-morphological conditions. The land use/land cover map will be also prepared for the different seasons using a digital classification technique with a ground truth based on field investigation.

The Use of Uas for Rapid 3d Mapping in Geomatics Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teo, Tee-Ann; Tian-Yuan Shih, Peter; Yu, Sz-Cheng; Tsai, Fuan

2016-06-01

With the development of technology, UAS is an advance technology to support rapid mapping for disaster response. The aim of this study is to develop educational modules for UAS data processing in rapid 3D mapping. The designed modules for this study are focused on UAV data processing from available freeware or trial software for education purpose. The key modules include orientation modelling, 3D point clouds generation, image georeferencing and visualization. The orientation modelling modules adopts VisualSFM to determine the projection matrix for each image station. Besides, the approximate ground control points are measured from OpenStreetMap for absolute orientation. The second module uses SURE and the orientation files from previous module for 3D point clouds generation. Then, the ground point selection and digital terrain model generation can be archived by LAStools. The third module stitches individual rectified images into a mosaic image using Microsoft ICE (Image Composite Editor). The last module visualizes and measures the generated dense point clouds in CloudCompare. These comprehensive UAS processing modules allow the students to gain the skills to process and deliver UAS photogrammetric products in rapid 3D mapping. Moreover, they can also apply the photogrammetric products for analysis in practice.

Implementation of AN Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System for Large Scale Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mah, S. B.; Cryderman, C. S.

2015-08-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), digital cameras, powerful personal computers, and software have made it possible for geomatics professionals to capture aerial photographs and generate digital terrain models and orthophotographs without using full scale aircraft or hiring mapping professionals. This has been made possible by the availability of miniaturized computers and sensors, and software which has been driven, in part, by the demand for this technology in consumer items such as smartphones. The other force that is in play is the increasing number of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) people who are building UAVs as a hobby or for professional use. Building a UAV system for mapping is an alternative to purchasing a turnkey system. This paper describes factors to be considered when building a UAV mapping system, the choices made, and the test results of a project using this completed system.

The Estimation of Precisions in the Planning of Uas Photogrammetric Surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passoni, D.; Federici, B.; Ferrando, I.; Gagliolo, S.; Sguerso, D.

2018-05-01

The Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) is widely used in the photogrammetric surveys both of structures and of small areas. Geomatics focuses the attention on the metric quality of the final products of the survey, creating several 3D modelling applications from UAS images. As widely known, the quality of results derives from the quality of images acquisition phase, which needs an a priori estimation of the expected precisions. The planning phase is typically managed using dedicated tools, adapted from the traditional aerial-photogrammetric flight plan. But UAS flight has features completely different from the traditional one. Hence, the use of UAS for photogrammetric applications today requires a growth in knowledge in planning. The basic idea of this research is to provide a drone photogrammetric flight planning tools considering the required metric precisions, given a priori the classical parameters of a photogrammetric planning: flight altitude, overlaps and geometric parameters of the camera. The created "office suite" allows a realistic planning of a photogrammetric survey, starting from an approximate knowledge of the Digital Surface Model (DSM), and the effective attitude parameters, changing along the route. The planning products are the overlapping of the images, the Ground Sample Distance (GSD) and the precision on each pixel taking into account the real geometry. The different tested procedures, the obtained results and the solution proposed for the a priori estimates of the precisions in the particular case of UAS surveys are here reported.

Parameter estimation in 3D affine and similarity transformation: implementation of variance component estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amiri-Simkooei, A. R.

2018-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) coordinate transformations, generally consisting of origin shifts, axes rotations, scale changes, and skew parameters, are widely used in many geomatics applications. Although in some geodetic applications simplified transformation models are used based on the assumption of small transformation parameters, in other fields of applications such parameters are indeed large. The algorithms of two recent papers on the weighted total least-squares (WTLS) problem are used for the 3D coordinate transformation. The methodology can be applied to the case when the transformation parameters are generally large of which no approximate values of the parameters are required. Direct linearization of the rotation and scale parameters is thus not required. The WTLS formulation is employed to take into consideration errors in both the start and target systems on the estimation of the transformation parameters. Two of the well-known 3D transformation methods, namely affine (12, 9, and 8 parameters) and similarity (7 and 6 parameters) transformations, can be handled using the WTLS theory subject to hard constraints. Because the method can be formulated by the standard least-squares theory with constraints, the covariance matrix of the transformation parameters can directly be provided. The above characteristics of the 3D coordinate transformation are implemented in the presence of different variance components, which are estimated using the least squares variance component estimation. In particular, the estimability of the variance components is investigated. The efficacy of the proposed formulation is verified on two real data sets.

Cultural Heritage Documentation and Integrated Geomatics Techniques in AN Educational Context: Case Bois-Du (belgium)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stal, C.; Goossens, R.; Carlier, L.; Debie, J.; Haoudy, K.; Nuttens, T.; De Wulf, A.

2013-07-01

The Walloon Region in Belgium played a leading role in the world economy and in the industrial sciences and engineering since the 19th century. Several relicts, such as important industrial buildings or sites, are spread over a large area and are still dominating the current landscape. Some of these remnants are preserved as monuments, representing the industrial, cultural and ecological transition of the region during the last two centuries. Since 2012, UNESCO recognized the importance of four of the best preserved 19th and 20th century coal mining sites and classified them as World Heritage ("Major Mining Sites of Wallonia", Le Grand-Hornu, Bois-du- Luc, Le Bois du Cazier and Blegny Mine). The four recognised mining sites together form a strip of about 170 km long, containing important examples of the so-called 'neo classical architecture' from the early periods of the industrial era in continental Europe. Motivated by this recognition and by the huge touristic and educational potential of the sites, a partnership between the Walloon government and Ghent University was organized. In this first stage, the collaboration focuses on the site of Bois-du-Luc in the municipality of La Louvière, containing a large series of dwellings, several equipments built between 1853 and 1923 by the Société des Charbonnages du Bois-du-Luc, workshops and heaps. Consisting of numerous buildings dating back to the period between 1838 and 1923, this site is one of Europe's oldest collieries. The collaboration between the Walloon government and Ghent University - Department of Geography fits in the hands-on training which students in land surveying and geomatics receive during their Bachelor studies. For the students it is very interesting that their practical exercises are not limited to the university campus, but that they are involved in a real measurement campaign. The project consists of a series of intensive land surveying campaigns, resulting in highly detailed and accurate maps of the site, including the inside domain of the buildings. Already available aerial photographs are processed to obtain a 3D model of the site and the wider region. In March 2013, the first campaign took place. During this first campaign, a topographical network was set out and a series of detail points were measured for the detailed topographic mapping. The topographical network was well-planned and covers almost the whole site, forming a set of permanently materialized reference points for later measurements. Besides, a large number of ground control points (GCPs) were taken for the 3D reconstruction of the area, based on high resolution airborne imagery. This enables the students to familiarize themselves with photogrammetric principles in a practical exercise. Both the topographic maps and the 3D model fit within the large scale geographic reference map of the Walloon Region. In this contribution, the results of this intensive trans-regional collaboration on the preservation of the sites are presented. This paper will discuss the first deliverables from the project and the advantages for the responsible government, the cultural heritage organisations (Ecomusée du Bois-du-Luc) and the students. The main focus here is on the educational context of the project. Furthermore, future projects on the same site will be discussed.

Coupling effect analysis between landslides, river channel changes and sediment budgets - extreme climate events in Laishe River, southern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Kuo-Jen; Huang, Mei-Jen; Tseng, Chih-Ming

2016-04-01

Taiwan, due to the high seismicity and high annual rainfall, numerous landslides triggered every year and severe impacts affect the island. Concerning to the catastrophic landslides, the key information of landslide, including range of landslide, volume estimation and the subsequent evolution are important when analyzing the triggering mechanism, hazard assessment and mitigation. Thus, the morphological analysis gives a general overview for the landslides and been considered as one of the most fundamental information. Typhoon Morakot brought extreme and long-time rainfall for Taiwan in August 2009, and caused severe disasters. In this study we integrate several technologies, especially by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and multi-spectral camera, to decipher the consequence and the potential hazard, and the social impact. In recent years, the remote sensing technology improves rapidly, providing a wide range of image, essential and precise information. This study integrates several methods, including, 1) Remote-sensing images gathered by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and by aerial photos taken in different periods; 2) field in-situ geologic investigation; 3) Differential GPS, RTK GPS geomatic measurements. The methods allow to constructing the DTMs before and after landslide, as well as the subsequent periods by using aerial photos and UAV derived images. The data sets permits to analysis the morphological changes. In the past, the study of sediment budgets usually relies on field investigation, but due to inconvenient transportation, topographical barriers, or located in remote areas, etc. the survey is hardly to be completed sometimes. In recent years, the rapid development of remote sensing technology improves image resolution and quality significantly. Remote sensing technology can provide a wide range of image data, and provide essential and precious information. The purpose of this study is to investigate the phenomenon of river migration and to evaluate the amount of migration along Laishe River by analyzing the 3D DEM before and after the typhoon Morakot. The DEMs are built by using the aerial images taken by digital mapping camera (DMC) and by airborne digital scanner 40 (ADS40) before and after typhoon event. Recently, this research integrates Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and oblique photogrammetric technologies for image acquisition by 5-10cm GSD photos. This approach permits to construct true 3D model so as to decipher ground information more realistically. 10-20cm DSM and DEM, and field GPS, were compiled together to decipher the morphologic changes. All the information, especially by means of true 3D model, the datasets provides detail ground information that may use to evaluate the landslide triggering mechanism and river channel evolution. The goals of this study is to integrates the UAS system and to decipher the sliding process and morphologic changes of large landslide areas, sediment transport and budgets, and to investigate the phenomenon of river migration. The results of this study provides not only geomatics and GIS dataset of the hazards, but also for essential geomorphologic information for other study, and for hazard mitigation and planning, as well.

High-Quality 3d Models and Their Use in a Cultural Heritage Conservation Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tucci, G.; Bonora, V.; Conti, A.; Fiorini, L.

2017-08-01

Cultural heritage digitization and 3D modelling processes are mainly based on laser scanning and digital photogrammetry techniques to produce complete, detailed and photorealistic three-dimensional surveys: geometric as well as chromatic aspects, in turn testimony of materials, work techniques, state of preservation, etc., are documented using digitization processes. The paper explores the topic of 3D documentation for conservation purposes; it analyses how geomatics contributes in different steps of a restoration process and it presents an overview of different uses of 3D models for the conservation and enhancement of the cultural heritage. The paper reports on the project to digitize the earthenware frieze of the Ospedale del Ceppo in Pistoia (Italy) for 3D documentation, restoration work support, and digital and physical reconstruction and integration purposes. The intent to design an exhibition area suggests new ways to take advantage of 3D data originally acquired for documentation and scientific purposes.

Digital Invasions: from Point Clouds to Historical Building Object Modeling H-Bom of a Unesco Whl Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiabrando, F.; Lo Turco, M.; Santagati, C.

2017-02-01

The paper here presented shows the outcomes of a research/didactic activity carried out within a workshop titled "Digital Invasions. From point cloud to Heritage Building Information Modeling" held at Politecnico di Torino (29th September-5th October 2016). The term digital invasions refers to an Italian bottom up project born in the 2013 with the aim of promoting innovative digital ways for the enhancement of Cultural Heritage by the co-creation of cultural contents and its sharing through social media platforms. At this regard, we have worked with students of Architectural Master of Science degree, training them with a multidisciplinary teaching team (Architectural Representation, History of Architecture, Restoration, Digital Communication and Geomatics). The aim was also to test if our students could be involved in a sort of niche crowdsourcing for the creation of a library of H-BOMS (Historical-Building Object Modeling) of architectural elements.

Experiences with GOCE models in SONMICAT-BCN calibration site.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Benjamin, J. J.; Termens, A.; Pros, F.

2016-12-01

SONMICAT - the integrated sea level observation system of Catalonia - aims at providing high-quality continous measurements of sea- and land levels at the Catalan coast from tide gauges and from modern geodetic techniques for studies on long-term sea level trends, but also the calibration of satellite altimeters, for instance. This synergy is indeed the only way to get a clear and unambigous picture of what is actually going on at the coast of Catalonia. Actually, there is a gap of sea level data in the coastal area of Catalonia, although several groups have started to do some work. SONMICAT will fill it and, as a goal, will be a regional implementation and densification of the GGOS . In the framework of SONMICAT project, the sea level infrastructure has been improved by providing the harbour of Barcelona with 3 tide gauges and a GPS station nearby. Furthermore, an airborne LiDAR campaign was carried out with two strips along two ICESat target tracks. The work focuses on the comparison between the GOCE gravity field solutions with existing local an regional gravity field models over the area of Barcelona harbour. The study will estimate how GOCE works on SONMICAT-BCN calibration site in order to prepare future geomatics issues .

Geomatics Education: Need Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vyas, A.

2014-11-01

Education system is divided in to two classes: formal and informal. Formal education establishes the basis of theory and practical learning whereas informal education is largely self-learning, learning from real world projects. Generally science and technology streams require formal method of education. The social and related aspects can be taught through the other methods. Education is a media through which the foundation of the knowledge and skill is built. The statistics reveals the increase in the trend of the literate population. This may be accounted due to the level of urbanization and migration to the cities in search for the "white-collar jobs". As a result, a shift in the employment structure is observed from a primary sector to a secondary and tertiary sector. Thomas Friedman in his book `The World is Flat' quotes the impact of globalization on adaptation of science and technology, the world has become large to tiny. One of the technologies to mention here is geospatial technology. With the advancement in the satellite remote sensing, geographical information system, global positioning system, the database management system has become important subject areas. The countries are accounting hugh budget on the space technology, which includes education, training and research. Today many developing countries do not have base maps, they are lacking in the systemic data and record keeping, which are essential for governance, decision making and other development purpose. There is no trained manpower available. There is no standard hardware and software identified. An imbalance is observed when the government is promoting the use of geospatial technology, there is no trained manpower nor the availability of the experts to review the accurateness of the spatial data developed. There are very few universities which impart the degree level education, there are very few trained faculty members who give standard education, there exists a lack of standard syllabus. On the other hand, the industry requires high skilled manpower, high experienced manpower. This is a low equilibrium situation. Since the need is enhancing day by day, the shortage of the skilled manpower is increasing, the need of the geomatics education emerges. This paper researches on the need assessment of the education in geospatial specialization. It emphasises on the challenges and issues prevail in geospatial education and in the specialized fields of remote sensing and GIS. This paper analyse the need assessment through all the three actors: government, geospatial industry and education institutions.

E-Learning in Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vyas, Anjana; König, Gerhard

2016-06-01

Science and technology are evolving leaps and bounds. The advancements in GI-Science for natural and built environment helps in improving the quality of life. Learning through education and training needs to be at par with those advancements, which plays a vital role in utilization of technology. New technologies that creates new opportunities have enabled Geomatics to broaden the horizon (skills and competencies). Government policies and decisions support the use of geospatial science in various sectors of governance. Mapping, Land management, Urban planning, Environmental planning, Industrialization are some of the areas where the geomatics has become a baseline for decision making at national level. There is a need to bridge the gap between developments in geospatial science and its utilization and implementation. To prepare a framework for standardisation it is important to understand the theories of education and prevailing practices, with articulate goals exploring variety of teaching techniques. E-Learning is an erudition practice shaped for facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources through digital and network-enabled technology. It is a shift from traditional education or training to ICT-based flexible and collaborative learning based on the community of learners, academia, professionals, experts and facilitators. Developments in e-learning is focussed on computer assisted learning which has become popular because of its potential for providing more flexible access to content and instruction at any time, from any place (Means et al, 2009). With the advent of the geo-spatial technology, fast development in the software and hardware, the demand for skilled manpower is increasing and the need is for training, education, research and dissemination. It suggests inter-organisational cooperation between academia, industry, government and international collaboration. There is a nascent need to adopt multi-specialisation approach to examine the issues and challenges of research in such a valued topic of education and training in multi-disciplinary areas. Learning involve a change in an individual's knowledge, ability to perform a skill, participate and communicate. There is considerable variation among the theories about the nature of this change. This paper derives from a scientific research grant received from ISPRS, reveals a summary result from assessing various theories and methods of evaluation of learning through education, system and structure of it for GeoInformatics.

Earth sciences, GIS and geomatics for natural hazards assessment and risks mitigation: a civil protection perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perotti, Luigi; Conte, Riccardo; Lanfranco, Massimo; Perrone, Gianluigi; Giardino, Marco; Ratto, Sara

2010-05-01

Geo-information and remote sensing are proper tools to enhance functional strategies for increasing awareness on natural hazards and risks and for supporting research and operational activities devoted to disaster reduction. An improved Earth Sciences knowledge coupled with Geomatics advanced technologies has been developed by the joint research group and applied by the ITHACA (Information Technology for Humanitarian Assistance, Cooperation and Action) centre, within its partnership with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) with the goal of reducing human, social, economic and environmental losses due to natural hazards and related disasters. By cooperating with local and regional authorities (Municipalities, Centro Funzionale of the Aosta Valley, Civil Protection Agency of Regione Piemonte), data on natural hazards and risks have been collected, compared to national and global data, then interpreted for helping communities and civil protection agencies of sensitive mountain regions to make strategic choices and decisions to better mitigation and adaption measures. To enhance the application of GIS and Remote-sensing technologies for geothematic mapping of geological and geomorphological risks of mountain territories of Europe and Developing Countries, research activities led to the collection and evaluation of data from scientific literature and historical technical archives, for the definition of predisposing/triggering factors and evolutionary processes of natural instability phenomena (landslides, floods, storms, …) and for the design and implementation of early-warning and early-impact systems. Geodatabases, Remote Sensing and Mobile-GIS applications were developed to perform analysis of : 1) large climate-related disaster (Hurricane Mitch, Central America), by the application of remote sensing techniques, either for early warning or mitigation measures at the national and international scale; 2) distribution of slope instabilities at the regional scale (Aosta Valley, NW-Italy), for preventing and recovering measures; 3) geological and geomorphological controlling factors of seismicity, to provide microzonation maps and scenarios for co-seismic response of instable zones (Dronero, NW- Italian Alps); 4) earthquake effects on ground and infrastructures, in order to register early assessment for awareness situations and for compile damage inventories (Asti-Alessandria seismic events, 2000, 2001, 2003). The research results has been able to substantiate early warning models by structuring geodatabases on natural disasters, and to support humanitarian relief and disaster management activities by creating and testing SRG2, a mobile-GIS application for field-data collection on natural hazards and risks.

Smart Cities Intelligence System (SMACiSYS) Integrating Sensor Web with Spatial Data Infrastructures (sensdi)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, D.; Painho, M.

2017-09-01

The paper endeavours to enhance the Sensor Web with crucial geospatial analysis capabilities through integration with Spatial Data Infrastructure. The objective is development of automated smart cities intelligence system (SMACiSYS) with sensor-web access (SENSDI) utilizing geomatics for sustainable societies. There has been a need to develop automated integrated system to categorize events and issue information that reaches users directly. At present, no web-enabled information system exists which can disseminate messages after events evaluation in real time. Research work formalizes a notion of an integrated, independent, generalized, and automated geo-event analysing system making use of geo-spatial data under popular usage platform. Integrating Sensor Web With Spatial Data Infrastructures (SENSDI) aims to extend SDIs with sensor web enablement, converging geospatial and built infrastructure, and implement test cases with sensor data and SDI. The other benefit, conversely, is the expansion of spatial data infrastructure to utilize sensor web, dynamically and in real time for smart applications that smarter cities demand nowadays. Hence, SENSDI augments existing smart cities platforms utilizing sensor web and spatial information achieved by coupling pairs of otherwise disjoint interfaces and APIs formulated by Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) keeping entire platform open access and open source. SENSDI is based on Geonode, QGIS and Java, that bind most of the functionalities of Internet, sensor web and nowadays Internet of Things superseding Internet of Sensors as well. In a nutshell, the project delivers a generalized real-time accessible and analysable platform for sensing the environment and mapping the captured information for optimal decision-making and societal benefit.

Application of WebGIS for traffic risk assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voumard, Jérémie; Aye, Zar Chi; Derron, Marc-Henri; Jaboyedoff, Michel

2015-04-01

Roads and railways are threatened throughout the year by several natural hazards around the world, leading to the closing of transportation corridors, loss of access, deviation travels and potentially infrastructures damages and loss of human lives and also financial, social and economic consequences. Protection measures used to reduce the exposure to natural hazards are usually expensive and cannot be deployed on an entire transportation network. It is thus necessary to choose priority areas where protection measures need to be built. The aim of this study is to propose a friendly tool to evaluate and to understand issues and consequences of section closing and affected parts of a transportation network at small region scale. The proposed tool, currently in its design and building phase, will provide ways to simulate different closure scenarios and to analyze their consequences on transportation network; like deviating traffic on others roads and railways sections, additional time and distance travel or accessibility for emergency services like police, firefighters and ambulances. The tool is based on OpenGeo architecture, which is composed of open-source components. It integrates PostGIS for database, GeoServer and GeoWebCache for application servers and finally GeoExt and OpenLayers for user interface. Users will be able to attribute quantitative (like roads and railway type and closure consequences) and qualitative (like section unavailability duration, season, etc.) data to the different roads and railways sections based on their user rights. They will also be able to evaluate different track closures consequences in terms of different scenarios. Once finalized, the goal of this project including natural hazards, traffic and geomatic thematic is to propose a decision support tool for public authorities firstly and for specialists secondly so that they can evaluate easily and accurately as much as possible to highlight the weakpoints of the transportation network in the case track closures due to natural hazards.

Web Service for Positional Quality Assessment: the Wps Tier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xavier, E. M. A.; Ariza-López, F. J.; Ureña-Cámara, M. A.

2015-08-01

In the field of spatial data every day we have more and more information available, but we still have little or very little information about the quality of spatial data. We consider that the automation of the spatial data quality assessment is a true need for the geomatic sector, and that automation is possible by means of web processing services (WPS), and the application of specific assessment procedures. In this paper we propose and develop a WPS tier centered on the automation of the positional quality assessment. An experiment using the NSSDA positional accuracy method is presented. The experiment involves the uploading by the client of two datasets (reference and evaluation data). The processing is to determine homologous pairs of points (by distance) and calculate the value of positional accuracy under the NSSDA standard. The process generates a small report that is sent to the client. From our experiment, we reached some conclusions on the advantages and disadvantages of WPSs when applied to the automation of spatial data accuracy assessments.

Quantifying Traces of Tool Use: A Novel Morphometric Analysis of Damage Patterns on Percussive Tools

PubMed Central

Caruana, Matthew V.; Carvalho, Susana; Braun, David R.; Presnyakova, Darya; Haslam, Michael; Archer, Will; Bobe, Rene; Harris, John W. K.

2014-01-01

Percussive technology continues to play an increasingly important role in understanding the evolution of tool use. Comparing the archaeological record with extractive foraging behaviors in nonhuman primates has focused on percussive implements as a key to investigating the origins of lithic technology. Despite this, archaeological approaches towards percussive tools have been obscured by a lack of standardized methodologies. Central to this issue have been the use of qualitative, non-diagnostic techniques to identify percussive tools from archaeological contexts. Here we describe a new morphometric method for distinguishing anthropogenically-generated damage patterns on percussive tools from naturally damaged river cobbles. We employ a geomatic approach through the use of three-dimensional scanning and geographical information systems software to statistically quantify the identification process in percussive technology research. This will strengthen current technological analyses of percussive tools in archaeological frameworks and open new avenues for translating behavioral inferences of early hominins from percussive damage patterns. PMID:25415303

Planning and Management of Real-Time Geospatialuas Missions Within a Virtual Globe Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nebiker, S.; Eugster, H.; Flückiger, K.; Christen, M.

2011-09-01

This paper presents the design and development of a hardware and software framework supporting all phases of typical monitoring and mapping missions with mini and micro UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). The developed solution combines state-of-the art collaborative virtual globe technologies with advanced geospatial imaging techniques and wireless data link technologies supporting the combined and highly reliable transmission of digital video, high-resolution still imagery and mission control data over extended operational ranges. The framework enables the planning, simulation, control and real-time monitoring of UAS missions in application areas such as monitoring of forest fires, agronomical research, border patrol or pipeline inspection. The geospatial components of the project are based on the Virtual Globe Technology i3D OpenWebGlobe of the Institute of Geomatics Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). i3D OpenWebGlobe is a high-performance 3D geovisualisation engine supporting the web-based streaming of very large amounts of terrain and POI data.

GNSS-based multi-sensor system for structural monitoring applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogusz, Janusz; Figurski, Mariusz; Nykiel, Grzegorz; Szolucha, Marcin; Wrona, Maciej

2012-03-01

In 2007 the Centre of Applied Geomatics of the Military University of Technology started measurements aimed at the monitoring of the dynamic state of the engineering structures using GNSS. The complexity of the problem forced us to apply an integrated system architecture. This concept is based on simultaneous measuring some selected elements of the structure using various types of sensors. Measurement information from numerous instruments is numerically integrated for determining the investigated parameter, e.g., the displacement vector. The CAG team performed the tests using such a system on the two permanent 500-meters long bridges, the temporary bridge crossing for military purposes and the 300-meters high chimney of the CHP station. The information about displacement vector together with the characteristic frequencies of the structure were determined using different techniques for increasing of its reliability. This paper presents the results of such tests, gives description of the integrated system designed in the CAG and brings forward with the plans for the future.

UAV and Computer Vision in 3D Modeling of Cultural Heritage in Southern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrile, Vincenzo; Gelsomino, Vincenzo; Bilotta, Giuliana

2017-08-01

On the Waterfront Italo Falcomatà of Reggio Calabria you can admire the most extensive tract of the walls of the Hellenistic period of ancient city of Rhegion. The so-called Greek Walls are one of the most significant and visible traces of the past linked to the culture of Ancient Greece in the site of Reggio Calabria territory. Over the years this stretch of wall has always been a part, to the reconstruction of Reggio after the earthquake of 1783, the outer walls at all times, restored countless times, to cope with the degradation of the time and the adjustments to the technical increasingly innovative and sophisticated siege. They were the subject of several studies on history, for the study of the construction techniques and the maintenance and restoration of the same. This note describes the methodology for the implementation of a three-dimensional model of the Greek Walls conducted by the Geomatics Laboratory, belonging to DICEAM Department of University “Mediterranea” of Reggio Calabria. 3D modeling we made is based on imaging techniques, such as Digital Photogrammetry and Computer Vision, by using a drone. The acquired digital images were then processed using commercial software Agisoft PhotoScan. The results denote the goodness of the technique used in the field of cultural heritage, attractive alternative to more expensive and demanding techniques such as laser scanning.

Learning Geomatics for Restoration: Icomos Summer School in Ossola Valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achille, C.; Fassi, F.; Marquardt, K.; Cesprini, M.

2017-05-01

Documentation and preservation of widespread rural heritage are today possible only if you can activate processes of conservation headed by local communities, thereby recognizing the link between the communities and their culture. The cultural heritage places (villages, sites and landscapes) can take different values; action is needed respecting the right of communities to identify the values contained in them. `Collaborative networks should be set up at different levels among multiple stakeholders in order to address issues related to heritage and create new value chains through innovative synergies. Dynamic, flexible, inclusive and integrated processes of engagement need to be employed for assessing long-term social impacts of heritage conservation programmes' (Icomos, 2014). In 2011 the 3DSurvey Group of the Politecnico di Milano in collaboration with the Canova Association initiated an annual summer school program entitled `Laboratory of Places 2017, Ghesc and surroundings, History, survey, evolution Laboratory of Places'. The definition of "Laboratory of Places 2017, Ghesc and surroundings" links the idea of an inhabited space to an open space suitable for study, research, and an interactive absorption and confrontation of differing ideas. Founding elements of the project involve educational collaborations with university, but equally important will be the development of programs with local schools, associations, and public administration (Quaderni di Ghesc, 2010).

Digital Image Correlation from Commercial to FOS Software: a Mature Technique for Full-Field Displacement Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belloni, V.; Ravanelli, R.; Nascetti, A.; Di Rita, M.; Mattei, D.; Crespi, M.

2018-05-01

In the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in studying non-contact methods for full-field displacement and strain measurement. Among such techniques, Digital Image Correlation (DIC) has received particular attention, thanks to its ability to provide these information by comparing digital images of a sample surface before and after deformation. The method is now commonly adopted in the field of civil, mechanical and aerospace engineering and different companies and some research groups implemented 2D and 3D DIC software. In this work a review on DIC software status is given at first. Moreover, a free and open source 2D DIC software is presented, named py2DIC and developed in Python at the Geodesy and Geomatics Division of DICEA of the University of Rome "La Sapienza"; its potentialities were evaluated by processing the images captured during tensile tests performed in the Structural Engineering Lab of the University of Rome "La Sapienza" and comparing them to those obtained using the commercial software Vic-2D developed by Correlated Solutions Inc, USA. The agreement of these results at one hundredth of millimetre level demonstrate the possibility to use this open source software as a valuable 2D DIC tool to measure full-field displacements on the investigated sample surface.

Open Source GIS based integrated watershed management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrne, J. M.; Lindsay, J.; Berg, A. A.

2013-12-01

Optimal land and water management to address future and current resource stresses and allocation challenges requires the development of state-of-the-art geomatics and hydrological modelling tools. Future hydrological modelling tools should be of high resolution, process based with real-time capability to assess changing resource issues critical to short, medium and long-term enviromental management. The objective here is to merge two renowned, well published resource modeling programs to create an source toolbox for integrated land and water management applications. This work will facilitate a much increased efficiency in land and water resource security, management and planning. Following an 'open-source' philosophy, the tools will be computer platform independent with source code freely available, maximizing knowledge transfer and the global value of the proposed research. The envisioned set of water resource management tools will be housed within 'Whitebox Geospatial Analysis Tools'. Whitebox, is an open-source geographical information system (GIS) developed by Dr. John Lindsay at the University of Guelph. The emphasis of the Whitebox project has been to develop a user-friendly interface for advanced spatial analysis in environmental applications. The plugin architecture of the software is ideal for the tight-integration of spatially distributed models and spatial analysis algorithms such as those contained within the GENESYS suite. Open-source development extends knowledge and technology transfer to a broad range of end-users and builds Canadian capability to address complex resource management problems with better tools and expertise for managers in Canada and around the world. GENESYS (Generate Earth Systems Science input) is an innovative, efficient, high-resolution hydro- and agro-meteorological model for complex terrain watersheds developed under the direction of Dr. James Byrne. GENESYS is an outstanding research and applications tool to address challenging resource management issues in industry, government and nongovernmental agencies. Current research and analysis tools were developed to manage meteorological, climatological, and land and water resource data efficiently at high resolution in space and time. The deliverable for this work is a Whitebox-GENESYS open-source resource management capacity with routines for GIS based watershed management including water in agriculture and food production. We are adding urban water management routines through GENESYS in 2013-15 with an engineering PhD candidate. Both Whitebox-GAT and GENESYS are already well-established tools. The proposed research will combine these products to create an open-source geomatics based water resource management tool that is revolutionary in both capacity and availability to a wide array of Canadian and global users

Establishment of Karadeniz Technical University Permanent GNSS Station as Reactivated of TRAB IGS Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazancı, Selma Zengin; Kayıkçı, Emine Tanır

2017-12-01

In recent years, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have gained great importance in terms of the benefi ts it provides such as precise geodetic point positioning, determining crustal deformations, navigation, vehicle monitoring systems and meteorological applications etc. As in Turkey, for this purpose, each country has set up its own GNSS station networks like Turkish National Permanent RTK Network analyzed precise station coordinates and velocities together with the International GNSS Service, Turkish National Fundamental GPS Network and Turkish National Permanent GNSS Network (TNPGN) stations not only are utilized as precise positioning but also GNSS meteorology studies so total number of stations are increased. This work is related to the reactivated of the TRAB IGS station which was established in Karadeniz Technical University, Department of Geomatics Engineering. Within the COST ES1206 Action (GNSS4SWEC) KTU analysis center was established and Trop-NET system developed by Geodetic Observatory Pecny (GOP, RIGTC) in order to troposphere monitoring. The project titled "Using Regional GNSS Networks to Strengthen Severe Weather Prediction" was accepted to the scientifi c and technological research council of Turkey (TUBITAK). With this project, we will design 2 new constructed GNSS reference station network. Using observation data of network, we will compare water vapor distribution derived by GNSS Meteorology and GNSS Tomography. At this time, KTU AC was accepted as E-GVAP Analysis Centre in December 2016. KTU reference station is aimed to be a member of the EUREF network with these studies.

A celebration of mechanics: from nano to macro. The J. Michael T. Thompson Festschrift issue.

PubMed

Elishakoff, Isaac

2013-06-28

This Theme Issue is dedicated to the topic 'Mechanics: from nano to macro' and marks the 75th birthday of Dr J. Michael T. Thompson, Fellow of the Royal Society, whose current affiliations are as follows: (i) Honorary Fellow, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge; (ii) Emeritus Professor of Nonlinear Dynamics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London; and (iii) Professor of Theoretical and Applied Dynamics (Distinguished Sixth Century Chair, part-time), University of Aberdeen. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors at ES-Consult (consulting engineers) in Copenhagen, Denmark. The pertinent question that arises from the very start is: should we first salute Michael and then describe the Theme Issue, or vice versa? Indeed, according to Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), the last thing one discovers in composing a work is what to put first. I would like to take the liberty of deviating from the tradition of the Philosophical Transactions and start with the tribute to Michael; after all he is the prime cause of this Theme Issue.

Moocs - a Force to BE Reckoned with or a Temporary Phenomenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koenig, G.

2015-05-01

The digital revolution has dramatically changed our everyday life. Using the Internet has evolved into a key technology that became an indispensable information source. The expansion of Internet usage beyond mere information storage to a learning and communication tool sets new standards for the development of educational concepts. Digital textbooks, multimedia tutorials, elearning offers using learning management systems and massive open online courses (MOOCs) demonstrate the development phases of new strategies for knowledge transfer. Initially starting in the USA MOOC platforms like Udacity, Coursera or edX had gained an enormous media attention caused by the huge number of participants. Initially this new teaching method was welcomed euphorically; the didactic preparation of courses is however viewed with scepticism, particularly in Europe. This paper will review the status of MOOCs, with a particular emphasis on Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, and Geomatics. A selection of these 'Geo-MOOCs' will be presented. The consideration of these free online learning resources will include a commentary on quality and perceived effectiveness. Finally it will be outlined if MOOCs are reasonable and promising in our fields.

Unmanned aerial systems for photogrammetry and remote sensing: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colomina, I.; Molina, P.

2014-06-01

We discuss the evolution and state-of-the-art of the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in the field of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (PaRS). UAS, Remotely-Piloted Aerial Systems, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or simply, drones are a hot topic comprising a diverse array of aspects including technology, privacy rights, safety and regulations, and even war and peace. Modern photogrammetry and remote sensing identified the potential of UAS-sourced imagery more than thirty years ago. In the last five years, these two sister disciplines have developed technology and methods that challenge the current aeronautical regulatory framework and their own traditional acquisition and processing methods. Navety and ingenuity have combined off-the-shelf, low-cost equipment with sophisticated computer vision, robotics and geomatic engineering. The results are cm-level resolution and accuracy products that can be generated even with cameras costing a few-hundred euros. In this review article, following a brief historic background and regulatory status analysis, we review the recent unmanned aircraft, sensing, navigation, orientation and general data processing developments for UAS photogrammetry and remote sensing with emphasis on the nano-micro-mini UAS segment.

Autonomous Wheeled Robot Platform Testbed for Navigation and Mapping Using Low-Cost Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calero, D.; Fernandez, E.; Parés, M. E.

2017-11-01

This paper presents the concept of an architecture for a wheeled robot system that helps researchers in the field of geomatics to speed up their daily research on kinematic geodesy, indoor navigation and indoor positioning fields. The presented ideas corresponds to an extensible and modular hardware and software system aimed at the development of new low-cost mapping algorithms as well as at the evaluation of the performance of sensors. The concept, already implemented in the CTTC's system ARAS (Autonomous Rover for Automatic Surveying) is generic and extensible. This means that it is possible to incorporate new navigation algorithms or sensors at no maintenance cost. Only the effort related to the development tasks required to either create such algorithms needs to be taken into account. As a consequence, change poses a much small problem for research activities in this specific area. This system includes several standalone sensors that may be combined in different ways to accomplish several goals; that is, this system may be used to perform a variety of tasks, as, for instance evaluates positioning algorithms performance or mapping algorithms performance.

Geovisualisation of relief in a virtual reality system on the basis of low-level aerial imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halik, Łukasz; Smaczyński, Maciej

2017-12-01

The aim of the following paper was to present the geomatic process of transforming low-level aerial imagery obtained with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) into a digital terrain model (DTM) and implementing the model into a virtual reality system (VR). The object of the study was a natural aggretage heap of an irregular shape and denivelations up to 11 m. Based on the obtained photos, three point clouds (varying in the level of detail) were generated for the 20,000-m2-area. For further analyses, the researchers selected the point cloud with the best ratio of accuracy to output file size. This choice was made based on seven control points of the heap surveyed in the field and the corresponding points in the generated 3D model. The obtained several-centimetre differences between the control points in the field and the ones from the model might testify to the usefulness of the described algorithm for creating large-scale DTMs for engineering purposes. Finally, the chosen model was implemented into the VR system, which enables the most lifelike exploration of 3D terrain plasticity in real time, thanks to the first person view mode (FPV). In this mode, the user observes an object with the aid of a Head- mounted display (HMD), experiencing the geovisualisation from the inside, and virtually analysing the terrain as a direct animator of the observations.

Along Silk Road: Earth observation and ICT for Cultural Heritage from Italian and Chinese perspectives.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masini, Nicola; Chen, Fulong; Feng, Dexian; Gabellone, Francesco; Lasaponara, Rosa; Yang, Ruixia

2014-05-01

In the framework of the bilateral scientific cooperation programme between Italy and China a project financed by Italian of Ministry Affairs on Earth Observation and ICT for cultural heritage has been starting since 2013 with the participation of researchers of two Italian institutes of CNR, IBAM and IMAA, and of Centre for Earth Observation and Digital Earth of Chinese Academy of Sciences. The aims of this project is to achieve advances in knowledge, methods and technologies to support a smart management of cultural sites which require constant monitoring activities to preserve their integrity by means of synergic Italian-Chinese research activities, training and exchanges of working experience in the field of remote sensing, geophysics, virtual reality and geomatics applied to Cultural Heritage. During the three years of the project, a number of case studies in China and in Italy will represent the test areas to implement in a synergic way different remote sensing approaches from space-borne to airborne remote sensing (Lasaponara and Masini 2011, 2013; Masini and Lasaponara 2013), including UAV, up to geophysics and terrestrial survey methods with different aims, from site discovery to monitoring and management of cultural sites. The paper shows the preliminary results of three case studies in China. One is Luoyang in the western Henan province, located at the intersection of the Luo and Yi rivers, an area that was once considered the center of China. For this reason its territory more times hosted the capital during different dynasties. The first was built on 2070 BCE, during the Xia Dynasty. Another capital of Eastern Han Dynasty was found in 25 AD by Emperor Guangwu of Han. During the Eastern Han Dynasty Luoyang was the most important town of China, from the political, religious and cultural point of view. A few architectural monuments of this period are preserved, among them the White Horse Temple, built on preexisting structures of the first Buddhist temple in China founded in 68 AD. The last capital date back to 493 when the Northern Wei Dynasty moved its capital from Datong to Luoyang and started the construction of the rock-cut Longmen Grottoes. These grottoes are composed of more than 30,000 Buddhist statues sculptured in the rock which represent the second case study of the project. Finally, the third case study is the Silk road which is network of routes connecting the West and East and linking traders, merchants, pilgrims, monks, soldiers, from China to the Mediterranean Sea since the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). For the above mentioned case studies different approaches for the knowledge and conservation have been experiencing. For Luoyang case study the preliminary results of SAR interferometry aimed to assess subsidence phenomena will be presented. Structure for Motion has been applied to obtain 3d models of one of the famous Buddhas of Longmen. Finally, the processing of multiscale optical satellite imagery is bringing to light old routes of the Silk Road in the in Xinjiang region, nearby Kashgar, the westernmost city of China. Acknowledgement The authors thank the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for supporting the project "Smart management of cultural heritage sites in Italy and China: Earth Observation and pilot projects. Reference F. Chen, F. Gabellone, R. Lasaponara, G. Leucci, E. Rizzo, Remote Sensing and ICT for Cultural heritage from European and Chinese perspectives, CNR-STES, Potenza, 2013. Lasaponara R., Masini N. 2013, Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar in Archaeology and Cultural Landscape: An Overview. Archaeological Prospection, 20, 71-78, doi: 10.1002/arp.1452 Lasaponara R., Masini N. 2011, Satellite Remote Sensing in Archaeology : past, present and future, Journal of Archaeological Science, 38(9), 1995-2002, doi:10.1016/j.jas.2011.02.002 Masini N., Lasaponara R. 2013. Airborne Lidar in Archaeology: Overview and a Case Study. In: Computational Science and Its Applications - ICCSA 2013, Lecture Notes in Computer Science Volume 7972, 2013, pp 663-676, doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-39643-4_48, ISSN: 0302-9743, Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Assessment of underground water potential zones using modern geomatics technologies in Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh, India.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, N. K.; Shukla, A. K.; Shukla, S.; Pandey, M.

2014-11-01

Ground water is a distinguished component of the hydrologic cycle. Surface water storage and ground water withdrawal are traditional engineering approaches which will continue to be followed in the future. The uncertainty about the occurrence, distribution and quality aspect of the ground water and the energy requirement for its withdrawal impose restriction on exploitation of ground water. The main objective of the study is assessment of underground water potential zones of Jhansi city and surrounding area, by preparing underground water potential zone map using Geographical Information System (GIS), remote sensing, and validation by underground water inventory mapping using GPS field survey done along the parts of National Highway 25 and 26 and some state highway passing through the study area. Study area covers an area of 1401 km2 and its perimeter is approximate 425 km. For this study Landsat TM (0.76-0.90 um) band data were acquired from GLCF website. Sensor spatial resolution is 30 m. Satellite image has become a standard tool aiding in the study of underground water. Extraction of different thematic layers like Land Use Land Cover (LULC), settlement, etc. can be done through unsupervised classification. The modern geometics technologies viz. remote sensing and GIS are used to produce the map that classifies the groundwater potential zone to a number of qualitative zone such as very high, high, moderate, low or very low. Thematic maps are prepared by visual interpretation of Survey of India topo-sheets and linearly enhanced Landsat TM satellite image on 1 : 50,000 scale using AutoCAD, ArcGIS 10.1 and ERDAS 11 software packages.

Two-Dimensional Boundary Element Method Application for Surface Deformation Modeling around Lembang and Cimandiri Fault, West Java

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahya, M. J.; Sanny, T. A.

2017-04-01

Lembang and Cimandiri fault are active faults in West Java that thread people near the faults with earthquake and surface deformation risk. To determine the deformation, GPS measurements around Lembang and Cimandiri fault was conducted then the data was processed to get the horizontal velocity at each GPS stations by Graduate Research of Earthquake and Active Tectonics (GREAT) Department of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering Study Program, ITB. The purpose of this study is to model the displacement distribution as deformation parameter in the area along Lembang and Cimandiri fault using 2-dimensional boundary element method (BEM) using the horizontal velocity that has been corrected by the effect of Sunda plate horizontal movement as the input. The assumptions that used at the modeling stage are the deformation occurs in homogeneous and isotropic medium, and the stresses that acted on faults are in elastostatic condition. The results of modeling show that Lembang fault had left-lateral slip component and divided into two segments. A lineament oriented in southwest-northeast direction is observed near Tangkuban Perahu Mountain separating the eastern and the western segments of Lembang fault. The displacement pattern of Cimandiri fault shows that Cimandiri fault is divided into the eastern segment with right-lateral slip component and the western segment with left-lateral slip component separated by a northwest-southeast oriented lineament at the western part of Gede Pangrango Mountain. The displacement value between Lembang and Cimandiri fault is nearly zero indicating that Lembang and Cimandiri fault are not connected each other and this area is relatively safe for infrastructure development.

Reliability of calculation of the lithosphere deformations in tectonically stable area of Poland based on the GPS measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Araszkiewicz, Andrzej; Jarosiński, Marek

2013-04-01

In this research we aimed to check if the GPS observations can be used for calculation of a reliable deformation pattern of the intracontinental lithosphere in seismically inactive areas, such as territory of Poland. For this purpose we have used data mainly from the ASG-EUPOS permanent network and the solutions developed by the MUT CAG team (Military University of Technology: Centre of Applied Geomatics). From the 128 analyzed stations almost 100 are mounted on buildings. Daily observations were processed in the Bernese 5.0 software and next the weekly solutions were used to determine the station velocities expressed in ETRF2000. The strain rates were determined for almost 200 triangles with GPS stations in their corners plotted used Delaunay triangulation. The obtained scattered directions of deformations and highly changeable values of strain rates point to insufficient antennas' stabilization as for geodynamical studies. In order to depict badly stabilized stations we carried out a benchmark test to show what might be the effect of one station drift on deformations in contacting triangles. Based on the benchmark results, from our network we have eliminated the stations which showed deformation pattern characteristic for instable station. After several rounds of strain rate calculations and eliminations of dubious points we have reduced the number of stations down to 60. The refined network revealed more consistent deformation pattern across Poland. Deformations compared with the recent stress field of the study area disclosed good correlation in some places and significant discrepancies in the others, which will be the subject of future research.

Indoor Multi-Sensor Acquisition System for Projects on Energy Renovation of Buildings.

PubMed

Armesto, Julia; Sánchez-Villanueva, Claudio; Patiño-Cambeiro, Faustino; Patiño-Barbeito, Faustino

2016-05-28

Energy rehabilitation actions in buildings have become a great economic opportunity for the construction sector. They also constitute a strategic goal in the European Union (EU), given the energy dependence and the compromises with climate change of its member states. About 75% of existing buildings in the EU were built when energy efficiency codes had not been developed. Approximately 75% to 90% of those standing buildings are expected to remain in use in 2050. Significant advances have been achieved in energy analysis, simulation tools, and computer fluid dynamics for building energy evaluation. However, the gap between predictions and real savings might still be improved. Geomatics and computer science disciplines can really help in modelling, inspection, and diagnosis procedures. This paper presents a multi-sensor acquisition system capable of automatically and simultaneously capturing the three-dimensional geometric information, thermographic, optical, and panoramic images, ambient temperature map, relative humidity map, and light level map. The system integrates a navigation system based on a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) approach that allows georeferencing every data to its position in the building. The described equipment optimizes the energy inspection and diagnosis steps and facilitates the energy modelling of the building.

Landscape trajectories during the Lateglacial and the Holocene in the Loir River Valley (France) : the contribution of Geoarchaeology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piana, Juliene

2015-04-01

A multidisciplinary research has been initiated in the Loir River valley where investigations revealed high-potential fluvial records and landforms for environmental and socio-environmental reconstructions. Investigations provide the opportunity to reconstruct landscape trajectories between climate, environmental and societal changes during the last 16000 years, using geoarchaeological and archaeogeographical approaches: sedimentology, soil micromorphology, geochemistry, archaeology, geomatics, geochronology (AGES Program: Ancient Geomorphological EvolutionS of Loire Basin hydrosystem). In the sector of Vaas (Sarthe, France) the research on the Lateglacial and the Holocene sedimentary sequences from the alluvial plain leads to a general overview of the valley evolution from the end of the Weichselian Upper Pleniglacial to the Present. Joined to archaeological (Protohistoric and Antic sites) and historical data (engineering archives, 18th century cadastral registers) this research highlights the importance of anthropogenic and geomorphological heritages in the current fluvial landscape (microtopography, wetlands, archaeological remains, land use). This knowledge constitutes a basis for skills transfer to planners and managers, in sustainable management of hydrological resources (reducing the vulnerability to flooding and low flows), preservation of biodiversity (wetlands protection) and valorization of landscapes (cultural tourism development).

Indoor Multi-Sensor Acquisition System for Projects on Energy Renovation of Buildings

PubMed Central

Armesto, Julia; Sánchez-Villanueva, Claudio; Patiño-Cambeiro, Faustino; Patiño-Barbeito, Faustino

2016-01-01

Energy rehabilitation actions in buildings have become a great economic opportunity for the construction sector. They also constitute a strategic goal in the European Union (EU), given the energy dependence and the compromises with climate change of its member states. About 75% of existing buildings in the EU were built when energy efficiency codes had not been developed. Approximately 75% to 90% of those standing buildings are expected to remain in use in 2050. Significant advances have been achieved in energy analysis, simulation tools, and computer fluid dynamics for building energy evaluation. However, the gap between predictions and real savings might still be improved. Geomatics and computer science disciplines can really help in modelling, inspection, and diagnosis procedures. This paper presents a multi-sensor acquisition system capable of automatically and simultaneously capturing the three-dimensional geometric information, thermographic, optical, and panoramic images, ambient temperature map, relative humidity map, and light level map. The system integrates a navigation system based on a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) approach that allows georeferencing every data to its position in the building. The described equipment optimizes the energy inspection and diagnosis steps and facilitates the energy modelling of the building. PMID:27240379

Research-related intercultural higher education in satellite geodesy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, M.; Heck, B.; Krueger, C. P.

2009-04-01

In order to improve the education of young researchers (master degree, PhD, PostDocs) a cooperation between the Department of Geomatics (DGEOM), Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba (Brazil) and the Geodetic Institute (GIK), University Karlsruhe (TH), Karlsruhe (Germany) was established which now exists since more than five years. The joint venture is actually called "PROBRAL: Precise positioning and height determination by means of GPS: Modeling of errors and transformation into physical heights" and focuses on research and education within the field of satellite geodesy. PROBRAL is funded by the Brazilian academic exchange service CAPES and the German academic exchange service DAAD. The geodetic aim of the research project is to validate and improve the quality of 3d positions derived from observations related to satellite navigation systems like GPS. In order to fulfill this ambitious goal sustainably, research has to be carried out in close cooperation. At the same time, e.g. to guarantee continuous success, a coordinated education has to be ensured. Besides technical education aspects key competences (e.g. language, capacity for teamwork, project management skills) are trained. Within the presentation the lessons which were learned from this project are discussed in detail.

The Acquisition, Production and Dissemination of Geospatial Data for Emergency Management and Preservation of Cultural Heritage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santoro, E.

2017-05-01

The crisis management of a disaster, whether caused naturally or by human action, requires a thorough knowledge of the territory involved, with regard to both its terrain and its developed areas. Therefore, it is essential that the National Mapping and Cadastral Agencies (NMCAs) and all other public and scientific institutions responsible for the production of geospatial information closely co-operate in making their data in that field available. This crucial sharing of geographic information is a top-level priority, not only in a disaster emergency situation, but also for effective urban and environmental planning and Cultural Heritage protection and preservation. Geospatial data-sharing, responding to the needs of all institutions involved in disaster surveying operations, is fundamental, as a priority, to the task of avoiding loss of human lives. However, no less important is the acquisition, dissemination and use of this data, in addition to direct, "in-the-field" operations of specialists in geomatics, in order to preserve the Cultural Heritage located in the crisis area. It is in this context that an NMCA such as the Italian Military Geographic Institute (IGMI) plays a key role.

UAV Deployment Exercise for Mapping Purposes: Evaluation of Emergency Response Applications.

PubMed

Boccardo, Piero; Chiabrando, Filiberto; Dutto, Furio; Tonolo, Fabio Giulio; Lingua, Andrea

2015-07-02

Exploiting the decrease of costs related to UAV technology, the humanitarian community started piloting the use of similar systems in humanitarian crises several years ago in different application fields, i.e., disaster mapping and information gathering, community capacity building, logistics and even transportation of goods. Part of the author's group, composed of researchers in the field of applied geomatics, has been piloting the use of UAVs since 2006, with a specific focus on disaster management application. In the framework of such activities, a UAV deployment exercise was jointly organized with the Regional Civil Protection authority, mainly aimed at assessing the operational procedures to deploy UAVs for mapping purposes and the usability of the acquired data in an emergency response context. In the paper the technical features of the UAV platforms will be described, comparing the main advantages/disadvantages of fixed-wing versus rotor platforms. The main phases of the adopted operational procedure will be discussed and assessed especially in terms of time required to carry out each step, highlighting potential bottlenecks and in view of the national regulation framework, which is rapidly evolving. Different methodologies for the processing of the acquired data will be described and discussed, evaluating the fitness for emergency response applications.

POIS, a Low Cost Tilt and Position Sensor: Design and First Tests

PubMed Central

Artese, Giuseppe; Perrelli, Michele; Artese, Serena; Meduri, Sebastiano; Brogno, Natale

2015-01-01

An integrated sensor for the measurement and monitoring of position and inclination, characterized by low cost, small size and low weight, has been designed, realized and calibrated at the Geomatics Lab of the University of Calabria. The design of the prototype, devoted to the monitoring of landslides and structures, was aiming at realizing a fully automated monitoring instrument, able to send the data acquired periodically or upon request by a control center through a bidirectional transmission protocol. The sensor can be released with different accuracy and range of measurement, by choosing bubble vials with different characteristics. The instrument is provided with a computer, which can be programmed so as to independently perform the processing of the data collected by a single sensor or a by a sensor network, and to transmit, consequently, alert signals if the thresholds determined by the monitoring center are exceeded. The bidirectional transmission also allows the users to vary the set of the monitoring parameters (time of acquisition, duration of satellite acquisitions, thresholds for the observed data). In the paper, hardware and software of the sensor are described, along with the calibration, the results of laboratory tests and of the first in field acquisitions. PMID:25961381

Present and future of desertification in Spain: Implementation of a surveillance system to prevent land degradation.

PubMed

Martínez-Valderrama, Jaime; Ibáñez, Javier; Del Barrio, Gabriel; Sanjuán, Maria E; Alcalá, Francisco J; Martínez-Vicente, Silvio; Ruiz, Alberto; Puigdefábregas, Juan

2016-09-01

Mitigation strategies are crucial for desertification given that once degradation starts, other solutions are extremely expensive or unworkable. Prevention is key to handle this problem and solutions should be based on spotting and deactivating the stressors of the system. Following this topic, the Spanish Plan of Action to Combat Desertification (SPACD) created the basis for implementing two innovative approaches to evaluate the threat of land degradation in the country. This paper presents tools for preventing desertification in the form of a geomatic approach to enable the periodic assessments of the status and trends of land condition. Also System Dynamics modelling has been used to integrate bio-physical and socio-economic aspects of desertification to explain and analyse degradation in the main hot spots detected in Spain. The 2dRUE procedure was implemented to map the land-condition status by comparing potential land productivity according to water availability, the limiting factor in arid lands, with plant-biomass data. This assessment showed that 20% of the territory is degraded and an additional 1% is actively degrading. System Dynamics modelling was applied to study the five desertification landscapes identified by the SPACD. The risk analysis, implemented on these models, concluded that 'Herbaceous crops affected by soil erosion' is the landscape most at risk, while the Plackett-Burman sensitivity analysis used to rank the factors highlighted the supremacy of climatic factors above socioeconomic drivers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a Frost Risk Assessment Tool in Agriculture for a Mediterranean ecosystem Utilizing MODIS satellite observations Geomatics and Surface Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Louka, Panagiota; Papanikolaou, Ioannis; Petropoulos, George; Migiros, George; Tsiros, Ioannis

2014-05-01

Frost risk in Mediterranean countries is a critical factor in agricultural planning and management. Nowadays, the rapid technological developments in Earth Observation (EO) technology have improved dramatically our ability to map the spatiotemporal distribution of frost conditions over a given area and evaluate its impacts on the environment and society. In this study, a frost risk model for agricultural crops cultivated in a Mediterranean environment has been developed, based primarily on Earth Observation (EO) data from MODIS sensor and ancillary spatial and point data. The ability of the model to predict frost conditions has been validated for selected days on which frost conditions had been observed for a region in Northwestern Greece according to ground observations obtained by the Agricultural Insurance Organization (ELGA). An extensive evaluation of the frost risk model predictions has been performed herein to evaluate objectively its ability to predict the spatio-temporal distribution of frost risk in the studied region, including comparisons against physiographical factors of the study area. The topographical characteristics that were taken under consideration were latitude, altitude, slope steepness, topographic convergence and the extend of the areas influenced by water bodies (such as lake and sea) existing in the study area. Additional data were also used concerning land use data and vegetation classification (type and density). Our results showed that the model was able to produce reasonably the spatio-temporal distribution of the frost conditions in our study area, following largely explainable patterns in respect to the study site and local weather conditions characteristics. All in all, the methodology implemented herein proved capable in obtaining rapidly and cost-effectively cartography of the frost risk in a Mediterranean environment, making it potentially a very useful tool for agricultural management and planning. The model presented here has also a potential to enhance conventional field-based surveying for monitoring frost changes over long timescales. KEYWORDS: Earth Observation, MODIS, frost, risk assessment, Greece

An accelerated image matching technique for UAV orthoimage registration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Chung-Hsien; Lin, Yu-Ching

2017-06-01

Using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) drone with an attached non-metric camera has become a popular low-cost approach for collecting geospatial data. A well-georeferenced orthoimage is a fundamental product for geomatics professionals. To achieve high positioning accuracy of orthoimages, precise sensor position and orientation data, or a number of ground control points (GCPs), are often required. Alternatively, image registration is a solution for improving the accuracy of a UAV orthoimage, as long as a historical reference image is available. This study proposes a registration scheme, including an Accelerated Binary Robust Invariant Scalable Keypoints (ABRISK) algorithm and spatial analysis of corresponding control points for image registration. To determine a match between two input images, feature descriptors from one image are compared with those from another image. A "Sorting Ring" is used to filter out uncorrected feature pairs as early as possible in the stage of matching feature points, to speed up the matching process. The results demonstrate that the proposed ABRISK approach outperforms the vector-based Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) approach where radiometric variations exist. ABRISK is 19.2 times and 312 times faster than SIFT for image sizes of 1000 × 1000 pixels and 4000 × 4000 pixels, respectively. ABRISK is 4.7 times faster than Binary Robust Invariant Scalable Keypoints (BRISK). Furthermore, the positional accuracy of the UAV orthoimage after applying the proposed image registration scheme is improved by an average of root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.58 m for six test orthoimages whose spatial resolutions vary from 6.7 cm to 10.7 cm.

Costless Platform for High Resolution Stereoscopic Images of a High Gothic Facade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Héno, R.; Chandelier, L.; Schelstraete, D.

2012-07-01

In October 2011, the PPMD specialized master's degree students (Photogrammetry, Positionning and Deformation Measurement) of the French ENSG (IGN's School of Geomatics, the Ecole Nationale des Sciences Géographiques) were asked to come and survey the main facade of the cathedral of Amiens, which is very complex as far as size and decoration are concerned. Although it was first planned to use a lift truck for the image survey, budget considerations and taste for experimentation led the project to other perspectives: images shot from the ground level with a long focal camera will be combined to complementary images shot from what higher galleries are available on the main facade with a wide angle camera fixed on a horizontal 2.5 meter long pole. This heteroclite image survey is being processed by the PPMD master's degree students during this academic year. Among other type of products, 3D point clouds will be calculated on specific parts of the facade with both sources of images. If the proposed device and methodology to get full image coverage of the main facade happen to be fruitful, the image acquisition phase will be completed later by another team. This article focuses on the production of 3D point clouds with wide angle images on the rose of the main facade.

Mobile Laser Scanning for Indoor Modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomson, C.; Apostolopoulos, G.; Backes, D.; Boehm, J.

2013-10-01

The process of capturing and modelling buildings has gained increased focus in recent years with the rise of Building Information Modelling (BIM). At the heart of BIM is a process change for the construction and facilities management industries whereby a BIM aids more collaborative working through better information exchange, and as a part of the process Geomatic/Land Surveyors are not immune from the changes. Terrestrial laser scanning has been proscribed as the preferred method for rapidly capturing buildings for BIM geometry. This is a process change from a traditional measured building survey just with a total station and is aided by the increasing acceptance of point cloud data being integrated with parametric building models in BIM tools such as Autodesk Revit or Bentley Architecture. Pilot projects carried out previously by the authors to investigate the geometry capture and modelling of BIM confirmed the view of others that the process of data capture with static laser scan setups is slow and very involved requiring at least two people for efficiency. Indoor Mobile Mapping Systems (IMMS) present a possible solution to these issues especially in time saved. Therefore this paper investigates their application as a capture device for BIM geometry creation over traditional static methods through a fit-for-purpose test.

a Near-Global Bare-Earth dem from Srtm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallant, J. C.; Read, A. M.

2016-06-01

The near-global elevation product from NASA's Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) has been widely used since its release in 2005 at 3 arcsecond resolution and the release of the 1 arcsecond version in late 2014 means that the full potential of the SRTM DEM can now be realised. However the routine use of SRTM for analytical purposes such as catchment hydrology, flood inundation, habitat mapping and soil mapping is still seriously impeded by the presence of artefacts in the data, primarily the offsets due to tree cover and the random noise. This paper describes the algorithms being developed to remove those offsets, based on the methods developed to produce the Australian national elevation model from SRTM data. The offsets due to trees are estimated using the GlobeLand30 (National Geomatics Center of China) and Global Forest Change (University of Maryland) products derived from Landsat, along with the ALOS PALSAR radar image data (JAXA) and the global forest canopy height map (NASA). The offsets are estimated using several processes and combined to produce a single continuous tree offset layer that is subtracted from the SRTM data. The DEM products will be made freely available on completion of the first draft product, and the assessment of that product is expected to drive further improvements to the methods.

UAV Deployment Exercise for Mapping Purposes: Evaluation of Emergency Response Applications

PubMed Central

Boccardo, Piero; Chiabrando, Filiberto; Dutto, Furio; Giulio Tonolo, Fabio; Lingua, Andrea

2015-01-01

Exploiting the decrease of costs related to UAV technology, the humanitarian community started piloting the use of similar systems in humanitarian crises several years ago in different application fields, i.e., disaster mapping and information gathering, community capacity building, logistics and even transportation of goods. Part of the author’s group, composed of researchers in the field of applied geomatics, has been piloting the use of UAVs since 2006, with a specific focus on disaster management application. In the framework of such activities, a UAV deployment exercise was jointly organized with the Regional Civil Protection authority, mainly aimed at assessing the operational procedures to deploy UAVs for mapping purposes and the usability of the acquired data in an emergency response context. In the paper the technical features of the UAV platforms will be described, comparing the main advantages/disadvantages of fixed-wing versus rotor platforms. The main phases of the adopted operational procedure will be discussed and assessed especially in terms of time required to carry out each step, highlighting potential bottlenecks and in view of the national regulation framework, which is rapidly evolving. Different methodologies for the processing of the acquired data will be described and discussed, evaluating the fitness for emergency response applications. PMID:26147728

Trusted Data Communication and Security Issues in Gnss Network of Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakici, S.; Erkek, B.; Manti, V.; Altekin, A.

2017-11-01

There are three main activities of General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre. These are Mapping, Land Registry and Cadastre. Geomatic Department is responsible for mapping activities. The most important projects like TUSAGA-Aktif (CORS-Tr), Metadata Geoportal, Orthophoto Production and orthophoto web services and preparation of Turkish NSDI Feasibility Report have been conducted and completed by this department's specialists since 2005. TUSAGA-Aktif (CORS-Tr) System, serves location information at cm level accuracy in Turkey and TR Nortern Cyprus in few seconds, where adequate numbers of GNSS satellites are observed and communication possibilities are present. No ground control points and benchmarks are necessary. There are 146 permanent GNSS stations within the CORS-Tr System. Station data are transferred online to the main control center located in the Mapping Department of the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre and to the control center located in the General Command of Mapping. Currently CORS-Tr has more than 9000 users. Most of them are private companies working for governmental organization. Providing data communication between control center and both GNSS station and users via trusted and good substructure is important. Additionally, protection of the system and data against cyber attacks from domestic and foreign sources is important. This paper focuses on data communication and security issues of GNSS network named TUSAGA-Aktif.

Development of a Real-Time GPS/Seismic Displacement Meter: GPS Component

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bock, Y.; Canas, J.; Andrew, A.; Vernon, F.

2002-12-01

We report on the status of the Orange County Real-Time GPS Network (OCRTN), an upgrade of the SCIGN sites in Orange County and Catalina Island to low latency (1 sec), high-rate (1 Hz) data streaming, analysis, and dissemination. The project is a collaborative effort of the California Spatial Reference Center (CSRC) and the Orange County Dept. of Geomatics, with partners from the geophysical community (SCIGN), local and state government, and the private sector. As part of Phase 1 of the project, nine sites are streaming data by dedicated, point-to-point radio modems to a central data server located in Santa Ana. Instantaneous positions are computed for each site. Data are converted from 1 Hz Ashtech binary MBEN format to (1) 1 Hz RTCM format, and (2) decimated (15 sec) RINEX format. A second computer outside a firewall and located in another building at the Orange County's Computer Center is a TCP-based client of RTCM data (messages 18, 19, 3, and 22) from the data server, as well as a TCP-based server of RTCM data to the outside world. An external computer can access the RTCM data from all active sites through an IP socket connection. Data latency, in the best case, is less than 1 sec from real-time. Once a day, the decimated RINEX data are transferred by ftp from the data server to the SOPAC-CSRC archive at Scripps. Data recovery is typically 99-100%. As part of the second phase of the project, the RTCM server provides data to field receivers to perform RTK surveying. On connection to the RTCM server the user gets a list of active stations, and can then choose from which site to retrieve RTCM data. This site then plays the role of the RTK base station and a CDPD-based wireless Internet device plays the role of the normal RTK radio link. If an Internet connection is available, we will demonstrate how the system operates. This system will serve as a prototype for the GPS component of the GPS/seismic displacement meter.

The bust of Francesco II Gonzaga: from digital documentation to 3D printing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adami, A.; Balletti, C.; Fassi, F.; Fregonese, L.; Guerra, F.; Taffurelli, L.; Vernier, P.

2015-08-01

Geomatics technics and methods are now able to provide a great contribution to the Cultural Heritage (CH) processes, being adaptable to different purposes: management, diagnosis, restoration, protection, study and research, communication, formation and fruition of the Cultural Heritage. This experimentation was done with an eye to encouraging and promoting the development of principles and good practices for recording, documentation and information management of cultural heritage. This research focuses on the documentation path of a cultural asset, in particular a Renaissance statue, aimed to achieve a three dimensional model useful for many digital applications and for solid reproduction. The digital copy can be used in many contexts and represents an efficient tool to preserve and promote CH. It can be included in virtual museum archives and catalogues, shared on network with cultural operators and users, and it permits the contextualization of the asset in its artistic and historical background. Moreover, the possibility to obtain a hard copy, reproduced through 3D printing, allows to reach new opportunities of interaction with CH. In this article, two techniques for the digitization of the terracotta bust of Francesco II Gonzaga, in the City Museum of Mantua, are described: the triangulation scanner and dense image matching photogrammetry. As well as the description of the acquisition and the elaborations, other aspects are taken into account: the characteristics of the object, the place for the acquisition, the ultimate goal and the economic availability. There are also highlighted the optimization pipeline to get the correct three-dimensional models and a 3D printed copy. A separate section discusses the comparison of the realized model to identify the positive and negative aspects of each adopted application.

A GIS based method for soil mapping in Sardinia, Italy: a geomatic approach.

PubMed

Vacca, A; Loddo, S; Melis, M T; Funedda, A; Puddu, R; Verona, M; Fanni, S; Fantola, F; Madrau, S; Marrone, V A; Serra, G; Tore, C; Manca, D; Pasci, S; Puddu, M R; Schirru, P

2014-06-01

A new project was recently initiated for the realization of the "Land Unit and Soil Capability Map of Sardinia" at a scale of 1:50,000 to support land use planning. In this study, we outline the general structure of the project and the methods used in the activities that have been thus far conducted. A GIS approach was used. We used the soil-landscape paradigm for the prediction of soil classes and their spatial distribution or the prediction of soil properties based on landscape features. The work is divided into two main phases. In the first phase, the available digital data on land cover, geology and topography were processed and classified according to their influence on weathering processes and soil properties. The methods used in the interpretation are based on consolidated and generalized knowledge about the influence of geology, topography and land cover on soil properties. The existing soil data (areal and point data) were collected, reviewed, validated and standardized according to international and national guidelines. Point data considered to be usable were input into a specific database created for the project. Using expert interpretation, all digital data were merged to produce a first draft of the Land Unit Map. During the second phase, this map will be implemented with the existing soil data and verified in the field if also needed with new soil data collection, and the final Land Unit Map will be produced. The Land Unit and Soil Capability Map will be produced by classifying the land units using a reference matching table of land capability classes created for this project. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of global scale climate-groundwater interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuthbert, M. O.; Gleeson, T. P.; Moosdorf, N.; Schneider, A. C.; Hartmann, J.; Befus, K. M.; Lehner, B.

2017-12-01

The interactions between groundwater and climate are important to resolve in both space and time as they influence mass and energy transfers at Earth's land surface. Despite the significance of these processes, little is known about the spatio-temporal distribution of such interactions globally, and many large-scale climate, hydrological and land surface models oversimplify groundwater or exclude it completely. In this study we bring together diverse global geomatic data sets to map spatial patterns in the sensitivity and degree of connectedness between the water table and the land surface, and use the output from a global groundwater model to assess the locations where the lateral import or export of groundwater is significant. We also quantify the groundwater response time, the characteristic time for groundwater systems to respond to a change in boundary conditions, and map its distribution globally to assess the likely dynamics of groundwater's interaction with climate. We find that more than half of the global land surface significantly exports or imports groundwater laterally. Nearly 40% of Earth's landmass has water tables that are strongly coupled to topography with water tables shallow enough to enable a bi-directional exchange of moisture with the climate system. However, only a small proportion (around 12%) of such regions have groundwater response times of 100 years or less and have groundwater fluxes that would significantly respond to rapid environmental changes over this timescale. We last explore fundamental relationships between aridity, groundwater response times and groundwater turnover times. Our results have wide ranging implications for understanding and modelling changes in Earth's water and energy balance and for informing robust future water management and security decisions.

Landslides and vegetation cover in the 2005 North Pakistan earthquake: a GIS and statistical quantitative approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peduzzi, P.

2010-04-01

The growing concern for loss of services once provided by natural ecosystems is getting increasing attention. However, the accelerating rate of natural resources destruction calls for rapid and global action. With often very limited budgets, environmental agencies and NGOs need cost-efficient ways to quickly convince decision-makers that sound management of natural resources can help to protect human lives and their welfare. The methodology described in this paper, is based on geospatial and statistical analysis, involving simple Geographical Information System (GIS) and remote sensing algorithms. It is based on free or very low-cost data. It aims to scientifically assess the potential role of vegetation in mitigating landslides triggered by earthquakes by normalising for other factors such as slopes and distance from active fault. The methodology was applied to the 2005 North Pakistan/India earthquake which generated a large number of victims and hundreds of landslides. The study shows that if slopes and proximity from active fault are the main susceptibility factors for post landslides triggered by earthquakes in this area, the results clearly revealed that areas covered by denser vegetation suffered less and smaller landslides than areas with thinner (or devoid of) vegetation cover. Short distance from roads/trails and rivers also proved to be pertinent factors in increasing landslides susceptibility. This project is a component of a wider initiative involving the Global Resource Information Database Europe from the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Institute of Geomatics and Risk Analysis from the University of Lausanne and the "institut universitaire d'études du développement" from the University of Geneva.

Fluvial landscapes - human societies interactions during the last 2000 years: the Middle Loire River and its embanking since the Middle Ages (France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castanet, Cyril; Carcaud, Nathalie

2015-04-01

This research deals with the study of fluvial landscapes, heavily and precociously transformed by societies (fluvial anthroposystems). It aims to characterize i), fluvial responses to climate, environmental and anthropogenic changes ii), history of hydraulical constructions relative to rivers iii), history of fluvial origin risks and their management - (Program: AGES Ancient Geomorphological EvolutionS of the Loire River hydrosystem). The Middle Loire River valley in the Val d'Orléans was strongly and precociously occupied, particularly during historical periods. Hydrosedimentary flows are there irregular. The river dykes were built during the Middle Ages (dykes named turcies) and the Modern Period, but ages and localizations of the oldest dykes were not precisely known. A systemic and multi-scaled approach aimed to characterize i), palaeo-hydrographical, -hydrological and -hydraulical evolutions of the Loire River, fluvial risks (palaeo-hazards and -vulnerabilities) and their management. It is based on an integrated approach, in and out archaeological sites: morpho-stratigraphy, sedimentology, geophysics, geochemistry, geomatics, geochronology, archaeology. Spatio-temporal variability of fluvial hazards is characterized. A model of the Loire River fluvial activity is developed: multicentennial scale variability, with higher fluvial activity episodes during the Gallo-Roman period, IX-XIth centuries and LIA. Fluvial patterns changes are indentified. Settlement dynamics and hydraulical constructions of the valley are specified. We establish the ages and localizations of the oldest discovered dikes of the Middle Loire River: after the Late Antiquity and before the end of the Early Middle Ages (2 dated dykes), between Bou and Orléans cities. During historical periods, we suggest 2 main thresholds concerning socio-environmental interactions: the first one during the Early Middle Ages (turcies: small scattered dykes), the second during the Modern Period (levees: high quasi-continuous dykes).

Pedoinformatics Approach to Soil Text Analytics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furey, J.; Seiter, J.; Davis, A.

2017-12-01

The several extant schema for the classification of soils rely on differing criteria, but the major soil science taxonomies, including the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the international harmonized World Reference Base for Soil Resources systems, are based principally on inferred pedogenic properties. These taxonomies largely result from compiled individual observations of soil morphologies within soil profiles, and the vast majority of this pedologic information is contained in qualitative text descriptions. We present text mining analyses of hundreds of gigabytes of parsed text and other data in the digitally available USDA soil taxonomy documentation, the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database, and the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) soil characterization database. These analyses implemented iPython calls to Gensim modules for topic modelling, with latent semantic indexing completed down to the lowest taxon level (soil series) paragraphs. Via a custom extension of the Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK), approximately one percent of the USDA soil series descriptions were used to train a classifier for the remainder of the documents, essentially by treating soil science words as comprising a novel language. While location-specific descriptors at the soil series level are amenable to geomatics methods, unsupervised clustering of the occurrence of other soil science words did not closely follow the usual hierarchy of soil taxa. We present preliminary phrasal analyses that may account for some of these effects.

Digital Preservation of the Quon Sang Lung Laundry Building, Fort Macleod, Alberta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, P.; Baradaran, F.; Jahraus, A.; Rubalcava, E.; Farrokhi, A.; Robinson, C.

2017-08-01

This paper describes the results of an emergency recording and archiving of a historic structure in Southern Alberta and explores the lessons learned. Digital recording of the Quon Sang Lung Laundry building in Fort Macleod, Alberta, was a joint initiative between Alberta Culture and Tourism and the University of Calgary. The Quon Sang Lung Laundry was a boomtown-style wood structure situated in the Fort Macleod Provincial Historic Area, Alberta. Built in the mid-1800s, the structure was one of the four buildings comprising Fort Macleod's Chinatown. Its association with Chinese immigration, settlement, and emergence of Chinese-owned businesses in early twentieth-century Alberta, made the Quon Sang Lung Laundry a unique and very significant historic resource. In recent years, a condition assessment of the structure indicated that the building was not safe and that the extent of the instability could lead to a sudden collapse. In response, Alberta Culture and Tourism engaged the Departments of Anthropology and Archaeology and Geomatics Engineering from the University of Calgary, to digitally preserve the laundry building. A complete survey including the laser scanning of all the remaining elements of the original structure, was undertaken. Through digital modeling, the work guarantees that a three-dimensional representation of the building is available for future use. This includes accurate 3D renders of the exterior and interior spaces and a collection of architectural drawings comprising floor plans, sections, and elevations.

Ecomorphodynamic Response of Foreshore Saltmarsh to the Implementation of Flood and Erosion Mitigation and Adaptation Structures in a Hypertidal Estuary: Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy, Canada.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matheson, G.; van Proosdij, D.; Ross, C.

2017-12-01

Flood and erosion mitigations and adaptation structures are often implemented in anthropogenically modified coastal regions, such as dykelands, to protect against coastal hazards. If saltmarshes are to be incorporated into a coastal management plan as a source of coastal defence, it is paramount to understand how ecomorphodynamic feedbacks triggered by implementing these structures can impact saltmarshes. This study examines how these structures, in combination with natural drivers, have precipitated changes in foreshore saltmarsh erosion and progradation rates over varying spatial scales in the hypertidal Minas Basin, located in the upper Bay of Fundy, during the past 80 years. Foreshore change rates (in 25m segments) are obtained using empirical field measurements, geomatics techniques in a geographical information system (GIS), as well as imagery and digital surface models (DSMs) derived from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Furthermore, UAV DSMs were used to determine infill rates and short-term sediment budgets in saltmarsh borrow pits. Natural cyclical foreshore change rates are observed in the Minas Basin, but are often augmented by the presence of anthropogenic structures. Erosion and progradation rates in individual transects have been observed to be as much as -14.9m/yr and 20.1m/yr, respectively. In individual saltmarsh communities, average change rates have been observed to be as much -3.4m/yr and 2.1m/yr across the entire foreshore. Furthermore, results suggest that under specific environmental conditions some structures (e.g. kickers) work in tandem with saltmarshes to protect the upland by precipitating ecomorphodynamic feedbacks that promote saltmarsh progradation. Conversely, other structures (e.g. foreshore rocking) can exacerbate natural cycles of erosion, locally. Borrow pit studies reveal that although local suspended sediment concentrations, which can vary from 50mg/l to 50000mg/l, play an integral role in pit sedimentation, channel geometry design may play an equally important role in governing infill rates.

Assessing Spatio-temporal Variability of Karst Water Storage over Southwest China from GRACE and Reservoir Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, C.; Luo, Z.; Lo, M. H.; Li, Q.

2016-12-01

This study assesses spatio-temporal variability of terrestrial water storage (TWS) over the world's largest karst aquifer with continuous coverage in Southwest China (SWC) from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), along with hydrological model outputs, precipitation and reservoir water level data. GRACE shows karst water increases for the period 2003/01-2014/06 with a total volume ranging from 29.0 to 49.1 km3, and observes an extremely wet condition in 2008/2009 caused by the increase in precipitation and Longtan Reservoir (LTR) storage. The subsequent two droughts in 2009/2010 and 2011 have resulted in significant aquifer water depletion, with abnormal karst water losses of 180.2±43.3 km3 and 269.8±34.6 km3 respectively. In particular, the sustained reduction in peaks of the LTR storage is associated with the long-term dry condition over the upper Pearl River. Nonseasonal karst TWS variations are considerably impacted by LTR impoundment in the post-dam period, especially for the impounding episode of autumn and the dry season of winter, with correlations of 0.71 and 0.93 between TWS and reservoir volume variations respectively. Additionally, the nonseasonal GRACE TWS deficit provides an alternative and valuable drought indicator for the study karst region since large differences exist in modeled soil moisture and drought indices. This study demonstrates that the combination of GRACE and other hydrological variables could be beneficial for studying karst hydrologic dynamics. Acknowledgments: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41174020, 41131067, 41174021), the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (Grant No. 2013CB733302), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 2014214020203), the open fund of Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment and Geodesy, Ministry of Education (Grant No. 14-02-011), the open fund of Guangxi Key Laboratory of Spatial Information and Geomatics (Grant No. 14-045-24-17) and the MOST 103-2111-M-002-006 to National Taiwan University.

Monitoring Reservoirs Using MERIS And LANDSAT Fused Images : A Case Study Of Polyfitos Reservoir - West Macedonia - Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefouli, M.; Charou, E.; Vasileiou, E.; Stathopoulos, N.; Perrakis, A.

2012-04-01

Research and monitoring is essential to assess baseline conditions in reservoirs and their watershed and provide necessary information to guide decision-makers. Erosion and degradation of mountainous areas can lead to gradual aggradation of reservoirs reducing their lifetime. Collected measurements and observations have to be communicated to the managers of the reservoirs so as to achieve a common / comprehensive management of a large watershed and reservoir system. At this point Remote Sensing could help as the remotely sensed data are repeatedly and readily available to the end users. Aliakmon is the longest river in Greece, it's length is about 297 km and the surface of the river basin is 9.210 km2.The flow of the river starts from Northwest of Greece and ends in Thermaikos Gulf. The riverbed is not natural throughout the entire route, because constructed dams restrict water and create artificial lakes, such as lake of Polyfitos, that prevent flooding. This lake is used as reservoir, for covering irrigational water needs and the water is used to produce energy from the hydroelectric plant of Public Power Corporation-PPC. The catchment basin of Polyfitos' reservoir covers an area of 847.76 km2. Soil erosion - degradation in the mountainous watershed of streams of Polyfitos reservoir is taking place. It has been estimated that an annual volume of sediments reaching the reservoir is of the order of 244 m3. Geomatic based techniques are used in processing multiple data of the study area. A data inventory was formulated after the acquisition of topographic maps, compilation of geological and hydro-geological maps, compilation of digital elevation model for the area of interest based on satellite data and available maps. It also includes the acquisition of various hydro-meteorological data when available. On the basis of available maps and satellite data, digital elevation models are used in order to delineate the basic sub-catchments of the Polyfytos basin as well as the irrigation network in the area We evaluate the possibility to merge two different resolution satellite data i.e. MERIS/ENVISAT and LANDSAT to facilitate the study of the Polyfitos reservoir. State of the art data fusion techniques, that preserve the best characteristics (spatial, temporal, spectral) of the two types of images are implemented and used to mining information concerning selected parameters. Summer 2011 Landsat and ENVISAT MERIS satellite images are used in order to extract lake water quality parameters such as water clarity -and sediment content. Assessment of the whole watershed of Polyfitos reservoir is carried out for the last 25 years. The methodology presented here can be used to support existing reservoir monitoring programs as it gives regular measurements for the whole of the watershed area of the reservoir. The results can be made available to end-users / reservoir managers, using web/GIS techniques. They can also support environmental awareness of the conditions of watershed of Polyfitos reservoir.

The Practical Application of Uav-Based Photogrammetry Under Economic Aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauerbier, M.; Siegrist, E.; Eisenbeiss, H.; Demir, N.

2011-09-01

Nowadays, small size UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) have reached a level of practical reliability and functionality that enables this technology to enter the geomatics market as an additional platform for spatial data acquisition. Though one could imagine a wide variety of interesting sensors to be mounted on such a device, here we will focus on photogrammetric applications using digital cameras. In praxis, UAV-based photogrammetry will only be accepted if it a) provides the required accuracy and an additional value and b) if it is competitive in terms of economic application compared to other measurement technologies. While a) was already proven by the scientific community and results were published comprehensively during the last decade, b) still has to be verified under real conditions. For this purpose, a test data set representing a realistic scenario provided by ETH Zurich was used to investigate cost effectiveness and to identify weak points in the processing chain that require further development. Our investigations are limited to UAVs carrying digital consumer cameras, for larger UAVs equipped with medium format cameras the situation has to be considered as significantly different. Image data was acquired during flights using a microdrones MD4-1000 quadrocopter equipped with an Olympus PE-1 digital compact camera. From these images, a subset of 5 images was selected for processing in order to register the effort of time required for the whole production chain of photogrammetric products. We see the potential of mini UAV-based photogrammetry mainly in smaller areas, up to a size of ca. 100 hectares. Larger areas can be efficiently covered by small airplanes with few images, reducing processing effort drastically. In case of smaller areas of a few hectares only, it depends more on the products required. UAVs can be an enhancement or alternative to GNSS measurements, terrestrial laser scanning and ground based photogrammetry. We selected the above mentioned test data from a project featuring an area of interest within the practical range for mini UAVs. While flight planning and flight operation are already quite efficient processes, the bottlenecks identified are mainly related to image processing. Although we used specific software for image processing, the identified gaps in the processing chain today are valid for most commercial photogrammetric software systems on the market. An outlook proposing improvements for a practicable workflow applicable in projects in private economy will be given.

3-D Survey Applied to Industrial Archaeology by Tls Methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monego, M.; Fabris, M.; Menin, A.; Achilli, V.

2017-05-01

This work describes the three-dimensional survey of "Ex Stazione Frigorifera Specializzata": initially used for agricultural storage, during the years it was allocated to different uses until the complete neglect. The historical relevance and the architectural heritage that this building represents has brought the start of a recent renovation project and functional restoration. In this regard it was necessary a global 3-D survey that was based on the application and integration of different geomatic methodologies (mainly terrestrial laser scanner, classical topography, and GNSS). The acquisitions of point clouds was performed using different laser scanners: with time of flight (TOF) and phase shift technologies for the distance measurements. The topographic reference network, needed for scans alignment in the same system, was measured with a total station. For the complete survey of the building, 122 scans were acquired and 346 targets were measured from 79 vertices of the reference network. Moreover, 3 vertices were measured with GNSS methodology in order to georeference the network. For the detail survey of machine room were executed 14 scans with 23 targets. The 3-D global model of the building have less than one centimeter of error in the alignment (for the machine room the error in alignment is not greater than 6 mm) and was used to extract products such as longitudinal and transversal sections, plans, architectural perspectives, virtual scans. A complete spatial knowledge of the building is obtained from the processed data, providing basic information for restoration project, structural analysis, industrial and architectural heritage valorization.

Photogrammetric recognition of subglacial drainage channels during glacier lake outburst events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwalbe, Ellen; Koschitzki, Robert

2016-04-01

In recent years, many glaciers all over the world have been distinctly retreating and thinning. One of the consequences of this is the increase of so called glacier lake outburst flood events (GLOFs): Lakes that have been dammed by a glacier spontaneously start to drain through a subglacial channel underneath the glacier due to their outweighing hydrostatic pressure. In a short period of time, the lake water drains under the glacier and causes floods in downstream valleys. In many cases the latter become hazardous for people and their property. Due to glacier movement, the tunnel will soon collapse, and the glacier lake refills, thus starting a new GLOF cycle. The mechanisms ruling GLOF events are yet still not fully understood by glaciologists. Thus, there is a demand for data and measurement values that can help to understand and model the phenomena. In view of the above, we will show how photogrammetric image sequence analysis can be used to collect data which allows for drawing conclusions about the location and development of a subglacial channel. The work is a follow-up on earlier work on a photogrammetric GLOF early warning system (Mulsow et. al., 2013). For the purpose of detecting the subglacial tunnel, a camera has been installed in a pilot study to observe the area of the Colonia glacier (Northern Patagonian ice field) where it dams the lake Lago Cachet II. To verify the hypothesis, that the course of the subglacial tunnel is indicated by irregular surface motion patterns during its collapse, the camera acquired image sequences of the glacier surface during several GLOF events. Applying LSM-based tracking techniques to these image sequences, surface feature motion trajectories could be obtained for a dense raster of glacier points. Since only a single camera has been used for image sequence acquisition, depth information is required to scale the trajectories. Thus, for scaling and georeferencing of the measurements a GPS-supported photogrammetric network has been measured. The obtained motion fields of the Colonia glacier deliver information about the glaciers behaviour before, during and after a GLOF event. If the daily subsiding of the glacier is integrated over a period of several days and projected into a satellite image, the location and shape of the drainage channel can be visualised. The high temporal resolution of the motion fields may also allow for an analysis of the tunnels changes in comparison to the changing water level of the lake. REFERENCES Mulsow, C., Koschitzki, R., Maas, H.-G., 2013. Photogrammetric monitoring of glacier margin lakes. Proceedings of the International Workshop "TheRole of Geomatics in Hydrogeological Risk". Padua, Italy. 27-28 February.

NoWMex: Continuous GNSS Sites in Northwest Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez-Garcia, J. J.; Gonzalez-Ortega, J. A.

2008-05-01

Nowadays GPS has become part of daily life activities. In the near future, with the GPS modernization and the use of Glonass and Galileo as a Global Navigation Satellite System will give relative location precision from decimeters to millimeters in near real time applications. In order to realize this, we need a global array of continuously operating GNSS stations built to meet the standards of the geophysical communities and linked with gravimetric local measurements to discern the vertical component of our active Earth. Trying to follow this revolution, CICESE has been working with GPS since 1985. The GPS site CICE was built as an IGS reference station in 1995. Afterward we built 5 more continuous GPS sites in Northwest Mexico with the support of SCIGN. The CGPS NoWMex network is currently made up of six sites: CIC1, SPMX, CORX, GUAX, USMX and YESX (sopac.ucsd.edu). Recently, we implemented an experimental GPS processing lab as part of the Geodesy and Geodynamics Laboratory in the Seismology Department at CICESE. 30 stations are now currently processed from the network Red Geodesica Nacional Activa (RGNA-INEGI), NoWMex, and sites in neighbor countries. Fiducials solutions in ITRF2000 are obtained using GAMIT/GLOBK 10.31 with final igs orbits, every month since 2006. In order to make a contribution to densification of ITRF and support NAREF, SIRGAS and SNARF issues related to scientific and geomatics results; we are looking for internal (Mexican) and external colleagues as well as funding for maintenance and increase the number of CGNSS in NoWMeX including southern Basin and Ranger (Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Durango), Gulf of California islands, Peninsular Californias, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima and the Mexican Pacific islands: Guadalupe (2 more sites), Cedros, Socorro (DORIS site), Clarion and Tres Marias. We must to build more and free available CGNSS sites in and around Mexico to contribute to sea level rise and global change studies.

Digital Elevation Model from Non-Metric Camera in Uas Compared with LIDAR Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dayamit, O. M.; Pedro, M. F.; Ernesto, R. R.; Fernando, B. L.

2015-08-01

Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data as a representation of surface topography is highly demanded for use in spatial analysis and modelling. Aimed to that issue many methods of acquisition data and process it are developed, from traditional surveying until modern technology like LIDAR. On the other hands, in a past four year the development of Unamend Aerial System (UAS) aimed to Geomatic bring us the possibility to acquire data about surface by non-metric digital camera on board in a short time with good quality for some analysis. Data collectors have attracted tremendous attention on UAS due to possibility of the determination of volume changes over time, monitoring of the breakwaters, hydrological modelling including flood simulation, drainage networks, among others whose support in DEM for proper analysis. The DEM quality is considered as a combination of DEM accuracy and DEM suitability so; this paper is aimed to analyse the quality of the DEM from non-metric digital camera on UAS compared with a DEM from LIDAR corresponding to same geographic space covering 4 km2 in Artemisa province, Cuba. This area is in a frame of urban planning whose need to know the topographic characteristics in order to analyse hydrology behaviour and decide the best place for make roads, building and so on. Base on LIDAR technology is still more accurate method, it offer us a pattern for test DEM from non-metric digital camera on UAS, whose are much more flexible and bring a solution for many applications whose needs DEM of detail.

Automatic Registration of Terrestrial Laser Scanner Point Clouds Using Natural Planar Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Theiler, P. W.; Schindler, K.

2012-07-01

Terrestrial laser scanners have become a standard piece of surveying equipment, used in diverse fields like geomatics, manufacturing and medicine. However, the processing of today's large point clouds is time-consuming, cumbersome and not automated enough. A basic step of post-processing is the registration of scans from different viewpoints. At present this is still done using artificial targets or tie points, mostly by manual clicking. The aim of this registration step is a coarse alignment, which can then be improved with the existing algorithm for fine registration. The focus of this paper is to provide such a coarse registration in a fully automatic fashion, and without placing any target objects in the scene. The basic idea is to use virtual tie points generated by intersecting planar surfaces in the scene. Such planes are detected in the data with RANSAC and optimally fitted using least squares estimation. Due to the huge amount of recorded points, planes can be determined very accurately, resulting in well-defined tie points. Given two sets of potential tie points recovered in two different scans, registration is performed by searching for the assignment which preserves the geometric configuration of the largest possible subset of all tie points. Since exhaustive search over all possible assignments is intractable even for moderate numbers of points, the search is guided by matching individual pairs of tie points with the help of a novel descriptor based on the properties of a point's parent planes. Experiments show that the proposed method is able to successfully coarse register TLS point clouds without the need for artificial targets.

Mapping the Coastline Limits of the Mexican State Sinaloa Using GPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vazquez, G. E.

2007-12-01

This research work presents the delimitation of the coastline limits of Sinaloa (one of the richest states of northwestern Mexico). In order to achieve this big task, it was required to use GPS (Global Positioning System) together with leveling spirit measurements. Based on the appropriate selection of the cited measurement techniques, the objective was to map the Sinaloa's state coastline to have the cartography of approximate 1600 km of littoral. The GPS measurements were performed and referred with respect to a GPS network located across the state. This GPS network consists of at least one first-order-site at each of the sixteen counties that constitute the state, and three to four second-order-sites of the ten counties of the state surrounded by sea. The leveling spirit measurements were referred to local benchmarks pre-established by the Mexican agency SEMARNAT (SEcretaría Del Medio Ambiente y Recursos NATurales). Within the main specifications of the GPS measurements and equipment, we used geodetic-dual-frequency GPS receivers in kinematic mode for both base stations (first and second order sites of the GPS state network) and rover stations (points forming the state littoral) with 5-sec log-rate interval and 10 deg cut-off angle. The GPS data processing was performed using the commercial software Trimble Geomatics Office (TGO) with Double Differences (DD) in post-processing mode. To this point, the field measurements had been totally covered including the cartography (scale 1:1000) and this includes the specifications and appropriate labeling according to the Mexican norm NOM-146-SEMARNAT-2005.

Architectural Heritage Visualization Using Interactive Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albourae, A. T.; Armenakis, C.; Kyan, M.

2017-08-01

With the increased exposure to tourists, historical monuments are at an ever-growing risk of disappearing. Building Information Modelling (BIM) offers a process of digitally documenting of all the features that are made or incorporated into the building over its life-span, thus affords unique opportunities for information preservation. BIM of historical buildings are called Historical Building Information Models (HBIM). This involves documenting a building in detail throughout its history. Geomatics professionals have the potential to play a major role in this area as they are often the first professionals involved on construction development sites for many Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) projects. In this work, we discuss how to establish an architectural database of a heritage site, digitally reconstruct, preserve and then interact with it through an immersive environment that leverages BIM for exploring historic buildings. The reconstructed heritage site under investigation was constructed in the early 15th century. In our proposed approach, the site selection was based on many factors such as architectural value, size, and accessibility. The 3D model is extracted from the original collected and integrated data (Image-based, range-based, CAD modelling, and land survey methods), after which the elements of the 3D objects are identified by creating a database using the BIM software platform (Autodesk Revit). The use of modern and widely accessible game engine technology (Unity3D) is explored, allowing the user to fully embed and interact with the scene using handheld devices. The details of implementing an integrated pipeline between HBIM, GIS and augmented and virtual reality (AVR) tools and the findings of the work are presented.

Susceptibility Evaluation and Mapping of CHINA'S Landslide Disaster Based on Multi-Temporal Ground and Remote Sensing Satellite Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, C.; Li, W.; Lu, P.; Sang, K.; Hong, Y.; Li, R.

2012-07-01

Under the circumstances of global climate change, nowadays landslide occurs in China more frequently than ever before. The landslide hazard and risk assessment remains an international focus on disaster prevention and mitigation. It is also an important approach for compiling and quantitatively characterizing landslide damages. By integrating empirical models for landslide disasters, and through multi-temporal ground data and remote sensing data, this paper will perform a landslide susceptibility assessment throughout China. A landslide susceptibility (LS) map will then be produced, which can be used for disaster evaluation, and provide basis for analyzing China's major landslide-affected regions. Firstly, based on previous research of landslide susceptibility assessment, this paper collects and analyzes the historical landslide event data (location, quantity and distribution) of past sixty years in China as a reference for late-stage studies. Secondly, this paper will make use of regional GIS data of the whole country provided by the National Geomatics Centre and China Meteorological Administration, including regional precipitation data, and satellite remote sensing data such as from TRMM and MODIS. By referring to historical landslide data of past sixty years, it is possible to develop models for assessing LS, including producing empirical models for prediction, and discovering both static and dynamic key factors, such as topography and landforms (elevation, curvature and slope), geologic conditions (lithology of the strata), soil type, vegetation cover, hydrological conditions (flow distribution). In addition, by analyzing historical data and combining empirical models, it is possible to synthesize a regional statistical model and perform a LS assessment. Finally, based on the 1km×1km grid, the LS map is then produced by ANN learning and multiplying the weighted factor layers. The validation is performed with reference to the frequency and distribution of historical data. This research reveals the spatiotemporal distribution of landslide disasters in China. The study develops a complete algorithm of data collecting, processing, modelling and synthesizing, which fulfils the assessment of landslide susceptibility, and provides theoretical basis for prediction and forecast of landslide disasters throughout China.

The TRIDEC Project: Future-Saving FOSS GIS Applications for Tsunami Early Warning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loewe, P.; Wächter, J.; Hammitzsch, M.

2011-12-01

The Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 killed over 240,000 people in 14 countries and inundated the affected shorelines with waves reaching heights up to 30m. This natural disaster coincided with an information catastrophy, as potentially life-saving early warning information existed, yet no means were available to deliver it to the communities under imminent threat. Tsunami Early Warning Capabilities have improved in the meantime by continuing development of modular Tsunami Early Warning Systems (TEWS). However, recent tsunami events, like the Chile 2010 and the Tohoku 2011 tsunami demonstrate that the key challenge for ongoing TEWS research on the supranational scale still lies in the timely issuing of reliable early warning messages. Since 2004, the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences has built up expertise in the field of TEWS. Within GFZ, the Centre for GeoInformation Technology (CEGIT) has focused its work on the geoinformatics aspects of TEWS in two projects already: The German Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System (GITEWS) funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Distant Early Warning System (DEWS), a European project funded under the sixth Framework Programme (FP6). These developments are continued in the TRIDEC project (Collaborative, Complex, and Critical Decision Processes in Evolving Crises) funded under the European Union's seventh Framework Programme (FP7). This ongoing project focuses on real-time intelligent information management in Earth management and its long-term application. All TRIDEC developments are based on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) components and industry standards where-ever possible. Tsunami Early Warning in TRIDEC is also based on mature system architecture models to ensure long-term usability and the flexibility to adapt to future generations of Tsunami sensors. All open source software produced by the project consortium are foreseen to be published on FOSSLAB, a publicly available software repository provided by CEGIT. FOSSLAB serves as a platform for the development of FOSS projects in geospatial context, allowing to save, advance and reuse results achieved in previous and on-going project activities and enabling further development and collaboration with a wide community including scientists, developers, users and stakeholders. FOSSLABs potential to preserve and advance existing best practices for reuse in new scenarios is documented by a first case study: For TEWS education and public outreach a comprehensive approach to generate high resolution globe maps was compiled using GRASS GIS and the POV-Ray rendering software. The task resulted in the merging of isolated technical know-how into publicly available best practices, which had been previously maintained in disparate GIS- and rendering communities. Beyond the scope of TRIDEC, FOSSLAB constitutes an umbrella encompassing several geoinformatics-related activities, such as the documentation of Best Practices for experiences and results while working with Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Geomatics, and future spatial processing on Computation Clusters and in Cloud Computing.

Statistical Sensor Fusion of a 9-DOF Mems Imu for Indoor Navigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chow, J. C. K.

2017-09-01

Sensor fusion of a MEMS IMU with a magnetometer is a popular system design, because such 9-DoF (degrees of freedom) systems are capable of achieving drift-free 3D orientation tracking. However, these systems are often vulnerable to ambient magnetic distortions and lack useful position information; in the absence of external position aiding (e.g. satellite/ultra-wideband positioning systems) the dead-reckoned position accuracy from a 9-DoF MEMS IMU deteriorates rapidly due to unmodelled errors. Positioning information is valuable in many satellite-denied geomatics applications (e.g. indoor navigation, location-based services, etc.). This paper proposes an improved 9-DoF IMU indoor pose tracking method using batch optimization. By adopting a robust in-situ user self-calibration approach to model the systematic errors of the accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer simultaneously in a tightly-coupled post-processed least-squares framework, the accuracy of the estimated trajectory from a 9-DoF MEMS IMU can be improved. Through a combination of relative magnetic measurement updates and a robust weight function, the method is able to tolerate a high level of magnetic distortions. The proposed auto-calibration method was tested in-use under various heterogeneous magnetic field conditions to mimic a person walking with the sensor in their pocket, a person checking their phone, and a person walking with a smartwatch. In these experiments, the presented algorithm improved the in-situ dead-reckoning orientation accuracy by 79.8-89.5 % and the dead-reckoned positioning accuracy by 72.9-92.8 %, thus reducing the relative positioning error from metre-level to decimetre-level after ten seconds of integration, without making assumptions about the user's dynamics.

An interoperable research data infrastructure to support climate service development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Filippis, Tiziana; Rocchi, Leandro; Rapisardi, Elena

2018-02-01

Accessibility, availability, re-use and re-distribution of scientific data are prerequisites to build climate services across Europe. From this perspective the Institute of Biometeorology of the National Research Council (IBIMET-CNR), aiming at contributing to the sharing and integration of research data, has developed a research data infrastructure to support the scientific activities conducted in several national and international research projects. The proposed architecture uses open-source tools to ensure sustainability in the development and deployment of Web applications with geographic features and data analysis functionalities. The spatial data infrastructure components are organized in typical client-server architecture and interact from the data provider download data process to representation of the results to end users. The availability of structured raw data as customized information paves the way for building climate service purveyors to support adaptation, mitigation and risk management at different scales.

This work is a bottom-up collaborative initiative between different IBIMET-CNR research units (e.g. geomatics and information and communication technology - ICT; agricultural sustainability; international cooperation in least developed countries - LDCs) that embrace the same approach for sharing and re-use of research data and informatics solutions based on co-design, co-development and co-evaluation among different actors to support the production and application of climate services. During the development phase of Web applications, different users (internal and external) were involved in the whole process so as to better define user needs and suggest the implementation of specific custom functionalities. Indeed, the services are addressed to researchers, academics, public institutions and agencies - practitioners who can access data and findings from recent research in the field of applied meteorology and climatology.

"torino 1911" Project: a Contribution of a Slam-Based Survey to Extensive 3d Heritage Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiabrando, F.; Della Coletta, C.; Sammartano, G.; Spanò, A.; Spreafico, A.

2018-05-01

In the framework of the digital documentation of complex environments the advanced Geomatics researches offers integrated solution and multi-sensor strategies for the 3D accurate reconstruction of stratified structures and articulated volumes in the heritage domain. The use of handheld devices for rapid mapping, both image- and range-based, can help the production of suitable easy-to use and easy-navigable 3D model for documentation projects. These types of reality-based modelling could support, with their tailored integrated geometric and radiometric aspects, valorisation and communication projects including virtual reconstructions, interactive navigation settings, immersive reality for dissemination purposes and evoking past places and atmospheres. The aim of this research is localized within the "Torino 1911" project, led by the University of San Diego (California) in cooperation with the PoliTo. The entire project is conceived for multi-scale reconstruction of the real and no longer existing structures in the whole park space of more than 400,000 m2, for a virtual and immersive visualization of the Turin 1911 International "Fabulous Exposition" event, settled in the Valentino Park. Particularly, in the presented research, a 3D metric documentation workflow is proposed and validated in order to integrate the potentialities of LiDAR mapping by handheld SLAM-based device, the ZEB REVO Real Time instrument by GeoSLAM (2017 release), instead of TLS consolidated systems. Starting from these kind of models, the crucial aspects of the trajectories performances in the 3D reconstruction and the radiometric content from imaging approaches are considered, specifically by means of compared use of common DSLR cameras and portable sensors.

Copernicus Big Data and Google Earth Engine for Glacier Surface Velocity Field Monitoring: Feasibility Demonstration on San Rafael and San Quintin Glaciers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Tullio, M.; Nocchi, F.; Camplani, A.; Emanuelli, N.; Nascetti, A.; Crespi, M.

2018-04-01

The glaciers are a natural global resource and one of the principal climate change indicator at global and local scale, being influenced by temperature and snow precipitation changes. Among the parameters used for glacier monitoring, the surface velocity is a key element, since it is connected to glaciers changes (mass balance, hydro balance, glaciers stability, landscape erosion). The leading idea of this work is to continuously retrieve glaciers surface velocity using free ESA Sentinel-1 SAR imagery and exploiting the potentialities of the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. GEE has been recently released by Google as a platform for petabyte-scale scientific analysis and visualization of geospatial datasets. The algorithm of SAR off-set tracking developed at the Geodesy and Geomatics Division of the University of Rome La Sapienza has been integrated in a cloud based platform that automatically processes large stacks of Sentinel-1 data to retrieve glacier surface velocity field time series. We processed about 600 Sentinel-1 image pairs to obtain a continuous time series of velocity field measurements over 3 years from January 2015 to January 2018 for two wide glaciers located in the Northern Patagonian Ice Field (NPIF), the San Rafael and the San Quintin glaciers. Several results related to these relevant glaciers also validated with respect already available and renown software (i.e. ESA SNAP, CIAS) and with respect optical sensor measurements (i.e. LANDSAT8), highlight the potential of the Big Data analysis to automatically monitor glacier surface velocity fields at global scale, exploiting the synergy between GEE and Sentinel-1 imagery.

Evaluation of water quality functions of conventional and advanced soil-based onsite wastewater treatment systems.

PubMed

Cooper, Jennifer A; Loomis, George W; Kalen, David V; Amador, Jose A

2015-05-01

Shallow narrow drainfields are assumed to provide better wastewater renovation than conventional drainfields and are used for protection of surface and ground water. To test this assumption, we evaluated the water quality functions of two advanced onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) drainfields-shallow narrow (SND) and Geomat (GEO)-and a conventional pipe and stone (P&S) drainfield over 12 mo using replicated ( = 3) intact soil mesocosms. The SND and GEO mesocosms received effluent from a single-pass sand filter, whereas the P&S received septic tank effluent. Between 97.1 and 100% of 5-d biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), fecal coliform bacteria, and total phosphorus (P) were removed in all drainfield types. Total nitrogen (N) removal averaged 12.0% for P&S, 4.8% for SND, and 5.4% for GEO. A mass balance analysis accounted for 95.1% (SND), 94.1% (GEO), and 87.6% (P&S) of N inputs. When the whole treatment train (excluding the septic tank) is considered, advanced systems, including sand filter pretreatment and SND or GEO soil-based treatment, removed 99.8 to 99.9% of BOD, 100% of fecal coliform bacteria and P, and 26.0 to 27.0% of N. In contrast, the conventional system removed 99.4% of BOD and 100% of fecal coliform bacteria and P but only 12.0% of N. All drainfield types performed similarly for most water quality functions despite differences in placement within the soil profile. However, inclusion of the pretreatment step in advanced system treatment trains results in better N removal than in conventional treatment systems despite higher drainfield N removal rates in the latter. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Digitization of Blocks and Virtual Anastylosis of AN Antique Facade in Pont-Sainte (france)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alby, E.; Grussenmeyer, P.; Bitard, L.; Guillemin, S.; Brunet-Gaston, V.; Gaston, C.; Rougier, R.

2017-08-01

This paper is dedicated to the digitization of blocks and virtual anastylosis of an antique façade in Pont-Sainte-Maxence (France). In 2014 during the construction of a shopping center, the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) discovered a Gallo-Roman site from the 2nd century AD. The most interesting part of the site for the study is a façade of 70 meters long by nearly 10 meters high. The state of the conservation of the blocks of the façade makes them exceptional due to the question raised by the collapse. Representative and symbolic blocks of this building have been selected for a virtual anastylosis study. The blocks discovered belong to different types: decorated architectural blocks, monumental statuary elements and details of very fine decorations. The digital reproduction of the façade will facilitate the formulation of hypothesis for the collapse of the structure. The Photogrammetry and Geomatics Group from INSA Strasbourg is in charge of the digitization, the anastylosis and the development of exploratory methods for understanding the ruin of the façade. To develop the three-dimensional model of the facade, approximately 70 blocks of various dimensions were chosen by the archaeologists. The choice of the digitization technique is made according to the following pragmatic criterion: the movable objects are acquired with a scan-arm or a hand-held scanner in the laboratory and the largest blocks are recorded by photogrammetry at the repository near Paris. The expected types of deliverables are multiple: very accurate 3D models with the most faithful representation to document the objects in the best way and with optimized size model allowing easy handling during anastylosis tests. The visual aspect of the models is also a very important issue. Indeed, textures from photos are an excellent way to bring about the realism of the virtual model, but fine details of the object are sometimes blurred by the uniformity of the color of the original material. Acquisition by hand-held scanner does not provide the textures (they must be acquired according to a complementary process). The data types are therefore different depending on the acquisition. The type of rendering of the models depends therefore on precise choices to be defined optimally. After the acquisition, hypothesis for the construction of the façade must be validated and / or adapted by the anastylosis of the digitized blocks. Different cases must be taken into account. First, the reconstruction of broken blocks is done by adjusting the recovered fragments. If all the fragments discovered are close to the initial shape of the block, the process is assimilated to a puzzle of complex surfaces. If the fragments have no contact but are an integral part of the block, the proportion of hypotheses in relation to the contact pieces is changed. And finally, if the blocks are to be assembled together by superposition and thanks to a common plan, as assumed during the construction, the restitution could be based on the positions of discoveries and hypotheses based on the architectural knowledge of this period. Each of these three methods of reconstruction involves different processes. The three-dimensional model will be validated by the positioning of the blocks and extended according to the actual dimensions of the façade. Different collapse scenarios will result from this study.

3D Reconstruction of a Fluvial Sediment Slug from Source to Sink: reach-scale modeling of the Dart River, NZ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brasington, J.; Cook, S.; Cox, S.; James, J.; Lehane, N.; McColl, S. T.; Quincey, D. J.; Williams, R. D.

2014-12-01

Following heavy rainfall on 4/1/14, a debris flow at Slip Stream (44.59 S 168.34 E) introduced >106 m3 of sediment to the Dart River valley floor in NZ Southern Alps. Runout over an existing fan dammed the Dart River causing a sudden drop in discharge downstream. This broad dam was breached quickly; however the temporary loss of conveyance impounded a 3 km lake with a volume of 6 x 106 m3 and depths that exceed 10 m. Quantifying the impact of this large sediment pulse on the Dart River is urgently needed to assess potential sedimentation downstream and will also provide an ideal vehicle to test theories of bed wave migration in large, extensively braided rivers. Recent advances in geomatics offer the opportunity to study these impacts directly through the production of high-resolution DEMs. These 3D snapshots can then be compared through time to quantify the morphodynamic response of the channel as it adjusts to the change in sediment supply. In this study we describe the methods and results of a novel survey strategy designed to capture of the complex morphology of the Dart River along a remote 40 km reach, from the upstream landslide source to its distal sediment sink in Lake Wakatipu. The scale of this system presents major logistical and methodological challenges, and hitherto would have conventionally be addressed with airborne laser scanning, bringing with it significant deployment constraints and costs. By contrast, we present sub-metre 3D reconstructions of the system (Figure 1), derived from highly redundant aerial photography shot with a non-metric camera from a helicopter survey that extended over an 80 km2 area. Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry was used to solve simultaneously camera position, pose and derive a 3D point cloud based on over 4000 images. Reconstructions were found to exhibit significant systematic error resulting from the implicit estimation of the internal camera orientation parameters, and we show how these effects can be minimized by optimizing the lens calibration before and after scene reconstruction using both external constraints and refined camera models. An analysis of DEM uncertainty, undertaken through comparison with long-range TLS data, demonstrates the potential for this low-cost survey strategy to generate models superior to conventional laser swath mapping even over large areas.

Climate controls on fire pattern in African and Australian continents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubkova, M.; Boschetti, L.; Abatzoglou, J. T.

2017-12-01

Studies have primarily attributed the recent decrease in global fire activity in many savanna and grassland regions as detected by the Global Fire Emission Database (GFEDv4s) to anthropogenic changes such as deforestation and cropland expansion (Andela et al. 2017, van der Werf et al. 2008). These changes have occurred despite increases in fire weather season length (Jolly et al. 2015). Efforts to better resolve retrospective and future changes in fire activity require refining the host of influences on societal and environmental factors on fire activity. In this study, we analyzed how climate variability influences interannual fire activity in Africa and Australia, the two continents most affected by fire and responsible for over half of the global pyrogenic emissions. We expand on the analysis presented in Andela et al. (2017) by using the most recent Collection 6 MODIS MCD64 Burned Area Product and exploring the explanatory power of a broader suite of climate variables that have been previously shown to explain fire variability (Bowman et al. 2017). We examined which climate metrics show a strong interannual relationship with the amount of burned area and fire size accounting for antecedent and in-season atmospheric conditions. Fire characteristics were calculated using the 500m resolution MCD64A1 product (2002-2016); the analysis was conducted at the ecoregion scale, and further stratified by landcover using a broad aggregation (forest, shrublands and grasslands) of the Landcover CCI maps (CCI-LC, 2014); all agricultural areas fires were excluded from the analysis. The results of the analysis improve our knowledge of climate controls on fire dynamics in the most fire-prone places in the world which is critical for statistical fire and vegetation models. Being able to predict the impact of climate on fire activity has a strategic importance in designing future fire management scenarios, help to avoid degradation of biodiversity and ecosystem services and improve our understanding of future ecological problems that we can face due to climate change. Andela et al. 2017. doi: 10.1126/science.aal4108 Bowman et al. 2017. doi:10.1038/s41559-016-0058 CCI-LC. 2014. CCI-LC Product User Guide. UCL-Geomatics, Belgium Lolly et al. 2015. doi:10.1038/ncomms8537 van der Werf et al. 2008. doi:10.1029/2007GB003122

A new approach towards image based virtual 3D city modeling by using close range photogrammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, S. P.; Jain, K.; Mandla, V. R.

2014-05-01

3D city model is a digital representation of the Earth's surface and it's related objects such as building, tree, vegetation, and some manmade feature belonging to urban area. The demand of 3D city modeling is increasing day to day for various engineering and non-engineering applications. Generally three main image based approaches are using for virtual 3D city models generation. In first approach, researchers used Sketch based modeling, second method is Procedural grammar based modeling and third approach is Close range photogrammetry based modeling. Literature study shows that till date, there is no complete solution available to create complete 3D city model by using images. These image based methods also have limitations This paper gives a new approach towards image based virtual 3D city modeling by using close range photogrammetry. This approach is divided into three sections. First, data acquisition process, second is 3D data processing, and third is data combination process. In data acquisition process, a multi-camera setup developed and used for video recording of an area. Image frames created from video data. Minimum required and suitable video image frame selected for 3D processing. In second section, based on close range photogrammetric principles and computer vision techniques, 3D model of area created. In third section, this 3D model exported to adding and merging of other pieces of large area. Scaling and alignment of 3D model was done. After applying the texturing and rendering on this model, a final photo-realistic textured 3D model created. This 3D model transferred into walk-through model or in movie form. Most of the processing steps are automatic. So this method is cost effective and less laborious. Accuracy of this model is good. For this research work, study area is the campus of department of civil engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. This campus acts as a prototype for city. Aerial photography is restricted in many country and high resolution satellite images are costly. In this study, proposed method is based on only simple video recording of area. Thus this proposed method is suitable for 3D city modeling. Photo-realistic, scalable, geo-referenced virtual 3D city model is useful for various kinds of applications such as for planning in navigation, tourism, disasters management, transportations, municipality, urban and environmental managements, real-estate industry. Thus this study will provide a good roadmap for geomatics community to create photo-realistic virtual 3D city model by using close range photogrammetry.

Three-dimensional stochastic adjustment of volcano geodetic network in Arenal volcano, Costa Rica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, C.; van der Laat, R.; Cattin, P.-H.; Del Potro, R.

2009-04-01

Volcano geodetic networks are a key instrument to understanding magmatic processes and, thus, forecasting potentially hazardous activity. These networks are extensively used on volcanoes worldwide and generally comprise a number of different traditional and modern geodetic surveying techniques such as levelling, distances, triangulation and GNSS. However, in most cases, data from the different methodologies are surveyed, adjusted and analysed independently. Experience shows that the problem with this procedure is the mismatch between the excellent correlation of position values within a single technique and the low cross-correlation of such values within different techniques or when the same network is surveyed shortly after using the same technique. Moreover one different independent network for each geodetic surveying technique strongly increase logistics and thus the cost of each measurement campaign. It is therefore important to develop geodetic networks which combine the different geodetic surveying technique, and to adjust geodetic data together in order to better quantify the uncertainties associated to the measured displacements. In order to overcome the lack of inter-methodology data integration, the Geomatic Institute of the University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland (HEIG-VD) has developed a methodology which uses a 3D stochastic adjustment software of redundant geodetic networks, TRINET+. The methodology consists of using each geodetic measurement technique for its strengths relative to other methodologies. Also, the combination of the measurements in a single network allows more cost-effective surveying. The geodetic data are thereafter adjusted and analysed in the same referential frame. The adjustment methodology is based on the least mean square method and links the data with the geometry. Trinet+ also allows to run a priori simulations of the network, hence testing the quality and resolution to be expected for a determined network even before it is built. Moreover, a posterior analysis enables identifying, and hence dismissing, measurement errors (antenna height, atmospheric effects, etc.). Here we present a preliminary effort to apply this technique to volcano deformation. A geodetic network has been developed on the western flank of the Arenal volcano in Costa Rica. It is surveyed with GNSS, angular and EDM (Electronic Distance Measurements) measurements. Three measurement campaigns were carried out between February and June 2008. The results show consistent and accurate output of deformation and uncertainty for each of the 12 benchmarks surveyed. The three campaigns also prove the repeatability and consistency of the statistical indicators and the displacement vectors. Although, this methodology has only recently been applied to volcanoes, we suggest that due to its cost-effective high-quality results it has the potential to be incorporated into the design and analysis of volcano geodetic networks worldwide.

Mapping and monitoring of sediment budgets and river change by means of UAS multi-scale, high-resolution imageries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Kuo-Jen; Tseng, Chih-Ming

2017-04-01

Due to the high seismicity and high annual rainfall, numerous landslides triggered every year and severe impacts affect the island Taiwan. Global warming and sea-level rise with increasing frequency and magnitude of storms and typhoons has resulted in an increase of natural hazards, and strong impacts on human life. A consequence of a change of the rainfall regime, increase of intensity and in a reduction of the duration of the events may have dramatic impacts. Heavy rainfall precipitations are one of the major triggering factors for landslides. Typhoon Morakot in 2009 brought extreme and long-time rainfall, and caused severe disasters. After 2009, numerous debris and sediment deposition increased greatly due to the severe landslides in upstream area. Detail morphological records may able to reveal the environment changes. This kind of analysis is based on the concept of DEM of difference (DoD) to evaluate the sediment budgets during climate and geo-hazard events. The aerial photographs generated digital surface models (DSMs) before and after Typhoon Morakot, and the subsequent multi-periods of imageries is thus been conducted in this study. In recent years, the remote sensing technology improves rapidly, providing a wide range of image, essential and precious information. In order quantify the hazards in different time; we try to integrate several technologies, especially by unmanned aircraft system (UAS), to decipher the consequence and the potential hazard, and the social impact. In order to monitoring the sediment budget of the study area, we integrates several methods, including, 1) Remote-sensing images gathered by UAS and by aerial photos taken in different periods; 2) field in-situ geologic investigation; 3) Differential GPS, RTK GPS in-site geomatic measurements; 4) Construct the DTMs before and after landslide, as well as the subsequent periods using UAS and aerial photos. We finally acquired 7 DEMs, prior to post-events, from 2009-2015. The precision of the dataset been verified firstly. The migration of the debris is well defined from DEMs and been calculated. The sediment budgets are thus been evaluated. The riverbed migration is affect both by natural sediment deposition and by human activities. The profile of the riverbed is blocked mainly in the midstream area. One-half of the debris still rested on the mid- to upstream, and in the up-slope. To the end, the UAS and the methodology used in this study is been adjusted and is capable to apply to other region for hazard monitoring, mitigation and planning.

D Survey Techniques for the Architectutal Restoration: the Case of ST. Agata in Pisa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bevilacqua, M. G.; Caroti, G.; Piemonte, A.; Ruschi, P.; Tenchini, L.

2017-05-01

The historical architectural heritage may be considered as the product of a complex system of interaction between several factors - cultural, socio-economic, technical, aesthetic etc. The restoration and conservation of this important heritage, therefore, requires necessarily a multidisciplinary approach, both in the preliminary phase of knowledge and in the operative one, strictly connected to the first, regarding the development of the restoration works in all their steps, from the project to the realization. The historical-critical analysis of bibliographic, archival and iconographic sources, together with the architectural survey, aims at interpreting all the events that, from the initial project to all the eventual phases of transformation, have lead the monument in its current state. This is therefore a multi-temporal and multi-spatial study in which geomatics gives an innovative contribution for its capability of gathering, storing, processing, and delivering different levels of spatially referenced information. The current techniques of architectural survey, supported by specific methodological skills, are therefore not limited to a mere mathematical-geometrical description of the historical building, but are useful also for many other purposes, such as formal-linguistic analysis, interpretation of the historical phases of transformation, description of the state of degradation/conservation etc. In this interdisciplinary perspective, photogrammetry and laser scanner represent the two main techniques, as they offer the greatest potential of performing integrated surveys. In the last decades, we have witnessed the growth and development of these 3D-survey techniques as alternative or complementary tools to the traditional ones. In particular, in the field of architectural restoration, these techniques have made significant improvements not only in terms of measure precision or reduction of time for survey operations, but also for the possibility to represent and visualize the historical building in its context. These modern techniques of survey, based on the creation of point clouds, are now widely used both in the study of a building and for the thorough description of architectural details and decorations. This paper aims at describing the methodological approach and the results of the 3D survey of the Chapel of St. Agata in Pisa, aimed at its restoration. For the development of a restoration project, the survey drawings must represent not only the geometry of a building, but also the materials and the level of degradation. So, we chose to use both the laser scanner - which guarantees uniformity of the geometric survey precision - and a 3D image-based modelling. The combined use of these two techniques, supported by a total station survey, has produced two point clouds in the same reference system, and allowed the determination of the external orientation parameters of the photographic images. Since these parameters are known, it was possible to texturize the laser scanner model with high quality images. The adopted methodology, as expected, gave back metrically correct and graphically high-quality drawings. The level of detail of the survey, and consequently of the final drawings, has been previously defined for the identification of all the elements required for the analysis of the current state, such as the clear identification and position of all the degradation phenomena, materials and decorative elements such as some fragmented and heavily damaged frescoes.

The potential of low-cost RPAS for multi-view reconstruction of rock cliffs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ettore Guccione, Davide; Thoeni, Klaus; Santise, Marina; Giacomini, Anna; Roncella, Riccardo; Forlani, Gianfranco

2016-04-01

RPAS, also known as drones or UAVs, have been used in military applications for many years. Nevertheless, the technology has become accessible to everyone only in recent years (Westoby et al., 2012; Nex and Remondino, 2014). Electric multirotor helicopters or multicopters have become one of the most exciting developments and several off-the-shelf platforms (including camera) are now available. In particular, RPAS can provide 3D models of sub-vertical rock faces, which for instance are needed for rockfall hazard assessments along road cuts and very steep mountains. The current work investigates the potential of two low-cost off-the-shelf quadcopters equipped with digital cameras for multi-view reconstruction of sub-vertical rock cliffs. The two platforms used are a DJI Phantom 1 (P1) equipped with a Gopro Hero 3+ (12MP) and a DJI Phantom 3 Professional (P3). The latter comes with an integrated 12MP camera mounted on a 3-axis gimbal. Both platforms cost less than 1.500€ including camera. The study area is a small rock cliff near the Callaghan Campus of the University of Newcastle (Thoeni et al., 2014). The wall is partly smooth with some evident geological features such as non-persistent joints and sharp edges. Several flights were performed with both cameras set in time-lapse mode. Hence, images were taken automatically but the flights were performed manually since the investigated rock face is very irregular which required adjusting the yaw and roll for optimal coverage since the flights were performed very close to the cliff face. The digital images were processed with a commercial SfM software package. Thereby, several processing options and camera networks were investigated in order to define the most accurate configuration. Firstly, the difference between the use of coded ground control targets versus natural features was studied. Coded targets generally provide the best accuracy but they need to be placed on the surface which is not always possible as rock cliffs are not easily accessible. Nevertheless, work natural features can provide a good alternative if chosen wisely. Secondly, the influence of using fixed interior orientation parameters and self-calibration was investigated. The results show that in the case of the used sensors and camera networks self-calibration provides better results. This can mainly be attributed to the fact that the object distance is not constant and rather small (less than 10m) and that both cameras do not provide an option for fixing the interior orientation parameters. Finally, the results of both platforms are as well compared to a point cloud obtained with a terrestrial laser scanner where generally a very good agreement is observed. References Nex, F., Remondino, F. (2014) UAV for 3D mapping applications: a review. Applied Geomatics 6(1), 1-15. Thoeni, K., Giacomini, A., Murtagh, R., Kniest, E. (2014) A comparison of multi-view 3D reconstruction of a rock wall using several cameras and a laser scanner. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences XL-5, 573-580. Westoby, M.J., Brasington, J., Glasser, N.F., Hambrey, M.J., Reynolds, J.M. (2012) 'Structure-from-Motion' photogrammetry: A low-cost, effective tool for geoscience applications. Geomorphology 179, 300-314.

Unravelling biodiversity, evolution and threats to conservation in the Sahara-Sahel.

PubMed

Brito, José C; Godinho, Raquel; Martínez-Freiría, Fernando; Pleguezuelos, Juan M; Rebelo, Hugo; Santos, Xavier; Vale, Cândida G; Velo-Antón, Guillermo; Boratyński, Zbyszek; Carvalho, Sílvia B; Ferreira, Sónia; Gonçalves, Duarte V; Silva, Teresa L; Tarroso, Pedro; Campos, João C; Leite, João V; Nogueira, Joana; Alvares, Francisco; Sillero, Neftalí; Sow, Andack S; Fahd, Soumia; Crochet, Pierre-André; Carranza, Salvador

2014-02-01

Deserts and arid regions are generally perceived as bare and rather homogeneous areas of low diversity. The Sahara is the largest warm desert in the world and together with the arid Sahel displays high topographical and climatic heterogeneity, and has experienced recent and strong climatic oscillations that have greatly shifted biodiversity distribution and community composition. The large size, remoteness and long-term political instability of the Sahara-Sahel, have limited knowledge on its biodiversity. However, over the last decade, there have been an increasing number of published scientific studies based on modern geomatic and molecular tools, and broad sampling of taxa of these regions. This review tracks trends in knowledge about biodiversity patterns, processes and threats across the Sahara-Sahel, and anticipates needs for biodiversity research and conservation. Recent studies are changing completely the perception of regional biodiversity patterns. Instead of relatively low species diversity with distribution covering most of the region, studies now suggest a high rate of endemism and larger number of species, with much narrower and fragmented ranges, frequently limited to micro-hotspots of biodiversity. Molecular-based studies are also unravelling cryptic diversity associated with mountains, which together with recent distribution atlases, allows identifying integrative biogeographic patterns in biodiversity distribution. Mapping of multivariate environmental variation (at 1 km × 1 km resolution) of the region illustrates main biogeographical features of the Sahara-Sahel and supports recently hypothesised dispersal corridors and refugia. Micro-scale water-features present mostly in mountains have been associated with local biodiversity hotspots. However, the distribution of available data on vertebrates highlights current knowledge gaps that still apply to a large proportion of the Sahara-Sahel. Current research is providing insights into key evolutionary and ecological processes, including causes and timing of radiation and divergence for multiple taxa, and associating the onset of the Sahara with diversification processes for low-mobility vertebrates. Examples of phylogeographic patterns are showing the importance of allopatric speciation in the Sahara-Sahel, and this review presents a synthetic overview of the most commonly hypothesised diversification mechanisms. Studies are also stressing that biodiversity is threatened by increasing human activities in the region, including overhunting and natural resources prospection, and in the future by predicted global warming. A representation of areas of conflict, landmines, and natural resources extraction illustrates how human activities and regional insecurity are hampering biodiversity research and conservation. Although there are still numerous knowledge gaps for the optimised conservation of biodiversity in the region, a set of research priorities is provided to identify the framework data needed to support regional conservation planning. © 2013 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2013 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Geodiversity characterization and assessment of the Morainic Amphitheatre of Rivoli -Avigliana (NW-Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giordano, Enrico; Lucchesi, Stefania; Perotti, Luigi; Giardino, Marco

2014-05-01

The concept of Geodiversity in its wide sense refers specifically to particular geosystems that are in themselves complex (e.g diverse) assemblages of bedrock, landform, and soil features. Therefore, geodiversity assessment is strictly related to landscape structure, whose studies are in the field of complex Physical Geography. Moreover, Geodiversity studies provide a fundamental base for geoconservation and environmental management in a holistic way. This is particularly true within complex geomorphological environments, where many intrinsic and extrinsic factors are interconnected. Various procedures has been already applied for the creation of geodiversity maps in different geomorphological context, but especially in wide areas with a large geodiversity of landforms. Pleistocene morainic amphitheatres of the Alpine piedmont regions are indeed particular and complex environments: not only for the geological and geomorphological points of view, but also for their relationships with biotic components and human life. The aim of this study is to carry out a geodiversity characterization of the Rivoli-Avigliana Morainic Amphitheatre (AMRA; NW Italy). The AMRA separates the lower Susa Valley from the middle course of the Sangone River; it is a set of low hills and depressions related to glacial pulsations aged between 750,000 and 12,000 years ago. Earth Sciences knowledge of the area has been compared to detailed field geomorphological and territorial data in order to determine qualitative and quantitative landscape parameters and to evaluate their validity for geodiversity assessment. A first qualitative characterization of the AMRA and an estimation of its geodiversity have been performed by means of geomorphological mapping and stratigraphic studies, including geomorphosites assessment for the same area. Then, geodiversity characterization and evaluation have been performed through the definition and application of quantitative parameters (landform energy, slope, land use, roughness, and other geomorphologic, hydrologic and geologic indexes). After acquisition of vector data, satellite and aerial images, GIS procedures allowed to manage and to process images and data: this allowed to interpret morphometric indexes and to obtain thematic maps with 3D views. Finally, results from the calculation of geodiversity and geomorphosites have been compared. Results turned out to be very effective for the study and for the reconstruction of the AMRA evolutionary stages, also for interpreting scenarios of future natural hazards, land occupation and risks posed to geodiversity for natural and anthropogenic causes. Geomatics devices and digital data demonstrated to be really suitable for improved analysis and representation of the observed phenomena. They can be easily integrated within GIS for decision support requirements. In this way, field and remote sensing data, together with indexes of biotic and abiotic aspects can generate synthetic information, to produce effective spatial interpolations and impressive 3D scenarios useful for Earth Science simulations and environmental/territorial advertising.

Building high-performance system for processing a daily large volume of Chinese satellites imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Huawu; Huang, Shicun; Wang, Qi; Pan, Zhiqiang; Xin, Yubin

2014-10-01

The number of Earth observation satellites from China increases dramatically recently and those satellites are acquiring a large volume of imagery daily. As the main portal of image processing and distribution from those Chinese satellites, the China Centre for Resources Satellite Data and Application (CRESDA) has been working with PCI Geomatics during the last three years to solve two issues in this regard: processing the large volume of data (about 1,500 scenes or 1 TB per day) in a timely manner and generating geometrically accurate orthorectified products. After three-year research and development, a high performance system has been built and successfully delivered. The high performance system has a service oriented architecture and can be deployed to a cluster of computers that may be configured with high end computing power. The high performance is gained through, first, making image processing algorithms into parallel computing by using high performance graphic processing unit (GPU) cards and multiple cores from multiple CPUs, and, second, distributing processing tasks to a cluster of computing nodes. While achieving up to thirty (and even more) times faster in performance compared with the traditional practice, a particular methodology was developed to improve the geometric accuracy of images acquired from Chinese satellites (including HJ-1 A/B, ZY-1-02C, ZY-3, GF-1, etc.). The methodology consists of fully automatic collection of dense ground control points (GCP) from various resources and then application of those points to improve the photogrammetric model of the images. The delivered system is up running at CRESDA for pre-operational production and has been and is generating good return on investment by eliminating a great amount of manual labor and increasing more than ten times of data throughput daily with fewer operators. Future work, such as development of more performance-optimized algorithms, robust image matching methods and application workflows, is identified to improve the system in the coming years.

Canadian ENGOs in governance of water resources: information needs and monitoring practices.

PubMed

Kebo, Sasha; Bunch, Martin J

2013-11-01

Water quality monitoring involves a complex set of steps and a variety of approaches. Its goals include understanding of aquatic habitats, informing management and facilitating decision making, and educating citizens. Environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs) are increasingly engaged in water quality monitoring and act as environmental watchdogs and stewards of water resources. These organizations exhibit different monitoring mandates. As government involvement in water quality monitoring continues to decline, it becomes essential that we understand their modi operandi. By doing so, we can enhance efficacy and encourage data sharing and communication. This research examined Canadian ENGOs that collect their own data on water quality with respect to water quality monitoring activities and information needs. This work had a twofold purpose: (1) to enhance knowledge about the Canadian ENGOs operating in the realm of water quality monitoring and (2) to guide and inform development of web-based geographic information systems (GIS) to support water quality monitoring, particularly using benthic macroinvertebrate protocols. A structured telephone survey was administered across 10 Canadian provinces to 21 ENGOs that undertake water quality monitoring. This generated information about barriers and challenges of data sharing, commonly collected metrics, human resources, and perceptions of volunteer-collected data. Results are presented on an aggregate level and among different groups of respondents. Use of geomatics technology was not consistent among respondents, and we found no noteworthy differences between organizations that did and did not use GIS tools. About one third of respondents did not employ computerized systems (including databases and spreadsheets) to support data management, analysis, and sharing. Despite their advantage as a holistic water quality indicator, benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs) were not widely employed in stream monitoring. Although BMIs are particularly suitable for the purpose of citizen education, few organizations collected this metric, despite having public education and awareness as part of their mandate.

PREFACE: 2nd International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ručevskis, Sandris

2015-11-01

The 2nd International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies (IMST 2015) took place in Riga, Latvia from 30th September - 2nd October, 2015. The first event of the conference series, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Riga Technical University, was held in 2013. Following the established tradition, the aim of the conference was to promote and discuss the latest results of industrial and academic research carried out in the following engineering fields: analysis and design of advanced structures and buildings; innovative, ecological and energy efficient building materials; maintenance, inspection and monitoring methods; construction technologies; structural management; sustainable and safe transport infrastructure; and geomatics and geotechnics. The conference provided an excellent opportunity for leading researchers, representatives of the industrial community, engineers, managers and students to share the latest achievements, discuss recent advances and highlight the current challenges. IMST 2015 attracted over 120 scientists from 24 countries. After rigorous reviewing, over 80 technical papers were accepted for publication in the conference proceedings. On behalf of the organizing committee I would like to thank all the speakers, authors, session chairs and reviewers for their efficient and timely effort. The 2nd International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies was organized by the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Riga Technical University with the support of the Latvia State Research Programme under the grant agreement "INNOVATIVE MATERIALS AND SMART TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY, IMATEH". I would like to express sincere gratitude to Juris Smirnovs, Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, and Andris Chate, manager of the Latvia State Research Programme. Finally, I would like to thank all those who helped to make this event happen. Special thanks go to Diana Bajare, Laura Sele, Liga Radina and Jana Galilejeva for their major contribution to organizing the conference and to the literary editor Tatjana Smirnova and technical editor Daira Erdmane for their hard work on the conference proceedings.

Understanding the structure of Exmoor's peatland ecosystems using laser-scanning technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luscombe, D. J.; Anderson, K.; Wetherelt, A.; Grand-Clement, E.; Le-Feuvre, N.; Smith, D.; Brazier, R. E.

2012-04-01

Upland blanket peatlands in the UK are of high conservation value and in an intact state, provide important landscape services, such as carbon sequestration and flood attenuation. The drainage of many such wetlands for agricultural reclamation has resulted in changes to upland blanket mire topography, ecology, hydrological processes and carbon fluxes. There is a need for spatially explicit monitoring approaches at peatland sites in the UK as although there has been a national effort to restore drained peat uplands, baseline and post restoration monitoring of changes to ecosystem structure and function is largely absent. Climate change policy and the emerging carbon markets also necessitate the need for enhanced system understanding to inform carbon targets and understand the impacts of restoration. Exmoor is the focus of this research because many areas of upland peat have, in the past, been extensively drained through government "moorland reclamation" programs. A large restoration project funded by South West Water is currently underway in association with Exmoor National Park, The Environment Agency and Natural England. Exmoor also provides an analogue for other westerly peatlands in the British Isles in terms of its climate, ecology and drainage characteristics. Our approach employed airborne LiDAR data gathered by the Environment Agency Geomatics Group coupled with Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) surveys. LiDAR data were processed to produce digital surface models (DSM) of the peatland surface at a 0.5m resolution. These data were further interrogated to separate vegetation structures and geomorphic features such as man-made drainage channels which have damaged the peatland. Over small extents the LiDAR derived DSM surface was then compared to a TLS derived DSM to examine the ability of these models to describe fine scale vegetation and geomorphic structure, which could then be extrapolated to larger spatial extents. Exploration of the data has shown that ecosystem structure can be described at a fine resolution (>10 million measurements, resolution

a Matlab Geodetic Software for Processing Airborne LIDAR Bathymetry Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pepe, M.; Prezioso, G.

2015-04-01

The ability to build three-dimensional models through technologies based on satellite navigation systems GNSS and the continuous development of new sensors, as Airborne Laser Scanning Hydrography (ALH), data acquisition methods and 3D multi-resolution representations, have contributed significantly to the digital 3D documentation, mapping, preservation and representation of landscapes and heritage as well as to the growth of research in this fields. However, GNSS systems led to the use of the ellipsoidal height; to transform this height in orthometric is necessary to know a geoid undulation model. The latest and most accurate global geoid undulation model, available worldwide, is EGM2008 which has been publicly released by the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) EGM Development Team. Therefore, given the availability and accuracy of this geoid model, we can use it in geomatics applications that require the conversion of heights. Using this model, to correct the elevation of a point does not coincide with any node must interpolate elevation information of adjacent nodes. The purpose of this paper is produce a Matlab® geodetic software for processing airborne LIDAR bathymetry data. In particular we want to focus on the point clouds in ASPRS LAS format and convert the ellipsoidal height in orthometric. The algorithm, valid on the whole globe and operative for all UTM zones, allows the conversion of ellipsoidal heights using the EGM2008 model. Of this model we analyse the slopes which occur, in some critical areas, between the nodes of the undulations grid; we will focus our attention on the marine areas verifying the impact that the slopes have in the calculation of the orthometric height and, consequently, in the accuracy of the in the 3-D point clouds. This experiment will be carried out by analysing a LAS APRS file containing topographic and bathymetric data collected with LIDAR systems along the coasts of Oregon and Washington (USA).

Correlation between elevation change and groundwater level following the termination of salt exploitation in the city of Tuzla (BiH)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mancini, F.; Stecchi, F.; Gabbianelli, G.

2012-04-01

Ground subsidence triggered by salt mining from deposits located beneath the city of Tuzla (Bosnia & Herzegovina) is one of the major dangerous factor acting on a very densely urbanized area since 1950, when the salt deposits exploitation by means of boreholes began. As demonstrated in previous work, subsidence induced several hazard factors such as a severe ground deformation, the arising of deep and superficial fractures and very fast water table fluctuations depending on the net amount of brine extraction. The historical ground deformation rates have been investigated by means of traditional geodetic surveys carried out within two periods. The first leg spans from 1956 to 1991, when measurements were ceased due to the Balkans' conflict, and the second from 1996 to 2003. More recently, the monitoring of ground deformation processes is being performed by the use of novel geomatic methodologies and subsequent analysis of geospatial data. The analysis of the historical dataset revealed a cumulative subsidence as high as 12 meters during the whole period, causing damage to buildings and infrastructures within an area that includes a large portion of the historical town, nowadays almost entirely destroyed. In this study we present a detailed analysis and correlation between the water table fluctuation under the city of Tuzla and recent surface deformation processes detected by close and accurate elevation surveys. The analysis highlighted a very complex spatial and temporal pattern of surface deformation. From 2006 and 2010 various stages in the deformation processes were observed in the spatial and temporal domains. The main subsidence trend show significant rates at the beginning of the time period, with gradual stabilization that, somewhere, turns to a significant ground uplift rate. This behavior seems to be strongly correlated to the water table movement that, after a reduction in the brine exploitation experienced in the first part of the mentioned period, shows a sudden rise of piezometric levels. The new hydrostatic equilibrium is now counterbalancing the sinking phenomena and the vertical displacements are nowadays ranging from -100mm/yr to +20mm/yr. Final conclusions focus on the strict relationship between the two investigated phenomena, pointing out the importance of control the water table movements to identify and prevent further ground deformations.

Archaeology, historical site risk assessment and monitoring by UAV: approaches and case studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pecci, Antonio; Masini, Nicola

2016-04-01

Non-invasive methods for archaeological research, like geophysical prospecting, aerial and satellite remote sensing, integrated with field survey activity, can make a large quantity of data essential for both operational uses and scientific purposes: from the detection of buried remains to risk assessment and monitoring (Lasaponara & Masini 2012; 2013; Lasaponara et al. 2016). Among the latest non-invasive methods there are the unmanned air vehicle (UAV) platforms, a real innovation, which proved to be capable for a variety of fields of applications, from the topographic survey to the monitoring of infrastructures. In the field of cultural heritage, for purposes ranging from the documentation to the detection of archaeological features, the use of UAVs is extremely functional, efficient and low-cost. Moreover, UAV flight requires much less time than that required by an Aircraft. A traditional aircraft must take off from an airport, sometimes far from the work area, while a drone, particularly rotary wing, can be transported in the area of interest and take off directly from there in a few minutes. The reason of the success of UAV are also the innovative vision, the very high-resolution of the obtainable products (orthophoto, digital elevations models) and the availability of easy tools of image processing based on Structure from Motion (SfM). (Neitzel & Klonowski 2011; Nex & Remondino 2013). SfM is a range imaging technique which allows to estimate three-dimensional objects from two-dimensional image sequences which may be coupled with local motion signals. Respect to conventional photogrammetry which requires a single stereo-pair, SfM needs multiple, overlapping photographs as input to feature extraction and 3-D reconstruction algorithms. In SfM the geometry of the scene, camera positions and orientation are solved simultaneously using a highly redundant, iterative bundle adjustment procedure, based on a database of features automatically extracted from a set of multiple overlapping images. The usefulness of UAV-based investigations has been given by its integrability with other methods of remote sensing including geophysics, optical and SAR satellite remote sensing. The presentation deals with the methodological approaches and the results in three historical sites for different applications such as: 1) archaeological site discovery, 2) the study and observation of archaeological looting and 3) the 3d reconstruction of building and sites. In the case 1) UAV has been used for the creation of orthophotos and digital elevantion models (DEMs) as well as the identification of archaeological marks and microrelief, as proxy indicators of the presence of archaeological buried remains. The obtained information have been compared and integrated with those provided by georadar and geomagnetic prospections. The investigated site is a medieval settlement, including a benedectine monastery, dated to 12-15th century. It is San Pietro a Cellaria, located in the territory of Calvello, in Basilicata (Southern Italy). The multisensor integrated approach allowed to identify several features referable to buried structures of the monastery (Leucci et al. 2015; Roubis et al. 2015). In the case 2) UAVs have been used for the identification and analysis of traces of grave robbers, in the territory of Anzi (Basilicata). Since the end of the 18th century to the first half of the 20th century, hundreds of tombs of the Archaic, Lucan and Roman age have been destroyed and stolen. The case 3) is related to the ceremonial centre of Pachacamac in Peru, which was investigated for several years by the international mission ITACA (Italian scientific mission for heritage Conservation and Archaeogeophysics) of IBAM/IMAA CNR of Potenza (Italy) (Lasaponara et al. 2016b). For more than 2,000 years, Pachacamac was one of the main centers of religious cult keeping this role unchanged in different historical periods and for different cultures such as Chavin, Lima, Huari, Ychma and Inca. A test site has been selected to assess the capability of SAR satellite data for the identification of earthen archaeological features. UAV surveys have been performed to provide a very detail DEM enabling us to analyze and interpret the radar signal backscattering behaviour of archaeological microrelief and structures. In all the three applications UAV proved to be an effective, user-friendly, less time consuming, flexible tool for a number of applications and aims ranging from from the site detection to the risk evaluation of archaeological interest areas. References Lasaponara R., Masini N. 2012. Remote Sensing in Archaeology: From Visual Data Interpretation to Digital Data Manipulation, In: Lasaponara R., Masini N. (Eds) 2012, Satellite Remote Sensing: a new tool for Archaeology, Springer, Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, ISBN 978-90-481-8800-0, pp. 3-16, doi : 10.1007/978-90-481-8801-7_1. Lasaponara R., Masini N. 2013, Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar in Archaeology and Cultural Landscape: An Overview. Archaeological Prospection, 20, 71-78, doi: 10.1002/arp.1452 Lasaponara R., Leucci G., Masini N., Persico R., Scardozzi G. 2016a. Towards an operative use of remote sensing for exploring the past using satellite data: The case study of Hierapolis (Turkey), Remote sensing of Environment, 174 (2016) : 148-164, doi:10.1016/j.rse.2015.12.016 Lasaponara R., Masini N., Pecci A., Perciante F., Pozzi Escot D., Rizzo E., Scavone M., Sileo M. 2016b, Qualitative evaluation of COSMO SkyMed in the detection of earthen archaeological remains: the case of Pachamacac (Peru)", Journal of Cultural heritage, 2016, in press. Leucci G., Masini N., Rizzo E., Capozzoli L., De Martino G. et al., Integrated Archaeogeophysical Approach for the Study of a Medieval Monastic Settlement in Basilicata, Open Archaeology 2015; 1: 236-246, doi: 10.1515/opar-2015-0014. F. Neitzel, J. Klonowski, Mobile 3d mapping with a low-cost UAV system, Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XXXVIII-1/C22 (2011) 39-44. F. Nex, F. Remondino, UAV for 3D Mapping Applications: A Review. Applied Geomatics, 6 (2013) 1-15. D. Roubis, F. Sogliani, N Masini, V Vitale, G Leucci, E Rizzo, Archeologia dei paesaggi montani in Basilicata: una ricerca integata nel territorio di Calvello, PZ (Basilicata), "Il capitale Culturale". Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage, XII (2015), 385-419, ISSN 2039-2362

A preliminary sketch of the georesources in Niamey city (Niger)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spadafora, Francesco; De Luca, Domenico A.; Antonella Dino, Giovanna; Lasagna, Manuela; Perotti, Luigi; Yadji, Guero; Tankari Dan-Badjo, Abdourahamane; Moussa, Issaka; Harouna, Moussa; Moussa, Konaté

2015-04-01

The present paper is about a preliminary study of the georesources (water and raw materials for construction) of Niamey city (Niger). Such research is part of an UNICOO project (funded by the University of Turin) and connected to the Edulink Cooperation Project (R.U.S.S.A.D.E.), a multidisciplinary project between Italy, Niger, Burquina Faso and Tchad funded on ACP- EU cooperation program in Higher Education. The main goals are the qualitative and quantitative characterization of the surface water and groundwater, and of aggregates (exploited in sands and gravel quarries). More specifically, at the beginning of the study there was a census of wells and quarries in the Niamey area, with a consequent sampling survey (surface water and groundwater sampling and aggregate sampling). After that, an in situ characterization was set: measure of piezometric levels in wells, water characterization (pH, electrolytic conductivity, temperature, nitrate and ammonia concentration) and an in situ evaluation of the quarrying techniques and quarry exploitation (present and old quarries). The samples were analyzed in Earth Science Dep. (UNITO) to evaluate the content of the main anions and cations (chemical analysis of sampled water) and the size distribution of the materials coming from the investigated quarries. Schematic reports of wells and quarries (location and features) were produced with the support of a Geodatabase with all available data. Geomatics instruments and methodologies (Geotagged Photos, Digital Mapping, GNSS Survey, Satellite Multitemporal Maps,) were basic starting point for the field data collection and a fundamental aid for data arrangement and final dissemination. The present study evidenced the actual condition of surface water and groundwater, also highlighting local phenomena of pollution. Nitrate in groundwater, i.e., showed locally concentration up to 5 times the WHO limit (50 mg/L). Thanks to the local quarry survey it was possible to evaluate how the open quarries works (open air yards, exploited by means of hand shovels and basic sieves) and what is the destination of the closed one (most of time the closed quarries are abandoned, not monitored and used as dumping areas, increasing the possibility of groundwater contamination). The safety condition of workers are very scarce: no protection devices, hard works and not safe yards (narrow tunnels, dug by hand and without protections). A sustainable management of natural resources and an appropriate environmental recovery are recommended, in order to prevent pollution and environmental deterioration. All the information arising from the present work are useful for local decision makers to enhance Niamey georesources management. At last, the information on water quality and quantity is fundamental in a wider perspective of food security and for life quality improvement. A final GIS project was prepared in order to have a good overview of the data and for dissemination purposes.

Building AN International Polar Data Coordination Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pulsifer, P. L.; Yarmey, L.; Manley, W. F.; Gaylord, A. G.; Tweedie, C. E.

2013-12-01

In the spirit of the World Data Center system developed to manage data resulting from the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58, the International Polar Year 2007-2009 (IPY) resulted in significant progress towards establishing an international polar data management network. However, a sustained international network is still evolving. In this paper we argue that the fundamental building blocks for such a network exist and that the time is right to move forward. We focus on the Arctic component of such a network with linkages to Antarctic network building activities. A review of an important set of Network building blocks is presented: i) the legacy of the IPY data and information service; ii) global data management services with a polar component (e.g. World Data System); iii) regional systems (e.g. Arctic Observing Viewer; iv) nationally focused programs (e.g. Arctic Observing Viewer, Advanced Cooperative Arctic Data and Information Service, Polar Data Catalogue, Inuit Knowledge Centre); v) programs focused on the local (e.g. Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic, Geomatics and Cartographic Research Centre). We discuss current activities and results with respect to three priority areas needed to establish a strong and effective Network. First, a summary of network building activities reports on a series of productive meetings, including the Arctic Observing Summit and the Polar Data Forum, that have resulted in a core set of Network nodes and participants and a refined vision for the Network. Second, we recognize that interoperability for information sharing fundamentally relies on the creation and adoption of community-based data description standards and data delivery mechanisms. There is a broad range of interoperability frameworks and specifications available; however, these need to be adapted for polar community needs. Progress towards Network interoperability is reviewed, and a prototype distributed data systems is demonstrated. We discuss remaining challenges. Lastly, to establish a sustainable Arctic Data Coordination Network (ADCN) as part of a broader polar Network will require adequate continued resources. We conclude by outlining proposed business models for the emerging Arctic Data Coordination Network and a broader polar Network.

Automated road network extraction from high spatial resolution multi-spectral imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qiaoping

For the last three decades, the Geomatics Engineering and Computer Science communities have considered automated road network extraction from remotely-sensed imagery to be a challenging and important research topic. The main objective of this research is to investigate the theory and methodology of automated feature extraction for image-based road database creation, refinement or updating, and to develop a series of algorithms for road network extraction from high resolution multi-spectral imagery. The proposed framework for road network extraction from multi-spectral imagery begins with an image segmentation using the k-means algorithm. This step mainly concerns the exploitation of the spectral information for feature extraction. The road cluster is automatically identified using a fuzzy classifier based on a set of predefined road surface membership functions. These membership functions are established based on the general spectral signature of road pavement materials and the corresponding normalized digital numbers on each multi-spectral band. Shape descriptors of the Angular Texture Signature are defined and used to reduce the misclassifications between roads and other spectrally similar objects (e.g., crop fields, parking lots, and buildings). An iterative and localized Radon transform is developed for the extraction of road centerlines from the classified images. The purpose of the transform is to accurately and completely detect the road centerlines. It is able to find short, long, and even curvilinear lines. The input image is partitioned into a set of subset images called road component images. An iterative Radon transform is locally applied to each road component image. At each iteration, road centerline segments are detected based on an accurate estimation of the line parameters and line widths. Three localization approaches are implemented and compared using qualitative and quantitative methods. Finally, the road centerline segments are grouped into a road network. The extracted road network is evaluated against a reference dataset using a line segment matching algorithm. The entire process is unsupervised and fully automated. Based on extensive experimentation on a variety of remotely-sensed multi-spectral images, the proposed methodology achieves a moderate success in automating road network extraction from high spatial resolution multi-spectral imagery.

ASTER-Derived 30-Meter-Resolution Digital Elevation Models of Afghanistan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chirico, Peter G.; Warner, Michael B.

2007-01-01

INTRODUCTION The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) is an imaging instrument aboard the Terra satellite, launched on December 19, 1999, as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Earth Observing System (EOS). The ASTER sensor consists of three subsystems: the visible and near infrared (VNIR), the shortwave infrared (SWIR), and the thermal infrared (TIR), each with a different spatial resolution (VNIR, 15 meters; SWIR, 30 meters, TIR 90 meters). The VNIR system has the capability to generate along-track stereo images that can be used to create digital elevation models (DEMs) at 30-meter resolution. Currently, the only available DEM dataset for Afghanistan is the 90-meter-resolution Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data. This dataset is appropriate for macroscale DEM analysis and mapping. However, ASTER provides a low cost opportunity to generate higher resolution data. For this publication, study areas were identified around populated areas and areas where higher resolution elevation data were desired to assist in natural resource assessments. The higher resolution fidelity of these DEMs can also be used for other terrain analysis including landform classification and geologic structure analysis. For this publication, ASTER scenes were processed and mosaicked to generate 36 DEMs which were created and extracted using PCI Geomatics' OrthoEngine 3D Stereo software. The ASTER images were geographically registered to Landsat data with at least 15 accurate and well distributed ground control points with a root mean square error (RMSE) of less that one pixel (15 meters). An elevation value was then assigned to each ground control point by extracting the elevation from the 90-meter SRTM data. The 36 derived DEMs demonstrate that the software correlated on nearly flat surfaces and smooth slopes accurately. Larger errors occur in cloudy and snow-covered areas, lakes, areas with steep slopes, and southeastern-facing slopes. In these areas, holes, large pits, and spikes were generated by the software during the correlation process and the automatic interpolation method. To eliminate these problems, overlapping DEMs were generated and filtered using a progressive morphologic filter. The quadrangles used to delineate the DEMs in the publication were derived from the Afghan Geodesy and Cartography Head Office's (AGCHO) 1:100,000-scale maps series quadrangles. Each DEM was clipped and assigned a name according to the associated AGCHO quadrangle name. The geospatial data included in this publication are intended to be used with any GIS software packages including, but not limited to, ESRI's ArcGIS and ERDAS IMAGINE.

Modeling Nitrogen Losses in Conventional and Advanced Soil-Based Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems under Current and Changing Climate Conditions.

PubMed

Morales, Ivan; Cooper, Jennifer; Amador, José A; Boving, Thomas B

2016-01-01

Most of the non-point source nitrogen (N) load in rural areas is attributed to onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS). Nitrogen compounds cause eutrophication, depleting the oxygen in marine ecosystems. OWTS rely on physical, chemical and biological soil processes to treat wastewater and these processes may be affected by climate change. We simulated the fate and transport of N in different types of OWTS drainfields, or soil treatment areas (STA) under current and changing climate scenarios, using 2D/3D HYDRUS software. Experimental data from a mesocosm-scale study, including soil moisture content, and total N, ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-) concentrations, were used to calibrate the model. A water content-dependent function was used to compute the nitrification and denitrification rates. Three types of drainfields were simulated: (1) a pipe-and-stone (P&S), (2) advanced soil drainfields, pressurized shallow narrow drainfield (PSND) and (3) Geomat (GEO), a variation of SND. The model was calibrated with acceptable goodness-of-fit between the observed and measured values. Average root mean square error (RSME) ranged from 0.18 and 2.88 mg L-1 for NH4+ and 4.45 mg L-1 to 9.65 mg L-1 for NO3- in all drainfield types. The calibrated model was used to estimate N fluxes for both conventional and advanced STAs under current and changing climate conditions, i.e. increased soil temperature and higher water table. The model computed N losses from nitrification and denitrification differed little from measured losses in all STAs. The modeled N losses occurred mostly as NO3- in water outputs, accounting for more than 82% of N inputs in all drainfields. Losses as N2 were estimated to be 10.4% and 9.7% of total N input concentration for SND and Geo, respectively. The highest N2 losses, 17.6%, were estimated for P&S. Losses as N2 increased to 22%, 37% and 21% under changing climate conditions for Geo, PSND and P&S, respectively. These findings can provide practitioners with guidelines to estimate N removal efficiencies for traditional and advanced OWTS, and predict N loads and spatial distribution for identifying non-point sources. Our results show that N losses on OWTS can be modeled successfully using HYDRUS. Furthermore, the results suggest that climate change may increase the removal of N as N2 in the drainfield, with the magnitude of the effect depending on a drainfield type.

Modeling Nitrogen Losses in Conventional and Advanced Soil-Based Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems under Current and Changing Climate Conditions

PubMed Central

Cooper, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Most of the non-point source nitrogen (N) load in rural areas is attributed to onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS). Nitrogen compounds cause eutrophication, depleting the oxygen in marine ecosystems. OWTS rely on physical, chemical and biological soil processes to treat wastewater and these processes may be affected by climate change. We simulated the fate and transport of N in different types of OWTS drainfields, or soil treatment areas (STA) under current and changing climate scenarios, using 2D/3D HYDRUS software. Experimental data from a mesocosm-scale study, including soil moisture content, and total N, ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-) concentrations, were used to calibrate the model. A water content-dependent function was used to compute the nitrification and denitrification rates. Three types of drainfields were simulated: (1) a pipe-and-stone (P&S), (2) advanced soil drainfields, pressurized shallow narrow drainfield (PSND) and (3) Geomat (GEO), a variation of SND. The model was calibrated with acceptable goodness-of-fit between the observed and measured values. Average root mean square error (RSME) ranged from 0.18 and 2.88 mg L-1 for NH4+ and 4.45 mg L-1 to 9.65 mg L-1 for NO3- in all drainfield types. The calibrated model was used to estimate N fluxes for both conventional and advanced STAs under current and changing climate conditions, i.e. increased soil temperature and higher water table. The model computed N losses from nitrification and denitrification differed little from measured losses in all STAs. The modeled N losses occurred mostly as NO3- in water outputs, accounting for more than 82% of N inputs in all drainfields. Losses as N2 were estimated to be 10.4% and 9.7% of total N input concentration for SND and Geo, respectively. The highest N2 losses, 17.6%, were estimated for P&S. Losses as N2 increased to 22%, 37% and 21% under changing climate conditions for Geo, PSND and P&S, respectively. These findings can provide practitioners with guidelines to estimate N removal efficiencies for traditional and advanced OWTS, and predict N loads and spatial distribution for identifying non-point sources. Our results show that N losses on OWTS can be modeled successfully using HYDRUS. Furthermore, the results suggest that climate change may increase the removal of N as N2 in the drainfield, with the magnitude of the effect depending on a drainfield type. PMID:27355369

Sediment budget analysis from Landslide debris and river channel change during the extreme event - example of Typhoon Morakot at Laonong river, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Kuo-Jen; Huang, Yu-Ting; Huang, Mei-Jen; Chiang, Yi-Lin; Yeh, En-Chao; Chao, Yu-Jui

2014-05-01

Taiwan, due to the high seismicity and high annual rainfall, numerous landslides triggered every year and severe impacts affect the island. Typhoon Morakot brought extreme and long-time rainfall for Taiwan in August 2009. It further caused huge loss of life and property in central and southern Taiwan. Laonong River is the largest tributary of Gaoping River. It's length is 137 km, and the basin area is 1373 km2. More than 2000mm rainfall brought and maximum rainfall exceeded 100mm/hr in the region by Typhoon Morakot in Aug, 2009. Its heavy rains made many landslides and debris flew into the river and further brought out accumulation and erosion on river banks of different areas. It caused severe disasters within the Laonong River drainage. In the past, the study of sediment blockage of river channel usually relies on field investigation, but due to inconvenient transportation, topographical barriers, or located in remote areas, etc. the survey is hardly to be completed sometimes. In recent years, the rapid development of remote sensing technology improves image resolution and quality significantly. Remote sensing technology can provide a wide range of image data, and provide essential and precious information. Furthermore, although the amount of sediment transportation can be estimated by using data such as rainfall, river flux, and suspended loads, the situation of large debris migration cannot be studied via those data. However, landslides, debris flow and river sediment transportation model in catchment area can be evaluated easily through analyzing the digital terrain model (DTM) . The purpose of this study is to investigate the phenomenon of river migration and to evaluate the amount of migration along Laonong River by analyzing the DEM before and after the typhoon Morakot. The DEMs are built by using the aerial images taken by digital mapping camera (DMC) and by airborne digital scanner 40 (ADS 40) before and after typhoon event. The results show that lateral erosion of the Laonong River caused by the typhoon seriously, especially in Yushan National Park, and midstream region. However, lateral erosion in downstream region is not so obvious. Meanwhile the siltation depth resulted from the Typhoon Morakot is larger in upstream region than in midstream and downstream regions. The amount of landslide debris created by Typhoon Morakot was too excessive to be transported. Materials just siltated in the upstream in place, same as in the middle stream area. Because of the amount of river slope erosion and sediment collapse in the downstream region is less than in upstream and midstream region, the amount of river erosion slightly larger than the amount of river siltation. The goals of this project are trying to decipher the sliding process and morphologic changes of large landslide areas, sediment transport and budgets, and to investigate the phenomenon of river migration. The results of this study provides not only geomatics and GIS dataset of the hazards, but also for essential geomorphologic information for other study, and for hazard mitigation and planning, as well.

Spatiotemporal variability and meteorological control of particulate matter pollution in a large open-pit coal mining region in Colombia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales Rincon, L. A.; Jimenez-Pizarro, R.; Porras-Diaz, H.

2012-12-01

Luis Morales-Rincon (1), Hernan Porras-Diaz (1), Rodrigo Jiménez (2,*) (1) Geomatic Research Group, Department of Civil Engineering, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Santander 680002, Colombia; (2) Air Quality Research Group, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota, DC 111321, Colombia *Corresponding author: phone +57-1-316-5000 ext. 14099, fax +57-1-316-5334, e-mail rjimenezp@unal.edu.co The semi-desertic area of Central Cesar, Colombia, produced approximately 44 million tons of coal in 2011. This mining activity has been intensively developed since 2005. There are currently 7 large-scale mining projects in that area. The coal industry has strongly impacted not only the ecosystems, but also the neighboring communities around the coal mines. The main goal of the research work was to characterize spatial and temporal variations of particulate matter (total suspended particulates - TSP - and particulate matter below 10 μm - PM10) as measured at various air quality monitoring stations in Cesar's coal industry region as well as to study the relationship between these variability and meteorological factors. The analysis of the meteorological time series of revealed a complex atmospheric circulation in the region. No clear repetitive diurnal circulation patterns were observed, i.e. statistical mean patterns do not physically represent the actual atmospheric circulation. We attribute this complexity to the interdependence between local and synoptic phenomena over a low altitude, relatively flat area. On the other hand, a comparison of air quality in the mining area with a perimeter station indicates that coal industry in central Cesar has a mayor effect on the levels of particulate matter in the region. Particulate matter concentration is highly variable throughout the year. The strong correlation between TSP and PM10 indicates that secondary aerosols are of minor importance. Furthermore, particle concentrations are the highest in January and February, being the correlation between the TSP and PM10 measurements not as strong during this time period. This could be associated with the spatial and temporal variability of wet deposition as well as a larger mechanical and eolic resuspension of particles. We found that precipitation drastically reduces the levels of particulate matter. In order to describe the effect of wet deposition, a mathematical model was developed based on a first order relaxation proportional to the precipitation rate. Daily average concentrations and daily accumulated precipitation were used in this model, which showed high concentration reductions even for low precipitation levels essentially for all stations. Monthly precipitation values showed a better correlation with TSP concentrations. Finally, we found evidence of a significant decrease in global radiation due to particulate matter, particularly during the dry season, which could potentially affect farming and agricultural activities in the region.

Automating Mapping Production for the Enterprise: from Contract to Delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uebbing, R.; Xie, C.; Beshah, B.; Welter, J.

2012-07-01

The ever increasing volume and quality of geospatial data has created new challenges for mapping companies. Due to increased image resolution, fusion of different data sources and more frequent data update requirements, mapping production is forced to streamline the work flow to meet client deadlines. But the data volume alone is not the only barrier for an efficient production work flow. Processing geospatial information traditionally uses domain and vendor specific applications that do not interface with each other, often leading to data duplication and therefore creating sources for error. Also, it creates isolation between different departments within a mapping company resulting in additional communication barriers. North West Geomatics has designed and implemented a data centric enterprise solution for the flight acquisition and production work flow to combat the above challenges. A central data repository containing not only geospatial data in the strictest sense such as images, vector layers and 3D point clouds, but also other information such as product specifications, client requirements, flight acquisition data, production resource usage and much more has been deployed at the company. As there is only one instance of the database shared throughout the whole organization it allows all employees, given they have been granted the appropriate permission, to view the current status of any project with a graphical and table based interface through its life cycle from sales, through flight acquisition, production and product delivery. Not only can users track progress and status of various work flow steps, but the system also allows users and applications to actively schedule or start specific production steps such as data ingestion and triangulation with many other steps (orthorectification, mosaicing, accounting, etc.) in the planning stages. While the complete system is exposed to the users through a web interface and therefore allowing outside customers to also view their data, much of the design and development was focused on work flow automation, scalability and security. Ideally, users will interact with the system to retrieve a specific project status and summaries while the work flow processes are triggered automatically by modeling their dependencies. The enterprise system is built using open source technologies (PostGIS, Hibernate, OpenLayers, GWT and others) and adheres to OGC web services for data delivery (WMS/WFS/WCS) to third party applications.

Recent geodetic surveys and multi-hazards assessment in the sinking town of Tuzla (BiH)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mancini, Francesco; Stecchi, Francesco; Dervisevic, Rejhana; Celikovic, Ruza

2010-05-01

Ground subsidence triggered by salt mining from deposits located beneath the city of Tuzla (Bosnia & Herzegovina) is one of the major danger acting on a very densely urbanized area since 1950, when the salt deposits exploitation by means of boreholes began. As demonstrated in previous work, subsidence induced several hazard factors such as a severe ground deformations, the arising of deep and superficial fractures and a very fast water table rise connected with the brine extraction. In the past, hazard's factors were investigated by the processing of a series of data collected during two periods; from 1956 to the 1991, and from 1992 to 2003 whereas more recent sinking and deformation rates are being investigated by the use of geomatic methodologies and analysis of geographical data. The analysis of the historical dataset revealed a cumulative subsidence as high as 12 meters during the whole period, causing damage to buildings and infrastructures within an area that includes a large portion of the historical town, nowadays almost entirely destroyed. In previous work all the hazards affecting the city of Tuzla have been quantified and a map reporting the overall risk produced using the GIS (Geographical Information System) tools and a Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MDA). The MDA highlighted a serious risk due to the present-day water table rise, triggered by the decreasing in brine pumping in well defined portion of the city, not necessarily involved in the most severe ground deformations. For such reason since 2004 new elevation data were attained by six-monthly spirit levelling campaigns and more diffuse annual static GPS surveys. Results provided by geodetic surveys have been compared with the raising piezometric level and results are surprising. Both GPS survey and spirit levelling reveal a gradual inversion of sinking rates which are proceeding from negative to positive values over a great portion of the investigated area. Moreover, the impressive negative rates which were historically recorded in the most sinking area (up to -40cm/yr) are now decreasing to relatively less significant values (about -10 cm/yr). Uplift phenomena are proven to be closely related to the fast raising water table and hydrogeological mechanism have to be investigated more deeply in order to reduce the risk of flooding, in portions of the city, due to a reduced draining capability or emerging water table.

From one marsh to another, changing swamps - Exercise of reflexivity within the water and territories system: wetland renaturation / restoration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandoz, Alain; Chauvelon, Philippe; Boutron, Olivier

2013-04-01

In relation to the"Plan National en faveur des Zones Humides", the project aims to provide food for thought, from the interdisciplinary articulation , for the development, organizational arrangements and the level of water governance. The methods that will permit to better understand how work studied ecosystems and to measure the anthropogenic and natural part of the functioning of these territories. The methods will be based on a landscape approach and facilitated by the techniques used in landscape ecology making wide use of the techniques from geomatic (GIS, digital photogrammetry, satellite remote sensing...). Additional studies from data collected in the field will also be made in particular to improve our understanding of hydrology, water quality... . The two sites selected by this proposal covers two wetlands of national and international interests. Both are located in natural regional parks (NRP): Alpilles and Camargue, the NRP of Camargue is furthermore included in the "Man and Biosphere Reserve" of the Rhone delta. The first concerns the "Vallée des marais des Baux", the second, the "Salins de Giraud". The complexity of natural and human issues make such territories privileged study sites. Located both in the west of the "Bouches du Rhône" department, these territories have very different human and physical characteristics. We develop in this presentation only the first, the "Vallée des marais des Baux". Under the initiative of several private owners, voluntary marshes restoration experiments are conducted. This area covering about 1300 hectares was originally swamp. Since the Romans, many attempts have succeeded in drying up the area but it's not until 1950-1960 that the technical development allowed to realize so - exception of small areas of relict marsh - implementing development centred on agriculture. Following to major floods in 2003, the sector is defined (Rhône river master plan) as an flood expansion area. Moreover, there is some decline of agriculture in this valley and a challenge for this activity (cereals, beef, fodder production, olive ...) against the maintenance of the drainage system (pump stations, dykes etc..). The relict marsh is privately owned, quite unaccessible and often unknown by the public and the fifty years of agricultural conversion into polders have partially helped oversight the original nature of the ancient "marais des Baux". The purpose of this work will be, through an interdisciplinary approach to propose evolution scenarios but also, and especially in the concern of governance that will protect Wetlands without forgetting the human and economic issues. These scenarios will have to be done in a sake of sustainable development in which both, actors and nature, will win. This project aims to bring new knowledge for better governance of territories and water-related uses with a view to preserve wetlands. The construction of prospective models will take into account the assumptions of future scenarios for social water resource demand. The response of ecosystems and territories with this request will determine its relevance in this environmentally acceptable approach for the maintenance, improvement or renaturation of "natural environments" and especially wetlands. This project is financed by French Environment Ministry program "Eaux et Territoires" .

Methodology or method? A critical review of qualitative case study reports.

PubMed

Hyett, Nerida; Kenny, Amanda; Dickson-Swift, Virginia

2014-01-01

Despite on-going debate about credibility, and reported limitations in comparison to other approaches, case study is an increasingly popular approach among qualitative researchers. We critically analysed the methodological descriptions of published case studies. Three high-impact qualitative methods journals were searched to locate case studies published in the past 5 years; 34 were selected for analysis. Articles were categorized as health and health services (n=12), social sciences and anthropology (n=7), or methods (n=15) case studies. The articles were reviewed using an adapted version of established criteria to determine whether adequate methodological justification was present, and if study aims, methods, and reported findings were consistent with a qualitative case study approach. Findings were grouped into five themes outlining key methodological issues: case study methodology or method, case of something particular and case selection, contextually bound case study, researcher and case interactions and triangulation, and study design inconsistent with methodology reported. Improved reporting of case studies by qualitative researchers will advance the methodology for the benefit of researchers and practitioners.

Integrating Human Factors into Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitmore, Mihriban; Holden, Kritina; Baggerman, Susan; Campbell, Paul

2007-01-01

The purpose of this design process is to apply Human Engineering (HE) requirements and guidelines to hardware/software and to provide HE design, analysis and evaluation of crew interfaces. The topics include: 1) Background/Purpose; 2) HE Activities; 3) CASE STUDY: Net Habitable Volume (NHV) Study; 4) CASE STUDY: Human Modeling Approach; 5) CASE STUDY: Human Modeling Results; 6) CASE STUDY: Human Modeling Conclusions; 7) CASE STUDY: Human-in-the-Loop Evaluation Approach; 8) CASE STUDY: Unsuited Evaluation Results; 9) CASE STUDY: Suited Evaluation Results; 10) CASE STUDY: Human-in-the-Loop Evaluation Conclusions; 11) Near-Term Plan; and 12) In Conclusion

Enhancing the quality of case studies in health services research.

PubMed Central

Yin, R K

1999-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To provide guidance on improving the quality of case studies in health services research. DATA SOURCES: Secondary data, drawing from previous case study research. RESEARCH DESIGN: Guidance is provided to two audiences: potential case study investigators (eight items) and reviewers of case study proposals (four additional items). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The guidance demonstrates that many operational steps can be undertaken to improve the quality of case studies. These steps have been a hallmark of high-quality case studies in related fields but have not necessarily been practiced in health services research. CONCLUSIONS: Given higher-quality case studies, the case study method can become a valuable tool for health services research. Images Figure 3 PMID:10591280

Developing the DESCARTE Model: The Design of Case Study Research in Health Care.

PubMed

Carolan, Clare M; Forbat, Liz; Smith, Annetta

2016-04-01

Case study is a long-established research tradition which predates the recent surge in mixed-methods research. Although a myriad of nuanced definitions of case study exist, seminal case study authors agree that the use of multiple data sources typify this research approach. The expansive case study literature demonstrates a lack of clarity and guidance in designing and reporting this approach to research. Informed by two reviews of the current health care literature, we posit that methodological description in case studies principally focuses on description of case study typology, which impedes the construction of methodologically clear and rigorous case studies. We draw from the case study and mixed-methods literature to develop the DESCARTE model as an innovative approach to the design, conduct, and reporting of case studies in health care. We examine how case study fits within the overall enterprise of qualitatively driven mixed-methods research, and the potential strengths of the model are considered. © The Author(s) 2015.

Case Study: Testing with Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herreid, Clyde Freeman

2015-01-01

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. This month's issue discusses using case studies to test for knowledge or lessons learned.

Methodology or method? A critical review of qualitative case study reports

PubMed Central

Hyett, Nerida; Kenny, Amanda; Dickson-Swift, Virginia

2014-01-01

Despite on-going debate about credibility, and reported limitations in comparison to other approaches, case study is an increasingly popular approach among qualitative researchers. We critically analysed the methodological descriptions of published case studies. Three high-impact qualitative methods journals were searched to locate case studies published in the past 5 years; 34 were selected for analysis. Articles were categorized as health and health services (n=12), social sciences and anthropology (n=7), or methods (n=15) case studies. The articles were reviewed using an adapted version of established criteria to determine whether adequate methodological justification was present, and if study aims, methods, and reported findings were consistent with a qualitative case study approach. Findings were grouped into five themes outlining key methodological issues: case study methodology or method, case of something particular and case selection, contextually bound case study, researcher and case interactions and triangulation, and study design inconsistent with methodology reported. Improved reporting of case studies by qualitative researchers will advance the methodology for the benefit of researchers and practitioners. PMID:24809980

Case Study: Writing a Journal Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prud'homme-Genereux, Annie

2016-01-01

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. This month's issue describes incorporating a journal article into the classroom by first converting it into a case study.

Global Lithospheric Apparent Susceptibility Distribution Converted from Geomagnetic Models by CHAMP and Swarm Satellite Magnetic Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Jinsong; Chen, Chao; Xiong, Xiong; Li, Yongdong; Liang, Qing

2016-04-01

Recently, because of continually accumulated magnetic measurements by CHAMP satellite and Swarm constellation of three satellites and well developed methodologies and techniques of data processing and geomagnetic field modeling etc., global lithospheric magnetic anomaly field models become more and more reliable. This makes the quantitative interpretation of lithospheric magnetic anomaly field possible for having an insight into large-scale magnetic structures in the crust and uppermost mantle. Many different approaches have been utilized to understand the magnetized sources, such as forward, inversion, statistics, correlation analysis, Euler deconvolution, signal transformations etc. Among all quantitative interpretation methods, the directly converting a magnetic anomaly map into a magnetic susceptibility anomaly map proposed by Arkani-Hamed & Strangway (1985) is, we think, the most fast quantitative interpretation tool for global studies. We just call this method AS85 hereinafter for short. Although Gubbins et al. (2011) provided a formula to directly calculate the apparent magnetic vector distribution, the AS85 method introduced constraints of magnetized direction and thus corresponding results are expected to be more robust especially in world-wide continents. Therefore, in this study, we first improved the AS85 method further considering non-axial dipolar inducing field using formulae by Nolte & Siebert (1987), initial model or priori information for starting coefficients in the apparent susceptibility conversion, hidden longest-wavelength components of lithospheric magnetic field and field contaminations from global oceanic remanent magnetization. Then, we used the vertically integrated susceptibility model by Hemant & Maus (2005) and vertically integrated remanent magnetization model by Masterton et al. (2013) to test the validity of our improved method. Subsequently, we applied the conversion method to geomagnetic field models by CHAMP and Swarm satellite magnetic measurements and obtained global lithospheric apparent susceptibility distribution models. Finally, we compared these deduced models with previous results in the literature and some other geophysical, geodetic and geologic datum. Both tests and applications suggest, indeed, that the improved AS85 method can be adopted as a fast and effective interpretation tool of global induced large-scale magnetic anomaly field models in form of spherical harmonics. Arkani-Hamed, J. & Srangway, D.W., 1985. Lateral variations of apparent magnetic susceptibility of lithosphere deduced from Magsat data, J. Geophys. Res., 90(B3), 2655-2664. Gubbins, D., Ivers, D., Masterton, S.M. & Winch, D.E., 2011. Analysis of lithospheric magnetization in vector spherical harmonics, Geophys. J. Int., 187(1), 99-117. Hemant, K. & Maus, S., 2005. Geological modeling of the new CHAMP magnetic anomaly maps using a geographical information system technique, J. Geophys. Res., 110, B12103, doi: 10.1029/2005JB003837. Masterton, S.M., Gubbins, D., Müller, R.D. & Singh, K.H., 2013. Forward modeling of oceanic lithospheric magnetization, Geophys. J. Int., 192(3), 951-962. Nolte, H.J. & Siebert, M., 1987. An analytical approach to the magnetic field of the Earth's crust, J. Geophys., 61, 69-76. This study is supported by State Key Laboratory of Geodesy and Earth's Dynamics (Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences) (SKLGED2015-5-5-EZ), Natural Science Fund of Hubei Province (2015CFB361), International Cooperation Project in Science and Technology of China (2010DFA24580), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2015M572217 and 2014T70753), Hubei Subsurface Multi-scale Imaging Key Laboratory (Institute of Geophysics and Geomatics, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan) (SMIL-2015-06) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (41574070, 41104048 and 41504065).

Fostering Entrepreneurship through Business Incubation: The Role and Prospects of Postsecondary Vocational-Technical Education. Report 2: Case Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez-Gantes, Victor M.; And Others

This report presents nine case studies featuring efforts to foster community development through business incubation and entrepreneurial programs at two-year colleges. A background section discusses case description, and organization and format of case studies. The second section describes the case study design. Each case study is introduced with…

The Misconception of Case-Control Studies in the Plastic Surgery Literature: A Literature Audit.

PubMed

Hatchell, Alexandra C; Farrokhyar, Forough; Choi, Matthew

2017-06-01

Case-control study designs are commonly used. However, many published case-control studies are not true case-controls and are in fact mislabeled. The purpose of this study was to identify all case-control studies published in the top three plastic surgery journals over the past 10 years, assess which were truly case-control studies, clarify the actual design of the articles, and address common misconceptions. MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched for case-control studies in the three highest-impact factor plastic surgery journals (2005 to 2015). Two independent reviewers screened the resulting titles, abstracts, and methods, if applicable, to identify articles labeled as case-control studies. These articles were appraised and classified as true case-control studies or non-case-control studies. The authors found 28 articles labeled as case-control studies. However, only six of these articles (21 percent) were truly case-control designs. Of the 22 incorrectly labeled studies, one (5 percent) was a randomized controlled trial, three (14 percent) were nonrandomized trials, two (9 percent) were prospective comparative cohort designs, 14 (64 percent) were retrospective comparative cohort designs, and two (9 percent) were cross-sectional designs. The mislabeling was worse in recent years, despite increases in evidence-based medicine awareness. The majority of published case-control studies are not in fact case-control studies. This misunderstanding is worsening with time. Most of these studies are actually comparative cohort designs. However, some studies are truly clinical trials and thus a higher level of evidence than originally proposed.

Case Study: Puttin' on the Ritz: How to Put Science into Cases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herreid, Clyde Freeman

2017-01-01

There are multiple ways to put science into a case. This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. This month's issue discusses different ways of presenting science in case studies.

Quantifying uncertainty in morphologically-derived bedload transport rates for large braided rivers: insights from high-resolution, high-frequency digital elevation model differencing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brasington, J.; Hicks, M.; Wheaton, J. M.; Williams, R. D.; Vericat, D.

2013-12-01

Repeat surveys of channel morphology provide a means to quantify fluvial sediment storage and enable inferences about changes in long-term sediment supply, watershed delivery and bed level adjustment; information vital to support effective river and land management. Over shorter time-scales, direct differencing of fluvial terrain models may also offer a route to predict reach-averaged sediment transport rates and quantify the patterns of channel morphodynamics and the processes that force them. Recent and rapid advances in geomatics have facilitated these goals by enabling the acquisition of topographic data at spatial resolutions and precisions suitable for characterising river morphology at the scale of individual grains over multi-kilometre reaches. Despite improvements in topographic surveying, inverting the terms of the sediment budget to derive estimates of sediment transport and link these to morphodynamic processes is, nonetheless, often confounded by limited knowledge of either the sediment supply or efflux across a boundary of the control volume, or unobserved cut-and-fill taking place between surveys. This latter problem is particularly poorly constrained, as field logistics frequently preclude surveys at a temporal frequency sufficient to capture changes in sediment storage associated with each competent event, let alone changes during individual floods. In this paper, we attempt to quantify the principal sources of uncertainty in morphologically-derived bedload transport rates for the large, labile, gravel-bed braided Rees River which drains the Southern Alps of NZ. During the austral summer of 2009-10, a unique timeseries of 10 high quality DEMs was derived for a 3 x 0.7 km reach of the Rees, using a combination of mobile terrestrial laser scanning, aDcp soundings and aerial image analysis. Complementary measurements of the forcing flood discharges and estimates of event-based particle step lengths were also acquired during the field campaign. Together, the resulting dataset quantifies the evolution of the study reach over an annual flood season and provides an unprecedented insight into the patterns and processes of braiding. Uncertainties in the inferred rates of bedload transport are associated with the temporal and spatial frequency of measurements used to estimate the storage term of the sediment budget, and methods used to derive the boundary sediment flux. Results obtained reveal that over the annual flood season, over 80% of the braidplain was mobilised and that more than 50% of the bed experienced multiple cycles of cut and fill. Integration of cut and fill volumes event-by-event were found to be approximately 300% of the net change between October and May. While significant uncertainties reside in estimates of the boundary flux, rates of bedload transport derived for individual events are shown to correlate well with total energy expenditure and suggest that a relatively simple relationship may exist between the driving hydraulic forces at the reach scale and the geomorphic work performed.

Coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea and cancer of the colon and rectum: a review of epidemiological studies, 1990-2003.

PubMed

Tavani, Alessandra; La Vecchia, Carlo

2004-10-01

The literature from 1990 to 2003 on the relation between coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea and colorectal cancer risk has been reviewed. For the relation with coffee, three cohort (517 total cases) and nine case-control studies (7555 cases) analysed colon cancer; three cohort (307 cases) and four case-control studies (2704 cases) rectal cancer; six case-control studies (854 cases) colorectal cancer. For colon cancer most case-control studies found risk estimates below unity; the results are less clear for cohort studies. No relation emerged for rectal cancer. A meta-analysis, including five cohort and twelve case-control studies, reported a pooled relative risk of 0.76 (significant). Any methodological artefact is unlikely to account for the consistent inverse association in different countries and settings. Plausible biological explanations include coffee-related reductions of cholesterol, bile acids and neutral sterol secretion in the colon; antimutagenic properties of selected coffee components; increased colonic motility. Decaffeinated coffee was not related to either colon or rectal cancer in three case-control studies. No overall association between tea and either colon or rectal cancer risk emerged in seven cohort (1756 total cases of colon, 759 of rectal and 60 of colorectal cancer) and 12 case-control studies (8058 cases of colon, 4865 of rectal, 604 of colorectal cancer).

Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI): An Al-Qaeda Affiliate Case Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

a comparative methodology that included eight case studies on groups affiliated or associated with Al-Qaeda. These case studies were then used as a... methodology that included eight case studies on groups affiliated or associated with Al-Qaeda. These case studies were then used as a dataset for cross...Case Study Zack Gold With contributions from Pamela G. Faber October 2017 This work was performed under Federal Government

Ground-based LiDAR application to characterize sea cliff instability processes along a densely populated coastline in Southern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esposito, Giuseppe; Semaan, Fouad; Salvini, Riccardo; Troise, Claudia; Somma, Renato; Matano, Fabio; Sacchi, Marco

2017-04-01

Sea cliff retreatment along the coastline of the Campi Flegrei volcanic area (Southern Italy) is becoming a threat for public and private structures due to the massive urbanization occurred in the last few decades. In this area, geological features of the outcropping rocks represent one of the most important factors conditioning the sea cliff retreatment. In fact, pyroclastic deposits formed by pumices, scoria, ashes and lapilli are arranged in weakly to moderately welded layers of variable thicknesses, resulting very erodible and prone to landslide processes. Available methods to evaluate topographic changes and retreat rates of sea cliffs include a variety of geomatic techniques, like terrestrial and aerial photogrammetry and LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). By means of such techniques, it is in fact possible to obtain high resolution topography of sea cliffs and perform multi-temporal change detection analysis. In this contribution, we present an application of Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS or ground-based LiDAR) aimed to identify and quantify instability processes acting along the Torrefumo coastal cliff, in the Campi Flegrei area. Specifically, we acquired a series of 3D point clouds on the years 2013 and 2016, and compared them through a cloud-to-cloud distance computation. Furthermore, a statistical analysis was applied to the change detection results. In this way, an inventory of the cliff failures occurred along the Torrefumo cliff in the 2013-2016 time span was created, as well as the spatial and volumetric distribution of these failures was evaluated. The volumetric analysis shows that large collapses occurred rarely, whereas the spatial analysis shows that the majority of failures occurred in the middle and upper parts of the cliff face. Results also show that both rock fall and surficial erosion processes contribute to the cliff retreatment, acting in turn according to the geological properties of the involved pyroclastic deposits. The presented TLS approach proves to be a cost and time efficient method for characterizing the geomorphic changes involving the sea cliff surfaces over a short-time period (i.e. monthly or yearly). The accuracy of the acquired data allows the characterization of a full range of failures to be located and quantified with a level of detail not reachable using traditional techniques. Results obtained in this research will be used in future applications to assess hazard conditions affecting the anthropic structures built close to the cliff top.

To localise or to be localised with WiFi in the Hubei museum?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verbree, E.; Zlatanova, S.; van Winden, K. B. A.; van der Laan, E. B.; Makri, A.; Taizhou, L.; Haojun, A.

2013-11-01

Indoor localisation is in demand for a variety of applications within the built environment. An overall solution based on a single technology has not yet been determined. The aim of this paper is to gain insight on Signal Strength monitoring by a special kind of WiFi Monitors in comparison to the commonly known fingerprinting method for the purpose of a 3D indoor navigation system. Ttwo different WiFi based localisation techniques are tested during the MSc Geomatics DaRen Syntheses Project in the Hubei Provincial Museum, China. The first method detects the beacon frames send by smartphones, laptops and other WiFi enabled devices in range using Libelium Meshlium Xtreme monitors. Their MAC addresses and the signal strength is measured by the Meshlium Xtreme and stored on an external database. We call this method WiFi monitoring. The second method a Wifi enabled device, like a smartphone, measures the signal strength of multiple Wifi Access Points in range to localise itself based on a previously created radio map. This method is known as WiFi fingerprinting. Both methods have some advantages and disadvantages. Advantages of the common way of WiFi fingerprinting are that the implementation costs are relatively low, because it is usually possible to use (a part of) the existing WiFi AP infrastructure. WiFi fingerprinting can reach a relatively high accuracy in the order of magnitude of meters. Finally, the location granularity can be adjusted to what is necessary for the purpose of the indoor localisation. This makes it employable for a wide range of purposes. The question remains how suitable these methods are for a 3D indoor navigation system for the Hubei provincial museum. One important aspect is the localisation-granularity necessary for the application. In a museum it is not necessary to know the exact X,Y position of a user (such high accuracy is unnecessary), more important is to know in which room the user is located so the information on exhibitions can be presented and the starting point of the navigation can be determined. Both methods can track the user and tell the room he or she is located at. Although WiFi smartphone monitoring may have a low update frequency it is still suitable for a navigation system for a museum since visitors usually spend more than a couple of minutes within a room.

Recording Approach of Heritage Sites Based on Merging Point Clouds from High Resolution Photogrammetry and Terrestrial Laser Scanning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grussenmeyer, P.; Alby, E.; Landes, T.; Koehl, M.; Guillemin, S.; Hullo, J. F.; Assali, P.; Smigiel, E.

2012-07-01

Different approaches and tools are required in Cultural Heritage Documentation to deal with the complexity of monuments and sites. The documentation process has strongly changed in the last few years, always driven by technology. Accurate documentation is closely relied to advances of technology (imaging sensors, high speed scanning, automation in recording and processing data) for the purposes of conservation works, management, appraisal, assessment of the structural condition, archiving, publication and research (Patias et al., 2008). We want to focus in this paper on the recording aspects of cultural heritage documentation, especially the generation of geometric and photorealistic 3D models for accurate reconstruction and visualization purposes. The selected approaches are based on the combination of photogrammetric dense matching and Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) techniques. Both techniques have pros and cons and recent advances have changed the way of the recording approach. The choice of the best workflow relies on the site configuration, the performances of the sensors, and criteria as geometry, accuracy, resolution, georeferencing, texture, and of course processing time. TLS techniques (time of flight or phase shift systems) are widely used for recording large and complex objects and sites. Point cloud generation from images by dense stereo or multi-view matching can be used as an alternative or as a complementary method to TLS. Compared to TLS, the photogrammetric solution is a low cost one, as the acquisition system is limited to a high-performance digital camera and a few accessories only. Indeed, the stereo or multi-view matching process offers a cheap, flexible and accurate solution to get 3D point clouds. Moreover, the captured images might also be used for models texturing. Several software packages are available, whether web-based, open source or commercial. The main advantage of this photogrammetric or computer vision based technology is to get at the same time a point cloud (the resolution depends on the size of the pixel on the object), and therefore an accurate meshed object with its texture. After matching and processing steps, we can use the resulting data in much the same way as a TLS point cloud, but in addition with radiometric information for textures. The discussion in this paper reviews recording and important processing steps as geo-referencing and data merging, the essential assessment of the results, and examples of deliverables from projects of the Photogrammetry and Geomatics Group (INSA Strasbourg, France).