Analysis Of Satellite Imagery Research Articles

An automated deep learning based satellite imagery analysis for ecology management

Ecology is the methodical study of biodiversity which affecting natural life and habitats. Due to the anthropogenic pressure on the atmosphere, there is an upraised threat to wild animals and other habitats of the ecological atmosphere. So, there is a need for efficient ecology management models to map and save nature resources. At the same time, the use of satellite imagery analysis is an effective tool for determining important details on earth resources and the platform. It finds useful for proficient ecology management, such as land use detection, forest fire detection, environment planning, and so on. Earlier satellite imagery classification approaches mainly depend upon feature coding approaches which has limited capabilities and yield mediocre outcomes. The recent developments of deep learning models made the image classification highly effective. In this view, this paper presents a new parameter tuned deep learning based EfficientNet model with Variational Autoencoder (PTDLEN-VAE) model for satellite imagery analysis on ecology management. The presented PTDLEN-VAE model includes a series of operations namely pre-processing, feature extraction, and classification. Primarily, the satellite images are preprocessed to improve the contrast level of the image. Followed by, the PTDLEN based feature extractor is utilized to derive a useful set of feature vectors from the aerial image. Besides, the improved krill herd optimization (IKHO) algorithm is applied for the parameter tuning of the EfficientNet model. Finally, the classification of aerial images using the derived feature vectors takes place by the use of the VAE model.The efficacy of the PTDLEN-VAE model is validated using a benchmark aerial image dataset and the resultant experimental values highlighted the effectiveness of the PTDLEN-VAE model interms of precision, recall, F1-score, F2-score, and computation time.

On the cryogenic nature of the large hills of Mars

The nature of large hills in the Martian equatorial regions like Zephyria Planum and the southern part of Elysium Planitia has not been studied, despite the fact that they have characteristic similar shapes and sharply contrast with the surrounding lava plains. The paper develops the previously proposed view on the permafrost injection nature of these formations. Morphological analysis of satellite imagery in the visible and infrared ranges of large cone-shaped and dome-shaped hills in the equatorial parts of Zephyria Planum and the southern part of Elysium Planitia gives grounds to interpret these structures as large hydrolaccoliths. Analysis of the terrain and signs of ongoing geological processes using satellite images of various years and modern views on the permafrost and subpermafrost waters of the planet confirms this interpretation. The origin of these structures is associated with temperature changes and phase transitions in the permafrost layer. It is assumed that their structure does not fundamentally differ from the terrestrial analogues like pingo, or bulgunnyakh: the core contains ice-containing permafrost and massive ice, from the surface they are covered with regolith. The differences are the significantly large dimensions of these features and the assumed hydraulic connection with the brine subpermafrost hydrosphere. Morphological signs of modern activity of some of the large hydrolaccoliths are observed, which indicates a hydraulic connection with the underlying supply reservoirs. Large hydrolaccoliths are of interest as significant reserves of water surrounded by a waterless landscape and as places to search for traces of life in ice substrates and feeding brines. Сonsidering their significant resource and scientific potential, the equatorial areas, where the described and similar features occurred, are promising as places for the first crewed missions and setting up human settlements.

Assessing Uranium Ore Processing Activities Using Satellite Imagery at Pyongsan in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s only confirmed uranium mill is within the Pyongsan uranium mining complex. The ore processing pathway and the production capacity for uranium concentrate is analyzed, based on comprehensive satellite imagery analysis of this facility. This assessment of the Pyongsan facility indicates an ore processing capacity of ∼750–1,200 tonnes per day. One year of maximum production at Pyongsan would yield enough processed ore to fuel one load of the 5 MWe reactor in Yongbyon as well as ∼3,000 kg of LEU or ∼100 kg of HEU. The analysis suggests that the ore processing capacity at Pyongsan is not a constraint on the DPRK’s nuclear material production and that the available capacity at the Pyongsan milling facility strongly suggests that the DPRK has no need in another uranium milling facility of a comparable size. This report provides an improved understanding of the ore processing steps and production rates of the only confirmed uranium mill in the DPRK, enabling a more quantitative assessment of its nuclear materials production and inventories.

Soil Erosion Susceptibility Mapping of Imo River Basin Using Modified Geomorphometric Prioritisation Method

Abstract Gullies and other forms of erosion have been the greatest environmental problem and catastrophe in most high- and low-income countries. The challenge posed by soil erosion has compromised agricultural productivity, environmental biodiversity and food safety for the world's population. It is important to identify vulnerable areas to soil erosion in each region to initiate remedial measures. This study demonstrates the use of watershed morphometry coupled with weighted sum analysis (WSA) to estimate the soil erosion susceptibility of the Imo River Basin sub-watersheds (SWs) in South-Eastern Nigeria using satellite remote-sensing data and geographic information system (GIS) analysis. To this end, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with 30 m spatial resolution was used to extract and analyse 18 morphometric parameters including basic, linear, shape and relief. The method of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves was used to validate the model's prediction accuracy. This morphometry-based analysis resulted in the SWs being classified into zones of low, medium, high and very high erosion susceptibility. With regard to erosion susceptibility, 41.51% of the basin (2494.68 km2) is in the very high priority zone; while 10.50%, 44.33% and 3.66% of the basin are in the high, medium and low priority zones respectively. Validation of the final erosion susceptibility map showed a prediction accuracy of 81%. The use of satellite imagery and morphometric analysis in this study was cost- and time-effective for identifying areas susceptible to soil erosion.

Active landslides in the Rogun Catchment, Tajikistan, and their river damming hazard potential

The region of Tajikistan where the Rogun Hydropower Project is currently under construction has experienced large and catastrophic slope failures in the past, often triggered by earthquakes. Co-seismic slope failures are thus common and pose a high hazard potential; however, to date, no specific analysis of slope activity in this area has been presented in international journals. Here, we present an inventory of active landslides identified through satellite imagery analysis and in particular by exploiting space-borne differential radar interferometry. Surface displacements provide the basis for the detection of active slope instabilities, which are then further classified by using geomorphological indicators visible in optical satellite imagery. Additionally, the proximity of active landslides to tectonic lineaments, as well as regional seismicity, is analysed to investigate potential relationships and to provide an integrated river damming hazard potential. The results show that approximately 31% of all detected landslides would have a high damming hazard potential upon catastrophic failure, highlighting the importance of such phenomena for efficient long-term land use planning and management of hydropower plants.

A novel forecasting model for wind speed assessment using sentinel family satellites images and machine learning method

Wind energy produced in near and offshore farms is constantly increasing, mainly thanks to the use of new technologies and the economic costs decrease. Data coming from satellites recently launched can be effectively used in near and offshore areas for wind speed mapping, and long and short-term analyses of wind regimes. Furthermore, the use of artificial intelligence methods is constantly increasing for predicting wind energy production. In this framework, a new forecasting model for wind speed assessment is presented integrating Sentinel satellite imagery analysis, in two phases using multi-sensor satellites, and machine learning methods. In the first step, wind speed and bathymetry have been analysed by means of sentinel-1 (S-1) and sentinel-2 (S-2) satellites images, respectively. Furthermore, a hybrid forecasting model has been proposed to assess and predict wind speed. The machine learning model consists of an integrated model using generalized regression neural network (GRNN) and the whale optimization algorithm (WOA). The new developed method has been then applied to assess wind energy potential around the Favignana island in Sicily, Italy. The results show that all the important primary parameters for a wind farm installations potential analysis, such as wind speed, water depth, and distance to the shoreline can be successfully analysed in a possible short time and freely. The following results have been obtained testing the new method: i) S-1 and S-2 satellite images have good potential for near and offshore wind speed assessment and bathymetry detection around Favignana island, ii) the root mean square error (RMSE), mean square error (MAE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of the proposed forecasting model using the whole dataset are 0.0205, 0.0159, and 6.8385 respectively, iii) the proposed forecasting model for wind speed has higher accuracy than other valid models.

Modeling Colonial Paternalism: GIS and Multispectral Satellite Imagery at Kingstown, British Virgin Islands

GIS modeling and analysis of multispectral satellite imagery are applied to a former plantation in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), which, in 1831, became a settlement of free Africans who lived within slavery-based British colonialism. A map of the settlement represents the paternalist British government ideal for this community—an “experiment” for controlling a postemancipation peasantry—and the techniques discussed here allow clearer understanding of the way these ideals would have interacted with the physical and social landscape of the BVI had they been implemented. The residents were certainly aware of their situation, and this study does not mean to imply that they simply adopted the plan they were handed. Instead, our goal is to interrogate the implications of the plan itself. We combine least cost path (LCP), Normalized Difference Vegetation Indexes (NDVI), and other technical analyses to show the interaction of the British plan and the BVI landscape in order to describe the context in which the Kingstown community was built and maintained. Although schematic, this study quantifies at least some of the barriers the community overcame and contributes in a limited way to broader considerations of the place of land and landscape in structures of colonialism.

Quantifying 28-year (1991–2019) shoreline change trends along the Mnazi Bay – Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park, Tanzania

Over the last decades, shoreline movements observed at the Mnazi Bay - Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park (MBREMP) in Tanzania have been affecting habitats' conditions and also social and economic conditions of local communities. To date, however, there has been no systematic spatial and temporal analysis of shoreline change trends along the MBREMP coast.In this study, we conducted an analysis of multi-temporal earth observation satellite imagery for assessment of MBREMP shoreline change trends, over the period 1991–2019, using satellite images and geographic information system techniques. Satellite images retrieved from Landsat 5 (Thematic Mapper) and Landsat 8 (Operational Land Imager) instruments were analyzed within a geographic information system environment. Shorelines were extracted from satellite imagery and shoreline change rates were measured along transects using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) software.From the analysis performed over the period of 28 years, we concluded that shoreline changes in MBREMP were dominated by erosion with an average erosion rate of −1.5 m/year ±1.4 m/year. No-shoreline change (stable shoreline) was identified in 34.8% of transects analyzed, erosion in 63.9%, while accretion occurred in 1.3%. The extent of erosion and accretion varied, however, from one area to another. Accretion and lower erosion rates were measured in the northern part of MBREMP, while higher erosion rates were found in the southern part of the park, which serves as important feeding, breeding, and nesting habitats for endangered turtle species.These results do contribute to identify the most affected areas of MBREMP shoreline and to inform and guide further research related to the sustainable management of ecosystems and the maintenance of the natural systems/resources contained in the park.

Assessing the Dynamics of Urban Growth and Land Use Changes in Jeli Using Geospatial Technique

Land use change pattern in Jeli is been given a focus as part of tool for land planning anddevelopment. An increasing of population in Jeli make this study is relevant to aid an understandingon land use changes in this area due to the demanded for development and rapid land utilisation.Land use change pattern can be obtained via geospatial technique by Geographical InformationSystem (GIS) together with satellite imagery analysis. In this study, land use maps produced fromsupervised classification using maximum likelihood algorithm give a high accuracy of 92.05%.From classified land use images, urban expansion index (SI) were then calculated from year 1984to 2012. Pearson’s correlation analysis discovered a strong negative correlation between forest andagricultural areas which reflected that with increased of agriculture area, forest reserve was founddepleted. The SI of Jeli showed a low to rapid growth in 1994 and 1997 to 2012 respectively. Thestudy reflected the progressive development in Jeli promotes sustainable usage of forest area wheneffort of reforestation was carried out forming a co-existence land use category between forest andagriculture.

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Satellite Imagery (NDVI) to Identify Terroir and Vineyard Yeast Differences according to Appellation of Origin (AOP) and Biogeographic Origin

Terroir is one of the core concepts associated with wine and presumes that the land from which the grapes are grown, the plant habitat, imparts a unique quality that is specific to that growing site. Additionally, numerous factors can influence yeast diversity, and terroir is among the most relevant. Therefore, it can be interesting to use Remote Sensing tools that help identify and give helpful information about the terroir and key characteristics that define the AOP (Appellation of Origin). In this study, the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) calculated from Landsat 8 imagery was used to perform a spatio-temporal analysis during 2013, 2014, and 2015 of several vineyards belonging to four different AOP in Galicia (Spain). This work shows that it is possible to use Remote Sensing for AOP delimitation. Results suggest: (i) satellite imagery can establish differences in terroir, (ii) the higher the NDVI, the higher the yeast species richness, (iii) the relationship between NDVI, terroir, and yeasts shows a stable trend over the years (Pearson’s r = 0.3894, p = 0.0119).

Identification of Potential Freight Parking Locations in Urban Areas

Truck parking is a crucial element of the United States’ transportation system as it provides truckers with safe places to rest and stage for deliveries. Demand for truck parking spaces exceeds supply and shortages are especially common in and around urban areas. Freight operations are negatively affected as truck drivers are unable to park in logistically ideal locations. Drivers may resort to unsafe practices such as parking on ramps or in abandoned lots. This report seeks to examine the potential parking availability of vacant urban parcels by establishing a methodology to identify parcels and examining whether the identified parcels are suitable for truck parking. Previous research has demonstrated that affordable, accessible parcels are available to accommodate truck parking. When used in conjunction with other policies, adaptation of urban sites could help reduce the severity of truck parking shortages. Geographic information system parcel and roadway data were obtained for one urban area in each of the 10 Mid America Association of Transportation Officials region states. Area and proximity filters were applied followed by spectral analysis of satellite imagery to identify candidate parcels for truck parking facilities within urban areas. The automated processes created a ranked short list of potential parcels from which those best suited for truck parking could be efficiently identified for inspection by satellite imagery. This process resulted in a manageable number of parcels to be evaluated further by local knowledge metrics such as availability and cost, existing infrastructure and municipal connections, and safety.

Fault zone hydrogeology in arid environments: The origin of cold springs in the Wadi Araba Basin, Egypt

AbstractThe role of faults in controlling groundwater flow in the Sahara and most of the hyper‐arid deserts is poorly understood due to scarcity of hydrological data. The Wadi Araba Basin (WAB), in the Eastern Sahara, is highly affected by folds and faults associated with Senonian tectonics and Paleogene rifting. Using the WAB as a test site, satellite imagery, aeromagnetic maps, field observations, isotopic and geochemical data were examined to unravel the structural control on groundwater flow dynamics in the Sahara. Analysis of satellite imagery indicated that springs occur along structurally controlled scarps. Isotopic data suggested that cold springs in the WAB showed a striking similarity with the Sinai Nubian aquifer system (NAS) water and the thermal springs along the Gulf of Suez (e.g., δ18O = −8.01‰ to −5.24‰ and δD = −53.09‰ to −31.12‰) demonstrating similar recharge sources. The findings advocated that cold springs in the WAB represent a natural discharge from a previously undefined aquifer in the Eastern Desert of Egypt rather than infiltrated precipitation over the plateaus surrounding the WAB or through hydrologic windows from deep crystalline basement flow. A complex role of the geological structures was inferred including: (1) channelling of the groundwater flow along low‐angle faults, (2) compartmentalization of the groundwater flow upslope from high‐angle faults, and (3) reduction of the depth to the main aquifer in a breached anticline setting, which resulted in cold spring discharge temperatures (13–22°C). Our findings emphasize on the complex role of faults and folds in controlling groundwater flow, which should be taken into consideration in future examination of aquifer response to climate variability in the Sahara and similar deserts worldwide.

Multitemporal satellite imagery analysis for soil organic carbon assessment in an agricultural farm in southeastern Brazil

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a crucial role for soil health. However, large datasets needed to accurately assess SOC at high resolution across scales are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and expensive. Ancillary geodata, including remote sensing spectral indices (RS-SIs) and topographic indicators (TIs), have been proposed as spatial covariates. Reported relationships between SOC and RS-SIs are erratic, possibly because single-date RS-SIs do not accurately capture SOC spatial variability due to transient confounding factors in the soil (e.g., moisture). However, multitemporal RS-SI data analysis may lead to noise reduction in SOC versus RS-SI relationships. This study aimed at: i) comparing single-date versus multitemporal RS-Sis derived from Sentinel-2 imagery for assessment of topsoil (0–0.2 m) SOC in two agricultural fields located in south-eastern Brazil; ii) comparing the performance of RS-SIs and TIs; iii) using adequate RS-SIs and TIs to compare sampling schemes defined on different collection grids; and iv) studying the temporal changes of SOC (0–0.2 m and 0.2–0.4 m). Results showed that: i) single-date RS-SIs were not reliable proxies for topsoil SOC at the study sites. For most of the tested RS-SIs, multitemporal data analysis produced accurate proxies for SOC; e.g., for the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, the 4.5th multitemporal percentile predicted SOC with an R2 of 0.64; ii) The best TI was elevation (ranging from 643 to 684 m) with an R2 of 0.70; iii) The multitemporal SI and elevation maps indicated that the different sampling schemes were equally representative of the topsoil SOC's distribution across the entire area; and iv) From 2012 through 2019, topsoil SOC increased from 19.3 to 24.1 g kg−1. The ratio between SOC in the topsoil and subsoil (0.2–0.4 m) decreased from 1.7 to 1.1. Further testing of the proposed multitemporal RS-SI analysis is necessary to confirm its dependability for SOC assessment in Brazil and elsewhere.

ANALISIS PENGELOLAAN HUTAN OLEH MASYARAKAT DAYAK SIANG DI DESA MUWUN KECAMATAN TANAH SIANG KABUPATEN MURUNG RAYA KALIMATAN TENGAH

Murung Raya District in the middle of the island of Borneo makes this widest district in Central Kalimantan quite isolated. Population centers are separated by hills and mountains. Its natural resources are abundant and have not all been utilized, including coal and gold. This study aims to identify the ecological potential, analyze the management system and determine the performance of forest management by Dayak Siang Communities in Muwun Village, Tanah Siang Subdistrict, Murung Raya District, Central Kalimantan Province. The method used was the interpretation of satellite imagery, sampling techniques, interviews, observation, documentation and performance analysis. The performance value of Forest Areas in Muwun Village, Tanah Siang Subdistrict, Murung Raya District, Central Kalimantan, if viewed in terms of area was not good because 57 ha of natural forest has a level of performance worth 172 with less good category, then in rubber plantations and mixed plantations with an area of 217 ha with a performance value of 315 was very good with a very good category. It can be said that forest management in the Forest area in Muwun Village, Tanah Siang Subdistrict, Murung Raya District Central Kalimantan was less successful because it appeared that around 80% of the forest was ecologically very high on rubber farms and from NTFPs, natural forests have less performance value because the level of community’s awareness to maintain and manage natural forests was still minimal. This happened because they have obtained permission from the Murung Raya Regional Government for forest management on the reason that the local community considered the forest as a source of livelihood to survive.

Potentials of Protected Areas as Carbon sinks and Implication on Climate Change in Cameroon

Cameroon has 115 000 km2 land area designated as Protected Areas (PAs), providing society with many ecosystem services including climate change mitigation. The study was aimed at examining the potentials of inland and coastal PAs as carbon sinks and implication on climate change mitigation in Cameroon between 1978 and 2014. Data for the study was obtained from both primary and secondary sources. Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques were used in the analysis of satellite imageries. The land cover change trajectory revealed a drop in the rate of conversion of dense forest within inland PAs compared to coastal PAs. Results reveaked carbon sequestration within inland PAs between 1978 and 2014 and the PAs were able to absorb166,590.73 tonnes/ha CO2 from the atmosphere and build up carbon resulting to the amelioration of the local and regional climate of the area with a positive impact on global climate change. Within the coastal PAs, there was 71,418.48 tonnes/ha CO2 emission through 1978 – 2014 with resulting negative impacts on the climate. The constraints to effective PA management identified were human and capital resource problems, hostility of the local population, delayance in law enforcement and poverty. To ensure their roles in climate moderation there should be a better forest policy implementation within PAs in Cameroon by making available more capital and human resources to PAs management to enable them cope in the face of growing anthropogenic threats.

The “walled oases” phenomenon. A study of the ramparts in Dūmat al‐Jandal and other pre‐Islamic sites in north‐western Arabia

AbstractThe present article focuses on a long‐lasting phenomenon that has not yet been treated from a regional and comparative perspective, despite its exceptional character: the walled oases of north‐western Arabia. It appears that several oases in the region (Al‐Ḥuwayyiṭ, Dūmat al‐Jandal, Ḥāʾiṭ, Khaybar, Qurayyah and Taymāʾ) were entirely, or in large part, enclosed by outer walls prior to the Islamic era. These compounds comprised not only densely populated areas but the whole oasis territory, including rural zones and sometimes burial grounds. Measuring several kilometres in length, these immense defensive schemes required considerable investment by indigenous populations for their construction and maintenance until their disuse. According to our research, the walled oases phenomenon in north‐western Arabia originated sometime in the late fourth−early third millennium BCE, possibly inspired by Early Bronze Age southern Levant defensive concepts, and further expanded in connection with the emergence of the trans‐Arabian trade and the caravan kingdoms. These conclusions are based on the detailed technological study of the ramparts of the oasis of Dūmat al‐Jandal and on the analysis of satellite imagery and scientific literature on other sites in north‐western Arabia.

Geographic Information System application in flood risks prevention, hazards reduction and planning

The effects of Flood hazard mapping and flood inundation modelling in saving lives and properties in our societies cannot be overemphasized. Haphazard land use planning and lack of compliance to rules and regulations concerning setbacks have been observed to worsen the impacts of flooding and equally pose as major contributing factors to the exposure of people to flood risks in the study area. The study aimed at determining the built areas within the floodable area. Integrated Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing were utilized to analyze the topographic data and the land use data generated from the satellite imagery of the area. The study revealed that nearly half of the buildings and infrastructures in the study area lie within the flood plain. Applications of GIS and Satellite Imagery analysis techniques were used to estimate the population at risk of flooding in the study area. We submit that space based and Geospatial data analysis and applications in flood risks assessment and planning prior to infrastructural development would go a long way in the preservation of lives and properties and prevent great economic loss as a result of flooding.

Actual Conditions on the Land Creep Areas by the Analysis of Satellite Imagery

Actual Conditions on the Land Creep Areas by the Analysis of Satellite Imagery

An Assessment of the Filling Process of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and Its Impact on the Downstream Countries

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), formerly known as the Millennium Dam, has been filling at a fast rate. This project has created issues for the Nile Basin countries of Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. The filling of GERD has an impact on the Nile Basin hydrology and specifically the water storages (lakes/reservoirs) and flow downstream. In this study, through the analysis of multi-source satellite imagery, we study the filling of the GERD reservoir. The time-series generated using Sentinel-1 SAR imagery displays the number of classified water pixels in the dam from early June 2017 to September 2020, indicating a contrasting trend in August and September 2020 for the upstream/downstream water bodies: upstream of the dam rises steeply, while downstream decreases. Our time-series analysis also shows the average monthly precipitation (derived using IMERG) in the Blue Nile Basin in Ethiopia has received an abnormally high amount of rainfall as well as a high amount of runoff (analyzed using GLDAS output). Simultaneously, the study also demonstrates the drying trend downstream at Lake Nasser in Southern Egypt before December 2020. From our results, we estimate that the volume of water at GERD has already increased by 3.584 billion cubic meters, which accounts for about 5.3% of its planned capacity (67.37 billion cubic meters) from 9 July–30 November 2020. Finally, we observed an increasing trend in GRACE anomalies for GERD, whereas, for the Lake Nasser, we observed a decreasing trend. In addition, our study discusses potential interactions between GERD and the rainfall and resulting flood in Sudan. Our study suggests that attention should be drawn to the connection between the GERD filling and potential drought in the downstream countries during the upcoming dry spells in the Blue Nile River Basin. This study provides an open-source technique using Google Earth Engine (GEE) to monitor the changes in water level during the filling of the GERD reservoir. GEE proves to be a powerful as well as an efficient way of analyzing computationally intensive SAR images.

Late Miocene to Quaternary Development of the Jiujing Basin, Southern Beishan Block, China: Implications for the Kinematics and Timing of Crustal Reactivation North of Tibet

AbstractWe present results from a multidisciplinary investigation of the Jiujing fault (JJF) system and adjacent Jiujing Basin in the southern Beishan block, western China. Structural and geomorphological fieldwork involving fault and landform investigations, remote sensing analysis of satellite and drone imagery, analysis of drill-core data, paleoseismological trench studies, and Quaternary dating of alluvial sediments suggest the JJF is a late Pleistocene to Holocene oblique sinistral-slip normal fault. Satellite image analysis indicates that the JJF is a connecting structure between two regional E-W-trending Quaternary left-lateral fault systems. The Jiujing Basin is the largest and best developed of three parallel NE-striking transtensional basins within an evolving sinistral transtensional duplex. Sinistral transtension is compatible with the orientation of inherited basement strike belts, NE-directed SHmax, and the modern E-NE-directed geodetic velocity field. Cosmogenic 26Al/10Be burial dating of the deepest sediments in the Jiujing Basin indicates that the basin began to form at ~5.5 Ma. Our study reveals a previously unreported actively deforming domain of transtensional deformation 100 km north of Tibet in a sector of the Beishan previously considered tectonically quiescent. Recognition of latest Miocene-Recent crustal reactivation in the Jiujing region has important implications for earthquake hazards in the Beishan and western Hexi Corridor/North Tibetan foreland sectors of the Silk Road Economic Belt. Additionally, we compare the timing of latest Miocene-Recent crustal reactivation in the southern Beishan with the documented onset of reactivation in other deforming regions north of Tibet.