Cartographic Institute Research Articles

Transformation of treeless depression wetlands in Central Europe over the last 100 years: Włoszczowa Basin (southern Poland) case study

Historical changes in land use and development over the last century were analysed to identify the main causes and directions of changes in depression wetland ecosystems in the Włoszczowa Basin, an area of 1600 km2 in southern Poland. The analysis of Military Cartographic Institute maps and orthophotomaps, as well as field surveys, made it possible to determine the scale of degradation of 247 treeless depression wetlands. It was shown that the nature and extent of transformation of individual wetlands varied depending on the type of wetland and the method of land use in adjacent areas. However, the main anthropogenic factor affecting these changes was land drainage, of which the greatest intensity in Central Europe was pursued during the socialist rule between 1945 and 1989.

Modern technologies in the study of processes in channels

In the article, river bed research was conducted in the Neverice channel near the city of Nitra, Slovak Republic. Relationships of morphometric parameters in Neverice channel were studied based on GIS technologies. Orthophotomosaic images created by National Forest Center (NLC) and Geodetic and Cartographic Institute Bratislava (GKÚ) were used. Downloaded images were analyzed using ArcGIS Pro software. In the analysis 3 characteristic blocks were selected along the length of the channel. The cross-sections surface of the channel is drawn for each frame and the slope of the channel bottom is determined. The DEM model was used to determine the slope of the channel bottom and 3D model is created. The changes taking place in the river bed are analyzed and conclusions are presented.

Changes in riparian forest cover from 1966 to 2017 along the Paraíba do Sul River between Jacareí and Queluz, São Paulo, Brazil

This study is based on the assumption that beginning with the passage of the Forest Code in 1965, which was revised by the law of 2012, the Permanent Preservation Area (PPA) of Paraíba do Sul River, PSR, is currently recuperated and preserved. In this context, the objective of this study was to: 1) conduct a temporal survey with respect to the rate of change of gains and losses of forest cover during the years 1966, 1977 and 2017; and, 2) do a spatial analysis in relation to this rate of change. This study was conducted along the stretch of the PSR between the municipalities of Jacareí and Queluz. Maps were used from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics - IBGE (1964-1966), the Geographic and Cartographic Institute of the state of São Paulo – IGC-SP (1978) (IGC), and high resolution images from the Pléiades satellite (2017). For the spatial and temporal analyses of the study area, geoprocessing techniques were used to quantify the area occupied by forest in two: 100 m buffer strips of the PPA, and in buffer strips of 1,000m, starting from each bank of the river. With respect to forest cover, measurements of its total and average size, proportion, gain or loss, and distance between nearby fragments were made. The results indicate that, from the decade of the 1960s to 2017, forest cover grew from 5.3% to 21%, and from 2% to 13% in the strips of 100 and 1,000 meters, respectively. With respect to areas registered from 1960, there was a reduction of 691 hectares, principally of large areas of remaining forest. However, a portion of this forest area was still present in 2017, but most of this forest was in the area 1,000 m from the riverbanks. These results will aid in the planning for establishment of priority areas for conservation of the riparian forest of the PSR. Through analysis of distances between forest fragments, empty spaces devoid of forest cover were identified, and in some cases these spaces were indicated as priority areas for recuperation. The results are discussed in the context of public policies and the periods of economic development that were drivers of landscape changes in the Paraíba do Sul Valley in the São Paulo region. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that the riparian forest of the PSR has slowly recuperated but is still far from being in compliance with current Brazilian legislation. This study will be an important aid in compliance activities conducted by public authorities in permanent preservation areas in the São Paulo PSR. An ample and refined survey of consolidated and fallow areas is suggested so that mitigation and compensation activities can be proposed for the PSR riparian forest that will promote the conservation of the quality of its water and biodiversity resources.

Licencias cartográficas, juegos de escala, fronteras difusas. La publicación de planos callejeros de una ciudad en expansión

La expansión de la ciudad durante el siglo XIX amplió notablemente la producción y circulación de planos callejeros. En ese universo visual novedoso se pusieron en juego alternativas gráficasdistintas delos procedimientos definidos enlas instituciones cartográficas estatales. En este artículo presentamos de manera exploratoria algunas de esas alternativassobre labase deplanos de Buenos Aires.Nos interesa resaltar la amplia paleta de soluciones gráficas, visuales y editoriales utilizadas para dar a conocer las formas de orientarse en la ciudad. Revisamos, en primer lugar, los formatos y marcos de producción de los mapas callejeros en relación con la cultura impresa y visual del período. En segundo lugar, observamos los métodos utilizados para trazar la silueta de la ciudad y su articulación con las tensiones inherentes entre el espacio delimitado administrativamente y el crecimiento de ocupación urbana. En tercer lugar, hacemos foco en algunas innovaciones y exploraciones visuales que ofrecen soluciones a los dilemas de la concentración de datos en espacios limitados, pero a la vez espacios de juegos figurativos que, proponemos, fueron parte del despliegue urbano.

Trabajos topográficos. Un acercamiento preliminar al armado del caleidoscopio topográfico nacional

El presente trabajo pretende lograr una sistematización reflexiva sobre los mapeos topográficos realizados en el territorio de la República Argentina a mediados del siglo XX. El presupuesto principal es que, lejos de estar centralizados en una institución, en tales mapeos topográficos intervienen numerosas instituciones nacionales. Metodológicamente, la investigación parte del análisis de un conjunto de datos cuantitativos publicados en el Catálogo Cartográfico del Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas del año 1967. En virtud de ello, la finalidad de este trabajo es visibilizar al vasto universo de instituciones cartográficas que intervinieron en los levantamientos topográficos del territorio argentino a mediados del siglo XX. Finalmente, en el trabajo se reflexiona si la heterogeneidad institucional interviniente en el mapeo nacional obedece a divisiones funcionales o bien a disputas de diversa índole.

Avaliação das características físicas da bacia hidrográfica do Rio Pariquera-Açu no Baixo Ribeira De Iguape (SP)

As características morfométricas das bacias hidrográficas são elementos essenciais para a avaliação do comportamento hidrológico e sua relação com a maximização ou minimização dos impactos ambientais. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a morfometria da bacia hidrográfica do rio Pariquera-Açu no Baixo Ribeira de Iguape (SP) com o uso de técnicas geoprocessamento, visando obter informações que forneçam subsídios para o planejamento e gestão desta área quanto à preservação, racionalização do seu uso e recuperação ambiental. A bacia hidrográfica possui uma área de 345,27 km² e suas principais atividades econômicas provém do cultivo de chá e banana. As curvas de nível foram extraídas do Modelo Digital do Terreno (MDT) do satélite japonês Alos e a hidrografia das cartas topográficas do Instituto Geográfico e Cartográfico (IGC) para determinação dos índices morfométricos. Os resultados demonstraram que os valores medianos da densidade de drenagem, associados à presença de áreas planas e baixo coeficiente de rugosidade, facilitam a infiltração da água no solo, diminuindo o escoamento superficial, bem como o risco de erosão e degradação ambiental, e, ainda, propicia o desenvolvimento agrícola. Os valores baixos do índice de circularidade e do coeficiente de compacidade indicam que a bacia tende a ser alongada, com menor suscetibilidade à ocorrência de enchentes acentuadas. Entretanto, devido ao relevo suave nas áreas próximas aos cursos de água podem ocorrer episódios de enchentes, portanto, estas áreas devem receber uma atenção especial por parte dos gestores públicos ao que tange o monitoramento e ações de conservação.

Истоки развития частной гражданской картографии в России

In the middle of the XIX century in Russia there wasa boom of commercial or civil cartography. The author describes the reasons as well as the background for such a strong growth. The influence of the general political and economic situation in the Russian Empire on the appearance of the first privately-owned publishers of maps was considered in detail. The Depot of maps established in 1797 by Paul I, later (1812) rearranged into the Military Topographical Depot, monopolized all cartographic activities in Russia. The require for cartographic products among the civilian population, as well as the scarcity of funding from the treasury of issuing maps, forced the Military Topographical Depot to sell part of its products and prepare not only topographic maps, but also training maps and atlases for release. The author considers the publication of an open catalog of maps and atlases by the military department in 1858, which had a strong influence on the development of the cartographic market in details. For the first time, the expenditures and revenues from the publication of maps and atlases were shown; the dynamics of increasing sales and their dependence on changes in the political and economic structure of Russia are studied. The technical revolution in printing at the beginning of the 19th century, the emergence of lithography and new printing machines made it possible to increase the circulation of maps and reduced their cost. The inability of the military to meet the demand for maps and atlases was used by the first entrepreneurs who were the founders of civilian cartography. The causes of appearing private cartographic institutions are discussed.

Geografija i geografi na visokoškolskim ustanovama u Hrvatskoj izvan Prirodoslovno-matematičkog fakulteta u Zagrebu

Besides the central Department of Geography and the Institutes of the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Science, the tradition of development of modern geographic thought and science in Croatia is also associated with other higher-education institutions in the country. A significant number of Croatian geographers have been affiliated with science departments (geographic or other)in Zagreb, as well as in the rest of Croatia. This paper is particularly focused on the development of the study of geography in Zadar, as well as the other geography studies at former academies of pedagogy, pedagogical colleges and schools for teacher training, economic, tourist, political, agronomical, military, cartographic and other higher-education institutions.

Living at a Geographically Higher Elevation Is Associated with Lower Risk of Metabolic Syndrome: Prospective Analysis of the SUN Cohort.

Living in a geographically higher altitude affects oxygen availability. The possible connection between environmental factors and the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) feature is not fully understood, being the available epidemiological evidence still very limited. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the longitudinal association between altitude and incidence of MetS and each of its components in a prospective Spanish cohort, The Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) project. Our study included 6860 highly educated subjects (university graduates) free from any MetS criteria at baseline. The altitude of residence was imputed with the postal code of each individual subject residence according to the data of the Spanish National Cartographic Institute and participants were categorized into tertiles. MetS was defined according to the harmonized definition. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between the altitude of residence and the risk of MetS during follow-up. After a median follow-up period of 10 years, 462 incident cases of MetS were identified. When adjusting for potential confounders, subjects in the highest category of altitude (>456 m) exhibited a significantly lower risk of developing MetS compared to those in the lowest tertile (<122 m) of altitude of residence [Model 2: Hazard ratio = 0.75 (95% Confidence interval: 0.58–0.97); p for trend = 0.029]. Living at geographically higher altitude was associated with a lower risk of developing MetS in the SUN project. Our findings suggest that geographical elevation may be an important factor linked to metabolic diseases.

Living at Higher Altitude and Incidence of Overweight/Obesity: Prospective Analysis of the SUN Cohort.

BackgroundResidence at high altitude has been associated with lower obesity rates probably due to hypoxia conditions. However, there is no evidence of this association in a free-living population.ObjectivesWe assessed the association between the altitude where each participant of a Spanish cohort (the SUN Project) was living and the incidence of overweight/obesity.MethodsThe SUN Project is a dynamic, prospective, multipurpose cohort of Spanish university graduates with a retention rate of 89%. We included in the analysis 9 365 participants free of overweight/obesity at baseline. At the baseline questionnaire, participants reported their postal code and the time they had been living in their city/village. We imputed the altitude of each postal code according to the data of the Spanish National Cartographic Institute and categorized participants in tertiles. We used Cox regression models to adjust for potential confounding variables.ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 10 years, we identified 2 156 incident cases of overweight/obesity. After adjusting for sex, age, time of residence at current city, baseline body mass index, physical activity, sedentarism and years of education (≤ 3 years, ≥ 4 years, Master/PhD), those participants in the third tertile (>456 m) exhibited a statistically significant 14% reduction in the risk of developing overweight/obesity in comparison to those in the first tertile (<124 m) (adjusted HR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.77, 0.96).ConclusionsLiving in cities of higher altitude was inversely associated with the risk of developing overweight/obesity in a cohort of Spanish university graduates.

Maps as Politics: Mapping the West Bank Barrier

ABSTRACTThe West Bank Barrier increasingly reshapes Israeli and Palestinian land- and cityscapes. Its physical infrastructure - which consists of walls and an elaborate fence system - is depicted prominently in some maps, but disappears or is omitted in others. This article examines how different Israeli, Palestinian, and international governmental and non-governmental cartographic institutions delineate the West Bank Barrier in maps. The focus is on how various visual and textual devices as well as spatial markers are used to communicate certain social and political concerns, construct particular spatial orders, and portray the West Bank Barrier as either a negligible feature of the landscape or as a significant obstacle to the freedom of movement. The cartographic construction of the barrier in maps shows how cartographers' assumptions concerning its function, the map's target audience, and the adequacy of various national and trans-national cartographic standards may provide an authoritative and legitimate, yet, an inevitably political and locally produced, representation of the West Bank Barrier.

Public green areas and urban environmental quality of the city of São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.

Assess the state of public green areas, their importance and influence on environmental quality and living in urban centers is an arduous task considering the conceptual and scientific regarding quantification and data analysis methods divergence. In this study, we aimed to determine two indicators of public green areas relative to the percentage of public green areas (PPGA) and the public green areas index (PGAI) in the urban area of São Carlos, SP. The study area was organized into administrative regions (ARs), using satellite images, topographical maps of 1:10,000 Geographic and Cartographic Institute (1990) and data provided by the Municipality of São Carlos. The results show that public green areas comprise 6.55% of the municipality, with a public green areas index (PGAI) of 18.85 m2/inhabitant, indicating good urban environmental quality when compared to rates of 15 m2/capita for public green areas for recreation, suggested by the Brazilian Society of Urban Forestry. The differences between the administrative regions are concern with situations from 4.16 to 36.30 m2/inhabitant. In this context, it is recommend specific public policies and popular participation in the process of continuous improvement for increasing public green areas in the less favored regions. The Genebrino method applied to indicators of public green areas (GPGA - amount of public green areas divided by population density), showed a commendable goal above 40% for urban environmental quality.

Fifty Years of Post-Colonial Mapping in Nigeria: An Overview

Since achieving political independence from Great Britain in 1960, Nigeria has assumed full responsibility for the mapping of her territories. Fifty years on, the country has made some progress in mapping; this progress has not met all mapping needs, but it has advanced into the realm of the geospatial sciences. Digital systems linked to satellite observations and aerial surveys have been developed. There remains a gap between the demand for and the supply of maps and allied products in Nigeria. In the early part of the period under study (1960–2010), many mapping projects initiated in Nigeria became moribund, while some did not get off the ground at all. Consequently, like most African countries, Nigeria still lacks basic maps needed for judicious resource planning, development, and management. Instability coupled with lack of a well-established mapping policy, shortage of funding, and successive governments' failure to integrate mapping into national development has affected mapping in the country. The national development process has thus far not fostered the growth of a rich mapping culture. Nigeria, like many other countries in Africa, needs a national geospatial data infrastructure (NGDI), a robust mapping policy, improved funding of mapping programs, and strong cartographic institutions. If vigorously pursued, those measures will surely revolutionize the state of mapping in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.

EXTRACTING PRECISE AND AFFORDABLE DEMS DESPITE OF THE CLOUDS. AJAX: THE JOINING OF RADAR AND OPTICAL STRENGTHS

Abstract. On the one hand, onboard SPOT 5, the HRS instrument systematically collects stereopairs around the Globe since 2002. Each stereopair can encompass an area up to 600 km x 120 km within a single pass (i.e. 72 000 km² stereoscopic strips). Covering now more than 120 millions sq.km of the Earth landmasses, SPOT 5 stereoscopic imagery has become one of main satellite data sources for accurate DEM extraction, at least where the cloud coverage leaves a chance to do so ! On the other hand, the TerraSAR-X satellite, launched in June 2007, is able to collect radar data through the clouds in several modes. An approach to extract height information by radargrammetry was developed, and the commercial distribution of Digital Elevation Models based on TerraSAR-X StripMap and SpotLight Modes (resp. 3m and 1m resolution) has started in 2010. To improve the overall height accuracy of the DEM, acquisitions from both orbit directions are utilised, each point on the ground being thus imaged at least 4 times by TerraSAR-X. Since 2002, Spot Image and French National Cartographic Institute (IGN) are building a worldwide database called Elevation30/Reference3D™, which includes a Digital Elevation Model at 1-arc-second resolution (DTED level 2) extracted from HRS stereopairs. To answer the wide demand of precise DEMs over Tropical and Northern areas, frequently covered by clouds, a study was performed to integrate StripMap radargrammetric TerraSAR-X data into the Reference3D process, and two prototype products were issued, over Colombia and Congo areas. During this experiment, efforts have been made to stick to technical steps that could be integrated within a standardized production process, in order to keep offering affordable prices while maintaining a high standard of horizontal and vertical accuracy. The DEMs extracted from TerraSAR-X and HRS proved extremely consistent with each other, showing a mean difference of 0.80m. This allows to propose a unified Elevation30 product to the users, with a guaranteed accuracy materialized into the product through a dedicated vertical Accuracy Commitment Mask.

A quick and inexpensive method to quantify spatially variable infiltration capacity for artificial recharge ponds using photographic images

The efficiency of artificial surface ponds (SPs) for managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is mostly controlled by the topmost portion of the soil. The most significant soil property controlling recharge is the infiltration capacity (Ic), which is highly variable in space. Assessing its spatial distribution in detail is prohibitive in practice due to high costs, time effort, and limited site accessibility. We present an alternative method for a quick and low-cost quantitative estimation of the spatial distribution of Ic based on satellite images. The fact that hydraulic properties of topsoils and color intensities of digital images depend on some common factors such as moisture content, nature and organization of grains, proportion of iron, and organic and clay content among others, allow us to infer infiltration capacities from color intensities. The relationship between these two variables is site specific and requires calibration. A pilot SP site in Catalonia (Spain) is used as an application example. Two high-resolution digital images of the site are provided at no cost by the local cartographic institute as well as from a popular Internet-based map server. An initial set of local infiltration experiments, randomly located, were found to correlate to color intensities of the digital images. This relationship was then validated against additional independent measurements. The resulting maps of infiltration were then used to estimate the total maximum infiltration of the artificial pond area, the results being consistent with an independent flooding test performed at the site.

Updating and Improving the Accuracy of a Large 3D Database Through the Careful Use of Gcps and Icesat Data : Example of REFERENCE3D

Onboard SPOT 5, the HRS instrument systematically collects stereopairs around the Globe since 2002. Each stereopair can encompass an area up to 600 km x 120 km within a single pass (i.e. 72 000 km2 stereoscopic strips). From this time, SPOT 5 stereoscopic imagery becomes one of main satellite data sources for accurate DEM extraction. Spot Image and French National Cartographic Institute (IGN) decided in 2002 to design and build a worldwide accurate database called Reference3DTM using HRS data. This database consists of three information layers: Digital Elevation Model at 1-arc-second resolution (DTED level 2), Orthoimage at 5m resolution and Quality Masks. Huge efforts have been made to standardize the process in order to offer affordable prices. From 2002 to 2008, the targeted accuracies were 16mCE90 for circular horizontal accuracy, and 10mLE90 for elevation accuracy. These accuracy requirements were achieved without any control points nor map support, as demonstrated by numerous scientific assessments of the Reference3D products performed by independent users. The introduction of the paper briefly reminds the most significant assessments performed by major players within the geospatial community, and more specifically the one by ImageONE Co., Ltd.(Tokyo) on two Reference3D geocells over the Northern coast of Japan, Hokkaido province. This work was published in 2008 during the last Beijing ISPRS congress. In 2009, it was decided to introduce reliable GCPs within the Reference3D production process, to increase the horizontal accuracy down to 10mCE90. In addition, two new layers were added to the product, which provide the user with i) the horizontal accuracy for every single pixel of the Reference3D orthoimage and ii) the vertical accuracy for every single elevation value within the Reference3D DEM. The paper shows how the extensive use of ICESat data, correctly selected and filtered, brings extremely valuable information regarding the effective vertical accuracy, and how ICESat data allows to fully quantify the elevation accuracy of a dataset. This will be illustrated by the presentation of the V&V works that took place over the above quoted 2 geocells in Hokkaido province. In conclusion, we present the road map for the update of the whole Reference3D database, which currently spreads over more than 45 millions of sq. km. (being more than 4,200 1° by 1° geocells), already funded and started up to 2014, towards 80 M km2 of Reference3D products.

Mountain Cartography at the Cartographic Institute of Catalonia

The strategic position of Catalonia in the Mediterranean region, straddling the route between central Europe and Africa, propelled the development of cartography from the Middle Ages onward. Because the territory is rugged, detailed mountain maps are an important part of the Catalonian cartographic legacy. The Cartoteca de Catalunya - the Catalan map library - has nice examples of old maps centred in mountain areas. Today, advanced technologies are being implemented by the Institut Cartogr fic de Catalunya to generate a wide range of cartographic products, including mountain maps. These old maps and the current cartographic products, preserved or produced at the Institut Cartogr fic de Catalunya, contribute interesting examples of mountain cartography to be offered in a publication focused on this topic. This paper is divided in two parts. The first - after a brief introduction describing the Catalan relief in order to locate the mountain areas in the territory - gives a historical overview of cartography in Catalonia, showing some examples of old maps. This overview is included in the context of mountain cartography because a large number of maps of Catalonia produced during the last two centuries were centred in mountain areas. This overview helps to explain the evolution of some mountain maps until the current production at the Institut Cartogr fic de Catalunya, which comprises the second part of the paper. Moreover, the thematic products related to mountain cartography - some series that include a large number of sheets of mountainous areas - will be also included in the paper. The paper is focused more on the presentation of mountain cartographic products than on a detailed description of the processes or the problems encountered in the production of each product. More detailed information about some of the products can be found on the Internet at http://www.icc.es.

Peter Thonning's Map of Danish Guinea and its Use in Colonial Administration and Atlantic Diplomacy, 1801–1890

The cartographic record of Denmark's one-hundred and-eighty-year colonial adventure on the Guinea Coast is completely dominated by more than a dozen manuscript versions and copies of a single map of the Danish African enclave sent in to the central colonial administration from Africa in 1802. This unusually rich and large-scale map was compiled by a natural historian named Peter Thonning, who had no prior experience with making maps and no connection to Danish cartographic institutions. Thonning's career carried him into the colonial administration in Copenhagen, and he deployed his map repeatedly, over the course of decades, in support of his efforts to persuade the government to expand the Danish colonial presence in West Africa. The map can be traced through the Danish archives into the hands of kings, ministers, diplomats, and colonial officers on the ground in Africa. Upon the death of King Frederik VI, Denmark abandoned its African colonial ambitions: Peter Thonning's map was finally laid before the British government, and the Danish colonial possessions in Africa passed under British rule in 1850.

Mosaicking of Aerial Photographic Maps Via Seams Defined by Bottleneck Shortest Paths

The Cartographic Institute of Catalonia (ICC) produces commercial aerial photographic maps of locations in Europe and South America. These maps are often so large that it is necessary to produce one map from two or more photographs, which are combined two at a time in a process called mosaicking. The objective is to make the final map appear to be the product of a single photograph by producing a seam that is invisible even to an expert cartographer. The problem and a variation are modeled via bottleneck shortest paths and cycles. Optimization algorithms are developed for both, and the first has been implemented with demonstrable impact on the company. The second represents a new class of constrained shortest cycle problems.

The Race to Unveil Southern New Holland: The French and British Contribution to Scientific Exploration in Australia in the Age of Enlightenment and Early Romantic Period 1791–1803

(from a lecture sponsored by the Western Australian Library Foundation, Australian Institute of Cartographers, Institution of Surveyors (Australia), Hydrographic Society and the Institution of Engineering and Mining Surveyors) Copyright. Leslie R. Marchant 1994 Not to be copied and distributed without the express permission of the author. The southern coast of Australia remained unknown and incompletely surveyed until 1802; more than thirty years after Cook surveyed part of the Pacific coast. This article describes how bit by bit, the gaps of knowledge were filled in by British and French explorers in a tumultuous era which saw the end of the Age of Enlightenment and the emergence of the Romantic Period. France, which had been the leading power in the European Enlightenment, made the longest and most sustained effort to reveal the mysteries on the southern coast. France dispatched six scientific expeditions compared to five by Britain. However, Bass and Hinders (Britain) made the major discoveries-Bass St...