Geodetic Science Research Articles

Introduction pages, Nova Geodesia 4(3), 2024

Nova Geodesia (https://novageodesia.ro), Issue 3, Volume 4, 2024: The papers published in this issue represent interesting novelties in different topics of geodetic science or related fields. Nova Geodesia publishes significant papers in geodesy and close topics related to cartography, engineering projects and construction, planetology, hydrography, geography, sociodemographic factors, urban administration, planning and environment, landscape, biodiversity, and ecology. Among the exciting articles, we invite readers to find news about: Forest sampling techniques in different types of vegetation applying plot sampling, non-plot sampling, and remote sensing; Soil surface erosion susceptibility analysis using the USLE model. Case study: Bran - Dragoslavele Corridor, Romania; Feeding butterflies with Tridax procumbens (L.), a beneficial plant for maintaining butterfly populations; Impacts of climate-smart soil and water conservation practices and slope gradient on selected soil chemical properties in Eastern Ethiopia: A case study of the Kulkullessa Sub-watershed, Goro Gutu District; Comparative assessment of different rose cultivars under environmental conditions in central Transylvania, Romania; Plants associated with water towers in the Saharan environment: Floristic diversity and therapeutic virtues.

Introduction pages, Nova Geodesia 4(1), 2024

Nova Geodesia (https://novageodesia.ro), Issue 1, Volume 4, 2024: The papers published in this issue represent interesting novelties in different topics of geodetic science or related fields. Nova Geodesia publishes significant papers in geodesy and close topics related to cartography, engineering projects and construction, planetology, hydrography, geography, sociodemographic factors, urban administration, planning and environment, landscape, biodiversity, and ecology. Among the exciting articles, we invite readers to find news about: Monitoring the evolution of a wetland pattern near Addis Ababa with the use of Landsat data (1986-2019); Effect of soil and water conservation practices and slope gradient on organic carbon stocks micronutrients: A case study on Kulkullessa sub-watershed, Eastern Ethiopia; The cross-disciplinary influence of aerial measurement techniques: Exploring archaeological studies through photogrammetry and LiDAR.

A calculative cosmography: Geodesy and absolute space

Visual signifiers of absolute space such as grids, points, and straight lines are often identified with absolute space as a concept, to the extent that critiques of one are taken to apply to the other. This article argues that this is a misidentification that forecloses attention to meaningful dimensions of the coordinate grid while muddling the concept of absolute space. Attending to the geodetic science that gives rise to these visual signifiers shows that the space they are used to construct is entirely relational, and that the mythless rationalism with which they and absolute space are commonly associated can be productively questioned through attention to geodesy’s performative and cosmological implications. This raises the question of how we might better understand absolute space. The suggested answer is a cosmological claim that can be pursued and pictured but never realized. Absolute space is absolute as a sovereign can be: neither empirically nor visually, but as a motivating idea that presents itself as an explanation.

История Сибирского государственного университета геосистем и технологий через призму геодезической фалеристики

The author presents historical facts from the period of formation and development of the Siberian State University of Geosystems and Technologies (from 1939 to 1994 – Novosibirsk Institute of Geodesy, Aerial Photography and Cartography Engineers), the only geodetic university beyond the Urals. Biographies of some professors and rectors, distinguished at development of the University, who carried out advanced scientific research or improved the pedagogical process and geodetic industry, are presented. The role of rector K. L. Provorov in enriching the material base of the institute and his contribution to geodetic science are reflected. He was one of the first in the country to have received the title Honored Figure of Geodesy and Cartography. There is some information on industry awards and honorary titles assigned to this educational institution’s employees and graduates. The most outstanding graduates submitted to State award, as well as those who became laureates of that named after F.N. Krasovsky for the best scientific and technical developments in geodesy and cartography are listed

Introduction pages, Nova Geodesia 3(4), 2023

Nova Geodesia (https://novageodesia.ro), Issue 4, Volume 3, 2023: The papers published in this issue represent interesting novelties in different topics of geodetic science or related fields. Nova Geodesia publishes significant papers in geodesy and close topics related to cartography, engineering projects and construction, planetology, hydrography, geography, sociodemographic factors, urban administration, planning and environment, landscape, biodiversity, and ecology. Among the exciting articles, we invite readers to find news about: Exploring distinctive morphological traits in Beilschmiedia mannii georeferenced by GPS: Implication for conservation; Effect of abiotic factors and seasonal influence on spider diversity in rice agroecosystem of Bargarh District, Odisha, India; The complementary role of indigenous knowledge systems in landslide disaster management in Kanungu District, Uganda; Uncodified system of animal health care in Eastern Himalaya and Indo-Burma hotspots of India: Plant use and their distribution; Responses of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) seedlings from different geographical locations to low temperature stress; Locational variation in rhizospheric mycobiota associated with Elaeagnus latifolia, an endemic plant species of N.E. India.

Deep ensemble geophysics-informed neural networks for the prediction of celestial pole offsets

SUMMARY Celestial Pole Offsets (CPO), denoted by dX and dY, describe the differences in the observed position of the pole in the celestial frame with respect to a certain precession-nutation model. Precession and nutation components are part of the transformation matrix between terrestrial and celestial systems. Therefore, various applications in geodetic science such as high-precision spacecraft navigation require information regrading precession and nutation. For this purpose, CPO can be added to the precession-nutation model to precisely describe the motion of the celestial pole. However, as Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI)—currently the only technique providing CPO—requires long data processing times resulting in several weeks of latency, predictions of CPO become necessary. Here we present a new methodology named Deep Ensemble Geophysics-Informed Neural Networks (DEGINNs) to provide accurate CPO predictions. The methodology has three main elements: (1) deep ensemble learning to provide the prediction uncertainty; (2) broad-band Liouville equation as a geophysical constraint connecting the rotational dynamics of CPO to the atmospheric and oceanic Effective Angular Momentum (EAM) functions and (3) coupled oscillatory recurrent neural networks to model the sequential characteristics of CPO time-series, also capable of handling irregularly sampled time-series. To test the methodology, we use the newest version of the final CPO time-series of International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), namely IERS 20 C04. We focus on a forecasting horizon of 90 days, the practical forecasting horizon needed in space-geodetic applications. Furthermore, for validation purposes we generate an independent global VLBI solution for CPO since 1984 up to the end of 2022 and analyse the series. We draw the following conclusions. First, the prediction performance of DEGINNs demonstrates up to 25 and 33 percent improvement, respectively, for dX and dY, with respect to the rapid data provided by IERS. Secondly, predictions made with the help of EAM are more accurate compared to those without EAM, thus providing a clue to the role of atmosphere and ocean on the excitation of CPO. Finally, free core nutation period shows temporal variations with a dominant periodicity of around one year, partially excited by EAM.

Introduction pages, Nova Geodesia 3(3), 2023

Nova Geodesia (https://novageodesia.ro), Issue 3, Volume 3, 2023: The papers published in this issue represent interesting novelties in different topics of geodetic science or related fields. Nova Geodesia publishes significant papers in geodesy and close topics related to cartography, engineering projects and construction, planetology, hydrography, geography, sociodemographic factors, urban administration, planning and environment, landscape, biodiversity, and ecology. Among the exciting articles, we invite readers to find news about: Artificial Intelligence (AI) – based strategies for point cloud data and digital twins; Temporal distribution pattern of butterflies in an unfenced location at Serampore, Hooghly, West Bengal, India; Contribution of the GIS in the assessment of the urbanization challenges and the impact on the ecosystems: The case study of El Fqih Ben Saleh city, Tadla Plain, Morocco.

Mean Sea Level: The Effect of the Rise in the Environment

Mean sea level is a significant phenomenon in geodetic science and oceanography. The sea level has experienced an unprecedented rise recently, and this increase can be attributed to various human-induced activities (anthropogenic factors) ranging from deforestation to the burning of fossil fuels and population increases. Several factors cause sea level rise. It has been identified that the thermal expansion of ocean water and the melting of glaciers add to the volume of water, causing global sea level to rise, whereas phenomena such as ocean current, wind, and pressure are responsible for the regional sea level rise. This paper identifies climate change and global warming as the drivers of some factors causing sea level to rise. The effect of sea-level rise has resulted in the loss of agricultural lands, the destruction of transportation infrastructure, the loss of lands in coastal zones and migration, and the death of some aquatic animals due to saltwater intrusion. In this paper, we reviewed several pieces of literature published between 2017 and 2021 on sea-level rise and the cascading impacts of sea-level rise in various world areas. The papers reviewed borders on the mean sea level rise from different geographical areas on Earth and the monitoring of sea-level rise using different techniques. Some recommendations were also proposed for consideration.

Introduction pages, Nova Geodesia 3(2), 2023

Nova Geodesia (https://novageodesia.ro), Issue 2, Volume 3, 2023: The papers published in this issue represent interesting novelties in different topics of geodetic science or related fields. Nova Geodesia publishes significant papers in geodesy and close topics related to cartography, engineering projects and construction, planetology, hydrography, geography, sociodemographic factors, urban planning, environmental administration, landscape, biodiversity, and ecology. Among the exciting articles, we invite readers to find news about: Assessing ethno-veterinary practices in Kashmir Himalayas: Traditional knowledge and its role in animal healthcare; Bryomonitoring of atmospheric elements in Sphagnum sp. commonly growing bryophyte in the Indian Himalayan region of Uttarakhand; GIS-remote sensing-based village-level hydrological balance approach for agricultural water planning.

Visual Perception of Property Rights in 3D

Despite the already advanced work on the construction of jurisdictional 3D cadastre models in many parts of the world and the technical feasibility of building very detailed 3D models of cities, relatively few specialists have focused on the aspects of visualizing property rights in three dimensions. Therefore, to complement the analyses carried out so far in this area, this research aims to investigate the perception of the visualization of multidimensional real estate data using different visual variables and by different audiences. The main contribution of the conducted research to the development of 3D cadastre visualizations is to start a discussion on the differences in their perception among real estate professionals and those who have no experience in this area and may have to use multidimensional property data. The research was conducted using a questionnaire-based survey method with the computer-assisted web interview (CAWI) technique. The questionnaire was completed by students of a course related to real estate law (geodetic science) and those who do not have regular contact with it (environmental engineering, medicine, sports, mechanics, and management). As a result of the survey, it emerged that the group studying geodetic science performed better on average than students in other fields of study. Additionally, the conducted survey confirmed the existing knowledge of the perception of the visualization of property rights in three dimensions. According to it, visualizations of property rights in 3D should use color. The use of transparency helps in visualisations made in grayscale but interferes with more complex colorful objects.

Нойбранденбурґ 2023 – майбутнє міжнародної співпраці

The international cooperation of the Western Geodetic Society of the Ukrainian Society of Geodesy and Cartography and the Institute of Geodesy WGS USGC of the Lviv Polytechnic National University with the Hochschule Neubrandenburg/University of Applied Sciences, Germany, the Registered Society for the Promotion of Geodesy (die Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Geodäsie eV) and the Institute of Measurement-Research-Сontrol (das Messen-Forschen-Prüfen Institut eV), in a period of more than 15 years. There was a constant exchange of experience at international symposia “INTERGEO” and “GEOFORUM” in Germany and Ukraine, educational and scientific practices of Ukrainian and German students were held at Neubrandenburg University and Lviv Polytechnic, and semester studies of Ukrainian bachelors and masters in Germany were implemented, there was an internships of Ukrainian teachers, graduate students and doctoral students took place at the University of Applied Sciences, joint scientific achievements were published in the scientific bulletins of the Western Geodetic Society, the Ukrainian Society of Geodesy and Cartography and the Lviv Polytechnic “Modern Achievements of Geodetic Science and Industry” and the Neubrandenburg Higher School “Beiträge der Hochschule Neubrandenburg”.

Introduction pages, Nova Geodesia 3(1), 2023

Nova Geodesia (https://novageodesia.ro), Issue 1, Volume 3, 2023: The papers published in this issue represent interesting novelties in different topics of geodetic science or related fields. Nova Geodesia publishes significant papers in geodesy and close topics, related to cartography, urban administration and environment, engineering projects and construction, landscape and ecology, environmental administration, geography, planetology, hydrography, etc. Among the exciting articles, we invite readers to find news about: Landslide susceptibility modelling in a part of Himachal Pradesh, India: An integrated method based on machine learning and geospatial techniques; Fertility and mortality differentials among the Paundra Kshatriya community living in a peri-urban setting, West Bengal, India; Comparative analysis of Road Scanning Techniques.

Очерк о вековом пути кафедры инженерной геодезии Санкт-Петербургского горного университета

The authors mark the main historical events of the St. Petersburg Mining University’s Department of Engineering Geodesy hundred-year work. A great experience in Surveying theory and practice started in the times of Peter the Great was accumulated. The beginning of Russian Surveying skills forming dates at 1701 with foundation of “Navigation and Mathematic Sciences school” in Moscow. Beside engineers and gunners, surveyors were trained there. In 1715 navigation classes moved to St. Petersburg; on their base the Nautical academy was founded. In the first technical higher educational institution of Russia, St. Petersburg Miming University (at that time Mining School), the basic subjects were land- and underground Surveys. In the USSR industrializing of the country was started, so the part of Geodesy in it was among the main ones. Well-trained technical personnel were required. The Department occurred to be one of the first in the country. The history of its creating, establishment and development is given in brief. The main attention is paid to the Chairmen of the department, their achievements, scientific interests, tasks they were facing and solutions. The results of the research work which made a significant contribution in Geodetic science are also shown.

Годы свершений: к 90-летию Сибирского государственного университета геосистем и технологий

The article represents the analysis of the dynamics of development of the Siberian State University of Geosystems and Technologies (SSUGiT) – one of the main centers of domestic geodetic education and science and the only one with this profile in the Siberian macroregion. The university was founded in the 1930s. in Omsk, in 1939 it was named the Novosibirsk Institute of Engineers of Geodesy, Aerial Photography and Cartography (NIIGAiK), worked effectively and made a significant contribution to geodetic science and practice, professional education and the provision of qualified personnel for a wide range of needs of the country. In 1983, in connection with the 50-th anniversary and for merits in the training of personnel, achievements in the development of science and education, it was award-ed the Order of the Badge of Honor. In 1994, the university received the status and a new name - the Siberian State Geodetic Academy (SSGA), and in December 2014 it became the Siberian State University of Geosystems and Technologies (SGUGiT), retaining the main "geodesic" content and at the same time emphasizing in in its name, the actual concepts of "geosystem" and "technology". The mission of the SGUGiT was formulated based on the national goals and strategic objectives of Russia's development, including the rapid development and effective use of the country's scientific and technological potential by professional personnel, the introduction of adaptive, practice-oriented educational programs, self-realization and development of students' talents, meeting the needs of the state highly qualified personnel. The strategic goal of the university is its development as a scientific, educational, consulting and design university capable of successfully competing in the labor market, ideas and innovative products. To achieve this goal, the university staff successfully solves a set of tasks to achieve the proper competitiveness of domestic education, the formation of a digital transformation methodology and the “Digital University” model; development of project work of students and their involvement, as well as graduate students, in scientific research, the implementation of research and educational projects. The success of the complete solution of these problems is evidenced by the entire 90-year histo-ry of SGUGiT, whose modern team of many thousands works daily and steadily to implement their plans, develop an advanced scientific, educational, and production cluster, proper interaction with production and scientific institutions in the business of solving innovative problems, training a decent level of personnel and ensuring the economic well-being of the university.

Analysis of the gravity field, direct and inverse problems, by Fernando Sanso and Daniele Sampietro published by Birkhäuser 2022

Article Analysis of the gravity field, direct and inverse problems, by Fernando Sanso and Daniele Sampietro published by Birkhäuser 2022 was published on January 1, 2022 in the journal Journal of Geodetic Science (volume 12, issue 1).

Introduction pages, Nova Geodesia 2(4), 2022

Nova Geodesia (https://novageodesia.ro), Issue 4, Volume 2, 2022: The papers published in this issue represent interesting novelties in different topics of geodetic science or related fields. Nova Geodesia publishes significant papers in geodesy and close topics, related to cartography, urban administration and environment, engineering projects and construction, landscape and ecology, environmental administration, geography, planetology, hydrography, etc. Among the exciting articles, we invite readers to find news about: Testing the measurability of steel sections with terrestrial laser scanners; Use of UAS and TLS technology in 3D modeling of constructions with complex architecture; Influence of geographic provenance on phenotypic variation in seed and kernel traits of the African oil tree from southern Benin and implications for species breeding.

Introduction pages, Nova Geodesia 2(3), 2022

Nova Geodesia (https://novageodesia.ro), Issue 3, Volume 2, 2022: The papers published in this issue represent interesting novelties in different topics of geodetic science. Among the exciting articles, we invite readers to find news about: Identification and evaluation of the risk induced by landslides based on G.I.S. models of spatial analysis, a case study: Bicazu Ardelean, Romania; Correlation between land surface temperature (LST) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in Wardha Valley Coalfield, Maharashtra, Central India; Tectonic evolution of the Qinling Orogenic Belt, Central China – new evidence from geochemical, zircon (U-pb) geochronology and HF isotopes.

Introduction pages, Nova Geodesia 2(2), 2022

Nova Geodesia (https://novageodesia.ro), Issue 2, Volume 2, 2022: The papers published in this issue represent interesting novelties in different topics of geodetic science. Among the exciting articles, we invite readers to find news about: The systematic registration of property law and cadastre on the territory in Romania: discussing a case study; Evaluating the pedestrian accessibility to public services using open-source geospatial data and QGIS software; Analysis of compositional lines in natural landscapes.

Introduction pages

Nova Geodesia (https://novageodesia.ro), Issue 1, Volume 2, 2022: The papers published in this issue represent interesting novelties in different topics of geodetic science. Among the exciting articles, we invite readers to find news about: Documenting 20th and 21st century glacier change and landscape evolution with maps and land, aerial, and space-based geospatial imagery in Alaska’s Kenai Mountains; Wintering habitat modelling for conservation of Eurasian vultures in northern India; Spatial data acquisition for traffic lights intersections as a basis for GIS development in Timisoara, Romania.

Mean Sea Level: The Effect of the Rise in the Environment

Mean sea level is a significant phenomenon in geodetic science and oceanography. The sea level has experienced an unprecedented rise recently, and this increase can be attributed to the various human-induced activities (anthropogenic factors) ranging from deforestation to burning of fossil fuels and population increase. Several factors cause sea level rise, it has been identified that the thermal expansion of ocean water and the melting of glaciers add to the volume of water causing global sea level to rise, whereas phenomena such as ocean current, wind, pressure are responsible for the regional sea-level rise. This paper identifies climate change and global warming as the drivers of some factors causing the sea level to rise. The effect of sea-level rise has resulted in a loss of agricultural lands, destruction of transportation infrastructures, loss of lands in coastal zones and migration, and the death of some aquatic animals due to saltwater intrusion. In this paper, we reviewed several literatures published between 2017 and 2021 on -level rise and the cascading impacts of sea-level rise in various world areas. The papers reviewed borders on the mean sea level rise from different geographical areas on Earth and the monitoring of sea-level rise using different techniques. Some recommendations were also proposed for consideration.