Geo-referenced Database Research Articles

Geo-Referenced Databases and SWOT Analysis for Assessing Flood Protection Structures, Measures, and Works at a River Basin Scale

This research aims to evaluate the operational effectiveness of current flood protection infrastructure and measures in a flood-prone area using geo-referenced information systems and SWOT analysis. To achieve this, all existing flood protection measures and works in the case study basin, namely Strymonas River basin in Greece, were mapped and recorded. These data, along with water-related spatial information, were stored in a geo-referenced database created within an open-source GIS environment. Additionally, the system was populated with the basin’s recorded historic floods, derived from the European Union’s Floods Directive implementation process. The outputs of the research, which include a spatial comparison of flood protection measures and works with flood event occurrences as well as analyses of the figures, density, and locations of flood protection works, were evaluated as an integrated system and further processed using SWOT analysis. The latter was informed by questionnaire results, and the identified strengths and weaknesses of the flood protection infrastructure were used to explore potential opportunities and threats, which could respectively reinforce or jeopardize the basin’s capacity to effectively respond to future floods. The research framework can be applied to any river basin and could provide important assets in flood protection planning at a basin scale.

Pan-Canadian review of community-based monitoring projects and their capacity to enhance environmental monitoring programs for cumulative effects assessments

While community-based monitoring (CBM) can support meaningful participation of the public in environmental decision-making, it remains unclear if and how CBM can support western science approaches to biophysical studies within cumulative effects assessment (CEA). We scored 40 Canadian CBM projects on their ability to enhance CEA's western science approaches to environmental monitoring. We used multivariate analyses to determine if the highest-scoring projects shared characteristics that could inform the design of CBMs to support CEA. Cluster analysis and non-metric multi-dimensional scaling ordination revealed that highest-scoring projects were distinct from lower scoring projects, and the Similarity Percentages Routine identified characteristics that differentiated these projects. The highest-scoring projects involved non-profit organizations as bridging organizations that coordinated community participation and received funding and in-kind support from provincial/territorial government agencies. Participants in these projects collected measurements and samples using standardized protocols described in training manuals. Their data were publicly accessible in georeferenced databases and were used for baseline studies and resource management. There are existing CBM projects in Canada that thus appear well positioned to enhance western science approaches to CEA. Further study is required to identify how CBM projects can be designed to braid Indigenous and western science approaches to mutually enhance CEA methods.

Blessing or curse? Assessing the local impacts of foreign direct investment on conflict in Africa

The question of foreign direct investment (FDI) and socio-political development is debated heavily. Liberals believe that FDI brings economic opportunities and/or increased incentives for peace and security among host societies. Critics suggest that FDI is exploitative, leading to conditions that increase the risk of violence. We take a political economy perspective that views FDI as problematic depending on how FDI affects politically powerful local interests. As such, all forms of FDI should meet domestic opposition, but only FDI in the extractive sector, where domestic political actors have little at stake, escalates to major war. Building on recent work which examines this question pertaining to extractive sector FDI, we introduce sub-national, geo-referenced data on FDI in all sectors for evaluating local conflict using combined data from four distinct geo-referenced conflict databases. Using site-period fixed effects with a difference-in-difference like approach, we find that FDI in all sectors increases local conflict. Conflicts induced by most FDI sectors fall short of becoming civil war, except for extractive sector FDI.

Geospatial aspects of building information modelling (BIM) based utilities management

The concept of Building Information Modelling (BIM) which was originally used for construction design has developed with increasing BIM dimensions from 3D, 4D, 5D, 6D, 7D to 10D and with the addition of semantics to 3D objects so that BIM allows it to be developed in broader management such as utility and assets management. In a utility management system, object data acquisition process will face some problem in varying object’s dimensions and location require the merging of several 3D data which is collected from different equipment with different accuracy and precision which for this research using the High Definition Surveying (HDS) method from Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and Handheld Laser Scanning (HLS) instruments. The problem that arises is in point cloud data merging process with different point densities, in this paper merging data will use Helmert 3D transformation method. Another problem is in the objects georeferencing into the Earth coordinate system. A georeferenced system is needed to integrate all of utility object into a utility management system in a building. This process is necessary if the development of utility database management will be linked with the creation of 3D models in the bigger scopes such as smart cities or narrower scopes such as smart buildings. The end result is a georeferenced BIM-based utility database management system, which allows for spatial analysis or automation using coordinate systems embedded in 3D objects.

Land revenue, inequality, and development in colonial India (1880–1910)

Abstract In my dissertation, I explore how colonial land institutions influenced both income inequality and the provision and funding of hospitals in colonial India. To do so, I present the first income inequality estimates assessing its evolution and levels across provinces and districts as well as a novel georeferenced hospital-level database. Findings suggest that the introduction of different colonial landownership rights—granting landownership and land revenue liability either to intermediaries or cultivators—explain differences in agricultural income inequality across districts and correlate with its evolution. These different landownership rights also affected the funding of hospitals through its interaction with local agency.

The Relationship between PM2.5 and Health Vulnerability in Argentina in 2010

This study aimed to further explore the concept of health vulnerability in Argentina, including environmental pollution in 2010. To this end, we developed a geo-referenced database of PM2.5 concentrations and emissions data from the national emissions inventory to analyze possible correlations with the demographic, activity, education, and health data from the 2010 national census. In addition, to provide a more complete picture of health vulnerability in Argentina, an extended index (SVI + PM2.5) was constructed and mapped, including PM concentration. We obtained data for annual PM2.5 values emissions and air concentrations in Argentina from public sources (GEEA-AEIv3.0M for emissions and the Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group V5.GL.03 dataset for surface PM2.5). We evaluated health vulnerability using the “Sanitary Vulnerability Index” (SVI). PM2.5 emissions are concentrated in urban and intensive agricultural areas of Argentina. PM2.5 air concentrations were acceptable (≤10 µg/m3) in only 15% of the Argentinean territory. The newly developed SVI + PM2.5 index showed that exposure to particulate material significantly increases the vulnerability shown by SVI in almost all census blocks. These results indicate that the new SVI + PM2.5 index might help identify populations that are at risk because of social issues or air pollution.

Impacts of metal mining on river systems: a global assessment.

An estimated 23 million people live on floodplains affected by potentially dangerous concentrations of toxic waste derived from past and present metal mining activity. We analyzed the global dimensions of this hazard, particularly in regard to lead, zinc, copper, and arsenic, using a georeferenced global database detailing all known metal mining sites and intact and failed tailings storage facilities. We then used process-based and empirically tested modeling to produce a global assessment of metal mining contamination in river systems and the numbers of human populations and livestock exposed. Worldwide, metal mines affect 479,200 kilometers of river channels and 164,000 square kilometers of floodplains. The number of people exposed to contamination sourced from long-term discharge of mining waste into rivers is almost 50 times greater than the number directly affected by tailings dam failures.

Providing a Comparative Geo-referenced Database for Religious Artefacts in Ai Khanoum and Taxila’s Sirkap Mound

Providing a Comparative Geo-referenced Database for Religious Artefacts in Ai Khanoum and Taxila’s Sirkap Mound

A review of Cuvier’s beaked whale strandings in the Mediterranean Sea

Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) is the only species of beaked whale commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea, a deep, semienclosed basin. Beaked whales are generally an offshore family often found in association with the canyons and steep escarpments common to the area. Much of the current knowledge of this species has been derived from strandings data. Historically, strandings data for the Mediterranean Sea has been collected by individual researchers and more recently, over the last two decades, by national strandings networks. We reviewed strandings data collected by strandings networks from Italy, Greece, Spain and France. Additionally, we compiled strandings information gleaned from the literature, personal communications, regional newspapers and the world wide web from countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. While this review is certainly not exhaustive, it has allowed the creation of an extensive geo-referenced basin wide database using a geographic information system (GIS) of over 300 stranding events. The acquired data permit documentation of the number of mass stranding events, allow general observations about distribution and chronology of stranding events dating back to 1803 and enables evaluation of strandings based on several different criteria. The first recorded mass stranding event was in 1963 off Genova, Italy. Analysis shows that specific geographic stranding areas can be identified, even though the level of effort undertaken in the different countries may vary.

Global Dam Tracker: A database of more than 35,000 dams with location, catchment, and attribute information

We present one of the most comprehensive geo-referenced global dam databases to date. The Global Dam Tracker (GDAT) contains 35,000 dams with cross-validated geo-coordinates, satellite-derived catchment areas, and detailed attribute information. Combining GDAT with fine-scaled satellite data spanning three decades, we demonstrate how GDAT improves upon existing databases to enable the inter-temporal analysis of the costs and benefits of dam construction on a global scale. Our findings show that over the past three decades, dams have contributed to a dramatic increase in global surface water coverage, especially in developing countries in Asia and South America. This is an important step toward a more systematic understanding of the worldwide impact of dams on local communities. By filling in the data gap, GDAT would help inform a more sustainable and equitable approach to energy access and economic development.

School-age vaccination, school openings and Covid-19 diffusion.

This article investigates the relationship between school openings and Covid-19 diffusion when school-age vaccination becomes available. The analysis relies on a unique geo-referenced high frequency database on age of vaccination, Covid-19 cases and hospitalization indicators from the Italian region of Sicily. The study focuses on the change of Covid-19 diffusion after school opening in a homogeneous geographical territory (i.e., with the same control measures and surveillance systems, centrally coordinated by the Regional Government). The identification of causal effects derives from a comparison of the change in cases before and after school opening in the school year 2020/21, when vaccination was not available, and in 2021/22, when the vaccination campaign targeted individuals of age 12-19 and above 19. Results indicate that, while school opening determined an increase in the growth rate of Covid-19 cases in 2020/2021, this effect has been substantially reduced by school-age vaccination in 2021/2022. In particular, we find that an increase of approximately 10% in the vaccination rate of school-age population reduces the growth rate of Covid-19 cases after school opening by approximately 1%.

Baseline Assessment of Ecological Quality Index (EQI) of the Marine Coastal Habitats of Tonga Archipelago: Application for Management of Remote Regions in the Pacific

The loss of coral habitats and associated biodiversity have direct effects both on the physical dynamics of the coast and on natural resources, threatening the survival of local populations. Conservative actions, such as the creation of new Marine Protected Areas, are urgent measures needed to face climate change. Managers need fast and simple methods to evaluate marine habitats for planning conservation areas. Here, we present the application of an Ecological Quality Index (EQI), developed for regional-scale habitat maps of the Atlas of the Marine Coastal Habitats of the Kingdom of Tonga, by processing Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery. Both the habitat mapping classification and the EQI application were focused on the importance of coral reef, seagrass and mangrove habitats, both as natural defense and sustenance for the local populations. Twelve main Pacific reef habitats were evaluated through a three-level EQI score assigned to six parameters: nursery ground, connectivity, species reservoir, fish attraction, biodiversity and primary production. The EQI was integrated into a developed georeferenced database associated to the QGIS software providing the ability to identify on the maps the area of interest and the associated habitats, and to quantify their ecological relevance. The EQI is proposed as a tool that can offer to stakeholders and environmental managers a simple and direct indicator of the value of the marine coastal environment. The index may be handled for management purposes of vast areas with remote and uninhabited islands.

Investigation of architectural typological parameters influencing seismic vulnerability of masonry buildings in historical centres: the case of Puglia.

The paper presents a systematical study on the main architectural features characterizing existing buildings in historical centres and influencing their vulnerability under seismic actions. In particular, the first step of the work reports a macro-classification of historical centres on regional scale, obtained through a combination of multisource data with different degrees of detail, such as data from regional landscape plans, public datasets on web GIS and quick virtual inspections. After, all gathered data have been collected and processed in a proper georeferenced database, in order to analyze specific features and their geographic distribution, releasing a new taxonomy. Therefore, a regional abacus of building typologies has been defined through the main architectural and morpho-typological features influencing seismic vulnerability. The starting dataset has been compared by means of other available urban-scale data as those derived from CARTIS (structural-typological characterization for urban compartments), the procedure proposed in Italy for an extensive classification at national scale of recurring building typologies in municipalities. The result is a homogeneous macro-classification of historical centres enriched by typological information also finalized to estimate seismic vulnerability in a given area. The above procedure has been applied on the case study of Puglia region, showing a GIS tool reporting the classification for Apulian historical centres and the resulting abacus for the recurring building typologies.

Architectural Inventories. Evolution of Graphic Documentation of Heritage

One of the main problems of the inventory of architectural heritage is managing and storing large amounts of information in different formats, in addition to the need to organize and manage the information generated by collaborative work between the different technicians who participate in the documentation process. The solution involves the development of a model capable of incorporating information on a layered support and allowing analysis and management, as well as interoperability between tools and other systems throughout the entire life cycle of the building. To carry out this work, two methodologies have been selected to verify their effectiveness in the field of architectural heritage inventory, covering the specific needs of generating a complete graphic database of the building. The Arches platform, a free open source software developed to carry out inventories, has been chosen for its interoperability, specificity and all the characteristics and functions described above. In turn, a WebGIS has been developed using free software standards and technology, to examine the possibilities it offers in relation to specific inventory programs. As a result, the creation of an Information System of the Mudejar Architectural Heritage of Aragón has been proposed, with the purpose of integrating under a common support, all the documentation and graphic information available on the heritage asset. The research limitations are the creation of a geo-referenced database, with geometric information on each building, which addresses the cataloguing of more than 200 assets, due to the uniqueness of this architectural style. The information is stored complying with the documentation standards to ensure interoperability and accessibility to the data.

Evaluating the Eligibility of Abandoned Agricultural Land for the Development of Wind Energy in Lithuania

Land requirements of wind power (WP) are often seen as a constraint to future broad-scale deployment. The aim of the study is to evaluate the eligibility of abandoned agricultural land (AAL) areas, covered with woody plants, for the development of wind energy (WE) in Lithuania. Agricultural land abandonment (ALA) has numerous negative aspects and its use for WE must be a profitable choice for the landowner, as for the energy developers also. A newly developed methodological approach, a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method known as TOPSIS (the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) was applied to select suitable areas for wind power plants (WPP). The authors have used various data sets, as follows: protected areas (reserves, parks) combined into one common geographic information system (GIS) layer, forest cadaster data, water (lakes, rivers) area layer; abandoned land area layer; buildings layer, taken from the Lithuania Georeferenced Data Base. The results were generated for the entire territory of Lithuania and separately for AAL using the algorithms of the open source QGIS program. The results showed that the central part of Lithuania is most suitable for the development of WE. However, ALA in this part is low, because of the high soil yield potential and suitable conditions for farming. According to the selection criteria, about 7% of AAL are suitable for WE, and more than 18% of AAL have an average suitability.

Evaluating geostatistical methods along with semi-destructive analysis for forensic provenancing organic-rich soils in humid subtropical climate

When no samples are available for direct comparisons during a criminal investigation, forensic scientists must resort to georeferenced soil databases in order to find the source of a single questioned evidence. To this end, several authors addressed many methods to infer the origin of soil samples, such as establishing search range intervals or defining statistical similarities. However, little is currently known about the efficiency of these methods when it comes to organic-rich and deep weathered subtropical soils. Therefore, this study attempts to contribute to this subject by evaluating the predictability of a soil database built in a 100 km² area in the Curitiba Metropolitan Region, Brazil, where 232 topsoil (<5 cm), 14 validation, and 38 subsoil samples (B horizon) were collected. To determine their physical, chemical, and colorimetric features, samples were subjected to magnetic susceptibility analysis, gamma-ray spectrometry, color analysis, pXRF, and ATR-FTIR. Two prediction methods were selected: search range intervals (SR) and n-dimensional Euclidean distances (ED). After the descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses, geostatistical models were generated for the 28 obtained variables using the empirical Bayesian kriging (EBK) with regression prediction method, where geological and airborne geophysical data were used as explanatory matrix. For the ED provenancing method, dissimilarity values were calculated and interpolated by applying the inverse distance weighting (IDW) approach. Findings, while preliminary, suggest that magnetic susceptibility, lightness, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, and the light elements group (LE) may be the most significant variables to discriminate parent rock and to correlate with subsurface data. The SR method managed to correctly predict the origin of 4 of 14 validation samples, reducing up to 97.5% of the original area. The ED method, on the other hand, accurately estimated the provenance of 8 out of 14 samples, excluding up to 63.4% of the area. Despite the limitations and errors inherent to semi-destructive analyses, the moderate chemical weathering, and the high organic matter content, overall soil provenancing results were suitable, demonstrating that spatial variability of topsoils developed under humid subtropical environments can be modeled and used in forensic contexts, as long as the right methods are applied.

Cenozoic porphyry and other hydrothermal ore deposits along the South Caucasus-West Iranian tectono-magmatic belt: A critical reappraisal of the controlling factors

In this contribution, we investigate the space and time distribution of the Cenozoic magmatism and the associated porphyry Cu-Mo ± Au and other hydrothermal (mostly epithermal) ore deposits along the south Caucasus-west Iranian tectono-magmatic belt. We use a comprehensive georeferenced database containing whole-rock and geochronological analyses of 3150 samples from the igneous rocks distributed in the study area. Overall, the timing of the ore deposits overlaps with the timing of the Eocene to Miocene diachronous collision between the Arabia and Eurasia plates. This is associated with a change in the geochemical fingerprints of the magmas during and after collisional thickening, with a marked increase in Sr/Y values associated with a general transition towards adakitic signatures. This is interpreted with a change towards an amphibole- (±garnet) rich residue at the arc roots. Clusters of ore mineralization are observed within areas of long-lived magmatism (lasting >10 Myr), usually located at the intersections of basement fault zones, parallel and orthogonal to the collisional boundaries and likely formed along inherited zones of crustal/lithospheric weakness. The isotopic data of the ore-forming magmas show a pronounced correlation with young (<0.7 Ga) Nd depleted mantle model ages (TDM Nd ) and ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) i isotopic ratios ranging from ∼0.704 to ∼0.706. This evidence attests to post-Cadomian metal- and volatile-rich sources at crust roots, during incremental magmatic underplating. We suggest that optimum conditions to form clusters of ore deposits along the collisional zone are achieved when passive asthenosphere upwelling along slab windows (or induced by lithosphere delamination and/or slab break-off) causes the partial melting of the fertile arc roots in the amphibole ± garnet stability field. The end of mineralization along the west Iran magmatic belt is associated with crust overthickening (as evidenced by the inferred presence of a garnet-dominated residue), either as a consequence of consumption of the fertile metal-enriched sources or after the total removal/foundering of the arc roots. • We present a database of magmatism and linked deposits for Armenia and west Iran. • Ore deposits mainly occur in areas of long-lived and stationary magmatism. • The diachronous collision-related crustal thickening controls timing of deposits. • Productive melts are derived from partial melting of the fertile lower crust roots. • Inherited block boundaries host prolonged magmatism, leading to ore deposition.

MOdern River archivEs of Particulate Organic Carbon: MOREPOC

Abstract. Riverine transport of particulate organic carbon (POC) associated with terrigenous solids to the ocean has an important role in the global carbon cycle. To advance our understanding of the source, transport, and fate of fluvial POC from regional to global scales, databases of riverine POC are needed, including elemental and isotope composition data from contrasted river basins in terms of geomorphology, lithology, climate, and anthropogenic pressure. Here, we present a new, open-access, georeferenced, and global database called MOdern River archivEs of Particulate Organic Carbon (MOREPOC) version 1.1, featuring data on POC in suspended particulate matter (SPM) collected at 233 locations across 121 major river systems. This database includes 3546 SPM data entries, among them 3053 with POC content, 3402 with stable carbon isotope (δ13C) values, 2283 with radiocarbon activity (Δ14C) values, 1936 with total nitrogen content, and 299 with an aluminum-to-silicon ratio (Al / Si). The MOREPOC database aims at being used by the Earth system community to build comprehensive and quantitative models for the mobilization, alteration, and fate of terrestrial POC. The database is made available on the Zenodo repository in machine-readable formats as a data table and GIS shapefile at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7055970 (Ke et al., 2022).

Demographic and environmental factors associated with the distribution of Aedes albopictus in Cameroon.

Aedes-transmitted arboviruses have spread globally due to the spread of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Its distribution is associated with human and physical geography. However, these factors have not been quantified in Cameroon. Therefore, the aim was to develop an Ae. albopictus geo-referenced database to examine the risk factors associated with the vector distribution in Cameroon. Data on the Ae. albopictus presence and absence were collated and mapped from studies in published scientific literature between 2000 and 2020. Publicly available earth observation data were used to assess human geography, land use and climate risk factors related to the vector distribution. A logistic binomial regression was conducted to identify the significant risk factors associated with Ae. albopictus distribution. In total, 111 data points were collated (presence=87; absence=24). Different data collection methods and sites hindered the spatiotemporal analysis. An increase of one wet month in a year increased the odds of Ae. albopictus presence by 5.6 times. One unit of peri-urban area increased the odds by 1.3 times. Using publicly available demographic and environmental data to better understand the key determinants of mosquito distributions may facilitate appropriately targeted public health messages and vector control strategies.

A georeferenced rRNA amplicon database of aquatic microbiomes from South America

The biogeography of bacterial communities is a key topic in Microbial Ecology. Regarding continental water, most studies are carried out in the northern hemisphere, leaving a gap on microorganism’s diversity patterns on a global scale. South America harbours approximately one third of the world’s total freshwater resources, and is one of these understudied regions. To fill this gap, we compiled 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data of microbial communities across South America continental water ecosystems, presenting the first database µSudAqua[db]. The database contains over 866 georeferenced samples from 9 different ecoregions with contextual environmental information. For its integration and validation we constructed a curated database (µSudAqua[db.sp]) using samples sequenced by Illumina MiSeq platform with commonly used prokaryote universal primers. This comprised ~60% of the total georeferenced samples of the µSudAqua[db]. This compilation was carried out in the scope of the µSudAqua collaborative network and represents one of the most complete databases of continental water microbial communities from South America.