Official Maps Research Articles

Design response spectrum based on shock-waveform decomposition method

This study applies the shock-waveform (SW) decomposition method, originally developed for mechanical shock analysis, to earthquake ground motions. It reveals a general shape similarity between the envelope of the Pseudo-Spectral Accelerations (PSAs) of SW decomposed components and the PSA of the corresponding ground motion. Based on this similarity, a novel method to determine the characteristic period Tg, the long-period transition period TD, the shape correction period Tβ, and the Design Response Spectrum (DRS) is proposed and evaluated. New methods to determine Tg, TD and Tβ from the signal decomposition perspective are integrated into the normalized DRS in Eurocode 8–2022, enabling the construction of the normalized DRS based on SW method (SWDRS). Furthermore, simple ground motion attenuation regression equations are derived to relate the parameters (Tg, TD, Tβ) and the corresponding spectral ordinates of the normalized SWDRS model with seismic magnitude and site conditions. The SWDRS model is validated by randomly selecting two sites in United States. For each site, the SWDRS is determined by using the attenuation regression equations and the DRS spectral plateau value from the official seismic hazard map. Comparisons between the SWDRS, the latest local DRS, and the severest historical PSA recorded at the specific site demonstrate that the SWDRS provides more accurate spectral values over intermediate- and long-period ranges for structural seismic design.

Monitoring of Open-Pit Mining Areas Using Landsat Series Imagery (1984–2023) and Cloud Processing

While open-pit mining activities represent one of the human-derived most impactful land cover changes, these changes and the linked restoration processes can be challenging to assess. This article presents a reproducible methodology carried out with cloud processing of satellite images (Google Earth Engine (GEE)) to evaluate the evolution of open-pit mining activities and their restoration in a Mediterranean landscape. For this purpose, the calculation of the normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI) was used to obtain a quantitative parameter to monitor vegetation presence in each extractive area. To validate these results, confusion matrices were performed between the classification obtained in the study and the official land cover mapping, using randomly selected mining areas as test points, with an average accuracy of 88%. According to the methodology used, the surface of areas denuded by mining in the period 1984–2023 has fluctuated over time, with a maximum in 2005 coinciding with the peak of the Spanish construction boom, and a subsequent decrease towards the present. From these results, it can be concluded that Landsat-type data processed using GEE provide a quick and useful tool for monitoring the evolution of mining activity, including restoration trends, becoming particularly valuable for public bodies’ inspections or decision making.

Multiple levels of literacy in Kopano Matlwa’s literature. The case of Evening Primrose (2018)

The paper explores distinctive ways in which Kopano Matlwa’s novel Evening Primrose (2018) employs continuities and discontinuities between surface-level literary expression and underlying identity and cultural literacy. It is a desktop study centred on Kopano Matlwa’s novel Evening Primrose (2018) as a primary text, as well as of secondary expository texts for theoretical and earlier literary commentary that constitute the article’s conceptual matrix. I demonstrate how the author’s thematic manoeuvring challenges notions of determinist culture and official mapping as fixed, as well as espouse conceptions of globalism that accommodate identity and cultural heterogeneity. As I discuss stylistic dimensions of the narrative from the vantage point of the theory of ecocriticism, I include the tenets of Es’kia Mphahlele’s concept of African humanism as well as the concepts of ‘borderland’, ‘code-switching’ and ‘integration literacy’. My findings have led to the conclusion that the novelist’s discourses are encoded in the texture of the novel in ways that portray the South African post-apartheid milieu as informed by an intricate intersection of distinctive identity and cultural literacies that the various characters display. My scrutiny of the environment-adoptive cognitive processes in the mind of Matlwa’s characters has led to a novel analogy between integration identity and cultural literacy and unitary grammar, reached psycholinguistically through code-switching.Contribution: This study provides new insights into how the novelist Kopano Matlwa employs literary discourse uniquely to explore South Africa’s post-apartheid, evolving social psyche in ways that diagnostically assert alternative cultural identity intersections, readings and articulation. The paper plumbs beneath surface-level characterisation to externalise how key character categories of the novel under discussion do practicalise the potency of the post-apartheid context to forge a composite heterogeneity of cohabiting and mutually respecting cultures that have entered it. In novel ways, the theoretical matrix applied in the analysis of the novel galvanises a recognition of commonalities hitherto unidentified, mainly between tenets of originally Eurocentric ecocriticism and those of an Afrocentric African humanism. I compare the characters’ successful creation of new cultural literacies, integrated with a new environment, to a successful integration of unitary grammar related to the linguistic process of code-switching. In this way, a new kind of relationship is projected between literary analysis and language learning.

Ecosystem services, threats, and management practices of wetlands in Morang District of Nepal

Wetlands are gaining much attention recently as they are threatened by multiple stressors; however, detailed ecological and socio-economic studies on these wetlands are limited. In this study, we present an inventory and assess ecosystem services, and conservation status of the wetlands of Morang district in Eastern Nepal. We used the remote sensing data - Google Earth Imagery and official topographic maps – for preparation of inventory and conducted a rapid field survey using a questionnaire, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Provisional and cultural services were analyzed based on field observations and the questionnaire survey. Twenty-four wetlands of 29.4 ha area, ranging from 0.017 to 7.5 ha were recorded. The Sunbarsi wetland is located in the lowest (87 m) and the Chuli Pokhari in the highest (677 m) elevation. Rajarani wetland of Letang (7.5 ha) is the largest wetland in the district. Ten wetlands have high religious value. Wetlands in Morang district are also productive ecosystems providing different types of ecosystem services. They contribute in local economy providing job and business opportunities to locals. Bhulkey wetland of Pathari-1 provides drinking water to 1,938 families. Further, these wetlands are used for irrigation. The wetlands are also providing services to livestock farming, fishing, boating, commercial activities (hotels and shops), and tourism. Cultural, recreational and ecotourism activities in the wetlands are generating revenue locally.

Map as Conceived Space: a Critical View at the Cartographic Representation of Religious Buildings in the Brazil Official Mapping

A humanidade sempre retratou o espaço por meios de mapas, transformando-os em um importante instrumento de sua representação gráfica, proporcionando uma gamade interpretações e leituras. Dentre os diferentes elementos que compõem o espaço, as edificações religiosas são usualmente representadas nos mapas oficiais através de um olhar cristão do agente público detentor do poder legal, processo que não se tornou mais inclusivo mesmo com o advento de recursos viabilizados pelas novas tecnologias. Este artigo propõe uma reflexão sobre a construção de um espaço concebido – mapa oficial normatizado pelo poder público – sem considerar a vida cotidiana e os espaços socialmente produzidos com um caráter sagrado ou de práticas de diferentes denominações religiosas e seu ocultamento/apagamento nas normativas cartográficas em vigor no país.

Soviet and Russian Regimes of Spatial Inscription: A Critical Analysis of Indigenous versus Official Place Names on Maps in Siberia, 1920s–2000s

This article discusses Indigenous Evenki place names (hydronyms) on official topographic maps and handwritten sketches in a broader context of Soviet and Russian regimes of spatial inscription and toponymic policies and their legacies. The early Soviet policy of korenizatsia (indigenization) facilitated the incorporation of Indigenous place names into official nomenclature. As a result, a large number of Indigenous toponyms appeared on official maps. The aim of this article is to examine the evolving relationships between Indigenous place names and official place names of Indigenous origin across three historical periods (the 1920s, the 1950s, and the contemporary era) and in two politically distinct settings, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Amur region. The data sets for this research were extracted from official maps and Evenki archival sketch maps collected by Glafira Vasilevich in Siberia between the 1920s and the 1960s. Using Quantum GIS in conjunction with ethnographic fieldwork, statistical analysis, and qualitative linguistic assessment, this research further investigates the evolution of Indigenous names on maps, focusing on the most characteristic changes in their inscription over the past century. This article concludes by highlighting the power dynamics between different Indigenous place-naming traditions in Siberia, where various Indigenous communities have historically distinct opportunities to influence toponymic policies.

A preliminary survey of the flora and vegetation of an ex-situ conservation area (Hyde Park Zoo Sanctuary and Tropical Gardens Inc., Guyana)

Hyde Park Zoo Sanctuary and Tropical Gardens Inc. is a local ex-situ conservation area located at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara, Guyana. It serves to manage and conserve species of wild flora and fauna, boasts several diverse native and exotic species, and hosts a rescue centre for wild captures. Over a six (6) week period, flora & vegetative visual surveys were conducted there to i) identify and classify the species of flora found at accessible parts of the site (according to the official established map of the area), and ii) report these findings in a comprehensive report in order to establish a database of the preliminary findings of the study. Based on the preliminary findings of the study, a total of ninety-nine (99) plant species from twenty (20) families were identified. The largest family group was found to be Arecaceae with 15 species. Leguminosae and Bromeliaceae both contained 6 species each. Other representative families were Apocynaceae, Orchidaceae, Rosaceae and Aracaceae. Seventy-nine species (80.8%) were exotic and nineteen (19.4%) species were found to be native. None of the identified species were found to be under threat, or near extinction. Based on these preliminary findings, it is established that the area has great taxonomic and conservation potential, and with effective management along with strategic planning, the area can serve as an ex-situ conservation model, where both native and exotic species thrive together.

Evaluation of Qualitative Colour Palettes for Tactile Maps

Much attention is currently being paid to developing universally designed solutions. Tactile maps, designed for people with visual impairments (PVI), require both graphic and tactile content. While many more- or less-official guidelines regarding tactile symbols exist, the subject literature lacks clear guidance on creating legible, highly contrasting graphic symbols for visual perception by those with residual vision. This study specifically addresses the application of colour, a key graphic variable that Is most often used to differentiate area symbols. We wanted to verify whether it is possible to choose a universal qualitative colour palette for tactile maps. We have proposed four different palettes, each with eight colours, that were later evaluated in a controlled study by 16 PVI with varying sociodemographic characteristics, using the VIEW model. The model is widely applied in the area of marketing research and considers the following aspects: Visibility, Informational, Emotional Appeal, and Workability. Our results indicate a lack of unanimity in choosing the best qualitative palette. The results of three palettes are comparable, with a subtle preference for the palette optimized for colour differences using the Python algorithm. Notably, the palette commonly used in official tactile maps in Poland received the lowest scores in every analysed dimension.

Map evidence for the Philippines’ territorial claim in the South China Sea: a historical, cartographical and legal analysis

Based on international law and practices, a map by itself does not constitute an independent territorial title and has no independent probative value in territorial disputes. Regarding maps with inaccurate or unreliable sources of information, unofficial maps and official maps produced by one party aiming to enhance its position, international judicial and arbitration institutions tend to hold a very little credibility. The Institute of Maritime and Ocean Affairs (IMOA), an agency of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, and some Philippine political elites selected many of the maps for the 2014 exhibition. Although some maps or charts of Scarborough Shoal drawn by the Spanish colonists on display are official or semiofficial in nature, they do not mark the political boundaries of the relevant areas and are obviously inaccurate. The purpose of Spain’s charting in each expedition to Scarborough Shoal was to provide guidance on navigational safety, not to assert sovereignty. It is difficult to arrive at definite conclusions about sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal from these maps and charts. The maps or charts displayed and drawn by cartographers from other countries, have many problems, such as insufficient accuracy, covering vast area more than the Philippine Islands and the lack of marking political boundaries and thus cannot prove that the Philippines has territorial sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal. Similarly, none of the maps and charts on display are sufficient to prove that the “Kalayaan Islands” belong to the Philippines.

Cartographic ignorance and territorial misrepresentation: The 1967 redrawing of Israel’s national map

Shortly after the June 1967 War, in which Israel seized vast territories beyond its borders, the Israeli government removed Israel’s internationally recognised border (the Green Line) from all official maps of the state. Since then, Israeli maps misrepresent the state’s sovereign territory and the occupied territories as one territorial unit. This article examines the changing of Israel’s national map by drawing on agnotology, the study of the production of ignorance, and critical settler colonial cartography scholarship. It first demonstrates that the misleading map has detrimentally eroded the legibility of the state’s territory for Israelis and impeded their ability to comprehend its geography, to argue that spatial ignorance may substantiate settler colonial endeavours. The article then turns to charting the ‘geography of ignorance’ that has underwritten the governmental decision to change the map. It argues that as government ministers resorted to dissembling their obliviousness to evade their complicity in an act of cartographic duplicity, they were misguided by their own cartographic misapprehensions. Ignorant of the ‘logo effect’ of national maps, they were unaware that by changing the map they were amalgamating Israel’s colonial expansionism into the spatiality of Israel’s nationhood. Since the deliberate inducing of ignorance is unruly, and the ramifications of such endeavours can easily escape the intentions and understandings of its propagators, agnotology research should account for how those who conspire to hamper the knowledge of others may be led astray by their own ignorance.

Landscape planning-addressed regional-scale mapping of geolithological units: an example from Southern Italy

ABSTRACT A 1:100,000-scale geolithological map has been prepared for the Basilicata region (Southern Italy) through an extensive review of official geological maps integrated by photogeological analyzes and field surveys. A double-key legend allows discriminating both lithological and technical properties of the rock bodies. This map together with the main relief-scale morpho-structural features, permitted us a subsequent recognition of the different landscape domains of the region, which have been summarized in a derived map. The two products represent an effective basis for landscape planning purposes and a key tool to highlight the spatial distribution of the ‘geological landscape’ in a sector characterized by a high degree of geodiversity.

Fatal incidents during the flood of July 2021 in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany: what can be learnt for future flood risk management?

During the severe flooding in July 2021 189 people lost their lives in Germany, which is the highest number of flood-related fatalities since 1962. 49 people died in the densely populated state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), whose flood risk management has, however, often been regarded as pioneering in Germany. To further improve flood risk management in NRW, the causes and circumstances of all 49 flood-related deaths were analyzed. Based on official files a structured document analysis was performed and a new coding scheme was developed that relates accident locations and victims’ activities to accident dynamics and causes of death. Circumstances and causes of death differed significantly between in-/outdoor incidents, age groups, and areas with different event magnitudes. Elderly people (>60 years) were particularly at risk; they account for two thirds of the dead. Eight of the 25 people who died in a building were surprised by water entry into basements or ground-floor apartments. In addition, there are indications that nine of 24 people who died outdoors were surprised and caught by water on their way home or when trying to leave the flooded zone. It is assumed that a lack of warning played a role in these cases. In most of the remaining cases, hazards were underestimated pinpointing to insufficient awareness and weaknesses of crisis and risk communication. 14 people died in their basements while attempting to inspect equipment (e.g., pumps) or to inspect, minimize, or repair damage. Since property-level adaptation has been emphasized in flood risk communication, life-threatening situations during fast onset-flooding and the priority to be safe have to be emphasized in future communications. It has to be acknowledged that the official hazard maps indicated no risk from flooding at around half of the 49 accident locations illustrating the exceptional event magnitude. Still, warning levels and flood hazard maps should be better linked to identify hazard zones and to enable appropriate behavior including (self-)evacuation.

New Challenges on the Maritime Boundaries Delimitation Dispute Between Greece and Albania in the Corfu Channel

The Albanian-Greek maritime border in the Straits of Corfu region and the Ionian Sea reflects a complicated geographical, historical, and political reality, which constitutes a special characteristic of the Balkan Peninsula coastal region as a whole. For many centuries, the navigational routes of the Strait of Otranto and the Corfu Channel were characterized as important strategic, military, and commercial seaways for the ancient peoples of the region. In this respect, even though the Albanian-Greek southern border region has been at the center of conflicts and disagreements between these countries for many years, the problem is not thought to be completely related to the specific delimitation of the maritime borderline. The interstate maritime boundary is official and internationally recognized and is shown on all official political maps as an international borderline. The Albanian-Greek borderline is a product that came as a result of the Balkan Wars and the First World War, in which there was a great involvement and influence of the Great Powers’ diplomacy. Nowadays, the possibility of Albania-Greece interstate conflicts over the southern border area and maritime borders exists. In this context, ethnographic complexity is considered problematic due to the existence of the Greek minority in Albania, as well as Albanian immigrants living in Greece. On the other hand, the natural resources that possess the maritime regions of the Corfu Channel and the Ionian Sea are another reason for the dispute over the maritime border. However, according to US security institutions, these cross-border disputes between these states may only remain at the political level and not degrade further.

Using machine learning and data enrichment in the selection of roads for small-scale maps

ABSTRACT Making decisions about which objects to keep or omit is challenging in map design. This process, called selection, constitutes the first operation in cartographic generalization. In this research, a method of automatic road selection for creating small-scale maps using machine learning and data enrichment is proposed. First, the problem of contextual information scarcity concerning roads in the source database is addressed. Additional information concerning the relations between roads and other objects was added (such as centrality and proximity measures). Second, machine learning is used to design automatic selection models based on enriched information. Third, three different road selection approaches are implemented. The baseline approach is following the official map design guidelines. The second approach is based on machine learning using the enriched road database. The third approach is based on an existing structural model. The results of all approaches are compared to existing atlas maps designed by experienced cartographers. The results of the Machine Learning Approaches were most similar to the atlas maps (between 81% and 90% accuracy). The least efficient approaches were the Structural Approach with 32% and the Guidelines Approach with 44% accuracy. We conclude that enriching road data with new contextual information concerning roads and using machine learning is beneficial as the achieved results outperform both Guidelines and Structural Approaches.

Novel building energy performance-based climate zoning enhanced with spatial constraint

Existing buildings' climate zoning approaches often overlook the incorporation of building energy usage data, leading to discrepancies between climate zoning classifications and the ever-increasing demands for energy efficiency in modern construction practices. This research proposes a novel spatially constrained approach that incorporates multivariate clustering and building energy needs indicators to create a climate classification aligned with buildings' energy performance patterns. The study focuses on Kazakhstan as a case study, where buildings experience distinct climatic conditions across different regions. A spatial constraint was used to enhance hierarchical and k-means clustering methods, which were applied to the space heating and cooling energy needs of the most typical building archetypes. The quality of clustering results was evaluated using uniqueness and dispersion indicators. Furthermore, The Adjusted Rand Index was introduced to compare the proposed method with the ASHRAE and the official buildings' climate map of Kazakhstan. The existing climate maps failed to match the patterns of building energy performance. Overall, the proposed spatially constrained method exhibits promising results and offers optimized buildings' climate zoning supported by buildings' energy performance data and rigorous measures of clustering quality.

GEOLOGICAL MARKERS OF THE UPPER PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS IN MAIN RIVER VALLEYS OF WESTERN SIBERIA

During the second half of the 20th century by the end of the first quarter of the 21st century the problem of differentiation and correlation of the main rivers of Western Siberia (primarily the Ob and Yenisey) valleys sediments was intensively discussed. Traditionally, the regional Quaternary history of the river valleys was considered as the “terrace flight” paradigm. According to it in the Neogene-Quaternary time alluvial terraces formed by sequentially from the older upper to the younger lower ones. It was considered that terrace formed by neotectonics, paleoclimate dynamics changed the fullness of the rivers, advance of the sea and dereliction influenced on base of erosion and blocking river valley by northern glaciers. As a result, in outside glacier zone appeared barrier basins and periglacial alluvium. However, on the official maps of the Quaternary deposits the heights, age and even the number of terraces differ significantly. Nowadays a lot of data are contrary to theory about flight consistently carved cycloclimatic terraces and periglacial alluvium facies replacing the ice-dammed northern lakes in the south of Western Siberia. In the article it was performed the updated concept of the sedimental structure of the Upper Neopleistocene in the main valleys of the region and taking into account data on glacier outburst floods from intermountain area to the plain. Its intensive erosional and accumulative activity has so far been underestimated.

Compatibilization of geographical names used in the Brazilian official mapping

Compatibilization of geographical names used in the Brazilian official mapping

Water Dynamics Analysis in Karst Flood Areas Using Sentinel-1 Time Series

Studying karst water dynamics is challenging because of the often unknown underground flows. Therefore, studies of visible karst waters receive considerable research emphasis. Researchers are turning to various data sources, including remote sensing imagery, to study them. This research paper presents an assessment of a water bodies dataset, automatically detected from Sentinel-1 imagery, for karst flood research. Statistical and visual analyses were conducted to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the dataset. Spearman’s correlation coefficients were employed for statistical analysis to determine the degree of correlation between the areas of water bodies dataset and official water level data. Visual analyses involved the creation of heat maps based on the identified water areas, which were then compared to official flood maps, and the preparation of an analysis of historical flood events or results of hydrological and hydraulic modelling. Additionally, vegetation maps were produced to identify areas that lacked detection and complemented the heat maps. Statistical assessment showed a strong correlation (≥0.6) between the dataset and official water level data in smaller flood-prone areas with less complex inflow. Visual analyses using heat maps and vegetation maps effectively identified frequently flooded areas but had limitations in areas with dense vegetation. Comparisons with flood maps showed an important value of the dataset as an additional source of information for karst flood studies. This assessment highlights the dataset’s potential in combination with other data sources and modelling approaches.

Revealing Schematic Map Designs with Preservation of Relativity in Node Position and Segment Length in Existing Official Maps

Schematic maps have widely been used for representing transport networks. In the schematization process, preserving the relative position of nodes and the relative length of segments are considered highly important for constructing spatial cognition. Some researchers have regarded these as general principles of automated schematization. However, in-depth investigations into the conversion of these general principles into specific schematic network map designs are still lacking. This study aimed to empirically investigate how the two relative relations are preserved in existing manually produced schematic maps to better understand and interpret designer thinking. Official underground network maps of 32 cities were used in this study. The results revealed that (1) relative relations were largely preserved with a preservation ratio of approximately 80%, and the global preservation ratios of two relative relations were significantly higher than those of local preservation; (2) the preservation of relative position took priority over the preservation of relative length for the schematic maps with significant enlargement of dense regions; and (3) a reference object may be used for preserving relative relations, for example, the center region or major axis. The findings of this study will assist in developing and/or optimizing design rules for automated schematization while preserving relative relations.

The effects of climate and forest cover variability on the hydrological regulation of an eastern Andean Cusiana river sub-basin

The hydrologic regulation analysis on a basin scale requires the understanding of the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of the climate regime and the land cover. The Cusiana river sub-basin (4992 km2) is part of the Colombian Orinoco River basin and its important because of the ecosystem services it provides. However, there is limited knowledge about the factors that govern its hydrological functioning. In this study we aimed at describing the relation between the forest cover and the hydroclimatic tendencies with the hydrologic regulation of this basin. For this, we evaluated rainfall and evapotranspiration spatial variability and the temporal tendencies of these variables and streamflow employing the Mann-Kendall test for a dataset covering from 1980 till 2020. Streamflow data was obtained from various gauging sites at different points along the main streambed between 290 and 3135 m a.s.l. We also evaluated the basin's forest cover changes between 2003 and 2019 using official land cover classification maps. With the hydroclimatic and land cover analyzes we created potential scenarios of extreme dry and wet years and of deforestation and restoration. These extreme scenarios were forced in the previously calibrated and validated Seasonal Water Yield module of the InVEST model to evaluate their effects on base and quickflows. Results show that there are no homogeneous tendencies in the rainfall, evapotranspiration, or streamflow within this basin. Furthermore, streamflow tends to decrease in the basin segments that show an increase in forest cover. The model outputs suggest that the magnitude of the baseflow decrease under a deforestation scenario is up to 3.6 times larger than the increase in baseflow under a forest cover restoration scenario, and that the quickflows can increase up to 1.4 times more in a combined wet year and deforestation scenario, than in an average year under current forest cover. From our results we identify that the spatial relation between land cover, climate and hydrologic regulation must be explicitly evaluated for the design of water resources management plans for any Andean River basin.