The need for improved management of the subsurface

The subsurface is used intensively to support economic stability and growth. Human interaction with the shallow subsurface ranges from exploitation of resources, accommodation of utilities, harnessing of energy (ground source heat pumps) and storage of waste. Current practice of managing these shallow subsurface zones is far from ideal. Many subsurface interventions are preceded by feasibility studies, predictive models or investigative measures to mitigate risks or predict the impacts of the work. However, the complex interactions between the anthropogenic structures and natural processes mean that a holistic impact assessment is often not achievable. By integrating these subsurface infrastructures within three dimensional framework models, a comprehensive assessment of the potential hazards in these shallow subsurface environments may be made. Some Geological Survey Organizations (GSOs) are currently developing subsurface management systems that will aid decision making in the shallow subsurface [1]. The British Geological Survey (BGS) is developing an open Environmental Modeling Platform [2] to provide the data standards and applications to link models, numerical simulations and ultimately socio-economic models so as to generate predictive responses to questions concerning sustainable us of the subsurface

3D and 4D Simulations for Landscape Reconstruction and Damage Scenarios. GIS Pilot Applications

The project 3D and 4D Simulations for Landscape Reconstruction and Damage Scenarios: GIS Pilot Applications has been devised with the intention to deal with the demand for research, innovation and applicative methodology on the part of the international programme, requiring concrete results to increase the capacity to know, anticipate and respond to a natural disaster. This project therefore sets out to develop an experimental methodology, a wide geodatabase, a connected performant GIS platform and multifunctional scenarios able to profitably relate the added values deriving from different geotechnologies, aimed at a series of crucial steps regarding landscape reconstruction, event simulation, damage evaluation, emergency management, multi-temporal analysis. The Vesuvius area has been chosen for the pilot application owing to such an impressive number of people and buildings subject to volcanic risk that one could speak in terms of a possible national disaster. The steps of the project move around the following core elements: creation of models that reproduce the territorial and anthropic structure of the past periods, and reconstruction of the urbanized area, with temporal distinctions; three-dimensional representation of the Vesuvius area in terms of infrastructuralresidential aspects; GIS simulation of the expected event; first examination of the healthcareepidemiological consequences; educational proposals. This paper represents a proactive contribution which describes the aims of the project, the steps which constitute a set of specific procedures for the methodology which we are experimenting, and some thoughts regarding the geodatabase useful to “package” illustrative elaborations. Since the involvement of the population and adequate hazard preparedness are very important aspects, some educational and communicational considerations are presented in connection with the use of geotechnologies to promote the knowledge of risk

Airborne LiDAR for DEM generation: some critical issues

Airborne LiDAR is one of the most effective and reliable means of terrain data collection. Using LiDAR data for DEM generation is becoming a standard practice in spatial related areas. However, the effective processing of the raw LiDAR data and the generation of an efficient and high-quality DEM remain big challenges. This paper reviews the recent advances of airborne LiDAR systems and the use of LiDAR data for DEM generation, with special focus on LiDAR data filters, interpolation methods, DEM resolution, and LiDAR data reduction. Separating LiDAR points into ground and non-ground is the most critical and difficult step for DEM generation from LiDAR data. Commonly used and most recently developed LiDAR filtering methods are presented. Interpolation methods and choices of suitable interpolator and DEM resolution for LiDAR DEM generation are discussed in detail. In order to reduce the data redundancy and increase the efficiency in terms of storage and manipulation, LiDAR data reduction is required in the process of DEM generation. Feature specific elements such as breaklines contribute significantly to DEM quality. Therefore, data reduction should be conducted in such a way that critical elements are kept while less important elements are removed. Given the highdensity characteristic of LiDAR data, breaklines can be directly extracted from LiDAR data. Extraction of breaklines and integration of the breaklines into DEM generation are presented

Virtual Globes for UAV-based data integration: Sputnik GIS and Google Earth™ applications

“This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in International Journal of Digital Earth on 03 May 2018, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17538947.2018.1470205"The integration of local measurements and monitoring via global-scale Earth observations has become a new challenge in digital Earth science. The increasing accessibility and ease of use of virtual globes (VGs) represent primary advantages of this integration, and the digital Earth scientific community has adopted this technology as one of the main methods for disseminating the results of scientific studies. In this study, the best VG software for the dissemination and analysis of high-resolution UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) data is identified for global and continuous geographic scope support. The VGs Google Earth and Sputnik Geographic Information System (GIS) are selected and compared for this purpose. Google Earth is a free platform and one of the most widely used VGs, and one of its best features its ability to provide users with quality visual results. The proprietary software Sputnik GIS more closely approximates the analytical capacity of a traditional GIS and provides outstanding advantages, such as DEM overlapping and visualization for its disseminationThis work was supported by Xunta de Galicia under the Grant “Financial aid for the consolidation and structure of competitive units of investigation in the universities of the University Galician System (2016-18)” (Ref. ED431B 2016/030 and Ref. ED341D R2016/023). The authors also acknowledge support provided by “Realización de vuelos virtuales en las parcelas del proyecto Green deserts LIFE09 / ENV/ES / 000447”S