A review of Citizen Science within the Earth Sciences: potential benefits and obstacles

The field of citizen science is a rapidly evolving type of scientific research focussing on the collaboration of motivated volunteers (citizen scientists) with professional scientists to generate new knowledge and information. In recent years, there has been a steady growth of Earth Science related citizen science projects that aim to build knowledge, awareness and ultimately resilience to key local- to global-scale environmental issues (e.g., geohazards, environmental monitoring). In addition, there has also been progression from small pilot studies to large data collection Earth Science citizen science initiatives that are used to underpin modelling. However, despite this, numerous operational and strategic challenges exist and whilst the awareness of citizen science has improved markedly, it is clear that the direct impact of citizen science on policy and decision making is still limited. Within this paper, we review these challenges alongside defining citizen science itself, and its benefits. The range of methods and applications of citizen science are explored through a series of case studies centred on geohazards, observations & classification, multi-topic, and education/outreach. The paper also explores future citizen science opportunities within Earth Science

Landslides and Cultural Heritage—A Review

Cultural heritage sites can be affected by landslides, often causing damage to their integrity, value, and accessibility. Several studies worldwide were focused on the assessment of the potential threats that landslides can pose to the preservation of cultural heritage sites. This article aims to review landslide studies at cultural heritage sites worldwide, analyzing the publications’ temporal distribution, selected methods, geographical and climate contexts, and investigated landslide types. We analyzed a database of 331 publications from 2000 to 2023 in study areas distributed across 47 countries, compiled through systematic queries of theWeb of Science and Scopus catalogs. The results show an increase in the number of publications from 2012 onwards, with most studies performing landslide susceptibility analyses on cultural heritage sites

Exploiting satellite SAR for archaeological prospection and heritage site protection

Optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing has a long history of use and reached a good level of maturity in archaeological and cultural heritage applications, yet further advances are viable through the exploitation of novel sensor data and imaging modes, big data and high-performance computing, advanced and automated analysis methods. This paper showcases the main research avenues in this field, with a focus on archaeological prospection and heritage site protection. Six demonstration use-cases with a wealth of heritage asset types (e.g. excavated and still buried archaeological features, standing monuments, natural reserves, burial mounds, paleo-channels) and respective scientific research objectives are presented: the Ostia-Portus area and the wider Province of Rome (Italy), the city of Wuhan and the Jiuzhaigou National Park (China), and the Siberian “Valley of the Kings” (Russia). Input data encompass both archive and newly tasked medium to very high-resolution imagery acquired over the last decade from satellite (e.g. Copernicus Sentinels and ESA Third Party Missions) and aerial (e.g. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAV) platforms, as well as field-based evidence and ground truth, auxiliary topographic data, Digital Elevation Models (DEM), and monitoring data from geodetic campaigns and networks. The novel results achieved for the use-cases contribute to the discussion on the advantages and limitations of optical and SAR-based archaeological and heritage applications aimed to detect buried and sub-surface archaeological assets across rural and semi-vegetated landscapes, identify threats to cultural heritage assets due to ground instability and urban development in large metropolises, and monitor post-disaster impacts in natural reserves

BGS Global Geoscience

BGS’s international geological activities, now renamed as BGS Global Geoscience, have been a cornerstone of BGS work for more than a century. As the recently appointed Science Director for BGS Global Geoscience, this magazine provides a welcome opportunity to introduce myself and to highlight the continuing breadth of BGS overseas applied research and survey. Since I last worked overseas in the late 1990s, BGS’s work on the international stage has witnessed significant change. Traditional overseas placements funded by UK aid gave way in the 2000s to large, mainly World Bank funded, non-residential mapping projects. Over time, increased competition and the price sensitivities became ever more telling and it was increasingly apparent that if BGS was to remain active in this area we would need to review the appropriateness of our business model. As a consequence of this review, in 2010 BGS set up a spin-out company (International Geoscience Services Ltd – currently trading a BGSi). Thus, as traditional international mapping surveys have declined, our focus has shifted from traditional survey work to developing research and scientific applications. For example, the United Arab Emirates survey, which commenced 10 years ago as a mapping programme, now funds more applied research focused on urban and developmental resource issues. Responding to global science and environmental drivers, the current BGS science strategy (2009–2014) gives priority to activities that increase our understanding of environmental processes particularly in developing countries. Exchanging know-how, building capacity for alleviation of resource poverty, and living with environmental hazards, are key. With these visions in mind, throughout 2011 to 2012, BGS has pursued the range of project activities described herein. They focus on water and mineral resources, volcano and tsunami- related geohazards research, new monitoring activities combining ice and fire in Iceland, and expanding our geomagnetic network in South Georgia. For survey research to have measurable impact requires a fresh approach. Our vision for the future is, therefore, of a co-ordinated and integrated combination of skills, data and expertise to deliver not just maps but modern geoscience databases. They will underpin the modelling and prediction of resource abstraction (especially water), subsurface storage, and the monitoring of climate change impacts across national boundaries. Urbanisation is another key area that lends itself to such an approach. Expanding modern cities in both developing and developed countries affect the surrounding environment and create an ever-increasing demand for resources from the subsurface. BGS expertise in 3D geology and in handling large volumes of data, gained over many years working on UK cities, has applications to many modern cities in south-east Asia, the Middle East and globally. I believe that this multidisciplinary approach will drive a new generation of BGS international work and lead to improved integration of geology with the social and economic sciences to benefit planning and development and deliver a visible impact on the global community

Improving landslide inventories by combining satellite interferometry and landscape analysis: the case of Sierra Nevada (Southern Spain)

An updated and complete landslide inventory is the starting point for an appropriate hazard assessment. This paper presents an improvement for landslide mapping by integrating data from two well-consolidated techniques: Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) and Landscape Analysis through the normalised channel steepness index (ksn). The southwestern sector of the Sierra Nevada mountain range (Southern Spain) was selected as the case study. We first propose the double normalised steepness (ksnn) index, derived from the ksn index, to remove the active tectonics signal. The obtained ksnn anomalies (or knickzones) along rivers and the unstable ground areas from the DInSAR analysis rapidly highlighted the slopes of interest. Thus, we provided a new inventory of 28 landslides that implies an increase in the area affected by landslides compared with the previous mapping: 33.5% in the present study vs. 14.5% in the Spanish Land Movements Database. The two main typologies of identified landslides are Deep-Seated Gravitational Slope Deformations (DGSDs) and rockslides, with the prevalence of large DGSDs in Sierra Nevada being first revealed in this work. We also demonstrate that the combination of DInSAR and Landscape Analysis could overcome the limitations of each method for landslide detection. They also supported us in dealing with difficulties in recognising this type of landslides due to their poorly defined boundaries, a homogeneous lithology and the imprint of glacial and periglacial processes. Finally, a preliminary hazard perspective of these landslides was outlined.Universidad de Granada/CBUAMarie Curie Actions B-RNM-305-UGR18 A-RNM-508-UGR20 P18-RT-3632ERDF through the project RISKCOAST' of the Interreg SUDOE Programme SOE3/P4/E0868Project MORPHOMED' from the Spanish Ministry of Science (MCIN)/State Research Agency (SRA) PID2019-107138RB-I00Ramon y Cajal' Programme of the Spanish Ministry of Science RYC-2017-23335NoR 6373