GMES-service for assessing and monitoring subsidence hazards in coastal lowland areas around Europe. SubCoast D3.5.1

This document is version two of the user requirements for SubCoast work package 3.5, it is SubCoast deliverable 3.5.1. Work package 3.5 aims to provide a European integrated GIS product on subsidence and relative sea level rise. The first step of this process was to contact the European Environment Agency as the main user to discover their user requirements. This document presents these requirments, the outline methodology that will be used to carry out the integration and the datasets that will be used. In outline the main user requirements of the EEA are: 1. Gridded approach using an Inspire compliant grid 2. The grid would hold data on: a. Likely rate of subsidence b. RSLR c. Impact (Vulnerability) d. Certainty (confidence map) e. Contribution of ground motion to RSLR f. A measure of certainty in the data provided g. Metadata 3. Spatial Coverage - Ideally entire coastline of all 37 member states a. Spatial resolution - 1km 4. Provide a measure of the degree of contribution of ground motion to RSLR The European integration will be based around a GIS methodology. Datasets will be integrated and interpreted to provide information on data vlues above. The main value being a likelyhood of Subsidence. This product will initially be developed at it’s lowest level of detail for the London area. BGS have a wealth of data for london this will enable this less detialed product to be validated and also enable the generation of a more detailed product usig the best data availible. One the methodology has been developed it will be pushed out to other areas of the ewuropean coastline. The initial input data that have been reviewed for their suitability for the European integration are listed below. Thesea re the datasets that have European wide availibility, It is expected that more detailed datasets will be used in areas where they are avaiilble. 1. Terrafirma Data 2. One Geology 3. One Geology Europe 4. Population Density (Geoland2) 5. The Urban Atlas (Geoland2) 6. Elevation Data a. SRTM b. GDEM c. GTOPO 30 d. NextMap Europe 7. MyOceans Sea Level Data 8. Storm Surge Locations 9. European Environment Agencya. Elevation breakdown 1km b. Corine Land Cover 2000 (CLC2000) coastline c. Sediment Discharges d. Shoreline e. Maritime Boundaries f. Hydrodynamics and Sea Level Rise g. Geomorphology, Geology, Erosion Trends and Coastal Defence Works h. Corine land cover 1990 i. Five metre elevation contour line 10. FutureCoas

Cognitive evaluation of computer-drawn sketches

CISRG discussion paper ; 1

A world of interstices: A fuzzy logic approach to the analysis of interpretative maps

This paper proposes a methodology based on fuzzy logic to analyze specific mental maps at world scale. Mental maps at all scales and especially at world scale raise specific issues related to the imprecision of the drawing and uncertainty linked to the object drawn. Here, the sample studied was asked to divide the world in regions. The interpretation dimension when building regions reinforce both the uncertainty and imprecision. The fuzzy logic is used here to focus on the world regions limits. It allows providing cartography of the vagueness of regions borders

Landscape Capacity and Social Attitudes towards Wind Energy Projects in Belgium

The present energy crisis and the awareness of the human impact on climate change have boosted the public debate on the accelerated deployment of renewable energy sources. The objective of this research project is to analyse and assess the landscape capacity and social attitudes towards wind energy parks in Belgium, especially in non-urban and non-industrial sites. This research project starts from the observation that a sustainable production of energy, relying on renewable resources, should go hand in hand with a sustainable societal support for the use of these renewable sources. Experiences from neighbouring countries showed that the societal support depends of the regional landscape capacity and the social attitudes towards wind energy parks. In this research project both quantitative and qualitative research techniques will be used to: (1) measure the landscape capacity in relation to the location of wind energy parks in Belgium, (2) to gain insight in the way attitudes towards wind energy parks are socially constructed and reproduced.Les évolutions globales récentes, comme le prix croissant des matières premières et la conscientisation du réchauffement climatique, engendrent un intérêt important envers les sources d’énergies renouvelables. Ceci s’harmonise bien avec la nouvelle quête d’un équilibre entre les besoins économiques, environnementaux et sociaux de la société, également appelé développement durable. Ces trois piliers concernent également les projets éoliens. Il ressort des expériences dans les pays voisins que ce sont surtout les aspects sociaux (réactions des riverains) et environnementaux (impact paysager) des projets éoliens qui retiennent l’attention. C’est pourquoi nous voulons examiner quels sont les paysages adaptés aux projets éoliens en Belgique (aspect environnemental) et comment ces projets sont perçus par les citoyens belges dans différents contextes (aspect social).Lacsawe

Climate research Netherlands : research highlights

In the Netherlands the temperature has risen, on average, by 1.6°C since 1900. Regional climate scenarios for the 21st century developed by the Dutch Royal Meteorological Institute [1] show that temperature in the Netherlands will continue to rise and mild winters and hot summers will become more common. On average winters will become wetter and extreme precipitation amounts will increase. The intensity of extreme rain showers in summer will increase and the sea level will continue to rise. Changing climate will affect all segments and sectors of the society and the economy of the Netherlands, but it also brings new opportunities for major innovation

A physical effort-based model for pedestrian movement in topographic urban environments

This paper presents a topography-sensitive cognitive model for analysis and prediction of pedestrian movement in urban settings. Topography affects visibility and therefore the spatial awareness of pedestrians. It also accentuates the role of physical effort during travel and route selection. The existing models fall short in their reference to these issues. A thorough description of the proposed model is followed by a validation - the model was tested against two existing models in three case studies in Haifa and Jerusalem, Israel. The proposed model outperformed the others in the steeper parts of the case studies. Future model development is discussed