TaLAM: Mapping Land Cover in Lowlands and Uplands with Satellite Imagery

End-of-Project ReportThe Towards Land Cover Accounting and Monitoring (TaLAM) project is part of Ireland’s response to creating a national land cover mapping programme. Its aims are to demonstrate how the new digital map of Ireland, Prime2, from Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI), can be combined with satellite imagery to produce land cover maps

Integrating Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems

Remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) comprise the two major components of geographic information science (GISci), an overarching field of endeavor that also encompasses global positioning systems (GPS) technology, geodesy and traditional cartography (Goodchild 1992, Estes and Star 1993, Hepner et al. 2005). Although remote sensing and GIS developed quasi-independently, the synergism between them has become increasingly apparent (Aronoff 2005). Today, GIS software almost always includes tools for display and analysis of images, and image processing software commonly contains options for analyzing ‘ancillary’ geospatial data (Faust 1998). The significant progress made in ‘integration’ of remote sensing and GIS has been well-summarized in several reviews (Ehlers 1990, Mace 1991, Hinton 1996, Wilkinson 1996). Nevertheless, advances are so rapid that periodic reassessment of the state-of-the-art is clearly warranted

Characterising the ocean frontier : a review of marine geomorphometry

Geomorphometry, the science that quantitatively describes terrains, has traditionally focused on the investigation of terrestrial landscapes. However, the dramatic increase in the availability of digital bathymetric data and the increasing ease by which geomorphometry can be investigated using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has prompted interest in employing geomorphometric techniques to investigate the marine environment. Over the last decade, a suite of geomorphometric techniques have been applied (e.g. terrain attributes, feature extraction, automated classification) to investigate the characterisation of seabed terrain from the coastal zone to the deep sea. Geomorphometric techniques are, however, not as varied, nor as extensively applied, in marine as they are in terrestrial environments. This is at least partly due to difficulties associated with capturing, classifying, and validating terrain characteristics underwater. There is nevertheless much common ground between terrestrial and marine geomorphology applications and it is important that, in developing the science and application of marine geomorphometry, we build on the lessons learned from terrestrial studies. We note, however, that not all terrestrial solutions can be adopted by marine geomorphometric studies since the dynamic, four- dimensional nature of the marine environment causes its own issues, boosting the need for a dedicated scientific effort in marine geomorphometry. This contribution offers the first comprehensive review of marine geomorphometry to date. It addresses all the five main steps of geomorphometry, from data collection to the application of terrain attributes and features. We focus on how these steps are relevant to marine geomorphometry and also highlight differences from terrestrial geomorphometry. We conclude with recommendations and reflections on the future of marine geomorphometry.peer-reviewe

A review of marine geomorphometry, the quantitative study of the seafloor

Geomorphometry, the science of quantitative terrain characterization, has traditionally focused on the investigation of terrestrial landscapes. However, the dramatic increase in the availability of digital bathymetric data and the increasing ease by which geomorphometry can be investigated using geographic information systems (GISs) and spatial analysis software has prompted interest in employing geomorphometric techniques to investigate the marine environment. Over the last decade or so, a multitude of geomorphometric techniques (e.g. terrain attributes, feature extraction, automated classification) have been applied to characterize seabed terrain from the coastal zone to the deep sea. Geomorphometric techniques are, however, not as varied, nor as extensively applied, in marine as they are in terrestrial environments. This is at least partly due to difficulties associated with capturing, classifying, and validating terrain characteristics underwater. There is, nevertheless, much common ground between terrestrial and marine geomorphometry applications and it is important that, in developing marine geomorphometry, we learn from experiences in terrestrial studies. However, not all terrestrial solutions can be adopted by marine geomorphometric studies since the dynamic, four-dimensional (4-D) nature of the marine environment causes its own issues throughout the geomorphometry workflow. For instance, issues with underwater positioning, variations in sound velocity in the water column affecting acousticbased mapping, and our inability to directly observe and measure depth and morphological features on the seafloor are all issues specific to the application of geomorphometry in the marine environment. Such issues fuel the need for a dedicated scientific effort in marine geomorphometry. This review aims to highlight the relatively recent growth of marine geomorphometry as a distinct discipline, and offers the first comprehensive overview of marine geomorphometry to date. We address all the five main steps of geomorphometry, from data collection to the application of terrain attributes and features. We focus on how these steps are relevant to marine geomorphometry and also highlight differences and similarities from terrestrial geomorphometry. We conclude with recommendations and reflections on the future of marine geomorphometry. To ensure that geomorphometry is used and developed to its full potential, there is a need to increase awareness of (1) marine geomorphometry amongst scientists already engaged in terrestrial geomorphometry, and of (2) geomorphometry as a science amongst marine scientists with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.peer-reviewe

Responsive cell–material interfaces

Major design aspects for novel biomaterials are driven by the desire to mimic more varied and complex properties of a natural cellular environment with man-made materials. The development of stimulus responsive materials makes considerable contributions to the effort to incorporate dynamic and reversible elements into a biomaterial. This is particularly challenging for cell–material interactions that occur at an interface (biointerfaces); however, the design of responsive biointerfaces also presents opportunities in a variety of applications in biomedical research and regenerative medicine. This review will identify the requirements imposed on a responsive biointerface and use recent examples to demonstrate how some of these requirements have been met. Finally, the next steps in the development of more complex biomaterial interfaces, including multiple stimuli-responsive surfaces, surfaces of 3D objects and interactive biointerfaces will be discussed

Remote sensing for three-dimensional modelling of hydromorphology

Successful management of rivers requires an understanding of the fluvial processes that govern them. This, in turn cannot be achieved without a means of quantifying their geomorphology and hydrology and the spatio-temporal interactions between them, that is, their hydromorphology. For a long time, it has been laborious and time-consuming to measure river topography, especially in the submerged part of the channel. The measurement of the flow field has been challenging as well, and hence, such measurements have long been sparse in natural environments. Technological advancements in the field of remote sensing in the recent years have opened up new possibilities for capturing synoptic information on river environments. This thesis presents new developments in fluvial remote sensing of both topography and water flow. A set of close-range remote sensing methods is employed to eventually construct a high-resolution unified empirical hydromorphological model, that is, river channel and floodplain topography and three-dimensional areal flow field. Empirical as well as hydraulic theory-based optical remote sensing methods are tested and evaluated using normal colour aerial photographs and sonar calibration and reference measurements on a rocky-bed sub-Arctic river. The empirical optical bathymetry model is developed further by the introduction of a deep-water radiance parameter estimation algorithm that extends the field of application of the model to shallow streams. The effect of this parameter on the model is also assessed in a study of a sandy-bed sub-Arctic river using close-range high-resolution aerial photography, presenting one of the first examples of fluvial bathymetry modelling from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Further close-range remote sensing methods are added to complete the topography integrating the river bed with the floodplain to create a seamless high-resolution topography. Boat- cart- and backpack-based mobile laser scanning (MLS) are used to measure the topography of the dry part of the channel at a high resolution and accuracy. Multitemporal MLS is evaluated along with UAV-based photogrammetry against terrestrial laser scanning reference data and merged with UAV-based bathymetry to create a two-year series of seamless digital terrain models. These allow the evaluation of the methodology for conducting high-resolution change analysis of the entire channel. The remote sensing based model of hydromorphology is completed by a new methodology for mapping the flow field in 3D. An acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) is deployed on a remote-controlled boat with a survey-grade global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, allowing the positioning of the areally sampled 3D flow vectors in 3D space as a point cloud and its interpolation into a 3D matrix allows a quantitative volumetric flow analysis. Multitemporal areal 3D flow field data show the evolution of the flow field during a snow-melt flood event. The combination of the underwater and dry topography with the flow field yields a compete model of river hydromorphology at the reach scale.Jokien onnistunut hallinta edellyttää virtavesien prosessien ymmärtämistä. Tämä ei ole mahdollista ilman jokien geomorfologian ja hydrologian kvantifiointia sekä niiden spatiotemporaalisten suhteiden tutkimista, eli jokien hydromorfologiaa. Joen topografian mittaaminen, varsinkin uoman vedenalaisen osalle on pitkään ollut työlästä ja aikaa vievää. Virtauskentän kattava mittaaminen on myös ollut haastavaa, sillä seurauksella, että niitä on tehty harvakseltaan luonnollisessa ympäristössä. Viimeaikainen teknologinen kehitys kaukokartoituksessa on mahdollistanut synoptisen tiedon mittaamisen jokiympäristöissä. Tässä väitöstutkimuksessa on kehitetty virtavesien kaukokartoitusta sekä jokien topografian että virtausmittauksen alalla. Useita eri lähikaukokartoitusmenetelmiä yhdistämällä on tehty korkean resoluution yhtenäinen empiirinen malli joen hydromorfologiasta, eli joen uoman ja tulvatasangon topografiasta ja kolmiulotteisesta virtaamakentästä. Empiriaan ja hydrauliseen teoriaan perustuvat optisen kaukokartoituksen menetelmiä testattiin ja arvioitiin käyttämällä normaaliväri-ilmakuvia, kaikuluotain kalibrointia ja referenssimittauksia kivipohjaisessa subarktisessa joessa. Empiiristä optista syvyysmallia kehitettiin edelleen lisäämällä syvän veden säteilyparametrin arviointialgoritmi, joka mahdollisti mallin käytön myös matalavetisissä jokiuomissa. Parametrin vaikutus malliin arvioitiin korkean resoluution matalailmakuvista hiekkapohjaisessa subarktisessa joessa yhdessä ensimmäisistä syvyysmalleista, joka on tehty käyttäen kauko-ohjattua minihelikopteria (eng.UAV, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). Lähietäisyyden kaukokartoitusmenetelmiä käytettiin edelleen topografisen mallin täydentämiseen, integroimalla joen uoma ja tulvatasanko yhtenäiseksi korkean resoluution topografiaksi. Mobiilia laserkeilausta käytettiin vedenpinnan yläpuolisen osan topografian mittaamiseen korkealla resoluutiolla vene- kärry- ja reppupohjaisten kartoitusalustojen avulla. Monen ajankohdan mobiilin laserkeilauksen ja UAVfotogrammetrian tarkkuutta arvioitiin maalaserikeilausaineiston avulla. Laserkeilattu ja fotogrammetrinen aineisto yhdistettiin, jolloin saatiin kahden vuoden ajalta saumaton digitaalinen maastomalli. Mallin avulla oli mahdollista arvioida koko joen uoman korkean resoluution muutosanalyysin metodologiaa. Kaukokartoitukseen perustuvaa hydromorfologista mallia täydennettiin uniikilla virtauskentän kolmiulotteisella kartoitusaineistolla. Kauko-ohjattavaan veneeseen asennettu akustinen virtausmittauslaite yhdessä tarkan satelliittipaikannusjärjestelmän kanssa mahdollistivat alueellisesti valikoitujen kolmiulotteisten virtausvektoreiden sijainnin määrittämisen kolmiulotteisessa avaruudessa pistepilvenä. Tämän aineiston kolmiulotteinen interpolaatio matriisiksi mahdollisti edelleen volymetrisen virtausanalyysin. Monen ajankohdan alueellinen kolmiulotteinen virtauskenttä osoitti virtausolosuhteiden evoluution kevättulvassa. Vedenalaisen ja kuivan maan topografia yhdessä jokiuoman virtauskenttien kanssa muodosti kattavan mallin joen hydromorfologiasta.Siirretty Doriast

Cartographic data harmonisation for a cross-border project development

An essential support for environmental monitoring activities is a rigorous definition of an homogeneous cartographic system required to correctly georeference the acquired data. Furthermore, since the 2007, the European INSPIRE Directive (INfrastructure for Spatial InfoRmation in the European Community) affirms the necessity to harmonize the European maps for permitting cross-border analysis. For satisfying these requirements, the authors have developed a procedure for the cartographic harmonisation in the cross border area studied during in the European project ALCOTRA (Alpes Latines- COopération TRAnsfrontalière) – ALIRHyS (Alpes Latines- Individuation Resources Hydriques Souterraines). It concerns the hydrogeological study of various springs and other water resources in an area between Italy and France including their constitution in a cross-border system. The basic cartographic information is obtained from existing national maps (Italian and French data), which use different reference systems and are produced from different data acquisitions and processes. In this paper the authors describe the methods used to obtain well-harmonised middle-scale maps (aerial orthophotos, Digital Terrain Model and digital maps). The processing has been performed using GIS software or image analysis software in order to obtain useful and correct cartographic support for the monitoring data, even if the obtained maps could be further analysed or refined in future works