Photogrammetric measurement of erosion at the sabbath point beothuk site in central Newfoundland, Canada

© 2020 by the authors. Erosion at archaeological sites in Central Newfoundland, Canada is a major concern, which is compounded by the fact that there has been a dearth of archaeological research in this region. While more than 70 house pits are known, very few excavations have examined whole features in the Exploits River Valley (ERV), and the archaeology of many has not been examined yet. The aim of this study is to examine the rate of erosion at the Sabbath Point house pit, a recently recorded archaeological site, located on the bank of Red Indian Lake (RIL), and to describe a low-cost methodology for analysing site level bank changes. This site is particularly important, as it represents an example of a late Beothuk residential feature about lifeways practiced in this region. The surveys employed here were carried out using image-based modelling. GRASS GIS was used to measure the diachronic difference between bank edges. The Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) were then compared, and the differences were measured using a transect based method. The erosion measurement has shown that Sabbath Point is in danger of being completely eroded. This shows that a salvage excavation program covering the entire feature is necessary within the next few years, as the feature itself will begin to erode

Preliminary assessment of thaw slump hazard to Arctic cultural heritage in Nordenskiöld Land, Svalbard

Permafrost-dependent landslides occur in a range of sizes and are among the most dynamic landforms in the Arctic in the warming climate. Retrogressive thaw slumps (RTSs) are enlarging landslides triggered by thawing and release of excess water from permafrost ground ice, causing smaller or larger collapses of ground surface, which in turn exposes new permafrost to rapid thawing and collapse. In this study, a preliminary assessment of previous thaw slump activity in Nordenskiöld Land area of Svalbard is made based on remote sensing digitisation of 400 slump-scar features from aerial images from the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI). RTS properties and distribution are analysed with an emphasis on their implications for the preservation of the Svalbard’s cultural heritage (CH). Our analysis shows that the areas where RTS scars and CH co-exist in Nordenskiöld Land are, at present, limited and cover mainly areas distributed along north-west (Colesbukta, Grønfjorden, Kapp Starostin), north-east (Sassendalen and Sassenfjorden) and south-west (Van Muydenbukta) coastlines. Taking into consideration the preliminary aspect of this inventory and study, it can be stated that for now, RTS and CH sites do not have a high level of co-existence, except for eight sites which are located at less than 100 m to a RTS and one site that is located inside a currently inactive slump-scar. Further mapping of RTS will be undertaken in order to have a complete picture of these climate triggered landslides potentially threatening the Arctic CH. The results of this study, even if preliminary, can be used by local authorities and stakeholders in prioritising future documentation and mitigation measures and can thus present a powerful tool in disaster risk reduction

Assessment of shoreline transformation rates and landslide monitoring on the bank of kuibyshev reservoir (Russia) using multi-source data

This study focuses on the Kuibyshev reservoir (Volga River basin, Russia)—the largest in Eurasia and the third in the world by area (6150 km2 ). The objective of this paper is to quantitatively assess the dynamics of reservoir bank landslides and shoreline abrasion at active zones based on the integrated use of modern instrumental methods (i.e., terrestrial laser scanning—TLS, unmanned aerial vehicle—UAV, and a global navigation satellite system—GNSS) and GIS analysis of historical imagery. A methodology for the application of different methods of instrumental assessment of abrasion and landslide processes is developed. Different approaches are used to assess the intensity of landslide and abrasion processes: the specific volume and material loss index, the planar displacement of the bank scarp, and the planar-altitude analysis of displaced soil material based on the analysis of slope profiles. Historical shoreline position (1958, 1985, and 1987) was obtained from archival aerial photo data, whereas data for 1975, 1993, 2010, 2011, and 2012 were obtained from high-resolution satellite image interpretation. Field surveys of the geomorphic processes from 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2014 were carried out using Trimble M3 and Trimble VX total stations; in 2012–2014 and 2019 TLS and UAV surveys were made, respectively. The monitoring of landslide processes showed that the rate of volumetric changes at Site 1 remained rather stable during the measurement period with net material losses of 0.03–0.04 m−3 m−2 yr−1 . The most significant contribution to the average annual value of the material loss was snowmelt runoff. The landslide scarp retreat rate at Site 2 showed a steady decreasing trend, due to partial overgrowth of the landslide accumulation zone resulting in its relative stabilization. The average long-term landslide scarp retreat rate is—2.3 m yr−1 . In 2019 earthworks for landscaping at this site have reduced the landslide intensity by more than 2.5 times to—0.84 m yr−1

African heritage in a changing climate

Climate change is a real and present threat to heritage across the world. In Europe and North America, research on the impacts of climate change on heritage, including how to mitigate against more frequent extreme weather events and how to implement efficient sustainable adaptation planning, are now key foci of heritage literature. In contrast, virtually nothing has been written about the impacts of climate change on heritage on the African continent, even though these will be significant in the coming decades. Heritage is essential for livelihoods, but also for the construction and reinforcement of identity and the psychological wellbeing of society. Here, we consider the impacts of climate change on different (connected) forms of heritage in Africa, including archaeological, historical and living heritage. We situate the implications of climate change for African heritage in recent debates around climate justice, sustainability and social wellbeing. We conclude that without significant intervention some of Africa’s most important heritage will be lost as a result of the direct and indirect impacts of climate change over the coming decades. Our intention is to draw attention to the need for research into the impacts of climate change on different forms of heritage in Africa and to highlight the possible deleterious effects these losses will have on society more generally. We view this paper as a first step in developing a research agenda that will have a practical application for the management of heritage in the face of climate change in Africa