ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE OF FLAT EARTH PHASE REMOVAL METHODS

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has been widely used in remote sensing field, which can reflect actual topographic trend or possible surface deformation. Due to the orbit attitude influence, the flat-earth phase usually causes the interferogram dense and difficult to be used in further procedures. Before phase unwrapping, interferogram must be flattened to derive accurate topographic or deformation information. In this paper, analysis of performance of two methods of flat-earth removal is done. First method uses imaging geometry and second method uses precise orbital information. Further, 3-degree, 5-degree and 7-degree polynomials are fitted in the method using precise orbital information. Validation is done both visually and empirically using entropy as the evaluation index

Introducing the “analogs for Venus’ geologically recent surfaces” initiative: an opportunity for identifying and analyzing recently active volcano-tectonic areas of Venus trough a comparative study with terrestrial analogs

Several missions to Venus have been recently selected for launch [1–6], opening a new era for the exploration of the planet. One of the key questions that the future missions need to address is whether Venus is presently volcanically active [7–15]. Studying areas of active volcanism and tectonism on Venus is crucial to reveal clues about the geologic past of the planet, as well as provide information about the volatile content of its interior and the formation of its dense atmosphere. The “Analogsfor VENus’ GEologically Recent Surfaces” (AVENGERS) initiative aims to build a comprehensive database of terrestrial analog sites for the comparative study of recent and possibly on- going volcanic activity on Venus. Besides its scientific relevance, the AVENG- ERS initiative also acts as a bridge for international scientific collaboration, including the leadership and/or team members from the currently selected missions to Venus

Mount Etna as a terrestrial laboratory to investigate recent volcanic activity on Venus by future missions:A comparison with Idunn Mons, Venus

The recently selected missions to Venus have opened a new era for the exploration of this planet. These missions will provide information about the chemistry of the atmosphere, the geomorphology, local-to-regional surface composition, and the rheology of the interior. One key scientific question to be addressed by these future missions is whether Venus remains volcanically active, and if so, how its volcanism is currently evolving. Hence, it is fundamental to analyze appropriate terrestrial analog sites for the study of possibly active volcanism on Venus. To this regard, we propose Mount Etna - one of the most active and monitored volcanoes on Earth - as a suitable terrestrial laboratory for remote and in-situ investigations to be performed by future missions to Venus. Being characterized by both effusive and explosive volcanic products, Mount Etna offers the opportunity to analyze multiple eruptive styles, both monitoring active volcanism and identifying the possible occurrence of pyroclastic activity on Venus. We directly compare Mount Etna with Idunn Mons, one of the most promising potentially active volcanoes of Venus. Despite the two structures show a different topography, they also show some interesting points of comparison, and in particular: a) comparable morpho-structural setting, since both volcanoes interact with a rift zone, and b) morphologically similar volcanic fields around both Mount Etna and Idunn Mons. Given its ease of access, we also propose Mount Etna as an analog site for laboratory spectroscopic studies to identify the signatures of unaltered volcanic deposits on Venus

Understanding coastal morphodynamic patterns from depth-averaged sediment concentration

This review highlights the important role of the depth-averaged sediment concentration (DASC) to understand the formation of a number of coastal morphodynamic features that have an alongshore rhythmic pattern: beach cusps, surf zone transverse and crescentic bars, and shoreface-connected sand ridges. We present a formulation and methodology, based on the knowledge of the DASC (which equals the sediment load divided by the water depth), that has been successfully used to understand the characteristics of these features. These sand bodies, relevant for coastal engineering and other disciplines, are located in different parts of the coastal zone and are characterized by different spatial and temporal scales, but the same technique can be used to understand them. Since the sand bodies occur in the presence of depth-averaged currents, the sediment transport approximately equals a sediment load times the current. Moreover, it is assumed that waves essentially mobilize the sediment, and the current increases this mobilization and advects the sediment. In such conditions, knowing the spatial distribution of the DASC and the depth-averaged currents induced by the forcing (waves, wind, and pressure gradients) over the patterns allows inferring the convergence/divergence of sediment transport. Deposition (erosion) occurs where the current flows from areas of high to low (low to high) values of DASC. The formulation and methodology are especially useful to understand the positive feedback mechanisms between flow and morphology leading to the formation of those morphological features, but the physical mechanisms for their migration, their finite-amplitude behavior and their decay can also be explored

Exploring gender-based influences on key features of Airbnb accommodations

Our research aims to address the following research questions: (a) to identify guests’ hidden experiences in a distribution of terms over a fixed vocabulary by analysing a bulk set of online reviews through the process of text mining, and in particular, (b) to assess if the Airbnb guest experience represented in them can be used to enhance Airbnb services. On the other hand, our study analyses the relationship between the topics identified and Airbnb pricing, and mainly measures the influence of gender as a moderating cue. In this regard, a growing body of research has emerged to examine gender differences in leisure participation. In particular, our study concludes how the guests’ gender affects the contributions of listings’ features in price prediction. Females are more intrinsically motivated and preferentially mention, for instance, the Airbnb accommodation’s location and the gratifying (local) experiences in their narratives. On the contrary, male guests highlight hygiene and apartment facilities. To sum up, our research provides design guidelines to reflect the willingness to hire an apartment, offering insights for research and practice, and allowing the layout of pricing-recommendation systems.Research Group, Government of Andalusia, Spain SEJ49

A Dual-Frequency Spaceborne SAR Mission Concept

No abstract availabl