TOWARDS THE INTEGRATION OF AUTHORITATIVE AND OPENSTREETMAP GEOSPATIAL DATASETS IN SUPPORT OF THE EUROPEAN STRATEGY FOR DATA

Abstract. Digital transformation is at core of Europe's future and the importance of data is well highlighted by the recently published European strategy for data, which envisions the establishment of so-called European data spaces enabling seamless data flows across actors and sectors to ultimately boost the economy and generate innovation. Integrating datasets produced by multiple actors, including citizen-generated data, is a key objective of the strategy. This study focuses on OpenStreetMap (OSM), the most popular crowdsourced geographic information project, and is the first step towards an exploration of pros and cons of integrating its open-licensed data with authoritative geospatial datasets from European National Mapping Agencies. In contrast to previous work, which has only tested data integration at the local or regional level, an experiment was presented to integrate the national address dataset published by the National Land Survey (NLS) of Finland with the corresponding dataset from OSM. The process included the analysis of the two datasets, a mapping between their data models and a set of processing steps – performed using the open source QGIS software – to transform and finally combine their content. The resulting dataset confirms that, while addresses from the NLS are in general more complete across Finland, in some areas OSM addresses provide a higher detail and more up-to-date information to usefully complement the authoritative one. Whilst the analysis confirms that an integration between OSM and authoritative geospatial datasets is technically and semantically feasible, future work is needed to evaluate enablers and barriers that also exist at the legal and organisational level

OPENSTREETMAP AS AN INPUT SOURCE FOR PRODUCING GOVERNMENTAL DATASETS: THE CASE OF THE ITALIAN MILITARY GEOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE

The role of Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) to integrate, update or complement authoritative datasets released by governments has become increasingly important. This work analyses the contribution of OpenStreetMap (OSM), the most popular VGI project, as one of the input sources that the Military Geographic Institute (IGM), one of the Italian governmental mapping agencies, has used for producing the National Summary Database (DBSN). This database, which was recently released for 12 out of the 20 Italian regions, has a schema organised into a hierarchical structure composed of 10 layers, 30 themes and 93 classes, where each geospatial object carries information on the specific data source it was derived from. For each DBSN layer and theme, we first calculated the fraction of objects derived from OSM in all the Italian regions and related provinces. We found a heterogeneous picture with OSM contribution generally being limited, with the exception of few regions and layers/themes where the DBSN was almost exclusively derived from OSM. An in-depth comparison between the DBSN and OSM building datasets showed that OSM building completeness is varying across Italian regions and provinces, but in all regions there are buildings in OSM that are not included in the DBSN. The work shed light on the opportunities and obstacles for OSM to become a primary input source for the production of governmental datasets

Development of algebra algorithms for automated generation of grain-size distribution maps

The grain-size distribution of sediments is a fundamental characteristic in understanding the earth’s surface environments and an essential tool in classifying sedimentary environments. Grain-size data provide important information on the energy and dynamics of depositional environments and aid our understanding of sediment transport. Ternary diagrams (TD) are useful and conventional tools to classify sediments on the basis of relative grain-size (i.e., gravel, sand, mud or sand, silt, clay). The development of spatial modelling in a Geographical Information System (GIS) can assist in treating, computing and displaying sedimentological data, such as grain-sizes. The grain-size distribution of sediments is a fundamental characteristic in understanding the earth’s surface environments and an essential tool in classifying sedimentary environments. Grain-size data provide important information on the energy and dynamics of depositional environments and aid our understanding of sediment transport. Ternary diagrams (TD) are useful and conventional tools to classify sediments on the basis of relative grain-size (i.e., gravel, sand, mud or sand, silt, clay). The development of spatial modelling in a Geographical Information System (GIS) can assist in treating, computing and displaying sedimentological data, such as grain-sizes

POPs in the Lagoon of Venice budgets and pathways.

Dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in the ecosystem of the Lagoon of Venice were studied, in order to provide a general picture of conditions in the Lagoon in terms of contamination by persistent organic pollutants (POPs). We present here novel data on atmospheric deposition, water, sediment and clam samples collected in the Lagoon during the period January 2001-December 2004. Atmospheric deposition was sampled monthly at six sites located both close and far from large industrial and urban sources. Water samples were collected monthly from fifteen stations, and twenty-five samples of sediments and clams (Tapes philippinarum) were collected in four areas where clams are farmed and harvested inside the Lagoon. All samples were analysed for PCDD/Fs, PCBs and HCB by HRGC/HRMS in the same laboratory. All samples examined (atmospheric deposition and water) substantially confirmed the spatial pattern reported in previously published data on sediments and atmospheric deposition: the zone surrounding the Porto Marghera petrochemical plant always had the highest levels of POPs (i.e., PCDD/Fs: atmosphere ∼6 pg of 2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalents (I-TE) m -2 d -1 ; water 0.37 pg I-TE l -1 ; sediment: 300 ng kg -1 ; clam 2.8 pg I-TE g -1 ), and the minima were found at points on the margins of the Lagoon (PCDD/Fs: atmosphere ∼ 1 pg I-TE m -2 d -1 ; water 0.05 pg I-TE l -1 ; sediment: ∼5 ng kg -1 ; clam ∼0.2 pg I-TE g -1 ). Intermediate values were often encountered in the historical city centre of Venice and in the central part of the Lagoon. To confirm this, new data on correlation between levels of PCDD/F in sediments and clams are reported, both for absolute values and for the PCDD/F “fingerprint”. There is always a clear fingerprinting signature (PCDF/PCDD>1) for samples collected near Porto Marghera, and the opposite (PCDF/PCDD<1) in the rest of the Lagoon

Relationship of morpho-sedimentological variations to the fate of Hg- and Zn-polluted sediments in the contaminated site of Porto Marghera, Lagoon of Venice, Italy.

New data collected from twenty-six sites during 2008 in the contaminated Site of National Interest (SIN) of Porto Mar- ghera within the Lagoon of Venice (Italy), which has been affected by the presence of an industrial zone for the last 80 years, were compared with data from a campaign performed in the same site 30 years before (1976-1978). The SIN was found to be heavily polluted in the earlier study, and several tons of Hg and Zn are still stored in soils and industrial channel sediments, potentially affecting the lagoon part of the SIN. Bathymetric variations, grain-size, Hg and Zn con- tent in sediments were analysed. The severe contamination of the late 1970s (Hg 1.7 µg/g; Zn 754 µg/g) had fallen by the late 2000s (Hg 0.9 µg/g; Zn 225 µg/g). The fall in Hg and Zn contamination over the 30-year period was mainly linked to the patterns of geomorphological change inside the SIN that affected two distinct sub-areas: 1) a stable-depo- sitional (SD) area in the Northern part, which exerted a “dilution” effect on contaminants, with significant deposition (~11%) of coarse-grained sediments (63 - 8 µm), and 2) an area characterised by moderate-to-severe-erosion (MSE) to the South, which saw the loss (~13%) of pollutant-bearing fine-grained sediments (<8 µm). A budget calculation in the MSE sub-area showed a loss of ~2.5 tons for Hg and ~700 tons for Zn over three decades, most of which was exported to other parts of the LV or at the open sea. A similar amount is still stored in the SD area, which will be subject to ero- sion if hydrodynamic conditions change in the future. This study provides useful support to decision-making systems by helping to select hot-spots for remediation measures

OpenStreetMap as an emerging scientific field : reflections from OSM Science 2023

Editorial: Proceedings of the OSM Science at State of the Map Europe 202

Case study #4 : Strait of Sicily - Malta : Western Mediterreanean

The definition of spatial limits for the Strait of Sicily - Malta Case Study have been elaborated considering needs and priorities emerged from the Initial Assessment, as well as existing knowledge on: (i) maritime uses and economic domains; (ii) ecological features; (iii) legal jurisdictions and borders and (iv) transboundary issues. The definition of the case study area’s spatial limits constitute boundaries for the purpose to foster a proper analysis on human uses, ecological processes, synergies and conflicts, governance continuity, and define recommendations to establish appropriated strategies and plans. The boundaries have been drawn according to the scope of the project (e.g. to support the implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning in EU Member States with a concrete cross-border initiative) and the activities to be developed therefore on one hand they are representative of local conditions and policies and, on the other, they take in account potential transboundary and cross-border issues of MSP. The SIMWESTMED case study for Malta is focused on the Malta-Sicily marine waters, bordering the south of Sicily and the north of the Maltese Islands and including part of the continental shelves of Italy and Malta.Grant Agreement: EASME/EMFF/2015/1.2.1.3/02/SI2.742101peer-reviewe

Biochemical characterization of some cyanobacterial strains from salt marshes of the Venice Lagoon.

Abstract Three different strains of filamentous cyanobacteria, Tychonema, Limnothrix, and Pseudoanabaena, were selected among the fastest growing taxa collected in the salt marshes of Venice Lagoon and were grown in laboratory for growth rate determination and biochemical characterization of chlorophylla,total proteins, total carbohydrates, and exopolysaccharides.Experiments were carried out both in liquid medium and two different substrates: artificial plant protection fabric and ground indigenous shells. Cyanobacterial behavior was recorded to better understand colonization of natural and new artificial marshes

Data Descriptor: high resolution multibeam and hydrodynamic datasets of tidal channels and inlets of the Venice Lagoon

Tidal channels are crucial for the functioning of wetlands, though their morphological properties, which are relevant for seafloor habitats and flow, have been understudied so far. Here, we release a dataset composed of Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) extracted from a total of 2,500 linear kilometres of high-resolution multibeam echosounder (MBES) data collected in 2013 covering the entire network of tidal channels and inlets of the Venice Lagoon, Italy. The dataset comprises also the backscatter (BS) data, which reflect the acoustic properties of the seafloor, and the tidal current fields simulated by means of a high-resolution three-dimensional unstructured hydrodynamic model. The DTMs and the current fields help define how morphological and benthic properties of tidal channels are affected by the action of currents. These data are of potential broad interest not only to geomorphologists, oceanographers and ecologists studying the morphology, hydrodynamics, sediment transport and benthic habitats of tidal environments, but also to coastal engineers and stakeholders for cost-effective monitoring and sustainable management of this peculiar shallow coastal system