The multiple data and geographic knowledge approach to a liquid toxic road accident mitigation - two block GIS data processing for an operative intervention

One of the current tasks of disaster management is to effectively counter toxic accidents on traffic communications. The paper demonstrates the procedure of the use of geographic data and knowledge with GIS technology for the operational mitigation of accident impacts on the traffic communication with leakage of toxic substance. A simulated leakage of toxic liquid substance on a highway in the Czech Republic was chosen as an example. The process is divided into two units. In the first preparatory block, data on soils and the geological environment are analysed and purpose oriented pre-processed. The data layer generally describes the expected movement of pollutants, e.g. predominant surface runoff, or predominant infiltration and/or a balanced combination of both of them. In the second operational unit, a location of the accident is precisely identified and the estimation of possible routes of pollutant runoff is performed with respect to the current status of the territory. Key points on these routes are identified with the aim to select mitigation measures and optimum access routes modelled for intervention techniques to reach key points in order to prevent contamination of water bodies.Web of Science141644

Předindustriální krajina Slovácka

Části území se zachovalou druhotnou strukturou krajiny vzniklou cca před polovinou 19. století, lze považovat za existující segmenty předindustriální krajiny. Takové území si zachovalo podobný charakter parcelace a využití pozemků z doby před zahájením hlavní vlny průmyslové revoluce u nás. Srovnávací podklady registrující starou předindustriální druhotnou strukturu krajiny jsou představovány jak daty II. vojenského mapování, tak indikačních skic katastrálního mapování. Vlastní zdroj informací o předindustriální krajině je reprezentován recentním barevným ortofotem. Region Slovácka, který byl účelově vymezen, vykazuje jen poměrně malé množství kritériím vyhovujících segmentů.Části území se zachovalou druhotnou strukturou krajiny vzniklou cca před polovinou 19. století, lze považovat za existující segmenty předindustriální krajiny. Takové území si zachovalo podobný charakter parcelace a využití pozemků z doby před zahájením hlavní vlny průmyslové revoluce u nás. Srovnávací podklady registrující starou předindustriální druhotnou strukturu krajiny jsou představovány jak daty II. vojenského mapování, tak indikačních skic katastrálního mapování. Vlastní zdroj informací o předindustriální krajině je reprezentován recentním barevným ortofotem. Region Slovácka, který byl účelově vymezen, vykazuje jen poměrně malé množství kritériím vyhovujících segmentů.The areas in the landscape with the preserved secondary landscape structure originated before the mid-19th century can be seen as existing segments of the pre-industrial landscape (PreIL). Such area has retained a similar character of land use from the period before the main wave of the industrial revolution in the territory of the present Czech Republic. Comparative documents registering the secondary landscape structure of the old pre-industrial landscapes are represented by the maps of the II. military survey and in cadastral maps both from the first half of the 19th century. Current source of information on the pre-industrial landscape is represented by a recent colour orthophotomap. The region of the Moravian Slovakia, which was defined for research purposes, has only a relatively small number of pre-industrial landscape segments respecting PreIL´s identification criteria

Segments of the ancient cultural landscape in the “Hungarian Corner” of Moravia: A valuable pre-industrial heritage

After a brief historical overview, the paper discusses two basic types of natural and cultural heritage in the territory of the “Hungarian corner” of Moravia. For 300 years, this area called a Campus Lucsco in the southeast of today’s republic was disputed territory between the Czech and Hungarian states. Settlement therefore proceeded slowly in waves depending on the political situation. The present international border was established around the year 1333. Numerous documents of the ancient landscape, probably of medieval origin, have been preserved in the current landscape. They are the ground plans of the cores of municipalities, whether they were founded by Czech or Hungarian landlords on one hand, and the remains of ancient land distribution in the form of narrow strips of agricultural land on the other hand. Other areas succumbed to land consolidation during land reforms in the 20th century. While the ground plans of the village cores are only subject to minor changes, the small-scale use of land is still threatened by further merging. The ground plans of the municipalities and land division at the present time (in colour orthophoto maps) were visually compared with the situation documented by the stable cadastre maps from the 1820s–1830s (see Figure 3). Only identical areas in both sources represent urban and rural segments of the pre-industrial landscape, whose roots go back to the dated Medieval Ages. They are documented on selected representative examples well-preserved ground plans of village cores, probably of integrated Hungarian and Czech origin. Similarly, well-preserved examples of the ancient division of agricultural land in flat and dissected terrain both with poly-functional and mono-functional land use are demonstrated. The best-preserved remnants of the ancient pre-industrial landscape are equal in value to protected areas of nature and cultural monuments. Their number and quality these remnants are threatened by economic pressure

Dynamic pluvial flash flooding hazard forecast using weather radar data

Pluvial flash floods are among the most dangerous weather-triggered disasters, usually affecting watersheds smaller than 100 km(2), with a short time to peak discharge (from a few minutes to a few hours) after causative rainfall. Several warning systems in the world try to use this time lag to predict the location, extent, intensity, and time of flash flooding. They are based on numerical hydrological models processing data collected by on-ground monitoring networks, weather radars, and precipitation nowcasting. However, there may be areas covered by weather radar data, in which the network of ground-based precipitation stations is not sufficiently developed or does not even exist (e.g., in an area covered by portable weather radar). We developed a method usable for designing an early warning system based on a different philosophy for such a situation. This method uses weather radar data as a 2D signal carrying information on the current precipitation distribution over the monitored area, and data on the watershed and drainage network in the area. The method transforms (concentrates) the 2D signal on precipitation distribution into a 1D signal carrying information on potential runoff distribution along the drainage network. For sections of watercourses where a significant increase in potential runoff can be expected (i.e., a significant increase of the 1D signal strength is detected), a warning against imminent flash floods can be possibly issued. The whole curve of the potential runoff development is not essential for issuing the alarm, but only the significant leading edge of the 1D signal is important. The advantage of this procedure is that results are obtained quickly and independent of any on-ground monitoring system; the disadvantage is that it does not provide the exact time of the onset of a flash flooding or its extent and intensity. The generated alert only warns that there is a higher flash flooding hazard in a specific section of the watercourse in the coming hours. The forecast is presented as a dynamic map of the flash flooding hazard distribution along the segments of watercourses. Relaying this hazard to segments of watercourses permits a substantial reduction in false alarms issued to not-endangered municipalities, which lie in safe areas far away from the watercourses. The method was tested at the local level (pluvial flash floods in two small regions of the Czech Republic) and the national level for rainfall episodes covering large areas in the Czech Republic. The conclusion was that the method is applicable at both levels. The results were compared mainly with data related to the Fire and Rescue Service interventions during floods. Finally, the increase in the reliability of hazard prediction using the information on soil saturation is demonstrated. The method is applicable in any region covered by a weather radar (e.g., a portable one), even if there are undeveloped networks of rain and hydrometric gauge stations. Further improvement could be achieved by processing more extended time series and using computational intelligence methods for classifying the degree of flash flooding hazard on individual sections of the watercourse network.Web of Science1315art. no. 294

Terénní výuka na PdF MU

Title in English: Outdoor Education and its Inclusion into Teaching at PdF MU: Support for the Use of Technology and the Implementation of Research Activities in the Undergraduate Education of Future Teachers The teaching material “Outdoor Education and its Inclusion into Teaching at PdF MU. Support for the Use of Technology and the Implementation of Research Activities in the Undergraduate Education of Future Teachers“ is the outcome of the project OP VVV Development of the process of undergraduate education at PdF MU: thorough preparation for good practice. One of the outcomes of the project was the preparation of innovative educational materials and courses. The courses were to reflect the educational areas within the updated Framework Educational Programme. In their content, there was to be a maximum connection of teaching with the use of cross-curricular topics. In the course of these, modern strategies for managing learning activities were to be adequately included

New mapping of post-industrial landscape in Czech Republic

Using additional databases on industrial architectural heritage, 128 examples of post-industrial landscapes (PILs) were identified on the Czech territory. These PILs were subdued to the genetic classification. One-to four-word-names were applied to describe individual PIL types. Their geographic distribution was analyzed in the Czech Republic

The geographical drought – a different view of the issue and its application in practice

Czech Republic, the land locked Central-European country faces the risk of drought in the last two decades. This problem is being studied by number of academic and applied institutes. We have focused on the so called geographical drought caused by an integral impact of representative factors of all natural landscape components and human land utilizing. Using GIS technology, we have carried out an exemplar research ignited by the hot wave and the precipitation deficit in the 2013 summer. Using detail natural component maps and land use data at the resolution 1:50 000, five territorial classes of drought risk were distinguished. Some of the most endangered areas cover large territory in the most fertile agricultural land in Southern Moravia. The artificial irrigation has to be planned and constructed on large plots primarirly to prevent harvest loses after hot wave has started

Community area risk assessment for flash flood

The flash floods forecasting is struggling mainly with extraordinary irregularities in origin of causal precipitations. They only in conjunction with the territory water saturation caused by antecedent precipitations start effect of other local factors that can consequences of short-term extreme precipitation either worsen or mitigate vice versa. Other community area features represent a permanent potential for an adequate territory response after heavy rains. According to current knowledge, it is possible to assess the flash floods hazard of a particular territory in case of extreme precipitation in advance. If such precipitations are already on the ground, or if they are just coming up in the atmosphere, the local flood control headquarters has at least time enough to call alarm and issue a flood warning. In the ideal case, it is possible to incorporate such area assessment into the concept of decision-making of the disaster staff and to insert it into the master plan documentation. The aim of this text is to present above mentioned original method, which can be used in authomatic GIS environment by public administration as well as other users. Suggested procedure is based on automatic hydrologic modelling in ArcGIS platform in combination with advanced digital terrain model. Delimitation of partial catchment basins is also part of our proces, which enables to decide about the risk value of the area in more detail using weighted arithmetic mean. These methods result to detailed imagination about probably threatened localities - and it is essential tool for local authorities and their decision making process in case of early warning

Přenos českých krajinářských zkušeností do pouštního prostředí k podpoře archeologického výzkumu

The landscape mapping represents a traditional activity of Czech geographers for long time. Czech landscape cartography experience supported by remotely sensed data and GIS technique was used in the research of Al-Baharíya oasis (Egypt, Western Desert) to compile the map of present landscape with natural and human-made objects, but also for completing the reconstruction natural landscape map showing the study area in the approximate time of early settlement. Such product presents selected sites, today covered with sandy dunes, where the possibility of ancient dwelling sites is higher in analogy with sites of present archaeological excavation

Subjekt of thinking. Physical geography – a vision of Czech science for 21 st century

The certain present retreat of physical geography from the primary scientific scene is assessed in the paper. The authors discuss sets of present strong and weak features of the Czech physical geography (tradition, expansion to foreign countries, application of modern technologies, openness to outputs from other sciences, as well as low its low promotion potential and dominanting focus on analytic research). The contribution is designed basically to open discussion about the future of the Czech physical geography