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The soil position in the landscape reveals its formation history. Landscapes combine surface features and subsurface components (parent material) of the earth, at which the soil inserts as a three-dimensional and dynamic natural body. The present research aimed to study the soil–landscape relationship in a sandstone-gneiss topolithosequence and the factors determining soil diversification in the State of Amazonas, Brazil. The study extended along a transect of 9253 m, covering the distance between the first and the last profile, for a total of five profiles opened. Profile selection considered landscape topography, from the highest to the lowest relief of the terrain. Soil profiles characterization and classification were based on morphological, chemical, and physical properties and the mineralogy of the clay fraction by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Lithological contrasts and landscape variations determined the different soil types along the topolithosequence. Morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical attributes also varied along the landscape. The relief and the parent material, sandstone-gneiss, were the main factors influencing the pedogenesis. Goethite (5–40 g kg–1) was the predominant Fe oxide in all the soils, reflecting the low total iron content (Fet ≤ 68 g kg–1) of the soils and parent materials. The predominance of the sand fraction in all the studied profiles reflected the alluvial nature of the parent material, with the highest values (total sand > 800 g kg–1) occurring in the convex creep slope. Knowing the geomorphic surfaces and the parent material was effective for understanding the variation of the soil attributes along the landscape.

The present study was aimed to investigate the morphometric indices and tectonic implications in sedimentary landscape of Wardha River sub-basin, Central India. Geologically, the study area is predominantly constituted with Vindhyan and Lower Gondwana sedimentary formations. In the study, IRS-1D, LISS-III satellite data and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques were used to compute morphotectonic indices viz., channel sinuosity (S), drainage basin asymmetry factor (AF), transverse topographic symmetry factor (T), basin elongation ratio (Re), drainage basin shape (Bs) and mountain front sinuosity (Smf) to determine the tectonic activity of the study area. The terrain parameters such as aspect, slope and relative relief, river longitudinal profile and topographic profile of the basin were also computed by using Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of 30 m spatial resolution. The computed S index for 69 meandering locations ranges from 1.03 to1.97, and it indicates the foremost courser of the river sinuous to meandering. The Re value ranges between 0.47 and 0.74, and it suggests the active to slight tectonic implications in the study area. The Smf values range from 1.14 to 4.69, and it indicates that the study area had slight to active tectonic implication. The T values range from 0.06 to 0.94, and it also indicates the tectonic activity. The present investigation clearly demonstrates the potential of remote sensing and GIS-based approach in evaluation of morphotectonic indices, which reveals the implications of tectonic activity in sedimentary landscape of Wardha River sub-basin, Central India.

Vulnerability assessment is one of the most effective tools for the quality protection of karst aquifers. In the COP method, three essential factors, i.e., karstification process (K), atmospheric conditions (A), and tectonic (T) of the KARSTLOP method, are not considered despite being important factors in karstic aquifer vulnerability. This study aims to develop a new method to obtain the vulnerability map for karst aquifers based on the COP method and the factors used in the KARSTLOP method. The new method, namely COP*KAT, considers K, A, and T factors in the COP method using fuzzy logic. A comparison of microbial and nitrate contamination indices for livestock and agriculture land use, respectively, to the distribution of vulnerability classes for three springs in the study area (Dorfak region, Iran) reveals the more efficient performance of COP*KAT compared to COP in vulnerability analysis.

Owing to the importance of land-surface temperature (LST) and its variability in ecosystems, long-term LST monitoring is necessary. Because direct field measurements and satellite images have drawbacks, an appropriate LST simulation model is required. Therefore, in this study, we developed an hourly land-surface temperature model for Jeju Island and evaluated the variability in the predicted LST. The LST model was developed based on numerical analysis using the finite element method and calibrated and validated by comparing the simulated and measured temperature data obtained from four weather stations on Jeju Island. The simulated and measured LST have coefficients of determination of 0.96 and root mean square errors of 2.29 °C in validation. The model was used to predict LST data for a representative day of every month in 2018 using the mean monthly air temperature, and the variability of the data was calculated using the information entropy-based disorder index (DI). Linear relationships among the geographic coordinates, terrain attributes, mean LST, and DI were analyzed. Latitude and shaded relief were significantly linearly related with the overall mean LST and mean DI of the entire period, whereas longitude, elevation, and slope were not. The overall mean LST and mean DI for the entire period were negatively linearly related, but significant linear relationship did not appear in the case of individual months.

Stable and vulnerable free terrain is always preferred for human habitation. Therefore, delineation of terrain stability zones is very much essential for the development and growth of planned and sustainable settlement habitation in any region. To assess the terrain stability for human habitation of the Himalayan Upper Pindar River Basin, Uttarakhand, a systematic regional planning approach is used based on a multi-criteria evaluation framework. It is analysed with the help of the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) combined with geographical information system (GIS). Combine effect of twelve parameters or criteria, i.e. landslide-prone areas, Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA), average slope, geology, soil, snow-affected area, relative relief, rainfall, Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), altitudinal zone, dissection index, and vegetation through AHP method, reveals a great variety of terrain stability in the spatial level of the study area. According to the final thematic map of terrain stability zones, the whole region is classified into five zones, namely stable, moderately stable, moderately vulnerable, vulnerable, and highly vulnerable. 19.31% area of the south-western part of the basin have stable terrain compared to approximately 19.64% highly vulnerable zone of the study area for human habitation in the north-east. The moderately stable and the moderately vulnerable terrain are noted in 20.92% and 19.45% of the study area, respectively. Thus, from the analysis, regions of the basin with high stability terrain for human habitation and growth of settlement are identified with the AHP model and the final result may be drawn as the vulnerability of terrain is gradually decreasing from the north-eastern part of the basin to the south-western section.

Debris flows are frequently occurring natural processes in geologically complex terrains of the Indian Himalayas. Debris flow runout modelling leading to hazard assessment is essential for planning, designing, and execution of mitigation measures. In the present context, debris flow hazard assessment has been carried out for the Tangni debris flow in Garhwal Himalayas, India. Runout modelling was carried out using a Voellmy model-based 3D numerical simulation for estimation of flow intensity parameters such as runout distance, flow velocity, height and pressure along the propagation path. For calibration of the model inputs, back analysis of Tangni debris flow event that occurred in 2013, with its known runout length and deposition volume as the criteria, has been conducted. The best calibrated values of frictional parameters are obtained at μ = 0.10 and ξ = 400 m/s2. Using the best calibrated values of frictional parameters, hazard assessment was carried out for two potential release areas separately, with different initial volumes, and in combination to derive the probable runout distance along with other flow intensity parameters for different scenarios that may happen in the future. It has been observed that this debris flow scenario including the combination of two potential release areas will block the Alaknanda River, forming a landslide dam with a probable height of 6 m. Debris flow runout modelling-based hazard assessment will be helpful in determining quantitative information on flow intensity parameters, where complete data on past events are generally not available or were not possible to capture for the Indian Himalayan region.

Due to the need of economic development and energy structure adjustment, China intends to build a number of pumped storage power stations for hydroelectric storage to generate electricity. Pumped storage power stations are generally built in mountainous or hilly areas where sufficient water and height differences will provide the adequate head difference. Geological processes, such as debris flows, often occur in mountainous areas and are one of the main threats to power stations and related projects. In this work, the debris flows in the engineering area of a pumped storage power station in Shangyi County, Hebei Province were selected as a case study. The neural network model was adopted to quantitatively calculate the probability of debris flows. Then, risk zoning was implemented according to the probability values. Finally, the debris flow numerical simulation software SFLOW, which is based on the finite volume shallow water flow model, was used for high-risk gullies. The spatial hazard range of each debris flow was predicted for rainfall frequencies of 20, 50, 100, and 200 years. And the sensitivity of parameters affecting debris flow migration and the advantages of SFLOW compared with FLO-2D software were discussed. In general, the SFLOW model can accurately and efficiently solve the problem of fluid flow on irregular terrain and can be applied to similar engineering projects.

Fluvial spaces have a marked reduction at a global level because of anthropic processes, which have generated an increase in elements exposed to flooding. These spaces include natural flow courses and flood-prone lands. In Spain, natural channels are defined as Hydraulic Public Domain assets, whose delimitation is essential for their protection and flood risk management. However, demarcation of these areas with independent hydrological-hydraulic approaches has generated underestimates in the extension of water-covered lands, thus in recent years it has become clear that there is a need to integrate other variables, such as geology and fluvial geomorphology, which allow comprehension of river dynamics from processes that occurred in the past. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to a better understanding in the definition of areas belonging to natural channels through the development of a detailed hydrogeomorphological-historical method applied to Carrion river (Palencia, Spain). For this purpose, Digital Terrain Models were generated from high spatial resolution LIDAR data, on which erosive and sedimentary forms generated by water circulation were delimited, whose process was also supported in ephemeral and topographic evidences collected in field. With this input, depending on dynamic characteristics and river land vegetation, limits of the Hydraulic Public Domain were drawn. The products obtained are made up as optimized elements both for management of natural courses and for delimitation and zoning of new flooding areas by incorporating hydrogeomorphological criteria.

Mining of coal resources in an area with a high groundwater level causes large-scale water accumulation on the surface, which brings great difficulties to land reclamation. To improve the reclamation efficiency, a boundary mathematical model of terrain reconstruction in the subsidence waterlogged area was established based on the Probability Integral Method (PIM) and the principle of equal amounts of digging and filling. The terrain reconstruction curve of deep-digging and shallow-filling was calculated through the linear combination of the surface’s predicted subsidence curve and the designed elevation line. The dividing boundary, inner boundary, and outer boundary of deep-digging and shallow-filling were defined. Finally, the whole subsidence area was divided into four different regions according to inflection points of the terrain reconstruction curve, and the ecological reconstruction schemes of agriculture, forestry, and fishery were put forward. The engineering practice of the 1013 panel in Wugou Coal Mine showed that 54.69%, 31.55%, and 13.76% of the subsided land were reclaimed for cultivated land, slope cultivated land, and aquaculture area, respectively, and all the subsided land was reasonably utilized. This method provides a new technology for eco-environment treatment in the subsidence area with a high groundwater level.

In this study, 1-km gridded land use maps from 1980, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015 were used to analyze transitions in the spatial distribution and land use/cover in the Haihe River Basin (HRB) of China. The patterns of changes in land use/cover were characterized by an increase in rural–urban industrial lands and decreases in cropland, forestland, grassland, water, and unused land. Meanwhile, the land use/cover in 93% of the area in the HRB remained unchanged from 1980 to 2015. The results of a multi-temporal analysis of transition pathways from and to different land use/cover classes clearly revealed the transitional process of each class. Further analysis of the dynamic mechanisms underlying the five most common transitions showed that croplands in the areas with better locations (proximal to a city), traffic (near roads), topography (low altitude and flat terrain), and hydrology (close to a river) and rapid economic and population growth were likely to be changed into construction lands. Grasslands in areas at low altitude, over flat terrain, near a city, and with decreasing rainfall were easily changed to croplands, and croplands and forestlands in areas with unfavorable topographic (high altitude and uneven terrain) and hydrological (far from a river) conditions were likely to be converted into grasslands.

Efficient rainfall/runoff data modeling necessitates field data availability. Remote and rough terrain areas restrict data collection that leads to less reliable simulated models. Consequently, complete geographic databases are the quest to conduct over the catchment under investigation. The hydrologic model developed for this research based on different return periods (2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 200 years) gave significant discharge outputs. It was found that a basin average precipitation having a return period of 5 years yields a peak discharge of 1032.7 m3/s with the time of peak occurring 23.25 h after the event has started. It results in a volume of 79.9 × 106 m3. A storm event having a return period of 200 years, with basin average rainfall approximately two times more intense than the above yields an enormous discharge of 2191.1 m3/s and an accumulative volume of water of 158.8 × 106 m3. Accordingly, the catchment cannot accommodate such significant volumes of water and flooding becomes unavoidable. Therefore, hydrological, and hydraulic models can support decision-makers in correspondence to the catchment management problems for the sustainable and economic development of the wider area, by providing systematic and consistent information.

Aquifer parameters from geophysical well logs and pumping tests were used to evaluate the potential of fractured aquifer of khondalitic terrain of Northern parts of Eastern Ghats of India. The parameters under consideration are porosity and formation-water resistivity for the highly weathered material and the fractured khondalitic aquifer. The resistivity of fractured zones ranged between 28 and 30 Ω m. The aquifer porosity varied from 28% in the fractured khondalitic aquifer to 18% for the kaolinized formation. Pumping tests revealed the aquifer transmissivity and storativity in the range of 26–230 m2/day and 1.9 $$\times$$ 10–4–87.5 $$\times$$ 10–4 respectively. High values of transmissivity and storativity were obtained from the flat uplands, whereas low values characterized the low laying areas. The aquifer parameters have to unravelled the hydrogeological characteristics of the khondalitic terrain.

This study involved the application of geospatial techniques to delineate groundwater potential zones in a hard rock terrain of Oban Massif and environs. This goal was achieved using satellite remote sensing imagery and geographic information system techniques. The method mapped groundwater-controlling factors such as geology, geomorphology, lineament density, slope, land use and land cover and drainage density. The study covered a total area of 677,298 km2. Landsat ETM+ imagery, Shuttle Radar Transmission Mission (SRTM), topographic and geological maps and ASTER DEM were used in the analysis. Software used for image processing, digitizing and lineament density computation are ArcGIS10.1, ENVI 4.2 and PCI Geomatica, respectively. Supervised classification method was applied in land use and land cover mapping. Analysis of satellite imagery shows that band 4 was the best for showing textural features for lineament extraction. The method of multi-criteria evaluation by assigning relative weights to each groundwater-controlling factor was used to produce their corresponding thematic maps. The thematic maps were produced by weighted linear combination; each class individual weight was multiplied by the map scores and then adding the results. Overlay analysis of the thematic maps produced the groundwater potential map. Results show four groundwater prospect zones classified into very good (38,365 km2), moderately good (230,999 km2), fair (381,865 km2) and poor (26,068 km2). From this study, it is evident that lineament mapping is not the overriding factor in groundwater occurrence; other groundwater controlling factors are necessary for a more credible groundwater potential modeling. Lineament, slope, geology and geomorphology are the most influential groundwater controlling factors in the study. Comparison of the results of this study with the collected sample data shows reasonable accuracy. These findings are useful for borehole siting and environmental management strategies for groundwater potential investigation in both Nigeria and other parts of world.

An integrated approach involving geophysical and physicochemical methods was undertaken to assess the potential availability of groundwater and its quality was carried out at Akole, Abeokuta Southwestern Nigeria. A combination of electrical resistivity and natural electric field methods were used in delineating the sub-surface lithology, determining potential groundwater-bearing zones, and the potential availability of groundwater for a community water supply. Laboratory analyses of samples from existing wells in the area was also carried out to determine the groundwater quality index (GWQI). Four vertical electrical sounding (VES) stations and nine profiles were surveyed using the Omega Campus and PQWT 150 instruments, respectively. The VES results delineated a maximum of five geo-electric sub-surface layers. A sudden change in the stratigraphy view of the rock formation from soft to very hard formation was observed in profile map L2. Profile map L7 and VES 2 has the highest potential for future groundwater exploration. Areas under VES 3 and profile maps L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L8 and L9 are categorized as having a “medium” groundwater potential while the low yield water potential are areas under VES 1 and 4 and, profiles maps L1 and L10. The majority of groundwater in the weathered/fractured aquifer of the study area is slightly acidic. The GWQI values were less than 100, an indication that the analysed water samples fall within the “excellent” and “good” quality categories, implying that the groundwater is fit for domestic purposes. A combination of geophysical and physicochemical techniques has been successfully used to provide useful information for the assessment of groundwater potential and quality of the community.

Northwest Himalaya is one of the seismically active regions that had experienced a number of major and moderate earthquakes in the past. The 4th April 1905 Kangra earthquake (Ms 7.8) is one amongst those which had caused a devastating effect to the built environment, as a consequence of amplification factor due to varied impedance contrast between the overlying alluvial soil and underlying bedrock. Preventive actions aimed at minimizing the economic losses caused by such events require estimation of dynamic characteristics of the surface soil and its behaviour under strong motion excitation. Under this initiative, the Kangra Valley, which falls in seismic zone IV and V, was extensively studied to elucidate the effects of earthquake excitation on the built environment due to the soil amplification. The Kangra Valley is characterized by the presence of hills and valleys, thus has a very high variation in the sediment thickness above bedrock which is an important parameter for seismic hazard assessment. This study aims to establish a new empirical relationship from the experimental data for estimating sediment thicknesses of the Kangra Valley. Under this initiative the resonance frequency has been calculated from ambient noise measurement from 200 sites of the Kangra Valley. This extensive survey allowed the estimation of resonance frequencies (4–20 Hz) in the region and identified the areas prone to site amplification. Furthermore, joint-fit-inversion modelling of horizontal to vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) and dispersion curves obtained from ambient noise measurement and multichannel simulation with one receiver (MSOR) data acquisition, respectively, led to 1-D shear wave velocity (Vs) profile. New empirical relationships were established for Kangra Valley to estimate the thickness of overburden using non-linear regression analysis between resonance frequency (f0) obtained by HVSR technique and pseudo-depth (H) from the study area. The equation provides an effective tool to detect sediment thicknesses in the area with similar geological setup. The methods described in the study apply a new approach to derive new empirical relationship in hilly terrain and the area with sparse borehole record.

In the southeastern Tibetan Plateau with complex geological conditions, the frequent and disastrous geological hazards have posed a severe challenge to the construction and operation safety of the planning Sichuan–Tibet railway. Based on the remote sensing and field investigation, the detailed landslide inventory of Jiacha–Langxian segment of Sichuan–Tibet railway was established. After analyzing the general development characteristics of landslides, a total of seven causative variables were selected as input parameters to evaluate landslide susceptibility using the weight of the evidence model. Combined with the probability prediction map and field validation, the landslide susceptibility was classified into four categories: very high, high, moderate and low susceptibility. Based on the landslide susceptibility assessment map, the very high and high susceptibility zones are mainly distributed on the both sides of the Yarlung Zangbo river and its tributaries, and the moderate and low susceptibility zones are located 5 km north to the river. Considering the terrain and landslide disaster prone situation in this region, the planning railway line in tunnel on the north bank of the Yarlung Zangbo river is considered to be reasonable. As for the subgrade and bridge section of the railway, especially for tunnel entrance, necessary slope reinforcement should be carried out. Considering the objective safety threat from landslides to the railway, we hold the opinion that it is necessary to compare the scheme of changing route and taking engineering protection measures in the Langzhen–Langxian segment.

The scarcity of water is the major obstacle to sustainable development in poor regions under arid and semi-arid climate conditions. The search for reliable and less expensive methods for detecting potential water zones is of paramount importance. In this study, the approach based on remote sensing and geographic information system techniques and coupled with an algorithm of dynamic parameter weighting (ADPW) is found useful to develop a numerical model of the groundwater potentiality index GPI and to map areas suitable for setting future drill points in the Tafraoute region, western part of the Moroccan Anti-Atlas. This is a multi-criteria approach based on the analysis of field conditions related to fracturing, lithology, drainage, topography, and rainfall, on the one hand, and on water yields in 81 drilling points made in fractured terrains on the other. The potentiality values given by the GPI81 map in the field checking area are compared with the water flows observed in 11 corresponding drill points. A significant correlation coefficient (r = 0.749) is found. The current results reinforce the previous ones on the fractured aquifer of Central Morocco and encourage the adoption of the GPI-based approach elsewhere.

Delineating groundwater potential (GWP) zones is very important for the sustainable planning, development and management of the groundwater resources in hard-rock terrains. This is usually undertaken using multi-criteria evaluation methods based on using a data- or knowledge-driven combination of factors that are assumed to control the distribution of groundwater in hard-rock terrains. In the current study, this method was applied on a GIS platform to model GWP zones of a granitic hard-rock terrain in an arid region of central Iran. The groundwater occurrence indicators such as lineaments, drainage density, rainfall, lithology, topographic slope and vegetation cover were firstly prepared in the form of thematic maps and then combined using the traditional classification and continuous fuzzification methods to integrate these layers to produce GWP maps. Zones with high GWP values were identified in valley floors where granite was assumed to be overlain by a thick weathered profile and in highland areas where fracture zones were identified and annual rainfall is higher than at lower elevations. The modeled potentiality maps were validated by a comparison of the distribution of high GWP values and the spatial distribution of existing springs, qanats and wells in the region. Comparing the results of the two applied integration methods highlights the ability of the continuous fuzzy model based on data-driven logistic-based weighting of the thematic maps in delineating the GWP zones. The model will help to reduce the problem of exploration bias and uncertainties resulting from discretization of spatial values into arbitrary classes and defining weights based on the expert judgment in knowledge-driven method of traditional classification. It is recommended for modeling GWP zones and then proper management of the hard-rock aquifers in other regions.

Landslides are one of the major natural hazards that are experienced in hilly terrains all over the world and Himalayas are no exception to this. Though primarily attributed to natural causes, landslides are increasing in frequency and magnitude due to anthropogenic disturbances. This has resulted in enormous damage to both life and property. Hence, identification of landslide prone areas is essential for safer strategic planning of future developmental activities. A landslide hazard zonation (LHZ) map is generated by multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) of various responsible factors like slope, drainage, land use and land cover, lithology, soil and aspect which are weighted on the basis of their relative contribution to the occurrence of landslides. These weights are normalized such that the sum of normalized weights is equal to unity. The study area is divided into five zones based on the deciles of the normalized weights. The results reveal that 40% of the area falls under high LHZ which needs immediate engineering and agronomic measures. The MCE model presented in this study could be utilized for other mountainous regions in general and Himalayas in particular.

In recent years, the development of pumped-storage hydroelectricity has seen a very rapid increase, and lots of stations have been proposed to be built in China to adjust the energy structure of production and alleviate electrical energy shortages. The site of pumped-storage hydroelectric power plants is usually chosen in the mountain area, which can conveniently provide headwaters and height difference for the proper functioning of hydroelectric power station; however, geological disasters such as debris frequently flows in the mountain areas, posing great threat to the safety of plants and staff. A large pumped-storage hydroelectric power station will be built in the Taihang Mountains in the northwest of Yi County, Hebei province. To predict the potential scale of debris flow hazard, the shallow-water model based on the finite volume method (SFLOW model) is used. During the work, reconnaissance, geomorphological analysis, and laboratory experiment are carried out for model construction and data input. Then the debris flow designed for 20-, 50-, 100-, and 200-year return periods and the flood caused by dam break are simulated. The simulation study shows that the potential debris flow hazard will greatly harm the reservoir area, and if debris flows destroy the dam, floods could affect the residents of a maximum of 1.21 million square meters downstream. To prevent debris flows, retaining walls in the SFLOW model are set, and the results show that they can effectively reduce the hazard area of debris flow, ensuring the safety of the reservoir area. In general, the SFLOW model can accurately and efficiently solve the problem of fluid flow on irregular terrain and can be applied to similar engineering projects.

The earthquake of April 16, 2016 caused huge economic losses and human lives in Ground Zero of the city of Manta, Ecuador. The present study delimited the affected areas by superficial deformation and vertical displacements of the relief in this zone by means of the differential interferometry analysis (DInSAR), with the support of geophysical techniques such as electrical tomography of the subsoil and of georadar in combination with the analysis of concentration of structural lineaments-tectonic deformation, seismicity and geotechnical parameters such as soil liquefaction indexes, cutting wave velocity Vs30, among others. This combination of techniques allowed the spatial location with greater certainty of areas susceptible to seismic risk for construction and related to the soils typology of the Ecuadorian Construction Standard-NEC 2015. This proposed methodology improved forecasting mechanisms for the reduction of seismic risk based on maps of its susceptibility to the possible occurrence of an earthquake of magnitude as that of 16 April 16, 2016. Forecast that can be done to protect engineering works and to the population, especially in tectonically deformed areas.

Over the last few decades, the Indian subcontinent is gradually drifting towards northeast at a rate of 10 mm/year, which is an indication that the areas are actively deforming. Such a gradual rate of drift is expected to bring modifications and changes in the topography, which can be quantified with the help of geomorphic parameters. The current study examines the geomorphological changes in the seismically active areas of different geotectonic provinces of India, i.e., Northeast India and Bhuj region. The geomorphological changes have been estimated with the help of remote sensing and geographical information system modeling by calculating the geomorphic parameters. A total of 39 drainage basins were extracted from both the study areas using Aster GDEM data of 30 m resolution. Geomorphic indices such as stream order, stream length, bifurcation ratio, form factor, asymmetry factor and hypsometric integral were calculated for each drainage basin of the study regions. The geomorphic parameters reveal that the study areas are dendritic in character, even though having different geological formations, both study regions express similar lithological characteristics. With no strong control of structural elements, both study areas seem to be characterized by relatively high permeability and with relatively gentle slope. The extent of the carving of topography reveals that the drainage development and morphologic evolution of both areas have practically reached Late Mature and Old stage of terrain development. Even though the two study areas represent different seismotectonic provinces, it is observed that geomorphologically they are gradually approaching the stage of peneplanation.

Flooding is often affected by multiple factors such as climate, hydrology, infrastructures, etc. This paper attempted to examine multifractal methodology as a tool to characterize the indicators for flood magnitude. Results from this study have shown that the multifractal analysis can be an encouraging method to identify the dynamic features of flood process, particularly for rivers in the mountainous region such as the Wujiang River in this study. The flood peak, total flood volume, the 24-, 48-, and 72-h flood volumes were selected as flood magnitude indicators in this study. It was found that the five indicators showed strong multifractal feature. The singularity spectrum showed the flood volume had the highest fluctuation among all five indicators. The span of the multifractal singularity showed the flood volume had stronger multifractal characteristic. The flood volume was sensitive to local fluctuations, but other four indicators were not sensitive to fluctuations. This study also showed, for the Wujiang River, multifractality were in the order from greatest multifractal strength to the smallest were the flood volume, the maximum 24-h flood volume, the peak flood, the maximum 48-h flood volume and the maximum 72-h flood volume, which was due to the terrain features in Wujiang River and its drainage area.

High-steep slope information collection and multistep rocky slope stability analysis play an important role in slope engineering. However, traditional on-site investigations suffer from terrain restrictions and data omissions. This paper presents a block identification method based on UAV (unnamed aerial vehicle) photogrammetry and its computer implementation. An SfM (structure from motion) method is introduced and a 3D reconstruction software-PhotoScan was used to build the DEM (digital elevation model) of the rock mass for real-time monitoring. Then, an RANSAC (random sample consensus) shape detection algorithm was used to search the structural planes in the point cloud model. A computer program GeoSMA-3D (geotechnical structure and model analysis-3D) has been developed to implement engineering applications and a case study was carried out which confirmed the efficiency of the method in dealing with complex surface modeling and multistep rocky slope stability analysis.

Seasonal wetland crop farming plays a vital role in the lives of peoples of western Ethiopia. This study was aimed at the identification of potential wetlands suitable for crop farming in Nekemte district, western Ethiopia using GIS and remote sensing technology. Integrated remote sensing and GIS tools were used to generate and analyze the required wetland crop farming parameters. The parameters as existing land use/cover, terrain, soil, accessibility and available rivers parameters were extracted from satellite images, GPS surveys, Google map, DEM, FAO soil database, topographic sheets and the district’s master plan. All the data layers were classified, standardized, weighted and combined using weighted overlay technique in the GIS environment. The result obtained showed that 199.8 ha of the wetlands were identified as highly suitable and 103.2 ha were investigated as marginally suitable. In view of assisting the decision makers, planners, investors and practitioners, a map of potential wetland for crop farming was produced.

This paper deals with severe issue of groundwater crisis over a part of hard rock terrain in the premises of Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India. The goal of this study is delineation and mapping of fractured rock mass for groundwater exploration. Generally, fractured rock formation is the only source of groundwater in hard rock terrain. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) survey was conducted along three profiles over different parts of CIMFR premises using Wenner–Schlumberger and dipole–dipole arrays. Combined inversion of both arrays has been carried out during data analysis for better delineation of fracture rock masses in the complex geological environment. Two water-saturated fracture zones have been identified for the availability of groundwater, which has been confirmed by direct borehole drilling. This proves the effectiveness of ERT survey by combined inversion of both arrays for delineation of fracture zones.

Groundwater is considered as one of the most valuable natural resources as it supports human civilization. Freshwater is considered as an important natural resource which occurs partially on the surface and dominantly beneath the surface. The resource is declining drastically owing to the rapid increase in population and its management in an improper way. The occurrence of groundwater in hard rock terrain still behaves as enigmatic. Various terrain parameters control the movement and storage of groundwater. Accordingly geoscientists are using various techniques to explore the potential zone amongst which multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) technique seems to be more precise. Application of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) has come out as very effective tools in deciphering groundwater potential zone by modeling terrain features specially in hard rock arid regions. The present study is aimed to find out groundwater potential zones in Khatra Block of Bankura District, West Bengal, India characterized by hard granitic terrain and semi-arid climatic condition. In the present study various thematic maps viz., geomorphology, geology, lineament density, drainage density and slope have been prepared. For these, IRS Resources at LISS-4 with 5.8 m spatial resolution digital data, CARTOSAT-1 digital elevation model, CartoDEM with 2.5 m spatial resolution, along with other data sets such as Survey of India toposheets (73J/13, 73I/16, 73I/12), GSI Map have been used. Digitized vector maps relating to chosen parameters, were converted to raster data using 30 m × 30 m grid cell size. Different theme weight and class rank have been assigned to these raster maps. Each theme weight has been multiplied by its respective class rank and all the raster thematic layers have been summed up in a linear combination equation in Arc GIS Raster Calculator module. Similarly, the weighted layers have been statistically modeled to get the areal extent of groundwater prospects. This integrated approach, helped in classifying the groundwater availability in the study area into five categories, viz. very good, good, moderate, poor and very poor. Finally, it can be stated that the modeling assessment method proposed in this study forms an effective tool for delineating groundwater potential zones for proper development and management of groundwater resources in hard rock terrains.

This paper aims at developing a mathematical model of hazard assessment of debris flow (DF) by applying hydrodynamics mechanism (HM) in the judging of DF starting. On the basis of HM, finite-volume method has been used and the flow passages have been classified into ground channel, river channel, and overflow channel; hence, the simulating result of depth distribution could be adopted to judge DF starting by comparing with DF critical depth. Meanwhile, rainfall, terrain, geology, vegetation, and population have been selected as the impact factors, and normalization method has been utilized to calculate the five factors’ weights based on the synthesis of analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy-weighting method. Combining the impact factors’ weights with its digitized results, respectively, thus, DF hazard assessment could be achieved with the programming calculation of Fortran. Indeed, the assessment results have been validated by comparing with the statistical result of geological hazards distribution in Guangxi and the Quanzhou County Debris Flow Event in 2011. The validation results show that the mathematical model is reliable, and it is feasible in the hazard assessment of DF.

Loess environments such as the Chinese Loess Plateau are geologically fragile because of their great thickness, loose structure, crisscrossing ravines and gullies, broken terrain, dry climate, severe erosion and unevenly distributed rainfall. As a consequence, loess areas are highly prone to environmental problems and geological hazards. The geological structure of the loess is one of the main factors that controls occurrence of these geohazards. This study investigated the mechanism of loess landslides and their sliding control mode from the perspective of their geological structure. Using this mechanism, a three-dimensional geological model of loess landslides was established. The study shows that the structural planes in loess divide a complete slope into separate blocks, which enables the fast and deep infiltration of surface water via seepage channels and reduces the shear strength of the soil mass, inducing landslides. The development and formation of loess landslides are primarily controlled by structural planes and influenced by infiltrated water softening the structural plains. Various types of structural planes may combine and form structural bodies of different types and scales, which control the type, depth and scale of loess landslides.

Aquifer vulnerability assessment plays a vital role in identifying the areas/regions which are highly susceptible to groundwater contamination. The main intent of this study is to modify original DRASTIC and DRASTIC-P models by adding two exogenous factors [‘land use/land cover’ (LU) and ‘lineament density’ (LD)] which significantly influence groundwater contamination. The performances of original DRASTIC and DRASTIC-P (agricultural DRASTIC) models were compared with those of six modified forms of these models, viz., ‘DRASTIC-LD’, ‘DRASTIC-LU’, ‘DRASTIC-LDLU’, ‘DRASTIC-P-LD’, ‘DRASTIC-P-LU’ and ‘DRASTIC-P-LDLU’. The results of these models were validated with two scientifically sound and pragmatic approaches: (i) using the single water-quality parameter as a source of groundwater contamination (Approach I), and (ii) using multi-water quality parameters causing groundwater contamination (Approach II). Moreover, the sensitivity of these models was analyzed to identify most influential parameters in each case. The results revealed that irrespective of the models employed more than 50% of the study area falls under ‘High’ and ‘Very High’ vulnerability zones. The Approach I validation results indicated that the ‘DRASTIC-P-LDLU’ model performs the best with an accuracy of 61% and 68% with respect to nitrate and chloride concentrations, respectively, followed by the DRASTIC-LDLU model (respective accuracy = 59% and 61%). The results of model validation using Approach II also confirmed that among the eight models, the ‘Specific’ aquifer vulnerability predicted by the ‘DRASTIC-P-LDLU’ model (accuracy = 30%) is reasonably more accurate than DRASTIC-LDLU (accuracy = 29.7%) and DRASTIC-P-LU (accuracy = 29.6%) models. Hence, it is recommended to assess ‘Specific’ aquifer vulnerability instead of ‘Intrinsic’ aquifer vulnerability. The results of the model sensitivity analyses also indicated that ‘lineament density’ and ‘land use/land cover’ are the most significant parameters for vulnerability assessment.

Landslides and debris flows that occur around residential areas are considered, globally, as significant disasters that cause damage to human life and property. With terrain slope defining the flow characteristics of debris flows, flow depth, flow velocity, and impact force vary by time and distance. In particular, when a structure is located in the flow path of debris flows, the flow characteristics of debris flows vary by terrain slope and direction angle. To simulate the flow characteristics of these debris flows, the simulation results obtained by FLO-2D were analyzed with six-stage conditions for the research area. In the analysis, the flow depth, flow velocity, and impact force were estimated on the basis of the outlet of the research area in the presence and absence of structure(s) at certain distances. With this, the variation of the impact force in accordance with the variation of the flow depth of the debris flows was highly similar to the simulation results obtained by FLO-2D, when the correction index (α) of the suggested dynamic impact force equation was 0.3–0.4. There were sections where the estimated value of the impact force was overestimated near the outlet, and it was judged that the fixed values of the terrain factors (width, roughness coefficient, slope, etc.) caused the impact force to be overestimated. However, the correlation analysis showed that the correlation index was above the normal ranges in the suggested dynamic impact force equation for debris flows with the application of the terrain factors.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:19:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-05-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Due to its meteorological, geological and geomorphological settings, Brazilian’s Atlantic coast have suffered severe landslide phenomena, particularly along the cost of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Santa Catarina states. Studies have shown that these processes are complex and triggered by several factors. However, within the study area, many landslide locations are placed on gneiss migmatitic terrain with pronounced geological discontinuities. The objective of this paper is to assess landslide occurrences in Serra do Mar (Caraguatatuba, SP) and investigate, by means of kinematic analysis, how they correlate with foliation and fractures present on the rocks. Kinematic analysis is used to investigate which discontinuities are more favorable to landslides occurrence and their relationship with slope directions. Structural information and kinematic data models are used to evaluate cause–effect relationship of landslide processes. Results show that dip slopes, with NE–SW direction, have greatest potential for the occurrence of planar landslides. On the other hand, anti-dip and cross-dip slopes have a greater potential to develop wedge landslides. Rock weathering and fluid flux along foliation planes can intensify mass movement. Such effect is also seen in residual soil, since they are able to preserve relict structures of the rock. This study contributes to a better understanding of how geological structures, preserved in tropical residual soils, influence shallow landslides. Department of Applied Geology Institute of Geosciences and Exact Sciences São Paulo State University (Unesp), 24A Avenue, 1515, Bela Vista Institute for Technology Research of São Paulo State (IPT), Prof. Almeida Prado Avenue, 532, Cidade Universitária Department of Petrology and Metalogeny Institute of Geosciences and Exact Sciences São Paulo State University (Unesp), 24A Avenue, 1515, Bela Vista Department of Applied Geology Institute of Geosciences and Exact Sciences São Paulo State University (Unesp), 24A Avenue, 1515, Bela Vista Department of Petrology and Metalogeny Institute of Geosciences and Exact Sciences São Paulo State University (Unesp), 24A Avenue, 1515, Bela Vista

Digital soil mapping relies on field observations, laboratory measurements and remote sensing data, integrated with quantitative methods to map spatial patterns of soil properties. The study was undertaken in a hilly watershed in the Indian Himalayan region of Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh for mapping soil nutrients by employing artificial neural network (ANN), a potent data mining technique. Soil samples collected from the surface layer (0–15 cm) of 75 locations in the watershed, through grid sampling approach during the fallow period of November 2015, were preprocessed and analysed for various soil nutrients like soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Spectral indices like Colouration Index, Brightness Index, Hue Index and Redness Index derived from Landsat 8 satellite data and terrain parameters such as Terrain Wetness Index, Stream Power Index and slope using CartoDEM (30 m) were used. Spectral and terrain indices sensitive to different nutrients were identified using correlation analysis and thereafter used for predictive modelling of nutrients using ANN technique by employing feed-forward neural network with backpropagation network architecture and Levenberg–Marquardt training algorithm. The prediction of SOC was obtained with an R2 of 0.83 and mean squared error (MSE) of 0.05, whereas for available nitrogen, it was achieved with an R2 value of 0.62 and MSE of 0.0006. The prediction accuracy for phosphorus was low, since the phosphorus content in the area was far below the normal P values of typical Indian soils and thus the R2 value observed was only 0.511. The attempts to develop prediction models for available potassium (K) and clay (%) failed to give satisfactory results. The developed models were validated using independent data sets and used for mapping the spatial distribution of SOC and N in the watershed.

The content of this paper refers to the modelling of the geographic environment impact on the off-road vehicles movement in raster format. The common influences of relief slope, micro-relief forms, soils, vegetation, hydrology, built-up areas, meteorological factors, etc. on the vehicle speed deceleration are calculated. To determine the impact of various geographic environment types on the vehicle movement, many field tests and laboratory analysis were provided using military and rescue vehicles. Modelling principle of cross-country vehicle mobility in raster format is based on the idea that each geographic factor "F" located at given elementary terrain area and affecting vehicle speed has its own value of deceleration coefficient Ci. The value of this coefficient expresses the fact of how many times (or percent) a certain geographic factor will decelerate the vehicle speed. The final vehicle deceleration is calculated using synthesis of corresponding raster cells in elementary terrain area in which the influences of geographic factors on vehicle speed are constant. The ArcGIS software suite was used for building the cross-country movement (CCM) database and constructing the CCM map. The database, which has been developed for selected vehicles by the Military Geographical Service of the Czech Armed Forces, should serve as a military geographical support tool during the military and civil operations to improve vehicle navigation. Obsah tohoto příspěvku se týká modelování vlivu geografického prostředí na pohyb terénních vozidel v rastrovém formátu. Jsou vypočítány společné vlivy reliéfního svahu, mikroreliéfních forem, půd, vegetace, hydrologie, zastavěných ploch, meteorologických faktorû apod. na zpomalení rychlosti vozidla. K určení dopadu různých geografických typů prostředí na pohyb vozidel bylo provedeno mnoho terénních zkoušek a laboratorní analýzy pomocí vojenských a záchranných vozidel. Princip modelování mobility mobilních vozidel v rastru je založen na myšlence, že každý geografický faktor "F", který se nachází v dané oblasti a ovlivňuje rychlost vozidla, má svou vlastní hodnotu zpomalovacího koeficientu Ci. Hodnota tohoto koeficientu vyjadřuje, kolikrát (nebo procentuálně) určitý geografický faktor zpomaluje rychlost vozidla. Konečné zpomalení vozidla se vypočte pomocí syntézy odpovídajících rastrových buněk v základní ploše terénu, ve které jsou vlivy geografických faktorů na rychlost vozidla konstantní. Softwarová sada ArcGIS byla použita pro vytváření databáze průchodnosti - cross-country movement (CCM) a pro sestavení mapy CCM. Databáze, která byla vyvinutá pro vybraná vozidla Vojenskou geografickou službou Armády ČR, by měla sloužit jako nástroj vojenské geografické podpory během vojenských a civilních operací s cílem zlepšit navigaci vozidel. The content of this paper refers to the modelling of the geographic environment impact on the off-road vehicles movement in raster format. The common influences of relief slope, micro-relief forms, soils, vegetation, hydrology, built-up areas, meteorological factors, etc. on the vehicle speed deceleration are calculated. To determine the impact of various geographic environment types on the vehicle movement, many field tests and laboratory analysis were provided using military and rescue vehicles. Modelling principle of cross-country vehicle mobility in raster format is based on the idea that each geographic factor "F" located at given elementary terrain area and affecting vehicle speed has its own value of deceleration coefficient Ci. The value of this coefficient expresses the fact of how many times (or percent) a certain geographic factor will decelerate the vehicle speed. The final vehicle deceleration is calculated using synthesis of corresponding raster cells in elementary terrain area in which the influences of geographic factors on vehicle speed are constant. The ArcGIS software suite was used for building the cross-country movement (CCM) database and constructing the CCM map. The database, which has been developed for selected vehicles by the Military Geographical Service of the Czech Armed Forces, should serve as a military geographical support tool during the military and civil operations to improve vehicle navigation.

In recent years, advances in computer and information science, geography, and visualization in scientific computing have brought issues such as multi-dimensional visualization, dynamic phenomenon simulation, and public participation to the fore in the field of geographic information science. Various dynamic quantitative analysis and numerical simulation models have been coupled with geographic analysis tools. These developments have led to the rise of VGEs as potentially suitable tools for advanced geographic analysis and visualization. Improving the simulation ability of VGEs increasingly requires dynamic quantitative analysis and numerical simulation models. In this paper, we use tidal simulation as a case study to expand VGEs applications. To simulate complex flows in coastal areas, we propose an adaptive algorithm for triangulation mesh generation based on the change of terrain. This process can be effectively applied to tidal simulations. We also discuss the dynamic visualization of tidal movements in coastal areas, including spatial cluster analysis, feature extraction, and iconic visualization of the simulation data, which can reveal the dynamic phenomena. Finally, we design a dynamic monitoring strategy that includes tracking monitoring, calculation intervention, and parameter adjustment during the simulation process. The case study demonstrates that this method is reliable and effective and that it can be used effectively in geoscience analysis and geocomputing.

Spatialisations, the products of rendering non-spatial concepts in (typically, map and landscape) spatial representations, have been effectively applied to news stories and project workload. The latter has previously been implemented in a Virtual Geographic Environment (VGE) using a landscape metaphor. This was done by translating the work attributes of duration to landscape area and difficulty to the height of elevated features in the landscape, to produce a simple scene. This work proposes and implements an extension of the workload 2.5D terrain surface (landscape) based on the additional work attributes of project uncertainty (translating to terrain roughness), and relative importance of the project (translating to centrality of the project area in the entire scene). Importantly, each project is divided into subtasks, each possessing its own duration, difficulty, certainty and importance which translates into a correspondingly more detailed and realistic hill in the virtual environment. This implementation visualizes projects and their subtasks as ‘islands’ with ‘hills’, each generated from objectively-defined (duration and definition of subtasks) and subjective (difficulty, certainty, importance) data. Results on several types of data (workload-related and non-workload related) are presented to demonstrate the data independence of the closed computational algorithm. This represents a novel application for the VGE, featuring a non-specific naive geography rather than the usual specific virtual environment that is tied to a real location. Finally, limitations to the computational method are reported on and proposals for future development are presented (e.g. the modelling of semantic proximity of projects).

Albedo is one of the import parameters for the routine applications of various remote sensing models, and most methods for estimating albedo are only applicable in plain areas with relatively flat topography. Due to the existence of the undulant terrain in mountain areas, the incoming radiance can be decomposed into beam, diffuse, and terrain radiance, which are affected by atmospheric transmittance, solar zenith and azimuth angles, terrain slope and aspect, etc. The existence of partial shadow in low-resolution pixel makes the calculation of albedo more complicated in the mountain areas. This paper presents a rapid and operational method for estimating albedo on complex terrain using high-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data with sensor view angles less than 20°. Shadow coverage ratio of the low-resolution map was retrieved from high-resolution shadow map, and was used for the correction of beam radiance. The parameters used for the atmospheric correction of narrowband beam radiance and weighting coefficients for the calculation of broadband albedo using MODIS with and without band 5 were developed based on the SMARTS2 simulation under different atmospheric conditions. Taken the Taihang Mountain in the North China as the study area, the calculated reflectance and albedo were compared with the MODIS reflectance and albedo products. The maximum deviations between estimated and blue-sky albedos were −0.0155 and +0.0151 in plain areas, and −0.00667 and 0.01747 in the mountain areas, respectively. Good agreements indicate that the procedure presented in this paper is applicable for the albedo calculation in the mountain areas using MODIS images and high-resolution DEM.

Mountain glacier is considered as one of the most sensitive natural indicators of climate change. Glacier surface motion distribution in West Kunlun Shan (WKS) has been attracting considerable attention and represents a fundamental glacier parameter for better understanding glacier dynamics, ice mass balance, and even for the climate change. This paper would present the accurate ice motion observation of mountain glacier in eastern part of WKS by the refined pixel-tracking method with phased array type L-band synthetic aperture radar images acquired on December 13, 2008 and January 28, 2009. The standard deviation values in nonglacial area before/after topographic effect compensation are 0.61 and 0.43 m, respectively, during 46-day temporal interval. In addition, the terrain almost is a determining factor of ice velocity distribution in study area because the elevation of topography is generally shown to be positive correlated with glacier surface velocity along the central line. Furthermore, with estimated detailed glacier surface movement distribution pattern, we found that the continental glaciers were actively moving with spatially variable ice motion, while the icecaps maintain the stable status without apparent motion on most part of surface. Therefore, the refined SAR-based pixel-tracking method, including topographic effect compensation operation, provides a useful and robust tool to map and measure the glacier motion in mountain area with complex terrain.

Soil reconstruction on the open-cast mine dump is an important part of land reclamation. This study took soils at the south dump in Antaibao open-cast mine of China Coal Pingshuo Group as the research object and focused on analyzing the physical properties and differentiation mechanisms of the reconstructed soils collected from the dump along the slope and platform of shady slope, half shady slope, sunny slope, and half sunny slope of the open-cast coal mine at the overall level, site level, and terrain level, respectively, during the soil-rock mixture discharge process. The results are following: (1) the variation coefficients of soil bulk density, soil porosity, soil mass water content, as well as soil gravel content are at a state of medium variability. (2) After a long time of vegetation restoration, soil bulk density is decreased, soil porosity is increased, and soil mass water content quality is improved. (3) The physical properties of reconstructed soils at platform are slightly, but not significantly better than those at slope. (4) Most physical properties of the reconstructed soils are significantly different at the slope and aspect levels, but not at the altitude level. (5) At the slope level, the physical properties of reconstructed soils are significantly different between the moderately steep slope and high steep slope. (6) At the aspect level, soil bulk density, soil porosity and soil gravel content sunny slope are obviously different from those at half sunny slope, and soil mass water content at shady slope is significantly different from that at half shaded slope. Lastly, we proposed some specific measures to optimize land reclamation technologies.

The theoretical variance-scale relation has been widely used in detecting scale phenomena in ecology. Mathematical derivation and verification in mathematical functions have been demonstrated in this paper that the inherent law, e.g., variance of an independent variable, decreases while scale (resolution) increases. Based on this variance-scale relation and the attribute of grid DEM, an accuracy assessment approach for interpolation methods applied to generating grid DEMs was developed. A numerical test and two real-world examples were employed as a means of examining the feasibility of this accuracy assessment approach by comparing four interpolation methods, i.e., HASM, Spline, Kriging, and IDW. A scale-based error model of DEM was obtained in the numerical test and interpolation accuracy could be compared based on the matching scales. Both the regular sampling case and the random sampling case showed that all of the calculated variance-scale relations of all four methods broke the theoretical law because of synthetic effect of sampling density, terrain characteristics, scale and smoothing effect of interpolators in the real-world test. The overall level of variance at most scales was thus used as an accuracy assessment criterion. After perfecting the second assumption, we established the final assessment criteria. Based on the new accuracy assessment framework, all the results indicated that HASM and Spline were more accurate than Kriging and IDW. The new accuracy assessment approach provides an alternative framework for comparing different interpolation methods in grid DEMs.

Moroccan karst has been the subject of study over the last two decades as a system, where landforms interact with groundwater, springs and human action. The literature review gone through in this article focuses on international publications, including French journals. It shows the complexity of the karst area and its local model diversity. The regimes of the aquifers, landforms and springs were reported in most mountain terrains and the local interactions between the karst aquifer, karst springs, landforms and human action were discussed. Even the Rif Mountain presents some karst aspects, mainly in its central part, the Atlas domain is more dominated by karst. The substrate types, tectonics, altimetry, climate, and vegetation roles are important in karst dynamics. Human factors impact the landscapes and the equilibrium of the hydro-karst system via resources overuse and management. Indicators of the present-day disequilibrium were evoked (turbidity of water in karst springs, geotechnical problems, erosion of the soil, etc.). These problems will be more complex in the future due to the human density increase and probable intense human activity in the rural areas. Sustainable management is therefore a challenging priority in the karst domain.

Subsidence sinkholes in karst terrain are a common geological hazard, which can lead to natural disasters in the natural and built environment. Groundwater ingress is the main factor leading to subsidence. Previous research has focused on the qualitative analysis of the influence of groundwater, although limited research into critical triggering conditions of groundwater has been undertaken quantitatively. Water seepage into soil is the starting condition in the development of subsidence sinkholes. This paper focuses on testing the anti-permeability strength as the critical triggering condition in the formation of subsidence sinkholes, and develops a design and methodology to test its value quantitatively. The methodology is applied in an industrial park of Guilin, China, to assess the probability of forming subsidence sinkholes. Results indicate that there is a low susceptibility to the formation of subsidence sinkholes under current conditions in the ground-truth investigation.

The Karstic thrust edge, a pronounced geomorphologic step, which is a result of the tectonostratigraphic evolution of the active Adria–Dinarides thrust zone, represents a major obstacle for the planned new railway route Divaca–Koper. Thus, the geotechnical and structural properties as well as the geometry of the thrust-fault planes in this area are of great importance. Since geological mapping cannot give insight into the subsurface to reveal a complex 3D structure, and the numerous boreholes needed to investigate the area would be too expensive and time consuming, the application of a geophysical method such as ground penetrating radar (GPR) is needed. To test the method for determining near surface features and detecting low-angle inclined thrusts, a low frequency GPR system with 50 MHz rough terrain antenna was used to record 13 GPR profiles along all three floors of the Crnotice quarry, where the spatial position of the Socerb thrust fault that separates limestones above and flysch layers below is relatively well documented. The profiles were positioned across selected existing boreholes. The GPR results were correlated with borehole data as well as geological mapping results. The GPR provided not only precise information on the geometry of the Socerb thrust fault, but was also very useful for establishing the position of some known as well as several potential cavities, both air- and sediment-filled. In areas further from the thrust-fault zone, where the limestone is less tectonically damaged, it was also possible to determine apparent dip angles of the strata, which after reconstruction matched the true dips gathered from geological mapping.

This study demonstrated the use of transient rainfall infiltration and grid-based regional slope stability analysis model incorporated with spatial rainfall distribution model for regional mapping of rainfall-induced slope failures in a slope failure-prone area in Malaysia, namely Hulu Kelang. Infinite slope analysis was incorporated into the improved model to compute the pore water pressure and slope stability of the region. Digital terrain maps, spatial rainfall distributions, soil profiles, groundwater table, and soil properties were input into the model. The results showed that the slope failures in the study area can be grouped into shallow failures (

Meymand, a historic 2000-year-old village, is an important heritage site in Iran that was included on the World Heritage List in 2015 by UNESCO. The village is located in a volcanic terrain, and its structures, such as houses, a mosque, a public bath, and a fire temple, have been carved in to the pyroclastic rocks of the Masahim volcano. In the present study, the engineering geological and geoenvironmental aspects of the Meymand village were investigated, including the geomorphology and landscape of the village, the technical classification of the pyroclastic rocks and their geomechanical properties, and the geoenvironmental characteristics and problems of the village. The engineering geological characteristics of the Meymand site were also compared with those of similar sites of the Cappadocia region in Turkey and the Kandovan village in Iran, which were widely studied by earlier researchers. The results of the present study indicated that the erosion of massive volcanic rocks free from systematic structural discontinuity has formed the unique landscape of the village, which is different from similar other sites. According to technical classification, the Meymand pyroclastic rock is a lithic tuff of a low degree of welding that has very weak strength and low durability. Accelerated weathering tests that artificially simulated the Meymand site conditions suggested that the Meymand tuff is prone to atmospheric conditions as its strength and deformability are drastically reduced when it becomes wet or saturated. Laboratory tests and field evidence show that the Meymand village is under threat of erosion due to natural and anthropogenic agents that gradually destroy the landscape and structures of this significant World Heritage Site. Therefore, conservation projects should be planned and applied that ensure the preservation of the village.