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Field positioning (FP) is a key technique in the digitalization of agriculture. By integrating sensors and mapping techniques, FP can convey critical information such as soil quality, plant distribution, and topography. Utilizing vehicles for field applications provides precise control and scientific management for agricultural production. Compared to conventional methods, which often struggle with the complexities of field conditions and suffer from insufficient accuracy, this study employs a novel approach using self-developed multi-sensor array hardware as a portable field topographic surveying device. This innovative setup effectively navigates challenging field conditions to collect raw data. Data fusion is carried out using the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) algorithm. Building on this, this study combines the good point set and Opposition-based Differential Evolution for a joint improvement of the Slime Mould Algorithm. This is linked with the UKF algorithm to establish loss value feedback, realizing the adaptive parameter adjustment of the UKF algorithm. This reduces the workload of parameter setting and enhances the precision of data fusion. The improved algorithm optimizes parameters with an efficiency increase of 40.43%. Combining professional, mapping-grade total stations for accuracy comparison, the final test results show an absolute error of less than 0.3857 m, achieving decimeter-level precision in field positioning. This provides a new application technology for better implementation of agricultural digitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initial cartographic materials were determined to create the topographic database of the “Main State Topographic Map”. They require preparation for creating (updating) digital topographic maps at the scale of 1:50,000. One of the stages of preparation of input cartographic materials is their transformation to the coordinate reference system UCS-2000. The goal of the article is to research the problem of transformation of points coordinates by the rigorous mathematical method for referencing cartographic materials from the coordinate systems CS-42/CS-63 to the State Geodetic Coordinate Reference System UCS-2000 (after this – UCS-2000) by geographic information systems (GIS) for creation (updating) digital topographic maps at the scale of 1:50,000 to create the seamless topographic database of the “Main State Topographic Map” on the territory of Ukraine. Authors propose a method of transformation orthophoto at the scale of 1:10,000 to UCS-2000 in Cartesian coordinates of Gauss-Krüger projection in the corresponding 6-degree zone in the adopted state interchart of topographic maps at the scale of 1:50,000. This method consists of cartographic materials transformation using a transformation field in the form of a GRID model based on the triangulation TIN model using the finite element method. The choice of the finite element method and the peculiarities of affine transformation are mathematically substantiated. Also, the authors determined the requirements for the method of coordinates transformation.

For rapid production of spatial data and topographic maps, map production systems should be transformed into a dynamic structure. Topographic map production system in Turkey, cartographic operations for each map are repeated in the same way, regardless of the amount of data updated in the geographic database. The implementation of similar actions on maps with very few changes is not time and cost effective. In this study, changes were determined by comparing the current and previous data from TOPODB and the resulting changes were integrated into the population class of 1:25.000 scale topographic maps in a third less time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Island transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap is well vascularized with very reliable blood flow, because all perforators of the zone I are included when it is harvested. The number of perforators, topographic mapping, and their relationship with reconstructed outcomes were investigated.

The interest in the development of dental enamel thickness measurement techniques is connected to the importance of metric data in taxonomic assessments and evolutionary research as well as in other directions of dental studies. At the same time, advances in non-destructive imaging techniques and the application of scanning methods, such as micro-focus-computed X-ray tomography, has enabled researchers to study the internal morpho-histological layers of teeth with a greater degree of accuracy and detail. These tendencies have contributed to changes in established views in different areas of dental research, ranging from the interpretation of morphology to metric assessments. In fact, a significant amount of data have been obtained using traditional metric techniques, which now should be critically reassessed using current technologies and methodologies. Hence, we propose new approaches for measuring dental enamel thickness using palaeontological material from the territories of northern Vietnam by means of automated and manually operated techniques. We also discuss method improvements, taking into account their relevance for dental morphology and occlusion. As we have shown, our approaches demonstrate the potential to form closer links between the metric data and dental morphology and provide the possibility for objective and replicable studies on dental enamel thickness through the application of automated techniques. These features are likely to be effective in more profound taxonomic research and for the development of metric and analytical systems. Our technique provides scope for its targeted application in clinical methods, which could help to reveal functional changes in the masticatory system. However, this will likely require improvements in clinically applicable imaging techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Island transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap is well vascularized with very reliable blood flow, because all perforators of the zone I are included when it is harvested. The number of perforators, topographic mapping, and their relationship with reconstructed outcomes were investigated. Methods Fifty patients with Island TRAM breast reconstruction from September 2021 to August 2022 were investigated. The zone I was divided into a total of eight sections. Under the loupe magnification, all perforators larger than 0.5 mm in zone I were counted with fine dissection, and photographs were taken in background of vessel loops. Complications like flap necrosis, seroma, and hematoma were also investigated. Result There are 12 ideal perforators on average in zone I such as one perforator in section I, II, IV, V, VI, VIII, and three perforators in section III and VII. However, two perforators (M6 and L6) below arcuate line were sacrificed in the time of flap harvest to prevent hernia. Island TRAM included 10 perforators on average (5 perforators in each side) above arcuate line to be transferred to the recipient site. Only minor complications were identified. Conclusion The Island TRAM flap includes 10 perforators to get the vigorous blood flow. The periumbilical to upper medial perforators become more dominant in the perfusion of the flap after deep inferior epigastric artery division. Well preserved perforators will guarantee the satisfactory breast reconstruction with the least complication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A CAS500-1 (Compact Advanced Satellite) is a high-resolution Earth-observing satellite launched in Mar 2021 and being operated by National Land Satellite Center at NGII (National Geographic Information Institute). The mission of the satellite is the periodic monitoring of the land for efficient managements. Having completed the calibration and validation processes, CAS500-1 has been acquiring land images to generate the basic geospatial information that are topographic maps, orthorectified images, and DEM (Digital Elevation Model). Using satellite data has a lot of advantages over aerial images in terms of repeatability, coverage, and accessibility. However, the spatial resolution is relatively lower than that of aerial images. This prohibits the large scale topographic mapping from the satellite data. Therefore, we conducted 1:5,000 large scale topographic mappings using CAS500-1 stereo data and assessed the accuracy. Two test areas were selected including accessible and inaccessible areas. Overlapping CAS500-1 data were automatically processed with GCP (Ground Control Points) chips for better positional accuracy. Then they are used for the epipolar resampled images that can be used for stereo-plotting. Through the stereo display quality assessment, we selected the optimal stereo set for each site. The accuracy of the resulted topographic maps was checked using ground truth data such as GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System)-surveyed points over the accessible area and GCP chips in the inaccessible area, respectively. The experimental results showed the accuracy successfully met the requirement of 1:5,000 topographic map in Korea. We concluded that CAS500-1 data will have more potential for large scale mapping considering that CAS500-2 is scheduled to be launched in 2022 and cooperate with CAS500-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topographic maps are widely used to provide geospatial information on digital environments, and the principles of cartographic communication positively impact its design. This paper proposes new road and building symbols in mapping Brazilian urban areas, aiming to increase the effectiveness of map-reading tasks (MRTs) in a multi-scale context. For this purpose, colour theory and semiotics were applied to develop new symbols and a remote test through an adapted think-aloud protocol. The results showed that users performed better with the proposed symbols than the previous ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser altimeters are capable of achieving fine mapping of the permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) of the Moon, which can provide fundamental topographic data for planetary missions. However, various factors can cause uncertainty in the geolocation of laser spots, which in turn causes terrain artifacts. In this article, we present an iterative self-constrained adjustment method to reduce the uncertainty of laser spot positioning. First, grid search was conducted for each altimetric profile from the lunar orbiter laser altimeter (LOLA), to minimize the weighted root-mean-square error (RMSE), constrained by the other altimetric profiles. Second, the updated profiles were iteratively adjusted until the adjustment value for the plane position converged. In addition, statistics from the standardized de-trended slope and residual were created to eliminate outliers, which were indeed some pseudo-topographic observations. In order to validate the results, the deviation of the elevation by projecting the adjusted laser profiles onto the improved LOLA digital elevation model (DEM) were calculated. The mean absolute error between the two is 0.25 m and the RMSE is 0.46 m. For the local terrain features with large differences, high resolution optical images were used for visual interpretation. The analysis shows that the obtained results appear to be more reasonable. Finally, using the corrected LOLA altimetric data, we made a new DEM of the PSRs within 89°S of the lunar south pole, which can provide a refined and reliable topographic dataset for follow-up research.

Accurate and error-free digital elevation model (DEM) data are a basic guarantee for the safe flight of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during surveys in the wild, especially in moun-tainous areas with large topographic undulations. Existing free and open-source DEM data gen-erally cover large areas, with relatively high spatial resolutions (~90, 30, and even 12.5 m), but they do not have the advantage of timeliness and cannot accurately reflect current and up-to-date topographical information in the survey area. UAV pre-scanning missions can provide highly accurate and recent terrain data as a reference for UAV route planning and ensure security for subsequent aerial survey missions; however, they are time consuming. In addition, being limited to the electric charge of the UAV, pre-scanning increases the human, financial, and time consumption of field missions, and it is not applicable for field aerial survey missions in reality, unless otherwise specified, especially in harsh environments. In this paper, we used interferometric synthetic aper-ture radar (InSAR) technology to process Sentinel-1a data to obtain the DEMs of the survey area, which were used for route planning, and other free and open-source DEMs were also used for flightline plans. The digital surface models (DSMs) were obtained from the structure of the UAV pre-scan mission images, applying structure for motion (SfM) technology as the elevation reference. Comparing the errors between the InSAR-derived DEMs and the four open-source DEMs based on the reference DSM to analyze the practicability of flight route planning, the results showed that among the four DEMs, the SRTM DEM with a spatial resolution of 30 m performed best, which was considered as the first reference for UAV route plans when the survey area in complex mountainous regions is covered with a poor or inoperative network. The InSAR-derived DEMs from the Sentinel-1 images have great potential value for UAV flight planning, with a large perpendicular baseline and short temporal baseline. This work quantitatively analyzed the errors among the different DEMs and provided a discussion regarding UAV flightline plans based on external DEMs. This can not only effectively reduce the manpower, materials, and time consumption of field operations, improving the efficiency of UAV survey tasks, but it also broadens the use of InSAR technology. Furthermore, with the launch of high-resolution SAR satellites, InSAR-derived DEMs with high spatial and temporal resolutions provide an optimistic and credible strategy for UAV route planning with small errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to determine the siltation level of the Lugu dam reservoir, Sokoto State, Nigeria, using the bathymetric survey method. A total of eleven (11) ground control points were established over the study area using Hi-Target Global Navigation Satellite (GNS) Real-time Kinematic (RTK) System. The base station was set- up over the reference Bench Mark while the Rover station was moved around to predetermine locations of the ground control points. The depths to the Lugu dam reservoir bed, as well as its underwater topographic mapping with a section of the River Rima on the right flank of the reservoir area, across the collapsed spillway were conducted using Garmin Global Positioning System Map. This was mounted on a nine feet fibre boat to enhance the echo sounding. The result of the study was used to produce a digital elevation model, topographic contours and the area-elevation-capacity curve for the reservoir. This indicates that between elevations 260.5 m and 262 m, the available minimum and maximum designed storage capacities of Lugu dam reservoir ranges from 21.24 MCM and 34.25 MCM respectively. The Lugu dam reservoir maximum storage capacity at breached level stands at 25 MCM, while its active storage capacity is 20 MCM. This is to conclude that the amount of siltation at the reservoir is 9.25 MCM representing 27.01% indicating the difference between the maximum designed capacity and the current storage capacity. It is recommended that dredging be carried out to regain the initial designed storage capacity as this will no doubt put an end to the incessant flooding and erosion experienced in the area.

Noninvasive electroencephalogram (EEG) in unanesthetized nonhuman primates is useful for basic science and biomedical applications but presents several technical challenges. In particular, multiple EEG electrode application to the scalp of small-sized monkeys, such as common marmosets, has been difficult, if not impossible. Here, we describe a novel approach, using the “dip-in electrode” method, which enables multichannel noninvasive EEG recording in a marmoset through short and small silicone tubes, with an internal diameter of 4 mm. First, the cut face of the tube was glued to the shaved scalp. Then, the tube was filled with the electrode gel, and a small electrode (4 mm in diameter) was dipped into the gel to contact the skin electrically while being electrically isolated from the neighboring channels. The minimum inter-electrode distance was 6 mm, which was limited by the outer diameter of the tubes. A proof of concept was provided through successful 32-channel recording of scalp EEG and topographic mapping of the cortical auditory evoked potentials in an unanesthetized marmoset. This had not been possible with the existing methods using gauze or tape for electrode fixation. Our method provides a feasible means for noninvasive scalp recording of EEG and evoked potentials in marmoset monkeys and possibly other nonhuman primates and non-primate mammals.

The interest in the development of dental enamel thickness measurement techniques is connected to the importance of metric data in taxonomic assessments and evolutionary research as well as in other directions of dental studies. At the same time, advances in non-destructive imaging techniques and the application of scanning methods, such as micro-focus-computed X-ray tomography, has enabled researchers to study the internal morpho-histological layers of teeth with a greater degree of accuracy and detail. These tendencies have contributed to changes in established views in different areas of dental research, ranging from the interpretation of morphology to metric assessments. In fact, a significant amount of data have been obtained using traditional metric techniques, which now should be critically reassessed using current technologies and methodologies. Hence, we propose new approaches for measuring dental enamel thickness using palaeontological material from the territories of northern Vietnam by means of automated and manually operated techniques. We also discuss method improvements, taking into account their relevance for dental morphology and occlusion. As we have shown, our approaches demonstrate the potential to form closer links between the metric data and dental morphology and provide the possibility for objective and replicable studies on dental enamel thickness through the application of automated techniques. These features are likely to be effective in more profound taxonomic research and for the development of metric and analytical systems. Our technique provides scope for its targeted application in clinical methods, which could help to reveal functional changes in the masticatory system. However, this will likely require improvements in clinically applicable imaging techniques.

As the accuracy of satellite laser altimetry is susceptible to real-time atmospheric conditions, within footprint topography fluctuation, detector noise, and so on, we proposed a method by comprehensively analyzing the laser ranging error and evaluation labels to extract high-accuracy elevation control points that is suitable for satellite imagery-based topographic mapping applications. Using the ICESat laser altimetry data, a global high-accuracy laser altimetry dataset, including more than 60 million control points, based on the laser altimetry ranging error model and waveform quality analysis is proposed in this article. For land areas, except for areas of water, snow/ice, and polar ice sheets, the dataset can provide the elevation control points for worldwide satellite topographic mapping using high spatial resolution imageries or other science research that depend on accurate Earth’s elevation information. We further used airborne LiDAR data from six study areas around the world to carefully validate the datasets’ accuracy. The results showed that this dataset can meet the accuracy requirement of global mapping using high spatial resolution satellite imageries in terrains with a slope below 25°. Compared to the raw dataset, the proportion of footprint elevations that conform to the accuracy standard (0.5 m @ slope < 2°, 1.5 m @ 2° $\le $ slope < 6°, and 3 m @ $6^{\circ } \le $ slope $< 25^{\circ }$) is increased from 68.24%, 59.97%, and 26.52% to 87.58%, 90.04%, and 83.91%, respectively. This method can assure that its extracted results’ accuracy is either very close to or better than that obtained by the methods proposed in relevant studies, with a much larger number of laser footprints (LFs) that have been reserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundEndoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), a minimally invasive surgery used to treat early gastrointestinal malignancies, has been widely embraced around the world. The gross reconstruction of ESD specimens can facilitate a more precise pathological diagnosis and allow endoscopists to explore lesions thoroughly. The traditional method of mapping is time-consuming and inaccurate. We aim to design a topographic mapping system via artificial intelligence to perform the job automatically.MethodsThe topographic mapping system was built using computer vision techniques. We enrolled 23 ESD cases at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital from September to November 2019. The reconstruction maps were created for each case using both the traditional approach and the system.ResultsUsing the system, the time saved per case ranges from 34 to 3,336 s. Two approaches revealed no significant variations in the shape, size, or tumor area.ConclusionWe developed an AI-assisted system that would help pathologists complete the ESD topographic mapping process rapidly and accurately.

Over the last two decades, Geiger-mode lidar (GML) systems have been developing rapidly in defense and commercial applications, demonstrating high point density and great collection efficiency. We presented a circular scanning GML system simulation model for performance prediction and developed a GML system for civilian mapping. The lidar system used an eye-safe fiber laser at 1545 nm coupled with a 64 × 64 pixels photon-counting detector array. A real-time data compression algorithm was implanted to reduce half of the data transmission rate and storage space compared to the uncompressing situation. The GML system can operate at aircraft above-ground levels (AGLs) between 0.35 km and 3 km, and at speeds in excess of 220 km/h. The initial flight tests indicate that the GML system can operate day and night with an area coverage of 366 km2/h. The standard deviations of the relative altimetric accuracy and the relative planimetric accuracy are 0.131 m and 0.152 m, respectively. The findings presented in this article guide the implementation of designing an airborne GML system and the data compression method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has become a key technology for producing high-precision digital surface models (DSMs) and digital orthophoto maps (DOMs) in full time and all weathers. Airborne millimeter-wave InSAR, with large-scale and high-resolution imaging, is characterized by high spatial resolution, flexibility, and immunity to loss-of-correlation. This paper introduces our modeling experiments with airborne dual-antenna, Ka-band InSAR regarding typical topographies of China. Ka-band SAR data were acquired in designated experimental areas in flat (Heyang area in Shaanxi) and mountainous areas (Shibing area in Guizhou and Qionglai area in Sichuan). The key processing of the experimental data for DSMs and DOMs is demonstrated in the paper, especially the proposed robust and efficient phase unwrapping (PU) method for the interferometric data and block adjustment method of strip calibration. The results show that the proposed unwrapping method can provide reliable unwrapped phase results in undulating areas, and the block adjustment can carry out consistent calibration for strips with sparse ground control points (GCPs). The accuracy assessment of the DSM shows that the coordinate root mean square error (RSME) of the obtained DSM is less than 2 m in height, and 2.5 m horizontally, which meets the 1:5000 requirement for topographic mapping in difficult areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some information contained in historical topographic maps has yet to be captured digitally, which limits the ability to automatically query such data. For example, U.S. Geological Survey’s historical topographic map collection (HTMC) displays millions of spot elevations at locations that were carefully chosen to best represent the terrain at the time. Although research has attempted to reproduce these data points, it has proven inadequate to automatically detect and recognize spot elevations in the HTMC. We propose a deep learning workflow pretrained using large benchmark text datasets. To these datasets we add manually crafted training image/label pairs, and test how many are required to improve prediction accuracy. We find that the initial model, pretrained solely with benchmark data, fails to predict any HTMC spot elevations correctly, whereas the addition of just 50 custom image/label pairs increases the predictive ability by ∼50%, and the inclusion of 350 data pairs increased performance by ∼80%. Data augmentation in the form of rotation, scaling, and translation (offset) expanded the size and diversity of the training dataset and vastly improved recognition accuracy up to ∼95%. Visualization methods, such as heat map generation and salient feature detection, can be used to better understand why some predictions fail.

Photoclinometry is an important method of reconstructing the topography of planetary surfaces. The technique relies on the photometric response of the surface under known illumination and viewing conditions. Each image pixel embeds the geometric and radiometric information of the surface, thereby allowing the underlying surface to be inferred and reconstructed in full. Photoclinometry is renowned for its ability to reconstruct pixel-wise three-dimensional (3D) models from a single image. However, it is affected by various error sources, including the radiometric quality of the sensor and variations in the surface photometric properties (e.g., albedo). This paper investigated the optimal solar incidence angle for photoclinometric reconstruction using error propagations and simulation analysis, and validated the findings using up-to-date photoclinometric methods and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) datasets. The results suggested that variations in albedo have a significant effect on the quality of the reconstructed topography. The findings agreed with previous studies, which implies a potential bottleneck in the development of photoclinometric methods. Moreover, the photoclinometric performance becomes stable when the solar incidence angle exceeds 30° and the optimal incidence angle is approximately 60°, depending on the overall topography. Too large an incidence angle results in severe shadows, which hides topographic details, whereas too small an incidence angle introduces errors. The findings enrich the theoretical understanding of photoclinometry and are useful for optimising data capture strategies for future planetary missions to maximise the ability of photoclinometry and provide a foundation for future development of the technique. The recommendations on solar incidence angle and assessment strategies can be directly applied to other airless planetary bodies, such as Mercury and asteroids, for topographic mapping based on photoclinometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The automatic placement of map labels in graphically dense areas is one of the challenging problems in modern cartography. Creation of the annotation layer still requires human interaction and automation of this process has significant potential for reducing the time required for map production. In this paper, we present a software technique for the key numbering process that we applied to approximately 20% of the 1:25,000 topographic maps of Turkey. The results were compared with those obtained from the traditional manual method. The consistency of the results is above 90%, achieving time savings of 70%, which indicates an substantial improvement in topographic map production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased use of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) has heightened demands for an automated landing system intended for a variety of tasks and emergency landings. A key challenge of this system is finding a safe landing site in an unknown environment using on-board sensors. This paper proposes a method to generate a heat map for safety evaluation using images from a single on-board camera. The proposed method consists of the classification of ground surface by CNNs (Convolutional Neural Networks) and the estimation of surface flatness from optical flow. We present the results of applying this method to a video obtained from an on-board camera and discuss ways of improving the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topographic surveys provide essential information needed for large-scale mapping for many applications ranging from construction and civil engineering to general purpose mapping. Topographic surveys can be conducted through different means on the ground or remotely. Remotely sensed data are a cost-effective, reliable, and fast source for geospatial data. Recently, the developments in depth (stereo) cameras have opened the door for high-quality and reliable mapping. First of its kind, this study aimed at evaluating the potential of a depth stereo camera (ZED) for topographic mapping. The inexpensive ZED depth camera with its lightweight and portable nature produces a point cloud data file in XYZ format for the surveyed scene. In this study, control points were established in the area with a Topcon GTS-750 total station. Then, a Topcon scanner (GLS 2000 M) and a ZED depth camera were both used in the same traverse (at multiple scan stations) to acquire the topography in the form of XYZ coordinates. The points established with the total station were used to co-register the two sets of XYZ coordinates. Furthermore, 20 ground check points were used to evaluate the topography produced by the ZED camera. The relative accuracy of the ZED camera points compared with that of the laser scanner resulted in RMSE of 1 cm (±0.3 cm) horizontally and 11.1 cm (±3.3 cm) vertically at 95 percent confidence interval. This level of accuracy meets the US National Map standards as well as the USGS (1996) and ASPRS (1990) map accuracy standards for large-scale mapping. Accordingly, the ZED camera can be used to reliably produce 0.61-m (2-foot) contour maps at a mapping scale of 1:2,000 or smaller, which are suitable for general purpose large-scale mapping but not for construction and civil engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the product TopPlusOpen, the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG) has for the first time provided a freely accessible web map, which is based entirely on open or free data sources. For this purpose, the BKG processed and combined many different data sources in order to achieve the best possible map presentation. Among others, free official spatial data of the Federal Government and the Open Data states Berlin, Hamburg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Thuringia are presented in the product. Furthermore, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Rhineland-Palatinate provide their official spatial data for TopPlusOpen based on a cooperation agreement so that also these states are presented exclusively by official data. The services of the TopPlusOpen were released in September 2017. The product was very well received by the public, private and scientific sectors and is already used as a background map in many geoportals. The free access and the cross-border map presentation are especially mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The institution, in the 15th century, of the Dogana delle Pecore di Foggia, the magistracy charged of the questions related to the demanio armentizio (state property for livestock) in the territory of central-southern Italy, is an important event, particularly for those who work in the field of landscape and territorial history, because of its role in the construction of a territorial configuration that was peculiar to the whole of central-southern Italy. From the fifteenth century, the Dogana delle Pecore (Customs of Sheep) of Foggia, conceived on the model of the Spanish Mesta, imposed itself as a particularly effective instrument of fiscal control, an instrument through which the central government procured monetary revenue by temporarily ceding to transhumant shepherds, technically defined in the system as "locati", territories and services of the prince or mediated by him (Marino, 1992, p. 12). The development of this system, which crystallised centuries-old farming practices in the bureaucratic network and the territory, was, from the early modern age, the cause of competition, which sometimes resulted in conflict, between centralist instances, aimed at protecting pastoral production, and pressing local instances, which preferred forms of territorialisation aimed, according to a more consolidated scheme, at an agricultural use of the land. In this system, which in some cases has been interpreted as "the submission of the plains to the economic reasons or needs of the mountains" (Farinelli, 2003, p. 51), transhumance, over time, has become an actual state enterprise, robust in terms of capital and pertinent areas, which requires, for its development, a balanced coexistence with ancient agricultural practices (Marino, 1996, p. 16). Hence the need to know, organise and represent the territory to moderate competition and encourage cooperation. This need is met by a series of regulations and documents produced within the institution, whose purpose is to create various practices for organising and governing the complexity of the territory. The map is one of the leading tools in the construction of this system. In order to construct the complex and extensive territorial structure, it is necessary to organise a capillary cartographic operation that is continuous over time, aimed, on the one hand, at giving stability to the system and, on the other, at managing a series of problems that arise in the organisation of the institution. Those responsible for monitoring the territory are the Regi Compassatori, technicians with a licence, responsible for controlling the pastures, checking for illegal occupations, and reintegrating the network of sheep tracks and leases if necessary. They are professionals whose task is to measure, describe, organise and manage the territories of the Customs (Petrella, 2017). Although some studies on the Foggia Customs cartography and the Regi Compassatori have already been carried out (Di Cicco, 1990, Marino, 1996, Petrella, 2017, Russo, 2007), a detailed work focusing on the cartography they produced, their formation, their socio-cultural context, the knowledge networks they created remains still an element not sufficiently explored. In particular, it remains to be identified, by analysing their representations and the archival material on their activities preserved in the State Archives of Foggia, their role as mediators of the territory, as builders of landscapes where agriculture and pastoralism coexist. Such a role was possible through a meticulous geometric control of the properties and a recognition of the needs and the construction of works aimed at managing territory that today we would define multifunctional. To this end, the period comprised between the 1710s and the 1780s constitutes a particularly active phase in the history of the Customs and a moment of theoretical and cartographic elaboration deserving special attention. It is a moment of intensive reorganisation of the Customs when the first signs of crisis in the wool market of the Neapolitan kingdom start. The terminus a quo and post quem of this research are respectively the Crivelli and Magnacca reintegrations, that is to say, the complex re-establishment operations of the sheep-track routes aimed at controlling and restoring the transhumance routes often subject to misappropriation. The careers of some of these professionals working in the period have been reconstructed through the letters of dispatch of the licences and the cartographic documents inventoried in the Customs fund of the Foggia State Archive. In almost all cases, these people came from the areas affected by the customs institution: Apulia, Abruzzo, Molise and Basilicata. They are, therefore, local professionals who, in some cases, have had previous experience in other institutions of the Kingdom of Naples. The development of this professional profile is particularly characteristic of the areas of origin of the locati, especially in the territories of Abruzzo and Upper Molise. Small mountain towns such as Vastogirardi, Capracotta and Lucoli, for example, were the places of origin of many technicians, a sign of a professional specialisation of the area, built up through a tradition perpetuated at a family level. The social background of compassatori is also heterogeneous. They include notaries and even priests. Once they had obtained their licence, compassatori practised their profession using a few simple tools: the iron chain, the compass and the surveying square. During their travels through the transhumance territories, compassatori take measurements, listen to the parties involved and finally make cartographic representations during periods when surveys cannot be carried out due to the winter climate. Their role is as relevant as unpopular: they are both guarantors of a balance between stakeholders and customs officials. However, they are not perceived as external entities as they are often inhabitants of the places monitored. This characteristic allows them to operate better on the territory and prevent any conflicting attitudes. It cannot be said, however, that they are generally well-liked characters, also because of the damage caused to the various subjects by the horses and the groups of people who "invade" the sown fields at a time of the year, the spring, when the grains are still in the grass (Di Stefano, 1732, t.2, p. 210). The numerous operations in which the 18th-century surveyors measured the territories of the Customs House, well documented in their memoirs, led to remarkably accurate topographical representations. Among the most active cartographers is Michele della Croce of Vastogirardi, whose long career as a land surveyor and enormous cartographic production yields only partially known documents worth dwelling on. In this context, we focus on the dispute taking place in 1726 between the centres of Carovilli and Castiglione and the tenants for the right of passage through a stretch of sheep-track intersecting a defence, i.e. an area designated for civic use. The reason for the dispute was that in the area, despite the two sheep tracks assigned by the Royal Court, whose passage was completely free, the tenants had created a third route, a shortcut, right in the territories belonging to the Universities. Michele della Croce drew up a map of the territory (Figure 2), the elaboration of which became the basis for the Universities to obtain the claimed right to the duty. This document is representative of the technique used to produce it. It is particularly noteworthy that the document, as a whole, denotes a deep knowledge of the places by the land surveyor, attentive to every small detail, and a particular predilection for the area, contiguous to Della Croce's place of origin. In this sense, Della Croce creates an identity representation of the territory in which, through a system of well documented topographic particulars and local toponyms, he expresses a feeling of belonging to the places portrayed. Such an approach probably became a way to act quickly and effectively to resolve the dispute. From the middle of the 18th century, the profile of the Regi Compassatori became increasingly specialised, and his role was not limited to mere surveying. Not only because of a cartographic representation that became increasingly realistic and imbued with "personal" traits but also because of an evolution of tasks, which began to be involved in more complex issues of customs territory management. Witness to this is the inclusion of some of them in implementing projects aimed at effective land management and collaboration with the engineers of other institutions. The evolution of the corps, from a fragmentary experience linked to a group of poorly coordinated and up-to-date surveyors to a group of technicians capable of meeting the challenges of land management, is paradigmatic on the one hand of the evolution of a cartographic magistracy in a peripheral territory, and on the other of the progressive investment of public commissions. In the period analysed, the latter appears to be aware of the decisive role of monitoring and drawing the territory to preserve an economic-productive condition. The geometry and topographical rendering of the territory, which in the case analysed takes on a solid socio-political value, takes place through particular forms of representation in which the need for measurement is progressively accompanied by artistic figuration, in some cases identity-based. In this sense, the map creation is facilitated by the direct knowledge of the territory and a sort of identity instance that contributes to constructing a precise, capillary and lived representation of the territories of transhumance. In this particular way of acquiring topographical instruments, valuable tools for resolving disputes, we can trace the particular imprint that the Regi Compassatori gives to the territory's construction. By the end of the 18th century, royal surveyors expressed both centre and periphery instances, and their skills led to an evolution towards the profession of engineer, already seen in other European contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topographic mapping in Brazil has been performed without the direct application of cartographic theory to reflect local conditions. This problem is even more pronounced regarding large-scale mapping. Due to this motivation, we describe the method and related results that we have developed to propose a set of symbols for topographic mapping at large scales for the municipalities of Paraná, Brazil. We developed the study by considering cartographic principles and aligning them with the definitions of Brazilian systematic mapping. The first step in the research was making decisions about which elements should be part of the 1:2000 scale. We have also defined the meaning of each element, which were the basis for establishing classes and subclasses. Next, a symbology was designed. These results are essential for proposing a scientific framework for topographic mapping that benefits a large group of producers and users of urban maps in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyse the nineteenth-century Ottoman cartographic activities and map production in the European parts of their empire. Already weakened by centuries of wars, the Ottoman Empire, in its late phase of territorial regression, had to find a way to compensate the absence of its own mapping activities. That especially came to the fore when the interest of the Ottoman administration in the mapping of the European part of its empire was stimulated by the requirements of its military operations during the Russo-Turkish Wars, as well as by the consequent geopolitical changes that occurred with the independence of certain parts of the empire (Greece, Wallachia and Moldavia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Bulgaria). The solution was found in translating European, mostly Austrian and Russian, topographic maps into the Ottoman Turkish language. This practice resulted in the production of topographic maps that met the military needs of the Ottoman army, but also in a gradual transfer of the Western science and cartographic practice to the Ottoman culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whither the topographic map? Topographic mapping historically has been approached as a map factory operation through the period 1879-1990. During this time, data were field and photogrammetrically collected; cartographically verified and annotated creating a compilation manuscript; further edited, generalized, symbolized, and produced as a graphic output product using lithography, or more recently, through digital means. Adoption of geographic information systems (GIS) as the primary production process for topographic maps, including digital database preparation (1975-2000) and product generation operations (2001-present), has led to faster and more standardized production in a semi-automated process. However, the topographic product has remained the same static graphic. A new form of topographic map as an interactive, linked knowledge base is now being created. The appearance of the Semantic Web and Linked Open Data allows the map to become an interactive knowledge base. In this current theory and implementation of topographic mapping, the map is a graphics-based interface to a triplestore knowledge base which includes a topographic feature ontology, semantics and relations, and instance data with geometry and topology available. The topographic map graphic becomes an interactive link to the knowledge base and additional linked data through the Linked Open Data cloud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to describe a proposal for mapping Brazilian protected areas at scales larger than 1:50.000 with a fast and practical solution using open data, software, and services. The lack of up-to-date topographic mapping at different scales is a serious problem for environmental protection in Brazil. In 2018 the official mapping agencies had mapped only 24% of Brazilian territory at 1:50.000. However, just 39% of those maps were published after 2008 (Sluter et al. 2018). Today the Brazilian territory is completely mapped at 1:250.000 and 1:1.000.000. Most maps are out-of-date because Brazilian official mapping agencies have never had a map revision program. Besides the problem of map revision, mapping agencies have never produced topographic maps by map generalization. Only 5% of Brazilian territory has been mapped at a 1:25.000 scale, the basic scale for topographic mapping, showing no map generalization work. Considering the level of detail (map scale) and completeness, most topographic maps are unsuitable for environmental protection management. When the government does not provide topographic maps for society, private enterprises hire companies to map their properties, such as mineral companies, reforestation companies, pools of agriculture farmers, etc. This situation leads to some consequences: the private enterprises own their mapping products, and therefore those maps are not available to any citizen. Some Brazilian states or municipalities produce topographic maps of their territories; those are sporadic initiatives. Consequently, it is common for some local governments and businesses to use collaborative platforms such as Google Maps (https://www.google.com.br/maps/) or OpenStreetMap (OSM) (https://openstreetmap.org) when they need up-to-date and large-scale maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vast cartographic output of the Soviet Union during the Cold War represents the largest cartographic project of the twentieth century. Varying greatly in scope, the maps produced cover the globe at multiple scales from 1:1,000,000 to 1:10,000, including both thematic maps for public use and detailed military topographic mapping produced by the General Staff in secrecy. The coverage of these maps in relation to particular countries and territories has been the focus of a growing body of research in recent years, including Poland (Kent et al., 2019), Malta (Kent and Davies, 2020), Denmark (Svenningsen and Perner, 2020), China (Aylmer, 2021) and Laos (Whyte, 2022). Such work provides valuable insight into the scope, coverage and content of Soviet mapping in different parts of the world. However, the extent of the project’s coverage means that Soviet maps of many parts of the world remain relatively unstudied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bathymetry of nearshore coastal environments and lakes is constantly reworking because of the change in the patterns of energy dispersal and related sediment transport pathways. Therefore, updated and accurate bathymetric models are a crucial component in providing necessary information for scientific, managerial, and geographical studies. Recent advances in satellite technology revolutionized the acquisition of bathymetric profiles, offering new vistas in mapping. This contribution analyzed the suitability of Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 images for bathymetric mapping of coastal and lake environments. The bathymetric algorithm was developed using an empirical approach and a random forest (RF) model based on the available high-resolution LiDAR bathymetric data for Mobile Bay, Tampa Bay, and Lake Huron regions obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC). Our results demonstrate that the satellite-derived bathymetry is efficient for retrieving depths up to 10 m for coastal regions and up to 30 m for the lake environment. While using the empirical approach, the root-mean-square error (RMSE) varied between 1.99 m and 4.74 m for the three regions. The RF model, on the other hand, provided an improved bathymetric model with RMSE between 1.13 m and 1.95 m. The comparative assessment suggests that Sentinel-2 has a slight edge over Landsat-8 images while employing the empirical approach. On the other hand, the RF model shows that Landsat-8 retrieves a better bathymetric model than Sentinel-2. Our work demonstrated that the freely available Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 imageries proved to be reliable data for acquiring updated bathymetric information for large areas in a short period.

In an increasingly GIS-literate world, the availability of quality topographic maps and map databases is critical for the numerous users of spatial data. Particularly governmental agencies, first responders, and utility and transportation services, rely on the completeness and classification correctness of these maps. Estonia has systematically updated its topographic Basic Map in digital form over the past 15 years. An analysis of the Estonian production process in the period 2003-2006 provides a useful case study of both error types and error frequencies encountered in topographic mapping. Errors of completeness and classification correctness of topographic features are analyzed at two levels of specificity: in general, across all map sheets, and in detail according to the field-workers who performed the mapping. The structure of errors at the two levels was different by geometry and error types; however, both systematic and individual errors were evident. The systematic errors indicated a need for revision and improvement of the data capture specifications, which was accomplished. The individual errors were addressed by additional training for the field-workers involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection of lunar lava flows based on local morphology highly depends on the available images. The thickness of lava flows, however, has been studied by many researchers and lunar lava flows are shown to be as thick as 200 m. Lunar lava flows are supposed to be concentrated on the northwestern lunar nearside. In this study we present elemental abundance maps, a petrological map and a digital terrain model (DTM) of a lava flow structure in northern Mare Serenitatis at (18.0° E, 32.4° N) and two possible volcanic vents at (11.2° E, 24.6° N) and (13.5° E, 37.5° N), respectively. Our abundance maps of the refractory elements Ca, Mg and our petrological map were obtained based on hyperspectral image data of the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M³) instrument. Our DTM was constructed using GLD100 data in combination with a shape from shading based method to M³ and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) image data. The obtained NAC-based DEM has a very high effective resolution of about 1-2m which comes close to the resolution of the utilized NAC images without requiring intricate processing of NAC stereo image pairs. As revealed by our elemental maps and DEM, the examined lava flow structure occurs on a boundary between basalts consisting of low-Ca/high-Mg pyroxene and high-Ca/low-Mg pyroxene, respectively. The total thickness of the lava flow is about 100 m, which is a relatively large value, but according to our DEM the lava flow may also be composed of two or more layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of classification results as topographic map data requires cartographic enhancement and checking of the geometric accuracy. Urban areas are of special interest. The conversion of the classification result into topographic map data of high thematic and geometric quality is subject of this contribution. After reviewing the existing literature on this topic, a methodology is presented. The extraction of point clouds belonging to line segments is solved by the Hough transform. The mathematics for deriving polygons of orthogonal, parallel and general line segments by least squares adjustment is presented. A unique solution for polylines, where the Hough parameters are optimized, is also given. By means of two data sets land cover maps of six classes were produced and then enhanced by the proposed method. The classification used the decision tree method applying a variety of attributes including object heights derived from imagery. The cartographic enhancement is carried out with two different levels of quality. The user’s accuracies for the classes “impervious surface” and “building” were above 85% in the “Level 1” map of Example 1. The geometric accuracy of building corners at the “Level 2” maps is assessed by means of reference data derived from ortho-images. The obtained root mean square errors (RMSE) of the generated coordinates (x, y) were RMSEx = 1.2 m and RMSEy = 0.7 m (Example 1) and RMSEx = 0.8 m and RMSEy = 1.0 m (Example 2) using 31 and 62 check points, respectively. All processing for Level 1 (raster data) could be carried out with a high degree of automation. Level 2 maps (vector data) were compiled for the classes “building” and “road and parking lot”. For urban areas with numerous classes and of large size, universal algorithms are necessary to produce vector data fully automatically. The recent progress in sensors and machine learning methods will support the generation of topographic map data of high thematic and geometric accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian Amazon has a deficit of 35% of coverage regarding topographic mapping at semi-detailed (1:100,000) scale. This paper presents an alternative to overcome this scenario using a combination of planialtimetric information from two orbital SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) missions. The altimetry was acquired from Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), while the planimetry was provided from Fine Beam Dual (FBD) images of the Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) sensor. The research was carried out in the mountainous area of the Serra dos Carajás (Pará State), located on the Amazon region. The quality of the orbital topographic information was evaluated regarding precise planialtimetric measurements acquired from Global Positioning System (GPS) field campaigns. The evaluations were performed following two approaches: (1) the use of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and (2) tendency and precision hypothesis tests. The investigation has shown that the planialtimetric quality of the orbital products fulfilled the Brazilian Map Accuracy Standards requirements for 1:100,000 A Class map. Thus, the use of combination of information provided by PALSAR and SRTM-3 data can be considered a promising alternative for production and update of semi-detailed topographic mapping in similar environments of the Amazon region, where topographic information is lacking or presents low quality.A Amazônia brasileira possui um déficit de 35% de cobertura em relação ao mapeamento topográfico na escala de semi-detalhe (1:100.000). Este trabalho apresenta uma alternativa para superar este cenário usando a combinação de informação planialtimétrica de duas missões SAR (Radar de Abertura Sintética) orbitais. A altimetria foi adquirida da Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), enquanto que a planimetria foi fornecida de imagens Fine Beam Dual (FBD) do sensor Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR). A pesquisa foi desenvolvida na área montanhosa da Serra dos Carajás (Estado do Pará) localizada na região Amazônica. A qualidade das informações topográficas orbitais foi avaliada em relação a medidas planialtimétricas precisas adquiridas de campanhas de campo com Sistema de Posicionamento Global (GPS). As avaliações foram realizadas seguindo duas abordagens: (1) o uso de Erro Médio Quadrático (EMQ) e (2) testes de hipótese de tendência e precisão. A investigação mostrou que a qualidade planialtimétrica dos produtos orbitais atendeu aos requisitos para a Classe A (1:100.000) do Padrão de Exatidão Cartográfica brasileiro. Assim, o uso da combinação de informações fornecidas pelos dados PALSAR e SRTM-3 pode ser considerado como uma alternativa promissora para a produção e atualização de mapeamento topográfico de semi-detalhe em ambientes similares da região Amazônica, onde a informação topográfica é ausente ou apresenta baixa qualidade.

Complex landscapes with high topographic relief and intricate geometry present challenges for complete and accurate mapping of both lateral (x, y) and vertical (z) detail without deformation. Although small uninhabited/unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) paired with structure-from-motion (SfM) image processing has recently emerged as a popular solution for a range of mapping applications, common image acquisition and processing strategies can result in surface deformation along steep slopes within complex terrain. Incorporation of oblique (off-nadir) images into the UAV⁻SfM workflow has been shown to reduce systematic errors within resulting models, but there has been no consensus or documentation substantiating use of particular imaging angles. To address these limitations, we examined UAV⁻SfM models produced from image sets collected with various imaging angles (0⁻35°) within a high-relief ‘badland’ landscape and compared resulting surfaces with a reference dataset from a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS). More than 150 UAV⁻SfM scenarios were quantitatively evaluated to assess the effects of camera tilt angle, overlap, and imaging configuration on the precision and accuracy of the reconstructed terrain. Results indicate that imaging angle has a profound impact on accuracy and precision for data acquisition with a single camera angle in topographically complex scenes. Results also confirm previous findings that supplementing nadir image blocks with oblique images in the UAV⁻SfM workflow consistently improves spatial accuracy and precision and reduces data gaps and systematic errors in the final point cloud. Subtle differences among various oblique camera angles and imaging patterns suggest that higher overlap and higher oblique camera angles (20⁻35°) increased precision and accuracy by nearly 50% relative to nadir-only image blocks. We conclude by presenting four recommendations for incorporating oblique images and adapting flight parameters to enhance 3D mapping applications with UAV⁻SfM in high-relief terrain.

Brazilian Amazon is a vast territory rich in natural renewable and non-renewable resources. Due to the adverse environmental condition (rain, cloud, dense vegetation) and difficult access, topographic information is still poor, and when available needs to be up-dated or remapped. In this paper, the feasibility of using elevation generated from orbital ASTER- stereo-pairs images for topographic mapping was investigated for the mountainous relief in the Serra dos Carajás, Pará. The quality of information derived from these optical images was evaluated regarding field altimetric measurements. Precise topographic field information acquired from Global Positioning System (GPS) was used as Ground Control Points (GCPs) for the modeling of the stereoscopic Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and as Independent Check Points (ICPs) for the calculation of elevation accuracies. The analysis was performed following two approaches: (1) the use of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and (2) calculations of trend analysis and accuracy. The investigation has shown that the altimetric accuracy from ASTER fulfilled the Brazilian Map Accuracy Standards elevation requirements for 1:100,000 A Class. In addition, ASTER can provide up-dated planimetric information that is also necessary for cartographic production. Thus, when the environment condition allows the acquisition of stereo-pairs, the use of ASTER can be considered an alternative for semi-detailed topographic mapping in similar environments of the Brazilian Amazon.A Amazônia Brasileira é um rico e vasto território em recursos naturais renováveis e nãorenováveis. Devido às condições ambientais adversas (chuvas, nuvens, vegetação densa) e difícil acesso, a informação topográfica ainda é escassa, e quando disponível necessita ser atualizada ou remapeada. Neste trabalho, a viabilidade de usar elevação para mapeamento topográfico por meio de imagens estereoscópicas orbitais ASTER foi investigada para relevo montanhoso na Serra dos Carajás, Pará. A qualidade da informação produzida destas imagens ópticas foi avaliada considerando medidas altimétricas de campo. Informações topográficas precisas de campo, adquiridas a partir do Sistema de Posicionamento Global (GPS), foram usadas como Pontos de Controle no Terreno (GCPs) para a modelagem de Modelos Digitais de Elevação (DEMs) estereoscópicos e como Pontos de Verificação Independentes (ICPs), para o cálculo das precisões em elevação. As análises foram realizadas seguindo duas abordagens: (1) a utilizaçãodo Erro Médio Quadrático (RMSE) e (2) cálculo das análises de tendência e precisão. A investigação mostrou que a acurácia altimétrica do ASTER atendeu aos requisitos altimétricos para a Classe A 1:100.000 do Padrão de Exatidão Cartográfico. Além disso, dados ASTER podem fornecer informação planimétrica atualizada que também é necessária para a produção cartográfica. Assim, quando as condições ambientais permitem a obtenção de estéreopares, o uso do imageamento ASTER pode ser considerado uma alternativa valiosa para mapeamento topográfico de semi-detalhe em ambientes similares da Amazônia Brasileira.

Difficulties in acquiring a complete aerial photography coverage on a regular basis in the Brazilian Amazon due to adverse environmental conditions affect the quality of the national topographic database. As a consequence, topographic information is still poor, and when available needs to be up-dated or re-mapped. In this research, altimetric information derived from RADARSAT-1 (Fine and Standard modes), SRTM3 (3 arcseconds) and ASTER (band 3N-3B) was evaluated for topographic mapping in two sites located in the region: Serra dos Carajás (mountainous relief) and Tapajós National Forest (flat terrain). The quality of the information produced from Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) was evaluated regarding field altimetric measurements. Precise topographic field information acquired from Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) was used as Ground Control Points (GCPs) for the modeling of the stereoscopic DEMs (RADARSAT- 1, ASTER) and as Independent Check Points (ICPs) for the calculation of accuracies of the products. The accuracies were estimated by comparison of the DEMs values and real elevation values given by ICPs. The analysis was performed following two approaches: (1) the use of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) for the overall classification of the DEMs considering the Brazilian Map Accuracy Standards (PEC) limits and, (2) calculations of trend analysis and accuracy based on a methodology that takes into account computed discrepancies and standard deviations. The investigation has shown that for flat relief, the altimetric accuracy of SRTM3 and Fine RADARSAT-1 DEMs fulfilled the PEC requirements for 1:100,000 A Class Map. However, for mountainous terrain, only the altimetry of SRTM3 and ASTER fulfilled these requirements. In addition, the performance of ASTER was slightly superior to SRTM3. However it is important to consider the difficulties in the acquisition of good stereo-pairs with optical data in the Amazon and the additional cost (GCPs) to produce ASTER DEMs. Despite showing systematic errors, the findings justify the usage of SRTM3 as a primary elevation source for semi-detailed topographic mapping in the region. It is suggested a combination of altimetry derived for SRTM3 and planimetry extracted from high-resolution SAR (ALOS/PALSAR, TerraSARX, RADARSAT-2) or if available optical data for semi-detailed topographic mapping programs in the Brazilian Amazon, where terrain information is seldom available or presents low quality.

For the purpose of large-area topographic mapping, this study proposes an imaging system based on a multicamera array unmanned aerial system (UAS) comprised of five small-format digital cameras with a total field of view of 127 ^\circ. The five digital cameras are aligned in a row along the across-track direction with overlap between two neighboring cameras. The suggested system has higher data acquisition efficiency than the single-camera UAS imaging system. For topographic mapping purposes, we develop a modified projective transformation method to stitch all five raw images into one sensor geometry. In this method, the transformation coefficients are obtained by on-the-job multicamera self-calibration, including interior and relative orientations. During the stitching process, two systematic errors are detected and corrected. In the end, a large-format digital image can be produced for each trigger event independently. The photogrammetric collinearity condition is evaluated using several external accuracy assessments, such as conventional aerial triangulation, stereoplotting, and digital surface model generation procedures. From the accuracy assessment results, we conclude that the presented raw image stitching method can be used to construct a one sensor geometry from a multicamera array and is feasible for 3-D mapping applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In December 2011, UNGGIM initiated a cooperative project with ISPRS to resume the former UN Secretariat studies on the status of topographic mapping in the world, conducted between 1968 and 1986. After the design of a questionnaire with 27 questions, the UNGGIM Secretariat sent the questionnaires to the UN member states. 115 replies were received from the 193 member states and regions thereof. Regarding the global data coverage and age, the UN questionnaire survey was supplemented by data from the Eastview database. For each of the 27 questions, an interactive viewer was programmed permitting the analysis of the results. The authoritative data coverage at the various scale ranges has greatly increased between 1986 and 2012. Now, a 30% 1:25 000 map data coverage and a 75% 1:50 000 map data coverage has been completed. Nevertheless, there is still an updating problem, as data for some countries is 10 to 30 years old. Private Industry, with Google, Microsoft and Navigation system providers, have undertaken huge efforts to supplement authoritative mapping. For critical areas on the globe, MGCP committed to military mapping at 1:50 000. ISPRS has decided to make such surveys a sustainable issue by establishing a working group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Tuberous sclerosis complex is a multisystem genetic syndrome often affecting the central nervous system. The purpose of the current study was to identify topographical patterns in the distribution specific to epileptogenic (n = 37) and nonepileptogenic (n = 544) tubers throughout the brain for a cohort of 23 tuberous sclerosis complex patients with a history of seizures. Tubers localized to the inferior parietal lobes, middle frontal lobes, middle temporal lobes, or central sulcus regions were associated with a high frequency of epileptogenic tubers. Epileptogenic tubers occurred statistically more frequently within the inferior parietal lobe and within the central sulcus region in children younger than 1 or between 1 and 3 years old, respectively. Results imply seizure activity in tuberous sclerosis complex patients can be associated with the location of cortical tubers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of VGI and OpenGeodata in the production of topographic base maps can often lead to problems of depiction due to inferior or heterogeneous data quality (see Goodchild et. al. 2012, Heipke 2010, Hajek et. al. 2019). But not only vector data such as the OpenStreetMap database but also raster data in the form of digital elevation models (DEM) are affected. Freely available DEMs with (almost) worldwide coverage such as SRTM play a major role in the production of topographic maps as they are easily obtainable and have relatively homogeneous data quality. However, for the application of large scale maps (> 1:50,000) the low resolution of these DEMs (SRTM = approx. 30m) becomes a problem, since the accuracy is no longer sufficient for the production of scale-adequate generalized contour lines. As a solution, state-specific Open Governmental Data can be obtained. These DEMs often cover only one national territory, but in most cases provide higher resolutions. In cross-border topographic representations, different DEMs would thus have to be merged in order to seamlessly display contour lines and generated relief shading, for example. However, this process often leads to depiction problems in the transition area. The boundaries between different elevation models lead to incorrect representation of calculated contour lines. Edged contour lines occur due to different resolutions and general accuracy of the DEMs. The merging of two different contour line datasets without preparation of the base data can lead to a large manual effort. This paper describes a method to semi-automatically seamlessly merge DEMs of different sources and quality. Calculated contour lines as well as relief shading can be generated error-free in sequence. The method thus allows the use of best available quality elevation models in the production of large scale topographic maps covering border areas. The method presented in this paper is based on the further development of the process described in the article "Large Scaled Topographic Mapping and Issues in Depicting VGI and Open Data" (Hajek et. al. 2021). In this previous paper, parts of the method were presented that are used to create smooth transitions of elevation information for slopedependent generalization of contour lines. A modification of the process to generate a transition raster is also applied in this following paper. The process is mainly based on raster manipulation using tools from the open source library GDAL. The command lines required for the method are combined in a PHP script and can thus be run (partially) automated. A transition band is placed over the boundary region of the elevation models to be connected. This is calculated by a weighted average of the overlapping raster pixels based on a transition factor. Irregularities can thus be smoothed and the two DEMs are interwoven. However, when merging data sets of different resolutions, it should be noted that this leads to generally inhomogeneous representations of elements generated from the DEM. For example, contour lines based on high resolution elevation models are more accurate and give better information about the terrain than contour lines calculated from low resolution DEMs. The latter can appear "over-smoothed", especially in comparison, and there is a risk of conveying a falsely flat and smooth impression of the terrain. These disadvantages of this method must therefore be weighed against the advantages of using homogeneous global elevation models. The method is not only used when combining high-resolution with low-resolution DEMs. Even DEMs of the same or similar resolution can cause problems when merging at the boundary due to different sources. This paper also tests whether merging two "equivalent" elevation models of different origins with the indicated method can avoid visible depiction problems in the border region. "Transitional DEM Merging" is a tool for handling different qualities and/or sources of raster data which are to be expected when using Open Geodata. The method can be used for the creation of worldwide topographic web maps due to its (semi-) automatic approach. The tool thus serves to increase the depiction quality of large-scaled topographic maps based on Open Data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several everyday cartography applications do not require sharply precise base maps, and in fact benefit from their generalization or deliberate obscuration, such as tourist or transit maps. Additionally, raster data fine enough for a given map scale are not always available. We present a method of creating an impressionistic land cover base map for topographic mapping in which the above two conditions are true, using the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) of the US Geological Survey (USGS). The method is based on reclassification, upsampling, constrained randomization at class boundary edges, and deliberate use of colors with very similar lightness values. The method spans both scientific geospatial data treatment and artistic cartographic design, and both generalizes and enhances the data. The processing, automated in ArcGIS™, is detailed, and examples of the product are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drumlins are sedimentary geological features that indicate the final direction of glacier movement; as a result, they are of great interest in understanding past glacial events. In southern Ontario alone, thousands of drumlins have been mapped and interpreted remotely through the use of aerial imagery or topographic maps. These are often paired with digital elevation models (DEMs) and/or contour maps offering detailed information about the area of study. This paper presents the results of a change-detection study that used maps of different vintages of the drumlin-rich area around Lake Simcoe in southern Ontario. Two topographic maps and two DEMs, each with contours at 25-ft (7.6-m) and 10-m intervals, were compared in three regions: (A) the urban region in the city of Orillia, overlying sand plains; (B) the area east of Orillia, on top of clay plains; and (C) the region south-east of Lake Simcoe, overlying till plains. The 7.6-m contour topographic maps and DEMs display comparable levels of detail; however, over time the drumlins appear to erode, likely a product of the underlying sediment in combination with urbanization. The 10-m contour topographic maps display less detail than DEMs of the same resolution, suggesting that the popular topographic maps are not the most reliable method of mapping drumlins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]