1,721,025 research outputs found

    Haiti earthquake damage assessment: Review of the remote sensing role

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    Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake on 12 January 2010. The immediate response to the disaster was a real turning point concerning the availability, dissemination and licensing of a huge quantity of geospatial data. Timely triggering of the Earth Observation satellites, and absence of cloud cover, allowed to acquire very high-resolution optical satellite imagery (spatial resolution up to 0.5m) over the main affected areas within a few hours of the disaster, while the whole country coverage was completed in a very short time span. Furthermore in the following days aerial imagery, high resolution SAR radar imagery as well as thermal and LiDAR data were widely acquired. The paper will show how well established remote sensing techniques allowed to carry out earthquake damage assessment in a very short time, exploiting the synergic capabilities of geospatial tools and instruments such as EO satellites, Web mapping, GIS software and volunteer mapping. In a few days several map products based on the aforementioned analysis were delivered to end users: a review of the different types and purposes of this products will be provided and discussed. An assessment of the thematic accuracy of remotely sensed based products will be carried out on the basis of a review of the several available studies focused on this issue, including the main outcomes of a validation based on a comparison with in-situ data performed by the author

    Extending the Applicability of the Semi-experimental Approach by Means of "template Molecule" and "linear Regression" Models on Top of DFT Computations

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    The accurate determination of equilibrium structures for isolated molecules plays a central role in the evaluation and interpretation of stereoelectronic, thermodynamic, and spectroscopic properties. For small semi-rigid systems, state-of-the-art quantum-chemical computations can rival the most sophisticated experimental results. For larger molecules, cheaper yet accurate approaches need to be defined. The double-hybrid rev-DSD-PBEP86 functional already delivers remarkable results that can be further improved by means of a "Lego brick"model. This is based on the idea that a molecular system can be seen as formed by different fragments (the "Lego bricks"), whose accurate semi-experimental (SE) equilibrium geometries are available. The template molecule (TM) approach can be used to account for the modifications occurring when going from the isolated fragment to the molecular system under investigation, with the linear regression (LR) model employed to correct the linkage between the different fragments. The resulting TM-SE_LR approach has been tested with respect to available SE equilibrium structures and rotational constants. Indeed, the latter parameters straightforwardly depend on the equilibrium geometry of the system under consideration. The main outcome of our study is the reliability, robustness, and accuracy of this novel approach. The molecular systems considered for benchmarking the TM-SE_LR scheme are those formally issued from addition/elimination reactions of nucleophilic unsaturated radicals (e.g., CN, C2H, and phenyl) to alkenes, imines, and aldehydes, whose rotational spectra have been investigated, but accurate structural determinations are not yet available

    THE IPAD PRO BUILT-IN LIDAR SENSOR: 3D RAPID MAPPING TESTS AND QUALITY ASSESSMENT

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    The main goal of this ongoing research is the evaluation of the iPad Pro built-in LiDAR sensor for large scale 3D rapid mapping. Different aspects have been considered from the architectural surveying perspective and several analyses were carried out focusing on the acquisition phase and the definition of best practices for data collection, the quantitative analysis on the acquired data and their 3D positional accuracy assessment, and the qualitative analysis of the achievable metric products. Despite this paper is a preliminary analysis and deeper studies in various application environment are necessary, the availability of a LiDAR sensor embedded in a tablet or mobile phone, appears promising for rapid surveying purposes. According to test outcomes, the sensor is able to rapidly acquire reliable 3D point clouds suitable for 1:200 architectural rapid mapping; the iPad Pro could represent an interesting novelty also thanks to its price (compared to standard surveying instruments), portability and limited time required both for data acquisition and processing

    A global dataset of carbon pumping by the world’s largest tropical rivers

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    Abstract The eco-morphodynamic activity of large tropical rivers interacts with riparian vegetation causing implications for the carbon cycle within inland waters. Through a multi-temporal analysis of satellite data spanning the years 2000–2019, we analyzed rivers exceeding 200 m in width across the tropical regions, revealing a Carbon Pump mechanism driving an annual mobilization of 12.45 million tons of organic carbon. The study identifies fluvial eco-morphological signatures as proxies for carbon mobilization, emphasizing the link between river migration and carbon dynamics. To enhance accessibility, our results are encapsulated in a visually compelling WebGIS application, offering a comprehensive understanding of the eco-geomorphological influences on the global carbon cycle within large tropical rivers. Our findings are instrumental in determining the carbon intensity of future hydropower dams, thereby contributing to informed decision-making in the realm of sustainable energy infrastructure. This study elucidates the intricate relationships that govern the nexus of tropical river dynamics, riparian ecosystems, and the global carbon cycle
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