A GIS-based multi-criteria decision-making approach for establishing a regional-scale groundwater monitoring

A weighted multi-criteria decision-making framework was designed to identify and prioritize areas for monitoring aquifer hydraulic heads within the Victoria County Groundwater Conservation District. The criteria address salient hydrogeological aspects including groundwater variability, recharge, surface water–groundwater interactions, and groundwater fluxes across district boundaries. Texas water statutes require groundwater conservation districts to quantify these factors and utilize them to manage aquifers. A stakeholder survey instrument was used to prioritize these criteria. A monitoring priority index (MPI), whose value theoretically ranges between 0 and 1 was computed as a weighted average of six mutually exclusive criteria. The MPI value was seen to range between 0.2 and 0.6 within the study area. Lower values of MPI indicate areas where the current level of monitoring is adequate and areas with a higher MPI point to locations where additional monitoring is necessary. In particular, monitoring along district boundaries, particularly along the western and southern sections, is recommended. The developed methodology was seen to provide a transparent and simple-to-use approach to identify and prioritize areas within the district for the purposes of groundwater monitoring. The proposed framework demonstrates the utility of GIS in facilitating a scientifically credible and stakeholder-driven approach for establishing groundwater monitoring networks and can be adapted in other similar applications.     

Evaluating centralized return centers in a reverse logistics network: An integrated fuzzy multi-criteria decision approach

In this paper, the centralized return centers location evaluation problem in a reverse logistics network is investigated. This problem is solved via an integrated analytic network process-fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution approach. Analytic network process allows us to evaluate criteria preferences while considering interdependence between them. On the other hand, technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution decreases the number of computational steps compared to simple analytic network process evaluation. An important characteristic of the centralized return centers location evaluation problem, vagueness, is adapted to the methodology via the usage of fuzzy numbers in the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution approach. Finally, a numerical example is given to demonstrate the usefulness of the methodology. The results indicate that, this integrated multi-criteria decision making methodology is suitable for the decision making problems that needs considering multiple criteria conflicting each other. Also, by using this methodology, the interdependences between the criteria may be considered for these kinds of problems in a flexible and systematic manner.     

A subjective and objective integrated weighting method for landslides susceptibility mapping based on GIS

The purpose of this study is to present a weighting method, integrating subjective weight with objective weight, for landslides susceptibility mapping based on geographical information system (GIS). First, the landslide inventory, aspect, slope, proximity to streams of drainage network, proximity to railway, proximity to road, topography, elevation, lithology, tectonic activity and annual precipitation, including their subclasses, were taken as independent landslide causal factors. Second, objective weights of the causal factors were calculated according to the landslide area density based on entropy weighting method, and key factors were selected according to the rank of the objective weights. Third, trapezoidal fuzzy number weighting approach was used to assess the sub-classes of each key factor. Finally, a case study was carried out in Guizhou province, China. A landslide susceptibility map was created using weighted linear combination model based on GIS. Using a predicted map of probability, the study area was classified into four categories of landslide susceptibility: low, moderate, moderate-high, and high.     

An integrated approach to assess the origins of black films on a granite monument

In the present study, samples arising from the scaling of a Portuguese granite building were examined in an attempt to understand the mechanisms of surface blackening and detachment. The building, the Third Order of St. Francis Church, is located in the city centre of Porto which is an area characterised by moderate motor traffic. The Mediterranean climate and the façade orientation favoured the proliferation of microorganisms on the Third Order of St. Francis Church, in Porto. The scientific approach carried out in the South façade revealed that these coloured layers are essentially of biological origin. Subsequent chemical analysis confirmed microscope observations and pointed out to the presence of organic matter synthesised by cyanobacteria, algae and lichens. Numerous biological marker compounds indicated a significant presence of biogenically derived material, suggesting that biological activity was playing a major role in the development of coloured layers and in the detachment processes in this historic building.     

Prediction of snowmelt floods with a distributed hydrological model using a physical snow mass and energy balance approach

Modeling snowmelt is important for water resources management and the assessment of spring snowmelt flood risk. The objective of this study was to develop a physically based module for the WetSpa model to improve the simulation of snowmelt processes. The improved model is applied, calibrated, and verified on the Hornad watershed, upstream of Margecany, Western Carpathians, Slovakia, with 10 years of observed daily precipitation and air temperature, and estimated daily potential evaporation. Daily discharge data of the gauging station at Margecany is used for model calibration and verification. The model proves to predict accurately snow accumulation and snowmelt floods, although the parameters of the snow simulation module are preset and not adjusted by model calibration. In order to show the performance of the model, two particular snow accumulation and melt periods are discussed in detail. The relevant terms of the snowpack mass and energy balances as well as the related heat and mass transport processes are discussed. The study demonstrates that accurate snowmelt prediction based on a physically energy budget approach is possible with controlling parameters that do not need any calibration.     

Investigation of landslides with natural lineaments derived from integrated manual and automatic techniques applied on geospatial data

Lineament extraction has long been performed through extensive field mapping. Recent advances in the field of remote sensing have made possible the availability of imageries from earth observation satellites with different Spatio-temporal resolutions, paving way for new automatic, semi-automatic, and manual techniques for the extraction of natural lineaments. The study focuses on the extraction of lineaments representing tectonic fault zones; the lineaments are extracted automatically and semi-automatically/manually. Results show that indirect information about the tectonic lineaments can be derived through automatic techniques whereas, the semi-automatic techniques are more effective to directly identify them. Detailed analyses of lineaments and landslides revealed that areas near lineaments, in general, experienced higher frequency of landslides. Moreover, it is also observed that lineaments are not the only factor that affects landslide density; other parameters like slope and lithology were also found to be the controlling factors in determining the spatial landslide distribution. Lastly, some recommendations have been made based on observations.

     

Robust approach for optimal positioning and ranking potential rainwater harvesting structure (RWH): a case study of Iraq

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) structure is considered as the best solution to conserve water for arid regions. The selection of RWH location is based on several key determinants such as hydrology, environment, topography, and socio-economic. This study proposed a robust methodology to identify and select the location of RWH using geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) with multi-criteria decision techniques in areas where data are scarce. Several thematic maps were extracted such as vegetation cover, soil group, slope, land use, and digital elevation (DEM). The RWH sites were ranked based on four major indexes: evaporation, cost-benefit, sediment, and hydrological index. Sensitivity analysis shows that the variance inverse (VI) and rank order method (ROM) considered all indices that effect ranking as compared to the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy-AHP. Sensitivity analysis also proved that the proposed method is suitable to be used for RWH site selection in arid regions.     

Chemometric approach integrated with capillary electrophoresis for the investigation of public water system sources and quality

A chemometric approach coupled with capillary electrophoresis based on the hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis has been applied for the investigation of the water quality in the Golcuk-Isparta region (Lake District of Turkey). In the research area, Egirdir Lake, Golcuk Lake and surrounding ground and domestic waters have been utilized as drinking water resources. Golcuk Lake is distinctive in terms of high fluoride content (3.50 ± 0.21 mg/mL) which is endemic in volcanic areas where the water flow through volcanic rocks and sediments. Based on the analysis of major anions chloride, sulfate, nitrate and fluoride with capillary electrophoresis, twenty-four drinking water sampling sites in the research area were classified into four classes using the hierarchical cluster and principal component analysis. Combining the research area investigation results of hierarchical cluster and principal component analysis, it was found that fluoride concentration is the major diagnostic variable to determine the quality of drinking waters, and all the other anions are the important classification factors to predict the resources of the drinking water samples, individually. To sum up, this study reveals the potential of the use of capillary electrophoresis in combination with chemometric techniques for the determination of the quality and origin of drinking waters.     

Early Albian marine environments in Madagascar: An integrated approach based on oxygen,carbon and strontium isotopic data

New palaeotemperature reconstructions have been obtained on the basis of oxygen isotopic analysis of 178 aragonitic shell samples taken from specimens of three ammonoid orders (and some corresponding families): Phylloceratida (Phylloceratidae), Lytoceratida (Tetragonitidae) and Ammonitida (Oppeliidae, Desmoceratidae, Silesitidae, Cleoniceratidae and Douvilleiceratidae). Those obtained from aragonite shells, secreted in the lower epipelagic and in the middle mesopelagic zones during coolest season (winter), range from 15.4 to 16.8 °C, and from 11.8 to 12.0 °C, respectively. Presumed spring/autumn palaeotemperatures obtained from aragonite shells, secreted apparently in the upper and lower epipelagic, upper and middle mesopelagic zones, are somewhat higher. Presumed summer palaeotemperatures, calculated apparently for the upper and lower epipelagic, and upper mesopelagic zones range from 19.4 to 21.7 °C, from 17.7 to 19.4 °C, and from 14.4 to 16.1 °C, respectively. The predominant part of investigated ammonoids from Madagascar inhabited the epipelagic zone, but some phylloceratid, tetragonitid and silesitid ammonoids preferred deeper, cooler conditions (upper-middle mesopelagic zone). The study supports the hypothesis that Madagascar was located in middle latitudes within the tropical-subtropical climatic zone during the early Albian. Available carbon and strontium isotope data allow us to assume a more or less expressed carbon and strontium isotope stratification of the water column in this region in the early Albian. On the basis of the stable isotope data, following partly Lukeneder (2015), two large ethological groups can be recognised mainly in mid-aged and adult ammonoids. Some ammonoids (group 1) preferred apparently mesopelagic conditions, and to a lesser degree the epipelagic zone, being mainly cool-requiring animals. However, a significant part of the isotopically investigated ammonoids (group 2) preferred, on the contrary, only epipelagic conditions, being mainly thermophilic dwellers.     

An integrated object-based image analysis and CA-Markov model approach for modeling land use/land cover trends in the Sarab plain

The present paper is an attempt to integrate a semi-automated object-based image analysis (OBIA) classification framework and a cellular automata-Markov model to study land use/land cover (LULC) changes. Land use maps for the Sarab plain in Iran for the years 2000, 2006, and 2014 were created from Landsat satellite data, by applying an OBIA classification using the normalized difference vegetation index, salinity index, moisture stress index, soil-adjusted vegetation index, and elevation and slope indicators. The classifications yielded overall accuracies of 91, 93, and 94% for 2000, 2006, and 2014, respectively. Finally, using the transition matrix, the spatial distribution of land use was simulated for 2020. The results of the study revealed that the number of orchards with irrigated agriculture and dry-farm agriculture in the Sarab plain is increasing, while the amount of bare land is decreasing. The results of this research are of great importance for regional authorities and decision makers in strategic land use planning.     

An integrated approach for assessment of groundwater quality in and around uranium mineralized zone,Gogi region,Karnataka, India

Assessment of groundwater quality is an important aspect of water security, which is the key to ensure sustainable development. The objective of the study is to bring out an integrated approach for assessment of groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation purposes. Gogi region, Karnataka, India was chosen as the study area due to the effect of the presence of medium-grade uranium deposits. An integrated approach including the concentration of major ions, trace elements and uranium was employed to investigate the quality of groundwater. Totally, 367 groundwater samples were collected periodically from 52 wells distributes over the Gogi region and the parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^?, SO₄ ^2?, NO₃ ^?, Zn, Pb, Cu, and uranium of groundwater were analysed. Spatial distribution maps of various chemical constituents were prepared using geographic information system and its temporal variation was plotted in box and whisker plot. The analytical data were compared with Bureau of Indian Standards and World Health Organisation standards to determine drinking water quality and parameters such as salinity hazard, alkalinity hazard and percent sodium were estimated to assess the irrigation quality. Multivariate statistical analysis by cluster analysis was also performed which results in two groups consisting of wells with unsuitable water for drinking purposes. Groundwater in about 15% of the sampling wells were found to be unsuitable for domestic purpose based on TDS and about 17% were unsuitable based on uranium concentration. Finally, integration of spatial variation in TDS and uranium reveals that about 25% of the wells were unsuitable for domestic purposes. It is suggested that such an integrated approach needs to be formulated considering major ions, trace elements and radioactive elements for proper assessment of water quality. Implementation of managed aquifer recharge structures in the study area is suggested since it would potentially reduce the concentration of ions.     

An integrated approach for aquifer vulnerability mapping using GIS and rough sets: study from an alluvial aquifer in North India

A modified DRASTIC model in a geographic information system (GIS) environment coupled with an information-analytic technique called ‘rough sets’ is used to understand the aquifer vulnerability characteristics of a segment of the lower Kali watershed in western Uttar Pradesh, India. Since the region is a flat plain, topography (T) is removed as a potential control. Other parameters are the same as in DRASTIC, hence the new model is termed as DRASIC. The rough set technique is employed to provide insight into the relative vulnerabilities of different administrative units (blocks) within the study area. Using rough sets, three important factors are computed: strength, certainty and coverage. Strength indicates how the vulnerability characteristics vary in the entire area, certainty gives the relative fractions of low, medium and high vulnerability regions within a particular block, and coverage computes the percentage of a particular vulnerability state in each block. The purpose of the work is to demonstrate the utility of this integrated approach in classifying different administrative blocks in the study area according to their aquifer vulnerability characteristics. This approach is particularly useful for block-level planning and decision making for sustainable management of groundwater resources.     

Urban greenspace from the inside out: An argument for the approach and a study with city workers

How might the fact that western people now spend so much of their time indoors impact upon techniques for studying urban greenspace experience? This paper takes this question as its starting point before substantiating one possible answer. It does so by using qualitative methods to examine the everyday practices of city professionals in London and what they tell us about the likelihood that this group will ever venture out into the various parks and gardens found around their offices. Many studies have considered which physical arrangements of city greenspace seem to deliver the greatest amounts of human benefit. Yet this kind of endeavour gives us only one part of the puzzle and contextual studies with those now generally found indoors have something important to add. It is with this in mind that the paper discusses how one sample of office workers quite easily forgot about these spaces, how certain social injunctions both pushed them outside and sealed them indoors, and why it sometimes made good sense for them to avoid any areas of local outdoor vegetation during the day. In so doing it highlights contextual dynamics that seem set to make significant impacts on the future of urban environmental experience and offers some novel suggestions about how best to promote positive greenspace relations in cities today.     

An approach for GIS-based statistical landslide susceptibility zonation—with a case study in the Himalayas

Landslide susceptibility zonation (LSZ) is necessary for disaster management and planning development activities in mountainous regions. A number of methods, viz. landslide distribution, qualitative, statistical and distribution-free analyses have been used for the LSZ studies and they are again briefly reviewed here. In this work, two methods, the Information Value (InfoVal) and the Landslide Nominal Susceptibility Factor (LNSF) methods that are based on bivariate statistical analysis have been applied for LSZ mapping in a part of the Himalayas. Relevant thematic maps representing various factors (e.g., slope, aspect, relative relief, lithology, buffer zones along thrusts, faults and lineaments, drainage density and landcover) that are related to landslide activity, have been generated using remote sensing and GIS techniques. The LSZ derived from the LNSF method, has been compared with that produced from the InfoVal method and the result shows a more realistic LSZ map from the LNSF method which appears to conform to the heterogeneity of the terrain.     

An active galactic nucleus as a massive coaxial pulsar: A massive central object with a Keplerian accretion disk and twisted MHD jet

The similarities in certain empirical relations derived for active galactic nuclei (AGN) and radio pulsars support the idea that the energy release in the jets of AGN is electrodynamical, associated with the presence of a massive central object (MCO) and circumnuclear, magnetized Keplerian disk. For example, in both types of object, the radio luminosities are proportional to characteristic time scales—for precession for AGN or rotation for pulsars—to the 0.8 power. In this approach to studying the nature of the activity, the $\dot P - P$ relation for pulsars can be considered analogous to the P _r-M _MCO relation for AGN, which has the form P _5GHz (W/Hz)=2.73 log(M _MCO/M _⊙)?2.87.