Department of Applied Earth Sciences

Zhou, Yunxuan

Application of Radon transforms to the processing of airborne geophysical data

Wang, Yiman

Satellite SAR imagery for topographic mapping of tidal flat areas in the Dutch Wadden Sea

Luleva, M. I.

Tracing soil particle movement: towards a spectral approach to spatial monitoring of soil erosion

Tang, C.

Monitoring landslide risk dynamics after a major earthquake in a mountainous environment

Other department

Graciela Peters Guarin

Integrating local knowledge into GIS-based flood risk assessment

Sánchez Moreno, J. F.

The power of rain: rainfall variability and erosion in Cape Verde

Castellanos Abella, E.A.

Multi-scale landslide risk assessment in Cuba

Sigaran-Loria, C.

Prediction of co-seismic soil slope instability with finite element models

Fadel, I. E. A. M.

Crustal and upper mantle structure of Botswana: is Botswana rifting?

Pohl, Christine

Geometric aspects of multisensor image fusion for topographic map updating in the humid tropics

Duker, Alfred Allan

Spatial analysis of factors implicated in Mycobacterium ulcerans infection in Ghana

Quan Luna, B.

Dynamic numerical run-out modelling for quantitative landslide risk assessment

Porwal, Alok

Mineral potential mapping with mathematical geological models

Martha, T. R.

Detection of landslides by object-oriented image analysis

Sianturi, R. S.

Reducing Potential Disaster Impacts in Irrigated Rice Fields in West Java

Ma, X.

Ontology spectrum for geological data interoperability

Pavlidou, E.

Time-series analysis of remotely-sensed thermal infra-red emissions: linking anomalies to physical processes

Sahu, Bijay

Aeromagnetics of continental areas flanking the Indian Ocean; with implications for geological correlation and Gondwana reassembly

Shruthi, R. B. V.

Towards improving gully erosion assessment : coupling object - based image analysis and spatially dynamic erosion modelling

Gens, Rudiger

Quality assessment of SAR interferometric data

Kuriakose, S.L.

Physically-based dynamic modelling of the effect of land use changes on shallow landslide initiation in the Western Ghats of Kerala, India

Ghaffarian, S.

Post-disaster recovery assessment using remote sensing image analysis and agent-based modeling

Botero Fernandez, V.

Geo - information for measuring vulnerability to earthquakes : a fitness for use approach

Gangopadhyay, P.K.

Coalfire related CO2 emissions and remote sensing

Jaiswal, P.

Landslide risk quantification along transportation corridors based on historical information

Rathod, P. H.

Phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils and their monitoring with proximal spectral sensing

Zaini, N.

Infrared Carbonate Rock Chemistry Characterization

Salati, S.

Characterization and remote detection of onshore hydrocarbon seep - induced alteration

Yitagesu, F. A.

Remote sensing and geotechnical investigations of expansive soils

Umer, Y. M.

Advances in localized flood hazard modelling in urbanized and data-scare areas

Ghosh, S.

Knowledge guided empirical prediction of landslide hazard

Maghsoudi Moud, F.

Quantitative models for porphyry copper exploration

Geneletti, Davide

Ecological evaluation for environmental impact assessment

Fasatwi, Yahya

The structural, paleogeographical and hydrocarbon systems analysis, West Libya

Wokabi, Stanley M.

Quantified land evaluation for maize yield gap analysis at three sites on the eastern slope of Mt. Kenya

Kariuki, Patrick Chege

Spectroscopy and swelling soils: an integrated approach

Tating, F. F.

Tropical sandstone degradation with time : case study in Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia

Woldai, Tsehaie

The application of remote sensing to the study of the geology and structure of the carboniferous in the Calañas area, pyrite belt, SW Spain

Eleveld, Marieke Antoinette

Exploring coastal morphodynamics of Ameland, The Netherlands with remote sensing monitoring technology

Rost, E.

The influence of geological sample surfaces on TIR spectrocopy

Hooshang, Asadi

The Zarshuran gold deposit model applied in a mineral exploration GIS in Iran

Musbah Abadi, Abdulbaset

Tectonics of the Sirt basin: inferences from tectonic subsidence analysis, stress inversion and gravity modeling

Huisman, Marco

Assessment of rock mass decay in artificial slopes : beoordeling van de degradaties in gesteentemassa's van kunstmatige hellingen

Ruitenbeek, van, Frank J.A.

Hydrothermal processes in the Archean: new insights from imaging spectroscopy

Slob, S.

Automated rock mass characterisation using 3-D terrestrial laser scanning

Turkington, T.

Changing flood and landslide hazard : a meteorological perspective

Khan, S.

Is there a safe spot? Modeling seismic amplification with spectral element method and DEM based topography

Carranza, Emmanuel John Muico

Geologically-constrained mineral potential mapping : Examples from the Philippines

Kuria, Z. N.

Seismotectonics of active faults : Magadi fault system, Southern Kenya rift

Westen, van, Cees J.

Application of geographic information systems to landslide hazard zonation

Schetselaar, Ernst M.

Integrated analyses of granite-gneiss terrain from field and multisource remotely sensed data: a case study from the Canadian Shield

Bocco-Verdinelli, G. H. R.

Gully erosion analysis using remote sensing and geographic information systems: a case study in Central Mexico

Tilon, S. M.

A Routine and Post-disaster Road Corridor Monitoring Framework for the Increased Resilience of Road Infrastructures

Shafique, M.

Earthquakes from space: Remote sensing based approach for regional assessment of seismic induced amplification

van den Bout, B.

Integrated physically-based multi-hazard modelling

Madirisha, M. M.

Flow assurance problems in the geo-energy industry: microbial influenced corrosion, and precipitation of clays in reservoir acid stimulation

Kaymakci, 

Tectono-stratigraphical evolution of the Cankori basin, Central Anatolia, Turkey

Cassells, Craig James Steven

Thermal modelling of underground coal fires in northern China

Razak, K. A.

Airborne laser scanning for forested landslides investigation in temperate and tropical environments

Meer, van der, Freek D.

Imaging spectrometry and the Ronda peridotites

Kamps, O. M.

Mars in multi-dimensions: A global geological survey

Dimal, M. O. R. L.

Valuing Soil's Economic Worth

Kokorev, V.

Precipitation regime changes in the maritime continent

Moonjun, R.

Towards digital soil mapping of Thailand

van der Werff, H. M. A.

Knowledge-based remote sensing of complex objects: Recognition of spatial patterns resulting from natural hydrocarbon seepages

Farifteh, J.

Imaging spectroscopy of salt-affected soils : Model-based integrated method

Akinyede, Joseph Olusola

Highway cost modelling and route selection using a geotechnical information system

Görüm, T.

Towards a better understanding of earthquake triggered landslides: an analysis of the size, distribution pattern and characteristics of coseismic landslides in different tectonic and geomorphic environments

Zambezi, Paul

Geochemistry of the Nkombwa Hill carbonatite complex of Isoka District, northeast Zambia, with special emphasis on economic minerals

Daag, Arthuro

Modelling the erosion of the pyroclastic flow deposits and the occurrences of lahars at Mt. Pinatubo, Philippines

Orlic, Branko

Predicting subsurface conditions for geotechnical modelling

Cundill, S.

Investigation of remote sensing for dike inspection

Hecker, C. A.

Mapping feldspars from above: a thermal infrared and partial least squares based approach

Tanyas, H.

Rapid assessment of earthquake induced landslides

Ymeti, I.

Investigating the effect of seasonal variations, expressed by moisture and temperature changes, on soil surface stability using proximal remote sensing

Jianmin, Zhang

Coal fires in Northwest China: detection monitoring and prediction using remote sensing data

Andrada de Palomera, R. P.

Spectral prospectivity mapping of the Deseado Massif, Argentina : deciphering the geochemistry and mineralogy of a low to intermediate sulfidation epithermal system

Fan, X.

Understanding the causes and effects of earthquake-induced landslide dams

N. Zhang

Supporting first responders in emergencies using computer vision and drones

Narrative description of the Project:

The UNESCO program Capacity Building for Natural disaster Reduction (CBNDR) was established in 1998 upon the initiative os UNESCO,RAS the International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences (ITC), Delft University of Technology (TUD) and the University of Utrecht (UU). Its objective is to strengthen the capability of institutions in developing countries to participate in national, regional and local programs for the reduction of vulnerability for natural hazards.
The UNESCO CBNDR, for the achievement of these objectives, initiates and supports in various regions in the world Regional Action Programs with the following activities:
*The Integration of the existing local knowledge on the occurrence of 201166 and the available methods and techniques for geo-information handling into practical methodologies to produce natural hazard, vulnerability, and the risk information at various scales.
*Development, together with the user community in the region, of appropriate visualization techniques and decision support systems to ensure a proper contribution of geohazard information in the development planning process. In-service training. 

UNESCO and CEPREDENAC ("Centro de Coordinacion para la Prevencion de los Desastres Naturale en Americ Central") have since then reached agreement to embark on a Regional Action Program Central America (RAP-CA), with a duration of four years, to achieve the objectives of the UNESCO CBNDR in the Central American Region.
Individual candidates from the institutions in the 8 member countries of CEPREDENAC have applied to participate in he PAP-CA introductory training program. After completion of this tailor-made training they returned in August 2000 to their respective institutions, where they will work on the implementation in their daily work of the methodologies and techniques acquired in the introductory training program. During a period of at last three years they will receive technical support from experts in the Netherlands, France and Germany who were involved as staff in the introductory training program. Regularly, workshops will be held in the region to exchange experiences and to conduct short refresher courses. At the end of the three-year project CEPREDENAC will present the output of the CBNDR program in a final workshop and disseminate the results to the relevant institutions in its member countries.

Capacity Building for Natural disaster Reduction (CBNDR)

Like all geological survey organizations around the globe, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) needs to prepare for the new social-economic conditions recently implemented in the country. These include new legislation to promote indigenous as well as transnational investments in hydrocarbon and mineral exploration. Although India is already a significant mineral producer, the quantity or value of minerals per km2 is behind other countries with a comparable geology. India is thus relatively under explored and many economic mineral deposits are waiting to be discovered. The Project aims to strengthen the GSI and other geo-science institutions in India and the region in a way that they can remedy the apparent backlog and face the future with confidence.

The GSI and other geo-science institutions in India and the region need to increase their awareness of new computer based methods of acquisition, analysing, storage and publication of geo-data. Most important is to upgrade the rank and file of their human resources through training in the required fields of expertise, notably in digital mapping and data basing methods. The smooth and efficient introduction of this new technology is a huge organization as GSI (>5,500 earth science graduates among their staff) requires insight into the organizational and management  practices of such an organization (‘management of change’). ITC is therefore collaborating with its Sail-partner Maastricht School of Management (MSM) in this particular project. World-wide, readily available digital geo-science data sets play, next to prospectively, an important role in attracting the necessary national an foreign investments needed to fully develop India’s mineral resources. As such digital geo-science data (e.g. as CD-RPMS) are an important ingredient to create the enabling environment.

The project addresses a strategic part of the Indian economy. After a long period beset with administrative hurdles, the Project finally got on stream in the beginning of this year when a heavy Indian delegation visited ITC to sign the MoU and to conduct the first Steering Committee Meeting. Since then the first lot of ToT’s has been trained and project implementation.

Description of Actual Services provided by ITC

The core of the Project is to train a large number of GSI staff during short courses in the Netherlands in the fundamentals of GIS and other digital techniques, the so-called ‘Training-of-Trainers’ program. These ToT’s will conduct similar courses at GSI’s training facility in Hyderabad (GSI-TI), first together with experts form ITC and MSM and later independently. In this way a staff body of approximately 150 young and motivated geo-scientists with the necessary skills to carry the new technologies throughout the GSI and the Indian and regional geo=community, in tune with current international standards, will be formed. Further capacity building takes place by training on PM, MBA and MSc. Level at ITC and MSM. This, together with the social-economic form put in place by the national government, may eventually lead to the full exploitation of India’s mineral wealth. This will not only result in a reduction of costly foreign exchange losses on mineral imports. The development of a strong and diversified mineral industry may also serve as a vehicle for further progress of the Earth’s largest democracy.

Strengthening the capacity for application of digital methods in geophysical, geochemical and geological mapping at the national geo-scientific institutions of India

ITC is one of the partners in a consortium, led by GTK Finland, in a program to improve the geological mapping and geological infrastructure development of an area in northern Mozambique. The project is part of a larger Mineral Resources Management Capacity Building Project, financed by the International development Association and the Nordic Development. ITC's tasks and responsibilities in this project include training of Mozambican junior staff and the study and analysis of geological data and images. The project is financed by the World Bank.

Mozambique Geological Infrastructure Development Project, Lot 2

The project builds a network of research and training institutes in Europe and Latin America, in the field of natural resources assessment and environmental planning and management. The objective is to design and test a procedure for measuring environmental quality and establishing possible relationships with the pressures derived from human actions and with the level of societal response to changes in the condition of the environment. A methodology is developed for determining environmental quality on the basis of multidisciplinary, quantitative indicators and indices. The method enables meaningful spatial and temporal comparisons, so that it can be applied for both assessing the present condition of the environment and monitoring environmental change.

ELANEM: Quantitative indicators of environment. Quality

Initiator of African Magnetic Mapping Project (AMMP), (1989-1992) which compiled a digital map and database of all available aeromagnetic surveys in Africa with the support of major oil companies.

Revenue from sales of AMMP data.

AMMP Promotion

Development of a computer-based demonstration of the capabilities of a Geographical Information System for a database for landmines and demining activities.

Development of a computer-based demonstration of the capabilities of a geographical information system for a mine database

The problem of landmines is well known and affects a lot of countries, especially in the developing world. The current demining technology is slow, expensive, dangerous and can only cover a few hundred square meters per day. Airborne remote sensing for minefield detection can reduce the area that has to be demined with conventional methods and thus speed up the demining process considerably. To demonstrate the feasiblity of the proposed methodology a first test was carried out in Belgium and an airborne campaign was carried out in four test areas in Mozambique. Additionally, detailed maps showing the precise location of minefields are produced and the efficiency of multi-sensor data fusion for processing the data, and the level of accuracy to determine minefields are tested. The conclusions of the pilot project are:
- all minefields identified and mapped by remote sensing were confirmed to be minefields,
- no other minefields or suspected minefields are know to exist in the four test areas,
- extensions of some large minefields were found of which the precise locations were not previously known to the local demining organization,
- the digital orthophotomaps were found to be an excellent basis for integrated humanitarian demining planning purposes,
- satellite remote sensing can find larger minefields,
- under the terrain and environmental conditions experienced in the four pilot areas, aerospace remote sensing is a reliable method to rapidly detect minefields.

Services:
Project supervision and management of the consortium activities
Image processing and interpretation
Development of remote sensing tools for minefield detection
Elaboration of technical specifications for airborne minefield detection

Pilot project for Airborne Minefield Detection

Background
Prior to joining ITC the consultant was employed by Somincor as reserve geologist at the Neves Corvo Copper -Tin mine, located in the Portuguese part of the Iberian Pyrite Belt. When his successor (MSc graduate ITC, PhD from Imperial college took up this position it was a logical choice to continue the ITC Somincor relationship.

Objective
Maintenance and up-keeping of the reserve estimation software.

Description of actual services provided by ITC:

The work performed in this contract comprise
1) a help desk function;
2) locating and correction of programme bugs;
3) continuous improvement of the usability of the software according to the (changing) priorities of the client; and
4) keep the client abreast re. new developments in reserve estimation software.

Upgrading of the software itself is certainly the most rewarding part of the contract. This comprised e.g. in 1996, the instalment of a module that allows using nested (2) models in variogram modelling. Also a module for indicator kriging with automatic grade conversion into 1's and 0's according to a certain cut-off was added. The GOBLES programme was installed in 1997 together with variogram models with different sills in different directions. In 1999 time was spent on the Y2K validation of the software.

Maintenance and Support Reserve Estimation Software for the Neves Corvo Copper - Tin Mine

RS assessment of exploration area in USA.

Leek springs exploration

The project consists of advisory work to provide technical assistance and training to the Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and its Institute in the application of remote sensing data for coastal zone management activities. Elements of the project are: monitoring biophysical trends and the impact of land use changes on coastal ecosystems, planning for low-impact infrastructure development in he coastal zone, and other aspects of environmental protection.

The underlying assumption of this project is that improved spatial data handling and data integration using RS/GIS and models will improve the effeciency and quality of Belize's Coastal Zone Management Programme. To enable this, steps are taken to ensure compatibility between data sources of the various Ministries/agencies with data sets relevant to coastal zone management, and mechanisation of data exchanges. The project will endeavour to develop a network among all coastal zone specialists and stakeholders in Belize, to assist CZMA in its effectiveness.

Type of services provided:

Strengthening the capabilities of the agencies responsible for carrying out effective coastal planning and management, including the designation and management of marine protected areas.

Strengthening the institute's capacity to consolidate and analyse relevant data for planning and management purposes, including the capacity to disseminate information on trends through annual state-of-the-coast reports.

Developing a better understanding and appreciation of how to utilize and apply information and data from remote sensing to better management protect the coastal environment of Belize.

By means of staff training, assist CZMA and its institute to monitor the environmental impacts of economic development, land use and infrastructure development in the coastal zone of the country.

RS applications for the Belize Coastal Zone Management Programme

The project aims to help the countries of eastern and southern Africa to convert much of the geophysical and geochemical exploration data in the archives of their national geological surveys into digital form. At the Eastern and Southern Africa Mineral Resources Development Centre near Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, the project team will create a training centre equipped with appropriate computer hardware and software. Then geoscientists from the national geological surveys of the 13 participation countries will come to the centre for a series of training courses and workshops. Each of these will involve practical training in particular aspects of handling digital geophysical or geochemical data, and participants will bring conventional maps and other data from their home organizations which they themselves will digitize as part of their training.
The countries involved are Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The geological surveys of each of these countries is to be equipped with hardware and software similar to that installed at the training centre so that, after training, their geoscientists can continue with the digital conversion and tasks. The sophisticated digital database that can be built up for each country acts as a reservoir of easily accessible information of past exploration findings, which possible investors can study at little or no cost as a means of developing an exploration strategy in a particular country or region. In the competition for attracting exploration investment, countries that are able to offer such a database have an advantage overt those which cannot.
Another component of the assistance being supplied by RGD-ITC is directed to the Southern Africa development Community’s mining Coordination Unit in Lusaka, Zambia. Here the task is to prepare, mainly form published sources, other databases produced in the Dar-es-Salaam centre and the national geological surveys.
The assistance does not end with the capacity to catalogue geophysical, geochemical and mineral occurrence data in digital form. The geoscientists will also be trained in state-of-the art data processing and methods of data interpretation. It is intended that one visible product of this work is to be a series of thematic geophysical and geochemical maps spanning national boundaries and covering much of the eastern and southern Africa region. Through activities such as these, RGD and ITC are striving to ensure that the geoscientists and the geological survey organizations of eastern and southern Africa acquire a sound basis of expertise, and thoroughly prepared for managing the sustainable development of the mineral resources of their region.

Description of actual services provided by ITC:

Development of GIS facility (hard- and software); development and implementation of special short courses, organizing workshops.

Technical assistance to support geophysical, geochemical and mineral occurrence data collected and analysis in the Southern African Development Community and Eastern African Stated, in particular at ESAMRDC and SADC MCU, Lusaka (GEODESA)

Review of four regional training courses on RS/GIS application in integrated development in the Hindukush Himalayan Region implemented by ICIMOD.

Review of curricula of 4 training courses

Short-term assignment to the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute in Karnal. The assignment included: the review and planning of research activities for the development of a remote sensing based methodology, using GIS for the appraisal of water logging and soil salinity in irrigation commands. With this aim the capabilities and features of ILWIS 2.2 are demonstrated. Also remote sensing data requirements, field data requirements and methods for the calibration and testing of the remote sensing based technology are provided.

Central Soil Salinity Research Institute

Five day course for 17 professionals from Bangladesh on the use of GIS in coastal land use planning. Cooperation with EGIS and Resource Analysis. Discussion on development of future courses as cooperation between EGIS, Resource Analysis, ITC and IHE.

RS and GIS in Coastal Land Use Planning

The project integrates geomorphologic information with data on other environmental resources, opportunities and constraints for land-use planning. Emphasis is on the application of geomorphology and environmental impact assessment to transportation systems. The six educational institutes employ and train a number of young researchers from within the network. Research is done in four pilot areas (Trento, Italy; Cantabria, Spain; Solden, Austria and Castelfranco Emilia, Italy). The case studies are developed in cooperation with local authorities and consultants.

Services:

Training
Research input

GETS: Research Network Geomorphology and EIA TransSyst

The project evaluates the applicability of MERIS for land-applications at the European scale and studies its potential to fill the resolution gap between NOAA-like data and Landsat / SPOT data.

Services:

Applied research

Meriland 2

Short course in the Netherlands and Costa Rica for 20 professionals working in disaster reduction. Introduction into the use of GIS for geohazard zonation, combined with practical applications. Participants from Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize and Dominican Republic. Two months course in the Netherlands and one month field work in Costa Rica. Joint cooperation of ITC with Utrecht University, Delft University of Technology, BRGM Orleans and GFZ Potsdam. Fieldwork in Costa Rica coordinated by Escuela de Geologia, Universidad de Costa Rica with CEPREDENAC as coordination agency in Central America and under UNESCO umbrella.

Geohazard Zonation using GIS for the Central Am. Region

Tailor made course in NL and Colombia for participants from Caribbean countries in remote sensing and GIS applications for the study and management of Caribbean coastal zones. The course consists of 6 months training in the Netherlands and two months field work in the Caribbean. The course participants are from Colombia, Cuba and Mexico.

RS & GIS appl. For Study & Man. Of Caribb. Coast. Zones

Training of two MACRES staff in radar RS for wave detection for a total period of 6 weeks.

Short course on radar RS for wave detection

Strengthen the capacity of representatives of regional and local governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations to apply Geo-information in disaster management and t demonstrate to the participants in the forma of local case study the various steps involved in the disaster management process.

RC 2002: Geo-information for Natural Disaster Management in Indonesia

Project to detect, quantify and monitor coal fires in Norhtern China with remote sensing, implemented in cooperation with DLR, Germany.

Coal Fire Related Investigations in China using Remote Sensing Techniques

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