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... The spatial arrangement of tones and textures which make up the image scene results in the pattern, and is mainly related to geomorphology, topography, vegetation, and human imprint. The image characteristics change depending on the time of image acquisition, due to changes in lighting conditions, vegetation cover and soil moisture content [39]. ...
Landward displacement of coastal boulders is a morphodynamic signature of inundation and erosion processes. The study of these movements can provide useful elements for coastal hazards assessment. In this note, using open-access remote sensing resources, the 2017 to 2021 annual mobility of medium, coarse, and very coarse boulders spread over about 100 km of the eastern coast of the Gulf of Taranto (Italy) is detected. A large interannual variability was found. As established by multi-temporal object-based image analysis, one hundred and ten boulders changed position between July 2019 and June 2020, no boulder was displaced between July 2017 and July 2018, and few boulders were displaced between July 2018 and July 2019, and June 2020 and September 2021. A hydrodynamic analysis of the investigated boulder displacement led to the estimation of the energy of nearshore waves that hit the coast. The storm Detlef, that crossed over the Mediterranean Sea during 11-13 November 2019, is presumed to be the main cause of the massive displacement phenomenon.
... Copernicus DEM, produced by the ESA and providing a 30 m resolution open access world cover, was developed from the combination of multiple elevation datasets that subsequently had corrections applied to improve its quality (Airbus, 2022). It was preferred for our survey due to the extreme flatness of the area (Geyer and Sanlaville, 1996), whereas other regional DEMs, such as the SRTM, present significantly noisier data which prevents an extensive analysis (Walstra et al., 2011) (Fig. 2). Copernicus DEM does not require the application of additional processes such as filtering or interpolation, and in the specific area of study, its quality is far superior (Fig. 2). ...
... The remote sensing survey was carried out by the digitalization of the structures into QGIS 3.16, as well as in Google Earth Pro through their archive imagery. A combination of methods was applied that demonstrated their effectiveness for watercourse detection, such as: photointerpretation of recent and declassified archive images (previously used in Philip et al., 2022;Ur, 2003Ur, , 2013Pournelle, 2003;Hritz, 2010;Walstra et al., 2011;Jotheri et al., 2016;Jotheri et al., 2018;Becker et al., 2019, Hammer et al., 2022, terrain analysis (previously used in Hritz and Wilkinson, 2006;Hritz, 2010;Walstra et al., 2011;Wilkinson et al., 2015;Jotheri et al., 2016;Jotheri et al., 2018;Iacobucci et al., 2022;Kawakami, 2022) and multi-spectral analysis (previously used in Geyer and Sanlaville, 1996;Pournelle, 2003Rayne and Donoghue, 2018;Iacobucci et al., 2022). ...
... The remote sensing survey was carried out by the digitalization of the structures into QGIS 3.16, as well as in Google Earth Pro through their archive imagery. A combination of methods was applied that demonstrated their effectiveness for watercourse detection, such as: photointerpretation of recent and declassified archive images (previously used in Philip et al., 2022;Ur, 2003Ur, , 2013Pournelle, 2003;Hritz, 2010;Walstra et al., 2011;Jotheri et al., 2016;Jotheri et al., 2018;Becker et al., 2019, Hammer et al., 2022, terrain analysis (previously used in Hritz and Wilkinson, 2006;Hritz, 2010;Walstra et al., 2011;Wilkinson et al., 2015;Jotheri et al., 2016;Jotheri et al., 2018;Iacobucci et al., 2022;Kawakami, 2022) and multi-spectral analysis (previously used in Geyer and Sanlaville, 1996;Pournelle, 2003Rayne and Donoghue, 2018;Iacobucci et al., 2022). ...
The deltaic plain of the Euphrates in the region of Uruk and Larsa, subjected to constant dune shifting due to strong deflation, allows for the identification of a dense network of ancient hydraulic structures and fluvial landforms. This study surveyed the area through remote sensing, using high resolution imagery and a Digital Elevation Model to enrich the watercourse map of the desertic plain between Uruk and Larsa. The use of a recently released worldwide open access DEM produced by the European Space Agency enabled an unprecedented quality of terrain analysis through open access large scale imagery and highlights the potential for many future applications in archaeological and paleo-environmental studies in the region. Finally, it unveils a new major connection between the cities of Uruk and Larsa, bringing new elements to reconstruct a complex hydraulic system over millennia of occupation.
... A standardized working procedure was developed for the consistent mapping of the alluvial landscapes of Lower Khuzestan [34]. Because these landscapes have been subject to prolonged human activity, this was explicitly considered as an important agent in the mapping legend. ...
This paper presents a multidisciplinary approach for studying the evolution of an alluvial fan system in Lower Khuzestan (SW Iran). The study draws on previously collected data from geological and archaeological field campaigns and new data derived from the interpretation of satellite imagery and historical textual sources. Three alluvial fans were identified, successively deposited by the Jarrahi river in progressively downstream/westward direction. Judging from archaeological and historical evidence, the successive phases appear to coincide with a relocation of settlement and irrigation activities. The distributary system of the present-day fan developed over a period of less than four centuries. It is suggested that management of levee breaks by man played a key role in such rapid fan development and in maintaining extremely low gradients. Judging from the extensive patterns of ancient irrigation canals, human activity also played an important role in the formation of the earlier fans.
Diese geoarchäologische Untersuchung zu den vor- und frühgeschichtlichen Siedlungen im Großraum Susiana (SW Iran) und ihrer Flusslandschaft stellt die traditionelle kulturhistorische Sicht der „Uruk-Expansion“ in Frage und präsentiert eine neue Erklärung für die archäologisch erwiesene Siedlungsverschiebung in dieser Region. Zum ersten Mal wurde anhand geoarchäologischer Methodik das Phänomen der westlichen Flussmigration in diesem Zeitraum untersucht und mit der zeitgleichen westlichen Siedlungsverschiebung in Verbindung gebracht. Dutzende Bohrungen und Bodenprofile geben einen einmaligen Einblick in den Unterboden dieser Region und bezeugen das Ausmaß des anthropogenen Landschaftswandels lange vor der Entstehung großurbaner Räume im Vorderen Orient.
Elnaz Rashidian ist promovierte Archäologin mit dem Schwerpunkt Geoarchäologie des Vorderen Orients. Zurzeit wirkt sie als Post-Doc in zwei Projekten zur sassanidischen archäologischen Landschaft in Firuzabad (Universität Aix-Marseille) und BozPar (Universität Konstanz) mit. Ihr Hauptinteresse gilt der Interaktion von Menschen mit ihrer umliegenden Landschaft und dem darauffolgenden Landschaftswandel. Sie engagiert sich für interdisziplinäre Forschung in der Vorderasiatischen Archäologie und für die Anwendung geoarchäologischer Methoden in der Landschafts- und Siedlungsarchäologie.
Two of the primary external factors influencing the variability of major river systems, over river reach scales, are human activities and tectonics. Based on the rivers Karun and Dez in south-west Iran, this paper presents an analysis of the geomorphological responses of these major rivers to ancient human modifications and tectonics. Direct human modifications can be distinguished by both modern constructions and ancient remnants of former constructions that can leave a subtle legacy in a suite of river characteristics. For example, the ruins of major dams are characterised by a legacy of channel widening to 100's up to c. 1000 m within upstream zones that can stretch to channel distances of many kilometres upstream of former dam sites, whilst the legacy of major, ancient, anthropogenic river channel straightening can also be distinguished by very low channel sinuosities over long lengths of the river course. Tectonic movements in the region are mainly associated with young and emerging folds with NW-SE and N-S trends and with a long structural lineament oriented EeW. These earth surface movements can be shown to interact with both modern and ancient human impacts over similar timescales, with the types of modification and earth surface motion being distinguishable. This paper examines the geomorphological evidence and outlines the processes involved in the evolution of these interactions through time. The analysis shows how interactions between earth surface movements and major dams are slight, especially after ancient dam collapse. By contrast, interactions between earth surface movements and major anthropogenic river channel straightening are shown to be a key factor in the persistence of long, near-straight river courses. Additionally, it is suggested that artificial river development, with very limited river channel lateral migration, may promote incision across an active fold at unusually long distances from the fold “core” and may promote markedly increased sinuosity across a structural lineament.
The hydromorphic regimes that underpinned Old World river-based civilizations are reviewed in light of recent research. Notable Holocene climatic changes varied from region to region, whilst the dynamics of floodplain environments were equally diverse, with river channel changes significantly affecting human settlement. There were longer-term trends in Holocene hydroclimate and multi-centennial length ‘flood-rich’ and ‘flood-poor’ episodes. These impacted on five identified flooding and settlement scenarios: (i) alluvial fans and aprons; (ii) laterally mobile rivers; (iii) rivers with well-developed levees and flood basins; (iv) river systems characterised by avulsions and floodouts; and (v) large river-fed wetlands. This gave a range of changes that were either more or less regular or incremental from year-to-year (and thus potentially manageable) or catastrophic. The latter might be sudden during a flood event or a few seasons (acute), or over longer periods extending over many decades or even centuries (chronic). The geomorphic and environmental impacts of these events on riparian societies were very often irreversible. Contrasts are made between allogenic and autogenic mechanism for imposing environmental stress on riverine communities and a distinction is made between channel avulsion and contraction responses. Floods, droughts and river channel changes can precondition as well as trigger environmental crises and societal collapse. The Nile system currently offers the best set of independently dated Holocene fluvial and archaeological records, and the contrasted effects of changing hydromorphological regimes on floodwater farming are examined. The persistence of civilizations depended essentially on the societies that maintained them, but they were also understandably resilient in some environments (Pharaonic Egypt in the Egyptian Nile), appear to have had more limited windows of opportunity in others (the Kerma Kingdom in the Nubian Nile), or required settlement mobility or exceptional engineering response (Huang He, Mesopotamia) to accommodate problems such as river avulsion, desiccation or local salinization.
During the late Holocene, an avulsion-controlled Karun
megafan developed in the Lower Khuzestan plain. Based
on the interpretation of satellite data, at least three different
Karun channels were detected. A chronological framework
is provided by archaeological sites and textual sources. The presence of extensive irrigation systems highlights
the important role of human activity in the development of
the plain. In addition, there is clear evidence
of human actions (construction and destruction of dams)
which caused repeated avulsions in the lower reaches of the
present-day Karun. Similar impacts may have contributed
to other channel shifts in historical times.
This chapter presents an introduction to applied geomorphological mapping. Geomorphology is part of the broad range of disciplines that fall under the general heading of earth sciences, which includes both geology and geography. The chapter discusses the history of geomorphological mapping, focusing upon the development of methods and their evolution within different national schools. It also outlines the aims and objectives of mapping and looks at quantitative risk assessment. Techniques of applied geomorphological mapping are also discussed in the chapter including traditional field mapping along with several digital data gathering techniques for mapping. Finally, the chapter presents several examples of industrial applications of geomorphological maps from a variety of environmental settings to demonstrate the wide range and application of mapping in both academic and professional arenas.
