The neighborhoods and the biophysical, political, and cultural environments all play a key role in affecting health outcomes of individuals. Unequal spatial distribution of resources such as clinics, hospitals, public transportation, fresh food markets, and schools could make some communities as a whole more vulnerable and less resilient to adverse health effects. This somber reality suggests that it is rather the question of "who you are depends upon where you are" and the fact that health inequality is both a people and a place concern. That is why health inequality needs to be investigated in a spatial setting to deepen our understanding of why and how some geographical areas experience poorer health than others. This book introduces how spatial context shapes health inequalities. Spatial Health Inequalities: Adapting GIS Tools and Data Analysis demonstrates the spatial health inequalities in six most important topics in environmental and public health, including food insecurity, birth health outcomes, infectious diseases, children's lead poisoning, chronic diseases, and health care access. These are the topics that the author has done extensive research on and provides a detailed description of the topic from a global perspective. Each chapter identifies relevant data and data sources, discusses key literature on appropriate techniques, and then illustrates with real data with mapping and GIS techniques. This is a unique book for students, geographers, clinicians, health and research professionals and community members interested in applying GIS and spatial analysis to the study of health inequalities.

This book employs a suite of remotely sensed products and advanced technologies to provide the first comprehensive space-based sensing of Lake Victoria, the world's second largest freshwater lake that supports a livelihood of more than 42 million people, modulates regional climate, but faces myriads of challenges. Proper understanding of the lake and changes in its physical dynamics (e.g., water level, shorelines and areal dynamics) resulting from the impacts of climate variation and climate change as well as anthropogenic (e.g., hydropower and irrigation) is important for its management as well as for strategic development before, during and after climate extremes (e.g., floods and droughts) in order to inform policy formulations, planning and mitigation measures. Owing to its sheer size, and lack of research resources commitment by regional governments that hamper its observations, however, it is a daunting task to undertake studies on Lake Victoria relying solely on in-situ "boots on the ground" measurements, which are sparse, missing in most cases, inconsistent or restricted by governmental red tapes. To unlock the potentials of Lake Victoria, this book argues for the removal of obsolete Nile treaties signed between Britain, Egypt and Sudan in the 1920s and 1950s, which prohibits its utilization by the upstream countries. The book is useful to those in water resources management and policy formulations, hydrologists, environmentalists, engineers and researchers. In a unique cross-disciplinary approach, the Book articulates the various climatic impacts and explanations from natural and anthropogenic origins, which affected Lake Victoria and its vicinity, including the drastic increase and depletion of water level in the Lake and dams, floods and droughts, water quality/security, crop health, food security, and economic implications. With no exception as in his many publications, Joseph L. Awange used data analysis methodologies including filtering, adjustment theory, and robust statistics, to quantify the hydrologic and other parameters, and their estimated uncertainties. The Book is recommended for readers from a diverse disciplines, including physical and social sciences, policy, law, engineering, and disaster management. Professor C.K. Shum, Ohio State University.

This book integrates spatial analysis into the study and management of conflicts, and offers a model in conflict studies that incorporates theoretical explanations of conflict, its causes, and impacts, with a geospatial strategy for intervening in disputes over allocation and use of natural resources (connects theory and practice). Alongside a theoretical analysis of resource conflicts and an account of Participatory Mapping and PGIS development, this book provides a case study of GIS applications in conflict mediation. The book also lays out a practical and straightforward demonstration of PGIS applications in conflict management using a real-world case study, and traces the Participatory Mapping and PGIS movements' evolution, compares PPGIS and PGIS practices, and makes distinctions between traditional GIS applications and PGIS practice. The approach embodies the enhanced use of spatial information and media, sets of tools for analyzing, mapping, and displaying spatial data and a platform for participatory discussions that enhances consensus-building. The book, therefore, contributes to the search for novel approaches for managing current and emerging conflicts. With this book, resource managers, development practitioners, students, and scholars of Participatory Mapping and PGIS applications and conflict studies will be equipped with the principles, skills, and the tools they need to manage non-violent resource conflicts and keep the disputes from slipping into violence. The book will also be a valuable text for basic and advanced studies in Participatory Mapping and PGIS applications, Conflict Resolution and Conflict Management.

Applying new skills to established topics, this is how you want to examine human geography. Introduction to Human Geography Using ArcGIS Online combines a comprehensive examination of human geography with engaging activities using the ArcGIS Online service. Birth rates are higher in one country than another. Why? Are there patterns? Are there correlations? Introduction to Human Geography Using ArcGIS Online readers are doers, using sophisticated software to actively explore, analyze, and answer these questions and many more. ArcGIS Online exercises in each chapter dig into those numbers and their spatial relationships, enhancing students' grasp of geographic concepts. Instructors tailor classroom examples and homework assignments to local geography. Introduction to Human Geography Using ArcGIS Online bridges classroom lecture and live, current, interactive data for reinforced learning and a hybridized teaching approach.

Over the past century, mechanization has been an important means for optimizing resource utilization, improving worker health and safety and reducing labor requirements in farming while increasing productivity and quality of 4F (Food, Fuel, Fiber, Feed). Recognizing this contribution, agricultural mechanization was considered as one of the top ten engineering achievements of 20th century by the National Academy of Engineering. Accordingly farming communities have adopted increasing level of automation and robotics to further improve the precision management of crops (including input resources), increase productivity and reduce farm labor beyond what has been possible with conventional mechanization technologies. It is more important than ever to continue to develop and adopt novel automation and robotic solutions into farming so that some of the most complex agricultural tasks, which require huge amount of seasonal labor such as fruit and vegetable harvesting, could be automated while meeting the rapidly increasing need for 4F. In addition, continual innovation in and adoption of agricultural automation and robotic technologies is essential to minimize the use of depleting resources including water, minerals and other chemicals so that sufficient amount of safe and healthy food can be produced for current generation while not compromising the potential for the future generation. This book aims at presenting the fundamental principles of various aspects of automation and robotics as they relate to production agriculture (the branch of agriculture dealing with farming operations from field preparation to seeding, to harvesting and field logistics). The building blocks of agricultural automation and robotics that are discussed in the book include sensing and machine vision, control, guidance, manipulation and end-effector technologies. The fundamentals and operating principles of these technologies are explained with examples from cutting-edge research and development currently going on around the word. This book brings together scientists, engineers, students and professionals working in these and related technologies to present their latest examples of agricultural automation and robotics research, innovation and development while explaining the fundamentals of the technology. The book, therefore, benefits those who wish to develop novel agricultural engineering solutions and/or to adopt them in the future.

This book introduces readers to the polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) system, its information processing, and imaging applications. The content is divided into three main parts: Part I, on the research scope of PolSAR, addresses the underlying theory and system design, polarimetric SAR interferometry (PolInSAR), compact PolSAR, and calibration of PolSAR. Part II, which focuses on information processing, highlights the new theories and methods used in PolSAR, such as statistical properties analysis for images, speckle reduction, image enhancement, polarimetric target decomposition, and classification of PolSAR target detection. In turn, Part III, on the applications of polarimetric SAR, discusses the geophysical parameter retrieval of PolSAR data, polarimetric interferometric SAR information processing, compact polarimetric interferometric SAR information processing, and the effects of terrain tilt in azimuth direction on PolSAR data. The book provides a comprehensive and systematic guide to the system, integrating theory and practice, and has a highly application-oriented focus. Presenting new theories, methods and achievements made in polarimetric microwave imaging in recent years, it offers a valuable asset for researchers, engineers and scientists in the area of remote sensing and radar imaging. It can also be used as a reference book for university educators and graduate students.

This book introduces flood inundation area and flood risks assessment based on a comprehensive monitoring system using remote sensing and geographic information system technologies. Taking the 2011 flood disaster of Ayutthaya in Thailand as an example, it presents a flood intrusion zone identification method based on remote sensing technology, spatial information technology and geographic information system for flood disaster monitoring and early warning system. It introduces the study area and data, vegetation index, improved support vector machine and flood intrusion zone identification method. It also analyzes the flood remote sensing parameters and waterborne diseases, method of risk assessment of waterborne disease outbreak, waterborne disease outbreak risk monitoring based on backpropagation neural network and its expert system. It not only promotes a new interdisciplinary approach both in public health and space information technology, but also greatly supports decision makers in disaster reduction.

Geographic information systems (GIS) have become increasingly important in helping us understand complex social, economic, and natural dynamics where spatial components play a key role. The critical algorithms used in GIS, however, are notoriously difficult to both teach and understand, in part due to the lack of a coherent representation. GIS Algorithms attempts to address this problem by combining rigorous formal language with example case studies and student exercises. Using Python code throughout, Xiao breaks the subject down into three fundamental areas: Geometric Algorithms Spatial Indexing Spatial Analysis and Modelling With its comprehensive coverage of the many algorithms involved, GIS Algorithms is a key new textbook in this complex and critical area of geography.

This book discusses the striking geomorphological landscapes of mainland Norway. As part of the Springer book series on World Geomorphological Landscapes, it outlines the nature and diversity of Norway's geomorphological landscapes and examines the geological background and the drivers of landscape evolution. It also features numerous case studies describing the most striking sites, and offers insights into the status and value of geoheritage and geoconservation in the country. Providing readers with an opportunity to explore the variety of Norwegian landscapes and landforms through informative texts richly illustrated with color maps and photos, the book will appeal to scientists, scholars and any readers interested in geology, physical geography, geomorphology, landscape tourism, geoheritage and environmental protection.

This book presents the selected peer-reviewed proceedings of the International Conference on Recent Trends and Innovations in Civil Engineering (ICRTICE 2019). The volume focuses on latest research and advances in the field of civil engineering and materials science such as design and development of new environmental materials, performance testing and verification of smart materials, performance analysis and simulation of steel structures, design and performance optimization of concrete structures, and building materials analysis. The book also covers studies in geotechnical engineering, hydraulic engineering, road and bridge engineering, building services design, engineering management, water resource engineering and renewable energy. The contents of this book will be useful for students, researchers and professionals working in civil engineering.

The book provides a cross-sectoral, multi-scale assessment of development-directed investigations in the main rivers of wider Central Asia and Afghanistan. The book highlights the development of river systems, water reservoirs, ecosystems and risks as well as the impact of climate change on water resources in Central Asian countries and Afghanistan. It provides information on the genesis of river basins, physical and chemical properties of water in rivers, and the hydrological regimes of the rivers of Central Asia and Afghanistan. The book is useful for scientists and researchers whose work focuses on rivers and the use of water resources, irrigation, ecosystems, risks, water supply, climate change and remote sensing, as well as for students and planners, administrations and other stakeholders in the water sector.

This volume comprises select peer reviewed papers presented at the international conference - Advanced Research and Innovations in Civil Engineering (ARICE 2019). It brings together a wide variety of innovative topics and current developments in various branches of civil engineering. Some of the major topics covered include structural engineering, water resources engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, and remote sensing. The book also looks at emerging topics such as green building technologies, zero-energy buildings, smart materials, and intelligent transportation systems. Given its contents, the book will prove useful to students, researchers, and professionals working in the field of civil engineering.

This is the first authored English book completely focused on global navigation satellite system reflectometry (GNSS-R). It consists of two main parts: the fundamental theory; and major applications, which include ocean altimetry, sea surface wind speed retrieval, snow depth measurement, soil moisture measurement, tsunami detection and sea ice detection. Striking a healthy balance between theory and practice, and featuring in-depth studies and extensive experimental results, the book introduces beginners to the fundamentals, while preparing experienced researchers to pursue advanced investigations and applications in GNSS-R.

This volume gathers the proceedings of the IX Hotine-Marussi Symposium on Mathematical Geodesy, which was held from 18 to 22 June 2018 at the Faculty of Civil and Industrial Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Since 2006, the Hotine-Marussi Symposia series has been produced under the auspices of the Inter-Commission Committee on Theory (ICCT) within the International Association of Geodesy (IAG). The ICCT has organized the last four Hotine-Marussi Symposia, held in Wuhan (2006) and Rome (2009, 2013 and 2018). The overall goal of the ICCT and Hotine-Marussi Symposia has always been to advance geodetic theory, as reflected in the 25 peer-reviewed research articles presented here. The IX Hotine-Marussi Symposium was divided into 10 topical sessions covering all aspects of geodetic theory including reference frames, gravity field modelling, adjustment theory, atmosphere, time series analysis and advanced numerical methods. In total 118 participants attended the Symposium and delivered 82 oral and 37 poster presentations. During a special session at the Accademia Nazionale deiLincei, the oldest scientific academy in the world, six invited speakers discussed interactions of geodesy with oceanography, glaciology, atmospheric research, mathematics, Earth science and seismology.

This book gathers contributions on modern irrigation environments in Egypt from an environmental and agricultural perspective. Written by leading experts in the field, it discusses a wide variety of modern irrigation problems. In the context of water resources management in Egypt, one fundamental problem is the gap between growing water demand and limited supply. As such, improving irrigation systems and providing farmers with better control over water are crucial to increasing productivity. The book presents state-of-the-art technologies and techniques that can be effectively used to address a range of problems in modern irrigation, as well as the latest research advances. Focusing on water sensing and information technologies, automated irrigation technologies, and improved irrigation efficiency. It brings together a team of experts who share their personal experiences, describe the various applications, present recent advances, and discuss possibilities for interdisciplinary collaboration and implementing the techniques covered

This book systematically discusses the signal design theory and technologies for next-generation satellite navigation systems. It provides comprehensive information on the basic concept, theory, and key technologies employed in satellite navigation system signal design. Starting from the basic elements of the navigation signal, it combines traditional and advanced technologies into an organic whole, offering readers a complete system for signal design. Thanks to its rich content and clear structure, it is well suited as a reference guide for researchers and engineers in the fields of satellite navigation, positioning, etc. The book can also be used as teaching material or supplemental reading material by professors and graduate students alike.

This book gathers the proceedings of the 6th China High Resolution Earth Observation Conference (CHREOC). Since its inception, the conference series has become an influential academic event in the earth detection area and attracted more and more top experts and industry practitioners in related fields. CHREOC chiefly focuses on popular topics including military-civilian integration, the One Belt and One Road initiative, and the transformation of scientific research achievements, while also discussing new ideas, new technologies, new methods, and new developments. The CHREOC conferences have effectively promoted high-level institutional mechanisms, technological innovation, and industrial upgrading in the high-resolution earth observation area, and sparked new interest in the major national-sponsored project CHREOS. The majority of the contributing authors are researchers and experts participating in the CHREOS project. The papers highlight new findings, technical innovations, and research directions in the field of high-resolution earth observation. All articles have undergone several rounds of expert review and reflect cutting-edge advances. Accordingly, the proceedings offer an informative and valuable resource for both academic research and engineering practice.

This heavily illustrated book contains descriptions and geologic interpretations of photographs (mostly aerial) illustrating the power and magnitude of repeated Ice Age flooding in the Pacific Northwest, as recently as 14,000 years ago. The scale of Ice Age floods was so huge that today it is often difficult to see and appreciate the power and magnitude of such megafloods from ground level. However, from the air, landforms created by the floods often come into clear focus. Aerial images, obtained via unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) as well as fixed-wing airplane, add a new perspective on evidence gathered by dozens of scientists since 1923.

This book presents a survey, dynamic monitoring and comprehensive analysis of Sri Lanka's land, vegetation, surface water, ocean and other environmental resources, as well as its economic, transportation, urban, agricultural and tourism development. It offers readers accurate, systematic and comprehensive information on Sri Lanka's ecological setting and socio-economic development. It also sheds light on policies for the protection of the environment and biodiversity.

Globalization is not a new phenomenon, but it is posing new challenges to humans and natural ecosystems in the 21st century. From climate change to increasingly mobile human populations to the global economy, the relationship between humans and their environment is being modified in ways that will have long-term impacts on ecological health, biodiversity, ecosystem goods and services, population vulnerability, and sustainability. These changes and challenges are perhaps nowhere more evident than in island ecosystems. Buffeted by rising ocean temperatures, extreme weather events, sea-level rise, climate change, tourism, population migration, invasive species, and resource limitations, islands represent both the greatest vulnerability to globalization and also the greatest scientific opportunity to study the significance of global changes on ecosystem processes, human-environment interactions, conservation, environmental policy, and island sustainability. In this book, we study islands through the lens of Land Cover/Land Use Change (LCLUC) and the multi-scale and multi-thematic drivers of change. In addition to assessing the key processes that shape and re-shape island ecosystems and their land cover/land use changes, the book highlights measurement and assessment methods to characterize patterns and trajectories of change and models to examine the social-ecological drivers of change on islands. For instance, chapters report on the results of a meta-analysis to examine trends in published literature on islands, a satellite image time-series to track changes in urbanization, social surveys to support household analyses, field sampling to represent the state of resources and their limitations on islands, and dynamic systems models to link socio-economic data to LCLUC patterns. The authors report on a diversity of islands, conditions, and circumstances that affect LCLUC patterns and processes, often informed through perspectives rooted, for instance, in conservation, demography, ecology, economics, geography, policy, and sociology.

GeoComputation and Public Health is fundamentally a multi-disciplinary book, which presents an overview and case studies to exemplify numerous methods and solicitations in addressing vectors borne diseases (e.g, Visceral leishmaniasis, Malaria, Filaria). This book includes a practical coverage of the use of spatial analysis techniques in vector-borne disease using open source software solutions. Environmental factors (relief characters, climatology, ecology, vegetation, water bodies etc.) and socio-economic issues (housing type & pattern, education level, economic status, income level, domestics' animals, census data, etc) are investigated at micro -level and large scale in addressing the various vector-borne disease. This book will also generate a framework for interdisciplinary discussion, latest innovations, and discoveries on public health. The first section of the book highlights the basic and principal aspects of advanced computational practices. Other sections of the book contain geo-simulation, agent-based modeling, spatio-temporal analysis, geospatial data mining, various geocomputational applications, accuracy and uncertainty of geospatial models, applications in environmental, ecological, and biological modeling and analysis in public health research. This book will be useful to the postgraduate students of geography, remote sensing, ecology, environmental sciences and research scholars, along with health professionals looking to solve grand challenges and management on public health.

Julius Schmidt was one of the finest astronomical observers of his time, and his detailed map of the Moon surpassed anything that had come before. Today, the German astronomer and geophysicist has remained a largely neglected figure, despite being one of the most important players in the history of lunar studies. This book at last makes accessible Schmidt's highly regarded German work, Der Mond. Considered an astronomical classic of the nineteenth century, Der Mond remained without a proper English counterpart for the last century and a half, until now. The author's faithful English translation provides readers with much-needed access into Schmidt's original publication, with the aim of showing the community just how vital his work and legacy have been in the international field of selenography.

This book provides in-depth explanations of design theories and methods for remote sensing satellites, as well as their practical applications. There have been significant advances in spacecraft remote sensing technologies over the past decade. As the latest edition of the book "Space Science and Technology Research," it draws on the authors' vast engineering experience in system design for remote sensing satellites and offers a valuable guide for all researchers, engineers and students who are interested in this area. Chiefly focusing on mission requirements analyses and system design, it also highlights a range of system design methods.

This volume describes the construction of the territorial identity of the southern end of South America and analyzes the cartographic territorialization of Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and the "Terra Australis" continent. Different spatial representations and territorial nature coexisted in this process as a result of the spatial interpretation and value modes as well as the projects and strategies of various actors. The book discusses the formal and symbolic incorporation to the Spanish dominion and its inclusion in the imperial design built over a new image of the world. Examining Jesuit cartography it considers both the indigenous territoriality and the dynamics of relations between natural and social components in the continental hinterland. The process of cartographic differentiation for this southern Atlantic region is analyzed in the framework of early Antarctic exploration and competing use of navigation routes and maritime resources. The book emphasizes the role geopolitical and economic interests play in these developments. The formation of territorialities of various origins has particular contents and logic, which are built upon imaginary subordination to political and economic interests. Cartographic language in the 19th century, associated with political and commercial motivations and the (British) imperial ideology, stimulated the territorial expansion. The book argues why in the late 1800's this was an important factor in the integration process of the southern indigenous territories and the national territoriality.

This book focuses on gyro-free inertial navigation technology, which is used to measure not only linear motion parameters but also angular rates. Since no gyroscopes are used, the key technologies, such as initial alignment, attitude resolution, and error calibration, are very different than those used in traditional methods. Discussing each key technology in gyro-free inertial navigation system (GFINS) manufacture in a separate chapter, the book features easy-to-understand, detailed illustrations, to allow all those involved in inertial navigation to gain a better grasp of GFINS manufacture, including accelerometer setting principles; initial alignment; quaternion-based, attitude resolution algorithms; and accelerometer de-noise methods.