Monitoring drought’s slow evolution and identifying the end of a drought is still a big challenge for scientists, natural resource managers, and decision makers. This comprehensive two-volume set with contributions from over 200 experts, and featuring case studies representing numerous countries throughout the world, discusses different aspects of drought from types, indices, and forecasting to monitoring, modeling, and mitigation measures. It also addresses how climate change is impacting drought and decision-making concluding with lessons learned about science, policy, and managing uncertainty. Features: Provides a global perspective on drought prediction and management and a synthesis of the recent state of knowledge. Covers a wide range of topics from essential concepts and advanced techniques for forecasting and modeling drought to societal impacts, consequences, and planning Presents numerous case studies with different management approaches from different regions and countries. Addresses how climate change impacts drought, the increasing challenges associated with managing drought, decision making, and policy implications. Includes contributions from hundreds of experts around the world. Professionals, researchers, academics, and postgraduate students with knowledge in Environmental Sciences, Ecology, Agriculture, Forestry, Hydrology, Water Resources Engineering, and Earth Sciences, as well as those interested in how climate change impacts drought management, will gain new insights from the experts featured in this two-volume handbook.

This book is intended for researchers, practitioners and students who are interested in the current trends and want to make their GI applications and research dynamic. Time is the key element of contemporary GIS: mobile and wearable electronics, sensor networks, UAVs and other mobile snoopers, the IoT and many other resources produce a massive amount of data every minute, which is naturally located in space as well as in time. Time series data is transformed into almost (from the human perspective) continuous data streams, which require changes to the concept of spatial data recording, storage and manipulation. This book collects the latest innovative research presented at the GIS Ostrava 2017 conference held in 2017 in Ostrava, Czech Republic, under the auspices of EuroSDR and EuroGEO. The accepted papers cover various aspects of dynamics in GIscience, including spatiotemporal data analysis and modelling; spatial mobility data and trajectories; real-time geodata and real-time applications; dynamics in land use, land cover and urban development; visualisation of dynamics; open spatiotemporal data; crowdsourcing for spatiotemporal data and big spatiotemporal data.

Open access to information of geographic places and spatial relationships provides an essential part of the analytical processing of spatial data. Access to connected geospatial programs allows for improvement in teaching and understanding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Emerging Trends in Open Source Geographic Information Systems provides emerging research on the applications of free and open software in geographic information systems in various fields of study. While highlighting topics such as data warehousing, hydrological modeling, and software packages, this publication explores the assessment and techniques of open software functionality and interfaces. This book is an important resource for professionals, researchers, academicians, and students seeking current research on the different types and uses of data and data analysis in geographic information systems.

This book contains a selection of papers presented during a special workshop on Complexity Science organized as part of the 9th International Conference on GIScience 2016. Expert researchers in the areas of Agent-Based Modeling, Complexity Theory, Network Theory, Big Data, and emerging methods of Analysis and Visualization for new types of data explore novel complexity science approaches to dynamic geographic phenomena and their applications, addressing challenges and enriching research methodologies in geography in a Big Data Era.

This book discusses in detail the science and morphology of powerful hurricane detection systems. It broadly addresses new approaches to monitoring hazards using freely available images from the European Space Agency's (ESA's) Sentinel-1 SAR satellite and benchmarks a new interdisciplinary field at the interface between oceanography, meteorology and remote sensing. Following the launch of the first European Space Agency (ESA) operational synthetic aperture radar satellite, Sentinel-1, in 2014, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data has been freely available on the Internet hub in real-time. This advance allows weather forecasters to view hurricanes in fine detail for the first time. As a result, the number of synthetic aperture radar research scientists working in this field is set to grow exponentially in the next decade; the book is a valuable resource for this large and budding audience.

This book is specifically designed to serve the community of postgraduates and researchers in the fields of epidemiology, health GIS, medical geography, and health management. It starts with the basic concepts and role of remote sensing, GIS in Kala-azar diseases. The book gives an exhaustive coverage of Satellite data, GPS, GIS, spatial and attribute data modeling, and geospatial analysis of Kala-azar diseases. It also presents the modern trends of remote sensing and GIS in health risk assessment with an illustrated discussion on its numerous applications.

This volume is a comprehensive guide to the use of geographic information systems (GIS) for the spatial analysis of supply and demand for energy in the global and local scale. It gathers the latest research and techniques in GIS for spatial and temporal analysis of energy systems, mapping of energy from fossil fuels, optimization of renewable energy sources, optimized deployment of existing power sources, and assessment of environmental impact of all of the above. Author Lubos Matejicek covers GIS for assessment a wide variety of energy sources, including fossil fuels, hydropower, wind power, solar energy, biomass energy, and nuclear power as well as the use of batteries and accumulators. The author also utilizes case studies to illustrate advanced techniques such as multicriteria analysis, environmental modeling for prediction of energy consumption, and the use of mobile computing and multimedia tools.

This book focuses on the generalization of map features, providing descriptions and classifying groups of map objects into six categories: point clusters, groups of contours, road networks, river networks, continuous areal features and discrete areal features. Discussing the methods and algorithms in map generalization in equal measure, it also describes the approaches for describing map features. The book is a valuable reference for graduates and researchers who are interested in cartography and geographic information science/systems, especially those in automated map generalization and spatial databases construction.

Emerging Spatial Big Data (SBD) has transformative potential in solving many grand societal challenges such as water resource management, food security, disaster response, and transportation. However, significant computational challenges exist in analyzing SBD due to the unique spatial characteristics including spatial autocorrelation, anisotropy, heterogeneity, multiple scales and resolutions which is illustrated in this book. This book also discusses current techniques for, spatial big data science with a particular focus on classification techniques for earth observation imagery big data. Specifically, the authors introduce several recent spatial classification techniques, such as spatial decision trees and spatial ensemble learning. Several potential future research directions are also discussed. This book targets an interdisciplinary audience including computer scientists, practitioners and researchers working in the field of data mining, big data, as well as domain scientists working in earth science (e.g., hydrology, disaster), public safety and public health. Advanced level students in computer science will also find this book useful as a reference.

This thesis reports on sparsity-based multipath exploitation methods for through-the-wall radar imaging. Multipath creates ambiguities in the measurements provoking unwanted ghost targets in the image. This book describes sparse reconstruction methods that are not only suppressing the ghost targets, but using multipath to one's advantage. With adopting the compressive sensing principle, fewer measurements are required for image reconstruction as compared to conventional techniques. The book describes the development of a comprehensive signal model and some associated reconstruction methods that can deal with many relevant scenarios, such as clutter from building structures, secondary reflections from interior walls, as well as stationary and moving targets, in urban radar imaging. The described methods are evaluated here using simulated as well as measured data from semi-controlled laboratory experiments.

The scope of image processing and recognition has broadened due to the gap in scientific visualization. Thus, new imaging techniques have developed, and it is imperative to study this progression for optimal utilization. Big Data Analytics for Satellite Image Processing and Remote Sensing is a critical scholarly resource that examines the challenges and difficulties of implementing big data in image processing for remote sensing and related areas. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics, such as distributed computing, parallel processing, and spatial data, this book is geared towards scientists, professionals, researchers, and academicians seeking current research on the use of big data analytics in satellite image processing and remote sensing.

Geographic data is a valuable source of information in modern society. By utilizing alternative sources of this data, the availability and potential applications of geographic information systems can be increased. Volunteered Geographic Information and the Future of Geospatial Data is a pivotal reference source for the latest scholarly research on information gathering from volunteers, as opposed to official agencies and private companies, to compile geospatial data. Highlighting a range of pertinent topics such as regional landscape mapping, road safety, and land usage, this book is ideally designed for researchers, academics, students, professionals, and practitioners interested in the growing area of volunteered geographic information.

This unique work introduces the basic principles of artificial intelligence with applications in geographical teaching and research, GIS, and planning. Written in an accessible, non-technical and witty style, this book marks the beginning of the Al revolution in geography with major implications for teaching and research. The authors provide an easy to understand basic introduction to Al relevant to geography. There are no special mathematical and statistical skills needed, indeed these might well be a hindrance. Al is a different way of looking at the world and it requires a willingness to experiment, and readers who are unhindered by the baggage of obsolete technologies and outmoded philosophies of science will probably do best. The text provides an introduction to expert systems, neural nets, genetic algorithms, smart systems and artificial life and shows how they are likely to transform geographical enquiry.

• A major methodological milestone in geography
• The first geographical book on artificial intelligence (Al)
• No need for previous mathematical or statistical skills/knowledge
• Accessible style makes a difficult subject available to a wide audience
• Stan Openshaw is one of the world s leading researchers into geographical computing, spatial analysis and GIS.

These proceedings present selected research papers from CSNC2017, held during 23th-25th May in Shanghai, China. The theme of CSNC2017 is Positioning, Connecting All. These papers discuss the technologies and applications of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and the latest progress made in the China BeiDou System (BDS) especially. They are divided into 12 topics to match the corresponding sessions in CSNC2017, which broadly covered key topics in GNSS. Readers can learn about the BDS and keep abreast of the latest advances in GNSS techniques and applications.

The availability of geographically referenced data, the proliferation of geospatial technologies, and advances in spatial analytics have been a boom to applied geographers. Geospatial Technologies and Advancing Geographic Decision Making: Issues and Trends is a resource for private and public sector applied geographers engaged as geospatial technicians, analysts, scientists, and managers. It includes chapters that highlight the use of geospatial technologies to explore applied geographic issues and problems; studies from economic geography, urban geography, population geography, medical geography, political geography, geography of education, geography of crime, and transportation geography are considered.

The natural disasters are the killer agents which can/can't be predicted even though we have modern technology. Every year, in one place or another, disasters striking which is devastating the area and surroundings, leading to ecological disruption besides huge loss of life and property. India is vulnerable to cyclones, landslides/avalanches, earthquakes, floods, droughts, forest fires, epidemics, etc. The 5700-km long coast of India, with its dense population is vulnerable to cyclones/low depressions, tsunamis, etc. The 2400-km long rugged Himalayan terrain is vulnerable to landslides, avalanches and earthquakes. India is not only vulnerable to natural disasters, it is also experiencing industrial accidents. The Bhopal Gas tragedy is one of the major man-made disasters in the world. The state of Andhra Pradesh has 970-km long coastline with two major rivers, etc. The conference is conducted in Visakhapatnam, is famous for industries and tourism. Recently, several industrial accidents took place, besides major natural disasters like Hud-Hud, etc. Disaster management shall be implemented from the grass root level in vulnerable areas to improve the capacity building, so as to minimize the losses. The capacity building coupled with technology results in reduction of loss of life and property.

This book offers a systematic investigation of the ecological and environmental issues related to the land cover changes in Nepal by researchers from both China and Nepal. It discusses the eco-environmental issues faced by Nepal, particularly in the hills and mountain regions. It also sheds light on the global concerns regarding the eco-environment issues of mountains, and analyzes the various causes and potential consequences of eco-environmental degradation in Nepal. The book is of particular interest to students, researchers, experts, and decision-makers wanting to gain a general overview of land cover in Nepal and its dynamics, environment and natural resources, as well as mountain hazards.

This book presents landslide studies using the geographic information system (GIS), which includes not only the science of GIS and remote sensing, but also technical innovations, such as detailed light detection and ranging profiles, among others. To date most of the research on landslides has been found in journals on topography, geology, geo-technology, landslides, and GIS, and is limited to specific scientific aspects. Although journal articles on GIS using landslide studies are abundant, there are very few books on this topic. This book is designed to fill that gap and show how the latest GIS technology can contribute in terms of landslide studies. In a related development, the GIS Landslide Workshop was established in Japan 7 years ago in order to communicate and solve the scientific as well as technical problems of GIS analyses, such as how to use GIS software and its functions. The workshop has significantly contributed to progress in the field. Included among the chapters of this book are GIS using susceptibility mapping, analyses of deep-seated and shallow landslides, measuring and visualization of landslide distribution in relation to topography, geological facies and structures, rivers, land use, and infrastructures such as roads and streets. Filled with photographs, figures, and tables, this book is of great value to researchers in the fields of geography, geology, seismology, environment, remote sensing, and atmospheric research, as well as to students in these fields.

As the need for geographical data rapidly expands in the 21st century, so too do applications of small-format aerial photography for a wide range of scientific, commercial and governmental purposes. Small-format Aerial Photography (SFAP) presents basic and advanced principles and techniques with an emphasis on digital cameras. Unmanned platforms are described in considerable detail, including kites, helium and hot-air blimps, model airplanes, and paragliders. Several case studies, primarily drawn from the geosciences, are presented to demonstrate how SFAP is actually used in various applications. Many of these integrate SFAP with ground-based investigations as well as conventional large-format aerial photography, satellite imagery, and other kinds of geographic information.

Taking the Qinghai-Tibet Railway as an example, this book introduces intelligent processing for Global Positioning Data (GPS) data. Combining theory with practical applications, it provides essential insights into the Chinese Qinghai-Tibet Railway and novel methods of data processing for GPS satellite positioning, making it a valuable resource for all those working with train control systems, train positioning systems, satellite positioning, and intelligent data processing. As satellite positioning guarantees the safe and efficient operation of train control systems, it focuses on how to best process the GPS data collected, including methods for error detection, reduction and information fusion.

This new textbook and lab manual on remote sensing and digital image processing of natural resources includes numerous practical, problem-solving exercises, and case studies that use the free and open-source platform R. It explains the basic concepts of remote sensing and its multidisciplinary applications using R language and R packages, and engages students in learning theory through hands-on real-life projects. Features 1. Aims to expand theoretical approaches of remote sensing and digital image processing through multidisciplinary applications using R and R packages. 2. Engages students in learning theory through hands-on real-life projects. 3. All chapters are structured with solved exercises and homework and encourages readers to understand the potential and the limitations of the environments. 4. Covers data analysis in free and open-source (FOSS) R platform, which makes remote sensing accessible to anyone with a computer. 5. Explores current trends and developments in remote sensing in homework assignments with data to further explore the use of free multispectral remote sensing data, including very high spatial resolution information. Students in upper-level undergraduate or graduate programs with Remote Sensing Course and Geoprocessing Course, civil and environmental engineering, geosciences, and environmental sciences, electrical engineering, biology, hydrology, agriculture Engineering. Professionals in different areas who use remote sensing and image processing. Students in upper-level undergraduate or graduate programs taking courses in Remote Sensing and Geoprocessing, civil and environmental engineering, geosciences, and environmental sciences, electrical engineering, biology, hydrology, agricultural engineering, as well as professionals in different areas who use remote sensing and image processing, will gain a deeper understanding and first-hand experience with remote sensing and digital processing, with a learn-by-doing methodology using applicable examples in natural resources. .

The book presents a collection of accepted papers from the 3DGeoinfo 2015 international conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from October 28 - 30, 2015. All papers underwent double-blind review by experts from around the globe. The conference brought together pioneering international researchers and practitioners to facilitate the dialogue on emerging topics in the field of 3D geo-information. The focus areas include: - Data Collection and Modeling: advanced approaches for 3D data collection, reconstruction and methods for representation- Data Management: topological, geometrical and network models for maintenance of 3D geoinformation- Data Analysis and Visualization: frameworks for representing 3D spatial relationships, 3D spatial analysis and algorithms for navigation, interpolation, advanced VR, AR and MR visualisation, as well as 3D visualization on mobile devices- 3D Applications: city models, Cadastre, LBS, etc.

This book focuses on small flying drones and their applications in conducting geographic surveys. Scholars and professionals will discover the potential of this tool, and hopefully develop a conceptual and methodological framework for doing the following things: a) Translate their data acquisition needs into specifications. (b) Use the developed specifications to choose the best accessible configuration for their drones, and (c) Design and organize effective and low-cost field deployment and flight operations by integrating technical aspects with regulatory and research requirements. Readers can apply this knowledge to work in cartography, environmental monitoring and analysis, land-use studies and landscape archaeology. Particular attention is also given to the reasons why a drone can dramatically boost a geographer's capability to understand geographic phenomena both from hard-science and humanities-oriented approach.