Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Subhash Chand, Barbara Bollard
Summary: Wild oyster reefs, although invasive and trophic competitors, are essential for biodiversity in intertidal estuaries, yet their populations are declining. Remote sensing techniques such as using VIS+NIR spectrum have shown to be effective in spatial assessment and mapping of wild oyster reefs, highlighting the importance of spectral resolution over spatial resolution for detecting and classifying these reefs.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Caiwang Zheng, Amr Abd-Elrahman, Vance Whitaker, Cheryl Dalid
Summary: This paper successfully predicted the dry biomass weight of strawberries by using canopy geometric parameters and spectral variables extracted from UAV multispectral imagery, combined with machine learning models. The artificial neural network model achieved the highest accuracy.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Huan Zhao, Junsheng Li, Xiang Yan, Shengzhong Fang, Yichen Du, Bin Xue, Kai Yu, Chen Wang
Summary: The study demonstrates that ground-based imaging remote sensing is an effective method for dynamically monitoring cyanobacterial blooms, accurately reflecting their spatiotemporal distribution characteristics. This method can provide timely and accurate data for salvage treatment and early warnings of cyanobacterial blooms.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Melisa A. Isgro, M. Dolores Basallote, Isabel Caballero, Luis Barbero
Summary: This study examines the potential of using Sentinel-2 (S2) data to complement UAS data for monitoring water quality in mining environments affected by acid mine drainage (AMD). The results show that the S2 atmospheric correction (AC) processors, C2RCC and C2X, perform well for acidic greenish-blue and non-acidic greenish-brown water bodies, but not for acidic dark reddish-brown waters. There are significant differences in reflectance between the UAS sensor and both S2 AC processors, which should be considered when combining data from both instruments.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Narmilan Amarasingam, Mark Hamilton, Jane E. Kelly, Lihong Zheng, Juan Sandino, Felipe Gonzalez, Remy L. Dehaan, Hillary Cherry
Summary: This study explores the potential of machine learning algorithms to detect mouse-ear hawkweed foliage and flowers from UAV-acquired multispectral images. The analysis of imagery obtained from a highly infested study site in New Zealand revealed that a spatial resolution of 0.65 cm/pixel achieved the highest detection and validation accuracy. This methodology can optimize the use of UAV remote sensing technologies for better resource allocation.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Rodrigo Nogueira Martins, Francisco de Assis de Carvalho Pinto, Daniel Marcal de Queiroz, Domingos Sarvio Magalhaes Valente, Jorge Tadeu Fim Rosas, Marcelo Fagundes Portes, Elder Sanzio Aguiar Cerqueira
Summary: This study aimed to predict coffee ripeness using spectral and textural variables and determine the best variables for developing spatio-temporal variability maps. They used UAV imagery to obtain the variables and applied six machine learning algorithms to predict fruit ripeness. The results showed that the model using spectral and textural variables had better performance.
COMPUTERS AND ELECTRONICS IN AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Haoxuan Yu, Izni Zahidi
Summary: The over-exploitation of mineral resources has led to serious dust pollution in mines, causing negative impacts on the environment, mine workers, and nearby residents. This paper aims to review the severity of mine dust pollution, introduce its hazards, and propose monitoring measures using remote sensing technologies.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Alison S. Cramer, Wendy M. Calvin, Scott W. McCoy, Ronald J. Breitmeyer, Marja Haagsma, Christopher Kratt
Summary: The study explores the use of Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPASs) to map the spatial and temporal changes of potentially acid generating material (PAGM) across mine waste rock piles on abandoned mine lands. Supervised and unsupervised classification algorithms show benefits, with unsupervised methods requiring less user input. RPAS carrying a broadband multispectral sensor can be extensively applied to abandoned mine lands, promising to increase spatial and temporal coverage of accurate maps critical for environmental monitoring and reclamation efforts.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Joyce O'Grady, Dian Zhang, Noel O'Connor, Fiona Regan
Summary: With the growing threat of climate change, new advances in water quality monitoring strategies are necessary. Reliable monitoring practices can improve understanding of catchment processes affecting water quality. Deployment of long term in-situ sensors and remote sensing using satellite and aerial imagery have become essential for monitoring high-resolution data in previously inaccessible areas.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Jaewoo Park, Franklyn Jumu, Justin Power, Maxime Richard, Yomna Elsahli, Mohamad Ali Jarkas, Andy Ruan, Adina Luican-Mayer, Jean-Michel Menard
Summary: This study introduces a drone-mountable gas sensing platform for environmental monitoring applications, which relays information about the presence of airborne chemicals through wireless communication. The platform shows a similar electronic response to state-of-the-art laboratory monitoring equipment and achieves a one order of magnitude reduction in environmental noise during field tests.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
V Rey, C. A. Rios, L. Y. Vargas, T. M. Valente
Summary: Tailings facilities and associated waters often lead to environmental concerns. This study in Colombia focused on acid mine drainage from gold exploitation. Results showed efficiency of low-cost natural zeolite-rich tuff for treatment of the contaminated water.
JOURNAL OF GEOCHEMICAL EXPLORATION
(2021)
Article
Optics
Martin Aube, Alexandre Simoneau, Zoltan Kollath
Summary: Some studies have found a statistical correlation between Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) and the risk of diseases such as hormone-dependent cancers. To further investigate this correlation, a new experiment using high-altitude balloon flights to observe ALAN was suggested. The goal is to provide better remote sensing data for modeling health risks associated with ALAN.
JOURNAL OF QUANTITATIVE SPECTROSCOPY & RADIATIVE TRANSFER
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Michelle M. Valkanas, Taylor Rosso, Jessica E. Packard, Nancy J. Trun
Summary: Passive remediation systems are effective in removing heavy metals from abandoned mine drainage, but often lack in sulfate remediation. The lack of carbon sources in PRS hinders microbial sulfate reduction, affecting the overall remediation efficiency. Analyses show that the microbial communities in PRS have the ability to overcome abiotic sulfide oxidation with increased sulfate reduction rates when provided with suitable carbon sources.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Qianhui Shen, Haojun Deng, Xinjian Wen, Zhanpeng Chen, Hongfei Xu
Summary: This study proposes a cropland abandonment identification method based on high-resolution remote sensing images. By establishing a high-resolution abandoned cropland dataset and combining statistical texture learning modules and high-level semantic feature extraction, the deep mining of low-level statistical texture features for crop abandonment recognition is proven to be beneficial.
IEEE JOURNAL OF SELECTED TOPICS IN APPLIED EARTH OBSERVATIONS AND REMOTE SENSING
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Josefina Plaza-Cazon, Leonardo Benitez, Jesica Murray, Pablo Kirschbaum, Edgardo Donati
Summary: Evaluation of acid drainage risk in tailings of the Pan de Azucar mine showed high potential for acid generation, with native leaching microorganisms being more efficient than collection microorganisms in biooxidation. Ecotoxicological effects from acid drainages could seriously impact the nearby Ramsar site Laguna de Pozuelos.
Article
Water Resources
Carlos Ayora, Sergio Carrero, Jordi Belles, Maria-Dolores Basallote, Carlos R. Canovas, Francisco Macias
Summary: Acid mine drainage (AMD) contains high concentrations of rare earth elements (REEs), but gypsum may not be an efficient way to concentrate REEs from AMD.
MINE WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carlos Ruiz Canovas, Maria Dolores Basallote, Francisco Macias, Remi Freydier, Annika Parviainen, Rafael Perez-Lopez
Summary: This study investigates the behavior of Tl in the Ria de Huelva in SW Spain. The dissolved Tl concentration decreases across the estuary during both the dry and wet seasons. Unlike other estuaries, Tl is mainly desorbed from particulate matter in this area and released back into the water column due to the increasing salinity. Mining spills can contribute to higher Tl concentrations and enhance these desorption processes.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrea Celeste Curcio, Gloria Peralta, Maria Aranda, Luis Barbero
Summary: This study evaluates the effectiveness of UAV-photogrammetry and UAV-LiDAR techniques in salt marsh habitats, and analyzes the best sensor configuration. The results show that UAV-photogrammetry provides the highest spatial resolution but requires long processing times and is suitable only for small areas, while UAV-LiDAR offers shorter processing times and lighter datasets, with improved effectiveness when combined with multispectral data for vegetation classification.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Melisa A. Isgro, M. Dolores Basallote, Isabel Caballero, Luis Barbero
Summary: This study examines the potential of using Sentinel-2 (S2) data to complement UAS data for monitoring water quality in mining environments affected by acid mine drainage (AMD). The results show that the S2 atmospheric correction (AC) processors, C2RCC and C2X, perform well for acidic greenish-blue and non-acidic greenish-brown water bodies, but not for acidic dark reddish-brown waters. There are significant differences in reflectance between the UAS sensor and both S2 AC processors, which should be considered when combining data from both instruments.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Carlos R. Canovas, Maria Dolores Basallote, Francisco Macias, Manuel Olias, Rafael Perez-Lopez, Jose Miguel Nieto
Summary: The study found that during sulfide oxidation processes, thallium is mobilized from sulfides, leading to an enrichment of thallium in acid mine drainage leachates, while the precipitation of secondary minerals may serve as a sink for thallium.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rafael Perez-Lopez, Ricardo Millan-Becerro, Maria Dolores Basallote, Sergio Carrero, Annika Parviainen, Remi Freydier, Francisco Macias, Carlos R. Canovas
Summary: This research investigates the impact of pH increase on contaminant mobility in acid mine drainage. The study finds that higher pH levels result in significant decrease of Al, Fe, As, Cu, and REY concentrations in the mixing solutions. Precipitation of schwertmannite and basaluminite plays a crucial role in removing Fe(III), As, and other elements. However, as the pH rises, schwertmannite becomes unstable and releases back the previously retained As, while other elements exhibit conservative behavior. The presence of toxic elements in the Atlantic Ocean poses a threat to coastal areas.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
S. Garcia-Lopez, M. Velez-Nicolas, P. Zarandona-Palacio, A. C. Curcio, V. Ruiz-Ortiz, L. Barbero
Summary: In this research, a novel methodology using drone-borne LiDAR observations is proposed to remotely acquire information on the piezometric level from traditional large-diameter wells. This method has been applied in a small coastal aquifer with numerous wells as monitoring points. The results show that the UAV-LiDAR technique provides more accurate measurements compared to the official DTM data, allowing for the monitoring of extensive or inaccessible areas over short periods of time.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Santiago Garcia-Lopez, Mercedes Velez-Nicolas, Javier Martinez-Lopez, Angel Sanchez-Bellon, Maria Jesus Pacheco-Orellana, Veronica Ruiz-Ortiz, Juan Jose Munoz-Perez, Luis Barbero
Summary: Novel data-acquisition technologies, such as UAV and water level dataloggers, have been used to study a coastal temporary wetland and its interactions with an underlying sandy aquifer. The combination of these technologies allows for a better understanding of water balance elements and complex hydrological interactions. The proposed methodology has proven to be suitable for accurate estimation and analysis.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Carlos Ruiz Canovas, Raul Moreno Gonzalez, Bruno J. C. Vieira, Joao Carlos Waerenborgh, Rosa Marques, Francisco Macias, Maria Dolores Basallote, Manuel Olias, Maria Isabel Prudencio
Summary: This study evaluates the mobility and bioaccessibility of metal/loids in Fe-rich mine wastes resulting from historical cyanide leaching activities. The wastes demonstrate high reactivity upon rainfall contact, releasing high concentrations of iron, lead, and aluminum, as well as posing potential risks for aquatic life. Mineralogy plays a role in controlling the mobility and bioaccessibility of metal/loids, highlighting the need for restoration measures in historical mine sites.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carolin F. Kerl, M. Dolores Basallote, Merle Kaeberich, Erica Oldani, Nathalia P. Ceron Espejo, Andrea E. Colina Blanco, Carlos Ruiz Canovas, Jose Miguel Nieto, Britta Planer-Friedrich
Summary: Ria of Huelva in Spain is a highly metal(loid)-contaminated estuary system. Predicted sea level rise will cause flooding with brackish water or seawater, posing risks of metal(loid) mobilization. Factors affecting mobilization include pH, salinity, wave movement, and carbon input. Long-term flooding can lead to neutralization of sediment pH and limit cation mobilization, but high contaminant load suggests mobilization could last for over 1000 years.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrea Celeste Curcio, Luis Barbero, Gloria Peralta
Summary: Salt marshes, being one of the most productive ecosystems, are facing threats from human activities and sea level rise. This study aims to differentiate and determine the distribution of plant species in salt marshes using a high-resolution hyperspectral imaging system onboard a UAV. The use of UAV-HS techniques is expected to improve our understanding of coastal ecosystem responses and increase our capacity to detect small changes in plant species distribution through monitoring.
Article
Environmental Sciences
M. Dolores Basallote, Virginia Zarco, Francisco Macias, Carlos R. Canovas, Pablo J. Hidalgo
Summary: This study investigates the bioaccumulation and translocation of metal/loids in Typha domingensis grown in Fe-rich substrates. Metal/loids were predominantly accumulated in the roots, and T. domingensis behaves as an excluder species in these substrates. The mineralogical and geochemical properties of the substrate and oxidizing conditions in the root system limit the bioconcentration and translocation of potentially toxic elements.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)