Archaeological sites that are submerged in shallow waters are subject to various environmental threats, including anthropogenic factors, climate change and environmental conditions. Due to their archaeological significance, they are vulnerable to extreme risks from deterioration due to land deformation, flooding, acid rain, erosion, and man-made hazards like illegal excavations and tourist activities. Such threats not only endanger the structural integrity of these monuments, but they also may cause total destruction, and loss of cultural heritage and history. This paper explores the capabilities of using Earth observation and aerial images and the capabilities of satellite-based remote sensing techniques for monitoring cultural heritage sites under shallow water conditions. The processing and analysis of Earth observation time series images provide information about the site's condition over time, enabling the detection of subtle changes that might be unnoticed with conventional methods. The case study focuses on the submerged port of Amathous archaeological site along the coast of Cyprus. The site's unique geographical and historical characteristics make it an exemplary model for applying advanced remote sensing technologies. By integrating various Earth observation satellite images with aerial imagery, the study aims to examine a methodology for the monitoring of underwater cultural heritage sites. This approach provides an understanding of the impacts of climate change as well as the human impact of various activities that affect the coastlines of cultural heritage sites and also provides a tool for developing proactive measures to safeguard heritage assets.
In the framework of the AI-OBSERVER project, the capabilities of ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Earth Observation (EO) based Disaster Risk Reduction are significantly enhanced through a series of capacity building activities on Artificial Intelligence (AI) that are provided by the project’s two advanced partners, the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) from Germany, and the University of Rome Tor Vergata (UNITOV) from Italy. These were designed, following a gap analysis of the existing staff and scientific capacity of the ERATOSTHENES CoE researchers, on the thematic research areas of: (i) Land movements (Earthquakes, Landslides and Soil erosion); (ii) Forest fires; (iii) Floods and extreme meteorological events; and (iv) Marine Pollution (oil spills, illegal waste damping, etc.). DFKI and UNITOV are transferring their scientific expertise through several workshops, webinars, short-term staff exchanges, summer schools and expert visits covering a combination of these AI-related topics, aiming to fill the identified gaps. All these will enable the ERATOSTHENES CoE researchers to build AI models for large scale image processing and Big EO data. Up to date, over thirty early stage and senior researchers have participated in these trainings. The knowledge transferred to ERATOSTHENES CoE will be utilised by its staff in a research exploratory project applying Artificial Intelligence on Earth Observation for multi-hazard monitoring and assessment in Cyprus, with the support of the advanced partners, leading to the development of the first ERATOSTHENES CoE product integrating EO and AI for Disaster Risk Reduction.
This work presents the Cyprus Flight Campaign of ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence and DLR (CERAD) that took place in October 2023 within the framework of the EXCELSIOR H2020 Widespread Teaming Phase 2 project titled “ERATOSTHENES: EXcellence Research Centre for Earth SurveiLlance and Space-Based Monitoring of the EnviRonment”. The campaign's main goal was to acquire about 100.000 high-resolution stereo 3K images and hyperspectral HySpex images, complemented by ground truth measurements to perform high-resolution hyperspectral analysis and 3D mapping. The campaign aimed at the capacity development of ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence staff on processing these imagery, cross-calibration and validation of sensors, and analysis of land, water, and cultural heritage sites with hyperspectral sensors. This campaign captured high-resolution hyperspectral imagery across a wide spectral range (420–2500nm) in several parts of Cyprus (Paphos and Limassol Districts). Parallel to this airborne campaign, the research team of ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence conducted a ground-based measurement campaign, which included the collection of spectroradiometric measurements (HR 1024 and GER 1500), water samples for laboratory analysis of water (e.g., dissolved organic matter) and soil (e.g., texture, pH, organic content) samples, GPS tracking, soil moisture and meteorological sensors and on-board UAV multispectral cameras. The collected data will support various applications, such as calibration and validation of satellite products, environmental monitoring, vegetation analysis, and disaster risk assessment. According to the literature, the use of airborne hyperspectral imaging is essential since the airborne remote sensing data acts as a bridge between large-scale satellite and point-scale field observations. Furthermore, hyperspectral imaging is a simultaneous acquisition of spatial images in several spectrally adjacent bands and a highly multidisciplinary and complex field. The present campaign demonstrates the efficiency of airborne hyperspectral imaging in capturing detailed environmental data and highlights the vital role of ground-truth measurements in verifying airborne and enriching environmental data. The combined use of the methods mentioned above paves the way for advanced ecological monitoring thereby contributing to informed decision-making and sustainable development efforts.
The maritime safety and security of coastal regions is a crucial concern impacted by the dynamic growth and erosion processes shaping these areas. Coastal erosion can pose a safety risk to people living or working in these areas and the tourism industry. Furthermore, erosion can include hazards to maritime infrastructure, such as piers, ports, and other facilities, as well as to shipping and navigation in the area. Problems that can be identified from coastal erosion and accretion are changes in water depth, unpredictable currents, displacement of buoys and markers, increased risk of vessel grounding as well as changes in shoreline characteristics that can affect the direction and intensity of wind and waves, making it difficult for ships and boats to navigate safely. This paper uses Sentinel 1 satellite data to monitor Coastal Erosion patterns along the Southeast Cyprus coastlines. The findings of this study could help manage coastal resources and improve maritime safety and security in Cyprus. This study thereby contributes to the broader body of knowledge concerning coastal erosion monitoring using satellite-based remote sensing data, explicitly emphasising the application of Sentinel-1 SAR imagery. The study's methodologies and findings provide valuable insights that can be extended to other similar coastal regions in Cyprus.
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