Chapters authored
Evolution and Dynamics of Fractal Growth of the Urban Green Spaces in Seville (Spain)
Like urban growth, the increase in the area of urban green spaces can be described using fractal design, a measure, of the dynamic evolution of public space of leisure and recreation of the citizens, associated with the growth form of the city. Throughout the history, the city of Seville has been a good example of sustainability and eco-design in spite of the enormous physical transformations carried out both in the city center and in the periphery. In essence, the evolutionary process of the city is both technical and social giving rise to a landscape that is transformed and remains. In this work, from the evolution of green area per inhabitant from 1842 to 2016, a prediction model capable of characterizing the changes of fractal dimension associated with the growth of Seville is proposed. This prediction model can be used to estimate the growth rate of the fractal dimension, and therefore to reveal the spatiotemporal process and pattern of Seville growth. Especially, the model lays a foundation for researching the correlation between urban form and urbanization and for developing the theory of spatial replacement dynamics.
Part of the book: Landscape Architecture
Sedimentation Processes in the Tinto and Odiel Salt Marshes in Huelva, Spain
Global warming is a key factor to take into account when a study is conducted on tidal wetlands. Both Odiel and Tinto salt marshes are the major wetlands in Andalusia (Spain). From the mid-1950s to date, the land use changes (LUC) have caused a great landscape alteration that along with the effects of climatic variables and sea wave energy have given rise to a hard impact on the environment. The advent of new image processing procedures and use of high-resolution images from satellites gave precise patterns of erosion. In this work, a new method patented by the author is presented and used to obtain the total cubic meters of eroded soil in both salt marshes. Moreover, the different factors that begin this phenomenon as well as the influence of intertidal processes are discussed. The results show how the greater integration of remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS) technologies, with regression model, was most useful to describe, analyze and predict the volumetric change process in both salt marshes.
Part of the book: Sedimentation Engineering
Sedimentation and Proposed Algorithms to Detect the Possible Existence of Vegetation and Humidity in the Landing Area of the Mars Exploration Rover-B (Opportunity)
Opportunity was launched in 2004 and has been providing interesting data from Mars till 2018. Meridiani Planum was the landing site for the robot. This crater has numerous rock outcrops, which are considered a valuable geological resource that contains keys to the Martian past. In this work, several algorithms have been developed for detecting the possible presence of humidity and vegetation on Mars through the images sent by the Mars Exploration Rover - B Opportunity and by the Viking Orbiter between 1976 and 1980. For this, it was carried out a sedimentary simulation of the study area, as well as an analysis of all the images from the spectral signatures extracted. The results show the existence of three types of water on the surface, as well as concentrations of Neoxanthin, also on landing area surface, that suggest the possible existence of microalgae.
Part of the book: Solar System Planets and Exoplanets
Prediction of the Transported Soil Volume by the Presence of Water in the Vicinity of Ma’adim Vallis (Mars)
Ma\'adim Vallis is a channel that ends at the Gusev Crater. In general terms, the length of the channel is about 700 km while its width can reach 20 km and its depth 2 km. Currently, the images obtained from the area allow to visualize a landscape of abundant gullies with important signs of water erosion. In order to predict the volume of transported soil by the presence of water in the vicinity of Ma\'adim Vallis, as well as to generate a rainfall model applicable to the red planet, a total of 16 cross-sectional profiles were made along the main canyon, ensuring that all were equidistant from each other depending on the orographic characteristics of the study area. Once the volume of transported soil was obtained, a novel model capable of predicting the rainfall concentration index (RCI) necessary to produce a certain water erosion on the Mars surface was obtained. This model is applicable to other rocky planets as a result of its simplicity.
Part of the book: Arid Environment - Perspectives, Challenges and Management