Josef Gspurning - University of Graz (original) (raw)
Papers by Josef Gspurning
Journal of Mediterranean Cities
Hanfelden Castle is one of the few Renaissance castles in Austria, which were subsequently hardly... more Hanfelden Castle is one of the few Renaissance castles in Austria, which were subsequently hardly redesigned and changed since the tower building from the 14th century, and the extension in the 16th century to the today's appearance. This includes the façade with plaster layers from the 16th to the 18th century on the south and west side. Under these conditions, the concept for future scientific research of the object should essentially cover two needs: On the one hand, a collection of 3D basic data as complete as possible should be created for further work with the help of geospatial-technological methods, and on the other hand, methodological-technical expertise should also be built up (no substantial investigations have been undertaken in this direction). Additionally, and with regard to the determination of mostly conservation measures- the façade should be preserved - it has been important to check the façade made of plaster, natural stone or brick for the extent of superfi...
International Symposium on Applied Geoinformatics 2021, 2022
Like all areas of life, science is currently in a phase of upheaval in which we are learning to m... more Like all areas of life, science is currently in a phase of upheaval in which we are learning to make use of the advantages of digitalisation. The most important aspects of this digital turn are the acquisition of information and the development of problem-related data collections that help us to document and analyse problems and developments, but also to predict them. In analogy to other research disciplines (e. g. geography), the creation of a database-supported information system is obvious. Based on these considerations, the present case will use Hanfelden Castle as an example to show how the integrative use of selected methods from the field of geospatial technologies can be used to generate integrated 3D geodata intended as a fundamental work for the future development of a Building Information System for the management of historical buildings (HBIM).
The Diversity of Nature and How to Manage it with Geo-Spatial-Technologies- Experiences in Sustainability got from Fieldwork in Hohentauern
Nowadays the measuring and valuing of the natural environment resides in the centre of interest o... more Nowadays the measuring and valuing of the natural environment resides in the centre of interest of geographic researchers. In most of that cases the grade diversity (biodiversity for the biotic or geodiversity for the abiotic branch) can be used to quantify the value of the as-is state of the environment and to describe the relevant elements of the landscape’s inventory. With other terms: The focus of sustainability and the goals of sustainable acting are seriously infl uenced by diversity of nature respectively their indicators. Furthermore, dealing with diversity and sustainability in general has brought up a need for so called sustainable approaches as well as for an adequate (and of course sustainable) set of toolboxes. This concept can be applied also in more detailed regional scales and particularly in high mountain environments where human and natural sphere typically are infl uenced by each other in a very intensive way. Therefore, spatially referenced data material and the ...
Geomonitoring of a Large Landslide at the Lärchberg / Murau (Austria) with Selected Geospatial Technologies
Acta Geobalcanica, 2021
Limits der Datenfusion im Bereich der angewandten Hochgebirgsforschung
Istanbul’s Land Walls – Transformation of an Intra-Urban Gap in the Built Environment
Acta Geobalcanica, 2021
The paper discusses the climatic, statistical, GIS-based and remote sensing approach of snow/glac... more The paper discusses the climatic, statistical, GIS-based and remote sensing approach of snow/glacier cover investigations of the Nevado Ojos del Salado region in South America. The climate conditions of the region, the interpretations of fi rn and glacier areas are investigated in respect to the exposure and height. The benefi t and problems of statistical and GIS based snow distribution modelling are discussed as well as the techniques of Remote Sensing for snow cover classifi cation. Examples and cases studies complete and document the complex topics, additionally.
Perception of Squares in Graz Analyzed by the Means of Web-Based Photo Sharing
A new research project, currently in the application stage, wants to contribute to research into ... more A new research project, currently in the application stage, wants to contribute to research into the settlement structure of the Roman empire in the territory of Flavia Solva (Noricum/Southeast Austria). In a preview of the project, we present new methods to combine state of the art spatial analysis and remote sensing on the one hand, and archaeological evaluation of find-spots on the other hand, integrating geospatial and archaeological data from diverse sources and qualities. Based on this data model, descriptive statistical methods are employed to characterize the status quo in a designated test area in Southeastern Noricum, and to implement geographical concepts by GIS-analytic methods to gain new insights from the combination of thematically related layers. The result of this first attempt is the establishment of a sound geospatial and geostatistical workflow in a multidisciplinary approach of the involved researchers for the project, which can be used as a basis for further an...
International Journal of Remote Sensing
In April 2001, a rock fall occurred at the landslide Lärchberg-Galgenwald, Austria. The movement ... more In April 2001, a rock fall occurred at the landslide Lärchberg-Galgenwald, Austria. The movement of this landslide has been under observation for decades, but the methods used so far have several disadvantages. This article aims to show that unmanned aerial systems (UAS) provide a reasonable alternative in terms for monitoring the landslide. At the landslide, we focused on the most active area to (i) record changes of the landslide's surface, (ii) assess the accuracy of the resulting data, (iii) assess whether the number of ground control points (GCPs) could be reduced in subsequent UAS surveys, and (iv) conclude whether UAS-based recording is favourable compared to common terrestrial methods. UAS imagery, acquired under challenging site conditions in November 2015 and May 2016, were processed to digital elevation models and orthophotos with a ground sampling distance of 0.04 m, which should display expected changes of up tõ 0.17 m (relating to previously reported movements of up to 30 cm a −1) for the same period of time. Using DEM differencing, we calculated a vertical difference that was in the range of a few centimetres in most cases with only a few localized areas of much larger change. The latter are mainly related to single objects moving such as rock blocks or tree trunks. Apart from that, no general surface elevation lowering (a threshold of 0.27 m was used to distinguish significant from insignificant changes) could be detected. Based on the resulting orthophotos, we calculated vectors of horizontal displacement, which confirmed that the changes are related to single objects and revealed that in upcoming flight campaigns the number of GCPs can be generously reduced with an acceptable loss of positional accuracy. Therefore, the suitability of UAS for expanding the monitoring approaches used at Lärchberg-Galgenwald landslide is described.
The Response of Partially Debris-Covered Valley Glaciers to Climate Change: The Example of the Pasterze Glacier (Austria) in the Period 1964 to 2006
Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 2008
... hydropower production. According to the most recent Austrian glacier inventory, the gla-cier ... more ... hydropower production. According to the most recent Austrian glacier inventory, the gla-cier extent was 18.4 km2 in 1998 (A. Lambrecht, personal communication 2007) indicating substan-tial recent glacier recession. Pasterze Glacier ...
itself. Cartographical products as well as digital geodatasets are thematically oriented abstract... more itself. Cartographical products as well as digital geodatasets are thematically oriented abstractions of real world phenomena. Cartographic data types are most often digitized, taken over into GI- Systems, merged together with data from other sources and providing extensive analyses. In these cases the quality of data fusion and the benefit of analyses are heavily influenced by a number of issues depending on the amount of different data sources. Due to this statements a lot of requirements will be important to handle within GIS based analyses: Is there a complete metadata set existing, and - if not - are we able to understand the correct meanings of the foreign data? Will the semantics be identical? Do we know all parameters about the datums and projections of the used cartographic material; what might be the best reference system to use and how can errors in reprojecting the maps into this target system are avoid? Does the accuracy of the analogue data fit to the accuracy of the d...
Adalar Islands - Landscape Changes in the Vicinity of the Mega City Istanbul: A Hybrid Gis-Remote Sensing Approach
This paper involves the possibilities and need of a hybrid Remote Sensing GIS approach within a r... more This paper involves the possibilities and need of a hybrid Remote Sensing GIS approach within a regional study of the Adalar islands in the vicinity and influence of Istanbul. Such a neighbourhood to a mega city usually induces urbanization processes with there concerning effects (reclassification of rural settlements, boundary expansion, amalgamation of adjacent settlements). Based on conventional fieldwork the presented methodology integrates results of analog data acquisition in a ready to use Geodatabase, which is enriched by the findings of remotely sensed information analyses about the spatial land use changes/patterns.
High mountain geodata as a crucial criterion of research: case studies from Khumbu Himal (Nepal) and Mount Aconcagua (Argentina)
International Journal of Remote Sensing, 2009
ABSTRACT The present study evaluates the usability of available and low‐cost geodata, including t... more ABSTRACT The present study evaluates the usability of available and low‐cost geodata, including topographic maps, remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) data, for high mountain research activities. The challenges for geospatial technologies in a high mountain environment are discussed. We present two case studies of high mountain environments in Khumbu Himal and Mount Aconcagua (Argentina/Chile), where the applicability and integration of various geodata sets have been applied. Important topics documented and discussed include topographic accuracy, glacier information extraction, multitemporal investigations, digital elevation model (DEM) and image map generation. The study indicates that accuracy analyses of available geodata are mandatory for achieving the requirements of geoscience research.
THE RESPONSE OF PARTIALLY DEBRIS-COVERED VALLEY GLACIERS TO CLIMATE CHANGE: THE EXAMPLE OF THE PASTERZE GLACIER (AUSTRIA) IN THE PERIOD 1964 TO 2006
Geografiska Annaler Series A-physical Geography, 2008
Long-term observations of partly debris-covered glaciers have allowed us to assess the impact of ... more Long-term observations of partly debris-covered glaciers have allowed us to assess the impact of supra-glacial debris on volumetric changes. In this paper, the behaviour of the partially debris-covered, 3.6 km2 tongue of Pasterze Glacier (47°05′N, 12°44′E) was studied in the context of ongoing climate changes. The right part of the glacier tongue is covered by a continuous supra-glacial debris mantle with variable thicknesses (a few centimetres to about 1 m). For the period 1964–2000 three digital elevation models (1964, 1981, 2000) and related debris-cover distributions were analysed. These datasets were compared with long-term series of glaciological field data (displacement, elevation change, glacier terminus behaviour) from the 1960s to 2006. Differences between the debriscovered and the clean ice parts were emphasised. Results show that volumetric losses increased by 2.3 times between the periods 1964–1981 and 1981–2000 with significant regional variations at the glacier tongue. Such variations are controlled by the glacier emergence velocity pattern, existence and thickness of supra-glacial debris, direct solar radiation, counter-radiation from the valley sides and their changes over time. The downward-increasing debris thickness is counteracting to a compensational stage against the common decrease of ablation with elevation. A continuous debris cover not less than 15 cm in thickness reduces ablation rates by 30–35%. No relationship exists between glacier retreat rates and summer air temperatures. Substantial and varying differences of the two different terminus parts occurred. Our findings clearly underline the importance of supra-glacial debris on mass balance and glacier tongue morphology.
Talks by Josef Gspurning
Neue interdisziplinäre Ansätze zur Erforschung römerzeitlicher Siedlungsstrukturen im ländlichen Raum anhand der Territorien von Flavia Solva, Celeia, Poetovio, Salla und Savaria
Conference Presentations by Josef Gspurning
… gently down the stream? A GIS based analysis of possible travel routes between Flavia Solva and Virunum
Die römerzeitliche Besiedlung im südlichen Noricum umfasst nach heutigem Forschungsstand die in d... more Die römerzeitliche Besiedlung im südlichen Noricum umfasst nach heutigem Forschungsstand die in den Westprovinzen des Imperium Romanum gängige Landaufschlüsselung in Zentralorte (municipia), dörfliche Zentren (vici) und ländliche Siedlungen (villae). Verbunden sind diese durch Straßen verschiedener Ordnung.
Dabei liegt es in der Natur der Sache, dass „Herrschaft“ sich auch in diesem Fall als Manifestation des zentralörtlichen Konzepts niederschlägt; mit anderen Worten: Bewohner des Territoriums um Flavia Solva (bei Leibnitz, Steiermark), die geschäftliche, gesellschaftliche oder politische Angelegenheiten in der Provinzhauptstadt Virunum (am Zollfeld, Kärnten) zu erledigen hatten, sahen sich früher oder später mit dem Problem konfrontiert, die recht weite und gleichzeitig beschwerliche Reise zurückzulegen. Dies gilt prinzipiell – wenngleich mit geringfügigen Abweichungen – auch für reitende Boten, Transportfuhrwerke oder zu verlegende militärische Einheiten, die bei diesem Vorgehen üblicherweise alle einer bestimmten inneren Logik folgen. So kann davon ausgegangen werden, dass Verkehrswege das Resultat bestimmter (meist wirtschaftlicher) Überlegungen sind (in Form von Errichtungskosten, Zeitaufwand u. ä.) und dass dort, wo Verkehrswege existieren, diesen gemeinhin auch der Vorzug gegenüber Querfeldeinrouten gegeben wird. Welche Kriterien aber der Wahl einer konkreten Route zugrunde liegen, lässt sich nicht immer einfach feststellen.
In einem interdisziplinären Ansatz wären Geographische Informations Systeme (genauer: traditionelle Netzwerkanalyse-Tools eines GIS), wegen ihres systemimmanenten Raumbezugs geradezu dafür geschaffen Routenoptimierungsprobleme wie das vorliegende zu lösen. Bedauerlicherweise fehlt für eine Nutzung dieses methodischen Repertoires jedoch die lückenlose Kenntnis über den genauen Verlauf des den Analysen zugrunde zu legenden Transport-/Wegnetzwerks, was weniger Auswirkungen auf die archäologische Dimension des Problems hat als auf GIS-technische Aspekte. Konkret dienen nämlich nicht geometrisch exaktere, vektorielle Wegsegmente (bzw. ihre Länge oder andere Eigenschaften) als Grundlage für die Lösung der Optimierungsaufgabe, sondern auflösungsabhängige Rasterzellen, die ihrer Durchquerung „Widerstand“ entgegensetzen bzw. – allgemeiner gesprochen – Aufwand oder Kosten verursachen. Der archäologische Teil des Szenarios wird hierbei nur insofern tangiert, als a priori alle verfügbaren Zellen als (mehr oder weniger) passierbar angesehen werden; dies hat für die Entwicklung des Modells den durchaus vorteilhaften Nebeneffekt, dass die Existenz oder der tatsächliche Verlauf von Transportwegen für die Analysen irrelevant wird und die Qualität der Ergebnisse ausschließlich von den gewählten Parametern und ihrer Integration abhängt. Basierend auf diesen Überlegungen können für den vorliegenden Beitrag folgende Ziele festgelegt werden: Zunächst soll auf Basis verschiedener Steuerparameter (wie etwa nachgewiesene Wegsegmente, unpassierbare Geländeabschnitte, Geländeneigung …) ein allgemeines Viability-Modell entworfen werden, das darüber Aufschluss geben soll, welche Routen innerhalb des Untersuchungsgebietes überhaupt möglich bzw. (ökonomisch) vorteilhafter sind als andere. In einem weiteren, experimentellen Schritt kann dann von Experten überprüft werden, ob bzw. wie sich die Ergebnisse bei Variation der Steuerparameter ändern. Unter der Voraussetzung einer zufriedenstellenden Datenlage lässt sich das Modell weiter verfeinern, sodass sogar das unterschiedliche Verhalten der eingangs erwähnten unterschiedlichen Nutzer simuliert werden könnte.
Als Zielgebiet für die Untersuchung wurde der Raum zwischen Flavia Solva, Poetovio und Virunum festgelegt, was zum einen auf einschlägige Vorarbeiten der Autoren in diesem Raum zurückzuführen ist, der zum anderen aufgrund der Ausgrabungen im Bereich des ÖBB-Projektes zur „Koralmbahn“ in den archäologischen Blickpunkt gerückt ist. Untersucht werden hier Wege, die als mögliche Verbindungen zwischen den norischen Munizipien Flavia Solva und Virunum fungiert haben könnten, basierend auf Parametern wie Straßennetz und Wegbarkeit. Berücksichtigung finden in dieser Untersuchung sowohl Überlandwege (z. B. Laßnitztalstraße, Murtalstraße) als auch Flussverbindungen (Laßnitz, Mur, Drau). Als Ausgangspunkte der Reise fungieren verschiedene Siedlungsstellen im Bereich der Mittelsteiermark, wie etwa die vici von Deutschlandsberg-Hörbing, Gleisdorf, Lassenberg und Kalsdorf, die Villen von Grünau, Löffelbach und Thalerhof sowie das municipium Flavia Solva selbst.
Workshop Abstracts by Josef Gspurning
by Martin Auer, Massimo Capulli, Patrick Marko, Susanne Lamm, Josef Gspurning, Julia Rabitsch, Paola Ventura, Ada Gabucci, Vladimir Kusik, Franz Glaser, Jana Horvat, Maja Janežič, Evgen Lazar, Josef Eitler, and Eleni Schindler
Journal of Mediterranean Cities
Hanfelden Castle is one of the few Renaissance castles in Austria, which were subsequently hardly... more Hanfelden Castle is one of the few Renaissance castles in Austria, which were subsequently hardly redesigned and changed since the tower building from the 14th century, and the extension in the 16th century to the today's appearance. This includes the façade with plaster layers from the 16th to the 18th century on the south and west side. Under these conditions, the concept for future scientific research of the object should essentially cover two needs: On the one hand, a collection of 3D basic data as complete as possible should be created for further work with the help of geospatial-technological methods, and on the other hand, methodological-technical expertise should also be built up (no substantial investigations have been undertaken in this direction). Additionally, and with regard to the determination of mostly conservation measures- the façade should be preserved - it has been important to check the façade made of plaster, natural stone or brick for the extent of superfi...
International Symposium on Applied Geoinformatics 2021, 2022
Like all areas of life, science is currently in a phase of upheaval in which we are learning to m... more Like all areas of life, science is currently in a phase of upheaval in which we are learning to make use of the advantages of digitalisation. The most important aspects of this digital turn are the acquisition of information and the development of problem-related data collections that help us to document and analyse problems and developments, but also to predict them. In analogy to other research disciplines (e. g. geography), the creation of a database-supported information system is obvious. Based on these considerations, the present case will use Hanfelden Castle as an example to show how the integrative use of selected methods from the field of geospatial technologies can be used to generate integrated 3D geodata intended as a fundamental work for the future development of a Building Information System for the management of historical buildings (HBIM).
The Diversity of Nature and How to Manage it with Geo-Spatial-Technologies- Experiences in Sustainability got from Fieldwork in Hohentauern
Nowadays the measuring and valuing of the natural environment resides in the centre of interest o... more Nowadays the measuring and valuing of the natural environment resides in the centre of interest of geographic researchers. In most of that cases the grade diversity (biodiversity for the biotic or geodiversity for the abiotic branch) can be used to quantify the value of the as-is state of the environment and to describe the relevant elements of the landscape’s inventory. With other terms: The focus of sustainability and the goals of sustainable acting are seriously infl uenced by diversity of nature respectively their indicators. Furthermore, dealing with diversity and sustainability in general has brought up a need for so called sustainable approaches as well as for an adequate (and of course sustainable) set of toolboxes. This concept can be applied also in more detailed regional scales and particularly in high mountain environments where human and natural sphere typically are infl uenced by each other in a very intensive way. Therefore, spatially referenced data material and the ...
Geomonitoring of a Large Landslide at the Lärchberg / Murau (Austria) with Selected Geospatial Technologies
Acta Geobalcanica, 2021
Limits der Datenfusion im Bereich der angewandten Hochgebirgsforschung
Istanbul’s Land Walls – Transformation of an Intra-Urban Gap in the Built Environment
Acta Geobalcanica, 2021
The paper discusses the climatic, statistical, GIS-based and remote sensing approach of snow/glac... more The paper discusses the climatic, statistical, GIS-based and remote sensing approach of snow/glacier cover investigations of the Nevado Ojos del Salado region in South America. The climate conditions of the region, the interpretations of fi rn and glacier areas are investigated in respect to the exposure and height. The benefi t and problems of statistical and GIS based snow distribution modelling are discussed as well as the techniques of Remote Sensing for snow cover classifi cation. Examples and cases studies complete and document the complex topics, additionally.
Perception of Squares in Graz Analyzed by the Means of Web-Based Photo Sharing
A new research project, currently in the application stage, wants to contribute to research into ... more A new research project, currently in the application stage, wants to contribute to research into the settlement structure of the Roman empire in the territory of Flavia Solva (Noricum/Southeast Austria). In a preview of the project, we present new methods to combine state of the art spatial analysis and remote sensing on the one hand, and archaeological evaluation of find-spots on the other hand, integrating geospatial and archaeological data from diverse sources and qualities. Based on this data model, descriptive statistical methods are employed to characterize the status quo in a designated test area in Southeastern Noricum, and to implement geographical concepts by GIS-analytic methods to gain new insights from the combination of thematically related layers. The result of this first attempt is the establishment of a sound geospatial and geostatistical workflow in a multidisciplinary approach of the involved researchers for the project, which can be used as a basis for further an...
International Journal of Remote Sensing
In April 2001, a rock fall occurred at the landslide Lärchberg-Galgenwald, Austria. The movement ... more In April 2001, a rock fall occurred at the landslide Lärchberg-Galgenwald, Austria. The movement of this landslide has been under observation for decades, but the methods used so far have several disadvantages. This article aims to show that unmanned aerial systems (UAS) provide a reasonable alternative in terms for monitoring the landslide. At the landslide, we focused on the most active area to (i) record changes of the landslide's surface, (ii) assess the accuracy of the resulting data, (iii) assess whether the number of ground control points (GCPs) could be reduced in subsequent UAS surveys, and (iv) conclude whether UAS-based recording is favourable compared to common terrestrial methods. UAS imagery, acquired under challenging site conditions in November 2015 and May 2016, were processed to digital elevation models and orthophotos with a ground sampling distance of 0.04 m, which should display expected changes of up tõ 0.17 m (relating to previously reported movements of up to 30 cm a −1) for the same period of time. Using DEM differencing, we calculated a vertical difference that was in the range of a few centimetres in most cases with only a few localized areas of much larger change. The latter are mainly related to single objects moving such as rock blocks or tree trunks. Apart from that, no general surface elevation lowering (a threshold of 0.27 m was used to distinguish significant from insignificant changes) could be detected. Based on the resulting orthophotos, we calculated vectors of horizontal displacement, which confirmed that the changes are related to single objects and revealed that in upcoming flight campaigns the number of GCPs can be generously reduced with an acceptable loss of positional accuracy. Therefore, the suitability of UAS for expanding the monitoring approaches used at Lärchberg-Galgenwald landslide is described.
The Response of Partially Debris-Covered Valley Glaciers to Climate Change: The Example of the Pasterze Glacier (Austria) in the Period 1964 to 2006
Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 2008
... hydropower production. According to the most recent Austrian glacier inventory, the gla-cier ... more ... hydropower production. According to the most recent Austrian glacier inventory, the gla-cier extent was 18.4 km2 in 1998 (A. Lambrecht, personal communication 2007) indicating substan-tial recent glacier recession. Pasterze Glacier ...
itself. Cartographical products as well as digital geodatasets are thematically oriented abstract... more itself. Cartographical products as well as digital geodatasets are thematically oriented abstractions of real world phenomena. Cartographic data types are most often digitized, taken over into GI- Systems, merged together with data from other sources and providing extensive analyses. In these cases the quality of data fusion and the benefit of analyses are heavily influenced by a number of issues depending on the amount of different data sources. Due to this statements a lot of requirements will be important to handle within GIS based analyses: Is there a complete metadata set existing, and - if not - are we able to understand the correct meanings of the foreign data? Will the semantics be identical? Do we know all parameters about the datums and projections of the used cartographic material; what might be the best reference system to use and how can errors in reprojecting the maps into this target system are avoid? Does the accuracy of the analogue data fit to the accuracy of the d...
Adalar Islands - Landscape Changes in the Vicinity of the Mega City Istanbul: A Hybrid Gis-Remote Sensing Approach
This paper involves the possibilities and need of a hybrid Remote Sensing GIS approach within a r... more This paper involves the possibilities and need of a hybrid Remote Sensing GIS approach within a regional study of the Adalar islands in the vicinity and influence of Istanbul. Such a neighbourhood to a mega city usually induces urbanization processes with there concerning effects (reclassification of rural settlements, boundary expansion, amalgamation of adjacent settlements). Based on conventional fieldwork the presented methodology integrates results of analog data acquisition in a ready to use Geodatabase, which is enriched by the findings of remotely sensed information analyses about the spatial land use changes/patterns.
High mountain geodata as a crucial criterion of research: case studies from Khumbu Himal (Nepal) and Mount Aconcagua (Argentina)
International Journal of Remote Sensing, 2009
ABSTRACT The present study evaluates the usability of available and low‐cost geodata, including t... more ABSTRACT The present study evaluates the usability of available and low‐cost geodata, including topographic maps, remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) data, for high mountain research activities. The challenges for geospatial technologies in a high mountain environment are discussed. We present two case studies of high mountain environments in Khumbu Himal and Mount Aconcagua (Argentina/Chile), where the applicability and integration of various geodata sets have been applied. Important topics documented and discussed include topographic accuracy, glacier information extraction, multitemporal investigations, digital elevation model (DEM) and image map generation. The study indicates that accuracy analyses of available geodata are mandatory for achieving the requirements of geoscience research.
THE RESPONSE OF PARTIALLY DEBRIS-COVERED VALLEY GLACIERS TO CLIMATE CHANGE: THE EXAMPLE OF THE PASTERZE GLACIER (AUSTRIA) IN THE PERIOD 1964 TO 2006
Geografiska Annaler Series A-physical Geography, 2008
Long-term observations of partly debris-covered glaciers have allowed us to assess the impact of ... more Long-term observations of partly debris-covered glaciers have allowed us to assess the impact of supra-glacial debris on volumetric changes. In this paper, the behaviour of the partially debris-covered, 3.6 km2 tongue of Pasterze Glacier (47°05′N, 12°44′E) was studied in the context of ongoing climate changes. The right part of the glacier tongue is covered by a continuous supra-glacial debris mantle with variable thicknesses (a few centimetres to about 1 m). For the period 1964–2000 three digital elevation models (1964, 1981, 2000) and related debris-cover distributions were analysed. These datasets were compared with long-term series of glaciological field data (displacement, elevation change, glacier terminus behaviour) from the 1960s to 2006. Differences between the debriscovered and the clean ice parts were emphasised. Results show that volumetric losses increased by 2.3 times between the periods 1964–1981 and 1981–2000 with significant regional variations at the glacier tongue. Such variations are controlled by the glacier emergence velocity pattern, existence and thickness of supra-glacial debris, direct solar radiation, counter-radiation from the valley sides and their changes over time. The downward-increasing debris thickness is counteracting to a compensational stage against the common decrease of ablation with elevation. A continuous debris cover not less than 15 cm in thickness reduces ablation rates by 30–35%. No relationship exists between glacier retreat rates and summer air temperatures. Substantial and varying differences of the two different terminus parts occurred. Our findings clearly underline the importance of supra-glacial debris on mass balance and glacier tongue morphology.
Neue interdisziplinäre Ansätze zur Erforschung römerzeitlicher Siedlungsstrukturen im ländlichen Raum anhand der Territorien von Flavia Solva, Celeia, Poetovio, Salla und Savaria
… gently down the stream? A GIS based analysis of possible travel routes between Flavia Solva and Virunum
Die römerzeitliche Besiedlung im südlichen Noricum umfasst nach heutigem Forschungsstand die in d... more Die römerzeitliche Besiedlung im südlichen Noricum umfasst nach heutigem Forschungsstand die in den Westprovinzen des Imperium Romanum gängige Landaufschlüsselung in Zentralorte (municipia), dörfliche Zentren (vici) und ländliche Siedlungen (villae). Verbunden sind diese durch Straßen verschiedener Ordnung.
Dabei liegt es in der Natur der Sache, dass „Herrschaft“ sich auch in diesem Fall als Manifestation des zentralörtlichen Konzepts niederschlägt; mit anderen Worten: Bewohner des Territoriums um Flavia Solva (bei Leibnitz, Steiermark), die geschäftliche, gesellschaftliche oder politische Angelegenheiten in der Provinzhauptstadt Virunum (am Zollfeld, Kärnten) zu erledigen hatten, sahen sich früher oder später mit dem Problem konfrontiert, die recht weite und gleichzeitig beschwerliche Reise zurückzulegen. Dies gilt prinzipiell – wenngleich mit geringfügigen Abweichungen – auch für reitende Boten, Transportfuhrwerke oder zu verlegende militärische Einheiten, die bei diesem Vorgehen üblicherweise alle einer bestimmten inneren Logik folgen. So kann davon ausgegangen werden, dass Verkehrswege das Resultat bestimmter (meist wirtschaftlicher) Überlegungen sind (in Form von Errichtungskosten, Zeitaufwand u. ä.) und dass dort, wo Verkehrswege existieren, diesen gemeinhin auch der Vorzug gegenüber Querfeldeinrouten gegeben wird. Welche Kriterien aber der Wahl einer konkreten Route zugrunde liegen, lässt sich nicht immer einfach feststellen.
In einem interdisziplinären Ansatz wären Geographische Informations Systeme (genauer: traditionelle Netzwerkanalyse-Tools eines GIS), wegen ihres systemimmanenten Raumbezugs geradezu dafür geschaffen Routenoptimierungsprobleme wie das vorliegende zu lösen. Bedauerlicherweise fehlt für eine Nutzung dieses methodischen Repertoires jedoch die lückenlose Kenntnis über den genauen Verlauf des den Analysen zugrunde zu legenden Transport-/Wegnetzwerks, was weniger Auswirkungen auf die archäologische Dimension des Problems hat als auf GIS-technische Aspekte. Konkret dienen nämlich nicht geometrisch exaktere, vektorielle Wegsegmente (bzw. ihre Länge oder andere Eigenschaften) als Grundlage für die Lösung der Optimierungsaufgabe, sondern auflösungsabhängige Rasterzellen, die ihrer Durchquerung „Widerstand“ entgegensetzen bzw. – allgemeiner gesprochen – Aufwand oder Kosten verursachen. Der archäologische Teil des Szenarios wird hierbei nur insofern tangiert, als a priori alle verfügbaren Zellen als (mehr oder weniger) passierbar angesehen werden; dies hat für die Entwicklung des Modells den durchaus vorteilhaften Nebeneffekt, dass die Existenz oder der tatsächliche Verlauf von Transportwegen für die Analysen irrelevant wird und die Qualität der Ergebnisse ausschließlich von den gewählten Parametern und ihrer Integration abhängt. Basierend auf diesen Überlegungen können für den vorliegenden Beitrag folgende Ziele festgelegt werden: Zunächst soll auf Basis verschiedener Steuerparameter (wie etwa nachgewiesene Wegsegmente, unpassierbare Geländeabschnitte, Geländeneigung …) ein allgemeines Viability-Modell entworfen werden, das darüber Aufschluss geben soll, welche Routen innerhalb des Untersuchungsgebietes überhaupt möglich bzw. (ökonomisch) vorteilhafter sind als andere. In einem weiteren, experimentellen Schritt kann dann von Experten überprüft werden, ob bzw. wie sich die Ergebnisse bei Variation der Steuerparameter ändern. Unter der Voraussetzung einer zufriedenstellenden Datenlage lässt sich das Modell weiter verfeinern, sodass sogar das unterschiedliche Verhalten der eingangs erwähnten unterschiedlichen Nutzer simuliert werden könnte.
Als Zielgebiet für die Untersuchung wurde der Raum zwischen Flavia Solva, Poetovio und Virunum festgelegt, was zum einen auf einschlägige Vorarbeiten der Autoren in diesem Raum zurückzuführen ist, der zum anderen aufgrund der Ausgrabungen im Bereich des ÖBB-Projektes zur „Koralmbahn“ in den archäologischen Blickpunkt gerückt ist. Untersucht werden hier Wege, die als mögliche Verbindungen zwischen den norischen Munizipien Flavia Solva und Virunum fungiert haben könnten, basierend auf Parametern wie Straßennetz und Wegbarkeit. Berücksichtigung finden in dieser Untersuchung sowohl Überlandwege (z. B. Laßnitztalstraße, Murtalstraße) als auch Flussverbindungen (Laßnitz, Mur, Drau). Als Ausgangspunkte der Reise fungieren verschiedene Siedlungsstellen im Bereich der Mittelsteiermark, wie etwa die vici von Deutschlandsberg-Hörbing, Gleisdorf, Lassenberg und Kalsdorf, die Villen von Grünau, Löffelbach und Thalerhof sowie das municipium Flavia Solva selbst.