Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk

Geospatial Advances in Tectonic Geomorphology and Geohazard Assessment

Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk is pleased to welcome you to submit your research to the Article Collection "Geospatial Advances in Tectonic Geomorphology and Geohazard Assessment".

Geospatial techniques allow us to study landscape change and assess the effects of geological and geomorphic processes on natural hazards. This Article Collection focuses on tectonic geomorphology and welcomes submissions that use techniques from Earth observation, geodesy, geomatics, and geohazard science to understand, map, monitor, and model changing landscapes. Topics may range from active tectonics and landscape evolution to hazards associated with unstable ground and landscape change. Satellite- and airborne observations, field data, geospatial datasets, and models may be used individually or in combination to investigate these topics. Studies may focus on any environment, from mountains and rivers to coasts and cities, and at any spatial scale.

Understanding how tectonics interact with climate, surface processes, and anthropogenic activity can help us better identify hazardous areas and mitigate impacts on people, infrastructure, and the environment. We hope this collection will help bridge the gap between understanding Earth's surface processes and applying that knowledge to assess hazard susceptibility, monitor hazards, develop early warning systems, and reduce exposure and vulnerability. The collection also aims to foster communication among Earth scientists, geospatial scientists, engineers, and practitioners, including those working in data-limited regions. We welcome both new methods and applications of existing methods that generate new scientific or practical knowledge. Discussions of data quality and uncertainty, as well as the transferability and broader applicability of results, are particularly encouraged.

We welcome submissions on topics including, but not limited to, tectonic and structural controls on landforms; geomorphic indicators and drainage-basin evolution; fault mapping and deformation monitoring; earthquakes; landslides; subsidence; erosion; and cascading hazards. Studies examining how climate and human activities influence these processes and hazards are also welcome. Relevant approaches include remote sensing, GIS, digital terrain models (DTMs), geodesy, spatial statistics, artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), numerical modeling, and multi-source data analysis. Submissions may compare different areas, present field-based studies, or focus on a single region while demonstrating how the findings or methods may be applicable elsewhere. Studies involving hazard and risk mapping, as well as approaches that support hazard-related decision-making, are also encouraged. Submissions may address one or several of these topics, provided they advance the understanding of landscape processes or the geospatial assessment of geohazards.

Meet the Guest Advisors

Dr. Alaa Ahmed is an Associate Professor at United Arab Emirates University with research interests in water resources, geospatial analysis, tectonic activity, and natural hazards. His work combines remote sensing, geographic information systems, and statistical methods to explore basin characteristics, flood susceptibility, and geohazard assessment.

Dr. Ahmed Gad is an Instructor at United Arab Emirates University with research interests in geospatial analysis, risk assessment, and natural hazards. His work draws on terrain analysis and statistical methods to explore landscape features, tectonic activity, flood susceptibility, and spatial planning.

The Guest Advisors declare no conflict of interest regarding this work.