Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

This paper analyses the influence of tropospheric water vapour on one of the most innovative techniques for monitoring cortical deformations: Differential Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR). Through the tropospheric delays (ZTD) of the GNSS electromagnetic signals and their transformation to integrated water vapour values (IWV), we analysed the potential of the tropospheric products of the SIRGAS network for climatological studies, as well as for the generation of atmospheric corrections. The IWV data were used to generate representative statistical parameters for the regions covered by thenetwork between 2014-2022. Using the Iterative Tropospheric Decomposition (ITD), high-resolution ZTD maps were generated and a methodology for their calculation was proposed using the ERA5 atmospheric model. Those maps were validated with the ZTDs derived from SIRGAS with differences of less than one centimetre. The calculated corrections were evaluated in a pre-cordillera region of Argentina, exhibiting noticeable decreases in the atmospheric component present in the time series obtained with DInSAR. This work shows the results of the first application of SIRGAS products in interferometry, which is novel for the geodetic community in the region.

Integrating land use planning into disaster risk management is a vital process for the safeguarding and resilience of communities. Since developing countries are more vulnerable to disasters due to the strong presence of informal settlements with high level of exposure to hazards. This research focused on analyzing sustainable land management and its impact on the reduction of risk zones in the northern urban fringe of Quevedo. The study population consisted of the inhabitants of the following parishes: 24 de Mayo, Nicolás Infante Díaz, San Cristóbal, Venus del Río Quevedo and Quevedo matriz (cantonal capital). The sample selected by non probabilistic sampling corresponded to 383 inhabitants. Field data collection was carried out in the risk areas, belonging to the landslide and flooding sites. For this procedure, GPS equipment was used to georeference the surveyed sites. The survey was carried out using a Google Form questionnaire. Efficient data management was carried out using open source computer and geospatial tools: Office Word and Excel, IBM SPSS Statistics 25, ArcGIS 10.5 and Google Earth. The questionnaire was validated by reliability analysis (Cronbach’s Alpha) in SPSS software. In conclusion, the vulnerability to landslides was 23 ha, with an affected population of 1706 inhabitants, and the susceptibility to floods is 163 ha and an affected population of 15,218 inhabitants. The public policies implemented have contributed to address vulnerability in the sector, the alternative of remediation, repotentiation and strengthening of affected areas with planting of vetiver plants, offering a promising approach to mitigate environmental risks.

The Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite Differential Interferometry (DInSAR) technique has been used for more than two decades to detect changes in the Earth’s topography over time, allowing the kinematics of active faults and other ground deformations as a result of anthropic and/or natural activities to be monitored. The objective of this study was based on the mastery of SAR data processing methodologies and interpretation of the results obtained through the application of the PSInSAR Persistent Scatterers Interferometry (PSI) technique; achieving an estimation of crustal displacements in the direction of view of the sensor (Line Of Sight—LOS). SENTINEL 1 SAR image datasets from the European Copernicus Programme, in C-band, with a wavelength range of 5.4 cm, were used for 2018-2019. The results obtained on the East Coast of Lake Maracaibo (COLM) support the idea of a process of uplift and subsidence in coastal cities in the east of the Lake ranging from  45mm a-1 to -40 mm a-1, consistent with previous GPS (Global Positioning System) studies of Ground Control Points-GCP in the area that indicated uplift values of 5 cm for Ciudad Ojeda and, for subsidence values of -3 cm in Lagunillas.

Studies on land cover and land use change (LCLUC) are essential for understanding environmental transformations driven by socioeconomic factors that affect the sustainability of local and regional territories. This research examines the dynamics of LCLUC and its driving forces in the municipality of Zinapécuaro (partially located within the Cuitzeo Basin), Michoacán, Mexico, between 2000 and 2020. The analysis was conducted through the visual interpretation of a Sentinel-2A image from 2020, a land cover and land use (LCLU) map from 2000, and socioeconomic variables, including population, settlements, and agricultural activity. The results indicate acceptable reliability in the interpretation of LCLU classes (Kappa coefficient = 87%). Among the notable changes, a decrease in natural cover, such as forests (-10.5%) and the portion of Lake Cuitzeo (-4%), was observed. In contrast, major anthropogenic uses experienced an increase, including human settlements (64.5%) and grasslands (27.2%). Additionally, 92.7 hectares were identified as areas allocated for protected crops. The driving forces observed include rural population growth and the expansion of rural settlements. This study represents the first detailed analysis of LCLUC in this area, providing key information for sustainable territorial planning and management.

The Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) is an international standard (ISO 19152:2012) that offers a conceptual data model for land management. LADM-COL is the profile that results from adapting the ISO 19152:2012 standard to the particularities of Colombia. The challenge is to develop extended models and application models derived from the core model, for each of the territorial objects within the multipurpose cadastre. This study presents a proposal for an extended LADM-COL model focused on road inventory, as well as on the condition and maintenance of pavements, using an integrated mobile mapping system. The information that enters the model comes from field missions carried out in seven locations in the city of Bogota, Colombia. Since there are few contributions in the area of transportation and each road administrator creates a geographic database according to the specific needs of the project, this model seeks to standardize information and promote the exchange of data between the different territorial levels related to transportation. The extended model is independent of the data source and can continue to evolve according to the specific needs of each context.

Violence, particularly homicides of women and men, is a phenomenon that hasalways  existed. However, in 2006 the federal government changed its public security policy to undertake, in its own words, a war against drug trafficking that would have very high costs. And indeed, since that change, violent deaths increased significantly. However, the general perception in Mexico and outside this country is that the entire national territory is flooded with this problem. Statistically, since 2006, violence has grown exponentially and seasonally has peaks and valleys of violence. Furthermore, although it is true that for every 10 homicides, 8 are men and 2 are women, in proportional terms lethal and feminicidal violence against women has been more intense in shorter periods of time. The spatial distribution found suggests that there could be a series of double and triple relationships between disappearances, femicides and homicides with activities related to drug trafficking. The main results presented analyze the evolution, distribution and intensity of lethal and feminicidal violence in Mexico, using statistical techniques and spatial analysis during the period 1990-2018.

This paper presents three epidemiological measures: prevalence rate, excess risk, and relative risk, alongside their representation through both discrete spatial units (such as census districts and grid cells) and continuous surfaces. These methods are compared at an intraurban scale in Málaga, Spain, using householdlevel positive COVID-19 cases data from the acute phase of the pandemic, spanning 2020 to 2022, which are processed and analyzed with free opensource software and GIS. Vector-based calculations estimate the area of highest relative risk in Málaga to be approximately 7 km², encompassing a population of 63,655 people. In contrast, raster-based calculations estimate an area of 16 km², containing a population of 206,900 people, and a 40% higher risk when compared to baseline prevalence. The comparison demonstrates that rasterbased relative risk surfaces are more robust, as they overcome the limitations of arbitrary spatial boundaries. However, generating these surfaces require pointlevel case data, which is often publicly unavailable. Conversely, polygon-based estimations are less precise, and underestimate both the extent and the amount of population at-risk by half, but rely on more readily accessible aggregated data. The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of comparing between indicators and cartographic representation for both results communication and accurate decision-making in the fields of epidemiology, public health, and health geography, as well as by suggesting further steps in the analysis.

Ecological zoning as an instrument for sustainable territorial planning is oriented toward evaluating socio-ecological systems through the integration of biodiversity attributes and anthropogenic pressures. Its relevance stems from the need to balance conservation and development, especially in degraded ecosystems like those of central Chile, where only remnants of the original native forest persist. The ecosystems surrounding Santiago, Chile, as the Manquehue El Peñón hills basin, designated as a Priority Site and Ecological Preservation Area, lack management guidelines grounded in socioecological criteria. The objective of this study was to propose an ecological zoning plan for the area to guide its environmentally sustainable planning and management. To achieve this, the main ecological attributes of the vegetation land covers and the impacts of anthropic activities within the basin of interest were assessed and mapped, enabling the development of an indicative zoning plan based on ecological risk levels and recommended management measures. The results highlight that 15.8% of the studied surface, primarily corresponding to the lower basin, shouldbe targeted for restoration and sustainable management. In contrast, 77.8% of the studied surface requires preservation due to the high ecological value of riparian vegetation buffers, which are threatened by uncontrolled urbanization and human-induced degradation. Future studies of this nature, applied to similar ecosystems, should consider additional variables tailored to the drought conditions affecting central Chile.

Nowadays, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or drones is a reality. Among their most notable applications are the generation of cartography, forest surveillance, and crop management through precision agriculture. This doctoral thesis investigates the methodologies currently employed in precision agriculture within the field of remote sensing using UAVs to assist rural development processes in developing areas. These methodologies encompass topics related to growth analysis in terms of biomass generation in ryegrass and kikuyu crops, health status analysis of lupine plantations in the Andean region through their spectral response, and disease detection in African palm through the study of the variability of its spectral response, all applied in the Republic of Ecuador. For the case studies of all the mentioned crops, equipment such as UAVs and spectroradiometers were used, generating high-resolution geospatial products through SfM photogrammetry and low-altitude remote sensing techniques. From these products, spectral values at the plant level were extracted and satisfactory results were inferred through the application of statistical tests. Thus, it was possible to detect early the impact of Bud Rot (PC) in African palm, determine which seed disinfection treatment for lupine is the most suitable for controlling Anthracnose, and show that perennial ryegrass is the crop that generates the best biomass yields for soils in the equatorial Andean region. This demonstrated the potential of UAV systems in studying and managing key crops in the economies of developing countries.

En el número 110 de Revista Cartográfica, se presenta como portada al continente americano desde otros puntos de vista: el que le da la vuelta al mapa y el que representa al territorio desde abajo.Acostumbrados a que Canadá y a Estados Unidos estén la parte superior del mapa y a que Argentina y Chile se ubiquen en la parte inferior, parecería que en la portada América está presentada al revés, que el Norte debería estar arriba. Lo cierto es que no hay reglas, simplemente costumbres. Habitamos un planeta prácticamente esférico, los puntos cardinales, los meridianos y los paralelos son referencias espaciales que nos ayudan a ubicarnos en la superficie terrestre. Al ser proyectados en un plano, ningún criterio técnico obliga al cartógrafo a colocar en la parte superior al Norte y en la parte inferior al Sur, por lo que dicho acto releva únicamente de un hábito propio de la sociedad en la que vivimos. ...