Review Reports - Using Texture Statistics to Identify and Map Different Dune Types within the Rub’ al Khali

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Responses point by point of the reviewers' comments Remote sensing Journal - MDPI

Manuscript “remote sensing-2568592”

Initial Title: “Using Texture Statistics to Identify and Map Different Dune Types 2 within the Rub’ al Khali”

Dear editor and reviewers,

Thank you very much for handling our manuscript and also, we appreciated the significant efforts of the reviewers.

We revised the manuscript according to reviewer/s comments.

The following lines showed point by point answers, revised and addressed the comments of reviewers.

Best regards,

Almutlaq and Mulligan

Response to Reviewer 1

Line 13 (Need more details about the methodology)

We added some sentences and information in the abstract

Line 34-35 (Re-write)

It has been completely changed.

Line 40,41,42 (I do not think this is true. There are many studies that used these techniques before and after the history of the references you mentioned)

I agree with the reviewer, so we have changes.

Line 70,71,72 (Delete)

We have rewrite and clear this sentence

Digital geomorphological mapping (DGM) is crucial for enhancing our knowledge of Earth's physical features, geological history, natural resource management, hazard assessment, and landscape evolution. By utilizing remote sensing and geographic information technology, DGM collects, analyzes, and visualizes data, benefiting diverse scientific fields and practical applications.

Fig. 1 (Need more clarify and details (scale and north direction)

We have improved.

Line 204 -211 (You must state the Azimuth value and altitude value, and was one value chosen that could give one result for this large area?)

We added the altitude value (45) and azimuth value (315)

Line 215-216 (I think it is more suitable to us A triangular irregular network (TIN) because it is commonly an elevation surface that represents height values across an extent)

We used the original (raw) data to determine the high and low values. We believe it is better than the triangular irregular network (TIN) because TIN surfaces are a form of vector-based digital geographic data and are constructed by triangulating a set of vertices (points).

Fig.6 (The marked red lines must be considered in order for the dune classification process to be more accurate)

Thank you for your support in improving our manuscript by defining the boundaries of dune types by drawing red lines on them. defining the type of dune and the boundaries associated with that dune type becomes difficult. It is important to note that the boundaries associated with each dune type are somewhat subjective as most dunes transition from one type to another type. Although the boundaries between two different types of sand dunes are remarkably distinct, in other cases, the types of dunes overlap each other and have fuzzy boundaries and, there is no widely accepted universal classification systems for sand dunes and without an unambiguous ontology. Given these constraints, we use texture classification is advantageous in a variety of applications due to its ability to disengage the spatial variation in pixel intensity. In addition, image texture is the recognition of image regions using texture properties.

Line 267 (Add and topography)

We added it.

Fig.7 need more clarify.

We have improved.

Line 331 (A geomorphological interpretation must be given for the presence and distribution of these dunes, and the prevailing wind direction in the region must be determined in order to get an idea of the reason for the diversity of these dunes)

Actually, we focus on discovering the patterns of sand dunes and their differences using spatial techniques in the style of texture analysis.

On the other hand, we agree with the reviewer that the wind plays a prominent role in the formation of the Arabian deserts, whether in erosion, transportation, or dune formation, as we have mentioned in the introduction (Edgell, 2006).

Ref. 6 (of what?)

We have modified.

Reviewer 2 Report

Reviewer comments

Dear Authors,

Thank you for submitting your paper to the Remote Sensing Journal. I have carefully reviewed manuscript remotesensing-2568592, "Using Texture Statistics to Identify and Map Different Dune Types within the Rub’ al Khali". This study aims to employ a texture analysis method based on DEM (Digital Elevation Model) rasters to identify and categorize distinct dune types within the Rub’ al Khali desert. Through statistical analysis, specifically variance, skewness, and kurtosis, three distinct textures are revealed in relation to the geographic distribution of dunes, utilizing data from global DEMs. The investigation is centered on utilizing DEMs to examine the diverse dune morphology in the Rub’ al Khali. Additionally, a comparison between GMTED2010 and EarthEnv_DEM90 digital elevation models is conducted. The figures exhibit notably poor quality in terms of both content and cartography. Regarding the English language, I have found that it is moderately written, and I recommend that you carefully check all parts of the manuscript and correct any grammatical errors. Considering these factors, along with the comments provided in the PDF file and here, I strongly reject the article. The PDF file of the manuscript is attached to the Editorial System.

Best regards,

Reviewer

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1- Abstract

1-1- The abstract section need to complete with more information.

1-2- The concrete finding of this research need to be added to the abstract section.

1-3- The abstract section is poorly written!

1-4- Abbreviations should be defined at first mention and used consistently thereafter. For example:

· Line 11: DEM

· Line 15: digital elevation models

2- Introduction

2-1- The introduction section is poorly written.

2-2- The writing structure of the introduction section should be improved.

2-3- What is the difference between this research and previous studies?

2-4- The current literature review lacks specificity and therefore does not provide sufficient evidence of the novelty of the present study. It would be more effective to expand on the unique contributions of the manuscript in the introduction section. Additionally, the manuscript is not particularly innovative, and it would be helpful to provide further details on its originality.

2-5- Research innovation is not clear!

2-6- Line 29-96: The Paragraph is too lengthy. Please either summarize it or divide it into multiple sections.

2-7- Line 40: Digital Elevation Model (DEM)

2-8- Line 40-42: "A few studies have taken advantage of 40 the analytical capabilities inherent in geographic information systems (GIS) and remote 41 sensing software [7-9]." Remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are not mere software applications; rather, they represent scientific disciplines and technologies.

2-9- Line 52, 61, and 78: This type of referencing is incorrect.

2-10- Line 70-73: Utilize newer and more relevant references for each of the instances. For example:

· Farhadi, H., Esmaeily, A. and Najafzadeh, M., 2022. Flood monitoring by integration of Remote Sensing technique and Multi-Criteria Decision Making method. Computers & Geosciences, 160, p.105045.

2-11- Abbreviations should be defined at first mention and used consistently thereafter. For example:

· Line 76: UAE

2-12- Line 83-88: The sentence is too lengthy. Please either summarize it or divide it into multiple sections.

2-13- Improve Figure 1 in terms of dimensions, font, quality and content. For example: Scale bar, North Arrow, and Legend.

3- Data and Method

3-1- The main issue with this experiment is that the proposed method has not been compared to other models. The performance of the proposed method could be impacted by various factors, such as region and DEM quality. Therefore, a comparative analysis must be conducted.

3-2- It is recommended to introduce a new section titled "Proposed Methodology."

3-3- Suggesting the inclusion of a flowchart detailing the implementation of the proposed methodology is advised.

3-4- The content written in this article is similar to a technical report, not a scientific report.

3-5- Line 128, 131: "digital elevations models" must be changed to "DEM".

3-6- Line 175-202: The paragraph is too lengthy. Please either summarize it or divide it into multiple sections.

3-7- Line 208: "elevation" should be removed.

3-8- Improve Figure 3 in terms of dimensions, font, quality and content. For example: Scale bar, North Arrow, and geographical coordinate.

3-9- Line 226: 1 arc-second (~ 90 m) not correct. 1 arc-second (~ 30 m) is correct.

3-10- Improve Figure 4 in terms of dimensions, font, quality and content. For example: Scale bar, North Arrow, and geographical coordinate.

3-11- Improve Figure 5 in terms of dimensions, font, quality and content. For example: Scale bar, North Arrow, and geographical coordinate.

3-12- Improve Figure 6 in terms of dimensions, font, quality and content. For example: Scale bar, North Arrow, and geographical coordinate.

3-13- Improve Figure 7 in terms of dimensions, font, quality and content.

3-14- The figures in manuscript exhibit notably poor quality in terms of both content and cartography.

4- Result and discussion

4-1- The result and discussion section is poorly provided.

4-2- Provide geographic coordinates or scene specifications for Figures 4, 5, and 6.

4-3- Results of this study need to be compared with previous research works. Authors are emphatically recommended to provide a new section for this purpose.

4-4- The discussion section needs to rewrite.

4-5- One of the most important disadvantages of current research is the presentation of ambiguous results.

4-6- Lines 302-305:

5- Conclusion

5-1- The conclusion section is verbose and should be condensed to provide a concise summary of the paper.

5- References

In the submitted manuscript, the incorporation of more recent references appears to be limited, with most citations dating back to before 2015. It is imperative to underscore that for a contemporary research endeavor, utilizing authoritative and more current references is essential. Employing up-to-date sources not only substantiates the study's relevance but also demonstrates engagement with the latest advancements and discussions within the field. Incorporating recent references ensures that your work is situated within the current scholarly discourse and enhances the credibility and impact of your research. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to utilize more recent (2020-2023) sources.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Regarding the English language, I have found that it is moderately written, and I recommend that you carefully check all parts of the manuscript and correct any grammatical errors.

Author Response

Remote sensing Journal - MDPI

Manuscript “remotesensing-2568592”

Initial Title: “Using Texture Statistics to Identify and Map Different Dune Types 2 within the Rub’ al Khali”

Dear editor and reviewers,

Thank you very much for handling our manuscript and also, we appreciated the significant efforts of the reviewers.

We revised the manuscript according to reviewer/s comments.

The following lines showed point by point answers, revised and addressed the comments of reviewers.

Best regards,

Almutlaq and Mulligan

Response to Reviewer 2

1- Abstract

The abstract section need to complete with more information.

We added some sentences and information in the abstract

The concrete finding of this research need to be added to the abstract section.

We added some results in the abstract

1-3- The abstract section is poorly written!

We enhanced the abstract

1-4- Abbreviations should be defined at first mention and used consistently thereafter. For example:

Line 11: DEM
Line 15: digital elevation models

We have considered and modified

2- Introduction

The introduction section is poorly written.

We have improved and check the language by MDBI (Language Editing Services)

The writing structure of the introduction section should be improved.

We have rechecked the structure of the introduction (the research problem, the gab knowledge, the previous studies, methods and the aim of the study.

What is the difference between this research and previous studies?

We mentioned that many researches have focused on the different dune types in the Rub’ al Khali, they classified the dunes in different methods which makes it difficult to compare the results. Most earlier research on dune morphology classified the dunes based on field observations and air photo interpretation [Edgell, 2006. Saudi Geological Survey,2011. Bagnold, 1951. Holm, 1960]. This research takes a novel approach to define various textures in sand dunes. we have mentioned that in the introduction.

The current literature review lacks specificity and therefore does not provide sufficient evidence of the novelty of the present study. It would be more effective to expand on the unique contributions of the manuscript in the introduction section. Additionally, the manuscript is not particularly innovative, and it would be helpful to provide further details on its originality.

Thanks for your comment, we have rechecked the structure of the introduction (the research problem, the gab knowledge, the previous studies, methods, and the aim of the study. This research introduced novel methods and analytical techniques. It proposed using texture statistics to map the spatial variability in dune height from a DEM and applying texture analysis to map the spatial variability in dune surface patterns. The variance maps, utilizing 10 x 10 and 30 x 30 focal blocks, sharply distinguished dune textures. The introduction has been rephrased and a modern review has been added, e.g:

Dong Y, Fu S, Zhang S, Hasi E. Type, Distribution, Formation and Evolution of Coastal Aeolian Dunes. In Sand Dunes of the Northern Hemisphere 2023 Mar 10 (pp. 163-178). CRC Press.

Gaur MK, Wadhawan SK, Dhir RP. Geomorphological Characteristics of Sand Dunes and Evolution of Aeolian Landscape for Sustainable Future in Western Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India. Sand Dunes of the Northern Hemisphere: Distribution, Formation, Migration and Management, Volume 1. 2023 Mar 10:246.

Zheng Z, Du S, Taubenböck H, Zhang X. Remote sensing techniques in the investigation of aeolian sand dunes: A review of recent advances. Remote Sensing of Environment. 2022 Mar 15;271:112913.

Liu Y, Wang YS, Shen T. Spatial distribution and formation mechanism of aeolian sand in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River. Journal of Mountain Science. 2019 Sep;16(9):1987-2000.

Research innovation is not clear!

It is a new approach to introducing a machine to identify dune patterns through texture analysis of digital elevation models without human influence. Although there is a difference in identifying sand dune patterns among specialists in morphology, it is hoped that this method will contribute to reducing the difference. This underscores the potential value of such an approach in future research in aeolian geomorphology, promising significant benefits for the field.

2-6- Line 29-96: The Paragraph is too lengthy. Please either summarize it or divide it into multiple sections.

We have review and improved

2-7- Line 40: Digital Elevation Model (DEM)

We have modified

2-9- Line 52, 61, and 78: This type of referencing is incorrect.

We have considered and corrected

2-10- Line 70-73: Utilize newer and more relevant references for each of the instances. For example:

We have added this reference.

Farhadi, H., Esmaeily, A. and Najafzadeh, M., 2022. Flood monitoring by integration of Remote Sensing technique and Multi-Criteria Decision Making method. Computers & Geosciences, 160, p.105045.

2-11- Abbreviations should be defined at first mention and used consistently thereafter. For example:

Line 76: UAE

We have defined

2-12- Line 83-88: The sentence is too lengthy. Please either summarize it or divide it into multiple sections.

We have clarified this sentence

2-13- Improve Figure 1 in terms of dimensions, font, quality and content. For example: Scale bar, North Arrow, and Legend.

We have improved

3- Data and Method

We made it clear in the discussion section, there is obviously some uncertainty in any GIS analysis, but the results of this analysis are very encouraging. Despite this uncertainty, in the analysis, there should be at least some relationship between the classification of dune types based on shaded relief and the classification of the different dune textures. To reach the best result, we used several sources of digital elevation models that compared between GMTED2010 and EarthEnv_DEM90. EarthEnv_DEM90 is a relatively new, high quality, near-global, void-filled DEM developed from fused ASTER and SRTM data. In addition, examine differences in dune texture, both DEMs were analyzed using the texture to map the variance, skewness and kurtosis of elevation values. To explore this idea, the area of each dune type was compared to the area of each dune texture. We made the overlay analysis creates a new feature class by combining these features in the dune classification layer with the features in the texture analysis layer. The results of this analysis, expressed here as a percentage of the total area that are shown in Table 2 and Figure 10.

3-2- It is recommended to introduce a new section titled "Proposed Methodology."

2.3 proposed methods to distinguish sand dune types

3-3- Suggesting the inclusion of a flowchart detailing the implementation of the proposed methodology is advised.

We have added flowchart

3-4- The content written in this article is similar to a technical report, not a scientific report.

Actually, we have considered all scientific backgrounds to solve the research problems from our point of view to distinguish the boundaries between dune types

3-5- Line 128, 131: "digital elevations models" must be changed to "DEM".

We have considered

3-6- Line 175-202: The paragraph is too lengthy. Please either summarize it or divide it into multiple sections.

We have reviewed this section

3-7- Line 208: "elevation" should be removed.

We removed

3-8- Improve Figure 3 in terms of dimensions, font, quality and content. For example: Scale bar, North Arrow, and geographical coordinate.

We have improved figure 3

3-9- Line 226: 1 arc-second (~ 90 m) not correct. 1 arc-second (~ 30 m) is correct.

We have corrected

3-10- Improve Figure 4 in terms of dimensions, font, quality and content. For example: Scale bar, North Arrow, and geographical coordinate.

We have improved figure 4

3-11- Improve Figure 5 in terms of dimensions, font, quality and content. For example: Scale bar, North Arrow, and geographical coordinate.

We have improved figure 5

3-12- Improve Figure 6 in terms of dimensions, font, quality and content. For example: Scale bar, North Arrow, and geographical coordinate.

We have improved figure 6

3-13- Improve Figure 7 in terms of dimensions, font, quality and content.

We have improved figure 7

3-14- The figures in manuscript exhibit notably poor quality in terms of both content and cartography.

We have improved these figures.

4- Result and discussion

4-1- The result and discussion section is poorly provided.

We have improved and added new refences

4-2- Provide geographic coordinates or scene specifications for Figures 4, 5, and 6.

We have provided geographic coordinates

4-3- Results of this study need to be compared with previous research works. Authors are emphatically recommended to provide a new section for this purpose.

We have added some comparative studies for our results

4-4- The discussion section needs to rewrite.

We have improved and added some new references

4-5- One of the most important disadvantages of current research is the presentation of ambiguous results.

We proposed a new approach in classifying sand dunes, based on integration of texture analysis using digital elevation models. We also explained the areas of ambiguity and overlaps between the patterns of the sand dunes, and this does not preclude presenting the experiment to the academic community, which will find an opportunity to develop the methodology, especially with the methods of machine learning and deep learning

4-6- Lines 302-305:

-we have improved

5- Conclusion

5-1- The conclusion section is verbose and should be condensed to provide a concise summary of the paper.

We have improved the conclusion

5- References

We have added new relevant references during 2020-2023

Dong Y, Fu S, Zhang S, Hasi E. Type, Distribution, Formation and Evolution of Coastal Aeolian Dunes. In Sand Dunes of the Northern Hemisphere 2023 Mar 10 (pp. 163-178). CRC Press.

Zheng Z, Du S, Taubenböck H, Zhang X. Remote sensing techniques in the investigation of aeolian sand dunes: A review of recent advances. Remote Sensing of Environment. 2022 Mar 15;271:112913.

Liu Y, Wang YS, Shen T. Spatial distribution and formation mechanism of aeolian sand in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River. Journal of Mountain Science. 2019 Sep;16(9):1987-2000.

Almutlaq, F., Nahas, F., & Mulligan, K. (2022). Calculation of the Rub’al Khali Sand Dune Volume for Estimating Potential Sand Sources. Remote Sensing, 14(5), 1216.

Comments on the Quality of English Language, Regarding the English language, I have found that it is moderately written, and I recommend that you carefully check all parts of the manuscript and correct any grammatical errors.

We have checked the language by MDBI (Language Editing Services)

Reviewer 3 Report

Overall, this paper makes a valuable contribution to understanding the types of dunes within the Rub al-Khali Desert. However, it would benefit from providing more specific details about the methodology, expanding the discussion section, and addressing the limitations of the study. In addition, improving the organization and structure of the article will improve its readability.

It is suggested to add more background information on the morphology of the Rub 'al Khali desert and dunes, including previous studies and existing dune classification systems in the introduction section.

It is recommended to provide more details about the data sources, including the resolution, accuracy, and reliability of the DEM, and how to deal with the missing data in the DEM.

The article briefly mentions the limitations of the study, such as the subjective nature of visual interpretation and the uncertainty in GIS analysis. It would be beneficial to discuss these limitations in more details and suggest potential avenues for future research.

The English language is qualified.

Author Response

Manuscript “remotesensing-2568592”

Initial Title: “Using Texture Statistics to Identify and Map Different Dune Types 2 within the Rub’ al Khali”

Dear editor and reviewers,

Thank you very much for handling our manuscript and also, we appreciated the significant efforts of the reviewers.

We revised the manuscript according to reviewer/s comments.

The following lines showed point by point answers, revised and addressed the comments of reviewers.

Best regards,

Almutlaq and Mulligan

Response to Reviewer 3

We have improved the introduction

It is recommended to provide more details about the data sources, including the resolution, accuracy, and reliability of the DEM, and how to deal with the missing data in the DEM.

We have added the referenced used to fill the DEM.

Wang, L. & H. Liu (2006): An efficient method for identifying and filling surface depressions in digital elevation models for hydrologic analysis and modelling. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, Vol. 20, No. 2: 193-213.

We have considered and cleareyed in conclusion section

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The authors' response has addressed most of my concerns, and I don't have further questions except for one minor revision:

1. Improve Figures 5, 6, 8 and 10 in terms of dimensions, font, quality and content.

Author Response

Thank you for your continued development of the manuscript. The figures (5, 6, 8 and 10) contain many details that require clarification, we have improved figures in terms of image quality, font clarity and content. I think they are better now than before.