Search Results (102)

The McMurdo Dry Valleys (DVs) of South Victoria Land, Antarctica, constitute the largest ice-free region on the continent and one of Earth’s most Mars-analog environments. Their hyper-arid polar desert conditions offer a unique setting for investigating surface weathering and mineralogical processes under extreme climates. This study presents the first regional-scale mapping of alteration and crystalline weathering minerals across the McMurdo DVs. It uses Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) multispectral data; visible and near-infrared (VNIR) and shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands were analyzed through a Spectral Hourglass Workflow, endmember extraction, and spectral unmixing with Matched Filtering (MF) and Constrained Energy Minimization (CEM). Inter-algorithm consistency analysis between MF and CEM yielded 78.83% overall agreement with a Kappa coefficient of 0.75, indicating strong methodological consistency in mineral discrimination using ASTER VNIR+SWIR data. It should be noted that this agreement reflects internal algorithmic robustness rather than independent geological validation. Geological reliability is instead supported by documented field observations, lithological map comparisons, and spectral correspondence with the USGS spectral library. Validation employed documented field observations, lithological maps, and the USGS spectral library. Results reveal distinct spatial distributions of hematite-limonite/goethite, jarosite, kaolinite/smectite-illite-pyrophyllite-alunite, muscovite, hydrous silica/sericite/jarosite/hematite, epidote/chlorite, and calcite, closely associated with lithological units and unconsolidated deposits in Taylor, Wright, Victoria, and McKelvey Valleys. An inter-algorithm consistency check achieved 78.83% overall accuracy with a Kappa coefficient of 0.75, underscoring the robustness of ASTER VNIR+SWIR data for Antarctic mineral discrimination despite localized spectral mixing. Beyond refining the geological understanding of the McMurdo DVs, these results establish ASTER as an effective tool for regional mineralogical mapping in inaccessible polar terrains. The findings further strengthen the role of the Dry Valleys as a terrestrial analog for Mars, where similar mineralogical assemblages and spectral ambiguities have been observed, thereby contributing to both Antarctic geoscience and planetary exploration frameworks. Full article

Pesticide contamination poses significant threats to both humans and the environment, with residues frequently detected in surface waters worldwide. This study compares the effectiveness of passive samplers (POCIS and Chemcatcher) and grab sampling coupled with Stir-Bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE) and Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE) for monitoring pesticides in surface waters. The comparative study was conducted at three sites in Victoria, Australia, representing different land uses. A total of 230 pesticides were screened, with 79 different pesticides detected overall. SBSE extracted the highest number of pesticides from grab samples, followed by SPE and passive samplers. The study highlights the complementarity of different sampling and extraction techniques in detecting a wide range of pesticides. The study also explores the suitability of these techniques for citizen science applications, emphasizing the importance of selecting appropriate methods based on specific research objectives and available resources. The findings underscore the need for a tiered approach, combining passive samplers for initial screening and grab sampling for quantitative analysis, to develop a robust monitoring strategy for protecting water quality. Full article

Achieving net zero relies on siting large-scale solar and wind where they are cheapest and most socially acceptable. We present a transferable, evidence-based siting framework and apply it to Australia. The landscape is divided into millions of 250 m pixels, each assigned an indicative cost based on resource quality, distance-weighted connection costs, and land use exclusions. Two bounding generation mix scenarios (high solar vs. high wind) stack the cheapest pixels until a fully electrified demand of 20 MWh per capita per year is met. Results are aggregated to all 547 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 150 federal electorates and expressed as capital inflow, construction job-years, long-term jobs, and land-lease income. We find Class A solar (<50 AUD/MWh) is abundant nationwide except in Tasmania, while high-quality wind is concentrated in Victoria, Tasmania, and coastal Western Australia. Just 15% of LGAs, mainly within 100 km of the existing 275–500 kV transmission backbone, can host over half of least-cost capacity. A single top-ranked LGA such as Toowoomba (Queensland) could attract around AUD 33 billion in investment and sustain over 50,000 construction job-years. Mapping ten candidate high-voltage transmission corridors shows how new lines shift opportunities to under-served councils. The results bridge the gap between state-level renewable energy zones and fine-scale site suitability maps, with policy recommendations proposed. Because the workflow relies mainly on globally available datasets, it can be replicated in other countries to raise public awareness, align policy with community support, and accelerate clean-energy buildouts while maximising regional benefit. Full article

With the emergence of Survey 4.0, the oil and gas (O & G) industry is now considering spatial digital twins during their field design to enhance visualization, efficiency, and safety. O & G companies have already initiated investments in the research and development of spatial digital twins to build digital mining models. Existing studies commonly adopt surveys and case studies as their evaluation approach to validate the feasibility of spatial digital twins and related technologies. However, this approach requires high costs and resources. To address this gap, this study explores the feasibility of the informed argument method within the design science framework. A land survey data model (LSDM)-based digital twin prototype for O & G field design, along with 3D spatial datasets located in Lot 2 on RP108045 at petroleum lease 229 under the Department of Resources, Queensland Government, Australia, was selected as a case for this study. The ISO/IEC 25010 model was adopted as a methodology for this study to evaluate the prototype and Digital Twin Victoria (DTV). It encompasses eight metrics, such as functional suitability, performance efficiency, compatibility, usability, security, reliability, maintainability, and portability. The results generated from this study indicate that the prototype encompasses a standard level of all parameters in the ISO/IEC 25010 model. The key significance of the study is its methodological contribution to evaluating the spatial digital twin models through cost-effective means, particularly under circumstances with strict regulatory requirements and low information accessibility. Full article

The Antarctic continent hosts highly specialized microbial ecosystems, particularly within endolithic habitats, where microorganisms colonize the interior of rocks in order to withstand conditions that otherwise cannot support life. Previous studies have characterized the composition and abundance of these communities, as well as their different degrees of stress power; furthermore, the effect of different lithic substrates in shaping their associated bacterial assemblages has been extensively investigated. By contrast, how rock typology exerts fungal endolithic colonization still remains unexplored. In this study, we have considered and compared fungal communities inhabiting granite and sandstone rocks collected across Victoria Land, Antarctica, using high-throughput sequencing of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region. Our analyses revealed that both rock types were dominated by Ascomycota, with a marked prevalence of lichen-forming fungi, particularly within the class Lecanoromycetes. However, granite-supported communities exhibited significantly higher species richness, likely driven by the structural heterogeneity of the substrate and the presence of fissures enabling chasmoendolithic colonization. In contrast, sandstone communities were more specialized and dominated by strict cryptoendolithic taxa capable of surviving within the rock’s pore spaces. Differential abundance analysis identified key species associated with each substrate, including the lichen Buellia frigida in granite and the black fungus Friedmanniomyces endolithicus in sandstone, two endemic species in Antarctica. Moreover, the use of presence/absence- versus abundance-based diversity metrics revealed contrasting ecological patterns; substrate type had a stronger influence on species presence, whereas geographic location more significantly shaped abundance profiles, highlighting the complex interplay between both factors in determining fungal community composition. Additionally, alpha diversity analyses showed significantly higher species richness in granite compared to sandstone, suggesting that structural heterogeneity and chasmoendolithism may promote a more diverse fungal assemblage. Full article

In recognition of the declining state of biodiversity, the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, signed in late 2022, committed countries to the protection of 30% of the Earth’s terrestrial and inland water areas and coastal and marine areas by 2030. Australia has committed to this target at a national level. The majority of public protected areas (e.g., national parks) in Australia are designated and managed by state and territory governments. The state of Victoria in southeastern Australia has a long history of regional assessments of public land to balance conservation (such as the declaration of protected areas), production of natural resources (e.g., timber harvesting, mineral extraction), and recreation, amongst other uses. The decision to phase out native forest timber harvesting on public land in Victoria presents the greatest opportunity in the state’s history to meet its statewide commitments, national commitments, and international targets, by establishing a comprehensive, adequate, and representative protected area system. We critique Victoria’s reliance on non-binding protections, such as Special Protection Zones in state forests over recent decades, and outline the principles and rationale for the expansion of the protected area system in state forests, recognizing that protected areas are part of a broader suite of future land uses for these public forests. Full article

Understanding the feedback relationships and evolutionary stages of water–socioecological systems (W-SESs) is crucial for achieving sustainable development in basins. This study focuses on the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) in East Africa, where population growth, rapid urbanization, and developing industrialization have intensified water resource supply–demand conflicts, leading to socioecological issues such as water environmental degradation and ecological conflicts. The objective of this research is to develop a theoretical framework for the Lake Victoria Basin W-SESs (LVB-WSESs) based on the SES framework, identify the main drivers and critical nodes in the evolution of the LVB-WSESs, analyze the root causes of water–society–ecology conflicts, and explore the feedback relationships and evolutionary stages of the LVB-WSESs over the past century. To achieve this, we employed an integrated qualitative and quantitative analysis of historical data combined with tipping point detection to systematically assess the dynamics of the LVB-WSESs. Our findings show that, under the drivers of climate change (with a 1 °C increase in annual temperature since 1920s), population growth (a six-fold increase since 1920s), economic development, land-use change, urbanization, and species invasion, the basin’s demand for water resources, water environments, and aquatic ecosystems has continually increased, leading to the gradual degradation and imbalance of the basin’s ecological functions. The evolution of the LVB-WSESs can be divided into five stages against the historical backdrop of societal transitions from colonial to independent democratic systems: the stable resource utilization period, the slow environmental change period (1920s–1960s), the rapid environmental imbalance period (1960s–1990s), the transition period from environmental imbalance to protection (1990s–2015), and the reconstruction period of socioecological equilibrium. This study not only enhances understanding of the long-term dynamics of the LVB-WSESs but also provides practical implications for sustainable water management in similar basins globally. It enriches the local practice of global sustainable development theories, providing new theoretical perspectives and case references for future watershed sustainable management. By identifying critical drivers and evolutionary stages, our findings can inform policy decisions and interventions to mitigate socioecological conflicts and achieve basin-level sustainability. Full article

Nitrate contamination poses a significant global environmental threat, impacting the water quality in surface and groundwater systems. Despite its considerable impact, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding of nitrate sources and discharge patterns, particularly in the Lake Victoria basin of East Africa. To address this gap, a study was conducted in the Kagera River basin, responsible for 33% of Lake Victoria’s surface inflow. This study utilized δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O isotope analysis in nitrate, hydrochemistry, and the Bayesian mixing model (MixSIAR) to identify and quantify nitrate sources. Spatiotemporal data were collected across three seasons: long rains, dry season, and short rains, in areas with diverse land uses. Nitrate isotopic data from water and potential sources were integrated into a Bayesian mixing model to determine the relative contributions of various nitrate sources. Notable spatial variations were observed at sampling sites with concentrations ranging from 0.004 to 3.31 mg L⁻¹. Spatially and temporally, δ¹⁵N-NO₃⁻ values ranged from +6.0% to +10.2‰, whereas δ¹⁸O-NO₃⁻ displayed significant spatial differences with mean ranges from −1% to +7‰. MixSIAR analysis revealed important contributions from manure and sewage sources ranging between 49% and 73%. A boron analysis revealed manure was the main source of nitrates in the manure and sewage. These results show that it is necessary to implement improved manure and sewage management practices, especially through proper waste treatment and disposal systems, to enable informed policy decisions to enhance nitrogen management strategies in riparian East Africa, and to safeguard the region’s water resources and ecosystems. Full article

In Antarctica, SAR interferometry has largely been used in coastal glacial areas, while in rare cases this method has been used on the Antarctic plateau. In this paper, the authors present a digital elevation and ice flow map based on SAR interferometry for an area encompassing Talos Dome (TD) and the Frontier Mountain (FM) meteorite site in North Victoria Land/Antarctica. A digital elevation model (DEM) was calculated using a double SAR interferometry method. The DEM of the region was calculated by extracting approximately 100 control points from the Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA). The two DEMs differ slightly in some areas, probably due to the penetration of the SAR-C band signal into the cold firn. The largest differences are found in the western area of TD, where the radar penetration is more pronounced and fits well with the layer structures calculated by the georadar and the snow accumulation observations. By differentiating a 70-day interferogram with the calculated DEM, a displacement interferogram was calculated that represents the ice dynamics. The resulting ice flow pattern clearly shows the catchment areas of the Priestley and Rennick Glaciers as well as the ice flow from the west towards Wilkes Basin. The ice velocity field was analysed in the area of FM. This area has become well known due to the search for meteorites. The velocity field in combination with the calculated DEM confirms the generally accepted theories about the accumulation of meteorites over the Antarctic Plateau. Full article

Over the past century, human activities have profoundly transformed global ecosystems. Lake Victoria in East Africa exemplifies these challenges, showcasing the interplay of anthropogenic pressures driven by land use changes, urbanization, agriculture, and industrialization. Our comprehensive study investigates polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and n-alkanes in the lake and its catchment to trace their sources and historical deposition. Sediment cores were collected from six sites within the catchment, representing diverse landforms and human activities, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the basin. The results indicate significant spatial and temporal variations in both PAH and n-alkane profiles, reflecting diverse land use changes and development trajectories in the basin. Urban sites often exhibited higher concentrations of PAHs and short-chain n-alkanes, indicative of anthropogenic sources such as fossil fuel combustion, the input of petroleum hydrocarbons, and industrial emissions. In contrast, rural areas showed low PAH levels and a dominance of long-chain n-alkanes from terrestrial plant waxes. The n-alkane ratios, including the Carbon Preference Index and the Terrigenous–Aquatic Ratio, suggested shifts in organic matter sources over time, corresponding with land use changes and increased human activities. A mid-20th century shift toward increased anthropogenic contributions was observed across sites, coinciding with post-independence development. The mid-lake sediment core integrated inputs from multiple sub-catchments, providing a comprehensive record of basin-scale changes. These findings highlight three distinct periods of organic matter input: pre-1960s, dominated by natural and biogenic sources; 1960s–1990s, marked by increasing anthropogenic influence; and post-1990s, characterized by complex mixtures of pyrogenic, petrogenic, and biogenic sources. This study underscores the cumulative environmental and aquatic ecosystem effects of urbanization (rural vs. urban sites), industrialization, and land use changes over the past century. The combined analyses of PAHs and n-alkanes provide a comprehensive understanding of historical and ongoing environmental impacts, emphasizing the need for integrated management strategies that address pollutant inputs to preserve Lake Victoria’s ecological integrity. Full article

The Ross Sea I glaciation, marked by the northward advance of the Ross Ice Sheet (RIS) in the Ross Sea, east Antarctica, corresponds with the last major expansion of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet during the last glacial period. During its advance, the RIS was grounded along the southern Victoria Land coast, completely blocking the mouths of several of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs). Several authors have proposed that very large paleolakes, proglacial to the RIS, existed in many of the MDVs. Studies of these large paleolakes have been key in the interpretation of the regional landscape, climate, hydrology, and glacier and ice sheet movements. By far the most studied of these large paleolakes is Glacial Lake Washburn (GLW) in Taylor Valley. Here, we present a comprehensive review of literature related to GLW, focusing on the waters supplying the paleolake, signatures of the paleolake itself, and signatures of past glacial movements that controlled the spatial extent of GLW. We find that while a valley-wide proglacial lake likely did exist in Taylor Valley during the early stages of the Ross Sea I glaciation, during later stages two isolated lakes occupied the eastern and western sections of the valley, confined by an expansion of local alpine glaciers. Lake levels above ~140 m asl were confined to western Taylor Valley, and major lake level changes were likely driven by RIS movements, with climate variables playing a more minor role. These results may have major implications for our understanding of the MDVs and the RIS during the Ross Sea I glaciation. Full article

Over 30 million people rely on Lake Victoria for survival in Northeast African countries, including Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and Djibout. The lake faces significant challenges due to changes in land use and climate. This study used multi-source remote sensing data in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform to create Land Use and Land Cover (LULC), land surface temperature (LST), and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) layers in the period 2000–2023 to understand the impact of LULC and climate change on Lake Victoria Basin. The land use/land cover trends before 2020 indicated an increase in the urban areas from 0.13% in 2000 to 0.16% in 2020. Croplands increased from 6.51% in 2000 to 7.88% in 2020. The water surface area averaged 61,559 square km, which has increased since 2000 with an average rate of 1.3%. The “Permanent Wetland” size change from 2000 to 2020 varied from 1.70% to 1.83%. Cropland/Natural Vegetation Mosaics rose from 12.77% to 15.01%, through 2000 to 2020. However, more than 29,000 residents were displaced in mid-2020 as the water increased by 1.21 m from the fall of 2019 to the middle of 2020. Furthermore, land-surface temperature averaged 23.98 degrees in 2000 and 23.49 in 2024. Full article

Monitoring the location and severity of invasive plant infestations is critical to the management of their spread. Remote sensing can be an effective tool for mapping invasive plants due to its capture speed, continuous coverage, and low cost, compared to ground-based surveys. Serrated tussock (Nassella trichotoma) is a highly problematic invasive plant in Victoria, Australia, as it competes with the species in the communities that it invades. In this study, a workflow was developed and assessed for classifying the cover of serrated tussock in a mix of grazing pastures and grasslands. Using high-resolution RGB aerial imagery and vegetation field survey plots, random forest models were trained to classify the plots based on their fractional coverage of serrated tussock. Three random forest classifiers were trained by utilising spectral features (RGB bands and indices), texture features derived from the Grey-Level Co-occurrence Matrix, and a combination of all the features. The model trained on all the features achieved an $overallaccuracy$ of 67% and a $kappa$ score of 0.52 against a validation dataset. Plots with high and low infestation levels were classified more accurately than plots with moderate or no infestation. Notably, texture features proved more effective than spectral features for classification. The developed random forest model can be used for producing classified maps to depict the spatial distribution of serrated tussock infestation, thus supporting land managers in managing the infestation. Full article

Extensive literature on peri-urban issues has paid only occasional attention to the details of spatial planning systems and their impacts on peri-urban natural resources. This paper investigates the relationships between a deregulated land use planning system and declining natural resource and agricultural values in the peri-urban area of Melbourne, in the state of Victoria, Australia. This paper uses a case study area consisting of Melbourne’s green belt and an outer peri-urban area northeast of Melbourne, concentrating on the effectiveness of an urban growth boundary and controls over land uses. A document analysis was undertaken on the provisions of the land use planning system, supporting documents, urban and peri-urban development, land ownership, land uses, and natural resources in the case study area. Threats from urban and rural–residential development, land fragmentation, and land development were identified, and the impacts of the planning system on current and future land uses were analysed. Particular reference was given to the debate on the concept of multi-functional land uses. This paper investigates the likely impacts of peri-urban development and the spatial planning framework on a range of sectors, particularly agricultural production, biodiversity, and landscapes, and highlights the failure of the spatial planning system to protect remnant peri-urban natural resources from increasing threats. Full article

Traditionally, rental housing has been supplied by a large pool of individual investors who own a few units and invest their savings, with some leverage, to take advantage of the tax regime in Australia. The last five years have seen the emergence of build-to-rent (BTR) units, which are supplied by investors who own a large number of units. The state of Victoria in Australia has the largest share of these projects. In the current market and regulatory environment, the financial viability of BTR projects is low for investors and hinges on the ability of units to be leased at higher than market rents. This paper examines four groups of levers, including those already being pursued by the building industry, that can be used to improve the financial viability of BTRs. These include: (i) revenue maximization, (ii) cost reduction (iii) fiscal and (iv) planning incentives. An archetypical BTR project which mimics current practice is considered, assumed to be in Docklands, Victoria, where several BTR projects are planned. For the robustness check, a feasibility analysis is conducted for a site in North Melbourne, a neighbourhood in Victoria with several BTR projects. The results indicate that for revenue maximization, the mix of unit types in a BTR project should be location-specific, as market preferences (and the characteristics of renters) determine the rent for different types of units that can be achieved. In a conventional BTR project development, where land is bought upfront and the project is developed, the mixed-use BTR (residential in combination with commercial) does not provide significant financial benefits though including small retail (3–4% of the net lettable area) may provide complementary benefits. Incurring large capital costs upfront and having the revenue stream spread over long periods reduces financial viability. While construction costs are more difficult to reduce, ways to reduce land costs could be through zoning land for BTR use, through mechanisms such as joint ventures with landowners, and land leasing. Exemptions on income, land tax, and rates (like CHPs) can result in a higher return for investors. A full GST refund, an incentive that industry is lobbying for, results in a similar IRR as an exemption on income, land tax and rates would offer. These results will assist in determining priorities for policies that are aimed at BTR. Full article