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Remote Sensing of the Dead Sea Region
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Remote Sensing of the Dead Sea Region

A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292). This special issue belongs to the section "Remote Sensing Image Processing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 June 2025 | Viewed by 4807

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Damien Closson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The Ministry of Defense, Brussels, Belgium
Interests: radar remote sensing; GIS; geomorphology; tectonics; ground deformations
Prof. Dr. Djamil Al-Halbouni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Earth System Science and Remote Sensing, University of Leipzig, Talstr. 35, Room 0-11, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Interests: hydrogeophysics; remote sensing; photogrammetry; nat. hazards; numerical modelling; soil; subsidence; karst
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Gidon Baer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Geological Survey of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel
Interests: InSAR; earth surface deformation; volcanoes; earthquakes; sinkholes and subsidence
Dr. Christian Siebert

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department Catchment Hydrology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research, D-06120 Halle, Germany
Interests: hydrogeology; hydrochemistry; submarine groundwater discharge; thermal remote sensing
Dr. Jorge Sevil

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Geoenvironmental Processes and Global Change, Earth Science Department, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Interests: geomorphological mapping; GIS; remote sensing; geological hazards; karst; speleology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, remote sensing has become a widely used, cost-effective tool to characterize and monitor geological, hydrological and biological processes on Earth. Established tools and techniques, such as InSAR, high-resolution satellite image analysis, photogrammetry by drones or LiDAR and multispectral analysis, coupled with new technologies, such as machine learning and data science, offer significant opportunities to monitor changes in eco- and geosystems on different spatio-temporal scales. For more than five decades, the Dead Sea region has been subject to very dynamic changes due to the unprecedented regression of the lake and human population pressure. Several processes have attracted particular consideration in research recently: (1) the accelerating appearance of hazardous subsidence, sinkholes and stream channels at the shoreline; (2) subsurface salt karst and submarine groundwater discharge as part of the hydrologic cycle; (3) landslides and erosional processes related to flash floods; and (4) tectonic movements and associated seismic risk along the Dead Sea Rift.

Within this background, this Special Issue aims to provide a concise collection of studies that address knowledge gaps related to the ongoing change in the Dead Sea region, and that provide important information for scientists and stakeholders for sustainable future development of the region. Studies that use one or more of the following classical and novel remote sensing techniques are welcome for submission: multispectral analysis, satellite image analysis, change detection, InSAR, image processing, laser scanning and geometric reconstruction. Furthermore, physical modeling and deep-learning-based analysis of remote sensing data and data fusion techniques are highly encouraged for submission.

Articles and review articles may address, but are not limited, to the following topics:

  • Natural and anthropogenic Earth surface changes;
  • Geological hazards (subsidence, sinkholes, landslides, soil erosion, piping and active faults);
  • Submarine groundwater discharge;
  • Vegetation patterns and changes;
  • Multispectral analysis of surface waters and floods;
  • Monitoring Earth surface processes;
  • Land-use analysis;
  • Evolution of canyons and stream channels.

Dr. Damien Closson
Dr. Djamil Al-Halbouni
Dr. Gidon Baer
Dr. Christian Siebert
Dr. Jorge Sevil
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • dead sea
  • earth surface deformation
  • submarine groundwater discharge
  • multispectral analysis
  • InSAR
  • photogrammetry
  • machine-learning-based remote sensing analysis
  • vegetation patterns
  • land use
  • geomorphology

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 16575 KiB  
Article
Remote Sensing of Floodwater-Induced Subsurface Halite Dissolution in a Salt Karst System, with Implications for Landscape Evolution: The Western Shores of the Dead Sea
by Gidon Baer, Ittai Gavrieli, Iyad Swaed and Ran N. Nof
Remote Sens. 2024, 16(17), 3294; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16173294 - 4 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1156
Abstract
We study the interrelations between salt karst and landscape evolution at the Ze’elim and Hever alluvial fans, Dead Sea (DS), Israel, in an attempt to characterize the ongoing surface and subsurface processes and identify future trends. Using light detection and ranging, interferometric synthetic [...] Read more.
We study the interrelations between salt karst and landscape evolution at the Ze’elim and Hever alluvial fans, Dead Sea (DS), Israel, in an attempt to characterize the ongoing surface and subsurface processes and identify future trends. Using light detection and ranging, interferometric synthetic aperture radar, drone photography, time-lapse cameras, and direct measurements of floodwater levels, we document floodwater recharge through riverbed sinkholes, subsurface salt dissolution, groundwater flow, and brine discharge at shoreline sinkholes during the years 2011–2023. At the Ze’elim fan, most of the surface floodwater drains into streambed sinkholes and discharges at shoreline sinkholes, whereas at the Hever fan, only a small fraction of the floodwater drains into sinkholes, while the majority flows downstream to the DS. This difference is attributed to the low-gradient stream profiles in Ze’elim, which enable water accumulation and recharge in sinkholes and their surrounding depressions, in contrast with the higher-gradient Hever profiles, which yield high-energy floods capable of carrying coarse gravel that eventually fill the sinkholes. The rapid drainage of floodwater into sinkholes also involves slope failure due to pore-pressure drop and cohesion loss within hours after each drainage event. Surface subsidence lineaments detected by InSAR indicate the presence of subsurface dissolution channels between recharge and discharge sites in the two fans and in the nearby Lynch straits. Subsidence and streambed sinkholes occur in most other fans and streams that flow to the DS; however, with the exception of Ze’elim, all other streams show only minor or no recharge along their course. This is due to either the high-gradient profiles, the gravelly sediments, the limited floods, or the lack of conditions for sinkhole development in the other streambeds. Thus, understanding the factors that govern the flood-related karst formation is of great importance for predicting landscape evolution in the DS region and elsewhere and for sinkhole hazard assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing of the Dead Sea Region)
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14 pages, 2691 KiB  
Article
Combined Geophysical Methods in Extreme Environments—An Example from the Dead Sea
by Michael Lazar, Linjing Cheng and Uri Basson
Remote Sens. 2024, 16(11), 1978; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16111978 - 30 May 2024
Viewed by 663
Abstract
The application of geophysical methods in saline environments is limited in their ability to discern shallow subsurface geology and tectonics due to the high subsurface conductivity, which can play havoc with the geophysical signal. Recent changes in the hypersaline Dead Sea provided the [...] Read more.
The application of geophysical methods in saline environments is limited in their ability to discern shallow subsurface geology and tectonics due to the high subsurface conductivity, which can play havoc with the geophysical signal. Recent changes in the hypersaline Dead Sea provided the opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness and adequacy of the terrestrial frequency domain electromagnetic (henceforth FDEM) method in such settings. Since the International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP) 5017-3-C borehole was cored in 2011 in a water depth of ~2.1 m, the lake level has dropped by almost 15 m, exposing some 320 m of a new, salt-encrusted shore. An FDEM survey was carried out on what is now land across the borehole. The results of the survey were compared to downhole gamma ray logging data. Three lithologies were found based on gamma-ray cutoff values, and they are in agreement with changes in apparent electric conductivity. The FDEM survey supplied additional spatial information on the subsurface geology, highlighting areas of fluid flow and fracturing, which were found to be aligned with the trend of small strike-slip faults and earthquake clusters from previous studies. The FDEM method is a reliable way of discerning shallow subsurface geology, even in harsh conditions where other geophysical methods are limited. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing of the Dead Sea Region)
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30 pages, 27074 KiB  
Article
Geomorphological Response of Alluvial Streams to Flood Events during Base-Level Lowering: Insights from Drone-Based Photogrammetric Surveys in Dead Sea Tributaries
by Liran Ben Moshe and Nadav G. Lensky
Remote Sens. 2024, 16(8), 1346; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16081346 - 11 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 958
Abstract
The geomorphological impact of base-level lowering on ephemeral alluvial streams has been extensively investigated through fieldwork, experimentation, and modeling. Yet, the understanding of hydrological parameters governing the dynamics of the stream’s geometry during discrete flood events is lacking due to limited direct measurements [...] Read more.
The geomorphological impact of base-level lowering on ephemeral alluvial streams has been extensively investigated through fieldwork, experimentation, and modeling. Yet, the understanding of hydrological parameters governing the dynamics of the stream’s geometry during discrete flood events is lacking due to limited direct measurements of flood-scale erosion/deposition. The emergence of novel remote sensing methods allows for quantifying morphological modifications caused by floods in alluvial streams. This study utilizes drone surveys and hydrological data to quantitatively investigate the relation between channel evolution in alluvial tributaries draining to the receding Dead Sea and the hydrological characteristics of flash floods. Drone-based photogrammetric surveys were conducted before and after 25 floods, over a period of four years, to generate centimeter-scale Digital Elevation Models (DEM) and orthophoto maps of two major streams. The outcomes of these DEMs are maps of ground elevation changes (erosion/deposition), thalweg longitudinal profiles, and channel cross sections, revealing the incision/aggradation along and across the streams. Statistical comparison of results with flow hydrographs identified potential relations linking the hydrological characteristics of each flood and the corresponding geomorphological modifications. Peak discharge emerged as the primary factor influencing sediment removal, leading to more efficient sediment evacuation and a negative sediment budget with increased discharge. Water volumes of floods also exhibited a secondary effect on the sediment budget. The chronological order of floods, whether first or later in the season, was identified as the primary factor determining incision magnitude. Knickpoints formed at the streams’ outlets during the dry period, when lake-level drops, amplifying the impact of the first flood. These findings have potential implications for infrastructure planning and environmental management in the context of climate change and altered water runoff. The research highlights the efficiency of drone-based photogrammetry for cost-effective and timely data collection, providing invaluable flexibility for field research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing of the Dead Sea Region)
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14 pages, 8691 KiB  
Article
Drainage Mechanisms of Submerged Sinkholes
by Assaf Tsabar, Eyal Shalev, Amir Sagy and Yizhaq Makovsky
Remote Sens. 2023, 15(18), 4384; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15184384 - 6 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1088
Abstract
Subsurface salt layer dissolution along the western shores of the Dead Sea is considered to be the primary cause for extensive large sinkhole formation in the past 40 years. Many of these sinkholes are arranged in clusters and are filled with water from [...] Read more.
Subsurface salt layer dissolution along the western shores of the Dead Sea is considered to be the primary cause for extensive large sinkhole formation in the past 40 years. Many of these sinkholes are arranged in clusters and are filled with water from nearby springs. The Mineral Beach resort was built in an area with a thermal spring with water emerging at around 40 °C at the Shalem sinkhole cluster. Unfortunately, the same spring was responsible for the destruction of the resort as it supplied water undersaturated with respect to halite, which promoted dissolution and sinkhole formation. The sinkholes in the Shalem cluster drain out in sudden catastrophic events and then slowly fill again. The drainage mechanisms of this phenomenon are studied in the Shalem-2 sinkhole cluster using leveling data collectors and ground-based LiDAR surveys over a period of 5 years, including thirty-five drainage events. Drainage volume and fluxes calculated using water level and topographic data obtained by LiDAR scans suggest that the formation of additional sinkholes beneath the pond’s bottom triggers drainage events. The subsequent flux shows that the evolution of the newly formed sinkholes either improves the hydraulic connection or temporarily seals the connection between the surface pond and deeper caverns/aquifers. The drainage event ends when either the hydraulic connection is sealed or when the level of water in the pond drops to the level of the newly formed sinkhole. The large volumes of drained water and drainage fluxes imply the existence of a well-developed active underground draining system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing of the Dead Sea Region)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Creating benchmark geomorphological mapping data for deep learning: an example from the Dead Sea sinkholes
Author: Schulten
Highlights: - Updated analysis of 500+ new sinkholes and three new uvalas on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea from 2018 to 2022 - Comparing 0.3m GSD vs. 2m GSD increased the mapped sinkhole area by over 100% - Hausdorff distance showed up to 500 m² differences in annotated sinkhole areas due to human operator variation

Title: Towards Accurate and Innovative Automatic Sinkhole Mapping (AutoSink): A Two-Phase Deep Learning Approach in the Dead Sea Area
Author: AlRabayah
Highlights: Presents a novel U-Net CNN approach for sinkhole detection using high-resolution drone imagery. Investigates the transferability of the trained model to low-resolution satellite data for sinkhole detection. Discusses key changes in data preprocessing, highlighting model adaptability for geological studies.

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