Remote Sensing for Cultural Heritage Assessment and Monitoring: The Case Study of Alba Iulia

Cristian Moise, Iulia Dana Negula, Cristina Elena Mihalache, Andi Mihai Lazar, Andreea Luminita Dedulescu, Gabriel Tiberiu Rustoiu, Ioan Constantin Inel and Alexandru Badea
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Cristian Moise: Department of Mathematics, Physics and Land Measurements, Faculty of Land Reclamation and Environment Engineering, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, 011464 Bucharest, Romania
Iulia Dana Negula: Romanian Space Agency, 010362 Bucharest, Romania
Cristina Elena Mihalache: Department of Mathematics, Physics and Land Measurements, Faculty of Land Reclamation and Environment Engineering, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, 011464 Bucharest, Romania
Andi Mihai Lazar: Romanian Space Agency, 010362 Bucharest, Romania
Andreea Luminita Dedulescu: Romanian Space Agency, 010362 Bucharest, Romania
Gabriel Tiberiu Rustoiu: National Museum of Unification Alba Iulia, 510010 Alba Iulia, Romania
Ioan Constantin Inel: National Museum of Unification Alba Iulia, 510010 Alba Iulia, Romania
Alexandru Badea: Romanian Space Agency, 010362 Bucharest, Romania

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-28

Abstract: In recent times, satellite-based remote sensing has a growing role in archaeology and inherently in the cultural heritage management process. This paper demonstrates the potential and usefulness of satellite imagery for the documentation, mapping, monitoring, and in-depth analysis of cultural heritage and the archaeological sites located in urban landscapes. The study focuses on the assessment and monitoring of Alba Iulia, which is one of the Romanian cities with the richest historical past. Multitemporal analysis was performed to identify the land use/land cover changes that might contribute to an increased cultural heritage vulnerability to natural disasters. A special emphasis was dedicated to the assessment of the built-up area growth and consequently of the urbanization trend over a large time interval (30 years). Next, the urbanization and urban area expansion impact was further analyzed by concentrating on the urban heat island within Alba Iulia city and Alba Iulia Fortress (located in the center of the city). As temperature change represents a key element of climate change, the temperature trend within the same temporal framework and its impact on cultural heritage were determined. In the end, with regard to the cultural heritage condition assessment, the research was complemented with an assessment of the urban ground and individual building stability, using persistent scatterer interferometry. The results contribute to the detailed depiction of the cultural heritage site in such a manner that the site is monitored over an extensive timeframe, its current state of conservation is accurately determined, and the future trends can be identified. In conclusion, the present study offers reliable results regarding the main factors that might endanger the cultural heritage site as a basis for future preservation measures.

Keywords: remote sensing; Earth observation; satellite imagery; multi-temporal analysis; urban heat island; persistent scatterer interferometry; long-term monitoring; cultural heritage assessment; Alba Iulia (Apulum) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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