Cultural heritage (CH) sites are threatened from a variety of natural and anthropogenic factors. Innovative andcost effective tools for systematic monitoring of landscapes and CH sites are needed to protect them. Towardsthis directi on, the article presen ts a multidisciplinary approach, based on remote sen sing techniques andGeog raphical Infor mation System (GIS) analysis, in order to assess th e overall risk in the Pa phos distr ict(Cyprus). Paphos region has a great deal of archaeological sites and isolated monuments, which reflect thelong history of the area, while some of them are also listed in the UNESCO catalogue of World Cultural Heritagesites. Several natural and anthropogenic hazards have been mapped using different remote sensing data andmethodologies. All data were gathered from satellite images and satellite products. The results from each hazardwere imported into a GIS environment in order to examine the overall risk assessment based on the AnalyticHierarchy Process (AHP) methodology. The results found that the methodology applied was effective enough intheunderstandingofthecurrentconservationcircumstances of the monuments in relation to their environmentas well as predicting the future development of the present hazards

This study of drainage systems in a tectonically active region is based on the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) integration of data from an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and a weighted linear combination (WLC) procedure with multiple criteria 2 data. A set of thematic maps were produced, based on existing geological maps and freelyavailable ASTER Global DEM elevation data, using various geological information (i.e. lineaments and lithologies), geomorphometric indices (i.e. slope gradient, drainage density, stream frequency, and the topographic wetness index) and morphotectonic indices (i.e. amplitude of relief and stream length gradient) that highlight areas of neotectonic landscape deformation. The weights of the factors were determined using AHP and WLC. A neotectonic landscape deformation index (NLDI) is computed as the sum of the various weighted factors to provide a map of NLDI distribution across the study region (western Crete). The main objective of this study was to analyse and map the intra-basin spatial variations in neotectonic landscape deformation: five classes, very low to very high, were determined. High to very high deformation zones are linked with known and newly detected active fault zones. The methodology could be developed into a low-cost technique for assessing seismic hazard, guiding disaster risk reduction activities. It can provide an alternative to the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) approach for highlighting zones of neotectonic deformation, particularly in regions where dense vegetation or snow cover renders InSAR ineffective.

Within the framework of disaster risk management, this article proposes an interdisciplinary method for the analysis of multiple natural hazards, including climate change's influences, in the context of cultural heritage. A taxonomy of natural hazards applicable to cultural heritage was developed based on the existing theoretical and conceptual frameworks. Sudden-onset hazards, such as earthquakes and floods, and slow-onset hazards, such as wetting-drying cycles and biological contamination, were incorporated into the hazard assessment procedure. Future alteration of conditions due to climate change, such as change in heat waves' duration, was also taken into account. The proposed hazard assessment framework was applied to the case of the Historic Centre of Rethymno, a city on the northern coast of the island of Crete in Greece, to identify, analyze, and prioritize the hazards that have the potential to cause damage to the center's historic structures. The assessment procedure includes climate model projections, GIS spatial modeling and mapping, and finally a hazard analysis matrix to enable the sharing of a better understanding of multiple hazards with the stakeholders. The results can facilitate decision making by providing the vulnerability and risk analysis with the nature and spatial distribution of the significant hazards within the study area and its setting. Keywords Climate change analysis Á Crete Á Cultural heritage protection Á Greece Á Hazard assessment Á Historic centre of Rethymno Á Risk assessment

The geodiversity of Crete is quantified in this study, based on the classification of geomorphometric, geological and climatic factors. A number of geomorphometric variables, extracted from the ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model (ASTER G-DEM) in conjunction with geological and climatic information, are evaluated through various algorithms incorporated into Geographical Information System (GIS) software's. The derived geoinformatic data sets are 2 then analyzed to produce the geodiversity of Crete. The geodiversity map is used to quantify the geodiversity, by calculating landscape diversity and other spatial pattern indices. Those indices are evaluating the richness, evenness, fragmentation and shape of the landscape patch types. The outcome of this study has highlighted that western Crete is characterized by complex geodiversity with more irregular, elongated and fragmented landscape patterns relative to the eastern part of the island. The geodiversity indices provide insights into the processes shaping landscapes, particularly the "battle" between neotectonic landscape deformation and erosion/deposition. The methodology presented can be useful for decision makers when evaluating a regions geological heritage, planning the management of natural resources, or designating areas for conservation.

Various physical attributes of the Earth’s surface are factors that influence local topography and indirectly influence human behaviour in terms of habitation locations. The determination of geomorphological setting plays an important role in archaeological landscape research. Several landform types can be distinguished by characteristic geomorphic attributes that portray the landscape surrounding a settlement and influence its ability to sustain a population. Geomorphometric landform information, derived from digital elevation models (DEMs), such as the ASTER Global DEM, can provide useful insights into the processes shaping landscapes. This work examines the influence of landform classification on the settlement locations of Bronze Age (Minoan) Crete, focusing on the districts of Phaistos, Kavousi and Vrokastro. The landform classification was based on the topographic position index (TPI) and deviation from mean elevation (DEV) analysis to highlight slope steepness of various landform classes, characterizing the surrounding landscape environment of the settlements locations. The outcomes indicate no interrelationship between the settlement locations and topography during the Early Minoan period, but a significant interrelationship exists during the later Minoan periods with the presence of more organised societies. The landform classification can provide insights into factors favouring human habitation and can contribute to archaeological predictive modelling.

Geomorphic indices can be used to examine the geomorphological and tectonic processes responsible for the development of the drainage basins. Such indices can be dependent on tectonics, erosional processes and other factors that control the

Shallow bathymetry inversion algorithms have long been applied in various types of remote sensing imagery with relative success. However, this approach requires that imagery with increased radiometric resolution in the visible spectrum be available. The recent developments in drones and camera sensors allow for testing current inversion techniques on new types of datasets with centimeter resolution. This study explores the bathymetric mapping capabilities of fused RGB and multispectral imagery as an alternative to costly hyperspectral sensors for drones. Combining drone-based RGB and multispectral imagery into a single cube dataset provides the necessary radiometric detail for shallow bathymetry inversion applications. This technique is based on commercial and open-source software and does not require the input of reference depth measurements in contrast to other approaches. The robustness of this method was tested on three different coastal sites with contrasting seafloor types with a maximum depth of six meters. The use of suitable end-member spectra, which are representative of the seafloor types of the study area, are important parameters in model tuning. The results of this study are promising, showing good correlation (R2 > 0.75 and Lin’s coefficient > 0.80) and less than half a meter average error when they are compared with sonar depth measurements. Consequently, the integration of imagery from various drone-based sensors (visible range) assists in producing detailed bathymetry maps for small-scale shallow areas based on optical modelling.

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