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Mass movements dynamics and morphologies in Costa Rica
(2024-10-04) Quesada Román, Adolfo
Landslides are natural processes that commonly affect human activities at every latitude and altitude worldwide. Tropical countries such as Costa Rica deal annually with landslides affecting public and privateinfrastructure and activities. This chapter provides a brief overview of landslide origin, dynamics, and morphologies applicable to Costa Rica. Coseismic and hydrometeorological dynamics are common landslide triggers, but land use changes are also important. Large landslides are related with volcanic slopes and densely vegetated rural contexts, while smaller but more common mass movements are linked with periurban conditions, especially in densely populated areas with altered land use. On average, during the last five decades every year, 80 landslide events occurred in Costa Rica, causing 5 people died, 9 houses destroyed, and approximately, 1 million US dollars of losses. This chapter suggests more tudies dealing with modelling, geomorphological characterization, early warning systems, and continued monitoring of landslides on susceptible sites in Costa Rica.
Geomorphological effects of tropical cyclones in Costa Rica, Central America
(2024-04-29) Quesada Román, Adolfo
Tropical cyclones have provoked intense devastation over the last decades, and societal drivers such as unplanned urbanization and the lack of flood risk assess-ment have worsened the problem. Landslides and floods constitute a frequent hazard linked to tropical cyclones. This is not the exception in Costa Rica, where hydrom-eteorological disasters sum more than 90% of the total. Different climatic change scenarios indicate that a large number and more strong tropical cyclones will affect the North Atlantic Ocean Basin, where Central America and the Caribbean Sea lie. This study comprises different methodologies to understand the geomorphic effects of tropical cyclones in Costa Rica. This chapter presents geomorphological, hydro-logical, dendrochronological, and risk assessment approaches that aim to reduce the human and economic impact of tropical cyclones. Finally, the chapter calls for applying geomorphic assessments to elucidate the endogenic and exogenic processes controlling the effects of tropical cyclones in low latitudes.
A bibliometric analysis of the past 25 years at International Journal of Geographical Information Science
(2024-12) Quesada Román, Adolfo; Cascón Katchadourian, Jesús; Martínez Sánchez, María Ángeles; Cobo, Manuel Jesús
The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolution and impact of the International Journal of Geographic Information Science (IJGIS) over the past 25 years. IJGIS, the first journal exclusively dedicated to Geographic Information Science (GIS), has significantly expanded its publication output to meet the growing demand for GIS research. Utilizing conceptual science mapping analysis, the study traces the thematic evolution of the journal by collecting scientific papers from the Web of Science database from 1997 to 2021. Bibliometric performance indicators were employed to highlight its influence and thematic development. The primary themes covered include error modeling, digital elevation models, simulation, conservation, and land-use change. Furthermore, IJGIS has broadened its scope to include emerging topics such as volunteered geographic information, the integration of big data techniques, and artificial intelligence. Geographically, contributions are predominantly from the USA, followed by China and the UK, underscoring the journal’s international recognition and impact. Compared to global averages, IJGIS consistently maintains a high normalized impact within its thematic area. In conclusion, IJGIS has undergone significant evolution, adapting to GIS field changes, and expanding its global influence with prospects for further diversification and technological integration.
Geoheritage of tropical regions: An overview
(2025-09) Quesada Román, Adolfo; Peralta Reyes, Manuel; Németh, Károly; Zangmo Tefogoum, Ghislain; Dóniz Páez, Javier; Zwolinski, Zbigniew; Garcia, Maria da Glória Motta; Mazurek, Małgorzata; Migoń, Piotr
Tropical geoheritage represents a rich and diverse array of geological and geomorphological features with significant scientific, cultural, and aesthetic value. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current state of tropical geoheritage research based on systematic literature review of common science databases such as Web of Science. This work also highlights the unique geological formations, such as inselbergs, volcanoes, and karst landscapes, that characterize tropical regions from arid to humid realms. A bibliometric analysis of 484 studies published between 2000 and 2023 is conducted, identifying key contributors, countries, and thematic trends in selected evidence, promotion, and future challenges of geodiversity and geoheritage in the tropics. The review underscores the importance of geoconservation and geotourism as tools for preserving geoheritage in tropical regions, which are under increasing threat from climate change, deforestation, and resource exploitation. Various geoconservation strategies, including the creation of geoparks, national tourism promotion, and public education campaigns, are discussed as effective measures for enhancing the benefits of tropical geoheritage conservation. This study highlights the need for transdisciplinary approaches to protect these natural treasures and suggests future research directions focused on sustainable management and the integration of geoheritage into broader environmental conservation frameworks.
Método para el cálculo del riesgo de inundaciones a escala de cuencas y municipios en América Central
(2025-07-01) Quesada Román, Adolfo; Picado Monge, Armando; Rivera Solís, Jaime; Hernández, Miguel
Las inundaciones constituyen uno de los fenómenos naturales más devastadores en el mundo. Las lluvias estacionales y extraordinarias recurrentemente desencadenan inundaciones en América Central. Para una gestión integrada y eficiente del riesgo de este fenómeno, se requiere una comprensión exhaustiva de las variables que las causan. Este estudio analiza y clasifica todos los municipios de cuatro países de América Central (Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica y Panamá) en términos de amenaza, exposición y vulnerabilidad a las inundaciones. La información disponible y más actualizada por municipio de cada país al 2023 fue utilizada para el estudio. Luego, se calculó el riesgo de inundación para comprender el papel de los factores que lo impulsan (amenaza, exposición y vulnerabilidad) en lo local y extrapolarlos a la escala de la cuenca hidrográfica para integrar una perspectiva de planificación regional. El método actual proporciona un cálculo del riesgo de inundación a escala municipal y lo coloca en un alcance de cuenca hidrográfica mediante una validación estadística de diferentes fuentes de datos por municipio en los cuatro países. Las cuencas con mayor riesgo de inundación son Ulúa, Nacaome (Honduras), Grande de Tárcoles (Costa Rica), Jiboa, Grande de San Miguel, Lempa, Estero de Jaltepeque y Bahía de Jiquilisco (El Salvador). Los resultados pueden promover planes de evaluación del riesgo de inundaciones en países en desarrollo o cuencas hidrográficas donde la información de base sea limitada: además de ser considerados un referente esencial para la elaboración de los planes de zonificación ambiental para el ordenamiento territorial. Este enfoque ha estado ausente en la mayoría de las políticas nacionales de riesgo de inundaciones, específicamente en los planes que analizan la probabilidad de disminución a corto, mediano y largo plazo de las condiciones de riesgo que influyen en los desastres por inundaciones.