Archival and Modern Geospatial Data Integration for Quantitative Earth and Environmental Reconstruction

Recent advances in Earth observation and geospatial technologies, including LiDAR, UAV-based photogrammetry, SAR, and high-resolution satellite imagery, have significantly improved the ability to characterize Earth surface processes with high spatial precision. However, despite this technological progress, the temporal coverage of most modern datasets remains relatively limited. For instance, reliable satellite observations at high spatial resolution are largely restricted to the last one to two decades, while UAV and LiDAR datasets typically cover even shorter time spans. As a result, many geoscientific analyses are constrained to short observational windows that are insufficient to fully capture long-term environmental, geomorphological, or anthropogenic processes. In contrast, historical sources such as aerial photographs, paper maps, field surveys and archival documents provide a much longer temporal perspective, but they are often heterogeneous, analogical and not originally designed for quantitative analysis. Their use in Earth sciences therefore needs careful digitization, georeferencing, and methodological transformation in order to become compatible with modern geospatial datasets. When successfully integrated and quantitatively processed, these historical sources can substantially extend the temporal baseline of geoscientific investigations, enabling the study of long-term changes that would otherwise remain unresolved.The main goal of this Research Topic is to extend the temporal dimension of Earth, environmental, and geoscientific investigations by enabling the quantitative integration of archival and contemporary geospatial data. By transforming historical sources into spatially explicit and measurable datasets through digitization, georeferencing, and advanced analytical workflows, this approach aims to bridge the gap between short-term modern observations and long-term Earth system dynamics. In doing so, the Topic seeks to overcome current limitations in observational time spans and to promote the use of historically derived information as a rigorous quantitative resource in Earth sciences. The ultimate objective is to provide a more complete and continuous framework for analyzing landscape evolution, environmental change, and natural hazards across extended temporal scales.This Research Topic welcomes contributions that develop and apply methods for integrating archival and modern geospatial and geophysical data into quantitative Earth science frameworks. We encourage submissions focused on methodological innovation, data integration, and applied case studies that demonstrate how historical sources can be transformed into reproducible and analyzable datasets.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• 3D reconstruction from historical photographs, maps, and documents;• Quantitative analysis of long-term environmental, geomorphological, and urban change;• Integration of archival datasets with UAV, LiDAR, satellite, and geophysical observations;• Georeferencing and digital transformation of historical geospatial information;• Extraction of quantitative information from archival or non-traditional sources;• Development of workflows, algorithms, and software tools for multi-temporal analysis;• Case studies demonstrating the plus value of extending observational time series using historical data;• Other original applicationsSubmissions may focus on methodological developments, applications, or combined approaches, provided they clearly demonstrate quantitative integration of archival and modern datasets and contribute to a deeper understanding of Earth system dynamics. Topic editors: Arianna Pesci, Massimo Fabris, Giordano Teza, Azra Khosravichenar, Mehdi Aalijahan Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80339/archival-and-modern-geospatial-data-integration-for-quantitative-earth-and-environmental-reconstruction