Abazar M. A. Daoud

Hydro-saline ground conditions are intensifying in arid coastal cities, accelerating infrastructure deterioration under rapid urban expansion. This study presents a transferable framework that integrates multi-temporal satellite remote sensing with field-based calibration to assess soil salinity, moisture dynamics, and land-use/land-cover (LULC) change in Port Sudan and Suakin (2008–2024). Landsat and Sentinel imagery were processed in Google Earth Engine to derive Short Wave Infrared (SWIR)-based Salinity Index (SI) and Soil Moisture Index (SMI) indices, while LULC dynamics were quantified using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and ArcGIS Living Atlas datasets. Field validation was conducted using Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES), enabling calibration of satellite-derived salinity against subsurface electrical conductivity. Results show that built-up areas increased by ~85–100% between 2008 and 2024, primarily expanding into low-lying sabkha and reclaimed zones. This expansion coincides with a 30–50% increase in the spatial extent of high-salinity zones and a marked rise in moisture-retaining surfaces. Elevated salinity values (SI > 110) are concentrated along building–road interfaces, reflecting drainage disruption by impervious surfaces. VES-derived conductivity confirms elevated subsurface salinity (locally exceeding 6–10 dS/m equivalent), consistent with satellite patterns. Field observations document widespread salt crusts, persistent dampness, concrete spalling, and reinforcement corrosion, with damage concentrated in newly urbanized coastal districts. The strong spatial agreement between LULC change, hydro-saline intensification, and infrastructure deterioration across two cities demonstrates the robustness and transferability of the framework. The approach provides a scalable tool for hydro-saline risk screening and supports salinity-aware urban planning in arid coastal environments.

Barite (BaSO₄) is a strategically significant industrial mineral utilized in drilling fluids, high-density construction materials, radiation shielding, and advanced engineered applications. Its increasing relevance to energy industries, import-dependent supply chains, and specialized technologies has intensified both scientific and policy interest in barite as a critical raw material. Despite this, global barite research across geology, exploration, materials science, and industrial applications has not yet been systematically reviewed. This study examines 3,133 barite-related publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection from 1990 to 2025 through bibliometric mapping and keyword co-occurrence analysis using VOSviewer. The findings delineate major research domains, including sedimentary–diagenetic systems, hydrothermal and polymetallic mineralization, magmatic–rare earth element (REE)/carbonatite associations, sulfide-related ore systems, radiation-shielding materials, and remote sensing and GIS-based exploration. Over time, the focus of barite research has expanded from geoscience to a broader interdisciplinary field encompassing materials science, applied physics, engineering, and geospatial exploration. The analysis indicates that research on barite-based materials is increasingly performance-oriented, whereas remote sensing and GIS remain emerging yet underdeveloped tools for exploration. The review highlights key future priorities, such as integrating deposit geology, ore quality, beneficiation behavior, industrial specifications, geospatial targeting, and critical raw material assessment. These results provide a structured framework for understanding the evolution of barite research and for guiding future studies at the interface of mineral resources, industrial applications, geospatial exploration, and supply-chain concerns.

Groundwater sustains human activity in arid crystalline terrains where surface water is scarce and hydrogeological data are limited. However, most groundwater potential mapping approaches depend on deterministic weighting methods without quantifying model variability. This study describes an uncertainty-aware Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (RS–GIS) framework to delineate groundwater potential zones in the Wadi Arab Watershed, Northeastern Sudan. Nine thematic factors—geology and lithology, rainfall, slope, drainage density, lineament density, soil, land use/land cover, topographic wetness index, and height above nearest drainage—were integrated using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), with acceptable consistency (Consistency Ratio (CR) < 0.1). To address subjectivity in weights, a Dirichlet-based Monte Carlo simulation (500 iterations) was implemented to perturb AHP weights whilst preserving compositional constraints. The resulting Groundwater Potential Index (GWPI) classified 32.69% of the watershed as high to very high potential, primarily associated with alluvial deposits and fractured crystalline rocks. Model validation using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis yielded an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.704, indicating acceptable predictive performance. Uncertainty assessment showed low spatial variability (mean standard deviation (SD) = 0.215) and stable exceedance probabilities, verifying the robustness of predicted high-potential zones. The proposed probabilistic AHP framework augments decision reliability and provides a transferable, cost-effective tool for groundwater planning in data-limited arid basement environments.

In arid coastal environments, urban expansion alters land–water interactions, leading to increased soil salinity and moisture accumulation across urban landscapes. This study examines the spatiotemporal evolution of soil salinity and moisture, and land-use/land-cover (LULC) changes in Port Sudan, an arid coastal city that experienced rapid expansion from 2008 to 2024. The limited vegetation cover enables effective shortwave infrared (SWIR)-based assessment of salinity and moisture, facilitating multi-temporal analysis of LULC change and hydro-saline impacts. The findings demonstrate significant landscape transformation driven by urbanization, with built-up areas nearly doubling, substantial rangeland expansion, and a pronounced reduction in bare ground. These land-use transitions are accompanied by a marked inland expansion of salinity and moisture-affected areas, increasing from 8.12 to 40.36 km ² and from 120.15 to 245.49 km ² , respectively, particularly within low-lying and reclaimed sabkha terrains. Urban growth exhibits strong correlations with hydro-saline intensification (R ² = 0.77 and 0.82), as increased surface impermeability and disrupted drainage promote salt accumulation and subsurface water retention. Field observations in representative urban areas confirm that persistent hydro-saline ground conditions are linked to salt crust formation, sustained surface moisture, and progressive corrosion of building materials and foundations. Time-series forecasting indicates that continued urbanization is likely to further extend hydro-salinity-affected areas through 2040, with projections suggesting a substantial spatial increase under current development trajectories, although with uncertainty related to environmental variability and temporal resolution. Overall, this study presents a field-calibrated, earth observation-based framework that connects urban expansion with hydro-saline processes and related coastal infrastructure vulnerability, supporting risk-informed planning and management in arid coastal regions.