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Analysis of institutional authors

Boumahdi, MeryemeAuthorGonzalo-Martin, ConsueloAuthorGarcia-Pedrero, AngelCorresponding Author

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July 31, 2025
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Article

Multisource Topographic-Enhanced Cloud Removal for Remote Sensing in Mountainous Landscapes

Publicated to: IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing. 18 13489-13503 - 2025-01-01 18(), DOI: 10.1109/jstars.2025.3572379

Authors:

Boumahdi, M; Gonzalo-Martin, C; Lillo-Saavedra, M; Somos-Valenzuela, M; García-Pedrero, A
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Affiliations

Univ Concepcion, Fac Ingn Agr, Chillan 3812120, Chile - Author
Univ La Frontera, Fac Agr & Environm Sci, Dept Forest Sci, Temuco 4811230, Chile - Author
Univ Politecn Madrid, Ctr Biomed Technol, Pozuelo De Alarcon 28223, Spain - Author
Univ Politecn Madrid, Sch Comp Engn, Dept Comp Architecture & Technol, Boadilla Del Monte 28660, Spain - Author
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Abstract

In mountainous landscapes, integrating topographical information is crucial for effective analysis and understanding. Remote sensing becomes indispensable in studying mountains, enabling the monitoring of critical aspects such as grassland degradation, snow depth, glacier dynamics. The intricate nature of mountain ecosystems requires a thorough understanding of their dynamics, given their vital role in providing habitats for unique species, influencing hydrology patterns, and indicating the impact of climate change. However, the persistent challenge of cloud cover obstructs surface observations, limiting the effectiveness of optical sensors. To overcome this obstacle, various cloud removal techniques have been developed, although they tend to struggle in such landscapes. In this study, we introduce CRT-UNet, a UNet-based cloud removal model that incorporates topographical information from digital elevation model (DEM) data as input to enhance performance in mountainous regions. By integrating synthetic aperture radar Sentinel-1 (S1) data, DEM information, and topographic insights into Sentinel-2 (S2) data, our model aims to enhance cloud removal capabilities, particularly in challenging terrains characterized by thick cloud coverage and significant elevation variations. This integration of topographical information enriches the cloud removal process, enabling more accurate restoration of obscured terrain features. The results demonstrate the superior performance of CRT-UNet in cloud removal across varying cloud cover levels and complex terrain features, such as rugged peaks and deep valleys. The proposed model outperforms state-of-the-art cloud removal models quantitatively and qualitatively. This underscores the importance of incorporating topographical information in remote sensing applications, particularly in mountainous regions, to improve data accuracy.
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Keywords

Climate changeCloud computingCloud coverCloud removalCloudsData modelsDigital elevation modelEarthGlacial geologyGlobal warmingImageImage reconstructionMissioMonitoringMountain regionMountainous areaNumerical modelOptical imagingOptical remote sensingOptical sensorsReconstructionRemote sensingRemote-sensingRemoval modelsSatellite dataSentinelSentinel-1Sentinel-1 (s1)Sentinel-2Sentinel-2 (s2)Synthetic aperture radarTopographic dataTopographical informationTopographyUneUnet

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2025, it was in position 7/67, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Geography, Physical.

Independientemente del impacto esperado determinado por el canal de difusión, es importante destacar el impacto real observado de la propia aportación.

Según las diferentes agencias de indexación, el número de citas acumuladas por esta publicación hasta la fecha 2026-04-27:

  • Scopus: 1
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Impact and social visibility

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
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Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Chile.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (BOUMAHDI, MERYEME) and Last Author (GARCIA PEDRERO, ANGEL MARIO).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been GARCIA PEDRERO, ANGEL MARIO.

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Awards linked to the item

The work of Meryeme Boumahdi was supported in part by GMV and in part by the Fundacion Mujeres por Africa under the Learn Africa program. This work was supported in part by the ESA under Grant 4000126706/19/I-NB through the Fire CCi+ project, in part by the Chilean Science Council (ANID) through the Anillo under Grant ACT210080, and in part by the Water Research Center for Agriculture and Mining, CRHIAM under Grant ANID/FONDAP/1523A0001.
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