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The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted traditional higher education practices, particularly in GeoScience disciplines where fieldwork, site observation, and direct environmental interaction are essential components of learning. Travel restrictions, social distancing measures, and limited access to outdoor learning environments accelerated the adoption of digital teaching methods and created strong demand for alternative experiential learning models. Among these, Virtual Field Trips (VFTs) emerged as an inno...

This paper proposes the concept of the virtual perimeter as an innovative approach for determining the average velocity of ventilation flow in tunnels. Average velocity is a fundamental parameter that defines volumetric and mass flow rates, energy losses, and thermal regimes. Classical methods, based on multipoint measurements with anemometers, are difficult to apply in large tunnels and, in many cases, practically impossible. The virtual perimeter identifies the zone of the tunnel’s cross-section where the loca...

This study explores the spatial distribution and functional characteristics of visitor centres within the system of national natural parks of Ukraine, with a particular focus on the potential of virtual visitor centres as an innovative development pathway. Visitor centres are key elements of park infrastructure that provide information services, regulate visitor flows, and promote the conservation value of protected areas while supporting environmental education and community engagement. The research is based on a...

This study examines the potential of chemically modified spent coffee grounds (SCG) as reinforcement for epoxy bio-composites. SCG was subject to three different modifications - citric acid, acetylation with acetic acid, and potassium permanganate oxidation. Modified SCG was incorporated into epoxy resin at an 80/20 weight ratio, and the resulting composites were evaluated using flexural and impact tests. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) data revealed that each chemical modification induced distinct structural mo...

The abstract addresses Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technologies and their significance in the context of sustainable development and the circular economy. The aim of the article is to analyze current technological approaches to the treatment of municipal and industrial waste, with a focus on their energy potential, environmental impacts, and economic efficiency. The study is based on a comparative analysis of key technologies, such as incineration with energy recovery, pyrolysis, gasification, and anaerobic digestion, e...

The WatHer project – Water Heritage in European Rural Mediterranean: Re[dis]covering Water Heritage Systems to face climate challenges learning from our past – is funded by the European Union under the Interreg Euro-MED Programme and aims to promote climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention through ecosystem-based approaches. Running from 2025 to 2029, the project is structured around eight pilot cases across the Mediterranean Basin, from Cyprus to Portugal, focusing on the study, restoration, and...

This study compares multiple approaches for surface water mapping using multi-sensor satellite data. Open-access imagery from Sentinel-2 (optical) and Sentinel-1 (SAR) was used for three study sites in Bulgaria. The optical dataset consisted of three Level-2A images acquired under near cloud-free conditions, while the radar dataset included three Ground Range Detected images acquired on dates closest to the optical imagery. Surface water extraction was performed using single- and multi-index approaches for the opt...

Climate change is a major challenge for offshore energy infrastructure, as it alters environmental conditions and increases operational risks. This paper analyzes the vulnerability of offshore platforms to climate-related factors, with a focus on wave climate variability and operational conditions in European seas, distinguishing between fixed platforms, floating installations, Arctic facilities affected by permafrost degradation, and coastal terminals exposed to sea level rise. The study is based on a systematic ...

The geomagnetic field varies in time and space, being a signal composed of periodic and non-periodic elements and is monitored in a triaxial system at observatories around the world. Based on data from INTERMAGNET observatories, we analyze the strongest storm of 2026, which occurred during January 19-21. The methodology used is spectral evaluation (Fourier, wavelet, signal decomposition into approximations and details with various functions on different levels, etc.). The wavelet technique allowed us to analyze th...

Albania, situated in the Mediterranean basin, represents a fire-prone environment where climatic conditions, vegetation heterogeneity, and human pressure interact to shape complex wildfire dynamics. While several studies have focused on meteorological fire-danger forecasting, the frequency of observed wildfire occurrence, and fire severity in terms of burned area extent, considerably less attention has been given to the year-to-year variability of biomass loss. This study examines the impact of wildfire activity o...

Extrusion-based three-dimensional concrete printing (3DCP) produces a periodic layer structure that renders the printed material inherently anisotropic. Quantifying this anisotropy non-destructively is essential for in-situ quality assurance. In this study, impact-echo (IE) signals were acquired on 52 laboratory-produced 3D-printed mortar prisms in two layer orientations: K (layers perpendicular to the test surface) and R (layers parallel to the test surface). Three IE wave types per specimen - longitudinal (FL), ...