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Mapping racial diversity with satellite data

Tomasz Stepinski describes himself as a “physicist, astrophysicist, planetary scientist and mathematician.” Having spent numerous years in Houston making computer models to map out craters and valleys on Mars for NASA, he accepted the distinguished post of Chair of Space Exploration at the University of Cincinnati’s Geography department. Unfortunately, he did not find many admirers […]

Monitoring animal populations from space

Using high-resolution satellite imagery, Peter Fretwell and his team began monitoring animal populations, creating the world’s first census of species taken from space in 2009. Then went on to repeat it. “We started with penguins, then have gone on to look at whales, then seals – we haven’t published much on seals yet. Now, we are working […]

Monitoring forest fires with satellites

Between November 2015 and April 2016, over 36,000 hectare of forest was burnt in the Republic of Congo. The main commercial activity in the area is the extraction of round wood from areas leased from the national authorities by private companies. These cover an extensive part of forest in the north of the country including […]

What resolution do I need when using satellite data?

Trick question: it depends on what you are trying to do. What does resolution mean? The resolution of Earth observation data is determined by three factors: spatial resolution, spectral resolution, and temporal resolution. While all three have to be considered when looking at satellite data, most people mean “spatial resolution” when they ask about resolution. […]

Modelling pollutant exposure from space

Particulate matter – also referred to as aerosols or air pollution – are microscopic particles present in Earth’s atmosphere. Some occur naturally, during wildfires and volcanic eruptions, and some are the result of human activities, such as car exhausts and powerplants, formed from the chemical reactions of gases such as sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen […]

Estimating soil moisture from satellite data

Soil moisture estimates can help farmers assess plant health, aid in predicting crop yields, let governments can help alleviate and protect against floodings, measure urban water use for city planners, and more. While ground sensors are the most accurate tools for tracking water, they are costly and difficult to move quickly. Using satellite sources provides […]

Improving flood forecasting with Earth observation data

Improving flood forecasting with Earth observation data is not only possible but it’s been done time and time again. Luca Brocca is a Researcher at the Research Institute of Geo-Hydrological Protection (IRPI) of the National Research Council (CNR), a branch of the Italian government dedicated to monitoring and preventing floods, landslides, droughts, and other water-related […]

Using spatial and aerial imagery to estimate crop surfaces

Policymakers, researchers, and organizations need agricultural statistics to monitor production changes, plan future investments and interventions, and estimate crop outputs. However, poor agricultural data can result in disastrous misallocations of resources and unsuccessful policies, as well as having a dire impact on both populations and farmers. Jacques Delincé, a veteran agricultural statistician and former head […]

Locating uranium deposits with satellite data

Current methods for locating new sources of uranium are often time-consuming and costly, requiring governments and mining companies to fly aircrafts over large swaths of land in remote areas. But with Earth observation data being more accessible and computers’ improved processing power, utilizing satellites to detect features in faraway places has become a much more […]

How Government Agencies Use ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ

Commercial access to satellite imagery is possible thanks to solutions like ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ’s platform EarthCache, but government agencies use ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ too. For example, in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of the United States and Canada, shallow depressions caused by Pleistocene glaciation interact with mid-continental climate variations to maintain various wetland types. As a result of their […]