Research

In many Asian regions, especially in China, agricultural fields are typically small, scattered, and lack clear boundaries, which complicates effective crop distribution and agricultural analysis using remote sensing technology. Now, a research group from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has addressed this challenge with a novel dual-branch deep learning model ...

Experts from Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) have recently conducted work in Antarctica that will, amongst other things, help scientists monitor the effects of climate change. The hydrographic, surveying and positioning team members undertook a range of activities aimed at maintaining the flow of key data, for which precise annual recalibration is ...

A new, up-to-date thermal map of Brno has just been released, the result of a collaborative project between the City of Brno and the Czech Globe agency (part of the Czech Academy of Sciences). Aerial photography for the project took place during the summer. “The city has been cooperating with scientific organizations on surface imaging ...

The Earth is large and always changing. Throughout history we’ve used maps to visualize our planet, and everyone has used Google Maps to get from Point A to B.  Researchers at the University of Calgary are raising the bar even further than Google, developing a software system that can do more than just visualize the ...

Forest ecosystems of the future will have to cope with very different conditions to those of today. For this reason, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) state that a strategic approach to forest management is crucial. To this end, the research team has developed iLand: a simulation model that can compute long-term developments ...

Many recent studies assume that elderly people are at particular risk of dying from extreme heat as the planet warms. A new study of mortality in Mexico turns this assumption on its head: it shows that 75% of heat-related deaths are occurring among people under 35―a large percentage of them ages 18 to 35, or ...

The Nature Conservancy and UC Santa Barbara release the first comprehensive maps of coconut agriculture, and the subsequent loss of native forests, on atolls throughout the tropical Pacific. Over the last 200 years, this pervasive land cover change has profoundly altered ecosystems and hydrologic resources, potentially affecting atoll communities’ resilience to climate change and other environmental ...

Arizona State University and St. Mary’s Food Bank (SMFB) have joined forces to create an interactive data dashboard that tracks and maps food insecurity rates across Arizona. This innovative tool aims to analyze patterns, provide critical insights and optimize resource allocation to address disparities in food access. By combining ASU’s research expertise with SMFB’s decades of community ...

Humans are leaving consistent patterns in forest disturbance structures across the world, according to a new study from the University of Leicester, the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) and the University of Birmingham, based on remote sensing data. Forests play a critical role in maintaining biodiversity, regulating the climate, and supporting ecosystems. However, disturbances ...

The Sun’ll come out tomorrow, and you no longer have to bet your bottom dollar to be sure of it. Google’s DeepMind team released its latest weather prediction model this week, which outperforms a leading traditional weather prediction model across the vast majority of tests put before it. The generative AI model is dubbed GenCast, and it ...

In response to the rising threat of GPS jamming in drone warfare, researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) have pioneered a celestial navigation system that uses star-based visual data as an alternative to the global positioning system. Combining celestial navigation with vision-based technology, UniSA’s remote sensing engineers have created a lightweight, cost-effective system ...

Marine heatwaves are becoming more frequent in a warming world, as rising ocean temperatures trigger these mysterious and damaging phenomena. The profound effects of marine heatwaves on ecosystems – from coral bleaching to disruptions in biodiversity – explain why scientists believe great urgency is required to understand their development and longevity. As we grapple with the challenges of climate change, ...

NASA, IBM, and Forschungszentrum Jülich have released an expanded version of the open-source Prithvi Geospatial artificial intelligence (AI) foundation model to support a broader range of geographical applications. Now, with the inclusion of global data, the foundation model can support tracking changes in land use, monitoring disasters, and predicting crop yields worldwide.  The Prithvi Geospatial foundation model, ...

The relationships between a population of people, their health outcomes, and their local contexts can be very complex. Nevertheless, developing an understanding of these population dynamics can be crucial for addressing complex social problems, such as disease, economic security, disaster response, and much more. Despite the importance, however, accurate predictions for these population dynamics have been elusive ...

In a significant leap forward for vehicle navigation, researchers have developed an advanced system that integrates Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Inertial Measurement Units (IMU), and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Odometry (LO). This novel approach addresses key challenges in urban navigation, offering a substantial boost in positioning accuracy and reliability, particularly in densely built ...

Approximately 71 to 95 million people in the Lower 48 states—more than 20% of the country’s population—may rely on groundwater that contains detectable concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, for their drinking water supplies. These findings are according to a U.S Geological Survey study published in the journal Science. The predictive ...

Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela, assistant professor of environmental studies, and a team of Colombian researchers have introduced a transformative approach to mapping bird species distribution across Colombia, harnessing community science data and innovative modeling techniques. Their latest study, published with open access in the journal Diversity and Distributions, presents high-resolution range and Area of Habitat (AOH) maps ...

A new atlas by human rights groups assessed tree cover and biodiversity hotspots on lands belonging to Afro-descendant peoples in 15 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI), the Black Communities’ Process (PCN), the Universidad Javeriana’s Observatory for Ethnic and Peasant Territories (OTEC) and the National Coordination of Black ...

As the world’s largest rice exporter and a crucial player in global food security, India has made impressive strides in agricultural productivity since the Green Revolution. However, a significant gap remains between the rice yields that farmers currently achieve and what they could potentially produce. A recent study published in Nature Communications titled “Context-dependent agricultural ...

Observing sites such as the Amazon basin from space has underscored the capability of satellites to better detect signs of drought, according to a new study. Led by Military University of Technology Poland and Griffith University, the researchers combined two advance satellite-based methods to improve monitoring of hydrological droughts.  Advance satellite-based methods, such as the ...

For nearly a century, two dams on the Elwha River blocked the natural flow of sediment and wood, leading to a highly altered river environment. Removal of the dams unleashed large quantities of sediment and wood that had been trapped behind the reservoirs. This debris was carried downstream, reshaping the river’s course and impacting its ...

Using data from two satellites that collect optical images, and from another four that measure high temperatures caused by fires, a publication led by Aitor Bastarrika of the UPV/EHU’s Built Heritage Research Group, is proposing an algorithm to achieve the global mapping of burnt areas with a higher resolution. Obtaining accurate, up-to-date information from fire-affected ...

A new data platform from CTrees, REDD+AI, is the first to measure forest degradation from logging, fire, and road construction across all tropical forests. Enabled by artificial intelligence and advanced satellite data, the system detects change in every 5-meter area of tropical forests worldwide. Forest degradation refers to activities that cause loss of trees, carbon, ...

New research from the University of Oxford and the University of Exeter examines savanna biome distribution and drivers through the lens of tree cover across India. Using remote sensing (the process of monitoring the physical characteristics of an area by measuring its radiation, typically from a satellite), the study analyses tree cover across forests and ...

In recent years, environmental justice researchers have uncovered wide disparities in exposure to toxic pollutants between people living in low-income neighborhoods and those living in wealthier communities. Much of the research has focused on air pollution emitted from factories, along with diesel truck and automobile exhaust from highways—which are generally situated far from high-income neighborhoods. ...

Los investigadores de la Universidad de Sevilla José Lázaro Amaro Mellado y Emilio Ramírez Juidias, en colaboración con el Laboratorio de Teledetección de la Universidad Tecnológica de Perú, han publicado un estudio que alerta sobre los efectos del cambio climático en las marismas de Doñana. Según los investigadores, el aumento de las temperaturas junto con ...

Remote sensing plays a vital role in monitoring agricultural landscapes, yet current satellite sensors often struggle with the trade-off between spatial and temporal resolution. High spatial resolution images, while detailed, are often limited by infrequent captures and cloud interference, reducing their utility in rapidly changing environments. Conversely, images with better temporal resolution lack the necessary ...

Raquel Vega, estudiante del grado en Ingeniería Geomática y Topografía en el campus de Ponferrada de la Universidad de León (ULE), presentó su proyecto ‘Médulas Bioreseve: conservación de la biodiversidad y turismo ecológico’ al programa de Becas RALBAR de la ULE y la Fundación Banco Sabadell y fue seleccionado para desarrollarlo durante este verano en ...

A new mapping tool from North Carolina State University uses machine learning and open-source satellite imagery to model flooding in urban environments. The new model could create maps that predict urban area flooding, which traditionally have not been accessible to urban planners. This could help identify potentially flood-prone areas in urban settings, helping officials make ...

Qatar University (QU) is directing research into improving the sustainability of food and water security in arid regions. Dr Ammar Abulibdeh, an associate professor of geography and GIS (geographic information system) at the QU’s College of Arts and Sciences, leads the research team focused on developing a comprehensive model to interconnect food, water, and ecosystems ...