satellite
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Environment
AI-powered algorithms enhance satellite monitoring of air pollution
True color images and haze probability maps show the haze event in North China on February 12, 2021. Data from AirTrans shows a decrease in aerosol light thickness (AOT) at UTC between 03:00–08:00, making Haze less likely, and the elevated fine mode fraction (FMF) show an artificial aerosol. Credit: Air The research team, led by Professor Shi Chong of the…
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Earth
Use satellite data to monitor and navigate ice water
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain With rising sea traffic in the warming Arctic Circle, researchers are helping sailors plan safer courses through sea ice and icebergs thanks to more reliable satellite-based predictions. Nicholas “Nico” Dubraille, a veteran polar explorer with over 30 years of experience in the Arctic, knows firsthand the dangers of navigating the icy landscapes of the region. In…
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Environment
Satellite monitors offshore gas explosion in South China Sea
Overview of the research concept for sensing offshore OG platforms using SDGSAT-1. Credit: International Journal of Digital Earth (2024). DOI: 10.1080/17538947.2024.2441932 A study published in the International Journal of Digital Earth presents a new application of the Sustainable Development Science Satellite-1 (SDGSAT-1) to observe offshore oil and gas platforms. Researchers at the Institute of Aerospace Information (AIR), Chinese Academy of…
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Space & Cosmos
Image: NASA’s Terra satellite captured the shadow of the 2015 solar eclipse.
Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team On the morning of March 20, 2015, a total solar eclipse was visible in parts of Europe, and a partial solar eclipse was visible in North Africa and northern Asia. NASA’s Terra satellite passed over the Arctic Ocean on March 20 at 10:45 a.m. UTC (6:45 a.m. EDT), capturing the shadow of the…
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Earth
Satellite measurements significantly improve ocean floor maps
Using satellite altimetry data from SWOT, scientists created a global map of ocean gravity and discovered thousands of new seamounts. (Etvös is a unit that measures the ocean’s vertical gravity gradient.) Credit: Yao Yu et al, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.ads4472 The Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission instrument has enabled the clearest satellite-generated ocean floor map to date, according to…
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Earth
Satellite captures dramatic increase in HFC-125, a powerful greenhouse gas
Atmospheric chemistry experiments use data from the SCISAT satellite. Credit: Canadian Space Agency HFC-125 is a greenhouse gas that is a major cause of global warming, and in the first study to use satellites to measure HFC-125 concentrations in the atmosphere, researchers found that HFC-125 has They found an exponential increase over 20 years. A paper about this research, “First…
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Environment
Satellite observations reveal that changes in rainfall patterns affect crops and forests
Earth’s rainy days are changing, and plant life is responding. This visualization shows global average precipitation based on over 20 years of data from 2000 to 2023. Cooler colors indicate areas with less rainfall. Warmer colors receive more rain. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio A new NASA-led study has found that how the rain falls in a given year is…
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Environment
Satellite data and algorithms reveal which ships are emitting too much nitrogen
Credit: Leiden University Ships still emit large amounts of nitrogen oxides. Until now it has been impossible to measure this at sea, but that is about to change. Solomia Kulchava has developed an algorithm that combines satellite data to identify which ships are emitting too much. Ms. Kulchava received her Ph.D. June 11th. While automobiles, power plants, and industry are…
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Earth
Atmospheric Lidar instrument on climate satellite improves understanding of aerosols and clouds
Ground stations of the European research infrastructure ACTRIS play a key role in calibrating data from the EarthCARE satellites. In recent years, these ground stations have been installed and expanded to analyse aerosol particles and clouds using remote sensing instruments such as lidar and radar. Around 50 stations from Europe (photo: TROPOS, Leipzig) and abroad take part in the atmo4ACTRIS…
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Science
Researchers use training models to map planted and natural forests from satellite imagery
(a) World, (b) Europe, (c) Asia, (d) North America, (e) Oceania, (f) South America, (g) Africa. Photo credit: Xiao Yuelong, Tongji University. Reforestation may seem like a simple way to combat climate change, but planted forests often encroach on natural forests, wetlands and grasslands, which can reduce biodiversity, disrupt natural habitats and disrupt carbon and water cycles. Forest cover is…
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