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Researchers at the University of Bonn have developed software that can simulate the growth of field crops. To do this, they fed thousands of photos from field experiments into a learning algorithm. This enabled the algorithm to learn how to visualize the future development of cultivated plants based on a single initial image. Using the ...

A new machine-learning system developed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks can automatically produce detailed maps from satellite data to show locations of likely beetle-killed spruce trees in Alaska, even in forests of low and moderate infestation where identification is otherwise difficult. The automated process can help forestry and wildfire managers in their decisions. That’s ...

A growing number of heritage buildings primed for demolition in London will live on virtually with the help of high-end 3D technology. The city has amassed a small but growing number of virtual building replicas as part of its regular process to document and photograph heritage properties, or properties with heritage components, before their date ...

In the late 2000s, Scott Saleska observed an unusual phenomenon in the Amazon rainforest. A severe drought in 2005 led to increased green growth in vast areas of the Amazon, contrary to field researchers’ observations of browning plants and some dying due to the drought. Recent research published in Nature by Shuli Chen, a doctoral ...

Satellite imagery startup Albedo is preparing for its up-close-and-personal debut. Albedo’s first satellite will take to orbit next spring as the company looks to turn the commercial Earth observation industry upside down with its novel approach and ultra-high-resolution cameras. The satellite, called Clarity, will hitch a ride to very low Earth orbit (VLEO) on SpaceX’s ...

Unlocking the secrets of Earth’s planetary boundary layer (PBL), a pivotal zone influencing air quality and climate, a new study offers unprecedented insights into atmospheric thermal contrasts (TC). By scrutinizing satellite data, researchers have shed light on how the surface-to-atmosphere temperature gradient affects the detection of atmospheric pollutants. The endeavor to keep tabs on and ...

A multi-institutional study led by University of Illinois and Agroecosystem Sustainability Center (ASC) scientists concluded that, although soil moisture varies significantly both within a single field and from field to field due to varying soil properties and different management practices, soil moisture distribution relative to the field average remains consistent across time within each field. ...

This summer between June 17 and July 2, NASA will fly aircraft over Baltimore, Philadelphia, parts of Virginia, and California to collect data on air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. The campaign supports the NASA Student Airborne Research Program for undergraduate interns. The East Coast flights will take place from June 17-26. Researchers and students ...

An EU-funded initiative is transforming the way cities tackle air pollution by engaging citizens in the collection of high-resolution data on frequently visited spots – neighbourhoods, schools and lesser-known city pockets often missed by official monitoring. The EU boasts a rich and advanced history in pollution monitoring, offering one of the most advanced and detailed ...

An ambitious project launched in 2021, Madatlas aims to build an LMD training program in digital cartography at the University of Fianarantsoa. With the aim of enabling the Malagasy people to play an active role in the creation of a digital atlas of the island, Madatlas has given rise to training, research and partnerships between ...

In a bid to better manage Türkiye’s water resources, the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has initiated a project to create digital atlases mapping a total of 270 stagnant water bodies, including dams and artificial ponds currently being constructed. These water resources will be digitized in a geographic information system (GIS) center. “Drinking water basin and ...

Have you ever wondered who provides your sewer services, when your street is scheduled to be swept, what average daily traffic volumes are on streets near you or when the sidewalk in front of your house was last replaced? Menlo Park residents can now find the answer to these questions and more on Menlo Park’s ...

The director general of the National Cartographic Center of Iran (NCC) Ali Javidaneh and the chairman of the State Committee for Land Management and Geodesy of Tajikistan inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Tehran aimed at developing cooperation in the field of the geomatic sciences. Javidaneh said the MoU is a turning point in ...

With weather, limited flights and long distances, gravel runways at remote airports—particularly in northern Canada—are difficult to get to, let alone to inspect for safety. So Northeastern University researcher Michal Aibin and his team have developed a more thorough, safer and faster way to inspect such runways using drones, computer vision and artificial intelligence. The ...

A research initiative, funded by NASA and the Army Corps of Engineers, is underway to study permafrost thaw in Alaska and its significant impacts on the environment. This project aims to understand the landforms created by thawing permafrost, how it affects methane emissions and whether the rate of permafrost thaw is accelerating. Leading this research ...

Imagine driving through a tunnel in an autonomous vehicle, but unbeknownst to you, a crash has stopped traffic up ahead. Normally, you’d need to rely on the car in front of you to know you should start braking. But what if your vehicle could see around the car ahead and apply the brakes even sooner? ...

Remote sensing is a powerful tool to measure fire’s effects on plant life. How severe was the damage to vegetation? How quickly can a landscape recover? A new project is looking at those questions from a before, during, and after fire perspective, and the Wildland Fire Team at EROS investigates how using different remote sensing ...

Scientists have built a highly accurate digital simulation of planet Earth to provide reliable information about extreme weather and climate change. This AI-powered “digital twin” virtually simulates the interaction between natural phenomena and human activities to predict their effect on things like water, food and energy systems. In the past, climate and weather predictions have ...

In the maritime sector, work is ongoing towards the identification and development of alternative PNT (positioning, navigation and timing) solutions, that is, solutions that are not wholly dependent on GNSS-based technologies. “The VHF data exchange system [VDES], is being considered as a source of alternative PNT [A-PNT] for maritime,” said Michael Turner of GMV NSL, ...

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) invited expressions of interest from global innovators to develop a GNSS-based electronic toll collection system, as announced by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. This initiative aims to integrate the GNSS system within the existing FASTag framework through a hybrid model combining RFID and GNSS-based toll collection. ...

LabSat has introduced the LabSat 4 GNSS Simulator, a GNSS test solution. This latest addition to the LabSat range is designed to meet the rigorous demands of modern GNSS signal testing, providing enhanced customization and precision. Key to LabSat 4 are its three RF channels, each configurable with up to 12-bit I&Q quantization and a ...

Pythagoras has released Pointorama, a groundbreaking cloud-based platform designed to simplify point cloud management. The official launch took place at GeoBusiness 2024, which was held on 5-6 June in London. Pythagoras is a provider of innovative software solutions for land surveyors and contractors. In today’s rapidly evolving field of land surveying, the quest for efficiency ...

The TRISHNA (Thermal Infra-Red Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment) mission, a collaborative endeavor between ISRO and CNES, is engineered to deliver high spatial and high temporal resolution monitoring of Earth’s surface temperature, emissivity, biophysical and radiation variables for surface energy budgeting at regional to global scale. This mission addresses critical water and food ...

In the wake of last month’s disastrous flooding in southern Brazil, researchers are asking residents to use their smartphone cameras to document the damage and high-water marks. The data collected will help scientists map flood risk and inform decisions on where to rebuild. When Lucas George Wendt arrived in Lajeado in late May, the water ...

In a study published in Scientific Data, researchers from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences unveiled the most detailed dataset to date, illuminating the complex network of water bodies sprawled across the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. This dataset, openly available in figshare, paints a holistic picture by furnishing a high-resolution map of ...

The movement of carbon between the atmosphere, oceans and continents — the carbon cycle — is a fundamental process that regulates Earth’s climate. Some factors, like volcanic eruptions or human activity, emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Others, such as forests and oceans, absorb that CO2. In a well-regulated system, the right amount of CO2 ...

The Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer (EDGE)—a newly proposed NASA satellite mission to monitor the three-dimensional structure of global vegetation and ice—is one of four finalists selected for NASA’s next generation of Earth-observing satellites under the Earth System Explorers Program. The project, which includes Northern Arizona University assistant research professor Chris Hakkenberg as co-investigator and biodiversity ...

Global navigation satellite system reflectometry (GNSS-R) is emerging as a pivotal technology in remote sensing due to its ability to provide high-precision, real-time data under all weather conditions. Traditionally, the GNSS has been utilized for positioning, navigation, and timing. However, recent advancements have demonstrated its efficacy in environmental monitoring through scatterometry and reflectometry. GNSS-R capitalizes ...

There’s no elegant way to say this: going to the bathroom in New York is a nightmare. Public restrooms in the city are hard to find and are often either out of order or require you to buy something at a store or café to be able to use. The problem is so bad that ...

Chinese internet search giant Baidu will provide Tesla with mapping software for its electric vehicles (EVs), paving the way for the US carmaker to launch its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system on the mainland. Version 20 of Baidu Maps, a desktop and mobile web-mapping application released in April, will soon be available on Tesla’s EVs, the ...