Menu Close

Articles on Remote sensing

Displaying 1 - 20 of 27 articles

This is an enhanced satellite image of Western Australia’s Great Sandy Desert. Yellow sand dunes cover the upper right, red splotches indicate burned areas, and other colours show different types of surface geology. USGS/Unsplash

These stunning satellite images look like abstract art – and they reveal much about our planet

The United States Geological Survey has a vast collection of satellite images capturing breathtaking geological features of our planet. As a geologist, I’ve picked eight of the most fascinating.
Private companies have launched dozens of imaging satellites – like the two small boxes in the middle of the photo – into orbit in recent years. NASA/Steve Jurvetson

War in Ukraine highlights the growing strategic importance of private satellite companies – especially in times of conflict

Private satellite companies have boomed in recent years, and many experts have wondered what role they would play in a conflict. They have proved to be invaluable to Ukraine in recent months.
A visualization of daily life around Angkor Wat in the late 12th century. Tom Chandler, Mike Yeates, Chandara Ung and Brent McKee, Monash University, 2021

A metropolis arose in medieval Cambodia – new research shows how many people lived in the Angkor Empire over time

Combining archaeological evidence, aerial scans and machine learning algorithms, researchers modeled how this medieval city grew over time.
A variety of clues can tip off archaeologists about a promising spot for excavation. Gabriel Wrobel

How do archaeologists know where to dig?

Archaeologists used to dig primarily at sites that were easy to find thanks to obvious visual clues. But technology – and listening to local people – plays a much bigger role now.
Drones are increasingly used to gather information and inform research. As technology develops longer-lasting batteries and more sensitive cameras, the role of drones in research will continue to grow. (Shutterstock)

Drones help track wildfires, count wildlife and map plants

Drones have proven extremely useful for research, collecting detailed data to help monitor hard-to-access areas.
A grizzly bear eats ripe buffaloberry fruit in the Bow Valley of Alberta. Shifts in the timing of buffaloberry development in the Rocky Mountains will change the behaviour of grizzly bears, and could threaten reproductive rates in this vulnerable population. Alex P. Taylor

Alberta grizzly bears will feel the effects of climate change

As warming temperatures shift the availability of key food sources, Alberta’s grizzly bears will be forced to adjust.
Eugenia uniflora (flowers and young red leaves) a native Brazilian species, now invasive in Hawaii. Forest & Kim Starr/Wikimedia

How we used cameras in the sky to track invasive plant species

For mapping patterns of plant invasion from the sky, understanding plant behaviour on the ground and using it along with remote sensing cameras, is crucial.

Top contributors

More