Significance of Satellite Data in Decision-Making

Earth Observation is no longer just about capturing images from orbit. It’s rapidly becoming one of the most important tools we have to understand what’s happening on the ground—and act on it. Recent developments in EO are showing a clear trend: using satellite data to support real-time, local decisions in areas that impact lives, environments, and economies. Here are four examples that stand out: 1. Detecting Wildfires Before They Spread Google and Muon Space are building Fire Sat, a constellation of over 50 satellites that will scan fire-prone areas every 15 minutes. With real-time thermal imaging and cloud-based AI, it’s designed to catch wildfires early—before they become disasters. 2. Mapping Carbon Storage from Orbit The European Space Agency’s Biomass satellite uses a powerful radar system to measure how much carbon Earth’s forests are actually storing—by looking through the canopy itself. This gives scientists a more accurate understanding of climate-related forest change and carbon sinks. 3. Monitoring Land Use with Consistent Imaging EarthDaily Analytics launched the first satellite in a new constellation purpose-built for high-frequency, high-accuracy landscape monitoring. It’s especially relevant in agriculture, forestry, and environmental policy—where visibility over time matters more than snapshots. 4. Enabling Localized Impact Forecasting Xoople has developed a cloud-native Earth Observation platform that blends EO data with local models to forecast regional environmental risks—like floods, soil degradation, or vegetation stress. It’s EO made practical for governments and agencies on the front lines of climate and resource planning. These aren’t just satellites in orbit. They’re part of a growing EO ecosystem that’s focused on enabling faster, more confident action—where and when it’s needed most. From archive to alert. From static to streaming. From observation to intervention.

#Publication_Alert 🌿🛰️ Excited to share our latest publication in the IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing! Our paper, "Coupling Remote Sensing Insights With Vegetation Dynamics and to Analyze NO2 Concentrations: A Google Earth Engine (GEE) Engine-Driven Investigation," dives into the effects of urbanization and industrialization on air pollution in #Lahore and #Faisalabad. Key Insights: 🔹 Significant NO2 increases were observed in both cities, with higher rises during summer and winter, correlating with rapid urban development. 🔹 Decline in vegetation health as shown by several vegetation indices, suggesting a deterioration of urban green spaces. 🔹 Notable increases in Land Surface Temperature (#LST), highlighting the urban heat island effect exacerbated by reduced vegetation cover. 🔹 Strong negative correlation between NO2 levels and vegetation health; and a positive correlation between #NO2 and LST, underscoring the interconnected challenges of air pollution and #climate_change. These findings underline the critical need for robust environmental policies to manage air quality and mitigate temperature rises, supporting sustainable urban planning and development. This research contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 11 (#SDGs), aiming to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Check out the full study for a deeper understanding of how satellite data can inform and shape environmental strategies in rapidly growing urban areas! 🌍📊https://lnkd.in/evePrKcn #RemoteSensing #UrbanPlanning #SustainableCities #EnvironmentalScience #IEEE #GoogleEarthEngine #AirPollution #ClimateChange #Sustainability #SDGs

Severe Flooding Swamps Tennessee & Kentucky A powerful storm system on February 15-16, 2025, brought damaging winds, torrential rain, and destructive flash floods to communities in Tennessee and Kentucky. Many areas received up to 6 inches (15 cm) of rain in just 48 hours, pushing rivers into moderate to major flood stages. 🛰️ Before & After: NASA's View from Space The OLI-2 sensor on Landsat 9 captured striking false-color images of flooded areas in western Tennessee on February 17, 2025. Comparing it to an earlier image from January 24, we can see: 🔹 Rivers overflowing their banks 🔹 Flooded agricultural fields in Missouri 🔹 Water appearing light blue due to sediment-rich runoff Impact on Communities ~ Obion River, Tennessee: A levee failure near Rives forced mandatory evacuations and caused severe damage to over half of town’s homes. ~ Dyersburg, Tennessee: Authorities warned of rising water levels on Forked Deer River, urging residents to prepare for possible evacuations. ~ Western Kentucky: Some of the worst flash flooding occurred here, though cloud cover prevented satellites from capturing clear imagery. More Challenges Ahead As floodwaters recede, a blast of frigid air and a potential snowstorm are now threatening the same areas, adding further risk to recovery efforts. Why This Matters Extreme weather events like this highlight the importance of satellite monitoring for disaster response and climate resilience. By leveraging remote sensing technology, we can: ✅ Track flood extent & damage assessment ✅ Improve early warnings & emergency planning ✅ Support communities in disaster recovery Source: NASA Earth Observatory, USGS #Flooding #DisasterResponse #RemoteSensing #EarthObservation #ClimateResilience #GIS

🚀 Exciting news to share! The 2024 Department of the Interior Remote Sensing Activities report is out, and it highlights ClimateEngine.org's work with Bureau of Land Management in the article “Improving Accessibility of Data to Support Adaptive Management and Decision-Making.” This write-up spotlights our partnership between Bureau of Land Management, Climate Engine / Desert Research Institute, and collaborators at NOAA National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), and University of California, Merced, showcasing how we’re translating satellite and climate data into site-specific, one-page, PNG/PDF reports that BLM resource managers, monitoring staff, range specialists, wildlife biologists, and planners can apply directly in decision documents. A huge thank-you to the BLM staff who have guided user testing, shared feedback from the field, and keep pushing us to build tools that actually move the needle on drought response, land health assessment, and adaptive management. This project has really helped us focus on translating Earth observations archives into actionable documents and is shaping how we think about Climate Engine going forward! 🔗 Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/gC6QzBtC 🔗 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gcY3H_dZ Here’s to more data-driven decisions, healthier landscapes, and continued collaboration in 2025! #RemoteSensing #ClimateEngine #PublicLands #AdaptiveManagement #Drought #BLM #DOI #EarthObservations #Geospatial Kristen O'Shea Tim Assal, Ph.D. Justin Huntington Emily Kachergis Sarah McCord Brady Allred