Multispectral (approx. 4-12 bands)

The Effects of Prolonged Drought on Chaparral Vegetation and Burn Severity

Submitted by tadamson on

California recently experienced one of the most severe droughts in its history, resulting in extensive dieback of chaparral vegetation in the State’s Mediterranean regions. Though chaparral species are adapted to annual summer drought, the duration or intensity of a drought may exceed the adaptive capabilities of even these plants. The impacts of the recent severe drought were further exacerbated in many chaparral ecosystems by the occurrence of wildfires.

Vulnerability of Lower Elevation Aspen Forests to Altered Fire and Climate Dynamics

Submitted by tadamson on

Aspen (Populus tremuloides) forests are keystone ecosystems in the western United States that supply economic and social benefits, including drawing tourists, serving as potential fire breaks, improving local economies, and providing habitat and forage for wildlife and livestock. However, in many areas these forests are at risk from climate change and past land use.

Multiscale Spectroscopy of Intertidal Biofilm Quantity, Quality, and Composition

Submitted by tadamson on

Microbial biofilm communities, which are comprised of bacteria, diatoms, protozoa, and fungi, inhabit the surface of intertidal mudflats. These communities represent a large proportion of shorebirds’ diets, so understanding biofilm distribution, quantity, and nutritional value supports efforts to manage shorebird populations.

Monitoring the Retreat of Estuarine Shorelines

Submitted by tadamson on

Coastal wetlands and estuaries are critical ecosystems that serve as the bridge between land and sea, provide habitat for numerous species of fish and wildlife, and offer protection from storms and waves for inland communities. When these environments evolve naturally, they can adapt to rising sea levels by retreating landward, and fish and wildlife follow suit.

SWIR Bands for Crop Residue Detection on the Landsat Next Mission

Submitted by tadamson on

Non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV) is plant material that has no photosynthetic function, such as dead biomass, surface litter, and woody stems. NPV serves an ecologically beneficial role; in the agricultural setting, maintaining crop residue on the soil surface reduces erosion, improves soil structure, maintains stable temperatures, and increases soil carbon, all of which support the health of farming systems.

High-Resolution Images Captured 35 Minutes Apart Show Mining Activity

Submitted by tadamson on

Time-series remote sensing with high-resolution imagery has allowed many industries and users the ability to detect changes in land use and land cover over time. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) has contracted with Planet Labs for access to their catalog of PlanetScope SuperDove cubesat imagery.  Cubesats, which are small, inexpensive imaging satellites about the size of a shoebox, are launched on a regular basis.

Using Oblique Aerial Imagery to Aid in Synthetic Aperture Radar Interpretation

Submitted by tadamson on

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) monitors two mine sites in the State of Washington where it is difficult to obtain cloud-free multispectral imagery. OSMRE worked with the Civil Applications Committee to evaluate solutions for overcoming this limitation through high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR). SAR is an active remote sensing system in which the sensor emits a radio wave and then measures the reflected return; it is not hampered by cloud cover.

Using Synthetic Aperture Radar and Multispectral Imagery to Observe Critical Infrastructure on Former Coal Mines

Submitted by tadamson on

Commercial high-resolution multispectral imagery is available in resolutions down to 25 centimeters but can be obscured by clouds. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) observes two mine sites in the State of Washington where it is difficult to obtain cloud-free imagery.

Mapping 35 Years of Alaska’s Changing Glaciers

Submitted by tadamson on

Glaciers are important sentinels of a changing climate, crucial components of the global cryosphere, and integral to ecosystem functioning in the surrounding landscape. Until now, commonly used methods for mapping glacier change were labor intensive and thus limited in temporal and spatial scope. This work addressed some of those limitations by developing a novel deep learning–based method called GlacierCoverNet, a deep neural network that relies on an extensive, customized training dataset.