Tech Briefs Magazine - September 2023 - 54

SPINOFF
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vegetation health indices
during the growing season
to infl uence range-management
choices.
A new service called terraIn
2022, wildfires in New Mexico burned over 1,000 acres. This
map of the northern part of the state created by terraPulse
shows the tree loss (red) that occurred from 2010 to 2015
against the remaining tree canopy (green). Historic data pulled
from satellites make it possible to track changes like these.
(Image: terraPulse Inc.)
menting on-the-ground observations saves
staff hours and the expensive process of
evaluating those observations.
However, mapping biomass - the mix
of vegetation on the ground such as
trees, bushes, and grasses - can be
tricky. It's essential that the historical
data for the exact same geography is collected
over years. " We can go back anywhere
in the world because terraPulse's
algorithms and data are consistent backward
through time, " said Sexton.
That same comprehensive view also
makes it possible to look at any fi re that occurred
in the satellite record.
Fire changes landscapes, so it's essential
to use the correct imagery when
modeling fi re risk. Wildfi re forecasting is
critical to public safety and disaster planning.
But more industries are also looking
to satellite data to plan for resilience
to climate change by monitoring worldwide
facilities, identifying manageable
risk factors, and more.
Land brokers, insurance companies, investors,
and developers are taking a more
sustainable view of land use and turning to
companies like terraPulse to get better information
about a geographic area. For a
resort, the best views can determine the
value of cabin rentals. Others might need
to know what natural resources are nearby.
Risk-assessment strategies are a primary
focus, according to Sexton. " It helps
the client when we take their data, apply
our AI, and provide them a regional
map that shows changes and conditions
specifi c to their needs, " he said. That
might be looking at fl ood history to add
preventive measures.
Agriculture customers also need information,
whether for a family farm or multiple
holdings across several states. Farmers
can monitor characteristics of the
land and nearby wildlife habitat to inform
changes to planting. Cattle ranchers track
54
View is an online platform
for monitoring tree cover,
deforestation, and other indices.
At 32-foot spatial resolution
starting in 2017 using
ESA's Sentinel-2 data
and 98-foot spatial resolution
back to 1984 using
Landsat, this service detects
and monitors forest change
globally at the highest resolution
available on a worldwide scale.
For carbon-market customers, this
kind of mapping helps set the value of
forested areas left in a natural state. To
off set fossil-fuel emissions, a company
can buy " carbon credits " - one credit
equals one ton of carbon dioxide or the
equivalent amount of another greenhouse
gas. Buying credits equal to the
emissions produced will, in theory, reduce
or sequester the same amount of
greenhouse gas. The money can be used
for reforestation eff orts or pay individuals
to maintain undeveloped land.
A challenge for the landowner is identifying
how much carbon a geographic area
can sequester, which is what drives its credit
value. For companies purchasing those
credits, monitoring the land is a way to ensure
the carbon off set is maintained.
Combining data and measurements
from numerous satellites will estimate
changes in tree cover, biomass, and wildlife
habitat. " What remote sensing provides
is information for the times and
places you can't access for yourself. That
includes the other side of the planet, "
Sexton said.
" Earth observation tells us what our
planet looks like now. We provide that
information to people in near-real time
in many cases, so they can respond to the
world and how it's changed around
them, " said Calvin.
Sexton calls the ability to access that
information about places individuals
can't get to " seeing around corners. " He
appreciates the contribution NASA has
made toward " democratizing " access.
" Any person with access to a computer
and the internet is able to see anywhere
in the world at a higher resolution than
ever before, " he said.
For more information, visit https://
spinoff .nasa.gov/Taking_the_Pulse_of_
Earth.
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Tech Briefs Magazine - September 2023

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