SkyTruth Alerts is our go-to tool for monitoring and investigating incidents like the Huntington Beach Oil Spill.
We’re often asked how we do our work here at SkyTruth, particularly when a major environmental event makes the news. Over the past few weeks the SkyTruth team has used tools available in SkyTruth Alerts along with vessel tracking data to investigate the Huntington Beach oil spill. In this blog post, we share how we investigated this spill, so that you can use the same techniques to monitor the places you care about.
SkyTruth intern Hyasmine Briones discovered a real threat from a mining impoundment in Arizona, supporting concerns raised by the environmental group Earthworks.
My first project as an intern at SkyTruth involved a potential mining threat flagged by a partner organization, Earthworks, whose mission is to protect communities and the environment from the adverse impacts of mineral and energy development.
SkyTruth’s machine learning engineer, Jona Raphael, grew up in Shepherdstown, West Virginia; SkyTruth’s home base. But it was his travels around the world that convinced him to knock on our door.
“I’ve always had an interest in sustainability,” Jona says. At SkyTruth, that interest translates into developing Cerulean, a machine learning model that automatically processes thousands of satellite images a day to detect oil pollution in the ocean,
https://skytruth.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Jona-lends-a-hand-20191202_114855_CROP.jpg423640Amy Mathewshttps://skytruth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/SkyTruth-Header-Logo-C.pngAmy Mathews2021-09-16 20:31:122023-03-15 13:51:09Jona Raphael: Small town, big perspective
An easy-to-use method helps watershed managers see hotspots of vegetation loss and recovery.
In Ry Covington’s first post on SkyTruth’s Colorado River watershed work, he shared a quick look at our 35-year dataset of spectral indices for the Colorado River. This time, he shares SkyTruth’s methods and shows how watershed managers can detect hotspots of vegetation loss and regrowth.
https://skytruth.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/featured.png423640Ry Covingtonhttps://skytruth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/SkyTruth-Header-Logo-C.pngRy Covington2021-08-05 14:30:042023-03-15 14:13:44Tracking vegetation trends along the Colorado River: Part 2
Analysis of tracking data from Automatic Identification System broadcasts reveals vessel locations have been simulated for a number of ships, including military vessels. This false information could compromise vessel safety, decrease confidence in a crucial collision avoidance system and potentially spark international conflict.
Recently, analyst Bjorn Bergman came across a new category of false AIS ship positions: positions for vessels that were not present on the water anywhere. Yet these tracks appear extremely plausible. This new type of simulated AIS tracks represents a significant threat to data integrity and highlights the need for vigilance when interpreting AIS data.
Near Infrared and Normalized Differential Vegetation Index bands improve predictions of SkyTruth’s automated road detection model.
In Part 2 of a two-part blog series, intern Sasha Bylsma explores whether adding spectral bands to SkyTruth’s road detection model improves the model’s predictions, and demonstrates the model’s ability to detect newly constructed roads in the Neuquen Basin of Argentina.
https://skytruth.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/10_FEAT.jpg423640Sasha Bylsmahttps://skytruth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/SkyTruth-Header-Logo-C.pngSasha Bylsma2021-07-08 18:23:302023-03-15 14:16:31Remote sensing for road detection Part 2: Improving the model and detecting changes
The Huntington Beach oil spill: How SkyTruth investigates environmental incidents
/in Alerts, Oil Spill /by Johnna ArmstrongSkyTruth Alerts is our go-to tool for monitoring and investigating incidents like the Huntington Beach Oil Spill.
We’re often asked how we do our work here at SkyTruth, particularly when a major environmental event makes the news. Over the past few weeks the SkyTruth team has used tools available in SkyTruth Alerts along with vessel tracking data to investigate the Huntington Beach oil spill. In this blog post, we share how we investigated this spill, so that you can use the same techniques to monitor the places you care about.
Mine tailings could threaten Phoenix’s water supply
/in Freshwater, Internship, Mining /by Hyasmine BrionesSkyTruth intern Hyasmine Briones discovered a real threat from a mining impoundment in Arizona, supporting concerns raised by the environmental group Earthworks.
My first project as an intern at SkyTruth involved a potential mining threat flagged by a partner organization, Earthworks, whose mission is to protect communities and the environment from the adverse impacts of mineral and energy development.
Jona Raphael: Small town, big perspective
/in Bilge Dumping, Biodiversity, Climate, Oceans, Oil & Gas, Oil Spill, Team /by Amy MathewsSkyTruth’s machine learning engineer, Jona Raphael, grew up in Shepherdstown, West Virginia; SkyTruth’s home base. But it was his travels around the world that convinced him to knock on our door.
“I’ve always had an interest in sustainability,” Jona says. At SkyTruth, that interest translates into developing Cerulean, a machine learning model that automatically processes thousands of satellite images a day to detect oil pollution in the ocean,
Tracking vegetation trends along the Colorado River: Part 2
/in Biodiversity, Climate, Freshwater, Public Lands, Wildlife Conservation /by Ry CovingtonAn easy-to-use method helps watershed managers see hotspots of vegetation loss and recovery.
In Ry Covington’s first post on SkyTruth’s Colorado River watershed work, he shared a quick look at our 35-year dataset of spectral indices for the Colorado River. This time, he shares SkyTruth’s methods and shows how watershed managers can detect hotspots of vegetation loss and regrowth.
Systematic data analysis reveals false vessel tracks
/in False vessel tracking, Oceans /by Bjorn BergmanAnalysis of tracking data from Automatic Identification System broadcasts reveals vessel locations have been simulated for a number of ships, including military vessels. This false information could compromise vessel safety, decrease confidence in a crucial collision avoidance system and potentially spark international conflict.
Recently, analyst Bjorn Bergman came across a new category of false AIS ship positions: positions for vessels that were not present on the water anywhere. Yet these tracks appear extremely plausible. This new type of simulated AIS tracks represents a significant threat to data integrity and highlights the need for vigilance when interpreting AIS data.
Remote sensing for road detection Part 2: Improving the model and detecting changes
/in Climate, Hydraulic Fracturing, Oil & Gas /by Sasha BylsmaNear Infrared and Normalized Differential Vegetation Index bands improve predictions of SkyTruth’s automated road detection model.
In Part 2 of a two-part blog series, intern Sasha Bylsma explores whether adding spectral bands to SkyTruth’s road detection model improves the model’s predictions, and demonstrates the model’s ability to detect newly constructed roads in the Neuquen Basin of Argentina.