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.
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.
With SkyTruth data, watershed managers can track vegetation trends through time. And with our soon to be released Issue Map, they can explore how those trends vary spatially across a watershed.
Today, with our partners at Appalachian Voices, Downstream Strategies, 4E Analytics, and Green Forest Works, we are publishing the results of our Central Appalachian Mine Reforestation Assessment. Together we have developed an approach and dataset that assesses reforestation progress on formerly mined lands in the region.
Over the 162 years since the world’s first commercial oil well was drilled in Pennsylvania, a vast network of oil and gas wells, pipelines, pumping stations, storage tanks, refineries, and distribution lines has been built. And this network — including the modern pieces — is riddled with leaks. That’s a big problem, because methane in the air absorbs heat from the sun, warming up our atmosphere.