Satellite imagery has only been around since the 50s, but it’s changed how we see our world in more ways than one. Today, satellite imagery has found applications in mapping the land, atmosphere, oceans, and even space! Here are five fantastic ways that satellite imagery has found applications today.
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Environmental Monitoring
Satellite imagery can help monitor and track various natural hazards and environmental pollution. For example, an Aerial Imagery Company can use satellites to measure the amount of atmospheric pollution in major cities by analyzing the visible color bands in the city’s atmosphere. They can then provide data on air quality to public health departments and other government agencies to prepare for emergencies or natural disasters. An insurance company may use satellite images to determine if property damage was due to flooding, wind damage, fire, or vandalism.
Those who work with natural disasters often depend on these images to document damages caused by severe weather events like hurricanes. Thus quality satellite imageries can provide better and early warning information, which will help emergency management authorities to monitor and take necessary measures before disaster strikes, such as storm surges, landslides, and earthquakes. That way, the world can contribute to conservation efforts with adequate information such as knowledge about species habitats and threats altering those habitats.
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In Agriculture
Space imagery can be helpful in the agricultural industry to find areas where crops are growing poorly or need more fertilizer. That is because, through satellite imagery, people can track crop levels, soil density, and moisture levels over time. Farmers can take this information and make better decisions on how they grow their crops in the future.
For example, satellite imagery can show how much light a particular area of a field gets throughout the day, which would help farmers know when to plant certain crops that require different amounts of sunlight. The same technology can also help monitor pests such as locusts by tracking their movements across regions. That way, countries will better understand how to combat food shortages before they happen.
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Urban Planning
Looking at satellite imagery is helpful for an urban planner who wants to understand how their city changes over time. It is not just used by those in the construction industry but has many other uses. Construction companies use satellite imagery to estimate the cost and time a project may require to complete, saving them from taking unnecessary risks that could lead to costly consequences.
Quality satellite images can also provide global or localized maps showing urban growth patterns and help planners predict where new developments will occur. The information on urban growth can also be valuable in forecasting the demand for amenities such as schools, hospitals, roads, electricity grids, water supplies, and sanitation systems.
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Humanitarian Aid
The quick and accurate distribution of food, medicine, and relief supplies can save lives during humanitarian crises. But when disaster strikes in remote parts of the world, transporting these supplies to those in need is challenging and expensive. Now, with the help of satellite imagery, aid workers have the power to track what resources are most crucial and urgent and their location on the ground.
Such information can drastically reduce response time and cost, allowing responders and rescuers to reach more people with critical assistance more quickly. Similarly, emergency managers have used this technology in regions hit by natural disasters like wildfires or earthquakes. Suppose there’s a need to know what the Earth looks like from above at night (like during wildfires). Then, infrared technology can see in total darkness, giving more explicit pictures than ever.
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Mapping In the Oil and Gas Industry
Satellite imagery can help the oil and gas industry in various ways. Oil companies rely on detailed mapping provided by satellites to track down oil reserves, and pipeline operators can use images for location surveys and route planning. Some people might not realize how vital satellite imagery is for the fossil fuel industry.
However, with satellites able to take pictures of otherwise hard-to-reach areas on Earth, it’s easy to see why. Some satellites have thermal cameras that can detect changes in ground temperatures which help detect if a site has an active oil or gas well. Even better, radar imaging from space allows scientists to study the inner structure of ice sheets without having to land on them or drill through them – these radar waves bounce off snow surfaces below like a mirror.
Conclusion
Knowing that satellites are capturing live, high-resolution images from space on Earth has been a primary source of fascination to many. These satellites capture amazing photos and provide a vast amount of data to help explore and study our planet in ways we never thought possible. There are many excellent applications of satellite imagery; the best part is that it’s accessible to everyone! Whether you’re an individual or a corporation, you can use quality satellite imagery to understand your world regarding the environment, economy, culture, security, or resources. One thing remains true: today’s fast-paced world is changing rapidly, and there will always be new needs for applying satellite imagery, making it one of the most valuable tools for understanding our complex world.