Paper

Observing Mixed Cover Crops from Space

Paper

Image above: PlanetScope image of crop biomass estimation site in Washington County, Mississippi taken April 9, 2022. © 2022, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. In agricultural fields, cover crops are planted at certain times of the year to cover up the farming soil. These plants are not set to be harvested […]

Satellite Data Helps Reveal Impacts of Hydroelectric Dams on Local Ecosystems

Paper

Image above: Flooding in Brazilian Amazon study site following hydroelectric complex installation taken June 28, 2022. © 2022, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. In Brazil, approximately 60% of the country’s electricity is powered by hydro dams. However, since the 1990s, there has been pressure on the country’s environment because of the […]

Understanding Landslide Risk with Planet Imagery

Paper

Image above: Planet image of a landslide in the Hurunui district of Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand taken March 22, 2019. © 2019, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. In mountainous regions around the world, landslides cause significant harm to lives and economies. Between 1990 and 2017, these disasters […]

Mapping climate risk in urban settlements with PlanetScope and Google Earth Engine

Paper

Image above: PlanetScope image of Durban, South Africa taken January 9, 2023. © 2023, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. In the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the improvement of informal settlements was listed as a priority. Informal settlements can be characterized as urban developments with densely packed housing typically made […]

Monitoring Mangrove Reforestation in Sri Lanka

Paper

Image above: Mangrove ecosystems around Batticaloa Lagoon, Sri Lanka taken January 11, 2023. © 2023, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. In 2015, Sri Lanka made history as the first nation to take strides to protect the full extent of their mangroves. Along the coastlines of Sri Lanka, these valuable mangrove ecosystems […]

PlanetScope Helps Map and Monitor the Threats of Intensive Olive Orchards on Drought Prone Regions

Paper

When envisioning the scenic regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, people often conjure up images of stunning coastlines, sunny skies, and of course, delectable dishes topped with rich olive oil from local olive trees. In fact, 95 percent of global olive cultivation happens in the Mediterranean’s semi-arid climate. However, these traditionally drought-tolerant species […]

PlanetScope and Deep Learning Methods Used to Map Wildfires In South America

Paper

Image above: PlanetScope image of a wildfire in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil taken August 7, 2021. © 2021, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. Pantanal is a natural region of South America which encompasses the world’s largest wetlands. Situated between the Mato Grosso area of Brazil and the borders of Bolivia […]

Scientists combine both x-ray techniques and satellite data for environmental forensics

Paper

Image above: PlanetScope image of Alto Araguaia, Brazil taken November 25, 2022. © 2022, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. Soybean production in Brazil has significantly increased over the last twenty years as a result of national and international demand. Following harvest, trucks and trains transport this popular crop to designated shipment […]

PlanetScope and Blue Wavelengths Help Map Snow Melt

Paper

Image above: Snow cover on the Seward Peninsula in Alaska taken February 27, 2020. © 2020, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. Seasonal snowfall is very important to maintaining important ecological systems. For example, mountainous snowmelt replenishes rivers and watersheds with the arrival of spring and summer. Snow cover also acts as […]

Satellite Data and Computer Vision Used to Monitor Manure from Factory Farms

Paper

Image above: PlanetScope image of manure spread over snow in Easton, Wisconsin taken February 7, 2022. © 2022, Planet Labs PBC. All Rights Reserved. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), also known as industrial-scale factory farms, raise large amounts of livestock in small confined spaces. As a consequence, these environments also generate a […]