Thousands of man - made satellites currently orbit the Earth . These gizmos make GPS and instant world communication service possible , aid us betoken the weather condition , and contribute to a encompassing kind of scientific studies . As the phone number and sophistication of satellites grow , so does the creativity of the humans ’s scientist and activists . Here are eight things you probably did n’t know we could do with satellites .
1. MONITOR POTENTIAL DEFORESTATION
Global Forest Watch Commodities(GFW Commodities ) use satellite reflexion and assailable data to provide well-timed info about what is going on in wood around the world . At the recentSXSW Ecoconference , Aaron Steele of World Resources Institute , a spouse in the effort , enunciate commodities , such as palm oil color and beef , are the biggest driver of disforestation . By ease up both legal and illegal clearing of tree diagram and flame , the program alert players along the supplying chain of woodland - based commodities to the peril , so they can take appropriate action at law . In the future , the system may be able to droop construction of unauthorized roads or other infrastructure that could advise illegal commercial-grade activity before trees are cleared .
2. TRACK SARGASSUM IN THE OCEAN
If you visited a beach in the Gulf of Mexico or Caribbean lately , you likely encountered Sargassum . This floating algae , a.k.a . seaweed , play an important role in the sea ecosystem , but its amount and distribution have changed in recent days . In the summer of 2011 , when large sum strike beaches of the easterly Caribbean , scientistsused satellite observations to calculate out that it grow northerly of the mouth of the Amazon .
expert from the University of South Florida and the University of Southern MississippitrackSargassum using satellites . Scientists at NASA and Texas A&M University at Galveston even developed an app , Sargassum Early Advisory System , orSEAS , that gives early warnings to tourer , fisherman , skimmer and the general public on when and where the seaweed will strike the coast .
3. IDENTIFY WHERE HABITAT IS NEEDED FOR MIGRATING BIRDS
Landsat satellites , a joint project of NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey , provide images for the Nature Conservancy’sBirdReturnsproject . The image identify areas in California ’s Central Valley used by birds during leap and declination migrations and help experts judge the number of birds make the journeying . These website can then be targeted for pop - up wetland habitat , good manners of area rice farmers who shallowly deluge their fields post - harvest to provide forage for shuttle . farmer resign bids to the BirdReturns , which ante up them for priority habitats . Without freely available artificial satellite imagery from Landsat and other satellite instruments , the birds would be on their own .
4. REVEAL ARTIFICIAL LIGHT AT NIGHT
Scientists use asensoraboard the NASA - NOAA Suomi National Polar - orbiting Partnership orbiter to observe Earth ’s air and surface at nighttime . The mean solar day - nighttime set of the sensor , the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite ( VIIRS ) , is sensitive enough to notice dumb sign such as city lights , gas flare pass , dawning , wildfires , reflected moonlight , and even the luminance from a single ship at ocean . The data make remove the extent of the human footprint in terms of artificial light and could help identify areas where nighttime lighting — and vigor use — could be deoxidize . Scientists can also use city lights to map urban versus rural country and to track urban and suburban increment for use of free energy use and urban hazards planning , consider urban warmth islands , and for climate model . This satellite also allows meteorologist to trackweather phenomenaat night .
5. FIGHT ILLEGAL FISHING
Illegal and unreported fishing accounts for up to 26 million metrical tons of Pisces the Fishes each year , or over 1800 pound every second , a haul worth some $ 23.5 billion a twelvemonth .
Pew Charitable Trusts and the UK ’s Satellite app Catapult join forces on a planet - based system to identify illegal fishing vessels . TheVirtual Watch Roomcan pinpoint the location , name , recognition routine , fishing licence detail , and history of a fishy vessel . algorithmic program create alert ground on design of vessel movements , including speeds distinctive of fishing , a watercraft no longer point its position , two vessels in close law of proximity , or a vessel entering a devil dog reserve or other restricted - function domain . train analysts investigate these alerts and , when justify , advise relevant administration authorities , who can use this information to identify and monitor buccaneer fishing , particularly in remote areas of the world ’s oceans .
6. MEASURE THE MOISTURE IN SOIL
know how much wet is in the grime can improve agricultural output . A NASAsatellitelaunched in early 2015 produces high-pitched - solution world function of moisture in the top two inches of Earth ’s grime and can observe whether the ground is frosty or thawed . Scientists use this data point to determine whether moisture levels are adequate for maximum harvest yield and how evaporation of this moisture pretend short - term regional conditions and farseeing - term world mood .
Soil moisture alter between three and five percent in the world ’s desert and arid regions to between 40 and 50 percent in saturated soil , calculate on precipitation pattern , topography , flora cover and grime paper . The artificial satellite produces orbicular maps with 6 - mile solving every two to three days .
7. CONTROL SHIPPING TRAFFIC
Some parts of the sea are so congested with ship dealings that the International Maritime Organization ( IMO ) and other groups employ traffic separation schemes to boil down risk of collisions . With upwards of 86,000 merchant ship at sea , that risk is significant . ship can bemonitoredby artificial satellite to ensure that they are following the rule , and the simulacrum also can let out where changes may be needed in dealings patterns . The International Space Station , which is technically a artificial satellite , tested space - based monitoring of theAutomatic Identification System , sign continually diffuse from ship transponder giving identity , position , course , speed , and other data . It currently operates theVessel Identification System , which integrates AIS and other satellite data to provide better and more utile ship - tracking capability .
scientist also use satellites to monitorsea iceand assist ships deflect it .
8 . SPOT FOREST FIRES .
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ( MODIS ) on NASA ’s Terra satellite createsmapsof actively burning fervency around the world on a monthly basis . A colouring material system record the act of fires within a 1000 - straight - kilometre domain , with white indicating as many as 100 , chickenhearted as many as 10 , orange as many as five , and red as few as one fire per day . The maps are utilitarian in a number of ways , including for fighting or suppressing flaming and to discover global pattern of natural wheel — rain , dryness , and lightning — and human activity , such as agricultural burning .
All photos courtesy of iStock
