EOMasters Newsletter #025
23/06/2024
Hello EO-Masters!
After my summer break, during which I went hiking in the beautiful mountains of the Alps, I now start again with the Newsletter.
Let's see what has happened in the last weeks.
In this Issue:
EOMasters News
Is It Really Time to Move EO Data Processing to the Cloud?
EO and RS
Fourth Reprocessing Datasets Available of ERS/ATSR and Aeolus
Will Climate Change Turn the Arctic Green?
Destination Earth Is Now in Operation!
Planet Labs Teams Up with NVIDIA for Enhanced Satellite Insights
Satellite Data Suggest U.S. Methane Emissions Underestimated
Software, Tools and Services
GeoTools 31.2 Released (Security Issue)
EOMasters News
Is It Really Time to Move EO Data Processing to the Cloud?
In this blog article I discuss the pros and cons of switching Earth observation (EO) data processing to the cloud. While cloud processing offers simplicity and speed, it also comes with costs, data limitations, and language constraints. An example illustrates the potential expenses. The article emphasizes that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution; both local and cloud processing have their place. 🌐🛰️
EO and RS News
Fourth Reprocessing Datasets Available of ERS/ATSR and Aeolus
ESA provides new reprocessing version of two of its datasets. ERS/ATSR and Aeolus are now available in the fourth reprocessing version.
The Improvements are:
For ERS/ATSR
Improved and extended Level 1B datasets
Level 1B products in a Sentinel-SAFE/NetCDF format
Geolocation improvement
Improved surface classification
Improved cloud information
For Aeolus
Corrected the L2B Rayleigh channel wind bias
Geolocation data adjustments
Enhanced quality control for Mie cloudy winds
Improved accuracy of wind product errors
Implementation of Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) at a detailed observation level
Radiometric corrections for KRay and KMie coefficients have been applied
Profiles such as Aeolus feature mask (AEL-FM) and Aeolus Profile (AEL-PRO) are now validated and accessible
Will Climate Change Turn the Arctic Green?
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
The Arctic, a region undergoing rapid transformation due to climate change, is the focus of a recent study leveraging ESA’s CryoSat mission data. The research, published in Geophysical Research Letters, reveals how the thinning ice and declining snow depth in the Arctic Ocean are affecting the penetration of light through sea ice, which has significant implications for the marine ecosystem.
Read more about how scientists have utilized satellite data to estimate sea-ice thickness and model light availability.
Destination Earth Is Now in Operation!
Destination Earth unveils its virtual counterpart of our planet, hosted at Finland’s EuroHPC LUMI Supercomputer Centre. This ambitious European Commission initiative harnesses digital twin technology, AI, and high-performance computing to unravel Earth’s complexities, aiding climate action and environmental resilience.
Planet Labs Teams Up with NVIDIA for Enhanced Satellite Insights
Planet Labs is set to transform Earth observation with its upcoming Pelican-2 satellite, featuring NVIDIA’s Jetson AI platform for enhanced imaging and rapid insights. This pioneering collaboration promises near real-time data delivery, even in low-bandwidth situations, enabling swift responses to dynamic events like forest fires.
Satellite Data Suggest U.S. Methane Emissions Underestimated
Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, has been underestimated in its impact on global warming, with new satellite-based analysis revealing emissions in the U.S. during 2019 were significantly higher than previous estimates. This discrepancy highlights the need for more accurate monitoring and reporting, as methane’s short-lived but intense warming effect makes it a critical target for climate change mitigation efforts. The study, led by NASA scientists, utilized satellite data and atmospheric models to pinpoint emissions sources, offering a more precise understanding of methane’s contribution to climate change.
Software, Tools and Services
GeoTools 31.2 Released (Security Issue)
This is an unscheduled release provided to help development teams address the security issue CVE-2024-36404. Details of this issue will be made available at the end of June. This is in line with their coordinated vulnerability disclosure policy, which gives projects sufficient time to update.
Newsletter Archive
For past editions of this newsletter, you can visit the archive.
That's it for this issue. I hope you enjoyed this collection of news. Stay tuned for the next edition, which will arrive in your inbox in about two weeks.
Tschüss and Goodbye!
Marco
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