Here's how the world monitors natural disasters and environmental changes

Mar 16, 2023

A digital image of Earth uses data collected from several satellites

Over 8,000 satellites are orbiting Earth today, capturing images like this. Image: REUTERS

Qiusheng Wu

Assistant Professor of Geography and Sustainability, University of Tennessee

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Landsat time-lapse animations show the river dynamics in Pucallpa, Peru. Image: Qiusheng Wu/NASA.

A Landsat time-lapse shows the shoreline retreat in the Parc Natural del Delta, Spain. Image: Qiusheng Wu/NASA.

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GOES images show the decline of the crucial Colorado River reservoir Lake Mead since the 1980s and the growth of neighbouring Las Vegas. Image: Qiusheng Wu/NOAA GOES.

A GOES satellite time-lapse shows the Hunga Tonga volcanic eruption on Jan. 15, 2022 Image: Qiusheng Wu/NOAA GOES.

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Landsat satellite images showing a side-by-side comparison of southern Pakistan in August 2021 (one year before the floods) and August 2022 (right). Image: Qiusheng Wu/NASA.

A GOES satellite shows an atmospheric river arriving on the West Coast in 2021 Image: Qiusheng Wu/GOES.

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