Satellite Technology Sheds Light on Urban Nightscapes: SDGSAT-1's Role in Tackling LED Light Pollution

In response to the growing imperative for decarbonization, the widespread transition from artificial light at night (ALAN) to light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has inadvertently given rise to a new challenge – blue light pollution and its associated adverse effects. Recognizing the urgency of this issue, scientists from the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have turned to the Sustainable Development Science Satellite-1 (SDGSAT-1) as a pioneering tool to address and manage the impact of modern illumination sources on the urban environment.

Jan 08, 2024

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Satellite Altimetry Reveals Significant Changes in Water Levels of Chinese Lakes Over Two Decades

In a recent study published in the Big Earth Data on Jan.3, scientists from the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) harnessed satellite altimetry to monitor water level changes in 988 lakes, each exceeding 10 square kilometers, across China. The research, spanning from 2002 to 2023, utilized data from ICESat/-2, Cryosat-2, Jason-1/2/3, and Sentinel-3A/3B altimeters, employing techniques such as waveform retracking, lake level extraction, time series construction, multi-altimeter data fusion, and outlier removal.

Jan 08, 2024

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Light Pollution Dataset for Iberian Peninsula Released

The inaugural dataset of light pollution data for the Iberian Peninsula was released on December 13, 2023, by the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS) in partnership with the Complutense University of Madrid. The event marked a milestone that made it possible of utilizing data from the Sustainable Development Science Satellite 1 (SDGSAT-1).

Jan 05, 2024

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Remote Sensing Reveals Alarming Increase in Global Heat Waves in 2018

In a recent study published in the International Journal of Earth Observation and Geoinformation，researchers from the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals employed remote sensing technology to investigate the unprecedented surge in heat wave events across the globe in 2018.

Dec 25, 2023

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New Model Sheds Light on Grassland Desertification Dynamics

In a recent study published in Remote Sensing on December 13, scientists from the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences（CAS）have employed a Desertification Difference Index (DDI) model to better understand and combat global grassland desertification. The research, centered in Xilingol, northern China’s Inner Mongolia，focused on extracting desertification information using albedo-EVI, revealing insights into the spatial and temporal dynamics of desertified grasslands (DGLs).

Dec 21, 2023

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