Presented to

Earthworks

Satellite Remote Sensing for Environmental Advocacy

John F. Amos, SkyTruth

Washington, DC – March 26, 2004

• A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization– exemption in March 2002

• Based in Shepherdstown, West Virginia

• A distributed network of remote sensing and GIS experts and partner organizations

• Providing remote sensing and GIS assistance and training to environmental advocates and government agencies

What Is SkyTruth?

Sand waves, Bahamas

Burning oil wells, Kuwait

Owl Creek Mountains, Wyoming

What Is Remote Sensing?

• Collecting information from a distance, by measuring energy coming from the target

– Energy reflected off the target from a natural source (sunlight)

– Energy reflected off the target from an artificial source (examples: sonar, seismic, radar)

– Energy emitted by the target (example: infrared “heat”)

Landsat ETM satellite image

Northern California

180x180 km

REFLECTED ENERGY, NATURAL SOURCE

Visible – Infrared Image

Aster satellite image

US – Mexico border

REFLECTED ENERGY, NATURAL SOURCE

Visible – Infrared Image

Probe airborne scanner image

Santa Barbara, California

REFLECTED ENERGY, NATURAL SOURCE

Visible – Infrared Image

RADARSATradar satellite image

Natural oil slicks

Gulf of Mexico

REFLECTED ENERGY, ARTIFICIAL SOURCE

Radar Image

Landsat ETM thermal infrared satellite image

Wildfire (yellow line) and burned area (dark red)

Kazakhstan

EMITTED ENERGY

Thermal Image

Trends in Remote Sensing

Decreasing Data Cost

Landsat, 1990s: $4,400 Landsat, today: $ 600

Desktop Mapping

Improved GIS software Powerful desktop PCs Demonstrated applications Rapid Internet distribution

New Platforms/Sensors

High-resolution, Radar, Hyperspectral

High-Resolution Imagery

Ikonos high-resolution satellite image

1 meter detail (50 cm in 2004?)

Precision mapping, monitoring

Tanker salvage operation, BrazilIkonos high-resolution satellite image

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Gas Field Infrastructure – Jonah, WY

Upper Green River valley, Wyoming

Pinedale BLM jurisdiction, black

Jonah natural gas field, red

Landsat TM

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Gas Field Infrastructure – Jonah, WY

Well pad with working drill rig

Pad ~4 acres

Jonah gas field

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Gas Field Infrastructure – Jonah, WY

Jonah field – aerial view looking west, June 2001

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Gas Field Infrastructure – Jonah, WY

1986

Landsat TM

7 miles

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Gas Field Infrastructure – Jonah, WY

1999

7 miles

Landsat ETM

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Gas Field Infrastructure – Jonah, WY

2001

7 miles

Landsat ETM

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Gas Field Infrastructure – Jonah, WY

2002

7 miles

Landsat ETM

Products

• Poster-size maps, images, image collages

• Page-size information handouts

• Digital graphics

– Slide shows

– Web publishing

– Brochures and flyers

Products

• GIS Data Layers

– Map oriented, enhanced imagery

– Analyses derived from imagery

• Land use / land cover

• Change detection

• Pollution detection

• Forward-looking simulations

Brochure

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Gas Field Infrastructure – Jonah, WY

Elk and Pronghorn migration corridor

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Mining

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Mining - Rudnyi, Kazakhstan

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Mining - Rudnyi, Kazakhstan

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Mining - Rudnyi, Kazakhstan

Tailings pond dimensions calculated on-screen

Length (E-W) is 5.4 km

Area is 950 ha

Tailings volume is 190M m3

(assuming 20m thickness)

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Mining – Mountaintop Removal, WV

Valley fill operation

Kayford MtnWest Virginia

1987

Marfork complex, WV

2000

Marfork complex, WV

Washington DC

Marfork complex

Washington DC

1987 – View to west, future Marfork mining area.Image draped on topography data.

2000 – View to west, Marfork mine complex.Topography data modified to average elevation

calculated within mining area.

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Mining – Mountaintop Removal, WV

Regional impact of mining practices

Marfork complex in upper right

Other MTRM areas pink

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Mining – Carlin Trend, NV

Betze-Post Mine

Largest gold mine in U.S.

3rd largest in world

Surface and underground operations

Cyanide heap-leaching

Betze-Post gold mine

2 years after surface ore discovery (Post deposit)

Total surface area impact:3,226 acres

1984

Betze-Post gold mine

4 years after acquisition by Barrick and discovery of Betze deposit

Total surface area impact6,812 acres512 acres/yr

1991

Betze-Post gold mine

4 years after Barrick opens underground Meikle deposit

Total surface area impact14,036 acres803 acres/yr

2000

1984

2000

What if?

San Francisco

Hmmm…

20 years after gold is discovered in Mission District

MINE SITE

VIEW TO WEST FROM PROPOSED ROCK CREEK MINE

WHAT IF…? CARLIN-SIZED MINING COMPLEX

New Perspectives