STEM Program

Using Satellite Data to Map, Monitor, and Assess Our Changing Environment from Space

Faculty Advisor: Research Associate Professor, Boston University

Research Program Introduction

How are we changing the physical environment of Earth’s Surface? How can we measure and monitor these changes? What is triggering or accelerating these changes? For decades, satellite instruments have reliably monitored land and water resources and ecosystems’ health and conditions and have helped scientists better understand the causes of their degradation or recovery. 

A large portion of the world’s population is now living in cities that are prone to extreme weather events and natural hazards. Flash floods, for example, are significant risks for cities due to increasing impervious surface area, inadequate stormwater drainage, and aging infrastructure. Other regions of the world are prone to acute water shortage because of fast-growing urban areas coupled with mismanagement of water and soil resources and changing precipitation rates and surface temperatures. Climate change also contributes to more frequent and severe wildfires in many regions, causing devastation to the natural and built environment.

This program introduces students to web-based tools to explore and monitor changes occurring on the Earth’s surface. It further introduces principles and theories of earth sciences related to environmental change. Through hands-on exercises and weekly discussions of readings, students will explore various Earth observation satellite data and applications.

Students will also learn general and subject-specific research and academic writing methods used in universities and scholarly publications. Students will focus on individual topics and generate their own work products upon program completion.

Possible Topics For Final Project:

  • Water resource management crisis in megacities. How can a combination of drought and water resource mismanagement lead to water shortages in large urban areas such as Cape Town in South Africa?

  • Investigating the cause and effects of flash floods in coastal urban environments. Learn how satellite data enables us to map, monitor, and develop better flood management plans.

  • Mapping habitats and assessing potential threats to biodiversity. Learn about how geospatial technology can be used to map and monitor species distribution and habitats.

  • Exploring air quality using satellite data. Identify different types of aerosols and learn how they can be measured from space. Examine the air pollution problem in North America and/or East Asia.

  • Coral reef bleaching: a human-driven phenomenon? How can satellite instruments monitor coastal marine ecosystems and conditions? 

  • Urban heat island effect. What causes increased heat emission in metropolitan areas compared to surrounding rural areas, and what are the environmental impacts?

  • Other professor-approved topics in this subject area that you are interested in

Program Details

  • Cohort size: 3 to 5 students

  • Workload: Around 4 to 5 hours per week (including class and homework time)

  • Target students: 9 to 12th graders interested in Geography, Environment Sciences, Climate Change, and/or Energy Reservation.

  • Schedule: TBD. Meetings will take place for around one hour per week, with a weekly meeting day and time to be determined one week before the class start date.