DMCii Demonstrates Remote Sensing for Carbon

by | Jun 4, 2014

Guildford, United Kingdom, May 21, 2014”British satellite imaging company DMC International Imaging Ltd (DMCii) today demonstrates their Technology Strategy Board supported project which has developed a ground-breaking new system to calculate carbon from Earth Observation (EO) data, one of the most prominent greenhouse gases affecting global warming.

The Remote Sensing for Carbon (RSC) system has been developed with project partners Rezatec, carbon intelligence providers, and University College London (UCL), world-renowned remote sensing and carbon sequestration researchers, under the leadership of satellite operator and remote sensing solution provider DMCii.  It delivers scientifically validated carbon market intelligence data, which will help organisations in their efforts to reduce deforestation and degradation.

The RSC system is equipped with a new carbon model, developed by Rezatec, which calculates carbon from EO and ground data, whilst the RSC system error and uncertainty values are calculated using methods developed by UCL, providing transparency and reliability for the RSC Carbon products.  The RSC carbon model has been built to accommodate EO data from a range of sources “ including DMCii's high resolution forest imagery Big Data database, developed specifically for this project.  Direct access to the RSC Carbon Products will be through DMCii's purpose built RSC API and also through the RSC Web Client.  The RSC System will be operational and available for use by third parties from September 2014.

This £1.2 million project, supported by the UK's innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, is the first of its kind. It will not only give more certain carbon measurements but will offer a level off transparency on the uncertainties associated with those measurements.  The real innovation in this project is the end-to-end quality assurance on offer, says Claire FitzGerald, DMCii Project Manager, the RSC system quantification of uncertainty allows us to demonstrate transparency to the customers in a way which has until now been unavailable.

This project represents ground breaking advancements in the way land carbon values are monitored and calculated, as land use change and degradation have been a significant source of atmospheric carbon dioxide and thus a major contributor to climate change. Providing accurate annual land carbon stock measures will allow countries and regions to access the carbon markets and provide a means to making a tree worth more standing up than being cut down said Professor Mark Maslin (UCL).

Speaking about the importance of clarity in data for decision makers Claire said, Transparency about the uncertainties is essential “ for example a forestry director in government setting policies based on this information needs to understand how reliable the data are.  RSC data will facilitate better informed decision making.

Patrick Newton, CEO of Rezatec commented on the new approach to calculating carbon values, The carbon stock methodology developed specifically for the project is built on first principles and incorporates feedback from UCL and different stakeholders around the world.

The RSC System is today being demonstrated to stakeholders in a workshop at the Satellite Applications Catapult, Harwell, Oxfordshire.  The project is expected to be finalized and launched at the end of August 2014, at which point the RSC data will be made available for purchase to third parties, accessible via either API or web client.

About DMCii

DMCii is a UK-based supplier of remote sensing data products and services for international Earth Observation (EO) markets. DMCii supplies programmed and archived optical satellite imagery provided by the multi-satellite Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC). DMCii's data is primarily used in a wide variety of commercial and government applications including agriculture, forestry and environmental mapping, which benefit from reliable high temporal resolution optical imagery.

In partnership with the UK Space Agency and the other DMC member nations (Algeria, China, Nigeria, Turkey and Spain), DMCii works with the International Charter ˜Space and Major Disasters' to provide free satellite imagery for humanitarian use in the event of major international disasters such as tsunamis, hurricanes, fires and flooding.

DMCii was formed in October 2004 and is a subsidiary of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), the world leader in small satellite technology. SSTL designed and built the DMC with the support of the UK Space Agency and in conjunction with the other DMC Consortium member nations listed above.  www.dmcii.com

DMCii is not affiliated in any way with Intergraph Corp., Z/I Imaging Corp., or their registered trademark DMC.

About Rezatec

Rezatecâ„¢ applies new science to remote sensing data, such as satellite imagery, to produce high-value satellite-based environmental data products that help customers manage the impact of environmental change on their business.  Rezatec's unique strength lies in its ability to aggregate large amounts of diverse data from satellite, airborne and ground instruments as the basis for advanced predictive analysis, directly resolving commercial issues for science and non-science users.

Headquartered within the Harwell Space Cluster, Oxfordshire, in the UK, Rezatec provides its data products to a wide range of industries focused around the following markets: food, energy, water, waste and forestry.  www.rezatec.com

About the Technology Strategy Board

The Technology Strategy Board is the UK's innovation agency; its goal is to accelerate economic growth by stimulating and supporting business-led innovation. Sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Technology Strategy Board brings together business, research and the public sector, supporting and accelerating the development of innovative products and services to meet market needs, tackle major societal challenges and help build the future economy. For more information please visit: www.innovateuk.org.

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