Coastal waters and nearshore groundwater supplies along more than a fifth of coastlines in the contiguous United States are vulnerable to contamination from previously hidden underground transfers of water between the oceans and land.
Bonus Result: CryoSat Accurately Measures Coastal Sea Levels
Scientists from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences report that the European Space Agency's CryoSat satellite and its radar altimeter can map coastal sea levels much closer than previous satellite-based methods.
Satellites Find Source of Aurora Explosions
An international team led by Hiroshi Hasegawa and Naritoshi Kitamura (ISAS/JAXA) analyzed data taken by the U.S.-Japan collaborative GEOTAIL mission and NASA's MMS satellites, finding that the interaction between the magnetic fields of Earth and the Sun, or more precisely the phenomenon known as magnetic reconnection, can feed aurora explosions.
DOI, UAS Industry Partnering to Reduce Firefighting Interference
To address the growing problem of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) impeding wildland firefighting efforts, the U.S. Department of the Interior and industry partners activated a prototype warning system that provides real-time alerts and geofencing alarms to prevent drone pilots from interfering with firefighting operations.
Moth Damage Seen from Space
Although the headline conjures images of Mothra from the old Godzilla movies, the destructive insects in this care are the European gypsy moth caterpillar, which is experiencing a population boom and chewing through large swaths of hardwood forest in New England and the Mid-Atlantic.
Esri Introduces New Type of Imagery Book
The ArcGIS Imagery Book is a new multimedia compilation published by Esri to help readers understand how imagery and remote sensing power modern GIS technology.
SmallSat Market: $22 Billion Over Next 10 Years
According to a Euroconsult report, Prospects for the Small Satellite Market, more than 3,600 SmallSats are expected to be launched over the next 10 years. The total market value of these satellites is anticipated to be $22 billion (manufacture and launch), a 76-percent increase over that of 2006-2015.
Aerial Hyperspectral Survey Assesses Alaskan Minerals
Although Alaska contains vast mineral deposits, its size and remoteness have prohibited study and extraction of these resources. To remedy this, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began the Alaska Hyperspectral Project to assess the applicability of hyperspectral surveying to rapidly acquire data about the distributions of surficial materials, including different types of bedrock and ground cover.
Copernicus Accelerator Seeking Applications
Until July 18, 2016, the European Commission is taking applications from individuals and teams from startups, SMEs, industrial companies, research institutes and universities for its Copernicus Accelerator, which hopes to foster development of commercial space applications and products.
Amazon Basin Drought Upping Fire Risk
In South America's Amazon basin, El Niño conditions in 2015 and early 2016 reduced rainfall during the wet season, leaving the region drier at the start of the 2016 dry season than any year since 2002.
