THE
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Department of Geographical Sciences’
Seminar Series, Fall 2015
Thursday, November 19, 2015
3:30 — 5:00
p.m., 1124 LeFrak Hall
A new generation of satellite instruments, represented by the Suomi
National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (Suomi-NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging
Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), offer global measurements of nocturnal visible and
near-infrared light suitable for urban science research. While many promising urban-focused applications have been developed using nighttime satellite
imagery, most studies have been limited by the quality of the captured imagery
and the retrieval methods used in heritage
products. Instead, science- quality
products that are both global in extent and local in resolution were needed to
dynamically monitor human settlements
worldwide. Since the first-light images from the VIIRS were received in January 2012, our
team has worked on maximizing the capabilities of these low-light measurements
to generate a wealth of new information
useful for understanding urbanization processes, urban functions and the vulnerabil- ity of urban areas to climate hazards. Our team has demonstrated
that tracking VIIRS nighttime measure- ments can provide
valuable information about the character of the human
activities and behaviors that shape energy consumption and vulnerability. VIIRS measurements provide
insight into the social, eco- nomic, and cultural activities that shape energy
and infrastructure use.
