ROTATION FORESTS AND RANDOM FOREST CLASSIFIERS FOR MONITORING OF VEGETATION IN PAYS DE BREST (FRANCE)

Natural disasters often damage buildings and threaten lives, especially in areas with limited resources. To help improve emergency response, we created a global dataset called BRIGHT using both optical and radar images to detect building damage in any weather. We tested many artificial intelligence models and showed how well they work in real disaster scenes. This work can guide better tools for future disaster recovery and help save lives faster.

Key to the success of future satellite missions is understanding snowmelt in our warming climate, having implications for nearly 2 billion people. An obstacle is that an artifact, called the hook, is often mistaken for soot or dust. Instead it is caused by 3 amplifying effects: 1) a background reflectance that is too dark; 2) level terrain assumptions; 3) and differences in optical constants of ice. Sensor calibration and directional effects may also contribute. Solutions are presented.

Intensified drying of soil and grassland vegetation is raising the impact of fire severity and extent in Southern California. While browned grassland is a common sight during the dry season, this study has shown that there is a pronounced shift in the timing of senescence, due to changing climate conditions favoring milder winter temperatures and increased precipitation variability. Vegetation may be limited in its ability to adapt to these shifts, as drought periods become more frequent.