Our reputation in remote sensing is for innovation and scientific rigour. We are able to service all established applications such as environmental and resource exploration and monitoring. A recent new and unique application is pipeline monitoring for geotechnical risk, in particular earthquake deformation, early warning and prediction. Below are other new remote sensing applications unique to EnviroScience demonstrating this innovative capability. Mining applications of InSAR pioneered by EnviroScience are also shown in some detail, from links above. With a background in engineering, science and environment, our take on remote sensing, is both very practical and thoroughly scientific. We are well connected with mining and geology in the UK, South Africa, Czech Republic and Bhutan. We have presented up to ministerial level, UK DTI, ESA and multinationals.

Glaciers high in the Himalayas of Bhutan, have been monitored for moraine dam instability aiming to give early warning of catastrophic dam and lake burst failure and hazards down river, as a wave front descends. Such events are likely to be increasing with climate change and glacier recession. Currently the Lunana valley experiences such an event once in 5 years. The glaciers are extremely remote, 10 days trek from the nearest road head, hence well suited to remote sensing.

SPOT optical Images (top) of the Lunana glaciers showing glacier change over several years. Note the position of the glacier snouts and the size of the periglacial lakes

ERS SAR Radar coherence image (lower) unique to EnviroScience, discriminating between stable (red) and unstable/low coherence rock (blue), Lunana glaciers, Bhutan.

EnviroScience in collaboration, has proposed development of Infrastructure monitoring using CTM, a development of InSAR. New engineering applications are proposed as well as mining subsidence and London Clay subsidence, along with - Rail and road embankment stability, coastal landslide, pipeline stability, dams. Refinements in technique and data extraction to GIS are unique to EnviroScience and offer extremely cost effective semi-automatic surveillance of infrastructure on any scale, e.g a complete city/state/national highway, pipeline or rail network.

Namaqualand, South Africa. - Ongoing collaboration with the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, is seeking to locate improved desert ground water resources. Remarkably, almost all fresh water in Namaqualand, comes from sea mist condensing on exposed granite domes, thus recharging groundwater. The granite domes are being mapped and analysed by satellite using SAR textural analysis, mapped according to the degree of granite dome fissuring, which may be significant to recharge efficiency. LANDSAT is used for general mapping.

Soil Structural Damage - caused by farm machinery is identified by LANDSAT image processing, detected as crop stress. Results are used as evidence where a disputed claim of damage due to mining subsidence, seems unlikely to be the cause of the crop damage in question.

North Atlantic Ice Flow - The North Atlantic and much of the Arctic Sea can be imaged in real time from NOAA satellites with inexpensive receiver hardware, in the UK. Images received on such portable equipment , have for instance shown abnormally large ice flows between Iceland and Greenland as an indicator of climate change. Real time imaging of pack ice is available.

Habitat mapping - LANDSAT data enables accurate species mapping of agriculture, forestry and natural habitats. Archived satellite passes can map ecological succession over extended time periods and where past survey data is not available. Invasive species can be mapped and woodland management planned. Biomass and problem species have been mapped and validated over the London region to account for the impact of vegetation and particular species in the modelling of London Clay shrink and swell.

Resource Exploration A diversity of remote sensing techniques can be applied to map and evaluate potential resources. As well as expertise in conventional techniques using a full range of multispectral and hyperspectral satellites, EnviroScience can offer particular expertise in satellite radar, which can identify otherwise obscured features, under all weather conditions, largely unaffected by cloud cover. Airborne data (radar/MS/HS etc) can also be used from archive or on bespoke mission. Data can be integrated and modelled.