The Delta, and the farms that rely on its resources, have faced several environmental pressures in recent decades. Increased urbanization has contributed greatly to lost farmland as the population has soared. But the combined impact of dams upriver, which impede the sediment that makes the delta so fertile, coupled with sea-level rise due to climate change has caused serious soil degradation. The result of these processes has led to increased soil salinity in area of the delta closest to the Mediterranean Sea.

This project visualizes the spatial distribution of this stress within the Nile River Delta through the production of a spectrally-derived index; vegetation soil salinity. In the map, blue values depict healthy green vegetative farms, whereas red areas delineate fields inundated by sea water, as well as urban areas and branches of the Nile. See full poster here

Data: Landsat 8

Tools: CATALYST.Earth, ArcGIS Pro

Since the early 20th century, Lake Maracaibo has been a site for numerous petroleum extraction wells; crude oil being the the industry that has fueled the Venezuelan economy for decades. Decaying transportation pipelines and derricks crisscross the lake’s bottom, mainly along its eastern shore, leaking crude oil that appears on the water surface and accumulates in coastal mangrove forests.

Landsat 8 imagery from September, 2021 displays hundreds of faint oil streaks near Ciudad Ojeda. This project used image enhancement techniques to better distinguish the streaks. From left to right in the image: original true-colour image, histogram equalization enhancement, custom manual enhancement. Full poster here.

Data: Landsat 8

Tools: CATALYST.Earth