Passive microwave (PMW) satellite data have been widely used to monitor Antarctic sea ice velocity (SIV) on a pan-Antarctic scale. We present a comprehensive evaluation of a PMW-derived Antarctic SIV by leveraging high-resolution SIV fields derived from synthetic aperture radar imagery. We found a widespread ~1 km d^-1 underestimation of ice drift speed across the Southern Ocean, caused by optimal interpolation.

This study examines the rapid expansion of unregulated gold mining in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest. Using different types of satellite images, the spread of mining over time is analyzed and reproducible workflows are presented. Results show significant growth, especially in recent years, often starting along rivers and expanding into surrounding forests, highlighting the value of satellite monitoring for environmental protection and informed decision-making.

Antarctic ice shelves help slow ice flow into the ocean, but their stability depends partly on the upper firn layer. Air in firn affects how much meltwater can be stored, while grain size helps describe firn structure. We combined fifteen years of satellite radar data with physical models to estimate these properties across Antarctic ice shelves. Our results provide a new way to monitor conditions linked to meltwater build-up and possible instability.

We mapped the riverbed through a 28 km canyon in southern France using airborne laser measurements, where field surveys are difficult and risky. By reprocessing the full recorded signal and combining it with targeted sonar checks, we recovered deeper and more complete underwater terrain than standard approaches. The resulting riverbed elevation model preserves key channel shapes needed for improved flood simulations, habitat assessment, and river management.

Repeated airborne laser surveys were used to study how forest structure can be tracked over time in Switzerland. By comparing different years and methods, canopy height estimates were found to be consistent, while vegetation density results varied depending on how the data were collected. This highlights the need for consistent methods and data collection for reliable long-term analysis.

High-resolution satellite imagery was used to map the expansion in number and area of glacial lakes across Kyrgyzstan from 2016 to 2024. Small, high-elevation, glacier-connected lakes grew most, whereas larger, lower-elevation lakes remained stable. Including these often omitted small dynamic lakes in the 2024 inventory advances comprehensive monitoring of glacier–lake systems and high-mountain hydrology, highlighting how glacier retreat and topography shape lake distribution.

This study summarizes challenges of operating consumer-grade UAVs over high-latitude Arctic pack ice. High ice-floe drift and the lack of commercial grid-mission solutions north of 85° N hinder the generation of void-free orthomosaics and DEMs. We present an autonomous high-latitude grid-flight approach with pre- and post-flight drift correction, applied during ArcWatch-2 (Aug/Sep 2024), enabling ice thickness, surface type and pond depth retrievals.

New satellite observations are used to improve our understanding of agricultural land on a global scale. Innovative artificial intelligence methods are employed to combine the available information. This improvement is evaluated using independent observations and varies depending on the characteristics of instruments and models.