A Beginner’s Guide to Seeing More With Satellite Imagery

This article is adapted from a more technically-detailed guide on Agnes Cameron’s blog.

In satellite imaging, images made using additional types of light are known as multispectral images.

These images use bands of light from the infrared part of the light spectrum, in addition to those typically visible to the human eye.

They can reveal useful information about the world, such as the presence and quality of water, types of vegetation, soil health and more.

Kaolin clay (also known as kaolinite) is a naturally occurring mineral that is used in many industries, most notably the production of paper and ceramics.

More than 8 million metric tons of kaolin clay, worth an estimated US$1 billion , are extracted from large open pit mines in Georgia state each year .

Satellite imagery analysis can help researchers monitor areas with high deposits of the mineral.

Multispectral satellite imaging provides broad and varied information about the Earth ’s surface, including much that is invisible to the naked eye.

Tracing bauxite mines can provide important insights into the political ecology of a region.

We can also compare multiple false colour images taken over time to visualise effects of policy changes on the region.