{"id":72668,"date":"2015-11-13T18:47:48","date_gmt":"2015-11-13T10:47:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/satellite-serves-a-thirstier-world-3\/"},"modified":"2015-11-13T18:47:48","modified_gmt":"2015-11-13T10:47:48","slug":"satellite-serves-a-thirstier-world-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/satellite-serves-a-thirstier-world-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Satellite Serves a Thirstier World"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Water. We are literally made of the stuff. That\u2019s why we can survive for weeks without food but only days without water. We drink it, cook with it, bathe in it, grow food with it, clean with it, swim in it, and use it in almost every kind of industry. After the air we breathe, it is the ancient element we can least do without.<\/p>\n<p>Climate change has focused new attention on water. As the planet warms, faster evapora\u00action and changing weather patterns are making the dry parts of the world even dryer. Political turmoil and human migration follow, with talk of \u201cwater wars\u201d in the places where countries share a water supply. Ensuring that enough of the world\u2019s people have access to enough water is now a challenge with global consequences. Fortunately, there is a global technology ready to help: satellite.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"220\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/vS1zaZM9T6SdfkS8BNUG_VS20December202015-300x220.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"width: 120px; height: auto;\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/vS1zaZM9T6SdfkS8BNUG_VS20December202015-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/vS1zaZM9T6SdfkS8BNUG_VS20December202015-800x587.png 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/vS1zaZM9T6SdfkS8BNUG_VS20December202015-640x470.png 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/vS1zaZM9T6SdfkS8BNUG_VS20December202015.png 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"fs-5 mt-0\">Explore the December 2015 Issue<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-0 fs-smaller text-balance\">Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-primary\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"offcanvas\" data-bs-target=\"#offcanvasMENU\" aria-controls=\"offcanvasExample\" aria-label=\"button\" style=\"white-space: nowrap;\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tView More <i class=\"bi bi-arrow-right-circle\"><\/i><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button><\/p>\n<h2>Finding the Water Supply<\/h2>\n<p>The planet\u2019s fresh water comes from two sources: surface water in lakes and streams, and underground water in aquifers. We have been mapping lakes and rivers for centuries \u2013 but it is only recently we have been able to answer a fundamental question: how much fresh water is there on earth? The answers come to us from a US-German satellite mission called GRACE. The GRACE satellites make very precise measure\u00acment of changes in gravity below them as they pass over the Earth. Because water is less dense than rock or soil, it exerts less of a gravitational pull. Human beings can\u2019t tell the difference, but GRACE can use it to detect the presence and depth of surface water and provide the first accurate global inventory of surface water.<\/p>\n<p>Scientists are even finding ways to use satel\u00aclites to find water hiding underground, which makes up as much as 40 percent of global supplies. Using a NASA radar satellite, a team from Stanford University recently achieved the first success in predicting the amount of groundwater beneath locations in California. Another research team has proven that areas of lower temperature on the ground signal sup\u00acplies of water below that are close to the surface. Knowing where the groundwater is near the surface can make a life or death differ\u00acence in developing nations. Laborers with hand tools can dig shallow wells, while deeper ones require costly mechanized drills.<\/p>\n<h2>Protecting Purity<\/h2>\n<p>Having a source of water nearby does not guar\u00acantee an end to thirst. For much of our history, water has also been the place where our waste winds up, whether from sewer systems, facto\u00acries or farmers\u2019 fields. Images from satellites provide a cheap and powerful way to track pol\u00aclution in real time. LANDSAT is the original network of earth observation satellites, launched by NASA beginning in 1972. Newer competitors include DigitalGlobe, BlackBridge, Google\u2019s Skybox and Planet Labs. Through sat\u00acellite images, it is possible to determine water quality by measuring its load of algae, which feeds on sewage and nitrates. A company called Blue Water Satellite has turned that technology into a business that identifies leaks, monitors potential pollution sources and assesses indus\u00actrial impacts on water supplies.<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a6954ce5b26b;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a6954ce5b26b = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a6954ce5b26c').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a6954ce5b26c'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Drought is part of the natural cycle in many places and the rise in global temperatures appears to be making the cycles worse. When the rain fails, the natural impulse is to pump more water from the ground to make up the difference. That\u2019s especially true in agricultural regions, where 60-70% of groundwater goes to irrigation.<\/p>\n<p>The trouble is, you can easily drain more water from the ground than nature restores. The result is the same as overdrawing your bank account.<\/p>\n<p>Satellite data has revealed the impact of pulling too much water from the ground. Cali\u00acfornia\u2019s Department of Water Resources reported in 2015 that parts of the agricultural San Joaquin valley are sinking at the rate of 2 inches (5 cm) per month. The information came from a NASA radar satellite called InSer, which measures elevation with extreme precision. That sinking has already damaged thousands of wells. By compressing layers of soil and rock, it can permanently reduce the storage space available for groundwater.<\/p>\n<p>The good news is that knowledge can lead to change. Parts of California\u2019s Santa Clara Valley sank 13 feet in the first half of the 20th Century, but smart policies \u2013 diversifying water supplies and allowing the aquifer to recharge \u2013 stopped subsidence in its tracks.<\/p>\n<h2>Too Much of a Good Thing<\/h2>\n<p>As essential as it is, water can also be too much of a good thing. Flooding kills more people than any other natural disaster. Imagery from satel\u00aclites is playing a key role in reducing the death toll and minimizing damage. In 2015, the African nation of Malawi began using data from the European Space Agency\u2019s Sentinel 1 radar satellite to map massive floods on the Zambezi River. In addition to providing accurate maps to guide disaster response, the data is being used to develop a flood forecasting tool that will alert communities to danger before it strikes.<\/p>\n<p>In 2000, the United Nations set develop\u00acment goals for the new millennium. One of them was to cut in half the number of people without access to clean water and sanitation. That goal was met. From 1990 to 2015, 2.6 billion gained access to clean water and 2.1 billion to sanita\u00action. But the UN also expects that, by 2025, water scarcity will affect 1.8 billion people, and access to water will be an occasional issue for a remarkable two-thirds of us. With water becoming more precious by the year, satellite will help us find and protect it \u2013 and sometimes defend us from it \u2013 for decades to come.<\/p>\n<p><em>With a little help from our friends at Via Satellite and fellow global non-profits ESOA, GVF, WTA, SIA and CASBA, SSPI has launched a campaign to tell the human side of the satellite story. We call it \u201cBetter Satellite World.\u201d It is designed to gather stories from around the world and to change the global conversation about this amazing industry. Join us by sending us your story.&nbsp;<\/em><em><\/em><em>#bettersatelliteworld<\/em><\/p>\n<p><sub><em>Researched and written by Angela Davis. Sources. \u201cSatellite Missions Improve Water Estimates,\u201d by Matteo Luccio, Sensors &amp; Systems, June 17, 2013. \u201cSatellite Data Provides Picture of Underground Water,\u201d Stanford University, ScienceDaily, June 18, 2014. \u201cPotential for Satellite Remote Sensing of Ground Water,\u201d by Matthew W. Becker, Ground Water, March-April, 2006. \u201cLocating Shallow Water Using Satellite Imagery,\u201d by Paul Knerr, AfricanWaterProjects.org, March 15, 2015. \u201cGroundwater Pumping Speeding Subsidence in Central California,\u201d Reuters, August 19, 2015.<\/em><\/sub><\/p>\n<p><sub><em>\u201cThe Hidden Costs of Groundwater Overdraft,\u201d by Tara Moran, Jenny Choy and Carolina Sanchez, Water in the West, Stanford University, September 9, 2015. \u201cCalifornia is Sinking Faster Than Thought, Aquifers Could Permanently Shrink,\u201d by Tia Ghose, Science, September 15, 2015. \u201cSentinel-1 Monitors Floods in Malawi,\u201d European Space Agency, January 20, 2015.<\/em><\/sub><\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">In This Issue<\/h2>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 153:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"188\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/iCeFL2FQRGuMS6F9g6xO_abstract_color_background_picture_8016-wide-300x188.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/iCeFL2FQRGuMS6F9g6xO_abstract_color_background_picture_8016-wide-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/iCeFL2FQRGuMS6F9g6xO_abstract_color_background_picture_8016-wide-800x500.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/iCeFL2FQRGuMS6F9g6xO_abstract_color_background_picture_8016-wide-640x400.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/iCeFL2FQRGuMS6F9g6xO_abstract_color_background_picture_8016-wide.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tMomentous Year for Industry Needs to End on High Note at WRC-2015<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 154:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/hf7PDODkQqCwaHePMfCA_21434452519_b72537d30d_o-300x200.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/hf7PDODkQqCwaHePMfCA_21434452519_b72537d30d_o-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/hf7PDODkQqCwaHePMfCA_21434452519_b72537d30d_o-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/hf7PDODkQqCwaHePMfCA_21434452519_b72537d30d_o-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/hf7PDODkQqCwaHePMfCA_21434452519_b72537d30d_o.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tPeople Watching: Tracking and Monitoring Migration<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 156:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/he7s0QRESzWcAE3PXSxK_07_VS_120115_Perspective_p34_39-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/he7s0QRESzWcAE3PXSxK_07_VS_120115_Perspective_p34_39-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/he7s0QRESzWcAE3PXSxK_07_VS_120115_Perspective_p34_39-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/he7s0QRESzWcAE3PXSxK_07_VS_120115_Perspective_p34_39-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/he7s0QRESzWcAE3PXSxK_07_VS_120115_Perspective_p34_39.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tRussian Space Industry Remains Defiant Despite Tough Operating Conditions<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 155:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/ZeHdTVz6QJSZH5eOhRbI_05_VS_120115_Ft1_p20_24-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/ZeHdTVz6QJSZH5eOhRbI_05_VS_120115_Ft1_p20_24-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/ZeHdTVz6QJSZH5eOhRbI_05_VS_120115_Ft1_p20_24-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/ZeHdTVz6QJSZH5eOhRbI_05_VS_120115_Ft1_p20_24-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/ZeHdTVz6QJSZH5eOhRbI_05_VS_120115_Ft1_p20_24.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tSmallsats: Change Agents From the Ground Up<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 158:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"188\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/9SY0iKFHSN6zMiE0lhCs_background-wallpapers-32-300x188.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/9SY0iKFHSN6zMiE0lhCs_background-wallpapers-32-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/9SY0iKFHSN6zMiE0lhCs_background-wallpapers-32-800x500.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/9SY0iKFHSN6zMiE0lhCs_background-wallpapers-32-640x400.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/9SY0iKFHSN6zMiE0lhCs_background-wallpapers-32.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tStill Drinking the Latency Kool-Aid<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 157:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CUDLc2OQxKnDoOg2mPzH_grid-725260_1920-300x199.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CUDLc2OQxKnDoOg2mPzH_grid-725260_1920-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CUDLc2OQxKnDoOg2mPzH_grid-725260_1920-800x531.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CUDLc2OQxKnDoOg2mPzH_grid-725260_1920-640x425.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/CUDLc2OQxKnDoOg2mPzH_grid-725260_1920.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tThe Satellite Industry Facelift<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Water. We are literally made of the stuff. That\u2019s why we can survive for weeks without food but only days without water. We drink it, cook with it, bathe in it, grow food with it, clean with it, swim in it, and use it in almost every kind of industry. After the air we breathe, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":72670,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72668"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72668"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72668\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}