Mapping Something Unthinkable: Flood Risk in Madrid using Open Data

Dont get wrong if you see the IA background showing our handsome major almost showing his beautiful smile in Cibeles/Correos it’s only to get your attentions (only if you need it thou!). Flooding in urban environments is not a speculative hazard but something we can quantify. In the case of Madrid, the intersection of pretty mountainous terrain (it might surprise you there are 2000m difference between the highest spot in Madrid province, Pico Peñalara -2428m- and the Alberche river environment in some areas -430m-) and urban expansion presents a scenario of significant risk, particularly when analyzed through the lens of shared high-resolution geospatial data. This study integrates the buildings from BTN (Base Topográfica Nacional) provided by the Spanish “IGN”, the CNIG with the official flood hazard maps for a 100-year return period (T=100), published by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO). The T=100 scenario is the most representative for evaluating long-term flood exposure, as it reflects events with a 1% annual probability—rare but not improbable, and certainly not negligible.

Precision Elevation Data for Forest Giants: LiDAR vs ETH Global Canopy Height in Mata do Buçaco (Portugal)

High‑resolution elevation data underpins almost every spatial analysis we do in GIS—especially in forests where vertical structure defines habitat, biomass, wind exposure, fire behavior, hydrology, and the microclimates that sustain rare species. In rugged or densely vegetated environments, a coarse or biased elevation model propagates error everywhere: orthorectification drifts, hillshades mislead, slope/aspect misclassify, and canopy metrics saturate. The result is decisions made on blurred terrain that hides the very patterns we seek to manage. Precision elevation—derived from airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)—solves this by separating the ground from the vegetation and delivering both a bare‑earth Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and a Digital Surface Model (DSM). Subtracting DTM from DSM gives a Canopy Height Model (DHM) that captures the true vertical architecture of the forest at sub‑meter resolution.

Agricultura de Precisión. Uso del Satélite para la toma de decisiones en el campo

Quieres conocer cuál es el momento óptimo para plantar? Para fumigar? Para recolectar?. Sabías que dos de cada tres agricultores no cosechan en la fase de madurez adecuada?. Aquí abajo te describo un método completamente automatizado mediante el uso combinado de varios índices de vegetación como NDVI, NDWI, SAVI y EVI que podemos extraer del Satétile SENTINEL-2 en la plataforma COPERNICUS de la UE para conocer exactamente y anticipar las mejores decisiones de intervención sobre tus tierras.

Sentinel-1 SAR: Un aliado indispensable para el análisis y seguimiento de inundaciones – Derna, Libia (2023)

La gestión y monitorización de fenómenos hidrológicos extremos, como inundaciones repentinas o fallos estructurales en presas, representan un desafío crítico para los especialistas en geomática, hidrología y planificación territorial. En este contexto, la tecnología radar de apertura sintética (SAR) a bordo del satélite Sentinel-1 de la Agencia Espacial Europea (ESA) ofrece una capacidad sin precedentes para capturar información precisa y fiable sobre la dinámica superficial, independientemente de las condiciones atmosféricas y lumínicas.

Urban delineation methods beyond administrative boundaries

As a geographer working with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), I am particularly interested in exploring urban delineation methods that move beyond the constraints of administrative boundaries. Instead of relying on official municipal limits—which can often be outdated or misaligned with functional realities on the ground—I focus on delineating urban areas based on physical indicators such as built-up surface, population density, and spatial continuity. This approach allows for a more accurate and dynamic understanding of urban space.

Water Quality Viewer (UWQV) for Sentinel -2

The Ulyssys Water Quality Viewer harnesses the power of Sentinel-2 satellite data to provide comprehensive and accurate water quality assessments. Its intuitive legend and visualization capabilities significantly enhance the user’s ability to interpret and act on environmental data, contributing to better water management and conservation efforts worldwide, particularly in ecologically and economically significant areas like La Mata and Torrevieja salt lagoons.

The Remarkable Visibility of Almeria’s Greenhouses from Space

In the sphere of Earth observation and remote sensing, the Almeria greenhouses stand out as an astonishing spectacle visible even from the edge of space, defined by the Kármán line at approximately 100 kilometers in altitude. This unique visibility is not only a testament to the vast scale of human agricultural activity but also a captivating example of the power of satellite-based remote sensing technologies.

Measuring snow coverage using EOB – Earth Observation – Sentinel HUB

Playing with Sentinel 2 images I realized that the amount of snow this year has been very low compared to last winter. Here are a couple of images from January 2022 and 2023 of the Canfranc – Paticosa – Jaca area. One of the most interesting things about this EO browser is that in addition to a standard 2D visualisation, we can visualise in 3D. Here is an video example. Another interesting thing is to be able to quantify the snowfall. There is a snow classifier based on NSDI (Normalized Difference Snow Index, The Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) snow cover is an index that is related to the presence of snow in a pixel and is a more accurate description of snow detection as compared to Fractional Snow Cover (FSC).

Consultoría e ideología: Manual de estupidez

Yo soy un humilde Geógrafo, además soy alguien curioso al que no le importa meterme en mil fregados por las razones más variadas, que ha trabajado y trabaja como tal pero también como diseñador, como fotógrafo o como comercial. He trabajado con obreros, con arquitectos, porteros de fincas, con dibujantes, con consultores de todos losContinue reading “Consultoría e ideología: Manual de estupidez”

Faible taux d’humidité au Pays Basque. Sérieux ?

Quand vous venez passer le week-end dans un village du Pays Basque et que vous voyez cette image verte ci-dessous, vous vous dites, ho-ho, ici ils n’ont pas eu les problèmes de chaleur et de manque de pluie que nous avons subis dans le centre et le sud de la péninsule. Mais tout à coup, ils vous disent que oui, ils ont aussi souffert et qu’il est impossible qu’ils aient atteint les niveaux d’humidité des autres années…