Could Satellites Help Head Off a Locust Invasion?

Researchers are using satellite data to understand where locusts may spread during the largest infestation in eastern Africa in decades.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS/LANCE and GIBS/Worldview and soil moisture data from Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) micro-satellites integrated with NASA's model-based Land Information System. Story by Kasha Patel.

The NASA SERVIR and Harvest programs are working closely with Global and Regional FAO offices, USAID, World Food Program (WFP), the SERVIR Hub in East and Southern Africa at the Regional Center of Resources for Mapping Development (RCMRD) in Nairobi, Kenya, the SERVIR Hub in West Africa at the AGRHYMET based in Niamey, Niger, the Greater Horn of Africa IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Center, NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT) NASA Earth Science Disasters Program, and several satellite missions to provide information and direction on where resources should be directed to mitigate locust outbreaks.

Published March 30, 2020
Data acquired December 15, 2019 - March 15, 2020

Sources:

Model

TRMM > LIS

Terra > MODIS

Collection:

Science in Action