By Dr Kelly Wade in partnership with RMIT University (School of Science)
From bushfire warnings to better city planning, Earth Observation is helping scientists, planners, farmers, and emergency responders make smarter decisions and build a more resilient future.
Every minute of every day, satellites are watching over our planet — tracking storms, mapping forests, monitoring floods, and detecting the earliest signs of trouble. But it’s not just about what they see. It’s about what we do with the data.
This is where maths meets mapping. It’s called Earth Observation, and it’s quietly transforming how we respond to natural disasters, plan sustainable and more livable cities, protect biodiversity, and shape a safer, more resilient world.
An artist’s rendering of NASA’s OCO-2 satellite, launched to monitor carbon dioxide levels from space and improve our understanding of how the greenhouse gas affects Earth’s climate. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Wikimedia Commons.
What is Earth Observation and why does it matter?
Earth Observation is the science of gathering information about our planet from afar, and using it to understand our world. Data is captured by sensors mounted on satellites that orbit the Earth, or sometimes on aircraft, drones, on the ground or in water.
These sensors can measure many different things about our world, such as temperature, moisture, vegetation structure, biomass, photosynthetic activity on land and in water, land cover, carbon dioxide, sea level, and even the spread of bushfire smoke or floodwaters.
Sentinel-2A and 2B, twin satellites each carrying a 13-band multispectral camera for detailed views of land and vegetation, captured wildfires sweeping Mount Vesuvius in July 2017 with smoke plumes so vast they were mistaken for an eruption. The bands are capable of capturing different things, with some being able to penetrate clouds and detect heat, as shown in the image in the right. Credit: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2017), processed by ESA.
Because Earth Observation data is tied to specific locations on Earth, it can be mapped, modelled, and analysed to show where things are happening, and how they’re changing over time.
This kind of location-based analysis sits within a broader field called “geospatial science” — the study of how we collect, map, interpret, and communicate information about the Earth, from its surface to the oceans and atmosphere.
Sentinel-3 satellite data shows record-breaking land surface temperatures across Europe, with Paris hitting 41°C during an extreme heatwave in July 2019. Credit: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2019), processed by ESA.
Every pixel of an Earth Observation image tells a story.
“We can use it to detect phenomena, such as plastics that are travelling for thousands of kilometres through ocean currents and landing in remote shorelines”, says Associate Professor Mariela Soto-Berelov, an environmental geographer specialising in remote sensing, spatial analysis, and land-use change science at RMIT University (School of Science).
When analysed over time, this data helps researchers spot changes, detect patterns, and predict future risks from events ranging from algae blooms, deforestation, droughts, cyclones to urban expansion and habitat loss.
In Australia, Earth Observation plays a critical role. Agencies like the Australian Space Agency and Geoscience Australia’s Digital Earth Australia (DEA) program turn raw Earth Observation data into maps, models, and tools that support a range of stakeholders including scientists, farmers, planners, non-for-profit organisations like the Australian Koala Foundation, and emergency responders.
That’s why Earth Observation is often called our “eyes in the sky” and why it’s so important to learn how to read what these images are showing us.
Aerial view of a farm in Victoria, Australia. Credit: Getty images.
Big data for a better planet
Earth Observation isn’t just for emergency response — it’s helping us build a better, more sustainable world in ways you might not expect.
In farming, Earth Observation data can show which parts of a field need more water, where crops are struggling, and when it’s best to plant or harvest. This helps farmers use less water and fewer chemicals, while growing more food — vital for both climate resilience and global food security.
In cities, Earth Observation data reveals how heat moves through suburbs, where green space is needed, or how traffic and pollution patterns shift over time. Urban planners use this data to design healthier, cooler, more liveable neighbourhoods.
And in conservation, Earth Observation helps track deforestation, monitor endangered habitats, and guide reforestation efforts. From the Amazon to the Australian Alps and the Great Barrier Reef, satellites are helping scientists to keep watch over our planet’s most fragile ecosystems.
Captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite, this image shows Brazil’s Amazon rainforest — home to 2,500 tree species — where at least 40% is at risk of turning into savanna due to declining rainfall driven by climate change and rising greenhouse gas emissions. Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-3/Wikimedia Commons.
Earth Observation can also help predict droughts and floods. By measuring rainfall, soil moisture, vegetation heath, and river flows, scientists can model water risks before they become emergencies.
Whether it’s guiding climate policy or improving the liveability of our cities and sustainability of our planet, this is science in action, and it all starts with data from above.
Mapping disasters — how satellites save lives
When disasters strike, every second counts — especially for emergency services in Australia, where remote locations and low population density can make rapid response more challenging. Thanks to Earth Observation satellites, emergency services can now act faster, with more precision than ever before.
For example, using thermal imaging, satellites can detect ‘hotspots’ — areas where the land suddenly heats up — that may reveal the early presence of a fire.
Australia’s DEA Hotspots tool sends real-time alerts to firefighters, helping them act early and protect lives, homes, and ecosystems.
Smoke plumes from bushfires in southeastern Australia captured by NASA’s Aqua satellite on January 5, 2020. Credit: NASA.
The addition of geostationary satellites and thermal sensors to the Earth Observation “toolbox” is transforming how fires are monitored from space, offering near continuous, continental wide coverage.
Harnessing the advantages of observations from space with big data wrangling, a team of RMIT University researchers led by Professor Simon Jones, and in collaboration with Geoscience Australia, released a new product into the DEA Hotspots tool that delivers hotspot data every 10 minutes, day and night, customised for Australian conditions.
“Knowing our hotspot data provided emergency services vital lead time for planning during the Black Summer fires – that’s the real impact and reward of this research”, says Associate Professor Karin Reinke of the RMIT wildfire detection research team.
Earth Observation is also helping emergency teams to monitor flood levels, track cyclone paths, assess storm damage, and even plan evacuation routes. Satellite imagery shows how fast a river is rising, or where roads have been cut off by water — vital information when communities are at risk.
The danger doesn’t end when the storm passes. After a disaster, Earth Observation data helps assess damage, map recovery zones, and guide rebuilding. It can also highlight which critical infrastructure — such as power lines, roads, or water systems — needs reinforcement before the next hazard hits.
“Utility companies for example rely on laser technology that can measure the height of vegetation over large areas and determine whether it is encroaching on powerlines, in which case it can become a fire hazard,” says RMIT Associate Professor Mariela Soto-Berelov.
“The same technology can be used to create maps that highlight flood prone areas”.
This is how Earth Observation turns numbers into action and saves lives on the ground.
Real-time responsive flood event representation of Melbourne, Australia. Credit: RMIT University.
Why maths matters (your role in the data equation)
Behind every map, model, and hotspot alert is maths — a lot of it.
Geospatial scientists use equations, algorithms, and statistical models to turn raw Earth Observation data into the insights that guide real-world decisions, analysing patterns, making predictions, and visualising change.
Behind the scenes, maths powers tools like emergency routing — helping responders find the fastest way through a city using algorithms and real-time data.
“Through maths, maps, and Earth observation, geospatial insight calculates flood disasters and risks in real time, helping us respond today and regenerate our world tomorrow”, says RMIT Associate Professor Chayn Sun, specialist in quantitative geography, environmental and urban informatics.
These are the tools that can help us fight bushfires, protect biodiversity, and plan for a more sustainable future.
Map of Australia on digital display. Credit: Getty images.
The future in your hands
From disaster response to farming, city planning to conservation, Earth Observation data is helping us make smarter decisions, faster.
“It’s hard to imagine a more impactful technology right now than EO. Sustainability, global security, climate adaptation, AI, emergencies, satellites, cities, human health: all these and more already interconnect today through Earth Observation”, says RMIT geospatial sciences Professor Matt Duckham.
But the future needs more than satellites; it needs people with geospatial and mathematical skills who can interpret data from space and design the next generation of Earth Observation tools.
Because it’s not just the technology that matters. It’s how we use it. And that’s where you come in — using maths and geospatial science to turn Earth Observation data into insights that support better decisions.
As the world grows more complex, the need for people who can understand and apply this data will only grow. So whether you love maths, maps, or problem-solving, remember this: the skills you’re learning today might just help build a more resilient world tomorrow.