Department of Geographical Sciences at University of Maryland

Tatiana Loboda Awarded $1M Grant to Create Early Warning Systems for Infectious Diseases in Indonesia

🦟 Fighting disease with satellite data 🛰️

Prof Tatiana Loboda has received a $1M grant from @nasaearth.bsky.social to develop satellite-based early warning systems for malaria and dengue in Indonesia.

Learn more: geog.umd.edu/featured-con...

Visiting Scholars to Present Seminars on Forest Dynamics and Carbon Cycling The department will host two research seminars by visiting scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Germany from 1 to 3 p.m. on  Tuesday, Aug. 19. Thorsten Wiegand  (farthest...

🌍 Save the Date: Aug. 19 🌳
We’re pleased to welcome Drs. Thorsten Wiegand & Andreas Huth from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research @ufz.de for a joint seminar event.
🌱 Forest spatial dynamics & species coexistence
🌲 Tropical forests & carbon cycle modeling
More details: go.umd.edu/20qa

Forest Loss Caused by Wildfires Has Reached Record Levels in 2023 and 2024

If you thought forest fires were getting worse, you’re right 🌍🔥

UMD's GLAD lab found record-breaking forest loss in 2023–2024, with fires now driving over 40% of global forest disturbance.

Learn more: go.umd.edu/record-wildf...

#climatechange #wildfire

How do different types of forest regrowth impact carbon recovery?

Xueyuan (Eric) Gao (Ph.D. ’24), now postdoc at Princeton, tackled this in a Nature Communications paper that earned ESA’s 2025 Early Career Ecologists Outstanding Paper Award 🎉

geog.umd.edu/featured-con...

On the same course as in the minimum year 2012 The biggest news this month comes from the US: Staffing cuts at the US Department of Defense could jeopardise the most important time series on sea-ice development.

#Arctic sea ice is tracking 2012’s record lows-will the trend continue? In the #Antarctic, warm temps slow new-ice growth to near record-lows for June. Meanwhile, US restrictions on #satellite sea-ice data threaten vital climate time series. Find these news here: www.meereisportal.de/en/news-over...

Professor Kathleen Stewart Begins Term as UCGIS President

✨ Professor Kathleen Stewart is kicking off her term as @ucgis.bsky.social president, leading the charge for next year’s national symposium at the University of Maryland!

Read more: geog.umd.edu/featured-con...

📗Read in #ERE how remote sensing can be utilised to map forest fuel across Germany, providing valuable data for regions at risk of wildfire 🛰️🔥🌳

Full article: iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

#environment #wildfire #ecology #openaccess #remotesensing #GEDI #LiDAR #forests #Germany #fuels #canopy

Screenshot showing a variability of different climate-related graphics for different United States climate change indicators

I'd like to introduce a new page on my website: U.S. climate indicator visuals (zacklabe.com/united-state...).

I only have a few basic variables so far, but I will be expanding this summer to add a range of metrics (e.g., ecological). I welcome suggestions! Hope this is useful, especially nowadays.

📒 Applications are now open for AGU travel grants, travel fellowships and research grants!

➡️ Learn more about available grants and submit your application by 13 August: buff.ly/G2FWBxv

Aerial view of illegal Amazon deforestation. Credit: Paralaxis / Alamy Stock Photo

NEW – Experts: Which climate tipping point is the most concerning? | @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org @ayeshatandon.carbonbrief.org

Read here: buff.ly/LkitgK7

Large #wildfires burning in Syria, seen yesterday by the
Copernicus / @esaearth.esa.int Sentinel-2 mission.

As well as the fires themselves, you can see a huge region that's already been burned - all that Brown-coloured bit in the middle.

🚀 GeoAI Tutorial 24: Water Detection Using GeoAI with Sentinel-2 Satellite Imagery 🌍🛰️

🔗 Tutorial video: youtu.be/zL6cv3njVew
📓 Notebook example: opengeoai.org/examples/wat...
💻 GitHub repo: github.com/opengeos/geoai
📚 Documentation: opengeoai.org
🎥 Full playlist: tinyurl.com/GeoAI-Tutori...

What does crossing 1.5°C really mean for our planet, our economies, and our lives? And why is it still possible to change course?

Watch this quick explainer — then dive deeper into the data and pathways forward. Read the full breakdown: go.wri.org/criticalwarm... #WRIExplains

In the early hours of July 4, floods swept through Hill Country, a region of Central Texas also known as “Flash Flood Alley.” The Guadalupe River rose 20 feet in three hours, according to data. trib.al/ks0p328

📬 Our newsletter is out: Brave the heat with GEOG research highlights, news, cool maps and more 🔥 mailchi.mp/30f252c59336...

Student Awarded $52K Grant to Advance Campus Forest Carbon Project

How can student research shape a university’s climate future? 🌱

Undergrad Natalie Rosenthal just earned a $52K grant to lead the Campus Forest Carbon Project 2, advancing forest carbon modeling, land-use planning & student engagement.

Read more: geog.umd.edu/featured-con...

Climate AI Nordics Newsletter, June 2025 Welcome to the Climate AI Nordics Newsletter June 2025.Since our launch in October 2024, the Climate AI Nordics network has grown to include 171 members across the Nordic region, along with 52 interna...

New Climate AI Nordics newsletter out now: research highlights, events, job openings & member spotlight. Read & share! climateainordics.com/newsletter/2...

Graduate Research Combines Data and Storytelling to Tackle Wildlife Trafficking

🗺️ Rya Inman (MS ’25) created an Esri StoryMap that brings pangolin trafficking into focus through GIS, remote sensing + local data.

As the U.S. moves to list pangolins under the Endangered
Species Act, tools like this are key to driving 🌎 conservation:
geog.umd.edu/featured-con...

Information Session: Master of Science in GIS and Graduate Certificate in GIS or Remote Sensing Position yourself for success! Join us for a virtual info session about our Master of Science in GIS, Graduate Certificate in GIS, and Graduate Certificate in Remote Sensing.

🌍🛰️Know someone curious about geospatial skills? Help spread the word! UMD’s virtual info session on GIS & Remote Sensing grad programs is this Monday, June 16 at noon ET.
📅 Register: go.umd.edu/gis-info-ses...

✈️ 🦏 Which airports are quietly fueling the illegal wildlife trade? How can AI help stop them?

A study by @usc.edu student Hannah Murray w/ GEOG Prof Meredith Gore + USC Assoc Prof Bistra Dilkina reveals trafficking hotspots using AI, network science ⤵️ tinyurl.com/mr2ncj9d
#worldenvironmentday

From: UMD-GLAD:🌳 The 2024 global tree cover loss data by
UMD-GLAD are now live!

📊 View & download GeoTIFFs via the Earth Engine App:
t.co/4b6cqGc70V

🗂️ Also in the EE Data Catalog: t.co/7O3uRQ3gbO

#ForestChange #TreeCoverLoss #EarthEngine

Global Forest Watch's analysis of #TreeCoverLoss data from UMD GLAD reveals the tropics saw an unprecedented level of fires in 2024. We cannot afford to ignore the 2024 wake-up call 👉 gfw.global/tcl24

Professor Ralph Dubayah Talks Forest Mapping and Persistence on LIDAR Magazine Podcast

🎧 Do not miss this interview on Lidar Magazine!

From early inspiration to lidar’s future, Professor Ralph Dubayah discusses the science, challenges and legacy of
the GEDI mission:
geog.umd.edu/featured-con...

Pulling the Global Fire Alarm

🌳🔥 Where and why did the world’s forests suffer most in 2024?

GEOG researchers at UMD-GLAD tracked a major rise in wildfires across tropical and boreal forests in 2024, with @worldresources.bsky.social

Learn more: geog.umd.edu/featured-con...

⏰EXTENDED⏰ AGU is seeking passionate & experienced individuals to serve as Editors-in-Chief with terms starting on 1 Jan. 👉APPLY BY 3 June 👉 buff.ly/Jo2Snsh

#NASA ABoVE is wrapping up after 10 incredible years of advancing our understanding of northern ecosystems. I had the privilege of summarizing disturbance-related research highlights at the final Science Team Meeting. Presentation here www.researchgate.net/publication/...

We use remotely sensed vegetation disturbance data from Dr. Matthew Hansen of @umdgeography.bsky.social to track new landscape changes in New England. On our end, the data is accessed and refreshed every week.

#gischat #geosky 4/6

So glad to know! Thanks for writing 🌏

Announcement: Remote Sensing of Environment, Special Issue:
➡️Development, Validation, and Application of Medium- and High-Resolution Satellite Products at Regional to Global Scales
Builds on Radeloff et al. 2024 (113918) data products review in RSE.
Details: www.sciencedirect.com/special-issu...

It's time for #gischat!

I think we could all use some good news. What's some good news related to geospatial stuff? Let's set the bar real low and say it can be recent or old news. As long as it's good, we want to hear it!

Remember to use the hashtag in your replies!