Spatial Resolution Is Critical

• General

Spatial Resolution Is Critical

Coarse Resolution Imagery Does Not Yield Actionable Alerts

Précis
  • Problem: Claims of “high-resolution” are often exaggerated and misleading.
  • Solution: True high-resolution imagery facilitates actionable results.
  • Benefit: Minimize loss of revenue; avoid costly remediation; lessen environmental, regulatory, and public scrutiny.

Spatial resolution is a topic we have emphasized repeatedly and will continue to emphasize out of necessity. In the world of geospatial analytics, spatial resolution is critical. Only high-resolution imagery analyzed by Satelytics’ artificial intelligence-based algorithms yields actionable results. Specific location, accurate measurements, and timely results are required to make alerts actionable.

Consider a few examples:

  • If a new pipeline leak impacts a surface area measuring 1 meter by 1 meter, 25-meter resolution imagery won’t reveal it.
  • A methane leak plume hiding among three other leak plumes of various sizes won’t be revealed using 100-meter resolution imagery.
  • Individual trees encroaching on a high-voltage electrical transmission corridor can’t be seen with 30-meter resolution imagery.
  • Criminal pipeline hot-tapping activities cannot be identified with 5-meter imagery.

To explain the importance of resolution in a fun way, Satelytics offers the following one-minute video.

Beware of statements that say 30-meter resolution imagery is “high-resolution.” Ask yourself what problems you can identify when each pixel is roughly the size of a football field.

To put it in context, Satelytics typically uses:

  • 3.7-meter resolution shortwave infrared imagery to measure methane emissions flow rate, source location, and concentration, and
  • 30-centimeter to 46-centimeter resolution near-infrared imagery — roughly the size of a dinner plate — to measure everything else.
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