Measure the planet's temperature with thermal imagery

Visible light is one way to observe the world. But some processes are not so obvious. Thermal imaging gives us a powerful tool to see one of the main indicators of work: heat.

Spotting activity through heat

Thermal imagery reveals heat signatures instead of visible light, making it possible to trace the source of heat.

Thermal infrared is suitable for observation in low-light or obscured environments, enabling the capture of activity hidden from view, including fires, vehicles and industrial work.

Next-generation thermal sensing

We offer thermal imagery from SatVu, a mid-wave sensor satellite operator. SatVu have generated initial thermal data and the next thermal imaging satellites are due to launch in 2025-2026, producing the highest-resolution commercial thermal data on the market. You may purchase archive data by getting in touch.

Space-based thermography

Unlike optical imaging, where sunlight reflected from objects is observed, or SAR imaging, which relies on objects reflecting radio signals transmitted from the sensor, thermal imaging observes the heat emitted by the objects themselves.

Heat emissions by objects are visible in the thermal infrared (TIR) bands – either mid-wave infrared, at wavelengths from 3000 to 8000 nm, or long-wave infrared (LWIR) from 8000 to 14000 nm.

Generally, the higher the temperature of an object, the shorter the wavelength of the thermal radiation it emits. This means surfaces hotter than their surrounding environment would appear “brighter”, allowing the sensor to discern areas with higher temperatures from those with lower ones.

Use cases in multiple industries

Agriculture

McClarty is a small community in northern Alabama, surrounded largely by woodland and farms. At first glance, a thermal snapshot of the area reveals nothing spectacular.

However, different temperatures across plots in the area tell a different story. Soil and surface temperatures play a key role in seed germination, water balance, and other crop growth factors.

Thermal imaging gives a clear picture of temperature differences across plots, which can provide a crucial additional layer of information if used together with optical-based indices, such as NDVI, or SAR data.

Urban development

Hangzhou is one of China’s major cities, with a population of some 12 million people and significant scientific and industrial output.

As climate change is progressing, cities are increasingly becoming literal hotspots. Materials used in the construction of modern structures – concrete, asphalt and metal – are strong absorbers of solar radiation. This leads to increased surface heat emissions and higher ambient temperatures in urban environments.

Conversely, areas with vegetation have lower temperatures and can be used to partially mitigate the negative thermal effect of buildings, roofs and roads.

Oil & Gas

The Ruwais Oil Refinery is the largest oil refinery in the Middle East, and the fourth-largest in the world. Situated in the United Arab Emirates, the Ruwais Refinery can process up to 837,000 barrels of petrochemical products per day.

A recognizable feature of oil refineries are flame stacks. Also known as gas flares, these towers are used to burn excess petroleum gas or release other flammable gaseous byproducts of the petrochemical refining process. These flares are clearly visible in thermal imaging and are a good indicator of the production state in such complexes.

Wildfire monitoring

Wildfires are devastating calamities that cause an increasing amount of damage to woodlands, grasslands and crops each year.

The 2023 Canadian wildfires were the most devastating in the country’s history, affecting 5% of the entire forest area of Canada, and displacing more than 200,000 people.

Remote woodland areas are often difficult to access, and on a larger scale, drones may not be adequate to take an image of the fire. Thermal satellite imaging can provide accurate, timely and wide-ranging view of wildfires, enabling a more accurate utilization of firefighting resources.

Get in touch

Do you want to know more about the possibilities unlocked by thermal imaging from orbit? Book a free consultation with Sfera and explore the possibilities offered by thermal data.

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