Creating simple maps for publication with satellite images

Laura Kurtzberg

Training Director, IRE & NICAR

https://laurajael.com

laurak@ire.org

Session Plan

We'll follow this general schedule for our hands-on session today

• Downloading data from various sources
• Viewing downloaded data in different formats (JPG, geoTIFF)
• Adding annotations and visual details for publication in QGIS (and more!)

A few prerequisites

📥 Files for today's example are at: github.com/laurakurtzberg/satellite-images-NICAR25

🛰️ Open Copernicus Browser, create account, and log in

🌎 Open Google Earth Pro desktop application

☁️ also Google Earth Engine in browser, and log in

Open QGIS

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Note:

Chrome or Firefox browser is recommended

Intro: What is Raster Data?

Image: Lithium Mines in Argentina « NASA Earth Observatory

What is Raster Data?

• Values are stored in discrete pixels of an image, usually geotiff
• Pixels contain color values (red, green, blue) or a research value
• Raster data often comes from analyzing satellite data

Akhund, Sadig. (2022). Analysis of Spatial Big Data for Geographical Information Systems. 10.13140/RG.2.2.20522.70080/2.

.geotiff / .tiff

A high resolution image with geographic information in the file header

Raster image + geospatial information

ProPublica

The Most Detailed Map of Cancer-Causing Industrial Air Pollution in the U.S.

by Al Shaw and Lylla Younes, November 2, 2021, Updated August 28, 2023

Additional reporting by Ava Kofman

projects.propublica.org/toxmap

Not All Raster Data is Satellite Data

School of Cities

Inspiration

1. Map from Carl's story in WSJ: two fires in Los Angeles (Copernicus Browser)
2. Buzzfeed News image: Built To Last (Google Earth Pro)
3. Mongabay map (Global Forest Watch)
4. GIF of Humboldt glacier from Radio Ambulante (NASA Earth Observatory)

First Step: Downloading Data

Image: Rose Greenhouses, Cayambe Valley, Ecuador « NASA Earth Observatory

Download from 5 Sources

Copernicus Browser

Google Earth Pro

Global Forest Watch

NASA Earth Observatory / USGS Earth Explorer

Google Earth Engine

🛰️

Download from

Copernicus Browser

Inspiration

Map from Carl's story in Wall Street Journal:

Same Spot!’: Is a Small New Year’s Morning Blaze Connected to the Los Angeles Fire Disaster?

Let's download the two false-color images!

🌎

Download from

Google Earth Pro

Inspiration: a project that used Google Earth to find satellite images of :

Built To Last

Megha Rajagopalan, Alison Killing, and Christo Buschek

41.34520833, 80.24044167

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👩🏽‍🚀

Download from

NASA Earth Observatory

See also: USGS Earth Explorer

Inspiration

GIF of Humboldt glacier from Radio Ambulante

Posted to complement the Refugio fantasma story about a disappearing glacier

(NASA Earth Observatory)

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Let's download similar images from NASA, then Copernicus

⭐

Bonus:

Make a GIF

Example Simple GIF

European Space Agency

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GIF Tools:

Canva

EZGif

Giphy

☁️

Download from

Google Earth Engine

See also: Earth Engine Data Catalog

Inspiration

🌳

Download from

Global Forest Watch

See also: Interactive Map Page

Inspiration

Let's get close to recreating this map! Based on this story:

Mennonite colony builds bridge, clears forest in Bolivian protected areas

Open QGIS!

⭐

Bonus:

Before and After Slider

Flourish

Resources & Articles to Read More

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• Why Any Reporter Can Now Source Free, Quality Satellite Images
• Reporter’s Tipsheet for Acquiring Free Satellite Images

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• bellingcat.github.io/RS4OSINT

Resources & Articles to Read More

• Example of annotated Satellite image map
• Use of QGIS at the Financial Times
• How to use maps effectively
• From Space to Story in Data Journalism

Questions?

laurak@ire.org