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Week 9 - ArcGIS Earth and Online Geospatial Data
Introduction to ArcGIS Earth
This weeks lab introduced me to ArcGIS Earth, a powerful GIS data visualization tool that brings together remote sensing data from many different platforms. I learned how ArcGIS Earth can be used to view, analyze, and combine aerial and satellite imagery with UAS-collected data, which is extremely useful for mission planning. Remote sensing (RS) platforms like NAIP, MODIS, and thermal UAS imagery allow us to look at the environment in ways that go beyond what’s visible to the human eye—showing patterns of vegetation health, surface temperature, and terrain elevation.
By working through this lab, I gained hands-on experience using ArcGIS Earth’s analysis tools and layer options to explore elevation changes, wildfire activity, and vegetation health. These same tools can directly assist in UAS mission planning—helping operators anticipate terrain, maintain line-of-sight, and use thermal or multispectral imagery to monitor vegetation and land use.
Figures and Observations
Figure 1. Elevation Profile in ArcGIS Earth (West Lafayette).
Using the Interactive Analysis tool, I drew an elevation profile across the Wabash River Valley. The chart shows about a −5.5 % slope over nearly 7 km, revealing how ArcGIS Earth calculates elevation and slope automatically. Tools like this are valuable for planning flight paths and maintaining safe UAS altitudes above ground level.
Figure 2. NAIP Natural Color Imagery (Lafayette Area).
The NAIP Natural Color layer shows high-resolution aerial imagery of the Lafayette region. This helps visualize real-world surface conditions and compare them with vegetation data from other sensors.
Figure 3. Color Infrared (CIR) Imagery.
CIR imagery highlights vegetation in red tones—darker reds represent healthier vegetation. Comparing it to the NDVI layer showed similar patterns, with CIR offering a clearer visual sense of dense versus sparse growth.
Figure 4. MODIS Fire Activity
The MODIS Thermal Hotspots layer displays wildfire activity across California. This data can support UAS deployments in fire management by identifying thermal anomalies and active perimeters.
Figure 5. Global MODIS Hotspots.
Zooming out reveals global fire patterns—showing that wildfires aren’t limited to North America but occur worldwide where conditions permit.
Figure 6. Martell UAS Thermal IR Imagery.
The thermal Orth mosaic reveals heat variations between tree rows at the Martell site. The brighter lines correspond to bare ground and vehicle tracks, which retain heat differently from the surrounding vegetation.
Figure 7. Martell UAS RGB Imagery.
The RGB imagery provides a natural-color reference, making it easy to identify vegetation, trees, and the Martell Trail cutting north–south through the field.
Together, these images show how UAS thermal and RGB data complement each other—thermal imagery identifies temperature differences invisible to the eye, while RGB provides contextual visual detail.
Reflection
Overall, this lab helped me move from basic map-reading skills to being able to navigate and use ArcGIS and correlate it to UAS operations. ArcGIS Earth made it easy to visualize elevation, vegetation health, and thermal data in one place. But this was just an introduction to ArcGIS, exploring a few basic tools and imagery to gain a basic understanding. Which means as I continue to use this software within UAS my proficiency will increase as well. The experience showed how tools like NDVI, CIR, and MODIS layers can provide valuable context for mission planning. Allowing pilots and analysts to make better, data-driven decisions before flying.
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