are planted while they’re being planted.
On other farms, drones help collect specific
data. They fly over fields to help measure things
like plant height and field performance while
rovers assist in the data-collection process.
Using advanced precision technology, farmers
crunch data collected through sensors that
suggests seeds to use and optimal planting
strategies, and even minimizes environmental
impact.
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THE PACIFIC “BLOB”
“The Blob” is the name given to a large mass of
warm water in the Pacific Ocean. In late 2013,
scientists found that the temperature in the
Gulf o f Alaska was warmer than usual. Then,
warmer waters started appearing off the west
coast of the United States. The warming
SPACE MAPPING THE OCEAN
Space mapping uses relevant existing
knowledge to speed up model generation and
design optimization of a system. Scientists are
learning about the weather and its patterns by
studying the ocean from above. Using remote
sensing data and computer models, these
scientists can see how the oceans affect the
evolution of weather, hurricanes, and climate.
high sea-surface temperatures
in the Pacific Ocean in May 2015
as compared to the 2002–2012
continued along the California coast and other average. The recent warm-water
parts of the Pacific during most of 2015 and phenomenon is known as “the
into 2016. In some places, temperatures were Blob.”
more than 10°F above average. MAP BY AMERICAN
GEOPHYSICAL UNION
A team of scientists has mapped the Blob from
space using data from multiple satellites from
several countries. They traced the changes in
temperature and wind on the Pacific Ocean’s
surface from 2014 to 2016 to try and better
understand the Blob’s impact on sea life. During
2013 to 2016 there were unexpected die-offs
in California sea lions, Guadalupe fur seals, and
As they heat and cool, they humidify and dry a toxic algae bloom that spanned the entire
the air and control wind speed and direction. west coast. It’s amazing to think that a piece
Being able to see and analyze this through Big of software from space can tell us what’s
Data gives scientists better prediction model- happening on our ocean floors.
ing, which in turn, helps us better prepare for
“weather events.”
This map shows anomalously
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From healthcare, to government and science, to agriculture, you would be
amazed at what people are doing with Big Data. What the future holds,
we’ll see, and we’ll be sure to report back.
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CURRENT SPRING 2017
Stronger Together
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