Planet Labs satellite imagery highlights how the Wanlixi landslide in Taiwan evolved prior to the main failure on 21 June, and how it has continued to move subsequently. On 31 July 2026 I highlighted the valley-blocking Wanlixi landslide in Hualien County, Taiwan. The location of the landslide is 23.78859° N, 121.27236° E (for machine readable […]
satellite imagery
The 4 July 2026 landslide disaster at Cantzama in Ecuador
On 4 July 2026, 19 people were killed in a massive landslide in Zamora Chinchipe province, Ecuador. Planet Labs imagery shows that this was caused by a c.1 km long landslide that occurred 13 km upstream of Cantzama. This transitioned into a channelised debris flow that destroyed the community. On 4 July 2026, a massive […]
Tracking Penguin Poop from Space Reveals Antarctica’s Changing Ecosystems
Long-term records documenting the colors of penguin guano shed light on how declining sea ice may be affecting penguin diets.
Big Trouble from Little Wetlands
New research suggests that small wetlands, previously unaccounted for in the global methane budget, are responsible for about 25% of global methane emissions.
Tracking 20 Years of Productivity in Tidal Wetlands
A new study suggests warming temperatures and increased solar radiation have boosted carbon fixation in tidal wetlands across the country.
Seeing Earth’s Most Common Minerals from Space
A novel method marks an important step toward mapping quartz and feldspar globally.
Fragmented Forests Sequester Less Carbon
New research has revealed that larger, unified forests store more carbon than the same area of fragmented patches.
A New Approach Can Better Predict Debris Flow Hazards Years After Fires
USGS hazard maps don’t always reflect real landslide risk in the years after wildfires. Fine-tuning assessments of vegetation recovery could help.
Vegetation Moves Upslope Across the Himalayas
The vegetation line in places like Nepal and Bhutan is shifting upward by meters per year, with implications for how water moves through the planet’s “Third Pole.”
The 12 March 2026 Kursebi landslide in Georgia
A large landslide in Tkibuli municipality has rendered 45 families homeless and has caused damage over an area of 58 hectares. Early in the morning of 12 March 2026, a landslide struck a small village in Tkibuli municipality of rural Georgia. The Kursebi landslide has rendered 45 families homeless, causing damage over a surface area […]
