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Center for Geospatial Analytics

Mapping a Dynamic Planet

We use data from state-of-the-art sensors on near-surface, underwater, airborne and satellite platforms to map and monitor our dynamic planet from local to global scales. We develop cutting-edge analytic and computational approaches to apply these big data in real-world problem-solving.

data are collected worldwide by satellites, airborne sensors, smart devices, microphones, cameras, wearables

Perspectives on Place

Our faculty and researchers collect data all over the world and via myriad sources––from wearable sensors that track physical activity to underwater microphones that measure soundscapes, streaming webcams that record traffic patterns, drones that produce rapid updates about land-forms and crop fields, satellites that document deforestation, urbanization and changing weather…and more. They also tap into vast sources of existing big data to discover previously hidden connections.

We use the latest analytical techniques to combine, process and interpret these data, and we create new knowledge about pressing issues and reveal new insights into interconnected systems.

Learn more about the interdisciplinary researchers mapping our dynamic planet:

Faculty at the Frontier

UAS Research and Education

Unmanned Aerial Systems are revolutionizing data collection in the geospatial sciences. We innovate the use of drones and drone-acquired data to address challenges in a variety of sectors, uniting expertise across disciplines.

Explore our research
Justyna Jeziorska interacts with UAS data on a touchscreen

MAPPING a dynamic planet NEWS

More

May 01, 2024

Bridging Silos and More with GIS and Experiential Learning

During the Spring 2024 semester, our graduating professional master’s students worked with industry, government and nonprofit partners to apply their knowledge and skills to pressing geospatial challenges.

April 26, 2024

A New Global Accounting of Earth’s Rivers

New research led by Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. alum Elyssa Collins and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory reveals how much water Earth’s rivers hold.
Late blight disease on potato leaf.

February 15, 2024

Using Written Records – and Tweets – as a Roadmap for Plant Disease Spread

New research led by Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student Ariel Saffer and co-authored by Faculty Fellow Laura Tateosian and MGIST alum Yi-Peng Yang shows how analyzing historic and modern texts can help researchers track and visualize plant diseases like late blight.

February 09, 2024

Collaboration, Innovation Address Food Security Needs in Bangladesh with New Rice Mapping Method

Working closely with professionals in Bangladesh, Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student Varun Tiwari developed research to address an important data gap he’d learned about while an analyst at an international nonprofit.

December 14, 2023

The Varied Real-World Impacts of Experiential Learning

During the Fall 2023 semester, our graduating professional master’s students worked with industry, government and nonprofit partners to apply their knowledge and skills to pressing geospatial challenges.
photograph is an aerial view of a city neighborhood, with busy streets running on either side of a park. The park has many trees, and there are large apartment and office buildings in the background.

October 18, 2023

Greener Neighborhoods Can Protect Us – at the Cellular Level

A new study led by our researchers finds that greenspace in urban environments has a positive impact on a key genetic marker associated with exposure to stress.