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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 and learn with us 
Justyna Jeziorska interacts with UAS data on a touchscreen

Workshops and trainings

UAS Operations & Analytics Workshop

Our popular three-day professional development workshop is held twice a year at NC State and covers everything from UAS operation basics to advanced imagery processing.

Learn more 

Customized UAS Training

Unable to attend a scheduled workshop at NC State? We can come to you: choose a three-day workshop, one-day training or half-day imagery processing crash course for your location.

Contact Justyna Jeziorska 

MAPPING a dynamic planet NEWS

More
The invasive insect, the spotted lanternfly.

Tweets, News Offer Insights on Invasive Insect Spread

Twitter and online news could help scientists track the spread of invasive insects, a new study from NC State’s Center for Geospatial Analytics found. 

GIS Service Learning to Support Public Lands, First Responders, City Planning and More

During the Fall 2022 semester, our graduating professional master’s students worked with industry, government and nonprofit partners to apply their knowledge and skills to pressing geospatial challenges. 
Two men talk in the background with a video camera on a tripod in the foreground

New Multimedia Story Map Shares Experiences of Veterans in Fire Management

A new interactive story map produced by researchers at North Carolina State University’s Center for Geospatial Analytics highlights the experience of five Army and Marine Corps veterans who worked as part of the Veterans Fire Corps to protect landmarks with the National Park Service. 
an orange snow shovel cuts through a pile of snow

New Visualization Tool Helps Weather Forecasters and Researchers More Easily Identify and Study Bands of Heavy Snow

Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. candidate Laura Tomkins developed a new way for meteorologists and atmospheric scientists to quickly and easily distinguish heavy snow from mixed precipitation in weather radar imagery, to improve understanding of snowfall during winter storms. 
Shannon McAvoy stands in front of an NC State University sign

Collaborators Wanted for Community Science Project Led by Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. Student

As an AGU Thriving Earth Exchange Fellow, Shannon McAvoy is partnering with a community science project to conduct a Quality of Life Assessment. She is now recruiting volunteers with experience in economic development planning.