In a recent Eos Project Update, a group of researchers from Italy and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab shared the results of their large Po Plain Experiment (POPLEX).
In this pilot study, the researchers examined how urbanization has affected environmental quality in Italy’s Po Plain (one of Europe’s most populated regions) using a wide variety of ground-based and satellite data. Data from 12 satellites, including Landsat 8, were analyzed along side data from meteorological stations, groundwater monitoring wells, river gauges, air monitoring stations, census data, and land use survey maps.
The data indicated specific correlations between urban growth and increased air and water pollution. The methodology of the POPLEX study can be replicated for different regions around the world.
+ Read the full Project Update from Eos