World's First Atlas of Remote-sensing Thermal Infrared Images Released in Beijing

Researchers work at the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 8, 2021. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS), which is based in Beijing, on Friday released the world's first atlas of remote-sensing thermal infrared images, providing valuable data support for sustainable development research.

The atlas is based on data captured by the SDGSAT-1 satellite, which was launched into space in November 2021 and is the world's first space science satellite dedicated to serving the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The atlas includes 10 different types of landscapes in 118 different regions around the world, presenting the surface features of rivers, lakes, seas, mountains, hills and deserts, as well as scenes of human activities such as industrial emissions and urban changes from a thermal infrared perspective, said Guo Huadong, CBAS director, at the opening ceremony of the 4th International Forum on Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals in Beijing.

"The distribution and dynamic changes of surface temperatures on Earth are closely related to human socioeconomic activities, industrial production conditions and geomorphic features," said Guo, while also noting that the atlas is of great significance for studying the surface energy balance, climate change and the urban heat island effect, as well as agricultural monitoring and natural disaster assessment.

Guo said that he hoped to strengthen cooperation with more countries, United Nations agencies and international organizations to jointly develop and launch a series of satellites in the future to form a constellation.

"Then we can continuously acquire valuable data of various types from different layers of the Earth to serve the sustainable development of all humanity," said Guo.