Relatori: Alexia Cociancich1, Agnese Valentini1, Matteo Munini1, Alessia Oliva2
Introduzione: Carla Braitenberg1

(1University of Trieste, 2University Ca’ Foscari)

 Titolo: Climatic and anthropogenic changes in the ecosystem, from Cona Island to Shanghai

Abstract: The ecosystem changes over the last decades are disturbing, the first step to mitigation is documentation. Earth observation from space is a powerful tool for detecting changes, whether in the biosphere, the cryosphere, or urban development. Earth observation-enthusiast students, experts in the use of the Earth Engine tools for analyzing satellite images and data, will illustrate the long term changes in the following regions: Alexia Cociancich will describe how the wetland in the Isola della Cona area has changed over recent decades; this site, located at the mouth of the Isonzo River, is a key habitat for the conservation of wintering wild birds. Agnese Valentini investigates how the infection of Xylella fastidiosa affected the cultivations of olive trees in Salento over the years from 2018 to 2022. Matteo Munini, passionate about neural networks, will present a deep learning–based system for tracking and analyzing urban development patterns across multiple decades using satellite imagery to estimate how urban land expands over time. Alessia Oliva, concerned about the fate of a warming planet, will explore how microwave satellite observations reveal recent changes in surface melt across the Greenland Ice Sheet.