Maps and satellite imagery

Improved coastal mapping

The Improved Coastal Mapping Project was established to identify vulnerable areas of the Queensland coast and visualise the impacts of climate change.

One element of the project used Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to create a detailed Digital Elevation Model of the Queensland coastline. The LiDAR was supplemented with bathymetry (the study and mapping of seafloor topography), aerial imagery and tidal data to quantify and show the impacts of storm tides and elevated water levels.

Rainfall and pasture growth

Rainfall and rainfall percentile maps give us some idea of pasture production. However, the effectiveness of total rainfall over a particular period depends on previous seasonal conditions, within seasonal rainfall distribution, rainfall intensity, temperatures, soil and pasture types, grazing pressures and time of year. Thus we are developing a series of maps showing simulated pasture growth, which should provide a more accurate picture of seasonal conditions.

Raw data used in our rainfall maps is provided courtesy of the Bureau of Meteorology.

Sea surface temperature anomaly map

We assess rainfall probabilities based on the current state of the ocean and atmosphere and its similarity with previous years. In particular, we monitor the current and projected state of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation referring to information such as sea-surface temperature (SST) anomaly maps and the Southern Oscillation Index.

Remote Sensing Centre

What is remote sensing?

Remote sensing uses instruments mounted on satellites or airborne platforms to produce images of the Earth's surface.

What does the Remote Sensing Centre do?

The Remote Sensing Centre uses a very large library of these images to assess and monitor Queensland’s landscapes. This includes monitoring of groundcover, tree clearing and waterbodies yearly, and at times more frequently. Detailed land use maps are updated for priority regions.

Remote sensing is undertaken to support policy and planning priorities, including the Vegetation Management Act 1999, the leasehold land renewal process or Delbessie Agreement, the Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan, the Reef Protection Package and the development of regional plans.

In most cases, the same satellite imagery and derived products are used widely by other state and federal government departments, by regional natural resource management groups, industry groups such as AgForce and, increasingly, by landholders.

The Remote Sensing Centre undertakes leading edge research to improve existing monitoring programs and develop new applications. Research is often undertaken in partnerships with universities, but also with many other Australian and overseas agencies.

Staff from the Remote Sensing Centre support compliance investigations into potentially illegal environmental activities and appear as expert witnesses in court.

The Remote Sensing Image Gallery contains images that highlight the science behind some fascinating views of Queensland.