Climate Change Monitoring
In 2014, researchers at the Skara Brae settlement in Scotland noticed rising sea levels threatening the stone structures. This is Remote Sensing from Station 12 working in real conditions to save heritage. When coastal erosion accelerates, archaeologists must look beyond the ground to protect these fragile sites. By using satellite data, they can track changes in the landscape without disturbing the fragile earth. This process helps teams decide which areas need immediate physical reinforcement or emergency excavation efforts.
Monitoring Environmental Degradation
Modern tools allow experts to capture images of the same location over many years. This technique is known as Multi-temporal Analysis, which involves comparing satellite photos taken at different times. Imagine a bank account where you check the balance every month to see if money is missing. In this case, the landscape is your account, and erosion is the withdrawal of land. If the balance drops too fast, you know that you must intervene to stop the total loss of the site. This method provides a clear, objective view of how climate change impacts history.
Key term: Multi-temporal Analysis — the process of comparing images from different time periods to identify changes in land surface features.
These digital records provide a necessary map for managing environmental risks at protected sites. When we look at satellite images, we can see subtle shifts that are invisible from the ground. Vegetation patterns often change when hidden walls or buried stone structures trap moisture beneath the soil. If these patterns shift rapidly, it signals that the site is losing its integrity due to weather events. Researchers use these signals to create a timeline of site health and predict future damage.
Tracking Site Decay Over Time
Understanding the speed of decay requires a structured approach to viewing the historical data. By organizing satellite imagery into a sequence, we can see the slow process of degradation unfold. This helps us prioritize which sites require the most urgent attention. We track several key indicators of site health to determine if the local climate is harming the structure:
- Soil moisture content changes indicate if the ground is becoming unstable due to heavy rainfall or flooding events.
- Vegetation growth density reveals if the site is being overgrown by invasive plants that damage the ancient masonry.
- Surface elevation mapping shows if the land is sinking or being washed away by coastal currents over time.
These indicators act as a dashboard for the health of the entire archaeological site. If the moisture levels spike, the team knows to check for drainage issues immediately.
| Indicator | Data Source | Purpose of Tracking |
|---|---|---|
| Soil Moisture | Thermal Sensors | Identify flood risks |
| Vegetation | Optical Sensors | Detect structural stress |
| Elevation | Radar Data | Measure land loss |
This table shows how different sensors provide a complete picture of a site. By combining these, we create a robust defense against the effects of a changing global climate. Using this data is like having a security camera for a building that is thousands of years old. It ensures we catch problems before the damage becomes too severe to repair. We do not just watch the history disappear; we use our digital tools to fight for its preservation.
Monitoring environmental changes through time-series data allows for the proactive protection of heritage sites before they are lost to natural erosion.
But this digital monitoring model breaks down when extreme weather events occur too rapidly for satellite update cycles to capture the destruction.