Scientists use the data to measure the health of the most remote and impenetrable ecosystem in the world, the Amazon. Only 8 percent of the Amazon is still virgin rain forest. The Amazon, often referred to as the lungs of the world, is slowly dying. But behind the forest is deforestation and you don't see it from the ground. But when you go to a satellite image and look at the same place, then you can't miss things that you would miss on the ground.
Satellites monitor weather patterns and human land use.
Geographic information software maps out changes in the forest ecosystem. This documents deforestation along roads, roads built to economic development in the rain forest. These satellite images are now vital, hour by hour they track dangers such as El Nino caused wild fires rampaging deep in the heart of the rain forest. There is about 300,000 fires by year in Brazil. But with the satellite imagery we are able every day to detect each point of fires and locate these fires in maps so we can act very fast.