What is a pixel?
A pixel is a small area on the ground represented in an image—e.g., ~30 m × 30 m in Landsat.
OregonView • eMapR Lab
Landscape change from space — in Oregon and beyond
The eMapR Lab at Oregon State University develops innovative methods to monitor and understand landscape change using remote sensing and geospatial analysis. Our work focuses on mapping forest disturbance and recovery, land use dynamics, and ecosystem processes through time. By combining satellite imagery, machine learning, and field data, we create tools that support science, management, and public engagement in environmental monitoring.
Join as a citizen scientistJoin our lab as a citizen scientist
Help us map and monitor environmental change across Oregon. Volunteers support change detection, ground-truth data collection, and landscape interpretation using accessible tools.
- Contribute observations (photos, notes) and validate satellite-detected changes.
- Help review imagery for fires, harvest, insects & disease, and more.
- No prior experience needed—we’ll train you!
The science behind our maps
We apply time-series remote sensing to detect and characterize landscape change. Think: pixels as measurements through time—we analyze their trajectories to spot meaningful shifts.
GWIZ: Oregon forests
Oregon has ~30 million acres of forest—satellites help monitor health and disturbance annually.
Time series
We chart pixel values per year to spot events like fire, harvest, drought, or insect activity.
Change detection
Algorithms (e.g., trend breaks) flag sudden spectral shifts that indicate on‑the‑ground change.
Oregon from space
From the Coast Range to the Wallowas, contrasting ecosystems produce distinct spectral signals.
Oregon observations map
Oregon GLOBE Observations. Click on a point to see.