Researchers made significant improvements to the Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) by using higher resolution images captured by the Sentinel-2 mission, which provides a 10-meter cover dataset. The Sentinel-2 mission utilizes three satellites to produce more detailed images with finer resolution and faster updates than the previous 30-meter datasets. These enhanced images offer a more precise understanding of rangeland vegetation structure and composition, covering the period from 2018 to 2024. This new satellite dataset allows RAP to provide new cover information, specifically invasive species, pinyon-juniper, sagebrush, as well as the distribution of bare ground. These new RAP layers allow ranchers and land managers to detect and manage invasive species spread and consequent wildfire risks, woody species encroachment, wildlife habitat condition, and wind erosion risks with high precision across the western United States. 

Collaboration between DFDS and universities is creating digital solutions with potential for a more sustainable maritime freight transport.

In the dog days of summer, the blacktop is sizzling, fans are set to high, and cooling centers are open. Research has found cities are often warmer than more rural communities because of the "heat island effect." That's when the built environment exacerbates summer’s hottest days—in fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that, with fewer plants and lots of manmade structures and materials, cities can be several degrees hotter than their surrounding areas. 

But these effects are not confined to the largest cities. As the climate continues to warm, people living in small and medium sized cities and even towns are increasingly recognizing the heat island effect in their communities. University of Vermont (UVM) researcher Elizabeth Doran says community planners and public works officials have an opportunity to come to the table and do a lot to reduce temperatures. 

Together with colleagues from UVM and the Georgia Institute of Technology, Doran, a professor in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, authored a 2025 report that digs into some of the solutions.