Millions of Dollars to Help Accelerate Novel Approaches to Geomagnetic Data Collection for the World Magnetic Model

Springfield, VA -- September 28, 2021 -- The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency^[1] (NGA) just launched the Demonstration Phase (Phase 4a) of its MagQuest Challenge^[2] to develop novel data collection approaches for the World Magnetic Model. 

The WMM ultimately ensures the accuracy of navigation because it corrects for differences in magnetic forces at a user’s location. The model is used by thousands of systems for mobile navigation apps and is critical for military and commercial uses around the world.

Produced since 1905, the WMM originated with data collection from two ships surveying 500,000 miles of ocean. Today, the data is collected by satellites operated by the European Space Agency that will eventually reach the end of their useful life. NGA’s MagQuest Challenge is promoting the development of miniaturized solutions to determine if they can produce data useful to support WMM production. NGA has an extensive network of government partners collaborating on the WMM production, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the British Geological Survey, the Federal Aviation Administration, the...

Acquisition expands MFS’s survey capabilities while allowing GEOD to offer its clients a full range of engineering, aerial mapping, land surveying, and construction management services from a consolidated source

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, New Jersey, October 5, 2021 — MFS Consulting Engineers & Surveyor^[1], DPC (MFS Engineers & Surveyors), a multidiscipline, MBE/DBE/SBE-certified civil engineering firm, announced today that it has acquired GEOD Corporation^[2] (GEOD), a provider of aerial photogrammetry / LIDAR mapping, land survey, subsurface utility markout, and 3D laser-scanning services. GEOD, which has been in operation for 60 years and has developed a reputation for the quality and accuracy of its services within the A/E/C industry, will continue to operate under its own brand as a subsidiary of MFS.

All GEOD employees and leadership are being retained and GEOD will continue to maintain its offices in Newfoundland, New Jersey, while providing synergistic services with MFS.

MFS offers to clients a range of civil, structural, and geotechnical engineering and construction management services. The GEOD acquisition augments MFS’s well-established land survey division, enabling it to serve customers more fully by expanding its survey capabilities to include aerial mapping / photogrammetry and subsurface utility engineering (SUE) markout, and by more than doubling its...

Integrating multiple satellite and aerial imagery sources, as well as other data inputs, such as building permits and weather data that can be analyzed at scale with artificial intelligence, Z-FIRE™ has quickly become the leader in offering precise, property-specific wildfire risk analysis at 97+% coverage. It considers property-level features that influence risk, such as topography, historical climate data, and critically, factors impacting frequency and severity extracted from...

Leicestershire, UK, 05 October 2021 - A European Innovation Partnership project to accelerate the move towards net carbon zero farming is using specially commissioned LiDAR data to create a baseline for future measurements. Working with ARCZero (Accelerating Ruminant Carbon Zero) aerial mapping company Bluesky recorded LiDAR measurements for seven commercial farms across Northern Ireland. This data is being used to calculate above ground carbon storage which will be combined with the results from a whole business Life-Cycle Analysis calculator to inform future farming practices.

“Actual net farm green house gas footprints, at individual farm levels, are not currently known as most methodologies calculate gross footprints for farm enterprises,” commented John Gilliland, Chair of ARCZero Operational Group and partner at Brook Hall Estate, Londonderry. “In addition, on-farm carbon stocks and their potential for carbon sequestration is rarely considered.

“Using the Bluesky LiDAR we can precisely measure stocks such as soils, trees and hedges,” he continued. “This data, when combined with actual carbon inputs and outputs, will allow us to accurately calculate a base-line greenhouse gas position for each farm. Having assessed the current position, we can then prioritise future management practices whilst also making each business more economically resilient. Once finalised, we will share our experiences to help other farms accelerate their move to net carbon zero farming.”...

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Synspective have started a satellite use service demonstration to monitor ground movements in Guatemala City, Guatemala, as part of an information gathering and pilot project.

Land displacement disasters in Guatemala
Guatemala is a Central American country, and is about 1/3 the size of Japan. Spanish is the official and most spoken language. Similar to Japan, Guatemala is prone to earthquakes and other disaster risks such as heavy rains due to hurricanes, landslides, and volcanic disasters. Japan, which is also a volcanic country, has been implementing a technical cooperation project for disaster prevention to support the country. (JICA, Overview of Guatemala)

In Guatemala, there is always the risk of subsidence and landslides caused by earthquakes. In the 1970s, the capital was hit by an earthquake that killed thousands of people and injured many others. In 2010, a giant sinkhole of about 60 feet wide and 30 stories deep, opened up in the middle of Guatemala City, which consumed a three-story building and an intersection. Additionally, in 2015, a large-scale landslide engulfed a village near the capital killing more than 100 people. There continue to be concerns about the potential danger to...