Helping to save lives on the Solway with data from space

The Safe Passage project – funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) – has seen a research team from the university using the estuary as a trial site.

They are investigating the use of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from satellites to provide regular, accurate mapping of moving channels in the coastal region.

It can be used to differentiate between sand and water and even works in nocturnal or cloudy conditions, allowing the lifeboat to find a consistent minimum depth along a route.

Previously, the crew had to manually conduct depth soundings, but during bad weather and strong tidal periods these passageways shift rapidly, making a previously-measured route potentially unusable.