Satellite view of sprawling tidal flats in Derby, Kimberley, Western Australia

Watercolour wilderness

This overview of sprawling tidal flats in Derby, Australia, is one of countless finely detailed images available in the Microsoft Planetary Computer. This vast, cloud-powered database lets scientists see a whole timeline of crisp satellite captures and environmental data for any location in the world. By analysing this data, scientists can explore better ways to manage resources and combat climate change. Here in northwestern Australia, for example, a scientist might observe changes in the coastline over time to track effects of the region’s 12-metre tides – the highest on the continent.