The SESAME Human-Earth Atlas

Area of Science:

• Earth System Science
• Environmental Science
• Human Geography

Background:

• Human activities extensively modify Earth's land and marine environments, leading to significant environmental degradation.
• Studying the spatial dynamics between human systems and Earth systems is challenging due to fragmented data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the Surface Earth System Analysis and Modeling Environment (SESAME) Human-Earth Atlas, a comprehensive spatial dataset.
• To facilitate data discovery and modeling of human-Earth system dynamics by integrating diverse variables.

Main Methods:

• Development of a spatial dataset with hundreds of human and non-human Earth system variables on common grids (1- and 0.25-degree resolution).
• Utilization of machine learning for data interpolation in undersampled areas.
• Downscaling national-level human system variables to spatial grids using dasymetric mapping, accounting for boundary changes.

Main Results:

• The SESAME Human-Earth Atlas provides a unified spatial framework for diverse Earth system data.
• The Atlas integrates raster, point, line, polygon, and tabular data onto standardized spatial grids.
• Variables are structured by common spheres and many resolve changes over time.

Conclusions:

• The Human-Earth Atlas addresses data fragmentation, enabling more robust spatial analysis of human-Earth system interactions.
• This resource is crucial for advancing research on environmental change and sustainable development.
• The Atlas supports improved modeling and understanding of the complex relationships shaping our planet.