Paper short abstract:

Looking closer at the remote-sensing infrastructures, and their problematics. As well as questioning maps and mapping processes all to sense changes in the landscape that are occurring daily due to the current war in Ukraine.

Paper long abstract:

In the early hours of 6 June, an explosion destroyed a critical infrastructure in southern Ukraine – the Nova Kakhovka dam. This vast amount of water was unleashed downstream along the Dnipro River, flooding dozens of settlements.

Although floodwaters have receded, they have carried tons of debris into the Black Sea and Odesa's coastline, causing what Ukraine called an "ecocide". A recent report from the area has brought to light additional unexpected consequences of the fluctuating water levels. One notable observation includes a significant proliferation of willow trees now spreading across the area that was previously submerged.

With Earth Scientist Anatolii Chernov, PhD, we analyze satellite vegetation data post the Kakhovka Dam's destruction, tracking landscape changes six months later. Delving into the region's deep histories, the Nikopol region and Dnipro river landscapes.

Mapping Uncertain Landscape consists of a plotter machine continuously drawing maps of the Ukrainian terrain on a large roll of paper. The images being printed take their data from various open-source satellite platforms. Through extensive observation and a meticulous process of printing, drawing, and re-drawing the vegetation levels surrounding the Kakhovka Dam area, my objective is to discern patterns, transformations, and deviations. It's akin to witnessing a transformation of the area, observing how it responds when the infrastructure is dismantled and how the land asserts itself, reclaiming its original form.