Blanket bog at the The Flow Country in Caithness and Sutherland. Satellite technology which measures how bogs “breathe” could be key to measuring the health of Scotland’s peatlands. New research published today, International Bog Day, demonstrates the potential for calculating what is known as “bog breathing” to monitor the health and restoration progress of bogs like the Flow Country. How can a bog breathe? The technology works by looking at the movement of the ground’s surface. The way that bogs move, or breathe, can be influenced by many factors, including precipitation, water level, vegetation composition, micro-topography and land management.