Frequently Asked Questions

A: Croplands.org (this website) is best for visualizing the data that the team has produced over the past few years. You may also go to our official USGS website for additional information regarding methods, algorithms, workshops, and publications.
1.) https://croplands.org/home
2.) https://geography.wr.usgs.gov/science/croplands/index.html
3.) https://croplands.org/app/map

A: All our data and products are released with proper documentation through LP DAAC. Currently, 30-m Landsat derived global cropland extent product is available for visualization and comments at croplands.org. In the coming months, we will make this data available for download at LP DAAC.The product will be distributed in 10 degree by 10 degree tiles for the entire world.

A: It is true that the final version of the 30-m global cropland extent product is ready with accuracies. However, we can only release the data through proper peer-reviewed documentation. The peer-review process takes time and we are trying to expedite this as much as we can. Please be patient. Our goal is too to release it ASAP.

A: Yes! We now have two remote sensing derived cropland products at nominal 1-km resolution that you can download from LP DAAC. Direct links to these:
1.) Nominal 1-km crop dominance product for nominal year 2010:
https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/dataset_discovery/measures/measures_products_table/gfsad1kcd_v001
2.) Nominal 1-km crop mask product for nominal year 2015:
https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/dataset_discovery/measures/measures_products_table/gfsad1kcm_v001

A: The GFSAD30 has many applications in agriculture, water, and food security studies. First, the cropland extent product is the highest resolution cropland product covering the entire world. Second, it is used to derive cropland areas of different countries as well as sub-national statistics of cropland areas. Third, the cropland extent product is a baseline data for all higher level products such as irrigation versus rainfed, cropping intensities, crop types, and cropland fallows. Fourth, croplands consume nearly 80% of all human water use. So, an accurate cropland product is crucial for accurate crop water use assessments. Fifth, cropland product will be crucial in crop productivity and crop water productivity studies. Sixth, cropland product will help analyze croplands as well as cropland fallows year after year, thus helping determine good years, normal years, and drought years of crop production. Seventh, cropland product will be used by agencies across the world for food security analysis. Above all, GFSAD30 is one of the biggest application of Landsat data ever since the first Landsat was launched and put to operation in 1972.

A: Please keep visiting: https://geography.wr.usgs.gov/science/croplands/pubs2017.html

A: The individual team members have used Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform (see: this article) as well as the NASA NEX supercomputer (additional information here: https://nex.nasa.gov/nex/) to process massively large big data from Landsat satellite sensors.

A: The project funding is provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) grant number: NNH13AV82I through its MEaSUREs (Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments) initiative. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) provided supplemental funding from other direct and indirect means through its Land Change Science (LCS), and Land Remote Sensing (LRS) programs as well as its Climate and Land Use Change Mission Area.

MEaSUREs: Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments of NASA
ROSES: Research Opportunities in Earth and Space Science

A: You may send an email to the Principal Investigator: Dr. Prasad S. Thenkabail, Research Geographer, U. S. Geological Survey at: pthenkabail@usgs.gov
For questions regarding the website, please contact the croplands developer at croplands.dev@gmail.com