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Peruse our selection of remote sensing and Earth science imagery below.
This color-coded land cover map, showing cropland, water bodies, urban areas, and other types of land cover, is based on a 2013 Landsat satellite image. Satellite-image-derived land cover maps are essential tools for studying land cover and land use change over time on local, regional, and global scales.
This color-coded land cover map, showing cropland, water bodies, urban areas, and other types of land cover, is based on a 2013 Landsat satellite image. Satellite-image-derived land cover maps are essential tools for studying land cover and land use change over time on local, regional, and global scales.
Landsat 8 helps reveal the hidden complexities of the Antarctic landscape. In this image, ice takes on different levels of blue with exposed rock and dirt appearing in yellow tones. The dynamic Koettlitz Glacier flows between Brown Peninsula and the rugged mainland.
Landsat 8 helps reveal the hidden complexities of the Antarctic landscape. In this image, ice takes on different levels of blue with exposed rock and dirt appearing in yellow tones. The dynamic Koettlitz Glacier flows between Brown Peninsula and the rugged mainland.
ASTER Surface Reflectance (AST_07) data can be used to view complex landscapes like the Rio Grande River Valley in southern New Mexico. This Terra ASTER surface reflectance natural color composite shows differences in reflectance over forested hills, irrigated agriculture, and arid regions.
ASTER Surface Reflectance (AST_07) data can be used to view complex landscapes like the Rio Grande River Valley in southern New Mexico. This Terra ASTER surface reflectance natural color composite shows differences in reflectance over forested hills, irrigated agriculture, and arid regions.
This Landsat image shows how glaciers scoured the landscape, gouging out depressions that formed linear lakes. The glaciers also exposed the complex folded rock layers that form the Labrador Trough of Quebec in Canada. Glacial action is evident in the fingerprint-like patterns.
This Landsat image shows how glaciers scoured the landscape, gouging out depressions that formed linear lakes. The glaciers also exposed the complex folded rock layers that form the Labrador Trough of Quebec in Canada. Glacial action is evident in the fingerprint-like patterns.
Startling red patches sprout from an agricultural landscape that looks almost like a Cubist painting. The fields in this part of eastern Kazakhstan follow the contours of the land—long and narrow in mountain valleys, and large and rectangular over the plains.
Startling red patches sprout from an agricultural landscape that looks almost like a Cubist painting. The fields in this part of eastern Kazakhstan follow the contours of the land—long and narrow in mountain valleys, and large and rectangular over the plains.
Neal Pastick – lead author of the study – investigating erosion along Alaska’s Arctic coastline near the village of Kaktovik. Permafrost-dominated coasts of Alaska have drastically changed as the result of coastal transgression and storm-surge flooding which can result in the loss of cultural sites and damage to infrastructure. Photo by M.
Neal Pastick – lead author of the study – investigating erosion along Alaska’s Arctic coastline near the village of Kaktovik. Permafrost-dominated coasts of Alaska have drastically changed as the result of coastal transgression and storm-surge flooding which can result in the loss of cultural sites and damage to infrastructure. Photo by M.
When landmasses collide, rock layers can break. Geologists call these breaks "faults." Rock layers are offset in this image in western China, making the faults remarkably clear. The different colors indicate rocks that formed at different times and in different environments.
When landmasses collide, rock layers can break. Geologists call these breaks "faults." Rock layers are offset in this image in western China, making the faults remarkably clear. The different colors indicate rocks that formed at different times and in different environments.
Geometric shapes lie across the emptiness of the Sahara Desert in southern Egypt. Each point is a center pivot irrigation field a little less than 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) across. With no surface water in this region, wells pump underground water to rotating sprinklers from the huge Nubian Sandstone aquifer, which lies underneath the desert.
Geometric shapes lie across the emptiness of the Sahara Desert in southern Egypt. Each point is a center pivot irrigation field a little less than 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) across. With no surface water in this region, wells pump underground water to rotating sprinklers from the huge Nubian Sandstone aquifer, which lies underneath the desert.
This image, which shows the tropical estuary of the Ord River in Australia, is part of the Earth as Art 4 series.
This image, which shows the tropical estuary of the Ord River in Australia, is part of the Earth as Art 4 series.
Example of the Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS Collection 2 level-2 science products. Left: Landsat 8 level-2 surface reflectance image. Right: Landsat 8 level-2 surface temperature image. The data was acquired on May 3, 2013 (path 140 row 41).
Example of the Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS Collection 2 level-2 science products. Left: Landsat 8 level-2 surface reflectance image. Right: Landsat 8 level-2 surface temperature image. The data was acquired on May 3, 2013 (path 140 row 41).
A scene along a road in east central Senegal, photographed in 1984 by U.S. Geological Survey Scientist G. Gray Tappan as part of his work on West African land cover. Tappan photographed the scene again in 2013.
A scene along a road in east central Senegal, photographed in 1984 by U.S. Geological Survey Scientist G. Gray Tappan as part of his work on West African land cover. Tappan photographed the scene again in 2013.
A scene along a road in east-central Senegal, photographed in 2013 by U.S. Geological Survey Scientist G. Gray Tappan as part of his work on West African land cover. Tappan photographed the scene again in 2013.
A scene along a road in east-central Senegal, photographed in 2013 by U.S. Geological Survey Scientist G. Gray Tappan as part of his work on West African land cover. Tappan photographed the scene again in 2013.
Landsat 8’s first image captured the area where the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains meet in Colorado in March 2013. The natural-color image shows the coniferous forest of the mountains coming down to the dormant plains. Boulder, Colorado, sits in the middle of the image.
Landsat 8’s first image captured the area where the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains meet in Colorado in March 2013. The natural-color image shows the coniferous forest of the mountains coming down to the dormant plains. Boulder, Colorado, sits in the middle of the image.
Much of this image consists of the Reserva de la Biosfera Pantanos de Centla, a biosphere reserve in southern Mexico that protects wetlands in the area. The water bodies, mangroves, and forests are a sanctuary for a great variety of wildlife.
Much of this image consists of the Reserva de la Biosfera Pantanos de Centla, a biosphere reserve in southern Mexico that protects wetlands in the area. The water bodies, mangroves, and forests are a sanctuary for a great variety of wildlife.
This image of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was captured by the Multispectral Scanner (MSS) instrument onboard the Landsat 5 satellite on January 7, 2013.
This image of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was captured by the Multispectral Scanner (MSS) instrument onboard the Landsat 5 satellite on January 7, 2013.
photograph of landscape and dwellings near Dapaong, northern Togolese Republic
photograph of landscape and dwellings near Dapaong, northern Togolese Republic
Photograph of a village near Padaong, Togo, from West Africa: Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics, 2016
Photograph of a village near Padaong, Togo, from West Africa: Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics, 2016
The Niger River, as seen from Niamby, Niger, photographed after flooding in 2012 by U.S. Geological Survey Scientist G. Gray Tappan as part of his work on West African land cover. Tappan previously photographed the scene in 2004.
The Niger River, as seen from Niamby, Niger, photographed after flooding in 2012 by U.S. Geological Survey Scientist G. Gray Tappan as part of his work on West African land cover. Tappan previously photographed the scene in 2004.
The Niger River, as seen from Niamby, Niger, photographed in 2004 by U.S. Geological Survey Scientist G. Gray Tappan as part of his work on West African land cover. Tappan photographed the scene again after a flood in 2012.
The Niger River, as seen from Niamby, Niger, photographed in 2004 by U.S. Geological Survey Scientist G. Gray Tappan as part of his work on West African land cover. Tappan photographed the scene again after a flood in 2012.
The roughly west-east trail of destruction from the April 27, 2011, Tuscaloosa-Birmingham tornado is clearly visible in these Landsat images. This was one of 358 recorded tornadoes during the April 25-28, 2011, tornado outbreak, the most severe in U.S. history.
The roughly west-east trail of destruction from the April 27, 2011, Tuscaloosa-Birmingham tornado is clearly visible in these Landsat images. This was one of 358 recorded tornadoes during the April 25-28, 2011, tornado outbreak, the most severe in U.S. history.
McKinley is the USGS's flagship supercomputer installed and housed at the EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, SD. Estimated peak computational performance is expected to be ~660 Tflop/s.
Learn more here: USGS McKinley Supercomputer
McKinley is the USGS's flagship supercomputer installed and housed at the EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, SD. Estimated peak computational performance is expected to be ~660 Tflop/s.
Learn more here: USGS McKinley Supercomputer