Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center
News
Below you'll find the most recent news about EROS and USGS. Please contact Jan Nelson at jsnelson@usgs.gov for assistance with specific media questions and requests.
Mapping Urban Heat Islands Leads NYC Council Data Team to Landsat
New York City (NYC) loses an average of 13 residents each year to heatstroke. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene estimates more than 100 die each year from other causes associated with extreme heat. Hundreds visit emergency departments, with an average of 150 hospitalized annually.
Landsat Collection 2 Reprocessing of Landsat 8 Images Acquired in 2015
During Landsat Collection 2 data processing in 2020, several Landsat 8 images acquired from November 1 and November 2, 2015 were processed to Level-1 products with misaligned Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) spectral bands. These images were quickly identified and removed from the USGS archive soon after the release of Collection 2 on December 1, 2020.
EROS Rangeland Tools Aid Western U.S. Land Managers
The extensive rangelands across the Western United States are threatened by invasive grasses, climate change, and altered fire regimes that can disturb the landscape. The largely semi-arid lands are also important for the survival of species that need undisturbed sagebrush ecosystems to thrive.
Landsat will help U.S. and Canada Share River’s Water
A river meanders serenely through the northern prairie, waters flowing eastward. The scene’s simplicity belies the complex nature of how the water is used—especially when the river flows from one country to another and back.
Landsat, Sentinel Data Fusion Offers Potential of More Accurate ET Maps
Scientists at the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center have developed an algorithm that fuses Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 data in a way that generates more accurate daily evapotranspiration (ET) maps with a much higher spatial resolution.
Landsat Update January 2021
Landsat Updates are prepared periodically and distributed electronically to provide information about Landsat activities and related topics of interest.
Atlas displays beauty, variety, and value of Landsat water images
Landsat satellites exist to provide information—millions of images’ worth of information—about the Earth’s surface.
Landsat Science Team's Crystal Schaaf Discusses Albedo, Its Importance, and How It Can Affect Climate
One of the interesting fields in remote sensing science is the study of albedo, a term derived from the Latin word for whiteness. Albedo is another name for reflectivity. The albedo of a surface determines how much sunlight will be absorbed and warm the surface compared to another surface that reflects most of the light and does not change temperature.
First Orbital Space Flight Operations Coming to EROS, South Dakota
South Dakota’s first foray into orbital space flight operations is unfolding at the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center near Sioux Falls as work begins there on a backup Landsat Multi-Satellite Operations Center (bLMOC).
Looking Back: EROS Marks Major Milestones for 2020
The year of 2020 will be remembered largely for the global coronavirus pandemic, and with good reason: The impact was worldwide, sustained and continues into the new year.
High Resolution Imagery Captures Growth in South Dakota’s Largest City
The high-tech hub that is the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center was carved out of a chunk of rural farm ground nearly 50 years ago, and the Center still counts more cows and cornstalks than human beings as neighbors.
Landsat 9 Launch Delay Raises Questions about Science Data Acquisitions
The slipping of Landsat 9’s original launch readiness date from December 2020 to September 2021 brings with it uncertainty to the Landsat user community, but no real panic at this point.