EROS Center Director Pete Doucette has been at EROS for a fairly short stretch of the center’s 50-year history, but his passion for the mission of EROS and its opportunities in the future are clear in this episode of Eyes on Earth.
EROS 50th History: Helping the World Through Science
EROS 50th History: A Leader in Mapping Land Cover and Change
By Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center
August 17, 2023
Millions of people in the United States and billions around the world live unaware that employees of a far-off USGS facility surrounded by South Dakota farm fields are working every day, in many different ways, to help improve their lives—and have been for decades.
1966-1979: How Sioux Falls Ingenuity Secured the Center
1966-1979: How Sioux Falls Ingenuity Secured the Center
1966-1979: How Sioux Falls Ingenuity Secured the Center
1980-1999: Through Uncertainty to a Firm Footing
1980-1999: Through Uncertainty to a Firm Footing
1980-1999: Through Uncertainty to a Firm Footing
2000-2023: Data and Science Surge
2000-2023: Data and Science Surge
2000-2023: Data and Science Surge
The original intent of the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, which opened 50 years ago, was to store and distribute imagery from the fledgling Earth-observing Landsat satellite program, along with other land remote sensing imagery, such as aerial photography. But the science potential that tantalized early on also has flourished inside and outside of EROS since.
Research and science tools originating at EROS can touch many aspects of our lives: food and water, threats to our homes and property, the policies of cities and states where we live, and the management of public lands and wildlife.
The pioneering work at EROS in “land cover”—showing what exists on the land at a given time and how it changes over time, from forests to farm fields and grasslands to cities—has provided a definitive foundation that factors into land and resource management decisions and research throughout the United States and beyond. Learn about the valuable agency partnerships this involves and the evolution of land cover science at EROS in this story.
“The real legacy of EROS has been the advancing of the state of the art of land remote sensing from a civilian use perspective, especially in applications related to land change science, which it helped create,” said EROS Center Director Pete Doucette in a recent Eyes on Earth podcast episode. “I think we put that science on the map, in a manner of speaking.”
Keep reading here to see many other examples of EROS science and their role in society.
Food and Water
Despite their distance in space, satellites can help people see a lot about the crops growing on Earth —and the imminent food supply. They can tell the types of crops being grown, the quantity and health of the crops, and the changes from one year to the next or even one decade to the next, especially with a record as long and consistent as Landsat’s.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
One important agricultural effort at EROS began in the 1980s in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s efforts to address crop failures and prevent food shortages and famine in West Africa. For example, using satellite data with a broader view of Earth than Landsat provides, scientists at EROS mapped the crops during the growing season to analyze changes in the conditions, helping to identify and prevent potential locust plagues. Other USAID work to help food-insecure countries monitor their cropland and rangeland for signs of drought continues today. Closer to home, EROS has contributed to drought monitoring tools for the United States since 2009.
Satellites help us keep an eye on how water bodies change over time—when lakes, rivers and wetlands dwindle or fill up. A less obvious but increasingly important use of satellites that can help farmers is illustrated by the evapotranspiration work that has been performed at EROS since 2006. To figure out the amount of water used by croplands and other vegetation—and make adjustments in irrigation to improve efficiency—land surface temperature measurements taken from space indicate the water lost to evaporation and plant transpiration. EROS scientists model and map this water loss and make it available at a global scale for farmers, policy makers, researchers and other water managers to use. It also contributes to the drought monitoring work in Africa and countries around the world with concerns about food shortages.
Homes and Property
Every day, news stories seem to spotlight a different threat to homes and property—even lives.
Wildfires raged through Canada, sending smoke over much of the continent, and through Greece and Maui, upending entire communities, just to name a few prominent examples in summer 2023. Fires destroy homes and businesses, and the burned areas are at greater risk of erosion, landslides and flooding.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Wildland fire science work at EROS helps fire and landscape managers before, during and after wildfires in the United States. Information builds on EROS’ land cover work by adding more detail about types of plants, the height of tree crowns, materials that could fuel a fire, disturbances that have happened in an area and much more. This information helps guide people figuring out where a fire might go next and how intense it might get, people dealing with the aftermath of a fire, people planning a prescribed burn and insurance companies determining risks. EROS works to map the extent of many fires and the varying severity of fire in the burned area to help evaluate immediate threats and inform recovery and planning efforts.
EROS has long provided satellite and other imagery of disaster areas, such as floods and hurricanes, to responding groups to help visualize the extent of change from before the event to afterward and the area’s long-term recovery. EROS has participated in the International Charter Space and Major Disasters for nearly 20 years, providing government and commercial imagery upon the request of countries worldwide. But occasionally, EROS employees have helped out even more in the aftermath of disasters, such as hosting and providing data support for a team from various state and federal agencies to study the 1993 flooding of the Missouri and Mississippi River regions or traveling to Central America after Hurricane Mitch in 1998 to set up access to and organize relevant data for recovering countries.
City and State Policies
As cities expand, and cities and states manage resources for growing populations in a changing world, the information generated by EROS, such as land cover and land change, becomes even more valuable.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Snow cover measurements from EROS can indicate upcoming water supply issues and flooding risks for surrounding areas. An analysis system created at EROS can help cities understand where their urban heat islands, or areas of intense warmth, are and take steps to protect citizens at a higher risk of illness or death during heat waves. To help coastal cities and other entities plan for the effects of sea-level rise in the decades ahead, including flooding and storm surges, EROS provides the USGS Coastal National Elevation Database.
A land-use change model developed at EROS can peer back centuries and look decades ahead. This can help scientists and regional resource managers plan for climate change and urban growth, such as addressing water resources for the Delaware River Basin in a potential drought as one example.
Public—and Private—Land Management
Forests and rangelands make up substantial portions of the landscape of the United States. Federal land alone contains 190 million acres of forest. Rangeland can consist of grasslands, shrublands and even wetlands and is especially extensive across the West.
A variety of research by EROS scientists through the years has monitored the health and condition of forests and rangelands, identified changes in addition to wildfire that have happened and explored the reasons for changes. Rangeland managers want to monitor invasive grasses because they can diminish the suitability of rangelands for grazing and species habitat and increase the risk of wildfire. Forest managers want to monitor for disease and drought stress that can lead to a decline in some species; tracking deforestation is another concern for some organizations.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
EROS also has long been involved in carbon research, including modeling to quantify carbon storage change over several decades in the United States. One recent example of EROS carbon research is Alaska permafrost mapping, which helps identify where permafrost is thawing and releasing carbon. This helps people in research and in industries with an interest in carbon credits to model carbon and climate change.
Continuing the Science
In the long and strong history of science at USGS EROS, employees have taken the valuable land remote sensing data stored in the vast archive and turned it into useful research and tools that benefit a vulnerable world hungry for solutions—solutions to meeting our current basic needs and addressing the future challenges of a changing climate and expanding population.
“What makes EROS science relevant is how it’s used in the scientific and land management communities. The variety of uses are staggering, as is the impact on society,” said Terry Sohl, Acting Science Branch Chief at EROS.
Going forward, EROS scientists will continue to look for new ways and new research to help the world—as if their homes, communities and even lives depend on it.
Related Content
Listen to Eyes on Earth podcast episodes and watch videos related to the science work at EROS, as well as EROS' 50th anniversary.
USGS EROS: Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence
For 50 years, the people of EROS have overcome difficulties and celebrated triumphs together, always centered on providing a perspective of the Earth that helps us better understand its condition. This video, timed with the 50th anniversary celebration at EROS in August of 2023, explores the center's history.
Filter Total Items: 30
Eyes on Earth Episode 101 – EROS 50th: Director Pete Doucette Looks Ahead
EROS Center Director Pete Doucette has been at EROS for a fairly short stretch of the center’s 50-year history, but his passion for the mission of EROS and its opportunities in the future are clear in this episode of Eyes on Earth.
Eyes on Earth Episode 100 – EROS 50th: Our Legacy
As USGS EROS turns 50 this month, our Eyes on Earth podcast also marks a big moment: Episode 100. To celebrate, we bring together some treasured moments from previous episodes in which people inside and outside of EROS share their thoughts on EROS and its role in the world of remote sensing, including as keeper of all Landsat satellite data.
As USGS EROS turns 50 this month, our Eyes on Earth podcast also marks a big moment: Episode 100. To celebrate, we bring together some treasured moments from previous episodes in which people inside and outside of EROS share their thoughts on EROS and its role in the world of remote sensing, including as keeper of all Landsat satellite data.
Eyes on Earth Episode 99 – EROS 50th: Interns Who Stayed
EROS has a long history of reaching out to universities to welcome interns who can both contribute to the center and gain valuable skills and experience. A good number of them went on to spend their careers at EROS, some for more than three decades.
EROS has a long history of reaching out to universities to welcome interns who can both contribute to the center and gain valuable skills and experience. A good number of them went on to spend their careers at EROS, some for more than three decades.
Eyes on Earth Episode 71 – Blue Oak Forests of California
In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we zero in on the use of USGS Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (LCMAP) products to examine the effects of drought on California’s Blue Oaks. LCMAP datasets are built from Landsat data and reveal the land cover and change of every pixel in the conterminous United States, dating back to 1985.
In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we zero in on the use of USGS Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (LCMAP) products to examine the effects of drought on California’s Blue Oaks. LCMAP datasets are built from Landsat data and reveal the land cover and change of every pixel in the conterminous United States, dating back to 1985.
Eyes on Earth Episode 69 - Thirty Years of Land Change in the U.S.
Land change is a constant. Even land areas that see little major change can see disruptions from storms, heat waves, wildfires, or invasive species. But major changes aren't uncommon, either. Each year in the U.S., farm fields become tracts of suburban homes, wetlands become more permanent bodies of water, and shrublands burn to be replaced with grasslands.
Land change is a constant. Even land areas that see little major change can see disruptions from storms, heat waves, wildfires, or invasive species. But major changes aren't uncommon, either. Each year in the U.S., farm fields become tracts of suburban homes, wetlands become more permanent bodies of water, and shrublands burn to be replaced with grasslands.
Eyes on Earth Episode 66 – Exotic Annual Grasses
The rangelands of the western United States are changing more quickly than many other parts of the lower 48. Miles upon miles of the area or semi-arid landscapes in states like Idaho, Montana and Nevada are now carpeted by fire fueling invasive grasses. Cheatgrass is the most prevalent, which is troublesome for several reasons.
The rangelands of the western United States are changing more quickly than many other parts of the lower 48. Miles upon miles of the area or semi-arid landscapes in states like Idaho, Montana and Nevada are now carpeted by fire fueling invasive grasses. Cheatgrass is the most prevalent, which is troublesome for several reasons.
Eyes on Earth Episode 56 - Modeling the Past to Plan for the Future
Mapping land cover in the United States in the present isn’t a simple job, but satellites like Landsat make it possible. Mapping conditions in the pre-satellite era, which the LANDFIRE program does through its Biophysical Settings (BpS) GIS data products, is a far trickier proposition.
Mapping land cover in the United States in the present isn’t a simple job, but satellites like Landsat make it possible. Mapping conditions in the pre-satellite era, which the LANDFIRE program does through its Biophysical Settings (BpS) GIS data products, is a far trickier proposition.
Eyes on Earth Episode 54 - National Land Cover Database 2019
The National Land Cover Database, or NLCD, was the first and remains the most well-known set of satellite-based land cover mapping products released by EROS. It sorts the each 30-by-30-meter plot of land in the United States into a land cover class, such as cropland, pasture, high-intensity developed, deciduous forest, and the like.
The National Land Cover Database, or NLCD, was the first and remains the most well-known set of satellite-based land cover mapping products released by EROS. It sorts the each 30-by-30-meter plot of land in the United States into a land cover class, such as cropland, pasture, high-intensity developed, deciduous forest, and the like.
Eyes on Earth Episode 51 – LANDFIRE 2019 Limited
The fire science community is always on the lookout for the freshest satellite-derived fire disturbance maps. Aiming to meet those needs, the multi-agency partnership known as LANDFIRE has just released an update that adds three new years of disturbances across the U.S. to its 20-plus layers of GIS data.
The fire science community is always on the lookout for the freshest satellite-derived fire disturbance maps. Aiming to meet those needs, the multi-agency partnership known as LANDFIRE has just released an update that adds three new years of disturbances across the U.S. to its 20-plus layers of GIS data.
Eyes on Earth Episode 50 – Delaware River Basin
About 15 million people rely on the Delaware River Basin for drinking water, including residents of Philadelphia, PA, Camden, NJ, and Wilmington, DE. What might happen to the water supply if climate change and population growth continue unabated? How might that impact land cover and land use patterns?
About 15 million people rely on the Delaware River Basin for drinking water, including residents of Philadelphia, PA, Camden, NJ, and Wilmington, DE. What might happen to the water supply if climate change and population growth continue unabated? How might that impact land cover and land use patterns?
Eyes on Earth Episode 49 – Fire Atlas
Teams at the USGS EROS Center have completed fire atlases for nine National Parks across the U.S. Each atlas defines the size and severity of each fire in each park since 1984, including fires too small to be mapped by other programs. Yellowstone National Park has had nearly 100 fires, for example, ranging from a few acres to thousands of acres.
Teams at the USGS EROS Center have completed fire atlases for nine National Parks across the U.S. Each atlas defines the size and severity of each fire in each park since 1984, including fires too small to be mapped by other programs. Yellowstone National Park has had nearly 100 fires, for example, ranging from a few acres to thousands of acres.
Eyes on Earth Episode 42 – Rangelands of the U.S.
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.
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.
Eyes on Earth Episode 30 – Remapping LANDFIRE
In the days before LANDFIRE, fire scientists often struggled to find the vegetation and fuels data they needed to map the path of fires, keep firefighters safe, and to model fire recovery.
In the days before LANDFIRE, fire scientists often struggled to find the vegetation and fuels data they needed to map the path of fires, keep firefighters safe, and to model fire recovery.
Eyes on Earth Episode 29 – Tracking Landscape Change with LCMAP
The U.S. Geological Survey took a bold step toward documenting change across the landscape with the launch of the first Landsat satellite in 1972. Since then, it’s collected nearly five decades of imagery. But it takes more than just imagery to understand change. It takes time, effort—and serious computing horsepower.
The U.S. Geological Survey took a bold step toward documenting change across the landscape with the launch of the first Landsat satellite in 1972. Since then, it’s collected nearly five decades of imagery. But it takes more than just imagery to understand change. It takes time, effort—and serious computing horsepower.
Eyes on Earth Episode 25 - Rising Seas
Sea levels are rising globally. In some places, it is rising more than others, threatening communities and people as storm surges reach further inland and inundate more land.
Sea levels are rising globally. In some places, it is rising more than others, threatening communities and people as storm surges reach further inland and inundate more land.
Eyes on Earth Episode 22 – Meet the Mendenhall Fellow
The Mendenhall Program offers a range of two-year post-doctoral research fellowships within the U.S. Geological Survey. Heather Tollerud took advantage of the program in 2015 to study drought and land cover at the USGS EROS Center, and has since become a key player in the Center’s innovative Land Change Monitoring, Assessment and Projection (LCMAP) initiative.
The Mendenhall Program offers a range of two-year post-doctoral research fellowships within the U.S. Geological Survey. Heather Tollerud took advantage of the program in 2015 to study drought and land cover at the USGS EROS Center, and has since become a key player in the Center’s innovative Land Change Monitoring, Assessment and Projection (LCMAP) initiative.
Eyes on Earth Episode 21 - Forests of Ghana
In the West African nation of Ghana, tropical forests are more than landscape. They are woven into language, custom, and culture. They are also the source of timber for home heating and industry, as well as barriers to agricultural production. Those are just a few of the reasons why deforestation has come alongside the nation’s rapid population growth.
In the West African nation of Ghana, tropical forests are more than landscape. They are woven into language, custom, and culture. They are also the source of timber for home heating and industry, as well as barriers to agricultural production. Those are just a few of the reasons why deforestation has come alongside the nation’s rapid population growth.
Eyes on Earth Episode 20 - Mapping Alaska's Permafrost
The Arctic is changing at a more rapid rate than the rest of the planet. Some of the most significant changes are tied to the thawing of near-surface permafrost, the layers of frozen soil containing vast stocks of stored carbon.
The Arctic is changing at a more rapid rate than the rest of the planet. Some of the most significant changes are tied to the thawing of near-surface permafrost, the layers of frozen soil containing vast stocks of stored carbon.
Eyes on Earth Episode 17 - Evapotranspiration
It’s easy enough to measure rainfall, and nearly as easy to measure streamflow. Calculating the efficiency of water use through the metric of evapotranspiration (ET) – evaporation off the Earth’s surface and transpiration from the leaves of plants – is a far trickier proposal.
It’s easy enough to measure rainfall, and nearly as easy to measure streamflow. Calculating the efficiency of water use through the metric of evapotranspiration (ET) – evaporation off the Earth’s surface and transpiration from the leaves of plants – is a far trickier proposal.
Eyes on Earth Episode 16 – Predictive Modeling
Land cover and land use across the United States are the culmination of a complex web of interwoven factors: Climate, landscape types, and economic factors among them. Remotely-sensed data from satellites like Landsat and a variety of other sources are useful for documenting and monitoring land cover and land use.
Land cover and land use across the United States are the culmination of a complex web of interwoven factors: Climate, landscape types, and economic factors among them. Remotely-sensed data from satellites like Landsat and a variety of other sources are useful for documenting and monitoring land cover and land use.
Eyes on Earth Episode 15 – Burn Severity Mapping
Scientists at EROS have spent years refining their approach to mapping burn severity using remotely-sensed data from satellites like Landsat, but Landsat comes with limitations. Landsat data cannot see the vegetation below a thick tree canopy, for example.
Scientists at EROS have spent years refining their approach to mapping burn severity using remotely-sensed data from satellites like Landsat, but Landsat comes with limitations. Landsat data cannot see the vegetation below a thick tree canopy, for example.
Related Content
Listen to Eyes on Earth podcast episodes and watch videos related to the science work at EROS, as well as EROS' 50th anniversary.
USGS EROS: Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence
For 50 years, the people of EROS have overcome difficulties and celebrated triumphs together, always centered on providing a perspective of the Earth that helps us better understand its condition. This video, timed with the 50th anniversary celebration at EROS in August of 2023, explores the center's history.
Filter Total Items: 30
Eyes on Earth Episode 101 – EROS 50th: Director Pete Doucette Looks Ahead
EROS Center Director Pete Doucette has been at EROS for a fairly short stretch of the center’s 50-year history, but his passion for the mission of EROS and its opportunities in the future are clear in this episode of Eyes on Earth.
EROS Center Director Pete Doucette has been at EROS for a fairly short stretch of the center’s 50-year history, but his passion for the mission of EROS and its opportunities in the future are clear in this episode of Eyes on Earth.
Eyes on Earth Episode 100 – EROS 50th: Our Legacy
As USGS EROS turns 50 this month, our Eyes on Earth podcast also marks a big moment: Episode 100. To celebrate, we bring together some treasured moments from previous episodes in which people inside and outside of EROS share their thoughts on EROS and its role in the world of remote sensing, including as keeper of all Landsat satellite data.
As USGS EROS turns 50 this month, our Eyes on Earth podcast also marks a big moment: Episode 100. To celebrate, we bring together some treasured moments from previous episodes in which people inside and outside of EROS share their thoughts on EROS and its role in the world of remote sensing, including as keeper of all Landsat satellite data.
Eyes on Earth Episode 99 – EROS 50th: Interns Who Stayed
EROS has a long history of reaching out to universities to welcome interns who can both contribute to the center and gain valuable skills and experience. A good number of them went on to spend their careers at EROS, some for more than three decades.
EROS has a long history of reaching out to universities to welcome interns who can both contribute to the center and gain valuable skills and experience. A good number of them went on to spend their careers at EROS, some for more than three decades.
Eyes on Earth Episode 71 – Blue Oak Forests of California
In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we zero in on the use of USGS Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (LCMAP) products to examine the effects of drought on California’s Blue Oaks. LCMAP datasets are built from Landsat data and reveal the land cover and change of every pixel in the conterminous United States, dating back to 1985.
In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we zero in on the use of USGS Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (LCMAP) products to examine the effects of drought on California’s Blue Oaks. LCMAP datasets are built from Landsat data and reveal the land cover and change of every pixel in the conterminous United States, dating back to 1985.
Eyes on Earth Episode 69 - Thirty Years of Land Change in the U.S.
Land change is a constant. Even land areas that see little major change can see disruptions from storms, heat waves, wildfires, or invasive species. But major changes aren't uncommon, either. Each year in the U.S., farm fields become tracts of suburban homes, wetlands become more permanent bodies of water, and shrublands burn to be replaced with grasslands.
Land change is a constant. Even land areas that see little major change can see disruptions from storms, heat waves, wildfires, or invasive species. But major changes aren't uncommon, either. Each year in the U.S., farm fields become tracts of suburban homes, wetlands become more permanent bodies of water, and shrublands burn to be replaced with grasslands.
Eyes on Earth Episode 66 – Exotic Annual Grasses
The rangelands of the western United States are changing more quickly than many other parts of the lower 48. Miles upon miles of the area or semi-arid landscapes in states like Idaho, Montana and Nevada are now carpeted by fire fueling invasive grasses. Cheatgrass is the most prevalent, which is troublesome for several reasons.
The rangelands of the western United States are changing more quickly than many other parts of the lower 48. Miles upon miles of the area or semi-arid landscapes in states like Idaho, Montana and Nevada are now carpeted by fire fueling invasive grasses. Cheatgrass is the most prevalent, which is troublesome for several reasons.
Eyes on Earth Episode 56 - Modeling the Past to Plan for the Future
Mapping land cover in the United States in the present isn’t a simple job, but satellites like Landsat make it possible. Mapping conditions in the pre-satellite era, which the LANDFIRE program does through its Biophysical Settings (BpS) GIS data products, is a far trickier proposition.
Mapping land cover in the United States in the present isn’t a simple job, but satellites like Landsat make it possible. Mapping conditions in the pre-satellite era, which the LANDFIRE program does through its Biophysical Settings (BpS) GIS data products, is a far trickier proposition.
Eyes on Earth Episode 54 - National Land Cover Database 2019
The National Land Cover Database, or NLCD, was the first and remains the most well-known set of satellite-based land cover mapping products released by EROS. It sorts the each 30-by-30-meter plot of land in the United States into a land cover class, such as cropland, pasture, high-intensity developed, deciduous forest, and the like.
The National Land Cover Database, or NLCD, was the first and remains the most well-known set of satellite-based land cover mapping products released by EROS. It sorts the each 30-by-30-meter plot of land in the United States into a land cover class, such as cropland, pasture, high-intensity developed, deciduous forest, and the like.
Eyes on Earth Episode 51 – LANDFIRE 2019 Limited
The fire science community is always on the lookout for the freshest satellite-derived fire disturbance maps. Aiming to meet those needs, the multi-agency partnership known as LANDFIRE has just released an update that adds three new years of disturbances across the U.S. to its 20-plus layers of GIS data.
The fire science community is always on the lookout for the freshest satellite-derived fire disturbance maps. Aiming to meet those needs, the multi-agency partnership known as LANDFIRE has just released an update that adds three new years of disturbances across the U.S. to its 20-plus layers of GIS data.
Eyes on Earth Episode 50 – Delaware River Basin
About 15 million people rely on the Delaware River Basin for drinking water, including residents of Philadelphia, PA, Camden, NJ, and Wilmington, DE. What might happen to the water supply if climate change and population growth continue unabated? How might that impact land cover and land use patterns?
About 15 million people rely on the Delaware River Basin for drinking water, including residents of Philadelphia, PA, Camden, NJ, and Wilmington, DE. What might happen to the water supply if climate change and population growth continue unabated? How might that impact land cover and land use patterns?
Eyes on Earth Episode 49 – Fire Atlas
Teams at the USGS EROS Center have completed fire atlases for nine National Parks across the U.S. Each atlas defines the size and severity of each fire in each park since 1984, including fires too small to be mapped by other programs. Yellowstone National Park has had nearly 100 fires, for example, ranging from a few acres to thousands of acres.
Teams at the USGS EROS Center have completed fire atlases for nine National Parks across the U.S. Each atlas defines the size and severity of each fire in each park since 1984, including fires too small to be mapped by other programs. Yellowstone National Park has had nearly 100 fires, for example, ranging from a few acres to thousands of acres.
Eyes on Earth Episode 42 – Rangelands of the U.S.
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.
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.
Eyes on Earth Episode 30 – Remapping LANDFIRE
In the days before LANDFIRE, fire scientists often struggled to find the vegetation and fuels data they needed to map the path of fires, keep firefighters safe, and to model fire recovery.
In the days before LANDFIRE, fire scientists often struggled to find the vegetation and fuels data they needed to map the path of fires, keep firefighters safe, and to model fire recovery.
Eyes on Earth Episode 29 – Tracking Landscape Change with LCMAP
The U.S. Geological Survey took a bold step toward documenting change across the landscape with the launch of the first Landsat satellite in 1972. Since then, it’s collected nearly five decades of imagery. But it takes more than just imagery to understand change. It takes time, effort—and serious computing horsepower.
The U.S. Geological Survey took a bold step toward documenting change across the landscape with the launch of the first Landsat satellite in 1972. Since then, it’s collected nearly five decades of imagery. But it takes more than just imagery to understand change. It takes time, effort—and serious computing horsepower.
Eyes on Earth Episode 25 - Rising Seas
Sea levels are rising globally. In some places, it is rising more than others, threatening communities and people as storm surges reach further inland and inundate more land.
Sea levels are rising globally. In some places, it is rising more than others, threatening communities and people as storm surges reach further inland and inundate more land.
Eyes on Earth Episode 22 – Meet the Mendenhall Fellow
The Mendenhall Program offers a range of two-year post-doctoral research fellowships within the U.S. Geological Survey. Heather Tollerud took advantage of the program in 2015 to study drought and land cover at the USGS EROS Center, and has since become a key player in the Center’s innovative Land Change Monitoring, Assessment and Projection (LCMAP) initiative.
The Mendenhall Program offers a range of two-year post-doctoral research fellowships within the U.S. Geological Survey. Heather Tollerud took advantage of the program in 2015 to study drought and land cover at the USGS EROS Center, and has since become a key player in the Center’s innovative Land Change Monitoring, Assessment and Projection (LCMAP) initiative.
Eyes on Earth Episode 21 - Forests of Ghana
In the West African nation of Ghana, tropical forests are more than landscape. They are woven into language, custom, and culture. They are also the source of timber for home heating and industry, as well as barriers to agricultural production. Those are just a few of the reasons why deforestation has come alongside the nation’s rapid population growth.
In the West African nation of Ghana, tropical forests are more than landscape. They are woven into language, custom, and culture. They are also the source of timber for home heating and industry, as well as barriers to agricultural production. Those are just a few of the reasons why deforestation has come alongside the nation’s rapid population growth.
Eyes on Earth Episode 20 - Mapping Alaska's Permafrost
The Arctic is changing at a more rapid rate than the rest of the planet. Some of the most significant changes are tied to the thawing of near-surface permafrost, the layers of frozen soil containing vast stocks of stored carbon.
The Arctic is changing at a more rapid rate than the rest of the planet. Some of the most significant changes are tied to the thawing of near-surface permafrost, the layers of frozen soil containing vast stocks of stored carbon.
Eyes on Earth Episode 17 - Evapotranspiration
It’s easy enough to measure rainfall, and nearly as easy to measure streamflow. Calculating the efficiency of water use through the metric of evapotranspiration (ET) – evaporation off the Earth’s surface and transpiration from the leaves of plants – is a far trickier proposal.
It’s easy enough to measure rainfall, and nearly as easy to measure streamflow. Calculating the efficiency of water use through the metric of evapotranspiration (ET) – evaporation off the Earth’s surface and transpiration from the leaves of plants – is a far trickier proposal.
Eyes on Earth Episode 16 – Predictive Modeling
Land cover and land use across the United States are the culmination of a complex web of interwoven factors: Climate, landscape types, and economic factors among them. Remotely-sensed data from satellites like Landsat and a variety of other sources are useful for documenting and monitoring land cover and land use.
Land cover and land use across the United States are the culmination of a complex web of interwoven factors: Climate, landscape types, and economic factors among them. Remotely-sensed data from satellites like Landsat and a variety of other sources are useful for documenting and monitoring land cover and land use.
Eyes on Earth Episode 15 – Burn Severity Mapping
Scientists at EROS have spent years refining their approach to mapping burn severity using remotely-sensed data from satellites like Landsat, but Landsat comes with limitations. Landsat data cannot see the vegetation below a thick tree canopy, for example.
Scientists at EROS have spent years refining their approach to mapping burn severity using remotely-sensed data from satellites like Landsat, but Landsat comes with limitations. Landsat data cannot see the vegetation below a thick tree canopy, for example.
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