Eyes on Earth Episode 114 – The Color of Water with Landsat
We’re going to find out how researchers took an old data technique in freshwater science—physically sampling lake water—and reinvented it using satellite technology to study water quality in lakes across the U.S.
Typically, we use Landsat data to study changes on the land—you know, Landsat. In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we learn how satellite images and pixels of water, along with actual water samples, are helpful in determining the productivity of lakes across the United States. We talk with Mendenhall Fellow and Research Geographer Dr. Michael Meyer about a recently released, freely accessible dataset that uses a metric called lake trophic state to validate the Landsat observations of thousands of lakes. The dataset was also named a USGS Open Science Success Story as part of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s 2023 “Year of Open Science” campaign.
Guest: Dr. Michael Meyer, Mendenhall Fellow and Research Geographer, USGS
Host: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)
Producer: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)
Release date: Monday, March 11, 2024
More about the Lake Trophic State dataset:
- Published paper about the data
- Dataset available at Environmental Data Initiative
- EPA National Lakes Assessment
- USGS Open Science Success Story
Related Episodes
-
-
Eyes on Earth Episode 44 – Landsat Water Atlas
Dr. Alan Belward has spent a lot of time thinking about the planet’s surface water. The former Landsat Science Team member uses satellite data to track changes to lakes, rivers, and streams, and recently published a book that uses Landsat data to tell some of those stories.
-
Eyes on Earth Episode 57 – Landsat and the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes represent roughly 20% of the surface freshwater in the world and 90% in the United States. The Great Lakes Basin supports more than 30 million people in the U.S. and Canada and 3,500 plant and animal species. The region faces threats that range from climate change and invasive species to pollution and development.
-
Eyes on Earth Episode 70 - ECOSTRESS and Aquatic Ecosystems
Summary: The Earth observation data archived here have plenty of value to the study of aquatic ecosystems. Landsat satellites can capture harmful algal blooms, for example. Spaceborne sensors can also record land surface temperatures, and that includes water surfaces.
-
We’re going to find out how researchers took an old data technique in freshwater science—physically sampling lake water—and reinvented it using satellite technology to study water quality in lakes across the U.S.
Typically, we use Landsat data to study changes on the land—you know, Landsat. In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we learn how satellite images and pixels of water, along with actual water samples, are helpful in determining the productivity of lakes across the United States. We talk with Mendenhall Fellow and Research Geographer Dr. Michael Meyer about a recently released, freely accessible dataset that uses a metric called lake trophic state to validate the Landsat observations of thousands of lakes. The dataset was also named a USGS Open Science Success Story as part of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s 2023 “Year of Open Science” campaign.
Guest: Dr. Michael Meyer, Mendenhall Fellow and Research Geographer, USGS
Host: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)
Producer: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)
Release date: Monday, March 11, 2024
More about the Lake Trophic State dataset:
- Published paper about the data
- Dataset available at Environmental Data Initiative
- EPA National Lakes Assessment
- USGS Open Science Success Story
Related Episodes
-
-
Eyes on Earth Episode 44 – Landsat Water Atlas
Dr. Alan Belward has spent a lot of time thinking about the planet’s surface water. The former Landsat Science Team member uses satellite data to track changes to lakes, rivers, and streams, and recently published a book that uses Landsat data to tell some of those stories.
-
Eyes on Earth Episode 57 – Landsat and the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes represent roughly 20% of the surface freshwater in the world and 90% in the United States. The Great Lakes Basin supports more than 30 million people in the U.S. and Canada and 3,500 plant and animal species. The region faces threats that range from climate change and invasive species to pollution and development.
-
Eyes on Earth Episode 70 - ECOSTRESS and Aquatic Ecosystems
Summary: The Earth observation data archived here have plenty of value to the study of aquatic ecosystems. Landsat satellites can capture harmful algal blooms, for example. Spaceborne sensors can also record land surface temperatures, and that includes water surfaces.
-