Vegetation, Water and Climate Dynamics
Vegetation, Water and Climate Dynamics
At EROS we use satellite, climate, and environmental data to study the health and extent of crops, forests, mangroves, grasslands, and other types of vegetation, and to document how plant communities are changing over time. We work with other agencies to map water resources, monitor water use, and assess the risk of drought in locations ranging from the prairie potholes of the upper Grea
Remote Sensing Phenology
Remote Sensing Phenology
EROS maintains a set of nine annual phenological metrics for the conterminous United States, all curated from satellite data.
Evapotranspiration and Water Use Mapping
Evapotranspiration and Water Use Mapping
A planet with limited water resources needs accurate, reliable and frequently-updated tools to measure water use and plan for future needs.
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Near-Real-Time Cheatgrass Monitoring
The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center produces near-real-time estimates of annual herbaceous land cover for the Great Basin, Snake River Plain, Wyoming, and contiguous areas in the United States. Estimates are based on enhanced Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (eMODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data at 250-meter resolution.
Monitoring Arctic and boreal ecosystems through the assimilation of field-based studies, remote sensing, and modelling
Northern high-latitude regions are experiencing climate warming at rates nearly double that of lower latitudes, leading to warming and thawing of permafrost-affected soils, decomposition of previously frozen organic matter and increases in the number of large fire years, which can substantially impact social and environmental systems. Monitoring Arctic and boreal ecosystems of northern latitudes...
EDNA Stage 1B Seamless Process
The EDNA Stage1B process involves collecting the raw data from the EDNA cooperators, performing QA/QC checks on the raw data, and preparing the data for Stage II of the project. ArcInfo amls are executed to create the seamless database, and ArcView tools are utilized to determine seamless accuracy. The Stage 1B database development provides seamless drainage basin delineations and synthetic...
EDNA Stage 3 Processing Steps (Conflation)
The results from the Stage 2 delineation will be incorporated into the EDNA development process. Drainage basin areas and synthetic streamline locations found to be in error at Stage 2 will be reanalyzed and, if necessary, the DEM will be reprocessed to ensure that the newly derived streamlines and basin boundaries are consistent with those developed in Stage 2. Delineations derived in this...
EDNA Stage 2 Vector Editing
The delineations produced in Stage 1 are passed on to appropriate cooperators, who will provide an intensive QA/QC. The derived watersheds will be overlain on 1:24,000 map sheets (as DRGs) and the watershed boundaries will be revised using standard vector editing techniques. These revised boundaries will provide the Stage 2 delineation. Watershed areas found to be in conflict with the DRGs will be...
EDNA Stage 1 Blind Pass Processing Steps
Using well-tested GIS techniques, the NED database is being processed into a Stage 1 EDNA product. The bulk of this work is being done by the National Weather Service's Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, Oklahoma. Additional processing is currently being provided by the USGS WRD office in Sacramento, California.
Water Balance and Soil Moisture
Evapotranspiration (ET) rates – the combination of evaporation from soil and transpiration from plants – are powerful tools in the management of scarce water resources. Taken alone, however, those rates leave unanswered questions about water sources, questions that can offer guidance and insight on challenging decisions in areas reliant on irrigation. Researchers at EROS work to offer that insight...
Identifying Lands Suitable for Biofuel Feedstock Crops by Dynamic Modeling of Ecosystem Performance
Demand for biofuel products is expected to increase as the world seeks alternatives to fossil fuels. Currently, ethanol produced from Midwest corn is the most common biofuel product in the United States. The negative environmental effects caused by corn-based biofuel development include soil erosion, water quality impairment from pesticides and fertilizer, and demand for water for irrigation. The...
Carbon Flux Quantification in the Great Plains
Gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (Re) are the fundamental environmental characteristics which drive carbon exchanges between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere (Chapin and others, 2009), although other exchanges of carbon, for example, export or direct oxidation (Lovett and others, 2006) can modify net ecosystem production (NEP).
Ecosystem Performance, Productivity and Sustainability
Remotely-sensed data forms the backbone of the large-scale maps, models and assessments created at EROS to advance the understanding of Ecosystem Performance, Productivity and Sustainability.
Early Warning System for Food Security
Satellite data archived at EROS serves a critical role in the assessment of food security for FEWS NET – the Famine Early Warning System Network.
Fire Atlas
EROS work on fire activity in the United States includes the creation of an atlas of fire perimeters for fires occurring on U.S. National Wildlife Refuges from 1984 through 2013. Fire Atlas perimeter data provide information to refuge managers as they plan land management activities for their units. EROS analysts use data provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which include a name...