At EROS, we study land change and how it impacts ecosystems, economics, and everyday life. Our research focuses on six areas: Integrated Land Change Monitoring; Vegetation, Water and Climate Dynamics; Human Health and Food Security; Remote Sensing Research and Development; Wildland Fire Science; and Terrain Monitoring and Modeling.
The Next Level of Landsat
When it comes to mining remotely sensed data, Landsat Level-3 science products offer what some might call land cover gold.
LCMAP Captures ‘Stories of Change’
The Land Change Assessment, Monitoring, and Projection (LCMAP) initiative provides a virtual time machine to plot land cover change in the United States.
FAQs
What is the Earth's "water cycle?"
The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes where water is stored on Earth and how it moves. Water is stored in the atmosphere, on the land surface, and below the ground. It can be a liquid, a solid, or a gas. Liquid water can be fresh or saline (salty). Water moves between the places it is stored. It moves at large scales (through watersheds, the atmosphere, and below the Earth...
How much of the Earth's water is stored in glaciers?
About 2.1% of all of Earth's water is frozen in glaciers. 97.2% is in the oceans and inland seas 2.1% is in glaciers 0.6% is in groundwater and soil moisture less than 1% is in the atmosphere less than 1% is in lakes and rivers less than 1% is in all living plants and animals. About three-quarters of Earth's freshwater is stored in glaciers. Therefore, glacier ice is the second largest reservoir...
How important is groundwater?
Groundwater, which is in aquifers below the surface of the Earth, is one of the Nation's most important natural resources. Groundwater is the source of about 37 percent of the water that county and city water departments supply to households and businesses (public supply). It provides drinking water for more than 90 percent of the rural population who do not get their water delivered to them from...
Education
Landsat: Everyday Benefits
Landsat data improve people's quality of life!
The Landsat Program and satellite data archive provide roughly $3.45 billion in economic benefit to the United States and international communities according to a November 2019, USGS report.
Landsat Fact Sheets
Landsat Factsheets present a high-level overview of various concepts. Choose a factsheet to learn more about a topic.
Careers at the U.S. Geological Survey
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) EROS Center is government-owned/directed and contractor-operated. The work of EROS is carried out through mission-support contracts with industry.