Web Tools

For 50 years, the EROS Center has been archiving and distributing satellite, aerial, and mapping data amidst farmland north of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We invite you to explore the surprising history and cutting-edge science and research performed at EROS every day. 

The Land Product Characterization System (LPCS) has the capability to trend system characterizations for various sensors, providing users the ability to do comparative analysis of satellite data and products. This resource has been developed and is managed by the USGS Requirements, Capabilities and Analysis for Earth Observation (RCA-EO) team.

We’ve created fun and engaging educational lessons that allow students to look at satellite imagery and perform the same analysis as our remote sensing scientists at EROS. Students of all ages can learn how remote sensing scientists use Landsat satellite data to track changes to the Earth’s surface over the years. We’ve also added a few games and puzzles so you can test your skills too.

At EROS we take pride in our images! Here you can find a vast collection of our favorites, whether you are looking for your home state, imagery for an event, or something purely artistic. Select a category to get started.

The surface of the Earth is always changing. Some changes like earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, and landslides happen quickly, and other changes, such as most erosional processes, happen slowly over time. It’s often hard to see these changes from ground level. Earthshots shows you how satellite data are used to track these changes over time.

The EarthExplorer (EE) user interface is an online search, discovery, and ordering tool developed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). EE supports the searching of satellite, aircraft, and other remote sensing inventories through interactive and textual-based query capabilities. 

For a half-century, the Landsat satellites have revealed patterns of change across our crowded planet. Learn more with this storymap that ESRI and USGS created together.

Landsat 9 launched September 27, 2021, to acquire images of Earth, extending Landsat's record of our planet to over half a century. Learn more with this interactive storymap.

Explore an overview of the Landsat Science Products.

Over the course of fifty years, eight Landsat satellites have observed the Earth's surface. This storymap collection allows users to view each satellite's heritage from Landsat 1 through Landsat 9 (Landsat 6 did not achieve orbit). See first light images, significant events, and unique science for each satellite.

Explore the basics of Landsat with this interactive storymap. Storymaps combine images, maps, videos, and weblinks to create an immersive learning experience for users.

Landsat 7 launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on April 15, 1999, on a Delta II rocket. The satellite carries the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensor. The ETM+ provided useful scientific information about the world’s landmasses for 23 years. Landsat 7 completed its science mission on April 6, 2022.