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Where can I get global land cover data?

Access global land cover data using two sources in EarthExplorer:

Global Land Cover Characterization (GLCC): 

  • In EarthExplorer, select "GLCC" under "Land Cover" in the "Data Sets" tab. 
  • Derived from 1-km Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data collected April 1992-March 1993. 

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Land Cover: 

 

Learn more: 

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National Land Cover Database (NLCD)

Where can I find land cover data for the U.S.?

Information on land cover data from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) is on the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) website. The MRLC website serves several different vintages (dates) of the National Land Cover Database beginning with the 2001 data.

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Where can I find land cover data for the U.S.?

Information on land cover data from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) is on the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) website. The MRLC website serves several different vintages (dates) of the National Land Cover Database beginning with the 2001 data.

Learn More
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Wilted wheat in Arsi Negele, south-central Ethiopia

How do changes in climate and land use relate to one another?

The link between land use and the climate is complex. First, land cover--as shaped by land use practices--affects the global concentration of greenhouse gases. Second, while land use change is an important driver of climate change, a changing climate can lead to changes in land use and land cover. For example, farmers might shift from their customary crops to crops that will have higher economic...

link

How do changes in climate and land use relate to one another?

The link between land use and the climate is complex. First, land cover--as shaped by land use practices--affects the global concentration of greenhouse gases. Second, while land use change is an important driver of climate change, a changing climate can lead to changes in land use and land cover. For example, farmers might shift from their customary crops to crops that will have higher economic...

Learn More
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Six metal poles support heating lamps several feet above the tropical floor. Tropical forest vegetation surrounds the structure

Does the USGS monitor global warming?

Not specifically. Our charge is to understand characteristics of the Earth, especially the Earth's surface, that affect our Nation's land, water, and biological resources. That includes quite a bit of environmental monitoring. Other agencies, especially NOAA and NASA, are specifically funded to monitor global temperature and atmospheric phenomena such as ozone concentrations. The work through...

link

Does the USGS monitor global warming?

Not specifically. Our charge is to understand characteristics of the Earth, especially the Earth's surface, that affect our Nation's land, water, and biological resources. That includes quite a bit of environmental monitoring. Other agencies, especially NOAA and NASA, are specifically funded to monitor global temperature and atmospheric phenomena such as ozone concentrations. The work through...

Learn More

South America Land Cover Characteristics Data Base Version 2.0

South America Land Cover Characteristics Data Base Version 2.0

Global Land Cover Characteristics (GLCC) - South America Land Cover Characteristics Data Base Version 2.0

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South America Land Cover Characteristics Data Base Version 2.0

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Eurasia Land Cover Characteristics Data Base Version 2.0

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Eurasia Land Cover Characteristics Data Base Version 2.0

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There is a pressing need to monitor and understand the rapid land change happening around the world. The U.S. Geological Survey is developing a new capability, called Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (LCMAP), to innovate the understanding of land change. This capability is the Earth Resources Observation and Science Center's foundation for an integrated U.S. Geological Survey-wid
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Jennifer Rover, Jesslyn F. Brown, Roger F. Auch, Kristi Sayler, Terry L. Sohl, Heather J. Tollerud, George Z. Xian
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The landscapes of West Africa—40 years of change

What has driven changes in land use and land cover in West Africa over the past 40 years? What trends or patterns can be discerned in those changes? To answer these questions, the U.S. Geological Survey West Africa Land Use Dynamics project partnered with the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel and the U.S. Agency for International Development/West Africa to map land us
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The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Climate and Land Use Change Mission Area is one of seven USGS mission areas that focuses on making substantial scientific "...contributions to understanding how Earth systems interact, respond to, and cause global change". Using satellite and other remotely sensed data, USGS scientists monitor patterns of land cover change over space and time at regional, national
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Landsat satellites capture images of Earth from space-and have since 1972! These images provide a long-term record of natural and human-induced changes on the global landscape. Comparing images from multiple years reveals slow and subtle changes as well as rapid and devastating ones. Landsat images are available over the Internet at no charge. Using the free software MultiSpec, students can track
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EROS contributes to New Land Cover Maps for U.S., Canada, Mexico

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The three largest countries in North America share trade, climate and culture in a host of broad and specific ways. A new set of land cover maps for...

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Unique Mapping Tool Brings Unprecedented Look at Land Cover Change in West Africa

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They say there are forests in West Africa where spirits abide. Where people walk among woodland burial grounds and speak to the dead. Where life plays...

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