Vegetation, Water and Climate Dynamics

Satellite data archived at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) center serves a critical role in the assessment of food security for FEWS NET – the Famine Early Warning System Network.

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...

Water bodies surrounded by land serve as sources of fresh drinking water, play host to millions of species of fish, underwater vegetation and wildlife and maintain the vibrancy of surrounding ecosystems. These water bodies can also be hubs for recreational activities such as boating, fishing, waterskiing, swimming that boost local economies.

Water is one of our most valuable natural resources and understanding how it’s used is essential for managing it wisely. Scientists at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center use satellite data to estimate how much water is lost from the land through evapotranspiration (ET)—the combined effect of evaporation from soil and water surfaces and transpiration from plants. These...

The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center National Land Cover Database team in collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has produced the most comprehensive remote-sensing based quantification of western United States shrublands to date.

EROS, alongside the USDA Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Center (RSAC), offers rapid delivery of satellite imagery in the form of Burned Area Reflectance Classifications (BARC) and other data to the Forest Service’s Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) program.

Wetlands purify and store our water, process carbon and nutrients and serve a crucial role in the life cycle of a wide range of flora and fauna. Wetland disturbance from urban development or agriculture can alter the natural flow of runoff and increase the risk for flooding.

Landsat Collection 1 Level- 3 Fractional Snow Covered Area (fSCA) data contains an acquisition-based per-pixel snow cover fraction, an acquisition-based revised cloud mask for quality assessment, and a product metadata file. NOTE: Landsat Collection 1 data and products are no longer available to download from the USGS as of December 30, 2022. Landsat Collection 2 remains available. Please access...

Landsat Collection 1 Level-3 Burned Area (BA) contains two acquisition-based raster data products that represent burn classification and burn probability. NOTE: Landsat Collection 1 data and products are no longer available to download from the USGS as of December 30, 2022. Landsat Collection 2 remains available. Please access the Landsat Collection 2 webpage below for information about Collection...

Landsat Collection 1 Level-3 Dynamic Surface Water Extent (DSWE) contains six acquisition-based raster data products pertaining to the existence and condition of surface water, as well as all intermediate bands used to produce DSWE. NOTE: Landsat Collection 1 data and products are no longer available to download from the USGS as of December 30, 2022. Landsat Collection 2 remains available. Please...

Phenology is the study of plant and animal life cycles in relation to the seasons. EROS maintains a set of nine annual phenological metrics for the conterminous United States, all curated from satellite data. Taken together, the metrics represent a powerful tool for documenting life cycle trends and the impacts of climate change on ecosystems.

Weekly VegDRI maps integrate remote sensing, climate, and biophysical data to provide timely drought information for the conterminous United States. (2009-present)