Land Change Science Program
The Land Change Science (LCS) Program strives to advance the understanding of the rates, causes, and consequences of climate and land use change, and the vulnerability and resilience of the Earth system to such changes.
News
USGS and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory release database and interactive map of all large-scale solar energy facilities in the U.S.
USGS and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory release database and interactive map of all large-scale solar energy facilities in the U.S.
Ancient methods of preventing desertification and recovering from drought
Ancient methods of preventing desertification and recovering from drought
Publications
Space-based Earth observation and ecosystem extent: Exploring opportunities
The purpose of this white paper is to explore and communicate potential new opportunities for using space-based Earth observation (EO) for monitoring biodiversity with a focus on ecosystem extent (the distribution of ecosystems on the Earth). It is part of a new activity of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), a collaboration of the world’s space agencies that facilitates cross-ag
Calibration and validation for the Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) mission concept: Recommendations for a multi-sensor system for imaging spectroscopy and thermal imagery
The primary objective of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) mission is to measure biological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical features of the Earth's surface, realizing a key conceptual component of the envisioned NASA Earth System Observatory (ESO). SBG is planned to launch as a two-platform mission in the late 2020s, the first of the
The global wildland-urban interface
The wildland–urban interface (WUI) is where buildings and wildland vegetation meet or intermingle. It is where human–environmental conflicts and risks can be concentrated, including the loss of houses and lives to wildfire, habitat loss and fragmentation and the spread of zoonotic diseases. However, a global analysis of the WUI has been lacking. Here, we present a global map of the 2020 WUI at 10
Science
USGS EROS Archive - Landsat - Atmospheric Auxiliary Data – GEOS-5 IT C2
Data from Goddard Earth Observing V5 (GEOS-5 IT) are used in the Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 surface temperature algorithm.
Eyes on Earth Episode 107 – EROS 50th: Land Cover, Part 2
The next step for two strong land cover products at USGS EROS is to combine them to create something even better.
Eyes on Earth Episode 106 – EROS 50th: Land Cover, Part 1
USGS EROS contributed to a better understanding of the Earth’s surface by leading early land cover mapping efforts.