Images

Landsat 8 Surface Reflectance image of the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland

Path 5 Row 23

Date acquired 20210216

Glacial deposits are sampled deep underground by drilling (Lake County, Illinois). Geologists analyze sediments to determine physical characteristics, such as the capacity to hold and transmit water or ability to accept a load from a building or bridge.

The state of Hawaii consists of eight main islands: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii. From east to west, Hawaii is the widest state in the country.

Capital Honolulu

Image Source Landsat 8

Population 1,455,271

Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) geologists and the State of Illinois are featured in the History Channel's internationally popular program, How the Earth Was Made: America's Ice Age.

Geophysical surveys at the land surface help scientists explore the subsurface geology. Here geologists collect geophysical data using geophones. In the resulting geophysical profile, colors highlight key horizons.

The black oystercatcher, a keystone species in nearshore ecosystems, plays an important role in structuring nearshore systems and is highly susceptible to human disturbance. Current inventory and monitoring efforts may not adequately address the information needs for estimating long-term trends for this species.

Landsat 8 image acquired on November 19, 2020 over northeast Mongolia (Path 127 Row 26). The image is shown using the shortwave infrared 1, near infrared, and red bands (bands 6,5,4).

Landsat Scene ID LC08_L1TP_127026_20201119_20201119_01_RT

Landsat 8 image acquired on November 11, 2020 over southwest Morocco (Path 203 Row 40). The image is shown using the shortwave infrared 2, red, and blue bands (bands 7,4,2).

Landsat Scene ID LO08_L1TP_203040_20201107_20201111_01_T1

Geochemists use platinum, silica, and ceramic crucibles, shown here in a glass container called a desiccator.  Silica is used because it is resistant to extremely high temperatures and because it is chemically inert. Silicon, linked up with a pair of oxygen molecules as silicon dioxide, is known as silica. 

This graphic shows the cumulative number of scenes by path and row in the Landsat archive from 1972 - 2020. This graphic was created on the anniversary of the 9 millionth scene addition to the USGS Landsat Archive.

The USGS Landsat Archive added its 9 millionth scene to the archive on September 18, 2020. The scene was acquired by Landsat 8 over Northern Paraguay and is shown using bands 6,5,4.

Landsat 8 image on the Utah-Arizona Border on the Navajo Nation acquired on September 18, 2020.

For more information about Landsat, please visit www.usgs.gov/Landsat

To download the data, visit earthexplorer.usgs.gov

Geiger mode 3DEP lidar point cloud over Chicago, IL from 3DEP Project USGS Lidar Point Cloud IL 4County Cook 2017

Example of the Landsat 7 ETM+ Collection 2 level-2 science products. Left: Landsat 7 level-2 surface reflectance image. Right: Landsat 7 level-2 surface temperature image. The data was acquired on August 19, 2020 (path 179 row 28).

Example of the Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS Collection 2 level-1 product. This Landsat 8 image was acquired on August 18, 2020 over Lake Everard and Lake Harry in southern Australia and is shown as a false color composite using the shortwave infrared, near infrared, and red bands (bands 6,5,4).

When you’re planning to explore someplace new, it’s always a good idea to bring a map so you can avoid dangerous terrain. This is true whether you’re heading out for a hike on Earth or you’re landing a rover on Mars!

Example of hydrography derived from 3DEP lidar data for a section of the Marshyhope Creek near Federalsburg, Maryland

Bar graph showing total estimated program cost and funding gap to complete nationwide 3D Elevation Program data acquisition by 2023

Photo Contest Winner | Feb. 2020 | People
Shannon Fisher pulling sled at Moreau Lake area after measuring water levels in GW wells surrounding the lake

William T. Pecora, Director of the USGS from 1965 to 1971, is largely responsible for two major contributions to science in the public interest: the creation of a national earthquake research center at the USGS facility in Menlo Park, CA, and the Landsat series of Earth observing satellites.

3D geologic framework model from west-central New Mexico; graphic shows stratigraphic units in the model being sequentially removed to reveal the deeper units. Faults used in the model appear as vertical “ribbons” as geologic layers are removed.