George Xian
Dr. George Xian is a research physical scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Earth Resources Observation and Science Center. He researches the national land cover data development, land cover change, and land cover change impacts on climate and ecosystems using remote sensing information.
George has specialized in using multi-type remote sensing data to characterize land change and change assessment across the United States. He has also used Landsat thermal information to study urban thermal landscape change by collaborating with other researchers from U.S. Global Change Research Program and universities. He also has participated in the development of U.S. Fifth National Climate Assessment.
Science and Products
Reference and Validation
The Annual NLCD Reference & Validation (R&V) is designed to support the development of consistent land cover and land cover change products and data. The R&V process involves collecting reference data to validate Anderson level II land cover classes and change products across the entire United States. The R&V gathers, organizes, and refines independent reference datasets for the US to generate...
Assessing the Vulnerability of Dryland Ecosystems to Drought in the Western U.S.
In the western U.S., rising temperatures and pronounced drought conditions pose significant challenges to public land managers. Widespread declines of multiple plant species have already been observed, providing insight into what the future could look like for vegetation in the region as conditions are projected to become warmer and drier. To understand how vulnerable western ecosystems are to dro
Science and Products
Reference and Validation
The Annual NLCD Reference & Validation (R&V) is designed to support the development of consistent land cover and land cover change products and data. The R&V process involves collecting reference data to validate Anderson level II land cover classes and change products across the entire United States. The R&V gathers, organizes, and refines independent reference datasets for the US to generate...
Assessing the Vulnerability of Dryland Ecosystems to Drought in the Western U.S.
In the western U.S., rising temperatures and pronounced drought conditions pose significant challenges to public land managers. Widespread declines of multiple plant species have already been observed, providing insight into what the future could look like for vegetation in the region as conditions are projected to become warmer and drier. To understand how vulnerable western ecosystems are to dro