USGS Geography confronts some of the most pressing natural resource and environmental issues of our Nation. Observing the Earth with remote sensing satellites, USGS geographers monitor and analyze changes on the land, study connections between people and the land, and provide society with relevant science information to inform public decisions.

  Land Remote Sensing

Land Remote Sensing (LRS) is the Nation's portal to the largest archive of remotely sensed land data in the world. Working with NASA, NOAA, commercial satellite companies, State and local governments, and international programs, the LRS Program collects, maintains, and distributes millions of images acquired from satellite and aircraft sensors. From such images scientists and land managers, both public and private, derive information about natural resources, hazards, and long-term changes to the landscape. Through advancements in data archive and processing technology and through the operation and maintenance of satellites such as Landsats 5 and 7, the LRS Program provides continuous access to worldwide land images that can be used in mankind's effort to sustain the ever-changing Earth. Close Window

  Geographic Analysis and Monitoring

A Fiery Legacy: USGS Assesses 26 Years of Wildland Fires — The USGS-USDA Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity project is mapping and analyzing the destructive impact of major U.S.wildfires from 1984 to 2010. The project is part of a Wildland Fire Leadership Council strategy to monitor the effectiveness of the National Fire Plan and the Healthy Forests Initiative.
Article    Research

Visualizing the Beyond—Roadless Space Takes on New Dimensions—A new method for evaluating the land that lies between and beyond roads shows roadless space in three dimensions. USGS scientists have calculated the remoteness (distance from road) of millions of points across the lower 48 States. After that huge quantity of data is converted into simulated altitudes the resulting map shows mathematical peaks and plains of remoteness. This visualization technique will help inform land management, wilderness preservation, and urban planning.  Learn More

Dust In the Wind — Is African Dust Affecting Our Health and the Environment? Our earth is indeed a “small world after all.” Each land has the ability to affect another — for better or for worse. For example, in Africa, hundreds of millions of tons aerosolized desert soils (referred to as 'dust') are transported each year to the Caribbean and the United States. This dust is thought to be responsible for an increased occurrence of asthma in humans, the decline of coral reefs and other environmental hazards. The dust comes from the expanding Sahara/Sahel desert region and carries a wide variety of bacteria and fungi. Learn More

Famine Early Warning System Network in Africa: Learn how the USGS is working to prevent the future occurrence of drought-induced famine that has devastated Africa in the past. For more information on the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS), a network designed to distribute information that enables timely measures to be taken to prevent food-insecure conditions in 22 countries, visit Early Warning and Monitoring Program and FEWS NET.

About Geography

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Geography for a Changing World