USGS Land Remote Sensing

Land Remote Sensing Program

The surface of the Earth is changing rapidly, at local, regional, national, even global scales, with significant repercussions for people, the economy, and the environment. Remote sensing satellites and aircraft monitor the Earth providing information that is broad, precise, impartial, and easily available. In addition to operating two remote sensing satellites Landsat 5 and Landsat 7, USGS provides the Nation's portal to the largest archive of remotely sensed land data in the world, supplying continuous access to current and historical land images worldwide. These images serve many purposes from assessing the impact of natural disasters to monitoring global agricultural production, from monitoring the impact of climate and other global changes to supporting national defense.

The LRS Program is defined by three major components:

latest

Wireless Sensor Networks Workshop Sept. 16 - 17
Released: 9/27/2008
The USGS Geography Discipline is hosting a two-day Wireless Sensor Network workshop at the Winter Park Lodge, Winter Park Colorado on September 16th and 17th, 2008.

RFI: Landsat Raw Data Products
Released: 8/14/2008
The US Geological Survey seeks information to determine if there is interest by one or more commercial or non-profit vendors in offering Landsat products beyond those available from the US Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS has available Landsat TM and ETM+ data in a raw, uncorrected format (Level-0R) so that these data could be processed to user specifications (projection, datum, and resampling method). Responses are due by September 12, 2008. Details can be found at FedBizOpps.

DOI Secretary Kempthorne Showcases Free Public Availability of Landsat Image Archive at ESRI Conference
Released: 8/5/2008
"With the click of a mouse, scientists, government officials and land managers will be able to see the changes in the earth's landscape at any point in the past three and a half decades," Kempthorne told the audience on Saturday. News Release U.S. Department of the Interior

USGS Accelerates Access to Satellite Data
Released: 7/1/2008
Federal and state agencies that need satellite imagery from commercial sources will find it much easier to acquire the data through a streamlined process managed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Read more...

Visit the Latest Archive page for information highlighted here in the past.

Featured Science

Cyclone Nargis — 2008

Landsat satellite imagery, acquired shortly before and after Cyclone Nargis hit the coastal region of Myanamr on May 3, 2008, illustrate the flooding and destruction caused by the cyclone. The delta region, which is home to one fourth of Myanmar’s 57 million people, is a major agricultural area and its lowlands make it especially susceptible to flooding. The cyclone created a 3.6 meter storm surge which devastated the area. At least 22,000 deaths have been reported, with 41,000 listed as missing. Over 1 million are homeless. Learn More.

Satellite images of Southern California wildfire and link to larger view

The White House has initiated a year-long study called The Future of Land Imaging to explore options for United States operational use of satellites to better serve society. The USGS serves on the leadership team of this Federal interagency working group.

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://remotesensing.usgs.gov/index.php
Page Contact Information: Contact Land Remote Sensing
Page Last Modified: October 01, 2008