USGS AmericaView Program

The USGS AmericaView Program

Putting the Earth into your hands

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) AmericaView Program has the mission to advance the availability, timely distribution, and widespread use of remote sensing data and technology through education, research, outreach, and sustainable technology transfer to the public and private sectors.

The AmericaView Program began as a pilot program in 1998 by the USGS and a group of Ohio universities. The goal of the OhioView pilot was to overcome the cost and data access problems historically faced by the research community interested in utilizing remote sensing data. Under the original pilot, the state of Ohio purchased and received all of the Landsat 7 images acquired over Ohio within 36 hours of the time the data were collected at the USGS operated receiving station. In turn, through an in-state consortium of research universities and computer facilities, the data are made publicly available though digital library facilities in Ohio. Thus, researchers, educators, students, land managers, and the general public increasingly have local access to this data at no cost and with no restrictions on further use. In 2000, based on the success of the Ohioview pilot, the USGS began the process of implementing this concept nationwide, and the AmericaView program was initiated. The USGS has also entered into an agreement with the national consortium, AmericaView Inc., as a partner in accomplishing this mission.

The USGS AmericaView Program is administered under the USGS Land Remote Sensing Program. The USGS infrastructure activities for this effort are carried out at the activities for this effort are carried out at the USGS National Center for Earth Resources Observation & Science (EROS), located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

AmericaViewSM Participants

The AmericaViewSM Consortium: http://www.americaview.org/
A university-led, state-based consortia working to build a nationwide network of state and local users, supporting the goals of the AmericaView Program by further expanding communications networks, facilities, and capabilities for acquiring and sharing remotely sensed data among AmericaViewSM members. The Consortium is actively working with the USGS and universities across the country to expand participation in the AV Program to all 50 states.
The USGS Global Visualization Viewer (GloVis): http://glovis.usgs.gov/
A quick and easy online search and order tool for selected satellite data, allowing user-friendly access to all available browse images from the Landsat 7 ETM+, Landsat 4/5 TM, Landsat 1-5 MSS, MRLC, and Landsat Orthorectified data sets, as well as Aster TIR, and Aster VNIR browse images from the DAAC inventory.
The Land Remote Sensing Program: http://remotesensing.usgs.gov/
The USGS reaffirmed its commitment to remote sensing science by launching the Land Remote Sensing Program (LRS Program) by providing remotely sensed data, analysis and applications. A cornerstone to The National Map, the LRS Program is defined by three major components: satellite missions; products, data preservation, and access; and research and applications.

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U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http:americaview.usgs.gov/about.php
Page Contact Information: USGS AmericaView Web Master
Page Last Modified: Wednesday, 09/19/07 09:04:14 CDT