Ice in Motion: Satellites Capture Decades of Change
New time-lapse videos of Earth’s glaciers and ice sheets as seen from space are providing scientists with new insights into how the planet’s frozen regions are changing.
Search Results for: Antarctica (66 Results)
Landsat Aids Discovery of Rare Lava Lake on Remote Sub-Antarctic Island
Landsat, Sentinel-2, and ASTER confirm a rare lava lake in Mt. Michael’s crater on the sub-Antarctic Saunders Island—a “remarkable geological feature.”
Introducing Landsat Ice Stream
Seven ice features in western Antarctica have been named for Earth-observation satellites, including one named for Landsat.
Twenty Years with Landsat 7
In the long and winding history of the Landsat Program, April 15, 1999 was an important day.
Antarctica Losing Six Times More Ice Mass Annually Now Than 40 Years Ago
Antarctica experienced a sixfold increase in yearly ice mass loss between 1979 and 2017.
The Dynamic Nature of a Large Iceberg Calving Event
Iceberg A-68 calved from the Larsen C during a period of larger then average tidal cycles.
More Glaciers in East Antarctica Are Waking Up
New detailed NASA maps of ice velocity and elevation show that a group of glaciers spanning one-eighth of East Antarctica’s coast have begun to lose ice over the past decade, hinting at widespread changes in the ocean.
Seeing Hidden Worlds Under Melting Ice
Multi-year comparison of Landsat images can unmask previously unknown geography.
Supraglacial Lakes Are Not Destabilizing Greenland’s Ice Sheets, Yet
Using Landsat 8 satellite images from 2014 to 2016, researchers have discerned when the lakes on Greenland’s Petermann ice tongue formed, their movement, and changes in surface extent across time.
New Study Brings Antarctic Ice Loss Into Sharper Focus
A NASA study based on an innovative technique for crunching torrents of satellite data provides the clearest picture yet of changes in Antarctic ice flow into the ocean.
How Scientists Watched the Larsen C Ice Shelf Give Birth to an Iceberg in the Polar Night
Using Landsat 8’s thermal data to monitor calving events in Antarctica.
USGS-NASA Pecora Award Recognizes Excellence in Earth Observation
Two awardees have been presented with the 2017 William T. Pecora Award for achievements in Earth remote sensing.
Landsat 8 Thermal Data Ghost-Free After Stray Light Exorcism
Montanaro and Gerace’s stray light “exorcism” has now placed the Landsat 8 thermal bands in-line with the accuracy of the previous (ghost-free) Landsat thermal instruments.
Wind, Warm Water Revved Up Melting Antarctic Glaciers
A NASA study has located the Antarctic glaciers that accelerated the fastest between 2008 and 2014 and finds that the most likely cause of their speedup is an observed influx of warm water into the bay where they’re located.
On Iceberg Watch with Landsat’s Night-Vision
NASA Goddard research scientist Chris Shuman spoke recently to National Geographic about Delaware-sized iceberg that broke away from the Larsen C ice shelf last month.
Looking at Larsen C Fracture Mechanics with Landsat
The large rift that eventually formed iceberg A68 initially broke through a suture zone in the southern part of the ice shelf that had previously stabilized neighboring rifts for at least 80 years.
Landsat ‘Sees in the Dark’ the Evolution of Antarctica’s Delaware-sized Iceberg
The Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) on Landsat 8 captured a new snap of the 2,240-square-mile iceberg that split off from the Antarctic Peninsula’s Larsen C ice shelf on July 10-12.
Massive Iceberg Breaks Off from Antarctica
The iceberg is about the size of Delaware.
At the Bottom of the World, Satellites Are Guiding Commerce and Conservation
MAPPPD is the first free, open-access Antarctic decision support system that integrates remotely sensed inputs, such as Landsat 7 images and MODIS sea ice data, to provide an assessment of Adélie and other penguin species across the frozen continent.
Landsat365
Each day of 2017, a project called Landsat365 is sharing a stunning Landsat 8 image with the public.
Landsat Provides Global View of Speed of Ice
Scientists are providing a near-real-time view of every large glacier and ice sheet on Earth with Landsat 8.
The Shifting Boundary Between Grounded Continental Ice and the Ocean in West Antarctica
Using Landsat to closely monitor changes in ‘grounding line’ position in West Antarctica.
Reassessing Mass Balance in West Antarctica
Mr. Chuter presented a poster on new mass balance estimates and velocity changes for parts of West Antarctica.
Landsat Abounds at #AGU16
Over 375 presentations at this year’s AGU Fall feature Landsat.
Antarctic Coastline Images Reveal Four Decades of Ice Loss to Ocean
A study of images along 2000 kilometers of West Antarctica’s coastline has shown the loss of about 1000 square kilometers of ice – an area equivalent to the city of Berlin – over the past 40 years.
Measuring Movement at the Bottom of the Earth
Alex Gardner, a Research Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has used 30 years of Landsat data—some 3 million scenes—to measure the velocity of Antarctica’s ice sheet. He spoke with us about the work he is presenting at #AGU15.
Mapping Antarctic Rock Outcrops with Landsat 8
Alex Burton-Johnson, Martin Black, and Peter Fretwell from the British Antarctic Survey have used Landsat 8 data to create a new rock outcrop map for Antarctica, which will become part of the Antarctic Digital Database. The team presented their research at #AGU15.
Landsat at the 2015 AGU Fall Meeting
At this year’s AGU Fall meeting over 325 presentations feature research done using Landsat data. The Landsat-related papers and posters run the gamut of disciplines from cryosphere to biogeoscience to hydrology to global environmental change to natural hazards to informatics.
Landsat and the Private Tech Sector: Direct and Complementary Uses of Imagery
Landsat is a key data input for many products developed and used in water resources, agricultural monitoring, land use and land cover monitoring, forest management, and development planning.
Nearly 200,000 Glaciers Mapped for Better Sea Level Rise Estimates
An international team led by glaciologists from the University of Colorado Boulder and Trent University in Ontario, Canada has completed the first mapping of virtually all of the world’s glaciers—including their locations and sizes—allowing for calculations of their volumes and ongoing contributions to global sea rise as the world warms.
Landsat 8: Good Things, Getting Better
It’s hard to believe a year has passed since the launch of Landsat 8. This first anniversary is going to be an exciting, upbeat celebration because the new satellite is meeting, if not exceeding, all expectations. “Landsat 8 is nearly perfect,” said Jim Lacasse, Landsat Operations and Maintenance Project Manager. “We’re getting really high quality data.”
A High-Flying Rookie Season
Landsat 8 is acquiring around 550 images per day – significantly more than the 400-image-per-day design requirement. Between Landsat 7 (launched in 1999 and still active) and Landsat 8, nearly 1,000 images per day are being collected. This is almost double the imagery collected three years ago, when Landsat 5 and 7 were operating together. The ability of Landsat 8 to image more frequently in persistently cloudy areas (e.g., humid tropics, high latitudes) is improving data collection in areas of critical importance for climate studies.
Case Studies
Case Studies: How Landsat Helps Us + Download Landsat Case Studies 2018 eBook [25 MB PDF] In 1972, Stewart Udall—a former Secretary of the Interior and an original Landsat visionary—said, “I thought an Earth applications program was a perfect means of bringing the benefits of space back to Earth.” Udall was one of the first […]
eBook and Fact Sheets
+ Download Landsat eBook [46.8MB PDF] The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), renamed Landsat 8 after launch, builds on a rich legacy of service to society. Since the launch of Landsat 1 in 1972, Landsat satellites have become an integral part of many operational land management activities. Landsat satellites provide decision makers with key information […]
Landsat Applications
Agriculture, Forestry and Range Resources Land Use and Mapping Geology Hydrology Coastal Resources Environmental Monitoring Discriminating vegetative, crop and timber types Classifying land uses Mapping major geologic features Determining water boundaries and surface water areas Determining patterns and extent of turbidity Monitoring deforestation Measuring crop and timber acreage Cartographic mapping and map updating Revising […]
Measuring changes and extent of glacial features
Contributor: Robert Bindschadler, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center The stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is an issue of active research and societal concern because of the potential economic impact resulting from an increase in global sea level. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet, riddled with deep crevasses and flowing ice streams, contains over 700,000 […]
Resources
image resources | science stories | background information | educational presentations | landsat publications |classroom activities | data resources for educators | learning games | informative animations | additional resources | glossary TRAINING RESOURCES Learning and Teaching about Earth from Space with NASA/USGS Landsat Satellites: A Trainer’s Toolbox The Landsat Educator Training Toolbox is a resource for educators to train others about Landsat satellites, data, and images and the role […]
More Free Data
The USGS archive contains the most complete and well-maintained collection of Landsat data. All Landsat data are available for free. There are also many online resources for Landsat science products. Find out more below. The Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF) (external link) The University of Maryland’s Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF) offers thousands of Landsat scenes and derived […]
Science
Landsat data have helped to improve our understanding of Earth. Thanks to Landsat, today we have a better understanding of things as diverse as coral reefs, tropical deforestation, and Antarctica’s glaciers. The 30 m spatial resolution and 185 km swath of Landsat imagery fills an important scientific niche because the orbit swaths are wide enough […]
Mission Accomplished for Landsat 5
Source: Jon Campbell and Tim Newman, U.S. Geological Survey Dec. 21, 2012 • Today the U.S. Geological Survey announced that Landsat 5 will be decommissioned over the coming months, bringing to a close the longest-operating Earth observing satellite mission in history. By any measure, the Landsat 5 mission has been an extraordinary success, providing unprecedented contributions to […]
Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica
The first ever, high-resolution, true color map of Antarctica.
Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica
The first ever, high-resolution, true color map of Antarctica. thumbnail: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010400/a010416/LIMA_wVO_ipod_gal.png
Landsat Shows West Antarctic Ice Shelves Tearing Apart at the Seams
Apr 19, 2012 • A new study examining nearly 40 years of satellite imagery has revealed that the floating ice shelves of a critical portion of West Antarctica are steadily losing their grip on adjacent bay walls, potentially amplifying an already accelerating loss of ice to the sea. The most extensive record yet of the […]
An Ode to Landsat 5
On Nov. 18 USGS suspended Landsat 5 imaging activities in order to explore options for restoring satellite-to-ground image transmissions. It remains to be seen if there is any hope of salvaging the rapidly degrading electronic component of the transmitter. Landsat Science Team Member Rick Allen from the University of Idaho salutes the venerable Landsat 5 […]
EarthSky Wins Two Awards for Excellence
The EarthSky science news broadcast network has won two major awards for excellence. On Nov. 4, 2011 it was announced that The Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) recognized EarthSky with its 2011 Arts & Sciences Advocacy Award. The CCAS Arts & Sciences Advocacy Award honors an individual or organization demonstrating exemplary advocacy […]
EarthSky Interview with Robert Bindschadler: First ever image mosaic of entire Antarctica detail
Mar 22, 2011 • Scientists have created a mosaic of digital images collected from space showing the frozen continent of Antarctica—one of the most remote and least known places on Earth—in amazing detail for the first time ever. The mosaic is called LIMA, for Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica. Podcasts: • 90 second podcast interview (1.7 Mb) […]
Solving the Mystery of Antarctic Ice Loss
Recent research has given scientists new insights into Antarctica’s ice loss. By combining ground, airborne, and spaceborne—including Landsat—measurements glaciologist now have a better idea of what is driving the massive ice losses witnessed over the past decade. Read Full NASA Article: + Unstable Antarctica: What’s Driving Ice Loss?
Most Accurate Map of Antarctica’s Landmass Made From Landsat Data
Jul 22, 2010 • Antarctica may not be the world’s largest landmass — it’s the fifth-largest continent — but resting on top of that land is the world’s largest ice sheet. That ice holds more than 60 percent of Earth’s fresh water and carries the potential to significantly raise sea level. The continent is losing […]
NASA’s Tour of the Cryosphere Incorporates Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica (LIMA)
Sep 2, 2009 • Back in 2002, NASA created a film using satellite data that took viewers on a tour of Earth’s frozen regions. This year, NASA visualizers are taking viewers on a return trip to see how things have changed over the years. “The Tour of the Cryosphere 2009” combines satellite imagery and state-of-the-art […]