A pulse of water released down the lower reaches of the Colorado River last spring resulted in more than a 40 percent increase in green vegetation where the water flowed, as seen by the Landsat 8 satellite. The March 2014 release of water – an experimental flow implemented under a U.S.-Mexico agreement called “Minute 319” – reversed a 13-year decline in the greenness along the delta.
With the launch of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) in February 2013, the already unprecedented Landsat global record continues and could reach 50 years or longer in length. LDCM, renamed, Landsat 8 when the mission was declared operational in May 2013, is based on several technological advances that are providing more and higher quality multispectral data than previous Landsat missions. In addition, Landsat 8 includes new multispectral measurements that are expanding science and applications.
A pulse of water released down the lower reaches of the Colorado River last spring resulted in more than a 40 percent increase in green vegetation where the water flowed, as seen by the Landsat 8 satellite. The March 2014 release of water – an experimental flow implemented under a U.S.-Mexico agreement called “Minute 319” – reversed a 12-year decline in the greenness along the delta.
