Why do we calibrate Landsat data? We spoke with Brian Markham, a key figure of Landsat calibration science for four decades. He said that it all comes down to this: “If we’re using a system to quantify changes on the Earth, we must make sure the system we’re using is not changing.”
With Landsat Next’s 26 new spectral bands, we’ll be able to see our planet like never before. Landsat Next’s enhanced capabilities will provide scientists, farmers, and decision-makers with critical data to tackle global challenges.
New research led by Landsat 8/9 Project Scientist Chris Neigh used Landsat and ICESat-2 data to investigate how boreal forests growth could sequester carbon.
Using NASA data, researchers can track vegetation changes around the planet, not just in forests but also in grasslands and savannas like the Brazilian Cerrado.
Numerous artists have incorporated NASA science data into their work, further engaging the public in science discovery.
Between October 2023 and October 2024, the four dams of the Klamath Hydroelectric Project were taken down, opening more than 400 miles of salmon habitat.
NASA’s Science Activation team has created a graphic to help K-12 teachers find out which NASA Earth Science missions can provide real-world data most relevant to their Next Generation Science-based lessons.
Grasslands tend to get left out of conservation discussion. New research from the World Resources Institute maps how they’ve changed over the past 20 years.
Wildfires have been increasing in frequency and size across North America in recent years. British Columbia is no exception to that trend; more than 4% of the heavily-forested province has burned since 2017. In 2023, Canada saw its worst wildfire season in recorded history. These high intensity fires affect ecosystem health and local economies, as timber is a major industry in BC.
Looking at urban heat islands, researchers found that changing trends in vegetation influence land surface temperature in the Lower Mekong Delta cities.
Virginia Norwood is being posthumously recognized for designing the Landsat multispectral scanner system.
The USGS, in partnership with NASA, is calling for applications to staff the next Landsat Science Team to serve a 5-year term from 2025 to 2030.
A cadre of former Landsat Science Team members posit that realizing progress towards global sustainability goals would be substantially aided by 13 essential, regularly-updated global data products made with open-access and freely-available Landsat and Sentinel-2 datasets.
South Korea is facing a water quality problem. Researchers Hyunglok Kim and Seongjun Lee from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) embarked on developing a model to predict water quality indicators in near real-time.
The NASA Landsat Science and Outreach teams attended the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting in DC in December. At AGU24, they shared research and educated the public about Landsat.
Mangroves, the iconic trees and shrubs of the Florida Everglades, are under increased stress due to more frequent, intense hurricanes.
Using observations from Landsat 5 through Landsat 8, scientists determined that the area of vegetated land on the Antarctic Peninsula grew from 0.86 to 11.95 square kilometers (0.33 to 4.61 square miles) between 1986 and 2021.
As any urban dweller who has lived through a heat wave knows, a shady tree can make all the difference. But what happens when there’s no shade available?
More than 715,000 visitors have transcribed their names and messages into Landsat letters using the “Your Name in Landsat” tool since it was unveiled in August as part of Camp Landsat 2024.
From his South Dakota roots to leading NASA’s agricultural program, Brad Doorn’s mission has remained the same: help farmers feed the world.
Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey have developed a new way to measure ocean depth, or bathymetry, in shallow nearshore environments using Landsat data.
Landsat collects data that helps effectively deal with intensifying wildfires—at all stages of the fire cycle.
USGS and NASA have officially released the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the 2025-2029 Landsat Science Team. Proposals are due by December 17, 2024.
Monitoring the temperature of tiny atoll lagoons is important for the local economy and ecosystem. A new study shows that Landsat can help.
With Landsat-based ET embedded in more and more water rights and conservation tools, Willardson and the Western States Water Council are eager to see Landsat Next with its higher spatial resolution, more frequent observations, and additional spectral bands, built and launched.
A new report about the Landsat satellite program – a partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey and National Aeronautics and Space Administration – calculates its 2023 value at $25.6 billion—a marked increase from its 2017 estimate of $3.45 billion.
The U.S. Geological Survey Landsat Mission announced a presolicitation for a new Landsat Science team. The Landsat Science Team conducts research that is integral to both the Landsat program and the Sustainable Land Imaging program.
The Amazon is in trouble. Researchers found that, between 2000 and 2022, the Brazilian Amazon lost about 10% of its natural non-forest vegetation.
In a new study, researchers used GPS tracking data and satellite imagery to map elephant movement in northwestern Namibia, looking for corridors of connectivity.
In Taiwan, earthquakes are linked to shallow stores of magma. New research explores this connection by linking land surface temperature with earthquakes.
Warming global climate is changing the vegetation structure of forests in the far north. It’s a trend that will continue at least through the end of this century, according to NASA researchers.
Ross Walter, from the Landsat Outreach Team, has turned a much used, but static, Landsat Spectral Band Comparison graphic into a dynamic, multifaceted tool that enables users to compare different sensors and output the comparison graphics they need.
A new study tracks the shifting dynamics of wildfires in western North America. Using Landsat-derived datasets and active fire information from geostationary satellites, researchers found that fires are burning through the night more often—and drought is partially to blame.
