A June 13 New York Times article about the discovery of massive mineral reserves in Afghanistan has highlighted work done by U.S. Geologic Survey geologists to better understand the mineral resources of the country.
In 2007, the USGS announced that Afghanistan had “significant amounts of undiscovered non-fuel mineral resources.” Working with the Afghanistan Geological Survey, USGS has provided information on minerals, oil and gas reserves, and earthquake hazards, as well as “training of Afghan geoscientists in the collection and interpretation of relevant data.”
Landsat data are one of the types of data used by USGS in these studies. For more information, visit the USGS Projects in Afghanistan website.
Visit:
+ New York Times: U.S. Identifies Vast Mineral Riches in Afghanistan [external link]
+ USGS Projects in Afghanistan
+ Significant Potential for Undiscovered Resources in Afghanistan
Ten Years of TIRS: Data for a Thirsty World
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Landsat 8 very nearly flew without a thermal infrared sensor. This is the backstory of how TIRS made it onto Landsat 8.
