USGS Submissions

The effusion rate of lava during a volcanic eruption is of fundamental importance in volcanology, given its direct association with hazards.  In basaltic systems, like those of Hawaii, effusion rate exerts a primary control on lava flow length and is a critical input to models of lava flow development and path forecasting.  Unfortunately, since 2008 traditional measurements of lava effusion have not been possible at Kilauea volcano, which has been erupting since 1983 and is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

Measurements of the volume and rate of growth of active lava flows and domes are key parameters of volcano monitoring.  Measurements of the volume and rate of growth of active lava flows and domes are key parameters of volcano monitoring that help scientists to better understand eruption dynamics.  During lava dome effusion, these metrics also provide important information about potential hazards such as effusion rate changes that may signify a transition from effusive to explosive activity, and the volume of erupted materials subject to potential gravitational col

Electro-optical satellite imagery is being used to map locations of landslides (mostly debris flows) induced by the September 2013 rainfall that caused widespread flooding in northern Colorado.  Pre- and post-flood high-resolution (4-m to submeter) imagery makes it possible to map the locations and extent of the rainfall-induced landslides with a high degree of accuracy.  Much of the area is rugged and could not all be surveyed on the ground before the features became eroded or obliterated.  Also, many of the landslide source areas are only a few meters wide,

Volcanic ash poses a serious hazard to aviation, and the proximity of the 52 historically active volcanoes in Alaska to North Pacific air routes requires that the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) use all available tools to monitor volcanic activity, detect eruptions, and work with the National Weather Service (NWS) to characterize and track volcanic ash clouds. Satellite remote sensing is used in conjunction with in situ seismic and other geophysical monitoring (at 28 volcanoes) to meet this mission mandate.

As changes to ecosystems and the environment continue to occur in response to growing population pressure and natural processes, ways to measure and observe these changes on a regular basis will become increasingly important.  Satellite imagery offers an important method to provide evidence of such changes and connect local changes to wider audiences.  The staff at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Resource Information Database (GRID) Sioux Falls Office has developed and employed a dynamic administrative tool that enables easy upload of satelli

In arid areas of western North America, soil inclusions or patches called slickspot soils are saltier than adjacent soil and support different types of native vegetation. Remote sensing using aerial photographs may be an effective way to identify slickspot soils and vegetation that may be vulnerable to sagebrush restoration efforts that use drills to plant seeds or herbicides to control invasive vegetation.

Hyperion sensor satellite data acquired by the NASA Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite were combined with reconnaissance surveys to map the occurrences of the invasive Chinese tallow tree (Triadica sebifera) (tallow) in the Toledo Bend Reservoir area of northwestern Louisiana and northeastern Texas. Following the successful Hyperion mapping of tallow in southwestern Louisiana in 2005, over 20 EO-1 Hyperion images of the reservoir were collected in 2009 and 2010.

The USGS has teamed up with the NPS, the USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN), and the Sonoran Desert Buffelgrass Coordination Center (SABCC) to monitor the phenology of invasive buffelgrass and to use this information to improve management treatment strategies.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists have produced a unique set of land cover projections for the conterminous United States based on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios (http://www.esajournals.org/doi/full/10.1890/13-1245.1).  Scenario-based projections of land use and land cover (LULC) change are needed to quantify the potential for biological carbon sequestration and to analyze strategies to mitigate impacts of greenhouse gas emissions. 

The USGS UMESC is producing a vegetation map of the management corridor for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.  The UMESC has been conducting vegetation mapping for NPS for over a decade.  These highly accurate and highly detailed vegetation maps are used by individual parks to manage lands and conduct research.  High-resolution (0.305 m or better) true color and color infrared digital photography collected during peak fall color is used in a three-dimensional digitizing platform to distinguish vegetation at the Alliance and Association level of the NVCS a