Satellite

BOEM is working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory at Goddard Space Flight Center to measure and monitor offshore sea level concentrations of pollutants that are used in

Data suggest that long-tailed duck populations are in decline. As a result, efforts have been made to better understand their population distributions through satellite telemetry studies. In previous studies, radiomarked tracking of long-tailed ducks suggested little use of Lake Michigan, even though aerial surveys indicate that large concentrations of this species overwinter there.

The Central Valley of California is one of the most productive agricultural regions of the United States and irrigated agriculture is one of the heaviest consumers of water resources, so understanding how different crops use water over time is essential for planning and managing water allocation, water rights, and agricultural production.

The rich archive of Landsat imagery combined with the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model can be used to estimate and map actual evapotranspiration (ET) across large basins to quantify long-term crop consumptive use.

Wetlands and surface waters are critically important for both natural and anthropogenic processes including climate regulation, the maintenance of biodiversity, and the provision of ecosystem services important for human well-being. Until recently, mapping the spatial and temporal variability of the Earth’s surface waters and wetlands would have been an impossible task.

Satellite images and streamgages are the two most common measurement tools used to assemble a record of historical water inundation dynamics, but access to necessary tools and analysis software is often sparse in those parts of the world most vulnerable to extreme hydrologic events.

During the spring of 2014, about 105,000 acre-feet (130 million cubic meters) of water were released from the Morelos Dam in the United States into the delta of the lower Colorado River in Mexico, allowing water to reach not only the Colorado River’s delta but also the Gulf of California for the first time in 13 years.

Landsat satellite imagery has been available at no cost to the public since 2008, resulting in the distribution of millions of scenes each subsequent year. Additionally, tens of thousands of Landsat users have registered with the USGS to access the data.

Landsat satellites have been operating since 1972, providing the longest continuous observation record of the Earth’s land surface. Over the past half century, the Landsat user community has grown exponentially, encompassing more diverse and evolving scientific research and operational uses. Understanding current and future user needs is crucial to informing the design of Landsat missions beyond Landsat 9.

To validate the quality of light detection and ranging (lidar) data collected for the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP), the USGS uses methods detailed in “Accuracy Standards for Digital Geospatial Data” developed by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS).