Maryland and Landsat

Abstract

Maryland, called “America in Miniature,” encompasses nearly every geographical feature in the United States except a desert. Water dominates the State, whose borders run along much of Chesapeake Bay. The bay is the country’s largest estuary, where freshwater from watershed tributaries mingles with the ocean’s saltwater and teems with life. The Chesapeake Bay faces threats from erosion, pollution, rising sea levels, and natural disasters. Because the Chesapeake Bay is prominent in Maryland’s history, economy, natural diversity, and way of life, protecting its waters and ecosystems is a priority for the State. Landsat imagery helps with a number of these efforts. Maryland also has a special relation with Landsat satellites; the USGS manages their flight operations out of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt.