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USGS2021

System characterization report on the WorldView-3 Imager

Executive Summary This report addresses system characterization of the Maxar WorldView-3 satellite and is part of a series of system characterization reports produced and delivered by the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence in 2020. These reports present and detail the methodology and procedures for characterization; present technical and operational information about the specific sensing system being evaluated; and provide a summary of test measurements, data retention practices, data analysis results, and conclusions. WorldView-3 is a high-resolution multispectral satellite launched in 2014 by Maxar Technologies on an Atlas V launch vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for Earth resources monitoring. WorldView-3 provides substantial technical improvements to previous WorldView satellites, including spectral bands, ground sample distance, and swath. The WorldView-3 satellite was designed and built by Lockheed Martin for Maxar Technologies using the BCP–5000 bus with the WorldView-3 Imager and the Clouds, Aerosols, Vapors, Ice, and Snow sensor. The high-resolution WorldView-3 Imager is the main instrument, and the Clouds, Aerosols, Vapors, Ice, and Snow sensor provides additional data on obscurants and other atmospheric effects used in data production. More information on Maxar WorldView satellites and sensors is available within the “2020 Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation—Remote Sensing Satellite Compendium” and from the manufacturer at https://www.maxar.com/ . The Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence system characterization team completed data analyses to characterize the geometric (interior and exterior), radiometric, and spatial performances. Results of these analyses indicate that WorldView-3 has a range of interior geometric performance of −0.09 (−0.07 pixel) to 0.24 meter (0.19 pixel) in band-to-band registration; an exterior geometric performance in the range of a −21.10- (−2.11 pixels) to 28.23-meter (2.82 pixels) offset in comparison to Sentinel-2; a radiometric performance in the range of −0.121 to 1.420 (offset and slope); and a spatial performance in the range of 1.2 to 1.7 pixels at full width at half maximum with a modulation transfer function at a Nyquist frequency in the range of 0.093 to 0.185.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2002

Measurement error associated with surveys of fish abundance in Lake Michigan

In fisheries, imprecise measurements in catch data from surveys add uncertainty to the results of fishery stock assessments. The USGS Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) began to survey the fall fish community of Lake Michigan in 1962 with bottom trawls. The measurement error was evaluated at the level of individual tows for nine fish species collected in this survey by applying a measurementerror regression model to replicated trawl data. It was found that the estimates of measurement-error variance ranged from 0.37 (deepwater sculpin, Myoxocephalus thompsoni ) to 1.23 (alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus ) on a logarithmic scale corresponding to a coefficient of variation = 66 to 156%. The estimates appeared to increase with the range of temperature occupied by the fish species. This association may be a result of the variability in the fall thermal structure of the lake. The estimates may also be influenced by other factors, such as pelagic behavior and schooling. Measurement error might be reduced by surveying the fish community during other seasons and/or by using additional technologies, such as acoustics. Measurement-error estimates should be considered when interpreting results of assessments that use abundance information from USGS-GLSC surveys of Lake Michigan and could be used if the survey design was altered. This study is the first to report estimates of measurement-error variance associated with this survey.

Lake Michigan↗

USGS1977

Program of operation for the National Water Data Exchange (NAWDEX)

The National Water Data Exchange (NAWDEX) has been established as a nationwide program directed at improving access to water and water-related data and disseminating information about the availability of these data throughout the entire water-resources community. NAWDEX is composed of a confederation of water-oriented organizations working together to facilitate the exchange of data and to improve the technology of data handling and transfer. This report is intended to provide guidelines to assure that all member organizations participate equally and that a climate of cooperation and open communication is established among participating members. (Woodard-USGS)

Open-File Report↗

USGS1996

Joint US Geological Survey, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission workshop on research related to low-level radioactive waste disposal, May 4-6, 1993, National Center, Reston, Virginia; Proceedings

This report contains papers presented at the "Joint U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Technical Workshop on Research Related to Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLW) Disposal" that was held at the USGS National Center Auditorium, Reston, Virginia, May 4-6, 1993. The objective of the workshop was to provide a forum for exchange of information, ideas, and technology in the geosciences dealing with LLW disposal. This workshop was the first joint activity under the Memorandum of Understanding between the USGS and NRC's Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research signed in April 1992. Participants included invited speakers from the USGS, NRC technical contractors (U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories and universities) and NRC staff for presentation of research study results related to LLW disposal. Also in attendance were scientists from the DOE, DOE National Laboratories, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, State developmental and regulatory agencies involved in LLW disposal facility siting and licensing, Atomic Energy Canada Limited (AECL), private industry, Agricultural Research Service, universities, USGS and NRC.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS2004

Yellowstone grizzly bear investigations: Annual report of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, 2003

The contents of this Annual Report summarize results of monitoring and research from the 2003 field season. The report also contains a summary of nuisance grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos horribilis ) management actions. The study team continues to work on issues associated with counts of unduplicated females with cubs-of-the-year (COY). These counts are used to establish a minimum population size, which is then used to establish mortality thresholds for the Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS] 1993). A computer program that defines the rule set used by Knight et al. (1995) to differentiate unique family groups is currently under development. Once complete, we intend to use it to verify the accuracy of the rules using known bears and their telemetry locations in test runs. We hope to have this work complete by summer 2004. The grizzly bear recovery plan (USFWS 1993) established mortality quotas at 4% of the minimum population estimate derived from female with COY data and no more than 30% of the 4% (1.2%) could be female bears. Simulation modeling (Harris 1984) established sustainable mortality at around 6% of the population. We used the latest information on reproduction and survival to estimate population trajectory in the same simulation model originally used by Harris. A Wildlife Monograph has been drafted and submitted for consideration as a publication. We anticipate final word sometime during winter 2005. Our project addressing the potential application of stable isotopes and trace elements to quantify consumption rates of whitebark pine ( Pinus albicaulis ) and cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarki ) by grizzly bears was completed. Our manuscript on consumption rates of whitebark pine has been published (Canadian Journal of Zoology 81:763-770). A copy can be found on the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) website http://www.nrmsc.usgs.gov/research/igbst-home.htm. The manuscript on fish consumption is in final review and should be published in 2004. We began a new study in Grand Teton National Park evaluating habitat use both temporally and spatially between grizzly and black ( Ursus americanus ) bears. We will employ a new form of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology that incorporates a spread spectrum communication system. Spread spectrum allows for transfer of stored GPS locations from the collar to a remote receiving station. We tested 2 collars during the fall of 2003 and provide a summary of the results. We will attempt to deploy several of these collars during the 2004 field season. The annual reports of the IGBST summarize annual data collection. Because additional information can be obtained after publication, data summaries are subject to change. For that reason, data analyses and summaries presented in this report supersede all previously published data. The study area and sampling techniques are reported by Blanchard (1985), Mattson et al. (1991a), and Haroldson et al. (1998).

Montana↗

USGS2007

Pesticides in U.S. streams and groundwater

A 10-year study by the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS’s) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program provides a national-scale view of pesticide occurrence in streams and groundwater. The 1992-2001 study builds upon a preliminary analysis from NAWQA’s first phase of studies during 1992-1996 (1, 2). Pesticide data available from various studies prior to 1992 did not allow national assessment because of limited and variable geographic coverage (usually focusing on individual states or regions), sparse and inconsistent inclusion of pesticides in use, and variable sampling designs (3-5). The expanded geographic coverage and improved data following 10 years of study (Figure 1) confirm and reinforce previously reported findings and enable more detailed analyses of each topic. This article summarizes selected findings from a comprehensive report (6), with a focus on the nature of pesticide occurrence and potential significance to human health and stream ecosystems. Information on study design and methods as well as additional analysis of geographic patterns and trends in relation to use and management practices are available in the full report (6).

Environmental Science & Technology↗

USGS2010

Incorporation of water-use summaries into the StreamStats web application for Maryland

Approximately 25,000 new households and thousands of new jobs will be established in an area that extends from southwest to northeast of Baltimore, Maryland, as a result of the Federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, with consequent new demands on the water resources of the area. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Maryland Department of the Environment, has extended the area of implementation and added functionality to an existing map-based Web application named StreamStats to provide an improved tool for planning and managing the water resources in the BRAC-affected areas. StreamStats previously was implemented for only a small area surrounding Baltimore, Maryland, and it was extended to cover all BRAC-affected areas. StreamStats could provide previously published streamflow statistics, such as the 1-percent probability flood and the 7-day, 10-year low flow, for U.S. Geological Survey data-collection stations and estimates of streamflow statistics for any user-selected point on a stream within the implemented area. The application was modified for this study to also provide summaries of water withdrawals and discharges upstream from any user-selected point on a stream. This new functionality was made possible by creating a Web service that accepts a drainage-basin delineation from StreamStats, overlays it on a spatial layer of water withdrawal and discharge points, extracts the water-use data for the identified points, and sends it back to StreamStats, where it is summarized for the user. The underlying water-use data were extracted from the U.S. Geological Survey's Site-Specific Water-Use Database System (SWUDS) and placed into a Microsoft Access database that was created for this study for easy linkage to the Web service and StreamStats. This linkage of StreamStats with water-use information from SWUDS should enable Maryland regulators and planners to make more informed decisions on the use of water resources in the BRAC area, and the technology should be transferrable to other geographic areas.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2010

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory seismic data, January to March 2009

This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) summary presents seismic data gathered during January–March 2009. The seismic summary offers earthquake hypocenters without interpretation as a source of preliminary data and is complete in that most data for events of M≥1.5 are included. All latitude and longitude references in this report are stated in Old Hawaiian Datum. The HVO summaries have been published in various forms since 1956. Summaries prior to 1974 were issued quarterly, but cost, convenience of preparation and distribution, and the large quantities of data necessitated an annual publication, beginning with Summary 74 for the year 1974. Since 2004, summaries have been identified simply by year, rather than by summary number. Summaries originally issued as administrative reports were republished in 2007 as Open-File Reports. All the summaries since 1956 are available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1316-1345/ (last accessed 02/24/2010). In January 1986, HVO adopted CUSP ( C alifornia Institute of Technology U SGS S eismic P rocessing). Summary 86, available at http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/ofr/ofr92301 (last accessed 02/24/2010), includes a description of the seismic instrumentation, calibration, and processing used in recent years. The present summary includes background information about the seismic network to provide the end user with an understanding of the processing parameters and how the data were gathered. Earthworm software, documentation available at http://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/ew-doc/ (last accessed 02/24/2010), was first installed at HVO in 1999 as part of an upgrade to tsunami warning capabilities in the Pacific region. This improved and expanded data exchange with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Oahu, that included not only seismic waveforms, but also parametric earthquake data. Although Earthworm does included modules for earthquake triggering and earthquake location, this software was never used to generate catalog hypocenter locations at HVO. During 2009, HVO migrated from CUSP to seismic processing software developed by the C alifornia I ntegrated S eismic N etwork or CISN. This software is now referred to as AQMS, for A dvanced National Seismic System Q uake M anagement S ystem. Summary data for this year will be presented in two reports; the first report includes earthquakes processed on the CUSP platform for January–March; earthquakes for the last three quarters, processed on the AQMS platform, will be published in a separate summary with a description of AQMS production parameters. A report by Klein and Koyanagi (USGS Open-File Report 80-302, 1980) tabulates instrumentation, calibration, and recording history of each seismic station in the network. It is designed as a reference for users of seismograms and phase data and includes and augments the information in the station table in this summary. Figures 11–14 are maps showing computer-located hypocenters. The maps were generated using the G eneric M apping T ools (GMT), found at http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu/ (last accessed 01/22/2010), in place of traditional QPLOT maps.

Hawai'i↗

USGS2011

A survey of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees regarding topics for distance education-Summary report to respondents

This report provides a summary of responses to the questions included in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) Distance Education survey conducted from January 26, 2010, to February 8, 2010. The survey included questions for two studies sponsored by the Division of Education Outreach (DEO) at the NCTC. The first study identifies the topics of interest to FWS employees on which training could be provided via distance education. The topics were limited to the area of conservation and environmental education, outreach, and partnerships because these topics are within the scope of the DEO. The second study focused on characterizing the relation between onsite course enrollment at NCTC and distance education offerings. Because there were only a few questions on the survey for the second study and because the target populations were the same for both, the two surveys were combined. Our preliminary conclusion, based only on frequencies of responses and averages, is that our survey respondents appear to prefer traditional instructor-led training. However, they would still enroll in distance education courses. The distance education technologies of audio conferencing, computer-mediated training, and written resource provision are the technologies respondents reported being most familiar and accessible to them. For four of the five topic areas-creating and maintaining partnerships, technology, program planning and development, and outreach methods-the response frequencies and averages indicate that the topics were viewed as both relevant and important. Respondents were more neutral regarding the relevance and importance of the topic of evaluation methods. Respondents reported preferences for different types of information on different topics and also reported preferences in delivery mode of training for each topic area. Detailed results and conclusions will be included in the completion reports for the two studies.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2019

Harmful algal blooms

This postcard provides details about "Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms and U.S. Geological Survey Science Capabilities, " Open File Report 2016-1174 , where you can find details about how U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists use traditional methods and emerging technologies in collaboration with numerous partners to lead a diverse range of studies addressing harmful algal bloom (HAB) issues in water bodies throughout the United States. Cutting-edge USGS research in HABs has advanced scientific understanding and led to practical applications that help protect ecological and human health.

General Information Product↗

USGS1979

Resource report for proposed OCS lease sale 57: Norton Basin, Alaska

This report is a summary of information about an area of the northern Bering Sea continental shelf that is bounded by the Seward Peninsula on the north, by the line of the United States-Russia Convention of 1867 on the west, and by St. Lawrence Island and the coastline that rims Norton Sound on the south and east. Scholl and Hopkins (1969) report that a sedimentary basin underlies the offshore area. More recent data, which form the basis of part of this report, show the basin is deepest beneath Norton Sound; also, the basin has sufficient depth and areal extent that the basin may be a target for development of hydrocarbon resources after Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Sale 57. The informal, but widely used, name for the basin is Norton Basin. The following discussion includes regional geology, geologic history, and offshore structure and stratigraphy as background data to discussion of the hydrocarbon potential and resource appraisal of the offshore area. Sections on environmental geology and on the technology and manpower needed and available for development of offshore resources are also included.

Alaska↗

USGS2023

Northern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) population abundance and distribution across the southeast Alaska stock, summer 2022

In the summer of 2022, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and partners successfully completed the first single-year, aerial photo survey of sea otters across the entire Southeast stock of northern sea otters. This document presents the latest findings from the 2022 Southeast Alaska Sea Otter Survey, providing up-to-date information regarding occupancy, abundance and carrying capacity. We collected two independent data streams of sea otter observations during the survey using novel image sensor technologies for marine wildlife surveys and recently developed statistical methods. We calculated an abundance estimate of 22,359 (95% Bayesian credible interval: 19,595, 25,290, CV = 0.064) sea otters. Based on the these results, the population size of the Southeast stock of northern sea otters is still increasing and below the estimated carrying capacity for the region of 48,083 (95% Bayesian credible interval: 40,575, 58,570) sea otters. Results from this report include the first updated abundance estimates for the Southeast stock of sea otters in 10 years, which will help inform stakeholders from across the region and addresses the top priority identified by the 2019 Southeast Sea Otter Stakeholder Working Group.

Alaska↗

USGS2016

Development of a decision support tool for water and resource management using biotic, abiotic, and hydrological assessments of Topock Marsh, Arizona

Topock Marsh is a large wetland adjacent to the Colorado River and the main feature of Havasu National Wildlife Refuge (Havasu NWR) in southern Arizona. In 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Bureau of Reclamation began a project to improve water management capabilities at Topock Marsh and protect habitats and species. Initial construction required a drawdown, which caused below-average inflows and water depths in 2010–11. U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) scientists collected an assemblage of biotic, abiotic, and hydrologic data from Topock Marsh during the drawdown and immediately after, thus obtaining valuable information needed by FWS. Building upon that work, FORT developed a decision support system (DSS) to better understand ecosystem health and function of Topock Marsh under various hydrologic conditions. The DSS was developed using a spatially explicit geographic information system package of historical data, habitat indices, and analytical tools to synthesize outputs for hydrologic time periods. Deliverables include high-resolution orthorectified imagery of Topock Marsh; a DSS tool that can be used by Havasu NWR to compare habitat availability associated with three hydrologic scenarios (dry, average, wet years); and this final report which details study results. This project, therefore, has addressed critical FWS management questions by integrating ecologic and hydrologic information into a DSS framework. This DSS will assist refuge management to make better informed decisions about refuge operations and better understand the ecological results of those decisions by providing tools to identify the effects of water operations on species-specific habitat and ecological processes. While this approach was developed to help FWS use the best available science to determine more effective water management strategies at Havasu NWR, technologies used in this study could be applied elsewhere within the region.

Arizona↗

USGS2005

Proceedings of the Federal Interagency Sediment Monitoring Instrument and Analysis Research Workshop, September 9-11, 2003, Flagstaff, Arizona

The Advisory Committee on Water Information's Subcommittee on Sedimentation sponsored the Federal Interagency Sediment Monitoring Instrument and Analysis Research Workshop on September 9-11, 2003, at the U.S. Geological Survey Flagstaff Field Center, Arizona. The workshop brought together a diverse group representing most Federal agencies whose mission includes fluvial-sediment issues; academia; the private sector; and others with interests and expertise in fluvial-sediment monitoring ? suspended sediment, bedload, bed material, and bed topography ? and associated data-analysis techniques. The workshop emphasized technological and theoretical advances related to measurements of suspended sediment, bedload, bed material and bed topography, and data analyses. This workshop followed and expanded upon part of the 2002 Federal Interagency Workshop on Turbidity and Other Sediment Surrogates (http://water.usgs.gov/pubs/circ/2003/circ1250/), which initiated a process to provide national standards for measurement and use of turbidity and other sediment-surrogate data. This report provides a description of the salient attributes of the workshop and related information, major deliberations and findings, and principal recommendations. This information is available for evaluation by the Subcommittee on Sedimentation, which may opt to develop an action plan based on the recommendations that it endorses for consideration by the Advisory Committee on Water Information.

Circular↗

USGS2018

Science for a risky world—A U.S. Geological Survey plan for risk research and applications

Executive Summary Natural hazards—including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, hurricanes, droughts, floods, wildfires, geomagnetic storms, and pandemics—can wreak havoc on human communities, the economy, and natural resources for years following an initial event. Hazards can claim lives and cause billions of dollars in damage to homes and infrastructure as well as lost or compromised economic activity and threats to national security. They also can have adverse environmental, social, economic, and health effects that extend well beyond the immediate area, sometimes with global implications. Changes in population growth, climate, and urbanization may exacerbate hazard impacts. Because of the potential severity of a single hazard event, reducing risk—the potential loss of societally important assets caused by these hazards—is a high priority for everyone, including policy makers, community members, emergency managers, resource managers, utility operators, business owners, and planners. These stakeholders demand usable, user-centric information to support decisions for planning a resilient future and for responding to and recovering from unanticipated events in more adaptable and cost-effective ways. Meeting this demand requires maximizing the use of environmental observations; hazards science; and research on communications, social stressors, and human behavior to deliver risk information in forms that are accessible by decision makers and the public alike. To achieve this, scientists and stakeholders must collaborate to match community needs with actionable insights, research, products, and tools, using advances in technology to improve information discovery and delivery.

Circular↗

USGS2017

Designing a high-frequency nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring network for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, northern California

Executive Summary This report is the third in a series of three reports that provide information about how high-frequency (HF) nutrient monitoring may be used to assess nutrient inputs and dynamics in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California (Delta). The purpose of this report is to provide the background, principles, and considerations for designing an HF nutrient-monitoring network for the Delta to address high-priority, nutrient-management questions. The report starts with discussion of the high-priority management questions to be addressed, continues through discussion of the questions and considerations that place demands and constraints on network design, discusses the principles applicable to network design, and concludes with the presentation of three example nutrient-monitoring network designs for the Delta. For three example network designs, we assess how they would address high-priority questions that have been identified by the Delta Regional Monitoring Program (Delta Regional Monitoring Program Technical Advisory Committee, 2015). This report, along with the other two reports of this series (Kraus and others, 2017; Downing and others, 2017), was drafted in cooperation with the Delta Regional Monitoring Program to help scientists, managers, and planners understand how HF data improve our understanding of nutrient sources and sinks, drivers, and effects in the Delta. The first report in the series (Kraus and others, 2017) provides an introduction to the reasons for and fundamental concepts behind using HF monitoring measurements, including a brief summary of nutrient status and trends in the Delta and an extensive literature review showing how and where other research and monitoring programs have used HF monitoring to improve our understanding of nutrient cycling. The report covers the various technologies available for HF nutrient monitoring and presents the different ways HF monitoring instrumentation may be used for both fixed station and spatial assessments. Finally, it presents numerous examples of how HF measurements are currently (2017) being used in the Delta to examine how nutrients and nutrient cycling are related to aquatic habitat conditions. The second report in the series (Downing and others, 2017) summarizes information about HF nutrient and associated biogeochemical monitoring in the north Delta. The report synthesizes data available from the nutrient and water quality monitoring network currently (2017) operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in this ecologically important region of the Delta. In the report, we present and discuss the available data at various timescales—first at the monthly, seasonal, and inter-annual timescales; and, second, for comparison, at the tidal and event timescales. As expected, we determined that there is substantial variability in nitrate concentrations at short timescales, such as within a few hours, but also significant variability at longer timescales such as months or years. This high variability affects calculation of fluxes and loads, indicating that HF monitoring is necessary for understanding and assessing flux-based processes and outcomes in Delta tidal environments.

California↗

USGS2009

Evaluating hydrological response to forecasted land-use change—scenario testing with the automated geospatial watershed assessment (AGWA) tool

Envisioning and evaluating future scenarios has emerged as a critical component of both science and social decision-making. The ability to assess, report, map, and forecast the life support functions of ecosystems is absolutely critical to our capacity to make informed decisions to maintain the sustainable nature of our ecosystem services now and into the future. During the past two decades, important advances in the integration of remote imagery, computer processing, and spatial-analysis technologies have been used to develop landscape information that can be integrated with hydrologic models to determine long-term change and make predictive inferences about the future. Two diverse case studies in northwest Oregon (Willamette River basin) and southeastern Arizona (San Pedro River) were examined in regard to future land use scenarios relative to their impact on surface water conditions (e.g., sediment yield and surface runoff) using hydrologic models associated with the Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) tool. The base reference grid for land cover was modified in both study locations to reflect stakeholder preferences 20 to 60 yrs into the future, and the consequences of landscape change were evaluated relative to the selected future scenarios. The two studies provide examples of integrating hydrologic modeling with a scenario analysis framework to evaluate plausible future forecasts and to understand the potential impact of landscape change on ecosystem services.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2024

System characterization report on Vision-1

Executive Summary This report addresses system characterization of the Airbus Vision-1 satellite and is part of a series of system characterization reports produced and delivered by the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence. These reports present and detail the methodology and procedures for characterization; present technical and operational information about the specific sensing system being evaluated; and provide a summary of test measurements, data retention practices, data analysis results, and conclusions. Vision-1 is a high-resolution Earth observation satellite launched in September 2018 as a collaborative effort between Airbus and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. It features a Newtonian telescope with a refractive relay, capturing images in panchromatic and multispectral bands. Operating in a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 583 kilometers, Vision-1 ensures consistent illumination conditions during image acquisition. It has a revisit time of 1 to 8 days depending on latitude and viewing angle, and it features an off-pointing agility of plus or minus 45 degrees, allowing for multiple target captures in a single pass using spot, strip, and mosaic imaging modes. The panchromatic band offers a resolution of 0.87 meter (m), whereas the multispectral bands (blue, green, red, and near infrared) provide a resolution of 3.48 m. These capabilities support a variety of applications including urban planning, agricultural monitoring, land classification, natural resource management, and disaster response. More information on the Vision-1 satellite and sensors is available in the “2022 Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation—Remote Sensing Satellite Compendium.” The Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence system characterization team completed data analyses to characterize the geometric (interior and exterior), radiometric, and spatial performances. Results of these analyses indicate that the Vision-1 satellite has an interior geometric performance in the range of 0 to 0.02 m in easting and −0.01 to 0.03 m in northing in band-to-band registration, an exterior geometric performance of 1.7 to 2.2 m in easting and −1.1 to −0.7 m in northing offset with a 90-percent circular error of 3.4 to 3.7 m, a radiometric performance in the range of −0.029 to 0.017 in offset and 0.884 to 0.984 in slope, and a spatial performance in the range of 0.992 to 1.092 pixels for multispectral full width at half maximum and 1.895 pixels for the panchromatic band full width at half maximum, with a modulation transfer function at a Nyquist frequency in the range of 0.29 to 0.36 for the multispectral bands and 0.05 for the panchromatic band.

Open-File Report↗