Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center—Popular Websites
This general information product (GIP) lists websites related to the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center and supersedes GIP 84.
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Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.
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Archiving and access systems for remote sensing: Chapter 6
Focuses on major developments inaugurated by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, the Group on Earth Observations System of Systems, and the International Council for Science World Data System at the global level; initiatives at national levels to create data centers (e.g. the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Distributed Active Archive Centers and other international space agency counterparts), and non-government systems (e.g. Center for International Earth Science Information Network). Other major elements focus on emerging tool sets, requirements for metadata, data storage and refresh methods, the rise of cloud computing, and questions about what and how much data should be saved. The sub-sections of the chapter address topics relevant to the science, engineering and standards used for state-of-the-art operational and experimental systems.
Book chapter↗
Coordination of space data acquisition in support of geo forest carbon tracking
The Group on Earth Observation (GEO) required for their Forest Carbon Tracking (FCT) task the assistance of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) space agencies to implement coordinated data acquisition strategies from Earth Observation (EO) over key areas of interest to demonstrate the value of linking coordinated acquisition of satellite data with standardised processing methods, forest inventory and ecosystem models. Both optical and radar of midresolution have been acquired within the coordinated acquisition campaigns developed in 2009 and 2010. Homogeneous and coherent EO databases have already started by means of full key areas coverage according with suitable sensor operating modes. CEOS effort seeks now continuing with an updated strategy over expanded area coverage.
Conference Paper↗
Terrestrial reference standard sites for postlaunch sensor calibration
In an era when the number of Earth observation satellites is rapidly growing and measurements from satellite sensors are used to address increasingly urgent global issues, often through synergistic and operational combinations of data from multiple sources, it is imperative that scientists and decision-makers are able to rely on the accuracy of Earth observation data products. The characterization and calibration of these sensors, particularly their relative biases, are vital to the success of the developing integrated Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) for coordinated and sustained observations of the Earth. This can only reliably be achieved in the postlaunch environment through the careful use of observations by multiple sensor systems over common, well-characterized terrestrial targets (i.e., on or near the Earth's surface). Through greater access to and understanding of these vital reference standard sites and their use, the validity and utility of information gained from Earth remote sensing will continue to improve. This paper provides a brief overview of the use of reference standard sites for postlaunch sensor radiometric calibration from historical, current, and future perspectives. Emphasis is placed on optical sensors operating in the visible, near-infrared, and shortwave infrared spectral regions.
Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing↗
Water-quality characteristics and trends for selected sites in or near the Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center, South Dakota, 1973-2000
This report presents data on water-quality samples that were collected in and near the Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center from 1973 through 2000. The investigation is a collaborated effort between the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Discipline (WRD), and Geography (formerly National Mapping) Discipline, EROS Data Center. A water-quality monitoring program was initiated in 1973, when the EROS Data Center was constructed, and continues at the present time (2003). Under this program, water-quality samples were collected at various sites on the EROS Data Center's property and in the surrounding area. These sites include 4 wastewater-treatment lagoons, 1 site on EROS Lake located behind the EROS Data Center, 2 stream sites near the EROS Data Center, and 9 ground-water wells surrounding the EROS Data Center. Additionally, 3 sites on EROS Lake, 7 stream sites, and 9 ground-water sites are located within the study area and have been sampled during the period covered in the report. Some of these additional sites were part of the initial water-quality monitoring conducted during and immediately after the construction of the EROS Data Center. For other sites, some special sampling (depth-profile and bottom material) has occurred at times during the sampling history; however, these sites have little water-quality data and were not used for statistical or trend analysis. A trend-analysis program, Estimate TREND (ESTREND), was used to analyze for trends for one surface-water site, the Big Sioux River, which was the only site that had a substantial number of samples collected during an extensive period. The ESTREND trend-analysis program was used to analyze 16 constituents. Specific conductance and dissolved orthophosphate were the only constituents determined to have statistically significant trends. Results showed an increasing trend for specific conductance and a decreasing trend for dissolved orthophosphate. Scatter plots with regression smoothing lines for selected constituents are presented for selected surface-water and ground-water sites. Regression analyses using a Lowess (Locally Weighted Scatterplot Smoothing) smoothing line for Split Rock Creek, EROS Lake, the lagoon sites, and the ground-water sites indicated variable results, with some constituents indicating an increasing or decreasing trend, some having varied results, and others indicating no change during the sampling period.
South Dakota↗
Supporting users through integrated retrieval, processing, and distribution systems at the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center
The US Geological Survey's EROS Data Center (EDC) hosts the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC). The LP DAAC supports NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS), which is a series of polar-orbiting and low inclination satellites for long-term global observations of the land surface, biosphere, solid Earth, atmosphere, and oceans. The EOS Data and Information Systems (EOSDIS) was designed to acquire, archive, manage and distribute Earth observation data to the broadest possible user community. The LP DAAC is one of four DAACs that utilize the EOSDIS Core System (ECS) to manage and archive their data. Since the ECS was originally designed, significant changes have taken place in technology, user expectations, and user requirements. Therefore the LP DAAC has implemented additional systems to meet the evolving needs of scientific users, tailored to an integrated working environment. These systems provide a wide variety of services to improve data access and to enhance data usability through subsampling, reformatting, and reprojection. These systems also support the wide breadth of products that are handled by the LP DAAC. The LP DAAC is the primary archive for the Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) data; it is the only facility in the United States that archives, processes, and distributes data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission/Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra spacecraft; and it is responsible for the archive and distribution of “land products” generated from data acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites.
Acta Astronautica↗
Optimizing a remote sensing production efficiency model for macro-scale GPP and yield estimation in agroecosystems
Earth observation data are increasingly used to provide consistent eco-physiological information over large areas through time. Production efficiency models (PEMs) estimate Gross Primary Production (GPP) as a function of the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by the canopy, which is derived from Earth observation. GPP can be summed over the growing season and adjusted by a crop-specific harvest index to estimate yield. Although PEMs have many advantages over other crop yield models, they are not widely used, because performance is relatively poor. Here, a new PEM is presented that addresses deficiencies for macro-scale application: Production Efficiency Model Optimized for Crops (PEMOC). It was developed by optimizing functions from the literature with GPP estimated by eddy covariance flux towers in the United States. The model was evaluated using newly developed Earth observation products and county-level yield statistics for major crops. PEMOC generally performed better at the field and county level than another commonly used PEM, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer GPP (MOD17). PEMOC and MOD17 estimates of GPP had an R 2 and root mean squared error (RMSE) over the growing season of 0.71–0.89 (9.87–17.47 g CO 2 d −1 ) and 0.59–0.83 (6.86–22.20 g CO 2 d −1 ) with flux tower GPP. PEMOC produced R 2 s and RMSE of 0.70 (0.52), 0.60 (0.61), and 0.62 (0.59), while MOD17 produced R 2 s and RMSE of 0.65 (0.57), 0.53 (0.66), and 0.65 (0.57) with corn, soybean, and winter wheat crop yield anomalies. The sample size of rice was small, so yields were compared directly. PEMOC and MOD17 produced R 2 s and RMSE of 0.53 (3.42 t ha −1 ) and 0.40 (4.89 t ha −1 ). The most sizeable model improvements were seen for C 3 and C 4 crops during emergence/senescence and peak season, respectively. These improvements were attributed to C 3 and C 4 partitioning, optimized temperature and moisture constraints, and an evapotranspiration-based soil moisture index.
Remote Sensing of Environment↗
Monitoring mountains in a changing world: New horizons for the Global Network for Observations and Information on Mountain Environments (GEO-GNOME)
Mountains are globally distributed environments that provide significant societal benefits, a function that is increasingly compromised by climatic change, environmental stress, political and socioeconomic transformations, and unsustainable use of natural resources. Gaps in our understanding of these processes and their interactions limit our capacity to inform decisions, where both generalities of mountain regions (eg climate processes) and specificities (eg context-specific manifestations of climate risks) matter. The Global Network for Observations and Information on Mountain Environments (GEO-GNOME), a Group on Earth Observations initiative, aims to fill these gaps through accessible Earth Observation (EO) as well as in-situ data and information on global change drivers, conditions, and trends. A workshop convened by the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) revised GEO-GNOME's work plan, galvanizing a network that promotes relevant monitoring of global change in mountains and is responsive to the integrated knowledge needs of policy, research, and management.
Mountain Research and Development↗
Increasing ocean wave energy observed in Earth’s seismic wavefield since the late 20th century
Ocean waves excite continuous globally observable seismic signals. We use data from 52 globally distributed seismographs to analyze the vertical component primary microseism wavefield at 14–20 s period between the late 1980s and August 2022. This signal is principally composed of Rayleigh waves generated by ocean wave seafloor tractions at less than several hundred meters depth, and is thus a proxy for near-coastal swell activity. Here we show that increasing seismic amplitudes at 3 σ significance occur at 41 (79%) and negative trends occur at 3 σ significance at eight (15%) sites. The greatest absolute increase occurs for the Antarctic Peninsula with respective acceleration amplitude and energy trends ( ± 3 σ ) of 0.037 ± 0.008 nm s −2 y −1 (0.36 ± 0.08% y −1 ) and 4.16 ± 1.07 nm 2 s −2 y −1 (0.58 ± 0.15% y −1 ), where percentage trends are relative to historical medians. The inferred global mean near-coastal ocean wave energy increase rate is 0.27 ± 0.03% y −1 for all data and is 0.35 ± 0.04% y −1 since 1 January 2000. Strongly correlated seismic amplitude station histories occur to beyond 50 ∘ of separation and show regional-to-global associations with El Niño and La Niña events.
Nature Communications↗
Towards coordinated regional multi-satellite InSAR volcano observations: Results from the Latin America pilot project
Within Latin America, about 319 volcanoes have been active in the Holocene, but 202 of these volcanoes have no seismic, deformation or gas monitoring. Following the 2012 Santorini Report on satellite Earth Observation and Geohazards, the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) developed a 4-year pilot project (2013-2017) to demonstrate how satellite observations can be used to monitor large numbers of volcanoes cost-effectively, particularly in areas with scarce instrumentation and/or difficult access. The pilot aims to improve disaster risk management (DRM) by working directly with the volcano observatories that are governmentally responsible for volcano monitoring as well as with the international space agencies (ESA, CSA, ASI, DLR, JAXA, NASA, CNES). The goal is to make sure that the most useful data are collected at each volcano following the guidelines of the Santorini report that observation frequency is related to volcano activity, and to communicate the results to the local institutions in a timely fashion. Here we highlight how coordinated multi-satellite observations have been used by volcano observatories to monitor volcanoes and respond to crises. Our primary tool is measurements of ground deformation made by Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), which have been used in conjunction with other observations to determine the alert level at these volcanoes, served as an independent check on ground sensors, guided the deployment of ground instruments, and aided situational awareness. During this time period, we find 26 volcanoes deforming, including 18 of the 28 volcanoes that erupted - those eruptions without deformation were less than 2 on the VEI scale. Another 7 volcanoes were restless and the volcano observatories requested satellite observations, but no deformation was detected. We describe the lessons learned about the data products and information that are most needed by the volcano observatories in the different countries using information collected by questionnaires. We propose a practical strategy for regional to global satellite volcano monitoring for use by volcano observatories in Latin America and elsewhere to realize the vision of the Santorini report.
Journal of Applied Volcanology↗
Landsat benefiting society for fifty years
Since 1972, data acquired by the Landsat series of satellites have become integral to land management for both government and the private sector, providing scientists and decision makers with key information about agricultural productivity, ice sheet dynamics, urban growth, forest monitoring, natural resource management, water quality, and supporting disaster response. Landsat 9 continues the mission of unrivaled space-based Earth observation and will lead the Landsat program into its second half century of Earth imagery provided to users, worldwide, at no charge. More than 8 million Landsat scenes held in the USGS archive to date are used in conjunction with advanced geographic information systems, image processing software, and cloud computing capabilities to enable Landsat users to study changes on the Earth’s surface across continental regions and extended time periods. The Operational Land Imager 2 (OLI-2) and the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2 (TIRS-2) instruments onboard Landsat 9 —which replicate the technologically-advanced instruments introduced onboard Landsat 8—allow for the collection of continuous high-quality data required for advancing Earth applications, including our ability to map surface temperature and surface water quality. Landsat 9 will build on the Landsat legacy, achieving a half-century record of global Earth observations.
Report↗
Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center - Who We Are and What We Do
To understand our planet at local, regional, national, and global scales, people need information about Earth's land surfaces and how they are changing. Land remote sensing is the key to gathering this information. Satellites that capture detailed images of Earth's continents, islands, and coastlines are and have been EROS' primary source of remotely sensed data since the Center opened in 1973. EROS is probably best known as the USGS receiving station for Landsat satellite images. However, we acquire data and images from many other satellites, as well as from other kinds of remote sensing instruments. Roughly 1.5 terabytes* of information arrive at EROS every day to become part of the largest civilian archive of remotely sensed land data in the world. The archive represents a perfectly preserved 70-year record of Earth's land surfaces and serves as an invaluable resource for documenting how they have changed over time. *One terabyte = 1,000 gigabytes
Fact Sheet↗
Cross-comparison of the IRS-P6 AWiFS sensor with the L5 TM, L7 ETM+, & Terra MODIS sensors
As scientists and decision makers increasingly rely on multiple Earth-observing satellites to address urgent global issues, it is imperative that they can rely on the accuracy of Earth-observing data products. This paper focuses on the crosscomparison of the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS-P6) Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) with the Landsat 5 (L5) Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 7 (L7) Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), and Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors. The cross-comparison was performed using image statistics based on large common areas observed by the sensors within 30 minutes. Because of the limited availability of simultaneous observations between the AWiFS and the Landsat and MODIS sensors, only a few images were analyzed. These initial results are presented. Regression curves and coefficients of determination for the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) trends from these sensors were generated to quantify the uncertainty in these relationships and to provide an assessment of the calibration differences between these sensors. ?? 2009 SPIE.
Conference Paper↗
Piloting urban ecosystem accounting for the United States
In this study, we develop urban ecosystem accounts in the U.S., using the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EEA) framework. Most ecosystem accounts focus on regional and national scales, which are appropriate for many ecosystem services. However, ecosystems provide substantial services in cities, improving quality of life and contributing to resiliency for substantial parts of the population. Our models estimate energy savings for indoor cooling resulting from heat mitigated by trees and rainfall intercepted by trees. Both models cover major cities in the contiguous U.S. and report the results through physical supply and use tables for multiple accounting periods (2011 and 2016). Using conservative assumptions, urban trees provide substantial heat mitigation (4,098 and 4,229 GWh, valued at $523 and $539 million in 2011 and 2016, respectively) and rainfall interception (2,422 and 2,627 million m 3 , valued at $434 and $425 million for 2011 and 2016, respectively). Interannual differences largely reflect variations in weather patterns. Our work shows how Earth observation data can support urban ecosystem accounting. We provide model code within a public repository to facilitate model runs elsewhere, enabling the SEEA EEA and Earth observation user communities to reuse our models and provide feedback for improvement.
Ecosystem Services↗
Data availability and the role of the Earth Resources Observation Systems Data Center
With the launch of LANDSAT-1 in July 1972, and the follow-on launch of LANDSAT-2 in January of this year, routine availability of satellite imagery and electronic data of the earth's resources has become a reality. Federal data centers provide LANDSAT data to resource managers and the general public. These data centers have to date provided almost 500,000 frames of LANDSAT data at a cost of more than $2,000,000. Data from the LANDSAT satellite program, along with data and information from the Skylab manned program, are available over any location to anyone for the cost of reproduction.
Conference Paper↗
The CEOS Cal/Val portal: A new instrument for the Cal/Val community
The exploitation of Earth Observation data depends with increasing importance on multi-source inter-calibrated data, as demonstrated, for example, in the ESA DUE GlobColour project. 1 The subgroup on Calibration and Validation of the Committee on Earth Observing System (CEOS) formulated a recommendation during the plenary session held in China at the end of 2004, with the goal of setting-up and operating an Internet based system to provide sensor data, protocols and guidelines for the purposes of efficiently supporting sensor calibration, inter-calibration and product validation. ESA has taken the initiative and launched the version 1.0 of the Cal/Val Portal in October 2006 and the version 2.0 in mid 2009. This paper describes the Cal/Val portal webpage, components, and general content organization. It also gives an example of collaboration and Cal/Val facility.
Conference Paper↗
Climate Change Research at USGS Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS)
Research and development projects at EROS apply unique resources to support the USGS mission of developing understanding, monitoring, and modeling of climate variability and change and their human, physical, and biological impacts. Remote sensing resources, both new and archived, form the core of our ability to determine changes in the state or condition of the Earth’s surface and its dynamic landscape and ecosystem processes. This rich resource provides powerful biophysical information for local to global areas. Archival data form the basis for assessing human and climate impacts on the land surface, trends of land use, and an understanding of climate and management impacts. Biophysical information from satellite data is assimilated into quantitative models that allow all disciplines of the USGS to understand impacts on ecosystem processes. Major processes and problems we address include: carbon fluxes, hydrological processes, albedo changes and regional climates, mangroves and wetland protection of coastal environments, natural and manmade hazards (e.g., fire and drought), ecosystem change and succession, land use and land cover change, and more. The integration of remote sensing, modeling, and multidisciplinary approaches fosters international scientific leadership across all disciplines for the USGS.
Fact Sheet↗
Use of EO-1 Hyperion data to calculate spectral band adjustment factors (SBAF) between the L7 ETM+ and Terra MODIS sensors
Different applications and technology developments in Earth observations necessarily require different spectral coverage. Thus, even for the spectral bands designed to look at the same region of the electromagnetic spectrum, the relative spectral responses (RSR) of different sensors may be different. In this study, spectral band adjustment factors (SBAF) are derived using hyperspectral Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) Hyperion measurements to adjust for the spectral band differences between the Landsat 7 (L7) Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and the Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance measurements from 2000 to 2009 over the pseudo-invariant Libya 4 reference standard test site.
Conference Paper↗